High-Pressure Hot-Gas Self-Acting Floating Ring Shaft Seal for Liquid Rocket Turbopumps. [tapered bore seals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burcham, R. E.; Diamond, W. A.

1980-01-01

Design analysis, detail design, fabrication, and experimental evaluation was performed on two self acting floating ring shaft seals for a rocket engine turbopump high pressure 24132500 n/sq m (3500 psig) hot gas 533 K 9500 F) high speed 3142 rad/sec (30000 rmp) turbine. The initial design used Rayleigh step hydrodynamic lift pads to assist in centering the seal ring with minimum rubbing contact. The final design used a convergent tapered bore to provide hydrostatic centering force. The Rayleigh step design was tested for 107 starts and 4.52 hours total. The leakage was satisfactory; however, the design was not acceptable due to excessive wear caused by inadequate centering force and failure of the sealing dam caused by erosion damage. The tapered bore design was tested for 370 starts and 15.93 hours total. Satisfactory performance for the required life of 7.5 hours per seal was successfully demonstrated.

Identifying Gaps in the Performance of Pediatric Trainees Who Receive Marginal/Unsatisfactory Ratings.

PubMed

Li, Su-Ting T; Tancredi, Daniel J; Schwartz, Alan; Guillot, Ann; Burke, Ann; Trimm, R Franklin; Guralnick, Susan; Mahan, John D; Gifford, Kimberly A

2018-01-01

To perform a derivation study to determine in which subcompetencies marginal/unsatisfactory pediatric residents had the greatest deficits compared with their satisfactorily performing peers and which subcompetencies best discriminated between marginal/unsatisfactory and satisfactorily performing residents. Multi-institutional cohort study of all 21 milestones (rated on four or five levels) reported to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and global marginal/unsatisfactory versus satisfactory performance reported to the American Board of Pediatrics. Data were gathered in 2013-2014. For each level of training (postgraduate year [PGY] 1, 2, and 3), mean differences between milestone levels of residents with marginal/unsatisfactory and satisfactory performance adjusted for clustering by program and C-statistics (area under receiver operating characteristic curve) were calculated. A Bonferroni-corrected significance threshold of .0007963 was used to account for multiple comparisons. Milestone and overall performance evaluations for 1,704 pediatric residents in 41 programs were obtained. For PGY1s, two subcompetencies had almost a one-point difference in milestone levels between marginal/unsatisfactory and satisfactory trainees and outstanding discrimination (≥ 0.90): organize/prioritize (0.93; C-statistic: 0.91) and transfer of care (0.97; C-statistic: 0.90). The largest difference between marginal/unsatisfactory and satisfactory PGY2s was trustworthiness (0.78). The largest differences between marginal/unsatisfactory and satisfactory PGY3s were ethical behavior (1.17), incorporating feedback (1.03), and professionalization (0.96). For PGY2s and PGY3s, no subcompetencies had outstanding discrimination. Marginal/unsatisfactory pediatric residents had different subcompetency gaps at different training levels. While PGY1s may have global deficits, senior residents may have different performance deficiencies requiring individualized counseling and targeted performance improvement plans.

Assurance of lubricant supply in wet-lubricated space bearings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glassow, F. A.

1976-01-01

Conventional lubrication techniques appear to be satisfactory, but rigorous proof of meeting a ten-year life requirement is lacking. One approach provides additional lubricant only when commanded from ground control, while the other passively augments lubrication at all times. Each technique has specific advantages, and selection should be related to the application to obtain optimum performance.

42 CFR 435.406 - Citizenship and alienage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... ISLANDS, AND AMERICAN SAMOA General Eligibility Requirements § 435.406 Citizenship and alienage. (a) The... national of the United States; and (ii) The individual has provided satisfactory documentary evidence of... qualified aliens subject to the 5-year bar) who have provided satisfactory documentary evidence of Qualified...

42 CFR 435.406 - Citizenship and alienage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... ISLANDS, AND AMERICAN SAMOA General Eligibility Requirements § 435.406 Citizenship and alienage. (a) The... national of the United States; and (ii) The individual has provided satisfactory documentary evidence of... qualified aliens subject to the 5-year bar) who have provided satisfactory documentary evidence of Qualified...

42 CFR 435.406 - Citizenship and alienage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... ISLANDS, AND AMERICAN SAMOA General Eligibility Requirements § 435.406 Citizenship and alienage. (a) The... national of the United States; and (ii) The individual has provided satisfactory documentary evidence of... qualified aliens subject to the 5-year bar) who have provided satisfactory documentary evidence of Qualified...

42 CFR 435.406 - Citizenship and alienage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... ISLANDS, AND AMERICAN SAMOA General Eligibility Requirements § 435.406 Citizenship and alienage. (a) The... national of the United States; and (ii) The individual has provided satisfactory documentary evidence of... qualified aliens subject to the 5-year bar) who have provided satisfactory documentary evidence of Qualified...

A qualitative assessment of ante-natal care provided by auxillary nurse midwives.

PubMed

Prasad, B; Gupta, V M

1999-01-01

Two hundred sixty eight antenatal mothers were observed for the quality of services provided by Auxillary Nurse Midwives (ANMs). History taking was found to be satisfactory in only 2.6% women. Obstetric examination was done unsatisfactorily in majority (52.6%) of the mothers. General physical examination was not done in 69% women. ANMs in all 31 sub-centres were not performing investigation like haemoglobin estimation, urine testing, foetal heart sound monitoring and blood pressure recording.

Statistical, Graphical, and Learning Methods for Sensing, Surveillance, and Navigation Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-28

harsh propagation environments. Conventional filtering techniques fail to provide satisfactory performance in many important nonlinear or non...Gaussian scenarios. In addition, there is a lack of a unified methodology for the design and analysis of different filtering techniques. To address...these problems, we have proposed a new filtering methodology called belief condensation (BC) DISTRIBUTION A: Distribution approved for public release

A Better Leveled Playing Field for Assessing Satisfactory Job Performance of Superintendents on the Basis of High-Stakes Testing Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, I. Phillip; Cox, Edward P.; Buckman, David G.

2014-01-01

To assess satisfactory job performance of superintendents on the basis of school districts' high-stakes testing outcomes, existing teacher models were reviewed and critiqued as potential options for retrofit. For these models, specific problems were identified relative to the choice of referent groups. An alternate referent group (statewide…

Surgical management of post-traumatic atlantoaxial rotatory fixation due to C2 facet fracture: 5 clinical cases.

PubMed

Peyriere, H; Graillon, T; Pesenti, S; Tropiano, P; Blondel, B; Fuentes, S

2017-02-01

Report the results of surgical treatment of post-traumatic atlantoaxial rotatory fixation (AARF) due to C2 articular facet fracture in adults. The records of five patients treated since 2009 for AARF due to a C2 articular facet fracture were analyzed retrospectively. Three women and two men with an average age of 60 years (27-82) were included, one of whom initially had neurological deficits. In all cases, the surgical strategy consisted of posterior fixation: Harms-type in four cases and trans-articular with hooks in one case. Dislocations due to fracture of the C2 articular facet are rare in adults; various treatment strategies have been described. In our experience, posterior screw fixation leads to satisfactory clinical and radiological outcomes. Fusion is not necessary in these cases because the dislocation is related to an asymmetric fracture without ligament damage. Posterior fixation provides satisfactory reduction of these injuries and leads to satisfactory bone union. This surgical treatment can be performed early on after the trauma and is an interesting alternative to conservative treatment. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Introducing a design exigency to promote student learning through assessment: A case study.

PubMed

Grealish, Laurie A; Shaw, Julie M

2018-02-01

Assessment technologies are often used to classify student and newly qualified nurse performance as 'pass' or 'fail', with little attention to how these decisions are achieved. Examining the design exigencies of classification technologies, such as performance assessment technologies, provides opportunities to explore flexibility and change in the process of using those technologies. Evaluate an established assessment technology for nursing performance as a classification system. A case study analysis that is focused on the assessment approach and a priori design exigencies of performance assessment technology, in this case the Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool 2016. Nurse assessors are required to draw upon their expertise to judge performance, but that judgement is described as a source of bias, creating confusion. The definition of satisfactory performance is 'ready to enter practice'. To pass, the performance on each criterion must be at least satisfactory, indicating to the student that no further improvement is required. The Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool 2016 does not have a third 'other' category, which is usually found in classification systems. Introducing a 'not yet competent' category and creating a two-part, mixed methods assessment process can improve the Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool 2016 assessment technology. Using a standards approach in the first part, judgement is valued and can generate learning opportunities across a program. Using a measurement approach in the second part, student performance can be 'not yet competent' but still meet criteria for year level performance and a graded pass. Subjecting the Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool 2016 assessment technology to analysis as a classification system provides opportunities for innovation in design. This design innovation has the potential to support students who move between programs and clinicians who assess students from different universities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The model of flood control using servqual method and importance performance analysis in Surakarta City – Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Titi Purwantini, V.; Sutanto, Yusuf

2018-05-01

This research is to create a model of flood control in the city of Surakarta using Servqual method and Importance Performance Analysis. Service quality is generally defined as the overall assessment of a service by the customersor the extent to which a service meets customer’s needs or expectations. The purpose of this study is to find the first model of flood control that is appropriate to the condition of the community. Surakarta This means looking for a model that can provide satisfactory service for the people of Surakarta who are in the location of the flood. The second is to find the right model to improve service performance of Surakarta City Government in serving the people in flood location. The method used to determine the satisfaction of the public on the quality of service is to see the difference in the quality of service expected by the community with the reality. This method is Servqual Method While to assess the performance of city government officials is by comparing the actual performance with the quality of services provided, this method is This means looking for a model that can provide satisfactory service for the people of Surakarta who are in the location of the flood.The second is to find the right model to improve service performance of Surakarta City Government in serving the people in flood location. The method used to determine the satisfaction of the public on the quality of service is to see the difference in the quality of service expected by the community with the reality. This method is Servqual Method While to assess the performance of city government officials is by comparing the actual performance with the quality of services provided, this method is Importance Performance Analysis. Samples were people living in flooded areas in the city of Surakarta. Result this research is Satisfaction = Responsiveness+ Realibility + Assurance + Empathy+ Tangible (Servqual Model) and Importance Performance Analysis is From Cartesian diagram can be made Flood Control Formula as follow: Food Control = High performance

Radiographic parameters improve lower extremity prosthetic alignment.

PubMed

Mooney, Ryan; Carry, Patrick; Wylie, Erin; Schultz, Abby; McNair, Bryan; Page, Carol; Biffl, Susan; Heare, Travis

2013-12-01

The goal of prosthetic fitting is to provide comfort and functionality to the patient. It is thought that incorporating the use of standing anterior-posterior long leg radiographs (LLR) into the fitting of lower extremity prostheses will provide an objective guide when making adjustments, and be a better assessment of alignment. This study compares prosthetic alignment before and after radiography-guided adjustments. This retrospective study was performed at a multidisciplinary amputee clinic on patients with congenital and/or acquired limb deficiencies. Their prosthetic alignment was evaluated by LLR and adjusted as needed. Satisfactory alignment was defined as a mechanical axis angular deviation of ≤1° and a leg length discrepancy of ≤10 mm. A total of 45 unique prostheses from 24 subjects (10 female and 14 male) were included. Post-adjustment radiographs were obtained from 29 prostheses. After the initial prosthetic fitting, the probability of a satisfactory fit was 20.0 % (95 % CI 10.9-34.9 %). Following the baseline adjustment, the probability of a satisfactory fit improved to 53.3 % (95 % CI 37.5-70.9 %). After adjustment number 4, the probability of a satisfactory fit further improved to 76.7 % (95 % CI 41.9-98.0 %). There were also significant improvements in distal offset distance (p = 0.0040) and leg length discrepancy (p = 0.0206). The distal offset distance decreased by an average of 10.7 mm (95 % CI 3.6-17.8), and leg length discrepancy decreased by an average of 3.0 mm (95 % CI 00.48-5.5). The addition of LLRs to existing fitting methods significantly improves prosthetic alignment and length.

Comparison between exclusively school teacher-based and mixed school teacher and healthcare provider-based programme on basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation for secondary schools.

PubMed

Jiménez-Fábrega, X; Escalada-Roig, X; Miró, O; Sanclemente, G; Díaz, N; Gómez, X; Villena, O; Rodríguez, E; Gaspar, A; Molina, J E; Salvador, J; Sánchez, M

2009-09-01

To compare two teaching methodologies for PROCES (a basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (b-CPR) programme for secondary school students): one exclusively performed by school teachers (study group) and another by a mixed team of school teachers and healthcare providers (control group). According to their preferences, teachers chose either method and students were consequently assigned to the control or study group. All participants took a 10 multiple-choice question exam regarding b-CPR skills twice: immediately after PROCES and one year later. Eight or more correct answers was considered satisfactory learning. Results between groups were compared. Associations between satisfactory learning and some student characteristics were analysed. Immediately after PROCES, 442 students (219 in the study group and 223 in the control group) took the exam. The percentage of satisfactory learning was not different: 67.1% in the study group and 64.6% in the control group. Immediate satisfactory learning was related to the absence of pending subjects in the control (odds ratio (OR) 2.31, 95% CI 1.16 to 4.64) and study (OR 5.87, 95% CI 1.22 to 28.20) groups. One year later, a greater percentage of retention of b-CRP skills was detected in the study group (57.1% vs 40.6%; p = 0.01). The absence of any pending subject (OR 6.86, 95% CI 1.83 to 25.66) was independently associated with better retention in the study group, but not the control group. Secondary school teachers, previously trained in b-CPR, can teach these skills effectively to 14-16-year-old students using PROCES. The retention of b-CPR skills is greater with this methodology compared with a more standardised programme.

An interactive medical image segmentation framework using iterative refinement.

PubMed

Kalshetti, Pratik; Bundele, Manas; Rahangdale, Parag; Jangra, Dinesh; Chattopadhyay, Chiranjoy; Harit, Gaurav; Elhence, Abhay

2017-04-01

Segmentation is often performed on medical images for identifying diseases in clinical evaluation. Hence it has become one of the major research areas. Conventional image segmentation techniques are unable to provide satisfactory segmentation results for medical images as they contain irregularities. They need to be pre-processed before segmentation. In order to obtain the most suitable method for medical image segmentation, we propose MIST (Medical Image Segmentation Tool), a two stage algorithm. The first stage automatically generates a binary marker image of the region of interest using mathematical morphology. This marker serves as the mask image for the second stage which uses GrabCut to yield an efficient segmented result. The obtained result can be further refined by user interaction, which can be done using the proposed Graphical User Interface (GUI). Experimental results show that the proposed method is accurate and provides satisfactory segmentation results with minimum user interaction on medical as well as natural images. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pell Grants as Performance-Based Aid? An Examination of Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements in the Nation's Largest Need-Based Aid Program. A CAPSEE Working Paper

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schudde, Lauren; Scott-Clayton, Judith

2014-01-01

The Federal Pell Grant Program is the nation's largest need-based grant program. While students' initial eligibility for the Pell is based on financial need, renewal of the award is contingent on their making satisfactory academic progress (SAP)--meeting minimum academic standards similar to those proposed in models of performance-based…

Nonlinear analysis and performance evaluation of the Annular Suspension and Pointing System (ASPS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joshi, S. M.

1978-01-01

The Annular Suspension and Pointing System (ASPS) can provide high accurate fine pointing for a variety of solar-, stellar-, and Earth-viewing scientific instruments during space shuttle orbital missions. In this report, a detailed nonlinear mathematical model is developed for the ASPS/Space Shuttle system. The equations are augmented with nonlinear models of components such as magnetic actuators and gimbal torquers. Control systems and payload attitude state estimators are designed in order to obtain satisfactory pointing performance, and statistical pointing performance is predicted in the presence of measurement noise and disturbances.

Trained nurses can obtain satisfactory bone marrow aspirates and trephine biopsies.

PubMed Central

Lawson, S; Aston, S; Baker, L; Fegan, C D; Milligan, D W

1999-01-01

AIMS: To assess the feasibility of training nurse practitioners to perform bone marrow aspiration and trephine biopsy, and to compare the quality of these samples with those obtained by medical staff. METHODS: A retrospective audit was undertaken of nurse practitioner and medical staff performance in bone marrow procedures in a busy haematology day unit. RESULTS: Nurse practitioners fared favourably in comparison with medical staff in performing bone marrow trephine biopsies, with mean biopsy lengths of 11 mm and 10.7 mm respectively. However, only 78% of the smears obtained by the nurses were judged technically satisfactory, compared with 91% prepared by doctors. This discrepancy was thought to be due largely to the quality of slide spreading. CONCLUSIONS: With motivated staff and a structured educational and training programme it is possible for nurse practitioners to perform the techniques of bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, and obtain specimens of satisfactory quality, thus improving efficiency of the haematology day unit and increasing quality of patient care. Images PMID:10396248

Concepts. The Journal of Defense Systems Acquisition Management. Summer 1981. Volume 4, Number 3.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-01

Performance FREQUENCY POWER OUTPUT GIZMO MODEL 25 0-50 MHZ SATISFACTORY 50-125 MHZ UNSATISFACTORY ASTROMATICS MODEL C 0-50 MHZ SATISFACTORY 50-125 MHZ...MHZ) GIZMO ----- ASTROMATICS- NOTES: 1. Diagrams excellent for portraying precise technical relationships. 2. Diagrams are economical means of

Grandmother's support for new mothers in Japan.

PubMed

Matsui, Rie; Sato, Yumi

2018-05-17

This study was designed to describe grandmothers' intentions regarding providing satisfactory infant care support for new mothers. Qualitative inductive analysis was performed using semistructured interviews conducted with 19 pairs of grandmothers and new mothers with one child aged 3-4 months old. Support that satisfied the new mothers was categorized into five concepts, which included support activities such as "minding the grandchild" and "supporting family life". Six reasons were attributed by the new mothers for their satisfaction such as "reduced anxiety toward infant care" and "lifestyle stability including infant care". The grandmothers' intentions in providing satisfactory infant care support for new mothers were categorized into seven concepts that included "sympathizing with the hardships of motherhood upon seeing the mother's situation" and "balancing the desire to provide support and maintain their own lifestyle". Grandmothers wanted to help new mothers by supporting and empowering them. Data also showed that grandmothers could potentially benefit from research-based information on modern infant care practices as well as reliable and up-to-date infant care information obtained from within the community. Supporting grandmothers in their role will ultimately benefit infants and new mothers and contribute to grandmothers' personal fulfillment. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ames Research Center life sciences payload

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callahan, P. X.; Tremor, J. W.

1982-01-01

In response to a recognized need for an in-flight animal housing facility to support Spacelab life sciences investigators, a rack and system compatible Research Animal Holding Facility (RAHF) has been developed. A series of ground tests is planned to insure its satisfactory performance under certain simulated conditions of flight exposure and use. However, even under the best conditions of simulation, confidence gained in ground testing will not approach that resulting from actual spaceflight operation. The Spacelab Mission 3 provides an opportunity to perform an inflight Verification Test (VT) of the RAHF. Lessons learned from the RAHF-VT and baseline performance data will be invaluable in preparation for subsequent dedicated life sciences missions.

Conical : An extended module for computing a numerically satisfactory pair of solutions of the differential equation for conical functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunster, T. M.; Gil, A.; Segura, J.; Temme, N. M.

2017-08-01

Conical functions appear in a large number of applications in physics and engineering. In this paper we describe an extension of our module Conical (Gil et al., 2012) for the computation of conical functions. Specifically, the module includes now a routine for computing the function R-1/2+ iτ m (x) , a real-valued numerically satisfactory companion of the function P-1/2+ iτ m (x) for x > 1. In this way, a natural basis for solving Dirichlet problems bounded by conical domains is provided. The module also improves the performance of our previous algorithm for the conical function P-1/2+ iτ m (x) and it includes now the computation of the first order derivative of the function. This is also considered for the function R-1/2+ iτ m (x) in the extended algorithm.

Determination of azoxystrobin and chlorothalonil using a methacrylate-based polymer modified with gold nanoparticles as solid-phase extraction sorbent.

PubMed

Catalá-Icardo, Mónica; Gómez-Benito, Carmen; Simó-Alfonso, Ernesto Francisco; Herrero-Martínez, José Manuel

2017-01-01

This paper describes a novel and sensitive method for extraction, preconcentration, and determination of two important widely used fungicides, azoxystrobin, and chlorothalonil. The developed methodology is based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) using a polymeric material functionalized with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as sorbent followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detector (DAD). Several experimental variables that affect the extraction efficiency such as the eluent volume, sample flow rate, and salt addition were optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the sorbent provided satisfactory enrichment efficiency for both fungicides, high selectivity and excellent reusability (>120 re-uses). The proposed method allowed the detection of 0.05 μg L -1 of the fungicides and gave satisfactory recoveries (75-95 %) when it was applied to drinking and environmental water samples (river, well, tap, irrigation, spring, and sea waters).

Implementation of the qualities of radiodiagnostic: mammography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pacífico, L. C.; Magalhães, L. A. G.; Peixoto, J. G. P.; Fernandes, E.

2018-03-01

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the expanded uncertainty of the mammographic calibration process and present the result of the internal audit performed at the Laboratory of Radiological Sciences (LCR). The qualities of the mammographic beans that are references in the LCR, comprises two irradiation conditions: no-attenuated beam and attenuated beam. Both had satisfactory results, with an expanded uncertainty equals 2,1%. The internal audit was performed, and the degree of accordance with the ISO/IEC 17025 was evaluated. The result of the internal audit was satisfactory. We conclude that LCR can perform calibrations on mammography qualities for end users.

Development of an integrated, zero-G pneumatic transporter/rotating-paddle incinerator/catalytic afterburner subsystem for processing human waste on board spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fields, S. F.; Labak, L. J.; Honegger, R. J.

1974-01-01

A baseline laboratory prototype of an integrated, six man, zero-g subsystem for processing human wastes onboard spacecraft was investigated, and included the development of an operational specification for the baseline subsystem, followed by design and fabrication. The program was concluded by performing a series of six tests over a period of two weeks to evaluate the performance of the subsystem. The results of the tests were satisfactory, however, several changes in the design of the subsystem are required before completely satisfactory performance can be achieved.

Some-or-none recollection: Evidence from item and source memory.

PubMed

Onyper, Serge V; Zhang, Yaofei X; Howard, Marc W

2010-05-01

Dual-process theory hypothesizes that recognition memory depends on 2 distinguishable memory signals. Recollection reflects conscious recovery of detailed information about the learning episode. Familiarity reflects a memory signal that is not accompanied by a vivid conscious experience but nonetheless enables participants to distinguish recently experienced probe items from novel ones. This dual-process explanation of recognition memory has gained wide acceptance among cognitive neuroscientists and some cognitive psychologists. Nonetheless, its difficulty in providing a quantitatively satisfactory description of performance has precluded a consensus not only regarding the theoretical structure of recognition memory but also about how to best measure recognition accuracy. In 2 experiments we show that neither the standard formulation of dual-process signal detection (DPSD) theory nor a widely used single-process model called the unequal-variance signal-detection (UVSD) model provides a satisfactory explanation of recognition memory across different types of stimuli (words and travel scenes). In the variable-recollection dual-process (VRDP) model, recollection fails for some old probe items, as in standard formulations of DPSD, but gives rise to a continuous distribution of memory strengths when it succeeds. The VRDP can approximate both the DPSD and UVSD. In both experiments it provides a consistently superior fit across materials to the superset of the DPSD and UVSD. The VRDP offers a simple explanation of the form of conjoint item-source judgments, something neither the DPSD nor UVSD accomplishes. The success of the VRDP supports the core assumptions of dual-process theory by providing an excellent quantitative description of recognition performance across materials and response criteria.

Satisfactory visualization rates of standard cardiac views at 18 to 22 weeks' gestation using spatiotemporal image correlation.

PubMed

Cohen, Leeber; Mangers, Kristie; Grobman, William A; Platt, Lawrence D

2009-12-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency with which 3 standard screening views of the fetal heart (4-chamber, left ventricular outflow tract [LVOT], and right ventricular outflow tract [RVOT]) can be obtained satisfactorily with the spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) technique. A prospective study of 111 patients undergoing anatomic surveys at 18 to 22 weeks was performed. Two ultrasound machines with fetal cardiac settings were used. The best volume set that could be obtained from each patient during a 45-minute examination was graded by 2 sonologists with regard to whether the 4-chamber, LVOT, and RVOT images were satisfactory for screening. All 3 views were judged satisfactory for screening in most patients: 1 sonologist graded the views as satisfactory in 70% of the patients, whereas the other found the views to be satisfactory in 83%. The position of the placenta did not alter the probability of achieving a satisfactory view, but a fetus in the spine anterior position was associated with a significantly lower probability that the views were regarded as satisfactory for screening (odds ratio, 0.28; 95% confidence interval, 0.09-0.70; P < .05). This study suggests that STIC may assist with screening for cardiac anomalies at 18 to 22 weeks' gestation.

A piloted simulation investigation of the normal load factor and longitudinal thrust required for air-to-air acquisition and tracking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whalley, Matthew S.

1993-01-01

A piloted simulation study was performed by the U.S. Army Aeroflighydynamics Directorate to develop insight into the maneuverability requirements for aggressive helicopter maneuvering tasks such as air-to-air combat. Both a conventional helicopter and a helicopter with auxiliary thrust were examined. The aircraft parameters of interest were the normal and longitudinal load factor envelopes. Of particular interest were the mission performance and handling qualities tradeoffs with the parameters of interest. Two air-to-air acquisition and tracking tasks and a return-to-cover task were performed to assess mission performance. Results indicate that without auxiliary thrust, the ownship normal load factor capability needs to match that of the adversary in order to provide satisfactory handling qualities. Auxiliary thrust provides significant handling qualities advantages and can be substituted to some extent for normal load factor capability. Auxiliary thrust levels as low as 0.2 thrust/weight can provide significant handling qualities advantages.

B-tree search reinforcement learning for model based intelligent agent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhuvaneswari, S.; Vignashwaran, R.

2013-03-01

Agents trained by learning techniques provide a powerful approximation of active solutions for naive approaches. In this study using B - Trees implying reinforced learning the data search for information retrieval is moderated to achieve accuracy with minimum search time. The impact of variables and tactics applied in training are determined using reinforcement learning. Agents based on these techniques perform satisfactory baseline and act as finite agents based on the predetermined model against competitors from the course.

Multicyclic Controllable Twist Rotor Data Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wei, F. S.; Weisbrich, A. L.

1979-01-01

Rsults provide functional relationship between rotor performance, blade vibratory loads and dual control settings and indicate that multicyclic control produced significant reductions in blade flatwise bending moments and blade root actuator control loads. Higher harmonic terms of servo flap deflection were found to be most pronounced in flatwise bending moment, transmission vertical vibration and pitch link vibratory load equations. The existing test hardware represents a satisfactory configuration for demonstrating MCTR technology and defining a data base for additional wind tunnel testing.

Seawater Corrosion of Fasteners in Various Structural Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-04-01

17 - 4PH stainless steel. The seven bolt materials were: 2024 aluminum, anodized ASTM grade 5 steel, 304 and 316 stainless steels, A286 stain- less...performed well in titanium structures. Use of MP35N, A286, and 304 stainless steel fasteners for constantly immersed 17 - 4PH stainless steel structures...would have been satisfactory only if sealant was not used and if protection had been provided to the 17 - 4PH to minimize crevice corrosion. Additional

Results achieved by emergency physicians in teaching basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation to secondary school students.

PubMed

Jiménez-Fábrega, Xavier; Escalada-Roig, Xavier; Sánchez, Miquel; Culla, Alexandre; Díaz, Núria; Gómez, Xavier; Villena, Olga; Rodríguez, Esther; Gaspar, Alberto; Molina, José Emilio; Salvador, Jordi; Miró, Oscar

2009-06-01

We investigated the results obtained with a basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (b-CPR) program (PROCES) specifically designed for secondary school students (14-16 years old) and taught by emergency physicians. We used a multiple-choice test with 20 questions (10 on theory and 10 on skills) answered before and immediately after and 1 year after receiving the b-CPR course. Satisfactory learning was considered when at least 8 out of 10 skill questions were correctly answered. We investigated student variables associated with better immediate and deferred (1 year after) PROCES performance. We compared the results with those obtained using a more standardized program to teach b-CPR to police cadets. We enrolled 600 high school students. PROCES achieved significant improvement in overall, theory and skill marks immediately after the course (P<0.001), with a significant decay in all of them 1 year after the course (P<0.001). Satisfactory learning was achieved by 57% of school students immediately after PROCES and by 37% when assessed 1 year later. Students without pending study subjects (P=0.001) and those from private schools (P<0.01) achieved significantly better performance immediately after PROCES and only female students achieved greater performance 1 year after the course (P<0.05). With respect to police cadets instructed through a standardized course, immediate satisfactory learning of school students was lower (79 vs. 57%, respectively; P<0.001), whereas deferred satisfactory learning was higher (23 vs. 37%, respectively; P<0.05). Emergency physicians can satisfactorily instruct secondary school students in b-CPR using PROCES, and this specific program achieves a reasonable amount of satisfactory learning.

[Analysis on 2011 quality control results on aerobic plate count of microbiology laboratories in China].

PubMed

Han, Haihong; Li, Ning; Li, Yepeng; Fu, Ping; Yu, Dongmin; Li Zhigang; Du, Chunming; Guo, Yunchang

2015-01-01

To test the aerobic plate count examining capability of microbiology laboratories, to ensure the accuracy and comparability of quantitative bacteria examination results, and to improve the quality of monitoring. The 4 different concentration aerobic plate count piece samples were prepared and noted as I, II, III and IV. After homogeneity and stability tests, the samples were delivered to monitoring institutions. The results of I, II, III samples were logarithmic transformed, and evaluated with Z-score method using the robust average and standard deviation. The results of IV samples were evaluated as "satisfactory" when reported as < 10 CFU/piece or as "not satisfactory" otherwise. Pearson χ2 test was used to analyze the ratio results. 309 monitoring institutions, which was 99.04% of the total number, reported their results. 271 institutions reported a satisfactory result, and the satisfactory rate was 87.70%. There was no statistical difference in satisfactory rates of I, II and III samples which were 81.52%, 88.30% and 91.40% respectively. The satisfactory rate of IV samples was 93.33%. There was no statistical difference in satisfactory rates between provincial and municipal CDC. The quality control program has provided scientific data that the aerobic plate count capability of the laboratories meets the requirements of monitoring tasks.

A study of the problem of designing airplanes with satisfactory inherent damping of the dutch roll oscillation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, John P; Mckinney, Marion O , Jr

1954-01-01

Considerable interest has recently been shown in means of obtaining satisfactory stability of the dutch roll oscillation for modern high-performance airplanes without resort to complicated artificial stabilizing devices. One approach to this problem is to lay out the airplane in the earliest stages of design so that it will have the greatest practicable inherent stability of the lateral oscillation. The present report presents some preliminary results of a theoretical analysis to determine the design features that appear most promising in providing adequate inherent stability. These preliminary results cover the case of fighter airplanes at subsonic speeds. The investigation indicated that it is possible to design fighter airplanes to have substantially better inherent stability than most current designs. Since the use of low-aspect-ratio swept-back wings is largely responsible for poor dutch roll stability, it is important to design the airplane with the maximum aspect ratio and minimum sweep that will permit attainment of the desired performance. The radius of gyration in roll should be kept as low as possible and the nose-up inclination of the principal longitudinal axis of inertia should be made as great as practicable. (author)

Reuse of steel slag in bituminous paving mixtures.

PubMed

Sorlini, Sabrina; Sanzeni, Alex; Rondi, Luca

2012-03-30

This paper presents a comprehensive study to evaluate the mechanical properties and environmental suitability of electric arc furnace (EAF) steel slag in bituminous paving mixtures. A variety of tests were executed on samples of EAF slag to characterize the physical, geometrical, mechanical and chemical properties as required by UNI EN specifications, focusing additionally on the volumetric expansion associated with hydration of free CaO and MgO. Five bituminous mixtures of aggregates for flexible road pavement were designed containing up to 40% of EAF slag and were tested to determine Marshall stability and indirect tensile strength. The leaching behaviour of slag samples and bituminous mixtures was evaluated according to the UNI EN leaching test. The tested slag showed satisfactory physical and mechanical properties and a release of pollutants generally below the limits set by the Italian code. Tests on volume stability of fresh materials confirmed that a period of 2-3 months is necessary to reduce effects of oxides hydration. The results of tests performed on bituminous mixtures with EAF slag were comparable with the performance of mixtures containing natural aggregates and the leaching tests provided satisfactory results. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of Patients With Satisfactory Functional Gain Following Total Joint Arthroplasty in a Postacute Rehabilitation Setting.

PubMed

Hershkovitz, Avital; Vesilkov, Marina; Beloosesky, Yichayaou; Brill, Shai

2017-01-10

Total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is an effective and successful treatment of osteoarthritis of the hip and knee as quantified by several measures, such as pain relief, improved walking, improved self-care, functions, and increased quality of life. Data are lacking as to the definition of a satisfactory functional gain in a postacute setting and identifying the characteristics of older patients with TJA who may achieve that gain. Our aim was to characterize patients who may achieve a satisfactory functional gain in a postacute rehabilitation setting following TJA. This was a retrospective study of 180 patients with TJA admitted during 2010-2013. The main outcome measures were the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), the Montebello Rehabilitation Factor Score (MRFS) on the motor FIM, and the Timed Get Up and Go Test. Satisfactory functional gain was defined as an mFIM MRFS score above median score. Comparisons of clinical and demographic characteristics between patients who achieved a satisfactory functional gain versus those who did not were performed by the Mann-Whitney U test and the χ test. The proportion of patients who achieved a satisfactory functional gain was similar in the total knee arthroplasty and total hip arthroplasty (THA) groups. The most significant characteristic of patients who achieved a satisfactory functional gain was their admission functional ability. Age negatively impacted the ability to achieve a satisfactory functional gain in patients with THA. Functional level on admission is the best predictive factor for a better rehabilitation outcome for patients with TJA. Age negatively affects functional gain in patients with THA.

Cochlear Implantation after Bilateral Transverse Temporal Bone Fractures

PubMed Central

Shin, Jong-Heon; Park, SooChan; Baek, Sam-Hyun

2008-01-01

Patients deafened by a severe head injury are rarely encountered. We report a case of a 65-yr-old man with bilateral transverse temporal bone fractures due to head injury. He underwent cochlear implant and achieved a satisfactory auditory rehabilitation. Imaging studies of temporal bone before performing a cochlear implantation provide important information on a patient with bilateral temporal bone fractures. Cochlear implantations with careful planning in such a patient may be a very effective method for aural rehabilitation. PMID:19434252

A Hybrid Indoor Localization and Navigation System with Map Matching for Pedestrians Using Smartphones.

PubMed

Tian, Qinglin; Salcic, Zoran; Wang, Kevin I-Kai; Pan, Yun

2015-12-05

Pedestrian dead reckoning is a common technique applied in indoor inertial navigation systems that is able to provide accurate tracking performance within short distances. Sensor drift is the main bottleneck in extending the system to long-distance and long-term tracking. In this paper, a hybrid system integrating traditional pedestrian dead reckoning based on the use of inertial measurement units, short-range radio frequency systems and particle filter map matching is proposed. The system is a drift-free pedestrian navigation system where position error and sensor drift is regularly corrected and is able to provide long-term accurate and reliable tracking. Moreover, the whole system is implemented on a commercial off-the-shelf smartphone and achieves real-time positioning and tracking performance with satisfactory accuracy.

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

Frame, E.A.

The objectives of this project were: (1) to determine the feasibility of adding a vapor-phase corrosion inhibitor (VCI) component to improve the preservation performance of MIL-L-21260 and (2) to evaluate a less complicated engine preservation procedure. A simultaneous two-phase approach was conducted. Phase 1 involved the formulation and evaluation of experimental VCI oils, while Phase 2 was the evaluation of a simplified engine preservation procedure. VCI oil formulation was conducted by Ronco Laboratory under subcontract. Compatibility of the experimental VCI oils with metal coupons, elastomers, and fuel filters was determined. Effectiveness of the experimental VCI oil was evaluated in amore » 3-year outdoor engine storage test. The engines were preserved using an experimental, simplified preservation procedure. The simplified engine preservation procedure proved to be acceptable as engines stored for 3 years in a very severe environment were judged to have been adequately preserved. Engine oil meeting specification MIL-L-21260 provided satisfactory protection during the 3-year storage test. The experimental VCI oil also provided satisfactory storage protection during this test; however, there was no observable advantage for the VCI oil. The VCI oil had acceptable compatibility with an elastomeric flex ring, metal coupons (except lead), and fuel filters.« less

System performance conclusions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arndt, G. D.

1980-01-01

The advantages and disadvantages of reducing power levels and using antennas with diameters smaller than 1 Km were evaluated if rectenna costs and land usage requirements become major factors, operating at 5800 megahertz should be considered. Three sequences (random, incoherent phasing, and concentric rings - center to edge) provided satisfactory performance in that the resultant sidelobe levels during startup/ shutdown were lower than the steady-state levels present during normal operations. Grating lobe peaks and scattered power levels were used to determine the array/subarray mechanical alignment requirements. The antenna alignment requirement is 1 min or 3 min depending on phase control configuration. System error parameters were defined to minimize scattered microwave power.

Immobilization of Glucose Oxidase on a Carbon Nanotubes/Dendrimer-Ferrocene Modified Electrode for Reagentless Glucose Biosensing.

PubMed

Zhou, Juan; Li, Huan; Yang, Huasong; Cheng, Hui; Lai, Guosong

2017-01-01

Ferrocene-grafted dendrimer was covalently linked to the surface of a carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-chitosan (CS) nanocomposite modified electrode for immobilizing high-content glucose oxidase (GOx), which resulted in the successful development a novel reagentless glucose biosensor. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and amperometry were used to characterize the preparation process and the enzymatically catalytic response of this biosensor. Due to the excellent electron transfer acceleration of the CNTs and the high-content loading of the GOx biomolecule and ferrocene mediator on the electrode matrix, this biosensor showed excellent analytical performance such as fast response time less than 10 s, wide linear range from 0.02 to 2.91 mM and low detection limit down to 7.5 μM as well as satisfactory stability and reproducibility toward the amperometric glucose determination. In addition, satisfactory result was obtained when it was used for the glucose measurements in human blood samples. Thus this biosensor provides great potentials for practical applications.

Work-family conflicts and work performance.

PubMed

Roth, Lawrence; David, Emily M

2009-08-01

Prior research indicates that work-family conflict interferes with family far more than it interferes with work. Conservation of resources provides a possible explanation: when shifting resources from family is no longer sufficient to maintain satisfactory work performance, then workers must acquire additional resources or reduce investments in work. One source of such additional resources could be high performance peers in the work group. The performance of workers with resource-rich peers may be less adversely affected by work-family conflict. In this study, 136 employees of a wholesale distribution firm (61% women, 62% minority) working in groups of 7 to 11 in manual labor and low-level administrative jobs rated their own work-to-family conflict. Their supervisors rated workers' performance. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that work-to-family conflict increasingly adversely affected job performance as work group performance decreased. Hence, work group performance may be an important moderator of the effects of work-family conflict.

Effect of external jet-flow deflector geometry on OTW aero-acoustic characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vonglahn, U.; Groesbeck, D.

1976-01-01

The effect of geometry variations in the design of external deflectors for use with over-the-wing (OTW) configurations was studied at model scale and subsonic jet velocities. Included in the variations were deflector size and angle as well as wing size and flap setting. A conical nozzle (5.2-cm diameter) mounted at 0.1 chord above and downstream of the wing leading edges was used. The data indicate that external deflectors provide satisfactory takeoff and approach aerodynamic performance and acoustic characteristics for OTW configurations. These characteristics together with expected good cruise aerodynamics, since external deflectors are storable, may provide optimum OTW design configurations.

Surgical treatment of primary gynecomastia in children and adolescents.

PubMed

Fischer, Sebastian; Hirsch, Tobias; Hirche, Christoph; Kiefer, Jurij; Kueckelhaus, Maximilian; Germann, Günter; Reichenberger, Matthias A

2014-06-01

Idiopathic gynecomastia is a common diagnosis in children and adolescents. Though medical treatments reveal potentially harmful side effects, surgical interventions are performable in numerous techniques. In children and adolescents, only minimal evidence exists. This retrospective study presents our experiences with two common surgical techniques, namely subcutaneous mastectomy and combination with liposuction. This retrospective study included all patients <18 years who underwent surgery due to idiopathic gynecomastia. Height, weight and grade of gynecomastia according to Simon's classification before surgery were reviewed in all patients' files. Additionally, duration of surgery, inpatient stay and postoperative complications were documented. Follow-up examinations were performed with assessment of scar formation, numbness and retraction of the nipple region. Furthermore, patients were asked to report on general satisfaction with surgery (satisfactory/not satisfactory) and esthetic outcome on a numeric scale (1 = good, 6 = bad). 37 patients underwent surgery for verified idiopathic gynecomastia. Grade of gynecomastia was I° in 13.5% (n = 5), II° in 40.5% (n = 15) and III° in 46% (n = 17) of cases. Subcutaneous mastectomy was applied in 11 patients (group I, 30%) and both subcutaneous mastectomy and liposuction in 26 patients (group II, 70.3%). Postoperative complications occurred in two patients. Long-term follow-up was performed in 32 patients after a median of 34 months (range 6-96 months). Hypertrophic scar formation was seen in one patient (3%) and nipple retraction in two patients (5%). Recurrence of gynecomastia occurred in two patients (5%). Patient rating was satisfactory in 9% of cases and esthetic outcome was received with a median of 2.0 (1-5). In comparing both surgical techniques, combination of mastectomy and liposuction revealed better results in every measure except for surgical duration (median 73 vs. 90 min). Surgical correction of gynecomastia remains a purely elective intervention. In contrast to adults, skin in children and adolescents provides high retractability. Therefore, open reduction combined with minimally invasive liposuction was proven useful.

A hybrid system for upper limb movement restoration in quadriplegics.

PubMed

Varoto, Renato; Barbarini, Elisa Signoreto; Cliquet, Alberto

2008-09-01

Generally, quadriplegic individuals have difficulties performing object manipulation. Toward satisfactory manipulation, reach and grasp movements must be performed with voluntary control, and for that, grasp force feedback is essential. A hybrid system aiming at partial upper limb sensory-motor restoration for quadriplegics was built. Such device is composed of an elbow dynamic orthosis that provides elbow flexion/extension (range was approximately from 20 degrees to 120 degrees , and average angular speed was approximately 15 degrees /s) with forearm support, a wrist static orthosis and neuromuscular electrical stimulation for grasping generation, and a glove with force sensors that allows grasping force feedback. The glove presents two user interface modes: visual by light emitting diodes or audio emitted by buzzer. Voice control of the entire system (elbow dynamic orthosis and electrical stimulator) is performed by the patient. The movements provided by the hybrid system, combined with the scapular and shoulder movements performed by the patient, can aid quadriplegic individuals in tasks that involve reach and grasp movements.

36 CFR 223.35 - Performance bond.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Performance bond. 223.35... Sale Contracts Contract Conditions and Provisions § 223.35 Performance bond. Timber sale contracts may require the purchaser to furnish a performance bond for satisfactory compliance with its terms. ...

36 CFR 223.35 - Performance bond.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Performance bond. 223.35... Sale Contracts Contract Conditions and Provisions § 223.35 Performance bond. Timber sale contracts may require the purchaser to furnish a performance bond for satisfactory compliance with its terms. ...

Assess and Predict Automatic Generation Control Performances for Thermal Power Generation Units Based on Modeling Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yan; Yang, Zijiang; Gao, Song; Liu, Jinbiao

2018-02-01

Automatic generation control(AGC) is a key technology to maintain real time power generation and load balance, and to ensure the quality of power supply. Power grids require each power generation unit to have a satisfactory AGC performance, being specified in two detailed rules. The two rules provide a set of indices to measure the AGC performance of power generation unit. However, the commonly-used method to calculate these indices is based on particular data samples from AGC responses and will lead to incorrect results in practice. This paper proposes a new method to estimate the AGC performance indices via system identification techniques. In addition, a nonlinear regression model between performance indices and load command is built in order to predict the AGC performance indices. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated through industrial case studies.

Novel prescribed performance neural control of a flexible air-breathing hypersonic vehicle with unknown initial errors.

PubMed

Bu, Xiangwei; Wu, Xiaoyan; Zhu, Fujing; Huang, Jiaqi; Ma, Zhen; Zhang, Rui

2015-11-01

A novel prescribed performance neural controller with unknown initial errors is addressed for the longitudinal dynamic model of a flexible air-breathing hypersonic vehicle (FAHV) subject to parametric uncertainties. Different from traditional prescribed performance control (PPC) requiring that the initial errors have to be known accurately, this paper investigates the tracking control without accurate initial errors via exploiting a new performance function. A combined neural back-stepping and minimal learning parameter (MLP) technology is employed for exploring a prescribed performance controller that provides robust tracking of velocity and altitude reference trajectories. The highlight is that the transient performance of velocity and altitude tracking errors is satisfactory and the computational load of neural approximation is low. Finally, numerical simulation results from a nonlinear FAHV model demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed strategy. Copyright © 2015 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental test results of a generalized parameter fuel control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batterton, P. G.; Gold, H.

1973-01-01

Considerable interest has been generated recently in low cost jet propulsion systems. One of the more complicated components of jet engines is the fuel control. Results of an effort to develop a simpler hydromechanical fuel control are presented. This prototype fuel control was installed on a J85-GE-13 jet engine. Results show that the fuel control provided satisfactory engine performance at sea level static conditions over its normal nonafterburning operating range, including startup. Results of both bench and engine tests are presented; the difficulties encountered are described.

Multisynchronization of chaotic oscillators via nonlinear observer approach.

PubMed

Aguilar-López, Ricardo; Martínez-Guerra, Rafael; Mata-Machuca, Juan L

2014-01-01

The goal of this work is to synchronize a class of chaotic oscillators in a master-slave scheme, under different initial conditions, considering several slaves systems. The Chen oscillator is employed as a benchmark model and a nonlinear observer is proposed to reach synchronicity between the master and the slaves' oscillators. The proposed observer contains a proportional and integral form of a bounded function of the synchronization error in order to provide asymptotic synchronization with a satisfactory performance. Numerical experiments were carried out to show the operation of the considered methodology.

Multisynchronization of Chaotic Oscillators via Nonlinear Observer Approach

PubMed Central

Aguilar-López, Ricardo; Martínez-Guerra, Rafael; Mata-Machuca, Juan L.

2014-01-01

The goal of this work is to synchronize a class of chaotic oscillators in a master-slave scheme, under different initial conditions, considering several slaves systems. The Chen oscillator is employed as a benchmark model and a nonlinear observer is proposed to reach synchronicity between the master and the slaves' oscillators. The proposed observer contains a proportional and integral form of a bounded function of the synchronization error in order to provide asymptotic synchronization with a satisfactory performance. Numerical experiments were carried out to show the operation of the considered methodology. PMID:24578671

Absolute Stability Analysis of a Phase Plane Controlled Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jang, Jiann-Woei; Plummer, Michael; Bedrossian, Nazareth; Hall, Charles; Jackson, Mark; Spanos, Pol

2010-01-01

Many aerospace attitude control systems utilize phase plane control schemes that include nonlinear elements such as dead zone and ideal relay. To evaluate phase plane control robustness, stability margin prediction methods must be developed. Absolute stability is extended to predict stability margins and to define an abort condition. A constrained optimization approach is also used to design flex filters for roll control. The design goal is to optimize vehicle tracking performance while maintaining adequate stability margins. Absolute stability is shown to provide satisfactory stability constraints for the optimization.

Priorities in health care: reply to Lewis and Charny.

PubMed Central

Lamb, David

1989-01-01

This paper is a reply to proposals to base priority health-care decisions on public opinion surveys. Whilst it is recognised that current practice is less than satisfactory, it is argued here that basing health-care priorities on societal attitudes in this way is not a solution and does not provide a satisfactory basis for bringing democracy to the health service. PMID:11644371

Predictive Service Life Tests for Roofing Membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bailey, David M.; Cash, Carl G.; Davies, Arthur G.

2002-09-01

The average service life of roofing membranes used in low-slope applications on U.S. Army buildings is estimated to be considerably shorter than the industry-presumed 20-year design life, even when installers carefully adhere to the latest guide specifications. This problem is due in large part to market-driven product development cycles, which do not include time for long-term field testing. To reduce delivery costs, contractors may provide untested, interior membranes in place of ones proven satisfactory in long-term service. Federal procurement regulations require that roofing systems and components be selected according to desired properties and generic type, not brand name. The problem is that a material certified to have satisfactory properties at installation time will not necessarily retain those properties in service. The overall objective of this research is to develop a testing program that can be executed in a matter of weeks to adequately predict a membrane's long-term performance in service. This report details accelerated aging tests of 12 popular membrane materials in the laboratory, and describes outdoor experiment stations set up for long-term exposure tests of those same membranes. The laboratory results will later be correlated with the outdoor test results to develop performance models and predictive service life tests.

Study of high performance alloy electroforming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malone, G. A.

1984-01-01

The first series of heat treated nickel manganese alloys are tested for mechanical properties at temperatures of 148.9 C (300 F) and 260 C (500 F). All material receives the same heat treatment in order to provide a common basis for comparison of results. Mechanical property performance improves with increasing manganese content in the alloy. Although all manganese bearing alloy is significantly superior to conventional electroformed nickel, samples containing over 3000 ppm manganese display outstanding ultimate and yield strengths while maintaining reasonably satisfactory ductility. Alloy containing over 6000 ppm of manganese is very competitive to Inconel 718 (mill annealed and age hardened) at all temperatures of interest, although ductility is not as great in the electrodeposited counterpart.

Prediction of Human Performance Using Electroencephalography under Different Indoor Room Temperatures

PubMed Central

Zhang, Tinghe; Mao, Zijing; Xu, Xiaojing; Zhang, Lin; Pack, Daniel J.; Dong, Bing; Huang, Yufei

2018-01-01

Varying indoor environmental conditions is known to affect office worker’s performance; wherein past research studies have reported the effects of unfavorable indoor temperature and air quality causing sick building syndrome (SBS) among office workers. Thus, investigating factors that can predict performance in changing indoor environments have become a highly important research topic bearing significant impact in our society. While past research studies have attempted to determine predictors for performance, they do not provide satisfactory prediction ability. Therefore, in this preliminary study, we attempt to predict performance during office-work tasks triggered by different indoor room temperatures (22.2 °C and 30 °C) from human brain signals recorded using electroencephalography (EEG). Seven participants were recruited, from whom EEG, skin temperature, heart rate and thermal survey questionnaires were collected. Regression analyses were carried out to investigate the effectiveness of using EEG power spectral densities (PSD) as predictors of performance. Our results indicate EEG PSDs as predictors provide the highest R2 (> 0.70), that is 17 times higher than using other physiological signals as predictors and is more robust. Finally, the paper provides insight on the selected predictors based on brain activity patterns for low- and high-performance levels under different indoor-temperatures. PMID:29690601

Prediction of Human Performance Using Electroencephalography under Different Indoor Room Temperatures.

PubMed

Nayak, Tapsya; Zhang, Tinghe; Mao, Zijing; Xu, Xiaojing; Zhang, Lin; Pack, Daniel J; Dong, Bing; Huang, Yufei

2018-04-23

Varying indoor environmental conditions is known to affect office worker’s performance; wherein past research studies have reported the effects of unfavorable indoor temperature and air quality causing sick building syndrome (SBS) among office workers. Thus, investigating factors that can predict performance in changing indoor environments have become a highly important research topic bearing significant impact in our society. While past research studies have attempted to determine predictors for performance, they do not provide satisfactory prediction ability. Therefore, in this preliminary study, we attempt to predict performance during office-work tasks triggered by different indoor room temperatures (22.2 °C and 30 °C) from human brain signals recorded using electroencephalography (EEG). Seven participants were recruited, from whom EEG, skin temperature, heart rate and thermal survey questionnaires were collected. Regression analyses were carried out to investigate the effectiveness of using EEG power spectral densities (PSD) as predictors of performance. Our results indicate EEG PSDs as predictors provide the highest R ² (> 0.70), that is 17 times higher than using other physiological signals as predictors and is more robust. Finally, the paper provides insight on the selected predictors based on brain activity patterns for low- and high-performance levels under different indoor-temperatures.

13 CFR 120.434 - What are SBA's requirements for loan pledges?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... factors, will be considered in determining satisfactory SBA performance. Other factors may include, but... default rate, purchase rate and loss rate), loan volume to the extent that it impacts performance measures...

Omni-focal refractive focus correction technology as a substitute for bi/multi-focal intraocular lenses, contact lenses, and spectacles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben Yaish, Shai; Zlotnik, Alex; Raveh, Ido; Yehezkel, Oren; Belkin, Michael; Lahav, Karen; Zalevsky, Zeev

2009-02-01

We present novel technology for extension in depth of focus of imaging lenses for use in ophthalmic lenses correcting myopia, hyperopia with regular/irregular astigmatism and presbyopia. This technology produces continuous focus without appreciable loss of energy. It is incorporated as a coating or engraving on the surface for spectacles, contact or intraocular lenses. It was fabricated and tested in simulations and in clinical trials. From the various testing this technology seems to provide a satisfactory single-lens solution. Obtained performance is apparently better than those of existing multi/bifocal lenses and it is modular enough to provide solution to various ophthalmic applications.

Anesthesia for awake craniotomy: case report.

PubMed

Bolzani, Nelson Davi; Junqueira, Daisy de Oliveira Pollon; Ferrari, Paulo André Pinheiro Fernandes; Ferrari, Antonio Fernandes; Gaia, Felipe; Tapajós, Caroline Moraes; Junior, José Francisco Cursino de Moura; Neto, Edmundo Pereira de Souza

2013-01-01

Some intracranial procedures are achievable with patients awake, however, there are challenges ranging from patient compliance to homeostasis. The aim of this study is to present a case of intracranial surgery for removal of a tumor in the left parietal lobe with the patient awake during the procedure. After patient selection and psychological preparation, the proposed excision of the left parietal lobe lesion in the waking state was clarified and accepted. Continuous infusion of propofol and remifentanil was administered to maintain a Ramsay score of 2-3. The bilateral scalp blockade was performed with ropivacaine. The Mayfield head fixation device was installed and drapes adjusted to maintain the airway and eyes accessible for mapping with electrical stimulation and tumor excision. For dura mater incision, a pad with 2% lidocaine was applied for 3 minutes. The surgery was uneventful. The patient was discharged on the seventh day of hospitalization without presenting complication. Although the maintenance of analgesia and hemodynamic stability was a challenge with the patient awake, the target-controlled infusion of propofol provided the desired level of consciousness, remifentanil titrated analgesia and sedation without drug accumulation, and the blockade with ropivacaine provided satisfactory analgesia. We conclude that the anesthetic technique was satisfactory for our patient. Copyright © 2013 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Flying Qualities and Guidance Displays for an Advanced Tilt-Wing STOL Transport Aircraft in Final Approach and Landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frost, Chad R.; Franklin, James A.; Hardy, Gordon H.

2002-01-01

A piloted simulation was performed on the Vertical Motion Simulator at NASA Ames Research Center to evaluate flying qualities of a tilt-wing Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) transport aircraft during final approach and landing. The experiment was conducted to assess the design s handling qualities, and to evaluate the use of flightpath-centered guidance for the precision approach and landing tasks required to perform STOL operations in instrument meteorological conditions, turbulence, and wind. Pilots rated the handling qualities to be satisfactory for all operations evaluated except those encountering extreme crosswinds and severe windshear; even in these difficult meteorological conditions, adequate handling qualities were maintained. The advanced flight control laws and guidance displays provided consistent performance and precision landings.

A joint swarm intelligence algorithm for multi-user detection in MIMO-OFDM system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Fengye; Du, Dakun; Zhang, Peng; Wang, Zhijun

2014-11-01

In the multi-input multi-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) system, traditional multi-user detection (MUD) algorithms that usually used to suppress multiple access interference are difficult to balance system detection performance and the complexity of the algorithm. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a joint swarm intelligence algorithm called Ant Colony and Particle Swarm Optimisation (AC-PSO) by integrating particle swarm optimisation (PSO) and ant colony optimisation (ACO) algorithms. According to simulation results, it has been shown that, with low computational complexity, the MUD for the MIMO-OFDM system based on AC-PSO algorithm gains comparable MUD performance with maximum likelihood algorithm. Thus, the proposed AC-PSO algorithm provides a satisfactory trade-off between computational complexity and detection performance.

36 CFR 9.13 - Performance bond.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Performance bond. 9.13... MINERALS MANAGEMENT Mining and Mining Claims § 9.13 Performance bond. (a) Upon approval of a plan of operations the operator shall be required to file a suitable performance bond with satisfactory surety...

36 CFR 9.48 - Performance bond.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Performance bond. 9.48... MINERALS MANAGEMENT Non-Federal Oil and Gas Rights § 9.48 Performance bond. (a) Prior to approval of a plan of operations, the operator shall be required to file a suitable performance bond with satisfactory...

36 CFR 9.13 - Performance bond.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Performance bond. 9.13... MINERALS MANAGEMENT Mining and Mining Claims § 9.13 Performance bond. (a) Upon approval of a plan of operations the operator shall be required to file a suitable performance bond with satisfactory surety...

36 CFR 9.48 - Performance bond.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Performance bond. 9.48... MINERALS MANAGEMENT Non-Federal Oil and Gas Rights § 9.48 Performance bond. (a) Prior to approval of a plan of operations, the operator shall be required to file a suitable performance bond with satisfactory...

36 CFR 9.13 - Performance bond.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Performance bond. 9.13... MINERALS MANAGEMENT Mining and Mining Claims § 9.13 Performance bond. (a) Upon approval of a plan of operations the operator shall be required to file a suitable performance bond with satisfactory surety...

A contourlet transform based algorithm for real-time video encoding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katsigiannis, Stamos; Papaioannou, Georgios; Maroulis, Dimitris

2012-06-01

In recent years, real-time video communication over the internet has been widely utilized for applications like video conferencing. Streaming live video over heterogeneous IP networks, including wireless networks, requires video coding algorithms that can support various levels of quality in order to adapt to the network end-to-end bandwidth and transmitter/receiver resources. In this work, a scalable video coding and compression algorithm based on the Contourlet Transform is proposed. The algorithm allows for multiple levels of detail, without re-encoding the video frames, by just dropping the encoded information referring to higher resolution than needed. Compression is achieved by means of lossy and lossless methods, as well as variable bit rate encoding schemes. Furthermore, due to the transformation utilized, it does not suffer from blocking artifacts that occur with many widely adopted compression algorithms. Another highly advantageous characteristic of the algorithm is the suppression of noise induced by low-quality sensors usually encountered in web-cameras, due to the manipulation of the transform coefficients at the compression stage. The proposed algorithm is designed to introduce minimal coding delay, thus achieving real-time performance. Performance is enhanced by utilizing the vast computational capabilities of modern GPUs, providing satisfactory encoding and decoding times at relatively low cost. These characteristics make this method suitable for applications like video-conferencing that demand real-time performance, along with the highest visual quality possible for each user. Through the presented performance and quality evaluation of the algorithm, experimental results show that the proposed algorithm achieves better or comparable visual quality relative to other compression and encoding methods tested, while maintaining a satisfactory compression ratio. Especially at low bitrates, it provides more human-eye friendly images compared to algorithms utilizing block-based coding, like the MPEG family, as it introduces fuzziness and blurring instead of artificial block artifacts.

Free-Spinning-Tunnel Investigation of a 0.034-Scale Model of the Production Version of the Chance Vought F7U-3 Airplane, TED No. NACA AD 3103

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klinar, Walter J.; Healy, Frederick M.

1955-01-01

An investigation of a 0.034-scale model of the production version of the Chance Vought F7U-3 airplane has been conducted in the Langley 20-foot free-spinning tunnel. The inverted and erect spin and recovery characteristics of the model were determined for the combat loading with the model in the clean condition and the effect of extending slats was investigated. A brief investigation of pilot ejection was also performed. The results indicate that the inverted spin-recovery characteristics of the airplane will be satisfactory by full rudder reversal. If the rudders can only be neutralized because of high pedal forces in the inverted spins, satisfactory recovery will be obtained if the auxiliary rudders can be moved to neutral or against the spin provided the stick is held full forward. Optimum control technique for satisfactory recovery from erect spins will be full rudder reversal in conjunction with aileron movement to full with the spin (stick right in a right spin). Extension of the slats will have a slightly adverse effect on recoveries from (1 inverted spins but will have a favorable effect on recoveries from erect spins. The results of brief tests indicate that if a pilot is ejected during a spin while a spin-recovery parachute is extended and fully inflated, he will probably clear the tail parachute.

Relationship between the caregiver's report on the patient's spontaneous-speech and the Brief Aphasia Evaluation.

PubMed

Vigliecca, Nora Silvana

2017-11-09

To study the relationship between the caregiver's perception about the patient's impairment in spontaneous speech, according to an item of four questions administered by semi-structured interview, and the patient's performance in the Brief Aphasia Evaluation (BAE). 102 right-handed patients with focal brain lesions of different types and location were examined. BAE is a valid and reliable instrument to assess aphasia. The caregiver's perception was correlated with the item of spontaneous speech, the total score and the three main factors of the BAE: Expression, Comprehension and Complementary factors. The precision (sensitivity/ specificity) about the caregiver's perception of the patient's spontaneous speech was analyzed with reference to the presence or absence of disorder, according to the professional, on the BAE item of spontaneous speech. The studied correlation was satisfactory, being greater (higher than 80%) for the following indicators: the item of spontaneous speech, the Expression factor and the total score of the scale; the correlation was a little smaller (higher than 70%) for the Comprehension and Complementary factors. Comparing two cut-off points that evaluated the precision of the caregiver's perception, satisfactory results were observed in terms of sensitivity and specificity (>70%) with likelihood ratios higher than three. By using the median as the cut-off point, more satisfactory diagnostic discriminations were obtained. Interviewing the caregiver specifically on the patient's spontaneous speech, in an abbreviated form, provides relevant information for the aphasia diagnosis.

Utility of the electronic information resource UpToDate for clinical decision-making at bedside rounds.

PubMed

Phua, J; See, K C; Khalizah, H J; Low, S P; Lim, T K

2012-02-01

Clinical questions often arise at daily hospital bedside rounds. Yet, little information exists on how the search for answers may be facilitated. The aim of this prospective study was, therefore, to evaluate the overall utility, including the feasibility and usefulness of incorporating searches of UpToDate, a popular online information resource, into rounds. Doctors searched UpToDate for any unresolved clinical questions during rounds for patients in general medicine and respiratory wards, and in the medical intensive care unit of a tertiary teaching hospital. The nature of the questions and the results of the searches were recorded. Searches were deemed feasible if they were completed during the rounds and useful if they provided a satisfactory answer. A total of 157 UpToDate searches were performed during the study period. Questions were raised by all ranks of clinicians from junior doctors to consultants. The searches were feasible and performed immediately during rounds 44% of the time. Each search took a median of three minutes (first quartile: two minutes, third quartile: five minutes). UpToDate provided a useful and satisfactory answer 75% of the time, a partial answer 17% of the time and no answer 9% of the time. It led to a change in investigations, diagnosis or management 37% of the time, confirmed what was originally known or planned 38% of the time and had no effect 25% of the time. Incorporating UpToDate searches into daily bedside rounds was feasible and useful in clinical decision-making.

Optimization and validation of the reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection method for the separation of tocopherol and tocotrienol isomers in cereals, employing a novel sorbent material.

PubMed

Irakli, Maria N; Samanidou, Victoria F; Papadoyannis, Ioannis N

2012-03-07

The separation and determination of tocopherols (Ts) and tocotrienols (T3s) by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection has been developed and validated after optimization of various chromatographic conditions and other experimental parameters. Analytes were separated on a PerfectSil Target ODS-3 (250 × 4.6 mm, 3 μm) column filled with a novel sorbent material of ultrapure silica gel. The separation of Ts and T3s was optimized in terms of mobile-phase composition and column temperature on the basis of the best compromise among efficiency, resolution, and analysis time. Using a gradient elution of mobile phase composed of isopropanol/water and 7 °C column temperature, a satisfactory resolution was achieved within 62 min. For the quantitative determination, α-T acetate (50 μg/mL) was used as the internal standard. Detection limits ranged from 0.27 μg/mL (γ-T) to 0.76 μg/mL (γ-T3). The validation of the method was examined performing intraday (n = 5) and interday (n = 3) assays and was found to be satisfactory, with high accuracy and precision results. Solid-phase extraction provided high relative extraction recoveries from cereal samples: 87.0% for γ-T3 and 115.5% for δ-T. The method was successfully applied to cereals, such as durum wheat, bread wheat, rice, barley, oat, rye, and corn.

Survey on the state of otoneurology in Spain.

PubMed

Alemán-López, Oscar; Pérez-Garríguez, Hermino; Pérez-Vásquez, Paz; Arán-González, Ismael; Martin-Sanz, Eduardo

2015-01-01

Otoneurology is a subspecialty of otolaryngology-neurology, which has experienced extraordinary progress in the last 50 years and is currently fully consolidated in our environment. Through this study, prepared by the Otoneurology Commission of the Spanish Society of Otorhinolaryngology (SEORL), we have attempted to design an approach to provide information on what the current situation regarding the exercise in Spain is, trying to determine who practice it and where, what resources are available and what the teaching and scientific productions are. The results obtained are generally satisfactory and reflect the strength of the exercise of otoneurology. The number of centres with otoneurology units is significant and the majority of centres that lack such a unity consider it necessary. However, there are aspects to establish related to minimum requirements for its performance in satisfactory conditions, as well as determining future guidelines to ensure improved teaching and increased scientific production. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Patología Cérvico-Facial. All rights reserved.

Assessing Bus Performance Rating in Kajang, Selangor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norhisham, S.; Ismail, A.; Sidek, L. M.; Borhan, M. N.; Zaini, N.; Yen, A. T. G.

2018-04-01

The Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual (TCQSM) was chosen based on the review with four manuals and guidelines for the method will be applied. Six (6) attributes, namely Hours of Service, Passenger Load, Transit Auto Travel Time, Service Frequency, Punctuality Performance and Service Coverage were chosen for evaluation.[6][7][8]. A total of three (3) operators with seven (7) routes were identified in Kajang. Based on the final results, the Quality of Service (QOS) findings was rated as D, which was regarded as minimum or satisfactory. Most stakeholders’ recommendations were: for the operators to provide information on bus scheduling and have accurate information for the passengers. It was suggested that in future this study can be extended to all routes and could be repeated after the opening of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations in Kajang, so as to provide a comparison and better evaluation of the public buses in Kajang.

Adrenal venous sampling: the learning curve of a single interventionalist with 282 consecutive procedures.

PubMed

Jakobsson, Hugo; Farmaki, Katerina; Sakinis, Augustinas; Ehn, Olof; Johannsson, Gudmundur; Ragnarsson, Oskar

2018-01-01

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a common cause of secondary hypertension. Adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is the gold standard for assessing laterality of PA, which is of paramount importance to decide adequate treatment. AVS is a technically complicated procedure with success rates ranging between 30% and 96%. The aim of this study was to investigate the success rate of AVS over time, performed by a single interventionalist. This was a retrospective study based on consecutive AVS procedures performed by a single operator between September 2005 and June 2016. Data on serum concentrations of aldosterone and cortisol from right and left adrenal vein, inferior vena cava, and peripheral vein were collected and selectivity index (SI) calculated. Successful AVS was defined as SI > 5. In total, 282 AVS procedures were performed on 269 patients, 168 men (62%) and 101 women (38%), with a mean age of 55±11 years (range, 26-78 years). Out of 282 AVS procedures, 259 were successful, giving an overall success rate of 92%. The most common reason for failure was inability to localize the right adrenal vein (n=16; 76%). The success rates were 63%, 82%, and 94% during the first, second, and third years, respectively. During the last 8 years the success rate was 95%, and on average 27 procedures were performed annually. Satisfactory AVS success rate was achieved after approximately 36 procedures and satisfactory success rate was maintained by performing approximately 27 procedures annually. AVS should be limited to few operators that perform sufficiently large number of procedures to achieve, and maintain, satisfactory AVS success rate.

12 CFR 345.28 - Assigned ratings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...,” “satisfactory,” “needs to improve,” or “substantial noncompliance” based on the bank's performance under the lending, investment and service tests, the community development test, the small bank performance... evaluation of a bank's CRA performance is adversely affected by evidence of discriminatory or other illegal...

13 CFR 120.433 - What are SBA's other requirements for sales and sales of participating interests?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

..., among other factors, will be considered in determining satisfactory SBA performance. Other factors may... (like default rate, purchase rate and loss rate), loan volume to the extent that it impacts performance...

Transformational, Transactional Leadership Styles and Job Performance of Academic Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahdinezhad, Maryam; Bin Suandi, Turiman; bin Silong, Abu Daud; Omar, Zoharah Binti

2013-01-01

In higher learning education, the performance is influenced by many factors. Effective leadership has an imperative role in the better performance and growth of the organization. Yet, several performance efforts were unsuccessful as a result of factors such as satisfactory leadership style of leaders. This study was carried out to identify the…

49 CFR 179.400-4 - Insulation system and performance standard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... of heat transfer used for determining the satisfactory performance of the insulation system of a... 49 Transportation 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Insulation system and performance standard. 179... DOT-113 and 107A) § 179.400-4 Insulation system and performance standard. (a) For the purposes of this...

49 CFR 179.400-4 - Insulation system and performance standard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... of heat transfer used for determining the satisfactory performance of the insulation system of a... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Insulation system and performance standard. 179... DOT-113 and 107A) § 179.400-4 Insulation system and performance standard. (a) For the purposes of this...

49 CFR 179.400-4 - Insulation system and performance standard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... of heat transfer used for determining the satisfactory performance of the insulation system of a... 49 Transportation 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Insulation system and performance standard. 179... DOT-113 and 107A) § 179.400-4 Insulation system and performance standard. (a) For the purposes of this...

49 CFR 179.400-4 - Insulation system and performance standard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... of heat transfer used for determining the satisfactory performance of the insulation system of a... 49 Transportation 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Insulation system and performance standard. 179... DOT-113 and 107A) § 179.400-4 Insulation system and performance standard. (a) For the purposes of this...

49 CFR 179.400-4 - Insulation system and performance standard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... of heat transfer used for determining the satisfactory performance of the insulation system of a... 49 Transportation 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Insulation system and performance standard. 179... DOT-113 and 107A) § 179.400-4 Insulation system and performance standard. (a) For the purposes of this...

43 CFR 23.9 - Performance bond.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Performance bond. 23.9 Section 23.9 Public... LANDS § 23.9 Performance bond. (a)(1) Upon approval of an exploration plan or mining plan, the operator shall be required to file a suitable performance bond of not less than $2,000 with satisfactory surety...

43 CFR 23.9 - Performance bond.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2012-10-01 2011-10-01 true Performance bond. 23.9 Section 23.9 Public... LANDS § 23.9 Performance bond. (a)(1) Upon approval of an exploration plan or mining plan, the operator shall be required to file a suitable performance bond of not less than $2,000 with satisfactory surety...

43 CFR 23.9 - Performance bond.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Performance bond. 23.9 Section 23.9 Public... LANDS § 23.9 Performance bond. (a)(1) Upon approval of an exploration plan or mining plan, the operator shall be required to file a suitable performance bond of not less than $2,000 with satisfactory surety...

43 CFR 23.9 - Performance bond.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Performance bond. 23.9 Section 23.9 Public... LANDS § 23.9 Performance bond. (a)(1) Upon approval of an exploration plan or mining plan, the operator shall be required to file a suitable performance bond of not less than $2,000 with satisfactory surety...

One-day treatment for lobar pneumonia

PubMed Central

Sutton, D. R.; Wicks, A. C. B.; Davidson, Lindsay

1970-01-01

An investigation was undertaken to discover whether a single intramuscular dose of long-acting (or mixed long-acting and crystalline) penicillin or a single day's therapy with oral penicillin was satisfactory treatment for lobar pneumonia. These treatments were compared with standard hospital oral and injection therapies. All the experimental treatment regimes were found to be satisfactory. They provide justification for treating lobar pneumonia on an out-patient basis in order to save hospital admissions. PMID:4392585

Solid electrolyte fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isaacs, H. S.

Progress in the development of functioning solid electrolyte fuel cells is summarized. The solid electrolyte cells perform at 1000 C, a temperature elevated enough to indicate high efficiencies are available, especially if the cell is combined with a steam generator/turbine system. The system is noted to be sulfur tolerant, so coal containing significant amounts of sulfur is expected to yield satisfactory performances with low parasitic losses for gasification and purification. Solid oxide systems are electrically reversible, and are usable in both fuel cell and electrolysis modes. Employing zirconium and yttrium in the electrolyte provides component stability with time, a feature not present with other fuel cells. The chemical reactions producing the cell current are reviewed, along with materials choices for the cathodes, anodes, and interconnections.

Stand-Alone and Hybrid Positioning Using Asynchronous Pseudolites

PubMed Central

Gioia, Ciro; Borio, Daniele

2015-01-01

global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers are usually unable to achieve satisfactory performance in difficult environments, such as open-pit mines, urban canyons and indoors. Pseudolites have the potential to extend GNSS usage and significantly improve receiver performance in such environments by providing additional navigation signals. This also applies to asynchronous pseudolite systems, where different pseudolites operate in an independent way. Asynchronous pseudolite systems require, however, dedicated strategies in order to properly integrate GNSS and pseudolite measurements. In this paper, several asynchronous pseudolite/GNSS integration strategies are considered: loosely- and tightly-coupled approaches are developed and combined with pseudolite proximity and receiver signal strength (RSS)-based positioning. The performance of the approaches proposed has been tested in different scenarios, including static and kinematic conditions. The tests performed demonstrate that the methods developed are effective techniques for integrating heterogeneous measurements from different sources, such as asynchronous pseudolites and GNSS. PMID:25609041

USE OF FAST GC/TOFMS AS REFERENCE STANDARD FOR FIELD COMPARISON STUDIES WITH ON-SITE INSTRUMENTS

EPA Science Inventory

A faster reference standard for field comparison studies of portable gas chromatographs (PGC) is needed. A performance evaluation of a high-speed GCMS (FGC/MS) system conducted during 1998 demonstrated generally satisfactory performance, but it was evident that performance of b...

Teleradiology Via The Naval Remote Medical Diagnosis System (RMDS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasmussen, Will; Stevens, Ilya; Gerber, F. H.; Kuhlman, Jayne A.

1982-01-01

Testing was conducted to obtain qualitative and quantitative (statistical) data on radiology performance using the Remote Medical Diagnosis System (RMDS) Advanced Development Models (ADMs)1. Based upon data collected during testing with professional radiologists, this analysis addresses the clinical utility of radiographic images transferred through six possible RMDS transmission modes. These radiographs were also viewed under closed-circuit television (CCTV) and lightbox conditions to provide a basis for comparison. The analysis indicates that the RMDS ADM terminals (with a system video resolution of 525 x 256 x 6) would provide satisfactory radiographic images for radiology consultations in emergency cases with gross pathological disorders. However, in cases involving more subtle findings, a system video resolution of 525 x 512 x 8 would be preferable.

Free-Spinning-Tunnel Tests of a 1/20-Scale Model of the Northrop N-9M Airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

MacDougall, George F., Jr.; Lichtenstein, Jacob H.

1946-01-01

Spin tests of a 1/20-scale model of the Northrop N-9M airplane have been performed in the Langley 20-foot free-spinning tunnel. The erect and inverted spin and recovery characteristics were determined for various loading conditions and the effect of deflecting the flaps and of extending the landing gear was investigated. The investigation also included tests to determine the size parachute required for satisfactory spin recovery by parachute action alone. The tests were performed at an equivalent spin altitude of 15,000 feet. A specialized recovery technique consisting of rapid full reversal of the rudder pedals against the spin combined with turning the wheel against the spin and movement of the stick forward is recommended for all loadings and configurations of the airplane. The results also indicated that a 7-foot-diameter spin-recovery parachute having a drag coefficient of 0.7 attached to the outboard wing tip with a towline of 10 to 30 feet or an 8.8-foot-diameter parachute attached to the fixed portion of the wing between the elevons and the pitch flaps with a 30-foot towline would provide satisfactory recovery from demonstration spins by parachute action alone. It appears possible that the first N-9M airplane may have crashed because of failure to recover from a spin.

Do we need animal hands-on courses for transplantation surgery?

PubMed

Golriz, Mohammad; Hafezi, Mohammadreza; Garoussi, Camelia; Fard, Nassim; Arvin, Jalal; Fonouni, Hamidreza; Nickkholgh, Arash; Kulu, Yakob; Frongia, Giovani; Schemmer, Peter; Mehrabi, Arianeb

2013-01-01

Transplantation surgery requires many years of training. This study evaluates and presents the results of our recent four-yr animal hands-on courses of transplantation surgery on participants' training. Since 2008, five two-d hands-on courses of transplantation surgery were performed on swine models at our department. Sixty-one participants were asked to answer three questionnaires (pre-course, immediate post-course, subsequent post-course). The questions pertained to their past education, expectations, and evaluation of our courses, as well as our course's effectiveness in advancing their surgical abilities. The results were analyzed, compared and are presented herein. On average, 1.8 multiorgan procurements, 2.3 kidney, 1.5 liver, and 0.7 pancreas transplantations were performed by each participant. 41.7% of participants considered their previous practical training only satisfactory; 85% hoped for more opportunities to practice surgery; 73.3% evaluated our courses as very good; and 95.8% believed that our courses had fulfilled their expectations. 66% found the effectiveness of our course in advancing their surgical abilities very good; 30% good, and 4% satisfactory. Animal hands-on courses of transplantation surgery are one of the best options to learn and practice different operations and techniques in a near to clinical simulated model. Regular participation in such courses with a focus on practical issues can provide optimal opportunities for trainees with the advantage of direct mentoring and feedback. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

13 CFR 120.424 - What are the basic conditions a Lender must meet to securitize?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... performance, as determined by SBA in its discretion. The Lender's Risk Rating, among other factors, will be considered in determining satisfactory SBA performance. Other factors may include, but are not limited to, on... and loss rate), loan volume to the extent that it impacts performance measures, and other performance...

Efficacy Evaluation of a non-contact automatic articulating paper dispenser in controlling articulating paper microbial contamination

PubMed Central

Li, Yajin; Chen, Litong; Yuan, Fusong; Li, Yugui; Zhou, Yongsheng; Sun, Yuchun

2017-01-01

This study is to quantitatively evaluate the efficacy of using a non-contact automatic articulating paper dispenser for reducing microbial articulating paper contamination. Articulating papers in four-handed mode, non-four-handed mode, and via an automatic articulating paper dispenser were evaluated. An adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence assay was used to quantitatively measure the relative light unit (RLU) values of the rest unused articulating papers in the same package to detect contamination at 4 time points, and triplicate examinations were performed for all three methods. The RLUs were recorded, compared, and evaluated. For four-handed mode (n = 36), the RLUs at the four time points were 2.44, 32.89, 37.89, and 27.22, with a satisfactory rate of 94%. The RLUs for non-four-handed mode (n = 36) were 2.22, 286.44, 299.44, and 493.56, with a satisfactory rate of 36%. The RLUs for using the automatic dispenser (n = 36) were all 0 with a satisfactory rate of 100%. The satisfactory rates were significantly different among three methods. No significant differences were observed in the satisfactory rates for the four time points samples. Contact by gloved hands can cause severe biological contamination of articulating paper. However, by using standard four-handed mode or a non-contact automatic articulating paper dispenser, contamination can be controlled. PMID:28466846

Adrenal venous sampling: the learning curve of a single interventionalist with 282 consecutive procedures

PubMed Central

Jakobsson, Hugo; Farmaki, Katerina; Sakinis, Augustinas; Ehn, Olof; Johannsson, Gudmundur; Ragnarsson, Oskar

2018-01-01

PURPOSE Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a common cause of secondary hypertension. Adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is the gold standard for assessing laterality of PA, which is of paramount importance to decide adequate treatment. AVS is a technically complicated procedure with success rates ranging between 30% and 96%. The aim of this study was to investigate the success rate of AVS over time, performed by a single interventionalist. METHODS This was a retrospective study based on consecutive AVS procedures performed by a single operator between September 2005 and June 2016. Data on serum concentrations of aldosterone and cortisol from right and left adrenal vein, inferior vena cava, and peripheral vein were collected and selectivity index (SI) calculated. Successful AVS was defined as SI >5. RESULTS In total, 282 AVS procedures were performed on 269 patients, 168 men (62%) and 101 women (38%), with a mean age of 55±11 years (range, 26–78 years). Out of 282 AVS procedures, 259 were successful, giving an overall success rate of 92%. The most common reason for failure was inability to localize the right adrenal vein (n=16; 76%). The success rates were 63%, 82%, and 94% during the first, second, and third years, respectively. During the last 8 years the success rate was 95%, and on average 27 procedures were performed annually. CONCLUSION Satisfactory AVS success rate was achieved after approximately 36 procedures and satisfactory success rate was maintained by performing approximately 27 procedures annually. AVS should be limited to few operators that perform sufficiently large number of procedures to achieve, and maintain, satisfactory AVS success rate. PMID:29467114

Guaiphenesin-ketamine-xylazine infusion to maintain anesthesia in mules undergoing field castration.

PubMed

Vullo, Cecilia; Carluccio, Augusto; Robbe, Domenico; Meligrana, Marina; Petrucci, Linda; Catone, Giuseppe

2017-10-11

In order to determine whether a combination of guaiphenesin, ketamine and xylazine can induce safe and satisfactory anaesthesia in mules undergoing field castration, eight healthy adult intact male mules were employed. They were premedicated with intravenous (IV) xylazine (1.3 mg/kg); an additional dose of xylazine (0.3 mg/kg IV) was administered in case of inadequate depth of sedation. Anaesthesia was induced with IV thiopental (6 mg/kg). The quality of sedation and induction was recorded. Anaesthesia was maintained with an infusion of guaiphenesin (50 mg/mL), ketamine (2 mg/mL) and xylazine (1 mg/mL) (GKX). The spermatic cord of each testis was infiltrated with 5 mL of 2% lidocaine. During anaesthesia heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), rectal temperature (RT) and haemoglobin oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) were measured every 5 min. The data were analysed with simple one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). A P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Time of anesthesia, time of surgery and time of recovery were recorded. Only one mule required an additional dose of xylazine to achieve a satisfactory depth of sedation. Thiopental at the dose of 6 mg/kg IV resulted in smooth induction and lateral recumbency in all animals. GKX provided adequate anaesthesia to perform castration in all mules. Muscle relaxation was deemed adequate and physiological variables remained stable and within references values during the anaesthesia and did not change in response to surgical stimulation. Time (mean ± standard deviation) from the end of the infusion to sternal recumbency and time from sternal recumbency to standing were 27.7 ± 4.6 and 30.1 ± 7.7 min, respectively. The combination of xylazine, thiopental and GKX provides satisfactory short-term anaesthesia in mules undergoing field castration.

Knox's Cube Imitation Test: A Historical Review and an Experimental Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, John T. E.

2005-01-01

The cube imitation test was developed by Knox (1913) as a nonverbal test of intelligence. Many variants show satisfactory reliability, but performance is correlated both with Verbal IQ and with Performance IQ. Performance is impaired by cerebral lesions but unrelated to the side of lesion. Examinees describe both verbal and visuospatial…

Estimation and optimization of thermal performance of evacuated tube solar collector system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dikmen, Erkan; Ayaz, Mahir; Ezen, H. Hüseyin; Küçüksille, Ecir U.; Şahin, Arzu Şencan

2014-05-01

In this study, artificial neural networks (ANNs) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy (ANFIS) in order to predict the thermal performance of evacuated tube solar collector system have been used. The experimental data for the training and testing of the networks were used. The results of ANN are compared with ANFIS in which the same data sets are used. The R2-value for the thermal performance values of collector is 0.811914 which can be considered as satisfactory. The results obtained when unknown data were presented to the networks are satisfactory and indicate that the proposed method can successfully be used for the prediction of the thermal performance of evacuated tube solar collectors. In addition, new formulations obtained from ANN are presented for the calculation of the thermal performance. The advantages of this approaches compared to the conventional methods are speed, simplicity, and the capacity of the network to learn from examples. In addition, genetic algorithm (GA) was used to maximize the thermal performance of the system. The optimum working conditions of the system were determined by the GA.

Piloting a Structured Practice Audit to Assess ACGME Milestones in Written Handoff Communication in Internal Medicine

PubMed Central

Martin, Shannon K.; Farnan, Jeanne M.; McConville, John F.; Arora, Vineet M.

2015-01-01

Background Written communication skills are integral to patient care handoffs. Residency programs require feasible assessment tools that provide timely formative and summative feedback, ideally linked to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Milestones. Objective We describe the use of 1 such tool—UPDATED—to assess written handoff communication skills in internal medicine interns. Methods During 2012–2013, the authors piloted a structured practice audit at 1 academic institution to audit written sign-outs completed by 45 interns, using the UPDATED tool, which scores 7 aspects of sign-out communication linked to milestones. Intern sign-outs were audited by trained faculty members throughout the year. Results were incorporated into intern performance reviews and Clinical Competency Committees. Results A total of 136 sign-outs were audited (averaging 3.1 audits per intern). In the first trimester, 14 interns (31%) had satisfactory audit results. Five interns (11%) had critical deficiencies and received immediate feedback, and the remaining 26 (58%) were assigned future audits due to missing audits or unsatisfactory scores. In the second trimester, 21 interns (68%) had satisfactory results, 1 had critical deficiencies, and 9 (29%) required future audits. Nine of the 10 remaining interns in the final trimester had satisfactory audits. Faculty time was estimated at 10 to 15 minutes per sign-out audited. Conclusions The UPDATED audit is a milestone-based tool that can be used to assess written sign-out communication skills in internal medicine residency programs. Future work is planned to adapt the tool for use by senior supervisory residents to appraise sign-outs in real time. PMID:26221442

Piloting a Structured Practice Audit to Assess ACGME Milestones in Written Handoff Communication in Internal Medicine.

PubMed

Martin, Shannon K; Farnan, Jeanne M; McConville, John F; Arora, Vineet M

2015-06-01

Written communication skills are integral to patient care handoffs. Residency programs require feasible assessment tools that provide timely formative and summative feedback, ideally linked to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Milestones. We describe the use of 1 such tool-UPDATED-to assess written handoff communication skills in internal medicine interns. During 2012-2013, the authors piloted a structured practice audit at 1 academic institution to audit written sign-outs completed by 45 interns, using the UPDATED tool, which scores 7 aspects of sign-out communication linked to milestones. Intern sign-outs were audited by trained faculty members throughout the year. Results were incorporated into intern performance reviews and Clinical Competency Committees. A total of 136 sign-outs were audited (averaging 3.1 audits per intern). In the first trimester, 14 interns (31%) had satisfactory audit results. Five interns (11%) had critical deficiencies and received immediate feedback, and the remaining 26 (58%) were assigned future audits due to missing audits or unsatisfactory scores. In the second trimester, 21 interns (68%) had satisfactory results, 1 had critical deficiencies, and 9 (29%) required future audits. Nine of the 10 remaining interns in the final trimester had satisfactory audits. Faculty time was estimated at 10 to 15 minutes per sign-out audited. The UPDATED audit is a milestone-based tool that can be used to assess written sign-out communication skills in internal medicine residency programs. Future work is planned to adapt the tool for use by senior supervisory residents to appraise sign-outs in real time.

Surgical treatment for old subaxial cervical dislocation with bilateral locked facets in a 3-year-old girl: A case report.

PubMed

Li, Cheng; Li, Lei; Duan, Jingzhu; Zhang, Lijun; Liu, Zhenjiang

2018-05-01

This study aimed to describe the case of a 3-year-old girl with old bilateral facet dislocation on cervical vertebrae 6 and 7, who had spinal cord transection, received surgical treatment, and achieved a relative satisfactory therapeutic effect. A 3-year-old girl was urgently transferred to the hospital after a car accident. DIAGNOSES:: she was diagnosed with splenic rupture, intracranial hemorrhage, cervical dislocation, spinal transection, and Monteggia fracture of the left upper limb. The girl underwent emergency splenectomy and was transferred to the intensive care unit of the hospital 15 days later. One-stage anterior-posterior approach surgery (anterior discectomy, posterior laminectomy, and pedicle screw fixation) was performed when the patient stabilized after 45-day symptomatic treatment. The operation was uneventful. The reduction of lower cervical dislocation was satisfactory, with sufficient spinal cord decompression. The internal fixation position was good, and the spinal sequence was well restored. The girl was discharged 2 weeks later after the operation and followed up for 2 years. The major nerve function of both upper limbs was recovered, with no obvious retardation of the growth of immature spine. A satisfactory therapeutic effect was achieved for a pediatric old subaxial cervical dislocation with bilateral locked facets using anterior discectomy, posterior laminectomy, and pedicle screw fixation. The posterior pedicle screw fixation provided a good three-dimensional stability of the spine, with reduced risk and complications caused by anterior internal fixation. The growth of immature spine was not obviously affected during the 2-year follow-up.

34 CFR 364.37 - What access to records must be provided?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Requirements? § 364.37 What access to records must be provided? For the purpose of conducting audits, examinations, and compliance reviews, the State plan must include satisfactory assurances that all recipients...

42 CFR 493.807 - Condition: Reinstatement of laboratories performing nonwaived testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., subspecialties, analyte or test, or voluntarily withdraws its certification under CLIA for the failed specialty, subspecialty, or analyte, the laboratory must then demonstrate sustained satisfactory performance on two... reinstatement for certification and Medicare or Medicaid approval in that specialty, subspecialty, analyte or...

42 CFR 493.807 - Condition: Reinstatement of laboratories performing nonwaived testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., subspecialties, analyte or test, or voluntarily withdraws its certification under CLIA for the failed specialty, subspecialty, or analyte, the laboratory must then demonstrate sustained satisfactory performance on two... reinstatement for certification and Medicare or Medicaid approval in that specialty, subspecialty, analyte or...

42 CFR 493.807 - Condition: Reinstatement of laboratories performing nonwaived testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..., subspecialties, analyte or test, or voluntarily withdraws its certification under CLIA for the failed specialty, subspecialty, or analyte, the laboratory must then demonstrate sustained satisfactory performance on two... reinstatement for certification and Medicare or Medicaid approval in that specialty, subspecialty, analyte or...

Modified toe pulp fillet flap coverage: Better wound healing and satisfactory length preservation.

PubMed

Baek, Sang Oon; Suh, Hyo Wan; Lee, Jun Yong

2018-01-01

Amputation is commonly performed for toe necrosis secondary to peripheral vascular diseases, such as diabetes mellitus. When amputating a necrotic toe, preservation of the bony structure is important for preventing the collapse of adjacent digits into the amputated space. However, in the popular terminal Syme's amputation technique, partial amputation of the distal phalanx could cause increased tension on the wound margin. Herein, we introduce a new way to resect sufficient bony structure while maintaining the normal length, based on a morphological analysis of the toes. Unlike the pulp of the finger in the distal phalanx, the toe has abundant teardrop-shaped pulp tissue. The ratio of the vertical length to the longitudinal length in the distal phalanx was compared between the toes and fingers. Amputation was performed at the proximal interphalangeal joint level. Then, a mobilizable pulp flap was rotated 90° cephalad to replace the distal soft tissue defect. This modified toe fillet flap was performed in 5 patients. The toe pulp was found to have a vertically oriented morphology compared to that of the fingers, enabling length preservation through cephalad rotation. All defects were successfully covered without marginal ischemia. While conventional toe fillet flap coverage focuses on the principle of length preservation as the first priority, our modified method takes both wound healing and length into account. The fattiest part of the pulp is advanced to the toe tip, providing a cushioning effect and enough length to substitute for phalangeal bone loss. Our modified method led to satisfactory functional and aesthetic outcomes.

Performance retention of the RB211 powerplant in service

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Astridge, B. L.; Pinder, J. T.

1981-01-01

An understanding of the mechanisms of deterioration is essential in order that features to counteract performance degradation can be built into the basic design of an engine and nacelle. Furthermore, the interpretation must be continued in service for effective feedback to provide modifications which may be necessary in maintaining a satisfactory performance retention program. The in service assessment must be accurate as to magnitude and causes and this requires consideration of: (1) the powerplant as a complete entity, i.e., the engine components and nacelle including the thrust reverser; (2) measurement of performance in flight rather than by sole reliance on the scaling of test cell data to flight conditions (although some correlation should be possible); and (3) the relationship of engine parts condition to overhaul performance and in flight deterioration level of that engine. These aspects are addressed by consideration of the RB211 engine in service in both the Lockheed L1011 Tristar and Boeing 747 aircraft.

Model-based prognostics for batteries which estimates useful life and uses a probability density function

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saha, Bhaskar (Inventor); Goebel, Kai F. (Inventor)

2012-01-01

This invention develops a mathematical model to describe battery behavior during individual discharge cycles as well as over its cycle life. The basis for the form of the model has been linked to the internal processes of the battery and validated using experimental data. Effects of temperature and load current have also been incorporated into the model. Subsequently, the model has been used in a Particle Filtering framework to make predictions of remaining useful life for individual discharge cycles as well as for cycle life. The prediction performance was found to be satisfactory as measured by performance metrics customized for prognostics for a sample case. The work presented here provides initial steps towards a comprehensive health management solution for energy storage devices.

Measuring implementation intentions in the context of the theory of planned behavior.

PubMed

Rise, Jostein; Thompson, Marianne; Verplanken, Bas

2003-04-01

The usefulness of measuring implementation intentions in the context of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) was explored among 112 Norwegian college students. They responded to a questionnaire measuring past behavior, perceived behavioral control, behavioral intentions, implementation intentions, and actual performance of regular exercising and recycling of drinking cartons. Implementation intentions were measured using five items relating to recycling and four items relating to exercise, which showed satisfactory internal consistencies. Consistent with the main prediction, the presence of implementation intentions was related to performing the two behaviors, although behavioral intentions were the strongest determinant for both behaviors. The results suggest that the TPB may benefit from inclusion of the concept of implementation intentions to provide a more complete understanding of the psychological process in which motivation is translated into action.

75 FR 63419 - Surety Bond Guarantee Program; Timber Sales

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-15

... timber sale contracts may require the purchaser to furnish a performance bond for satisfactory compliance.... With respect to a Performance Bond involving the sale of timber on land managed by USDA, the Federal... Sales AGENCY: Small Business Administration. ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY: The Small Business...

Comparison of deterministic and stochastic methods for time-dependent Wigner simulations

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

Shao, Sihong, E-mail: sihong@math.pku.edu.cn; Sellier, Jean Michel, E-mail: jeanmichel.sellier@parallel.bas.bg

2015-11-01

Recently a Monte Carlo method based on signed particles for time-dependent simulations of the Wigner equation has been proposed. While it has been thoroughly validated against physical benchmarks, no technical study about its numerical accuracy has been performed. To this end, this paper presents the first step towards the construction of firm mathematical foundations for the signed particle Wigner Monte Carlo method. An initial investigation is performed by means of comparisons with a cell average spectral element method, which is a highly accurate deterministic method and utilized to provide reference solutions. Several different numerical tests involving the time-dependent evolution ofmore » a quantum wave-packet are performed and discussed in deep details. In particular, this allows us to depict a set of crucial criteria for the signed particle Wigner Monte Carlo method to achieve a satisfactory accuracy.« less

Robust Temperature Control of a Thermoelectric Cooler via μ -Synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kürkçü, Burak; Kasnakoğlu, Coşku

2018-02-01

In this work robust temperature control of a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) via μ -synthesis is studied. An uncertain dynamical model for the TEC that is suitable for robust control methods is derived. The model captures variations in operating point due to current, load and temperature changes. A temperature controller is designed utilizing μ -synthesis, a powerful method guaranteeing robust stability and performance. For comparison two well-known control methods, namely proportional-integral-derivative (PID) and internal model control (IMC), are also realized to benchmark the proposed approach. It is observed that the stability and performance on the nominal model are satisfactory for all cases. On the other hand, under perturbations the responses of PID and IMC deteriorate and even become unstable. In contrast, the μ -synthesis controller succeeds in keeping system stability and achieving good performance under all perturbations within the operating range, while at the same time providing good disturbance rejection.

36 CFR 51.46 - May the Director determine that a concessioner has not operated satisfactorily after a prospectus...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... of an annual evaluation of a concessioner's performance may not occur until after the selection of the best proposal submitted in response to a prospectus, the Director will make an annual performance... performance evaluation. In the event the concessioner receives a second less than satisfactory annual...

Correlations among Jamaican 12th-Graders' Five Variables and Performance in Genetics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bloomfield, Deen-Paul; Soyibo, Kola

2008-01-01

This study was aimed at finding out if the level of performance of selected Jamaican Grade 12 students on an achievement test on the concept of genetics was satisfactory; if there were statistically significant differences in their performance on the concept linked to their gender, self-esteem, cognitive abilities in biology, school-type and…

Toward brain-actuated car applications: Self-paced control with a motor imagery-based brain-computer interface.

PubMed

Yu, Yang; Zhou, Zongtan; Yin, Erwei; Jiang, Jun; Tang, Jingsheng; Liu, Yadong; Hu, Dewen

2016-10-01

This study presented a paradigm for controlling a car using an asynchronous electroencephalogram (EEG)-based brain-computer interface (BCI) and presented the experimental results of a simulation performed in an experimental environment outside the laboratory. This paradigm uses two distinct MI tasks, imaginary left- and right-hand movements, to generate a multi-task car control strategy consisting of starting the engine, moving forward, turning left, turning right, moving backward, and stopping the engine. Five healthy subjects participated in the online car control experiment, and all successfully controlled the car by following a previously outlined route. Subject S1 exhibited the most satisfactory BCI-based performance, which was comparable to the manual control-based performance. We hypothesize that the proposed self-paced car control paradigm based on EEG signals could potentially be used in car control applications, and we provide a complementary or alternative way for individuals with locked-in disorders to achieve more mobility in the future, as well as providing a supplementary car-driving strategy to assist healthy people in driving a car. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sensitivity and comparison evaluation of Saturn 5 liquid penetrants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, G. H.

1973-01-01

Results of a sensitivity and comparison evaluation performed on six liquid penetrants that were used on the Saturn 5 vehicle and other space hardware to detect surface discontinuities are described. The relationship between penetrant materials and crack definition capabilities, the optimum penetrant materials evaluation method, and the optimum measurement methods for crack dimensions were investigated. A unique method of precise developer thickness control was envolved, utilizing clear radiographic film and a densitometer. The method of evaluation included five aluminum alloy, 2219-T87, specimens that were heated and then quenched in cold water to produce cracks. The six penetrants were then applied, one at a time, and the crack indications were counted and recorded for each penetrant for comparison purposes. Measurements were made by determining the visual crack indications per linear inch and then sectioning the specimens for a metallographic count of the cracks present. This method provided a numerical approach for assigning a sensitivity index number to the penetrants. Of the six penetrants evaluated, two were not satisfactory (one was not sufficiently sensitive and the other was to sensitive, giving false indications). The other four were satisfactory with approximately the same sensitivity in the range of 78 to 80.5 percent of total cracks detected.

A pliable electroporation patch (ep-Patch) for efficient delivery of nucleic acid molecules into animal tissues with irregular surface shapes.

PubMed

Wei, Zewen; Huang, Yuanyu; Zhao, Deyao; Hu, Zhiyuan; Li, Zhihong; Liang, Zicai

2015-01-05

Delivery of nucleic acids into animal tissues by electroporation is an appealing approach for various types of gene therapy, but efficiency of existing methodsis not satisfactory. Here we present the validation of novel electroporation patch (ep-Patch) for efficient delivery of DNA and siRNA into mouse tissues. Using micromachining technology, closely spaced gold electrodes were made on the pliable parylene substrate to form a patch-like electroporation metrics. It enabled large coverage of the target tissues and close surface contact between the tissues and electrodes, thus providing a uniform electric field to deliver nucleic acids into tissues, even beneath intact skin. Using this ep-Patch for efficiently delivery of both DNA and siRNA, non-invasive electroporation of healthy mouse muscle tissue was successfully achieved. Delivery of these nucleic acids was performed to intact tumors with satisfactory results. Silencing of tumor genes using the ep-Patch was also demonstrated on mice. This pliable electroporation patch method constitutes a novel way of in vivo delivery of siRNA and DNA to certain tissues or organs to circumvent the disadvantages of existing methodologies for in vivo delivery of nucleic acid molecules.

Modified tension band wiring fixation for avulsion fractures of the calcaneus in osteoporotic bone: a review of three patients.

PubMed

Nagura, Issei; Fujioka, Hiroyuki; Kurosaka, Masahiro; Mori, Hiroyuki; Mitani, Makoto; Ozaki, Akihiro; Fujii, Hideo; Nabeshima, Yuji

2012-01-01

Calcaneal avulsion fractures are not uncommon, and they are probably more likely in patients with osteoporosis. Closed manipulation for this type of fracture often fails to achieve acceptable reduction, and open reduction and internal fixation are usually required. However, open reduction and internal fixation with either a lag screw or Steinmann pins do not provide satisfactory fixation in patients with diabetes and elderly patients because of the presence of porotic bone. Levi described a tension band fixation system used to treat a calcaneal avulsion fracture using a simple technique performed with a transverse Kirschner wire through the os calcaneus, securing a figure-of-8 metal tension band wiring to the fragment. We report the successful treatment of 3 patients with calcaneal avulsion fractures using a modified tension band wiring technique, resulting in satisfactory recovery. Re-displacement of the fragment during the initial follow-up period was not reported, and bony union was achieved in all patients. We believe this technique is a useful surgical option for the treatment of calcaneal avulsion fractures. Copyright © 2012 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Field assessment of balance in 10 to 14 year old children, reproducibility and validity of the Nintendo Wii board.

PubMed

Larsen, Lisbeth Runge; Jørgensen, Martin Grønbech; Junge, Tina; Juul-Kristensen, Birgit; Wedderkopp, Niels

2014-06-10

Because body proportions in childhood are different to those in adulthood, children have a relatively higher centre of mass location. This biomechanical difference and the fact that children's movements have not yet fully matured result in different sway performances in children and adults. When assessing static balance, it is essential to use objective, sensitive tools, and these types of measurement have previously been performed in laboratory settings. However, the emergence of technologies like the Nintendo Wii Board (NWB) might allow balance assessment in field settings. As the NWB has only been validated and tested for reproducibility in adults, the purpose of this study was to examine reproducibility and validity of the NWB in a field setting, in a population of children. Fifty-four 10-14 year-olds from the CHAMPS-Study DK performed four different balance tests: bilateral stance with eyes open (1), unilateral stance on dominant (2) and non-dominant leg (3) with eyes open, and bilateral stance with eyes closed (4). Three rounds of the four tests were completed with the NWB and with a force platform (AMTI). To assess reproducibility, an intra-day test-retest design was applied with a two-hour break between sessions. Bland-Altman plots supplemented by Minimum Detectable Change (MDC) and concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) demonstrated satisfactory reproducibility for the NWB and the AMTI (MDC: 26.3-28.2%, CCC: 0.76-0.86) using Centre Of Pressure path Length as measurement parameter. Bland-Altman plots demonstrated satisfactory concurrent validity between the NWB and the AMTI, supplemented by satisfactory CCC in all tests (CCC: 0.74-0.87). The ranges of the limits of agreement in the validity study were comparable to the limits of agreement of the reproducibility study. Both NWB and AMTI have satisfactory reproducibility for testing static balance in a population of children. Concurrent validity of NWB compared with AMTI was satisfactory. Furthermore, the results from the concurrent validity study were comparable to the reproducibility results of the NWB and the AMTI. Thus, NWB has the potential to replace the AMTI in field settings in studies including children. Future studies are needed to examine intra-subject variability and to test the predictive validity of NWB.

Field assessment of balance in 10 to 14 year old children, reproducibility and validity of the Nintendo Wii board

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Because body proportions in childhood are different to those in adulthood, children have a relatively higher centre of mass location. This biomechanical difference and the fact that children’s movements have not yet fully matured result in different sway performances in children and adults. When assessing static balance, it is essential to use objective, sensitive tools, and these types of measurement have previously been performed in laboratory settings. However, the emergence of technologies like the Nintendo Wii Board (NWB) might allow balance assessment in field settings. As the NWB has only been validated and tested for reproducibility in adults, the purpose of this study was to examine reproducibility and validity of the NWB in a field setting, in a population of children. Methods Fifty-four 10–14 year-olds from the CHAMPS-Study DK performed four different balance tests: bilateral stance with eyes open (1), unilateral stance on dominant (2) and non-dominant leg (3) with eyes open, and bilateral stance with eyes closed (4). Three rounds of the four tests were completed with the NWB and with a force platform (AMTI). To assess reproducibility, an intra-day test-retest design was applied with a two-hour break between sessions. Results Bland-Altman plots supplemented by Minimum Detectable Change (MDC) and concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) demonstrated satisfactory reproducibility for the NWB and the AMTI (MDC: 26.3-28.2%, CCC: 0.76-0.86) using Centre Of Pressure path Length as measurement parameter. Bland-Altman plots demonstrated satisfactory concurrent validity between the NWB and the AMTI, supplemented by satisfactory CCC in all tests (CCC: 0.74-0.87). The ranges of the limits of agreement in the validity study were comparable to the limits of agreement of the reproducibility study. Conclusion Both NWB and AMTI have satisfactory reproducibility for testing static balance in a population of children. Concurrent validity of NWB compared with AMTI was satisfactory. Furthermore, the results from the concurrent validity study were comparable to the reproducibility results of the NWB and the AMTI. Thus, NWB has the potential to replace the AMTI in field settings in studies including children. Future studies are needed to examine intra-subject variability and to test the predictive validity of NWB. PMID:24913461

The relationships among social capital, organisational commitment and customer-oriented prosocial behaviour of hospital nurses.

PubMed

Hsu, Chiu-Ping; Chang, Chia-Wen; Huang, Heng-Chiang; Chiang, Chi-Yun

2011-05-01

This study examines the perceptions of registered nurses of social capital, organisational commitment and customer-oriented prosocial behaviour. Additionally, this study also addresses a conceptual model for testing how registered nurses' perceptions of three types of social capital influence their organisational commitment, in turn intensifying customer-oriented prosocial behaviour, including role-prescribed customer service and extra-role customer service. Customer-oriented prosocial behaviour explains differences in job satisfaction and job performance. However, the critical role of customer orientation in the hospital setting has yet to be explored. Survey. The survey was conducted to obtain data from registered nurses working for a large Taiwanese medical centre, yielding 797 usable responses and a satisfactory response rate of 86.7%. The partial least squares method was adopted to obtain parameter estimates and test proposed hypotheses. The study measurements display satisfactory reliability, as well as both convergent and discriminant validities. All hypotheses were supported. Empirical results indicate that registered nurses' perceptions of social capital were significantly impacted the extent of organisational commitment, which in turn significantly influenced customer-oriented prosocial behaviour. By stimulating nursing staff commitment, health care providers can urge them to pursue organisational goals and provide high quality customer service. To enhance organisational commitment, health care managers should endeavour to create interpersonal interaction platforms in addition to simply offering material rewards. Nurses act as contact employees for their patient customers in the hospital, and they are required to provide patient safety and service quality. This study shows that nurses with high organisational commitment are willing to provide customer-oriented prosocial activities, which in turn enhances patient satisfaction. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Do instability markers predict satisfactory reduction and requirement for later surgery in emergency department patients with wrist fracture?

PubMed

Winayak, Amar; Gossat, Alyza; Cooper, Jenny; Ritchie, Peter; Lim, Wei; Klim, Sharon; Kelly, Anne-Maree

2018-02-01

Research suggests that the presence of instability markers in patients with displaced distal radial fractures is associated with poorer outcome. Our aims were to determine whether the presence of previously defined instability markers could predict the likelihood of successful ED reduction and requirement for a secondary procedure after ED reduction. Retrospective cohort study performed by medical record review. Adult ED patients coded as having an isolated wrist fracture and having fracture reduction in ED were eligible for inclusion. Data collected included demographics, history of osteoporosis, mechanism of injury, radiological features on X-rays and performance of a secondary procedure. Outcomes of interest were the rate of successful fracture reduction in ED (against defined radiological criteria), the rate of secondary procedures and the association between the number of defined instability risk factors and successful reduction and performance of a secondary surgical procedure. Analysis was by χ 2 test, receiver operating characteristic curve, logistic regression analyses. Three hundred and nineteen patients were studied; median age 62 years, 77% female. Sixty-five per cent of patients had satisfactory fracture reduction in ED (95% CI 59%-70%). Eighty-six patients underwent a secondary procedure to reduce/stabilise their fracture (28%, 95% CI 23%-33%). Younger age, lack of satisfactory ED reduction and increased number of instability factors were independently predictive of the performance of a secondary procedure. Instability risk factors are common in patients with wrist fractures requiring reduction in ED. The number of instability factors is not a strong predictor of the performance of secondary procedures. © 2017 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Sistemas binarios viuda negra: conectando sus orígenes con su estado final

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benvenuto, O. G.; De Vito, M. A.; Horvath, J. E.

``Black widow'' systems are located in a well determined region of the plane (where is the mass of the pulsar companion and is the orbital period of the system). An attempt has been made to understand which are the mechanisms that lead to companions of ``black widows'' to be located in this region; since standard binary evolution does not provide a satisfactory response. From our evolutionary calculations; we study the path performed in the plane by a binary system to reach the state of ``black widow''. We also discuss whether there is a connection between ``redbacks'' and ``black widows''. FULL TEXT IN SPANISH

Anesthesia in a Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii).

PubMed

Trim, C M; Lamberski, N; Kissel, D I; Quandt, J E

1998-06-01

A Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii) was satisfactorily immobilized on two occasions with i.m. detomidine (0.065-0.13 mg/kg) and butorphanol (0.13-0.2 mg/kg). On the second occasion, anesthesia was induced by i.v. administration of ketamine (2.2 mg/kg). Twenty minutes later, endotracheal intubation was performed after an additional i.v. injection of ketamine (1.5 mg/kg). Anesthesia was maintained with isoflurane, which provided excellent conditions for radiology and surgery. Anesthesia was associated with hypoxemia when the tapir was allowed to breathe air and with hypoventilation. Mean arterial pressure remained satisfactory. No antagonist drugs were administered, and recovery from anesthesia was rapid and smooth.

Battery Control Boards for Li-Ion Batteries on Mars Exploration Rovers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ewell, R.; Ratnakumar, B. V.; Smart, M.; Chin, K. B.; Whitcanack, L.; Narayanan, S. R.; Surampudi, S.

2006-01-01

Rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries have been operating successfully on both Spirit and Opportunity rovers for the last two years, which includes six months of Assembly Launch and Test Operations (ATLO), seven months of cruise and about eleven months of surface operations. The Battery Control Boards designed and fabricated in-house would protect cells against overcharge and over-discharge and provide cell balance. Their performance has thus far been quite satisfactory. The ground data o the mission simulation battery project little capacity loss of less than 3% during cruise and 180 sols. Batteries are poised to extend the mission beyond six months, if not a couple of years.

A mobile network-based multimedia teleconference system for homecare services.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhaomin; He, Aiguo; Wei, Daming

2008-03-01

Because most research and development for homecare services have focused on providing connections between home and service centers, the goal of the present work is to develop techniques and create realtime communications to connect service centers and homecare workers in mobile environments. A key technical issue for this research is how to overcome the limitation of bandwidth in mobile media and networks. An effort has been made to balance performance of communication and basic demands in telehealth through optimized system design and technical implementation. Implementations using third generation (3G) Freedom Of Mobile multimedia Access (FOMA) and Personal Handyphone System (PHS) were developed and evaluated. We conclude that the system we developed based on 3G FOMA provides sufficient and satisfactory functions for use in homecare services.

Aeroelastic characteristics of the AH-64 bearingless tail rotor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banerjee, D.

1988-01-01

The results of a wind tunnel test program to determine the performance loads and dynamic characteristics of the Composite Flexbeam Tail Rotor (CFTR) for the AH-64 Advanced Attack Helicopter are reported. The CFTR uses an elastomeric shear attachment of the flexbeam to the hub to provide soft-inplane S-mode and stiff-inplane C-mode configuration. The properties of the elastomer were selected for proper frequency placement and scale damping of the inplane S-mode. Kinematic pitch-lag coupling was introduced to provide the first cyclic inplane C-mode damping at high collective pitch. The CFTR was tested in a wind tunnel over the full slideslip envelop of the AH-64. It is found that the rotor was aeroelastically stable throughout the complete collective pitch range and up to rotor speeds of 1403 rpm. The dynamic characteristics of the rotor were found to be satisfactory at all pitch angles and rotor speeds of the tunnel tests. The design characteristics of the rotor which permit the high performance characteristics are discussed. Several schematic drawings and photographs of the rotor are provided.

STOL ride control feasibility study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gordon, C. K.; Dodson, R. O.

1973-01-01

The feasibility of developing a ride-smoothing control system for a 20-passenger turboprop STOL transport was assessed. Five different ride-control system configurations with varying degrees of complexity, performance, and cost were investigated. Results indicate that a satisfactory ride-control system can be practically implemented on the aircraft with minimum flight performance degradation.

Time-based self-spacing techniques using cockpit display of traffic information during approach to landing in a terminal area vectoring environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, D. H.

1983-01-01

A simulation study was undertaken to evaluate two time-based self-spacing techniques for in-trail following during terminal area approach. An electronic traffic display was provided in the weather radarscope location. The displayed self-spacing cues allowed the simulated aircraft to follow and to maintain spacing on another aircraft which was being vectored by air traffic control (ATC) for landing in a high-density terminal area. Separation performance data indicate the information provided on the traffic display was adequate for the test subjects to accurately follow the approach path of another aircraft without the assistance of ATC. The time-based technique with a constant-delay spacing criterion produced the most satisfactory spacing performance. Pilot comments indicate the workload associated with the self-separation task was very high and that additional spacing command information and/or aircraft autopilot functions would be desirable for operational implementational of the self-spacing task.

Evaluation of the platelet counting by Abbott CELL-DYN SAPPHIRE haematology analyser compared with flow cytometry.

PubMed

Grimaldi, E; Del Vecchio, L; Scopacasa, F; Lo Pardo, C; Capone, F; Pariante, S; Scalia, G; De Caterina, M

2009-04-01

The Abbot Cell-Dyn Sapphire is a new generation haematology analyser. The system uses optical/fluorescence flow cytometry in combination with electronic impedance to produce a full blood count. Optical and impedance are the default methods for platelet counting while automated CD61-immunoplatelet analysis can be run as selectable test. The aim of this study was to determine the platelet count performance of the three counting methods available on the instrument and to compare the results with those provided by Becton Dickinson FACSCalibur flow cytometer used as reference method. A lipid interference experiment was also performed. Linearity, carryover and precision were good, and satisfactory agreement with reference method was found for the impedance, optical and CD61-immunoplatelet analysis, although this latter provided the closest results in comparison with flow cytometry. In the lipid interference experiment, a moderate inaccuracy of optical and immunoplatelet counts was observed starting from a very high lipid value.

The Importance of Curriculum-Based Training and Assessment in Interventional Radiology

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

Belli, Anna-Maria, E-mail: anna.belli@stgeorges.nhs.uk; Reekers, Jim A., E-mail: j.a.reekers@amc.uva.nl; Lee, Michael, E-mail: mlee@rcsi.ie

Physician performance and outcomes are being scrutinised by health care providers to improve patient safety and cost efficiency. Patients are best served by physicians who have undergone appropriate specialist training and assessment and perform large numbers of cases to maintain their skills. The Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe has put into place a curriculum for training in interventional radiology (IR) and a syllabus with an examination, the European Board of Interventional Radiology, providing evidence of attainment of an appropriate and satisfactory skill set for the safe practice of IR. This curriculum is appropriate for IR where there ismore » a high volume of image-guided procedures in vascular and nonvascular organ systems with cross-use of minimally invasive techniques in patients with a variety of disease processes. Other specialties may require different, longer, and more focused training if their experience is “diluted” by the need to master a different skill set.« less

Measurement of Turbulent Pressure and Temperature Fluctuations in a Gas Turbine Combustor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Passaro, Andrea; LaGraff, John E.; Oldfield, Martin L. G.; Biagioni, Leonardo; Moss, Roger W.; Battelle, Ryan T.; Povinelli, Louis A. (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

The present research concerns the development of high-frequency pressure and temperature probes and related instrumentation capable of performing spectral characterization of unsteady pressure and temperature fluctuations over the 0.05 20 kHz range, at the exit of a gas turbine combustor operating at conditions close to nominal ones for large power generation turbomachinery. The probes used a transient technique pioneered at Oxford University; in order to withstand exposure to the harsh environment the probes were fitted on a rapid injection and cooling system jointly developed by Centrospazio CPR and Syracuse University. The experimental runs were performed on a large industrial test rig being operated by ENEL Produzione. The achieved results clearly show the satisfactory performance provided by this diagnostic tool, even though the poor location of the injection port prevented the tests from yielding more insight of the core flow turbulence characteristics. The pressure and temperature probes survived several dozen injections in the combustor hot jet, while consistently providing the intended high frequency performance. The apparatus was kept connected to the combustor during long duration firings, operating as an unobtrusive, self contained, piggy-back experiment: high frequency flow samplings were remotely recorded at selected moments corresponding to different combustor operating conditions.

An Interface for Biomedical Big Data Processing on the Tianhe-2 Supercomputer.

PubMed

Yang, Xi; Wu, Chengkun; Lu, Kai; Fang, Lin; Zhang, Yong; Li, Shengkang; Guo, Guixin; Du, YunFei

2017-12-01

Big data, cloud computing, and high-performance computing (HPC) are at the verge of convergence. Cloud computing is already playing an active part in big data processing with the help of big data frameworks like Hadoop and Spark. The recent upsurge of high-performance computing in China provides extra possibilities and capacity to address the challenges associated with big data. In this paper, we propose Orion-a big data interface on the Tianhe-2 supercomputer-to enable big data applications to run on Tianhe-2 via a single command or a shell script. Orion supports multiple users, and each user can launch multiple tasks. It minimizes the effort needed to initiate big data applications on the Tianhe-2 supercomputer via automated configuration. Orion follows the "allocate-when-needed" paradigm, and it avoids the idle occupation of computational resources. We tested the utility and performance of Orion using a big genomic dataset and achieved a satisfactory performance on Tianhe-2 with very few modifications to existing applications that were implemented in Hadoop/Spark. In summary, Orion provides a practical and economical interface for big data processing on Tianhe-2.

34 CFR 361.89 - Enforcement procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Standards and Performance Indicators § 361.89 Enforcement procedures. (a) If a DSU fails to meet the... satisfactory level on the compliance indicators. (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control...

Soft sensor for real-time cement fineness estimation.

PubMed

Stanišić, Darko; Jorgovanović, Nikola; Popov, Nikola; Čongradac, Velimir

2015-03-01

This paper describes the design and implementation of soft sensors to estimate cement fineness. Soft sensors are mathematical models that use available data to provide real-time information on process variables when the information, for whatever reason, is not available by direct measurement. In this application, soft sensors are used to provide information on process variable normally provided by off-line laboratory tests performed at large time intervals. Cement fineness is one of the crucial parameters that define the quality of produced cement. Providing real-time information on cement fineness using soft sensors can overcome limitations and problems that originate from a lack of information between two laboratory tests. The model inputs were selected from candidate process variables using an information theoretic approach. Models based on multi-layer perceptrons were developed, and their ability to estimate cement fineness of laboratory samples was analyzed. Models that had the best performance, and capacity to adopt changes in the cement grinding circuit were selected to implement soft sensors. Soft sensors were tested using data from a continuous cement production to demonstrate their use in real-time fineness estimation. Their performance was highly satisfactory, and the sensors proved to be capable of providing valuable information on cement grinding circuit performance. After successful off-line tests, soft sensors were implemented and installed in the control room of a cement factory. Results on the site confirm results obtained by tests conducted during soft sensor development. Copyright © 2014 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enlargement and sculpturing of a small and deformed glans.

PubMed

Perovic, Savra; Radojicic, Zoran I; Djordjevic, Miroslav Lj; Vukadinovic, Vojkan V

2003-10-01

We present 2 techniques of enhancement and sculpturing of a small and/or deformed glans. The small glans in primary or re-do hypospadias repair was enhanced by longitudinal double-faced island flaps incorporated onto the ventral side of the glans between the glans wings. The deformed glans, of small or normal size (with normal urethra or well functioning neourethra), was enlarged and sculptured by injection of hydrogel. Between May 1997 and March 2002, 27 patients underwent glans enhancement and sculpturing. Small deformed glans occurred after failed hypospadias repair in 10 patients, penile trauma in 3, hemangioma sclerozation in 2, primary hypospadias in 8 and normally developed penile body in 4. A double-faced island flap was performed in 14 patients, glans was enhanced by hydrogel injection in 9 and both procedures were performed in 4. Mean followup was 34 months for the double-faced flap technique 17 months for hydrogel injection. Satisfactory enlargement and esthetic appearance were achieved in 13 of the 14 patients who underwent the double-faced flap technique and 1 required surgical correction. Of the 9 patients who underwent either single or multistage hydrogel injection 8 had good results and 1 required partial removal of hydrogel after hypercorrection. The combination of these 2 techniques provided satisfactory results in all 4 cases. Enlargement and sculpturing of a small deformed glans are challenging and difficult. A double-faced island flap and/or injection of hydrogel resolves this problem satisfactorily.

Stereoelectroencephalography Using Magnetic Resonance Angiography for Avascular Trajectory Planning: Technical Report.

PubMed

Minkin, Krasimir; Gabrovski, Kaloyan; Penkov, Marin; Todorov, Yuri; Tanova, Rositsa; Milenova, Yoana; Romansky, Kiril; Dimova, Petia

2017-10-01

Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) requires high-quality angiographic studies because avascular trajectory planning is a prerequisite for the safety of this procedure. Some epilepsy surgery groups have begun to use computed tomography angiography and magnetic resonance T1-weighted sequence with contrast enhancement for this purpose. To present the first series of patients with avascular trajectory planning of SEEG based on magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Thirty-six SEEG explorations for drug-resistant focal epilepsy were performed from January 2013 to December 2015. A retrospective analysis of this consecutive surgical series was then performed. Magnetic resonance imaging included MRA with a modified contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance venography (MRV) protocol with a short acquisition delay, which allowed simultaneous arterial and venous visualization. Our criteria for satisfactory MRA were the visualization of at least first-order branches of the angular artery, paracentral and calcarine artery, and third-order tributaries of the superficial Sylvian vein, vein of Labbe, and vein of Trolard. Thirty-four patients underwent 36 SEEG explorations with 369 electrodes carrying 4321 contacts. Contrast-enhanced MRA using the MRV protocol was judged satisfactory for SEEG planning in all explorations. Postoperative complications were not observed in our series of 36 SEEG explorations, which included 50 transopercular insular trajectories. MRA using an MRV protocol may be applied for avascular trajectory planning during SEEG procedures. This technique provides a simultaneous visualization of cortical arteries and veins without the need for additional radiation exposure or intra-arterial catheter placement. Copyright © 2017 by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons

Correlations among Five Demographic Variables and the Performance of Selected Jamaican 11th-Graders on Some Numerical Problems on Energy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emepue, Nicholas; Soyibo, Kola

2009-01-01

This study was designed to assess whether the level of performance of selected Jamaican 11th-grade physics students on some numerical problems on the energy concept was satisfactory and if there were significant differences in their performance linked to their gender, socioeconomic background (SEB), school location, English language and…

76 FR 5431 - Publication of FY 2010 Service Contract Inventory

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-31

... available to the public at http://www.treasury.gov/about/organizational-structure/offices/Pages/Office-of... employees and contractors in the Department is effectively balanced, if contract performance is satisfactory...

24 CFR 570.411 - Joint Community Development Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... legislative body of each such unit of general local government. (h) NOFA contents. The NOFA will describe any... activities in a timely fashion, including satisfactory performance in carrying out any previous HUD-assisted...

46 CFR 160.037-3 - Materials, workmanship, construction, and performance requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... preclude variations of density which may adversely affect uniformity of its smoke emitting characteristics... the signal plus packaging in a sealed plastic waterproof bag satisfactory to the Commandant. (d...

Modified Grice-Green subtalar arthrodesis performed using a partial fibular graft yields satisfactory results in patients with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Güven, Melih; Tokyay, Abbas; Akman, Budak; Encan, Mehmet E; Altintaş, Faik

2016-03-01

The aim of this study was to report the experience with the use of a modified Grice-Green technique, which was performed using a partial subperiosteal fibular bone graft because of valgus unstable foot in children with cerebral palsy. Fifteen feet of 11 patients were evaluated on the basis of the appearance of the feet, clinical symptoms, and radiographic measurements. After an average follow-up duration of 24 (9-39) months, all feet showed satisfactory clinical and radiological results. Solid fusion and sustained correction took place in all feet. The gap at the donor site was bridged with new bone in all cases. No donor-site morbidity was detected. This modification of the Grice-Green technique can be used effectively in the correction of planovalgus foot in cerebral palsy.

[Natural orifice trans-luminal endoscopic surgery (notes)--a new era in general surgery].

PubMed

Elazary, Ram; Horgan, Santiago; Talamini, Mark A; Rivkind, Avraham I; Mintz, Yoav

2008-10-01

Four years ago, a new surgical technique was presented, the natural orifice trans-luminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). This technique provides an incisionless operation. The surgical devices are inserted into the peritoneal cavity through the gastrointestinal or the urogenital tracts. Today, a cholecystectomy can be performed using an advanced endoscope inserted through the stomach or the vagina. The advantages of NOTES are: reduced post operative pain, no hernias, no surgical wounds infections and better cosmetic results. The disadvantages are: difficulties in achieving safe enterotomy closure or a leak proof anastomosis, it necessitates performing more operations compared to open or laparoscopic operations in order to obtain the skills for performing these operations, and difficulties of acquiring satisfactory endoscopic vision due to lack of advanced technology. Several NOTES operations have already been performed in humans. However, many other surgical procedures were tested in laboratory animals. Development and improvement of surgical devices may promote this surgical modality in the future.

Electrolyte bi-layering strategy to improve the performance of an intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shri Prakash, B.; Pavitra, R.; Senthil Kumar, S.; Aruna, S. T.

2018-03-01

Lowering of operation temperature has become one of the primary goals of solid oxide fuel (SOFC) research as reduced temperature improves the prospects for widespread commercialization of this energy system. Reduced operational temperature also mitigates the issues associated with high temperature SOFCs and paves way not only for the large scale stationary power generation but also makes SOFCs viable for portable and transport applications. However, there are issues with electrolyte and cathode materials at low temperatures, individually as well as in association with other components, which makes the performance of the SOFCs less satisfactory than expected at lowered temperatures. Bi-layering of electrolytes and impregnation of cathodes have emerged as two important strategies to overcome these issues and achieve higher performance at low temperatures. This review article provides the perspective on the strategy of bi-layering of electrolyte to achieve the desired high performance from SOFC at low to intermediate temperatures.

International Space Station Acoustics - A Status Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Christopher S.; Denham, Samuel A.

2011-01-01

It is important to control acoustic noise aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to provide a satisfactory environment for voice communications, crew productivity, and restful sleep, and to minimize the risk for temporary and permanent hearing loss. Acoustic monitoring is an important part of the noise control process on ISS, providing critical data for trend analysis, noise exposure analysis, validation of acoustic analysis and predictions, and to provide strong evidence for ensuring crew health and safety, thus allowing Flight Certification. To this purpose, sound level meter (SLM) measurements and acoustic noise dosimetry are routinely performed. And since the primary noise sources on ISS include the environmental control and life support system (fans and airflow) and active thermal control system (pumps and water flow), acoustic monitoring will indicate changes in hardware noise emissions that may indicate system degradation or performance issues. This paper provides the current acoustic levels in the ISS modules and sleep stations, and is an update to the status presented in 20031. Many new modules, and sleep stations have been added to the ISS since that time. In addition, noise mitigation efforts have reduced noise levels in some areas. As a result, the acoustic levels on the ISS have improved.

Mechanization of and experience with a triplex fly-by-wire backup control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lock, W. P.; Petersen, W. R.; Whitman, G. B.

1976-01-01

A redundant three axis analog control system was designed and developed to back up a digital fly by wire control system for an F-8C airplane. The mechanization and operational experience with the backup control system, the problems involved in synchronizing it with the primary system, and the reliability of the system are discussed. The backup control system was dissimilar to the primary system, and it provided satisfactory handling through the flight envelope evaluated. Limited flight tests of a variety of control tasks showed that control was also satisfactory when the backup control system was controlled by a minimum displacement (force) side stick. The operational reliability of the F-8 digital fly by wire control system was satisfactory, with no unintentional downmodes to the backup control system in flight. The ground and flight reliability of the system's components is discussed.

A normal incidence X-ray telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golub, Leon

1987-01-01

The postflight performance evaluation of the X-ray telescope was summarized. All payload systems and subsystems performed well within acceptable limits, with the sole exception of the light-blocking prefilters. Launch, flight and recovery were performed in a fully satisfactory manner. The payload was recovered in a timely manner and in excellent condition. The prefilter performance analysis showed that no X-ray images were detected on the processed flight film. Recommendations for improved performance are listed.

Plastic spatula with narrow long tip provides higher satisfactory smears for Pap test.

PubMed

Kaur, Pervinder; Kushtagi, Pralhad

2013-07-01

Ayre spatula for cervical smear collection is being used despite the suggestion that different modified spatulas provide more satisfactory sampling. To see whether the cytological pickup improves with the use of long tipped spatula. Rurally based University Hospital; crossover study. Pap smear using Ayre spatula in 500 and with plastic narrow long tip (Szalay) spatula in 500 clinic attending women was taken and analyzed. Crossover smears were taken with modified spatula in 163 and using Ayre spatula in 187 women after 2 weeks of initial smears. The same pathologist made cytological reporting for all smears and was unaware of the type of spatula used. Smears from Ayre spatula had significantly higher reports of inadequate smears (94 of 500 vs. 68 of 500 for Ayre and Szalay, respectively; P = 0.032) and it remained so even after crossover (94 of 187 vs. 70 of 163 for Ayre and Szalay, respectively; P = 0.2). Cellular quality appeared better with smears taken using Szalay spatula, but the overall abnormal smear detection rate remained similar with either collection tool (χ(2) = 1.5; P = 0.2). Proportion of satisfactory smears is higher when long tip plastic spatula is used for collection of sample.

Development of an in Silico Model of DPPH• Free Radical Scavenging Capacity: Prediction of Antioxidant Activity of Coumarin Type Compounds.

PubMed

Goya Jorge, Elizabeth; Rayar, Anita Maria; Barigye, Stephen J; Jorge Rodríguez, María Elisa; Sylla-Iyarreta Veitía, Maité

2016-06-07

A quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) study of the 2,2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) radical scavenging ability of 1373 chemical compounds, using DRAGON molecular descriptors (MD) and the neural network technique, a technique based on the multilayer multilayer perceptron (MLP), was developed. The built model demonstrated a satisfactory performance for the training ( R 2 = 0.713 ) and test set ( Q ext 2 = 0.654 ) , respectively. To gain greater insight on the relevance of the MD contained in the MLP model, sensitivity and principal component analyses were performed. Moreover, structural and mechanistic interpretation was carried out to comprehend the relationship of the variables in the model with the modeled property. The constructed MLP model was employed to predict the radical scavenging ability for a group of coumarin-type compounds. Finally, in order to validate the model's predictions, an in vitro assay for one of the compounds (4-hydroxycoumarin) was performed, showing a satisfactory proximity between the experimental and predicted pIC50 values.

[ASSOCIATION BETWEEN FITNESS, NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION STUDENTS].

PubMed

Godoy Cumillaf, Andrés; Valdés Badilla, Pablo; Fariña Herrera, Custodio; Cárcamo Mora, Francisco; Medina Herrera, Bernice; Meneses Sandoval, Elías; Gedda Muñoz, Relmu; Durán Agüero, Samuel

2015-10-01

several studies demonstrated that regular physical exercise would impact positively on the academic performance of students. to determine the association between physical fitness, nutritional status and academic performance of students of Pedagogy in Physical Education from Temuco, Chile. the sample was selected on a non-probabilistic approach, which included 208 subjects (n = 153 women and n = 55 women). The variables studied were physical fitness (short Abs, long jump with feet together, forward trunk flexion, elbow flexion and extension and "course navette" test), nutritional status (BMI) and academic performance (classified as up and down the academic average). 87.5% of students have a satisfactory fitness and a BMI of 23.8 ± 2.9 kg/m2. The students with the best academic performance were those with the higher proportion of satisfactory physical condition (92.5 %). No association between academic performance and nutritional status was determined, but it was observed between low fitness and a great risk of low academic performance (OR = 2.8, 95% CI 1.0 to 8 1; p < 0.05). a relationship between academic achievement and physical fitness among students is observed, but no for the nutritional status and the academic performance. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Self-reported academic performance in relation to health behaviours among Bahria University students.

PubMed

Rehman, Rehana; Zafar, Amara; Mohib, Aleena; Hussain, Mehwish; Ali, Rabiya

2018-02-01

To find an association between self-reported academic performance with different socio-demographic factors, health behaviours and mental health amongst university students. This cross-sectional study was conducted at Bahria University, Karachi, from January 2012 to December 2013, and comprised university students of different disciplines. An anonymous, self-reported questionnaire was distributed among the subjects. Convenient sampling technique was used. Demographic information, including age, gender and field of study, were obtained. Depresion was evaluated via Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. SPSS 22 was used to analyse data. Of the 813 respondents, 334(41.1%) were males and 479(58.9%) females. The mean age was 19.9±1.8 years. Overall, 126(15.5%) subjects reported excellent, 242(29.8%) very good, 310(38.1%) good, 100(12.3%) satisfactory and 35(4.3%) not satisfactory academic performance. Residential status of students played a significant role on their academic performance (p=0.011). Breakfast eating behaviour depicted a significant association with the academic performance (p=0.04).The proportion of unsatisfactory academic performances among students having severe sleep disorder was the highest, followed by mild/moderate (p=0.01). The depression scale's item 'troubling in mind' was highly associated with academic performance (p<0.05). A constructive association existed among healthy behaviours and academic performance. .

Course Evaluation in Sweden--When, How, What and Why

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cronholm, Stefan

2010-01-01

This study is about course evaluation in Swedish higher education. Performing course evaluation is regulated in Swedish law. Despite this, only half of the courses are evaluated. The aim of this study is to understand why satisfactory course evaluations not are performed. Problems are identified from a student perspective and the paper provides…

The Academic Progress Rate: Good PR, Bad Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cusack, Michael J.

2007-01-01

This fall the Academic Progress Rate, a formula that the National Collegiate Athletic Association developed to measure the academic performance of its member teams, will go into full effect. Known as the APR, the formula consists of two variables: academic performance (which requires satisfactory grades and timely progress to a degree) and student…

32 CFR 1656.4 - Alternative Service Office: jurisdiction and authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... for job placement; (5) Monitor the ASW's job performance; (6) Issue a certificate of satisfactory... assigned to perform alternative service. (b) The ASO shall: (1) Evaluate and approve jobs and employers for Alternative Service; (2) Order the ASW to report for alternative service work; (3) Issue such orders as are...

Evaluation of Aspergillus PCR protocols for testing serum specimens.

PubMed

White, P Lewis; Mengoli, Carlo; Bretagne, Stéphane; Cuenca-Estrella, Manuel; Finnstrom, Niklas; Klingspor, Lena; Melchers, Willem J G; McCulloch, Elaine; Barnes, Rosemary A; Donnelly, J Peter; Loeffler, Juergen

2011-11-01

A panel of human serum samples spiked with various amounts of Aspergillus fumigatus genomic DNA was distributed to 23 centers within the European Aspergillus PCR Initiative to determine analytical performance of PCR. Information regarding specific methodological components and PCR performance was requested. The information provided was made anonymous, and meta-regression analysis was performed to determine any procedural factors that significantly altered PCR performance. Ninety-seven percent of protocols were able to detect a threshold of 10 genomes/ml on at least one occasion, with 83% of protocols reproducibly detecting this concentration. Sensitivity and specificity were 86.1% and 93.6%, respectively. Positive associations between sensitivity and the use of larger sample volumes, an internal control PCR, and PCR targeting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region were shown. Negative associations between sensitivity and the use of larger elution volumes (≥100 μl) and PCR targeting the mitochondrial genes were demonstrated. Most Aspergillus PCR protocols used to test serum generate satisfactory analytical performance. Testing serum requires less standardization, and the specific recommendations shown in this article will only improve performance.

Evaluation of Aspergillus PCR Protocols for Testing Serum Specimens▿†

PubMed Central

White, P. Lewis; Mengoli, Carlo; Bretagne, Stéphane; Cuenca-Estrella, Manuel; Finnstrom, Niklas; Klingspor, Lena; Melchers, Willem J. G.; McCulloch, Elaine; Barnes, Rosemary A.; Donnelly, J. Peter; Loeffler, Juergen

2011-01-01

A panel of human serum samples spiked with various amounts of Aspergillus fumigatus genomic DNA was distributed to 23 centers within the European Aspergillus PCR Initiative to determine analytical performance of PCR. Information regarding specific methodological components and PCR performance was requested. The information provided was made anonymous, and meta-regression analysis was performed to determine any procedural factors that significantly altered PCR performance. Ninety-seven percent of protocols were able to detect a threshold of 10 genomes/ml on at least one occasion, with 83% of protocols reproducibly detecting this concentration. Sensitivity and specificity were 86.1% and 93.6%, respectively. Positive associations between sensitivity and the use of larger sample volumes, an internal control PCR, and PCR targeting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region were shown. Negative associations between sensitivity and the use of larger elution volumes (≥100 μl) and PCR targeting the mitochondrial genes were demonstrated. Most Aspergillus PCR protocols used to test serum generate satisfactory analytical performance. Testing serum requires less standardization, and the specific recommendations shown in this article will only improve performance. PMID:21940479

A Direct Adaptive Control Approach in the Presence of Model Mismatch

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joshi, Suresh M.; Tao, Gang; Khong, Thuan

2009-01-01

This paper considers the problem of direct model reference adaptive control when the plant-model matching conditions are violated due to abnormal changes in the plant or incorrect knowledge of the plant's mathematical structure. The approach consists of direct adaptation of state feedback gains for state tracking, and simultaneous estimation of the plant-model mismatch. Because of the mismatch, the plant can no longer track the state of the original reference model, but may be able to track a new reference model that still provides satisfactory performance. The reference model is updated if the estimated plant-model mismatch exceeds a bound that is determined via robust stability and/or performance criteria. The resulting controller is a hybrid direct-indirect adaptive controller that offers asymptotic state tracking in the presence of plant-model mismatch as well as parameter deviations.

Model predictive control design for polytopic uncertain systems by synthesising multi-step prediction scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Jianbo; Xi, Yugeng; Li, Dewei; Xu, Yuli; Gan, Zhongxue

2018-01-01

A common objective of model predictive control (MPC) design is the large initial feasible region, low online computational burden as well as satisfactory control performance of the resulting algorithm. It is well known that interpolation-based MPC can achieve a favourable trade-off among these different aspects. However, the existing results are usually based on fixed prediction scenarios, which inevitably limits the performance of the obtained algorithms. So by replacing the fixed prediction scenarios with the time-varying multi-step prediction scenarios, this paper provides a new insight into improvement of the existing MPC designs. The adopted control law is a combination of predetermined multi-step feedback control laws, based on which two MPC algorithms with guaranteed recursive feasibility and asymptotic stability are presented. The efficacy of the proposed algorithms is illustrated by a numerical example.

34 CFR 668.34 - Satisfactory academic progress.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Satisfactory academic progress. 668.34 Section 668.34... Satisfactory academic progress. (a) Satisfactory academic progress policy. An institution must establish a reasonable satisfactory academic progress policy for determining whether an otherwise eligible student is...

34 CFR 668.34 - Satisfactory academic progress.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Satisfactory academic progress. 668.34 Section 668.34... Satisfactory academic progress. (a) Satisfactory academic progress policy. An institution must establish a reasonable satisfactory academic progress policy for determining whether an otherwise eligible student is...

34 CFR 668.34 - Satisfactory academic progress.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Satisfactory academic progress. 668.34 Section 668.34... Satisfactory academic progress. (a) Satisfactory academic progress policy. An institution must establish a reasonable satisfactory academic progress policy for determining whether an otherwise eligible student is...

34 CFR 668.34 - Satisfactory academic progress.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Satisfactory academic progress. 668.34 Section 668.34... Satisfactory academic progress. (a) Satisfactory academic progress policy. An institution must establish a reasonable satisfactory academic progress policy for determining whether an otherwise eligible student is...

34 CFR 366.50 - What assurances shall a center provide and comply with?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What assurances shall a center provide and comply with... LIVING Assurances for Centers § 366.50 What assurances shall a center provide and comply with? To be eligible for assistance under this part, an eligible agency shall provide satisfactory assurances that— (a...

38 CFR 21.8360 - Satisfactory conduct and cooperation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Satisfactory conduct and... Children of Vietnam Veterans-Spina Bifida and Covered Birth Defects Satisfactory Conduct and Cooperation § 21.8360 Satisfactory conduct and cooperation. The provisions for satisfactory conduct and cooperation...

Management of hirsutism.

PubMed

Agrawal, N K

2013-10-01

Although hirsutism is a frequent and distressing disorder often signaling an underlying endocrine disorder, a systematic approach to evaluation and the use of combination therapy will provide satisfactory treatment for most patients.

A full 3D-navigation system in a suitcase.

PubMed

Freysinger, W; Truppe, M J; Gunkel, A R; Thumfart, W F

2001-01-01

To reduce the impact of contemporary 3D-navigation systems on the environment of typical otorhinolaryngologic operating rooms, we demonstrate that a transfer of navigation software to modern high-power notebook computers is feasible and results in a practicable way to provide positional information to a surgeon intraoperatively. The ARTMA Virtual Patient System has been implemented on a Macintosh PowerBook G3 and, in connection with the Polhemus FASTRAK digitizer, provides intraoperative positional information during endoscopic endonasal surgery. Satisfactory intraoperative navigation has been realized in two- and three-dimensional medical image data sets (i.e., X-ray, ultrasound images, CT, and MR) and live video. This proof-of-concept study demonstrates that acceptable ergonomics and excellent performance of the system can be achieved with contemporary high-end notebook computers. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Efficacy of rabies immunoglobulins in an experimental post-exposure prophylaxis rodent model.

PubMed

Servat, Alexandre; Lutsch, Charles; Delore, Valentine; Lang, Jean; Veitch, Keith; Cliquet, Florence

2003-12-12

In a recently published Syrian hamster animal challenge study [Vaccine 19 (2001) 2273], a highly purified, heat-treated equine rabies immunoglobulin (pERIG HT, Favirab) did not elicit satisfactory protection. The efficacies of this batch, a second stage pERIG HT batch and reference RIG preparations (Imorab, Imogam Rage pasteurised, Berna antiserum) were compared in mice challenged with either Ariana canine field strain or CVS strain. Survival rates against Ariana challenge with the second pERIG HT batch were indistinguishable from those of other licensed preparations (83-90% survival), but the deficient batch did not provide satisfactory protection (53%). These data confirm the inadequate response to a first stage pERIG HT batch, but a current batch provides equivalent protection to that afforded by licensed HRIG and ERIG preparations.

Developing a short measure of organizational justice: a multisample health professionals study.

PubMed

Elovainio, Marko; Heponiemi, Tarja; Kuusio, Hannamaria; Sinervo, Timo; Hintsa, Taina; Aalto, Anna-Mari

2010-11-01

To develop and test the validity of a short version of the original questionnaire measuring organizational justice. The study samples comprised working physicians (N = 2792) and registered nurses (n = 2137) from the Finnish Health Professionals study. Structural equation modelling was applied to test structural validity, using the justice scales. Furthermore, criterion validity was explored with well-being (sleeping problems) and health indicators (psychological distress/self-rated health). The short version of the organizational justice questionnaire (eight items) provides satisfactory psychometric properties (internal consistency, a good model fit of the data). All scales were associated with an increased risk of sleeping problems and psychological distress, indicating satisfactory criterion validity. This short version of the organizational justice questionnaire provides a useful tool for epidemiological studies focused on health-adverse effects of work environment.

An expansion plan for the 60 Hz power distribution system at KSC: LC-39 substations load allocation plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kalu, Alex

1990-01-01

The increasing load density in the LC-39 area of Kennedy Space Center (KSC) can be met by either modifying the existing substation and increasing its capacity or by planning an additional new substation. Evidence that the later approach is more economical, enhances the system reliability, and would produce more satisfactory performance indices is provided. Network theory is the basis for the optimal location determination of the proposed substation. A load reallocation plan which minimizes investment cost and power losses and meets other desirable system features is drafted. The report should be useful to the system designer and can be a useful guideline for future facility planners.

LANDSAT-1 and LANDSAT-2 flight evaluation report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The LANDSAT-1 spacecraft was launched from the Western Test Range on 23 July 1972, at 18:08:06.508Z. The launch and orbital injection phase of the space flight was nominal and deployment of the spacecraft followed predictions. Orbital operations of the spacecraft and payload subsystems were satisfactory through Orbit 147, after which an internal short circuit disabled one of the Wideband Video Tape Recorders (WBVTR-2). Operations resumed until Orbit 196, when the Return Beam Vidicon failed to respond when commanded off. The RBV was commanded off via alternate commands. LANDSAT-1 continued to perform its imaging mission with the Multispectral Scanner and the remaining Wideband Video Tape Recorder providing image data.

A short-term clinical evaluation of IPS Empress 2 crowns.

PubMed

Toksavul, Suna; Toman, Muhittin

2007-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical performance of all-ceramic crowns made with the IPS Empress 2 system after an observation period of 12 to 60 months. Seventy-nine IPS Empress 2 crowns were placed in 21 patients. The all-ceramic crowns were evaluated clinically, radiographically, and using clinical photographs. The evaluations took place at baseline (2 days after cementation) and at 6-month intervals for 12 to 60 months. Survival rate of the crowns was determined using Kaplan-Meier statistical analysis. Based on the US Public Health Service criteria, 95.24% of the crowns were rated satisfactory after a mean follow-up period of 58 months. Fracture was registered in only 1 crown. One endodontically treated tooth failed as a result of fracture at the cervical margin area. In this in vivo study, IPS Empress 2 crowns exhibited a satisfactory clinical performance during an observation period ranging from 12 to 60 months.

High performance UV and thermal cure hybrid epoxy adhesive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, C. F.; Iwasaki, S.; Kanari, M.; Li, B.; Wang, C.; Lu, D. Q.

2017-06-01

New type one component UV and thermal curable hybrid epoxy adhesive was successfully developed. The hybrid epoxy adhesive is complete initiator free composition. Neither photo-initiator nor thermal initiator is contained. The hybrid adhesive is mainly composed of special designed liquid bismaleimide, partially acrylated epoxy resin, acrylic monomer, epoxy resin and latent curing agent. Its UV light and thermal cure behavior was studied by FT-IR spectroscopy and FT-Raman spectroscopy. Adhesive samples cured at UV only, thermal only and UV + thermal cure conditions were investigated. By calculated conversion rate of double bond in both acrylic component and maleimide compound, satisfactory light curability of the hybrid epoxy adhesive was confirmed quantitatively. The investigation results also showed that its UV cure components, acrylic and bismalimide, possess good thermal curability too. The initiator free hybrid epoxy adhesive showed satisfactory UV curability, good thermal curability and high adhesion performance.

Management of hirsutism

PubMed Central

Agrawal, N. K.

2013-01-01

Although hirsutism is a frequent and distressing disorder often signaling an underlying endocrine disorder, a systematic approach to evaluation and the use of combination therapy will provide satisfactory treatment for most patients. PMID:24251227

46 CFR 298.13 - Financial requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (such as facsimile and Internet) for transmission of required information to MARAD, if practicable.]: (i... the lender enter into a written agreement, satisfactory to us, providing, among other things, that if...

The Link between Higher Order Thinking Skills, Representation and Concepts in Enhancing TIMSS Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tajudin, Nor'ain Mohd.; Chinnappan, Mohan

2016-01-01

Students' performances in TIMSS have featured strongly in recent discussions and debates about the quality of mathematical learning outcomes both from teachers and policy makers. Findings of TIMSS trends showed that most high school students in Malaysia continue to perform at less than satisfactory levels, particularly, in tasks that are…

Performance of Radiant Heating Systems of Low-Energy Buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarbu, Ioan; Mirza, Matei; Crasmareanu, Emanuel

2017-10-01

After the introduction of plastic piping, the application of water-based radiant heating with pipes embedded in room surfaces (i.e., floors, walls, and ceilings), has significantly increased worldwide. Additionally, interest and growth in radiant heating and cooling systems have increased in recent years because they have been demonstrated to be energy efficient in comparison to all-air distribution systems. This paper briefly describes the heat distribution systems in buildings, focusing on the radiant panels (floor, wall, ceiling, and floor-ceiling). Main objective of this study is the performance investigation of different types of low-temperature heating systems with different methods. Additionally, a comparative analysis of the energy, environmental, and economic performances of floor, wall, ceiling, and floor-ceiling heating using numerical simulation with Transient Systems Simulation (TRNSYS) software is performed. This study showed that the floor-ceiling heating system has the best performance in terms of the lowest energy consumption, operation cost, CO2 emission, and the nominal boiler power. The comparison of the room operative air temperatures and the set-point operative air temperature indicates also that all radiant panel systems provide satisfactory results without significant deviations.

Concept-Based Retrieval from Critical Incident Reports.

PubMed

Denecke, Kerstin

2017-01-01

Critical incident reporting systems (CIRS) are used as a means to collect anonymously entered information of incidents that occurred for example in a hospital. Analyzing this information helps to identify among others problems in the workflow, in the infrastructure or in processes. The entire potential of these sources of experiential knowledge remains often unconsidered since retrieval of relevant reports and their analysis is difficult and time-consuming, and the reporting systems often do not provide support for these tasks. The objective of this work is to develop a method for retrieving reports from the CIRS related to a specific user query. atural language processing (NLP) and information retrieval (IR) methods are exploited for realizing the retrieval. We compare standard retrieval methods that rely upon frequency of words with an approach that includes a semantic mapping of natural language to concepts of a medical ontology. By an evaluation, we demonstrate the feasibility of semantic document enrichment to improve recall in incident reporting retrieval. It is shown that a combination of standard keyword-based retrieval with semantic search results in highly satisfactory recall values. In future work, the evaluation should be repeated on a larger data set and real-time user evaluation need to be performed to assess user satisfactory with the system and results.

Knee arthrodesis with a press-fit modular intramedullary nail without bone-on-bone fusion after an infected revision TKA.

PubMed

Iacono, Francesco; Bruni, Danilo; Lo Presti, Mirco; Raspugli, Giovanni; Bondi, Alice; Sharma, Bharat; Marcacci, Maurilio

2012-10-01

Knee arthrodesis can be an effective treatment after an infected revision Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA). The main hypothesis of this study is that a two-stage arthrodesis of the knee using a press-fit, modular intramedullary nail and antibiotic loaded cement, to fill the residual gap between the bone surfaces, prevents an excessive limb shortening, providing satisfactory clinical and functional results even without direct bone-on-bone fusion. The study included 22 patients who underwent knee arthrodesis between 2004 and 2009 because of recurrent infection following revision-TKA (R-TKA). Clinical and functional evaluations were performed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Lequesne Algofunctional Score. A postoperative clinical and radiographical evaluation of the residual limb-length discrepancy was conducted by three independent observers. VAS and LAS results showed a significant improvement with respect to the preoperative condition. The mean leg length discrepancy was less than 1cm. There were three recurrent infections that needed further surgical treatment. This study demonstrated that reinfection after Revision of total knee Arthroplasty can be effectively treated with arthrodesis using a modular intramedullary nail, along with an antibiotic loaded cement spacer and that satisfactory results can be obtained without direct bone-on-bone fusion. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Direct electron transfer of glucose oxidase and biosensing for glucose based on PDDA-capped gold nanoparticle modified graphene/multi-walled carbon nanotubes electrode.

PubMed

Yu, Yanyan; Chen, Zuanguang; He, Sijing; Zhang, Beibei; Li, Xinchun; Yao, Meicun

2014-02-15

In this work, poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA)-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized graphene (G)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) nanocomposites were fabricated. Based on the electrostatic attraction, the G/MWCNTs hybrid material can be decorated with AuNPs uniformly and densely. The new hierarchical nanostructure can provide a larger surface area and a more favorable microenvironment for electron transfer. The AuNPs/G/MWCNTs nanocomposite was used as a novel immobilization platform for glucose oxidase (GOD). Direct electron transfer (DET) was achieved between GOD and the electrode. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), UV-vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were used to characterize the electrochemical biosensor. The glucose biosensor fabricated based on GOD electrode modified with AuNPs/G/MWCNTs demonstrated satisfactory analytical performance with high sensitivity (29.72mAM(-1)cm(-2)) and low limit of detection (4.8 µM). The heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (ΚS) and the apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) of GOD were calculated to be 11.18s(-1) and 2.09 mM, respectively. With satisfactory selectivity, reproducibility, and stability, the nanostructure we proposed offered an alternative for electrode fabricating and glucose biosensing. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Iranian Nurses' Views on Barriers and Facilitators in Patient Education: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Ramezanli, Somayeh; Badiyepeymaie Jahromi, Zohreh

2015-03-18

As a major factor in patient-centered care, patient education has a great impact on the quality of care provided by nurses; however, clinical nurses' performance with regard to patient education is not satisfactory. This study is an attempt to investigate barriers and facilitators in patient education from nurses' point of view. 122 nurses at Jahrom University of Medical Sciences participated in this descriptive-cross sectional study. Sampling was based on the census method. The questionnaire used to collect data included questions about nurses' demography, barriers (10 questions), and facilitators (10 questions) in patient education. The questionnaire was designed to be completed independently. To analyze the data, the researchers used descriptive statistics, including frequency, mean and standard deviation. The highest scores related to barriers to patient education were: nurses' insufficient knowledge, patients' physical and emotional unpreparedness, and lack of a proper environment for education. The most important facilitators, on the other hand, were: enhancement of instructing nurses' knowledge and skills, motivating nurses, and a step-by-step approach to patient education. It is important that nurses be prepared and motivated to train their patients. By satisfactory patient education on the part of nurses, patients will be more willing to cooperate in the treatment process.

Iranian Nurses’ Views on Barriers and Facilitators in Patient Education: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Ramezanli, Somayeh; Jahromi, Zohreh Badiyepeymaie

2015-01-01

Background: As a major factor in patient-centered care, patient education has a great impact on the quality of care provided by nurses; however, clinical nurses’ performance with regard to patient education is not satisfactory. This study is an attempt to investigate barriers and facilitators in patient education from nurses’ point of view. Methods: 122 nurses at Jahrom University of Medical Sciences participated in this descriptive-cross sectional study. Sampling was based on the census method. The questionnaire used to collect data included questions about nurses’ demography, barriers (10 questions), and facilitators (10 questions) in patient education. The questionnaire was designed to be completed independently. To analyze the data, the researchers used descriptive statistics, including frequency, mean and standard deviation. Results: The highest scores related to barriers to patient education were: nurses’ insufficient knowledge, patients’ physical and emotional unpreparedness, and lack of a proper environment for education. The most important facilitators, on the other hand, were: enhancement of instructing nurses’ knowledge and skills, motivating nurses, and a step-by-step approach to patient education. Conclusion: It is important that nurses be prepared and motivated to train their patients. By satisfactory patient education on the part of nurses, patients will be more willing to cooperate in the treatment process. PMID:26156926

Off-design Performance Analysis of Multi-Stage Transonic Axial Compressors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, W. H.; Wu, H.; Zhang, L.

Because of the complex flow fields and component interaction in modern gas turbine engines, they require extensive experiment to validate performance and stability. The experiment process can become expensive and complex. Modeling and simulation of gas turbine engines are way to reduce experiment costs, provide fidelity and enhance the quality of essential experiment. The flow field of a transonic compressor contains all the flow aspects, which are difficult to present-boundary layer transition and separation, shock-boundary layer interactions, and large flow unsteadiness. Accurate transonic axial compressor off-design performance prediction is especially difficult, due in large part to three-dimensional blade design and the resulting flow field. Although recent advancements in computer capacity have brought computational fluid dynamics to forefront of turbomachinery design and analysis, the grid and turbulence model still limit Reynolds-average Navier-Stokes (RANS) approximations in the multi-stage transonic axial compressor flow field. Streamline curvature methods are still the dominant numerical approach as an important tool for turbomachinery to analyze and design, and it is generally accepted that streamline curvature solution techniques will provide satisfactory flow prediction as long as the losses, deviation and blockage are accurately predicted.

Smart Water Conservation System for Irrigated Landscape. ESTCP Cost and Performance Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

water use by as much as 70% in support of meeting EO 13693. Additional performance objectives were to validate energy reduction, cost effectiveness ...Additional performance objectives were to validate energy reduction, cost effectiveness , and system reliability while maintaining satisfactory plant health...developments. The demonstration was conducted for two different climatic regions in the southwestern part of the United States (U.S.), where a typical

Correlations among Six Learner Variables and the Performance of a Sample of Jamaican Eleventh-Graders on an Achievement Test on Respiration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soyibo, Kola; Pinnock, Jacqueline

2005-01-01

This study aimed at establishing if the level of performance of 500 Jamaican Grade 11 students on an achievement test on the concept of respiration was satisfactory (mean = 28 or 70% and above) or not (less than 70%); if there were statistically significant differences in their performance on the concept linked to their gender, cognitive abilities…

Influenza detection and prediction algorithms: comparative accuracy trial in Östergötland county, Sweden, 2008-2012.

PubMed

Spreco, A; Eriksson, O; Dahlström, Ö; Timpka, T

2017-07-01

Methods for the detection of influenza epidemics and prediction of their progress have seldom been comparatively evaluated using prospective designs. This study aimed to perform a prospective comparative trial of algorithms for the detection and prediction of increased local influenza activity. Data on clinical influenza diagnoses recorded by physicians and syndromic data from a telenursing service were used. Five detection and three prediction algorithms previously evaluated in public health settings were calibrated and then evaluated over 3 years. When applied on diagnostic data, only detection using the Serfling regression method and prediction using the non-adaptive log-linear regression method showed acceptable performances during winter influenza seasons. For the syndromic data, none of the detection algorithms displayed a satisfactory performance, while non-adaptive log-linear regression was the best performing prediction method. We conclude that evidence was found for that available algorithms for influenza detection and prediction display satisfactory performance when applied on local diagnostic data during winter influenza seasons. When applied on local syndromic data, the evaluated algorithms did not display consistent performance. Further evaluations and research on combination of methods of these types in public health information infrastructures for 'nowcasting' (integrated detection and prediction) of influenza activity are warranted.

Evaluating resistance of hot mix asphalt to reflective cracking using geocomposites.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-01-01

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has sponsored a project with Penn State to evaluate new or : existing products to ensure satisfactory application and performance of these products. PennDOT Publication : 447 contains those products that ...

Performance of ultra-thin whitetopping (UTW) in Oklahoma.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-12-01

With the current level of deterioration of pavements in Oklahoma and the United States a satisfactory repai : technique that is economical and can be applied rapidly while resisting a significant volume of traffic is becomin : important. Thin concret...

Haematological validation of a computer-based bone marrow reporting system.

PubMed Central

Nguyen, D T; Diamond, L W; Cavenagh, J D; Parameswaran, R; Amess, J A

1997-01-01

AIMS: To prove the safety and effectiveness of "Professor Belmonte", a knowledge-based system for bone marrow reporting, a formal evaluation of the reports generated by the system was performed. METHODS: Three haematologists (a consultant, a senior registrar, and a junior registrar), none of whom were involved in the development of the software, compared the unedited reports generated by Professor Belmonte with the original bone marrow reports in 785 unselected cases. Each haematologist independently graded the quality of Belmonte's reports using one of four categories: (a) better than the original report (more informative, containing useful information missing in the original report); (b) equivalent to the original report; (c) satisfactory, but missing information that should have been included; and (d) unsatisfactory. RESULTS: The consultant graded 64 reports as more informative than the original, 687 as equivalent to the original, 32 as satisfactory, and two as unsatisfactory. The senior registrar considered 29 reports to be better than the original, 739 to be equivalent to the original, 15 to be satisfactory, and two to be unsatisfactory. The junior registrar found that 88 reports were better than the original, 681 were equivalent to the original, 14 were satisfactory, and two were unsatisfactory. Each judge found two different reports to be unsatisfactory according to their criteria. All 785 reports generated by the computer system received at least two scores of satisfactory or better. CONCLUSIONS: In this representative study, Professor Belmonte generated bone marrow reports that proved to be as accurate as the original reports in a large university hospital. The haematology knowledge contained within the system, the reasoning process, and the function of the software are safe and effective for assisting haematologists in generating high quality bone marrow reports. PMID:9215118

Equine sperm-bound antisperm antibodies are associated with poor semen quality.

PubMed

Ferrer, M S; Miller, L M J

2018-06-01

Antisperm antibodies (ASAs) have been associated with infertility in stallions. The objectives of this study were to investigate the frequency of ASA-positive semen samples in satisfactory and non-satisfactory breeder stallions, the association between ASA binding and semen quality, and factors that may affect the diagnosis. Breeding soundness examinations were performed in 21 stallions and the percentage of IgG- and IgA-bound spermatozoa was evaluated using flow cytometry. Median IgG and IgA binding did not differ between the first and second ejaculates. The percentage of IgA-bound spermatozoa was higher in non-satisfactory (n = 10) than satisfactory breeder stallions (n = 11). However, IgG binding or frequency of IgG-positive ejaculates did not differ with stallion classification. The IgG-positive stallions had significantly lower total sperm motility, concentration and total numbers than IgG-negative stallions in the first ejaculate, and lower sperm concentration in the second ejaculate. The IgA-positive stallions had lower total sperm motility, normal spermatozoa and total numbers than IgA-negative stallions in the first ejaculate, and lower total sperm motility, normal spermatozoa and total numbers in the second ejaculate. While IgG binding did not differ with season, IgA binding was higher in the non-breeding season (n = 6 stallions) than the breeding season (n = 15 stallions) in the first ejaculate. Stallion age did not differ with ASA classification. In conclusion, IgG binding was highly prevalent in both groups of stallions, while IgA binding was higher and more prevalent in non-satisfactory breeders. Both isotypes were associated with poor semen quality. Season and sexual rest had an effect on IgA but not IgG binding. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Experimental performance of the regenerator for the Chrysler upgraded automotive gas turbine engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winter, J. M.; Nussle, R. C.

1982-01-01

Automobile gas turbine engine regenerator performance was studied in a regenerator test facility that provided a satisfactory simulation of the actual engine operating environment but with independent control of airflow and gas flow. Velocity and temperature distributions were measured immediately downstream of both the core high-pressure-side outlet and the core low-pressure-side outlet. For the original engine housing, the regenerator temperature effectiveness was 1 to 2 percent higher than the design value, and the heat transfer effectiveness was 2 to 4 percent lower than the design value over the range of test conditions simulating 50 to 100 percent of gas generator speed. Recalculating the design values to account for seal leakage decreased the design heat transfer effectiveness to values consistent with those measured herein. A baffle installed in the engine housing high-pressure-side inlet provided more uniform velocities out of the regenerator but did not improve the effectiveness. A housing designed to provide more uniform axial flow to the regenerator was also tested. Although temperature uniformity was improved, the effectiveness values were not improved. Neither did 50-percent flow blockage (90 degree segment) applied to the high-pressure-side inlet change the effectiveness significantly.

34 CFR 645.42 - What are Upward Bound stipends?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... grantee is permitted to provide: (1) For Regular Upward Bound projects and Upward Bound Math and Science... What are Upward Bound stipends? (a) An Upward Bound project may provide stipends for all participants... evidence of satisfactory participation in activities of the project including— (1) Regular attendance; and...

34 CFR 645.42 - What are Upward Bound stipends?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... grantee is permitted to provide: (1) For Regular Upward Bound projects and Upward Bound Math and Science... What are Upward Bound stipends? (a) An Upward Bound project may provide stipends for all participants... evidence of satisfactory participation in activities of the project including— (1) Regular attendance; and...

34 CFR 645.42 - What are Upward Bound stipends?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... grantee is permitted to provide: (1) For Regular Upward Bound projects and Upward Bound Math and Science... What are Upward Bound stipends? (a) An Upward Bound project may provide stipends for all participants... evidence of satisfactory participation in activities of the project including— (1) Regular attendance; and...

45 CFR 63.33 - Treatment of animals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Treatment of animals. 63.33 Section 63.33 Public... animals. If animals are utilized in any project receiving assistance, the applicant for such assistance shall provide assurances satisfactory to the Assistant Secretary that such animals will be provided with...

45 CFR 63.33 - Treatment of animals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Treatment of animals. 63.33 Section 63.33 Public... animals. If animals are utilized in any project receiving assistance, the applicant for such assistance shall provide assurances satisfactory to the Assistant Secretary that such animals will be provided with...

45 CFR 63.33 - Treatment of animals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Treatment of animals. 63.33 Section 63.33 Public... animals. If animals are utilized in any project receiving assistance, the applicant for such assistance shall provide assurances satisfactory to the Assistant Secretary that such animals will be provided with...

45 CFR 63.33 - Treatment of animals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Treatment of animals. 63.33 Section 63.33 Public... animals. If animals are utilized in any project receiving assistance, the applicant for such assistance shall provide assurances satisfactory to the Assistant Secretary that such animals will be provided with...

45 CFR 63.33 - Treatment of animals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Treatment of animals. 63.33 Section 63.33 Public... animals. If animals are utilized in any project receiving assistance, the applicant for such assistance shall provide assurances satisfactory to the Assistant Secretary that such animals will be provided with...

Linear quadratic servo control of a reusable rocket engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Musgrave, Jeffrey L.

1991-01-01

A design method for a servo compensator is developed in the frequency domain using singular values. The method is applied to a reusable rocket engine. An intelligent control system for reusable rocket engines was proposed which includes a diagnostic system, a control system, and an intelligent coordinator which determines engine control strategies based on the identified failure modes. The method provides a means of generating various linear multivariable controllers capable of meeting performance and robustness specifications and accommodating failure modes identified by the diagnostic system. Command following with set point control is necessary for engine operation. A Kalman filter reconstructs the state while loop transfer recovery recovers the required degree of robustness while maintaining satisfactory rejection of sensor noise from the command error. The approach is applied to the design of a controller for a rocket engine satisfying performance constraints in the frequency domain. Simulation results demonstrate the performance of the linear design on a nonlinear engine model over all power levels during mainstage operation.

Analytical design of modified Smith predictor for unstable second-order processes with time delay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ajmeri, Moina; Ali, Ahmad

2017-06-01

In this paper, a modified Smith predictor using three controllers, namely, stabilising (Gc), set-point tracking (Gc1), and load disturbance rejection (Gc2) controllers is proposed for second-order unstable processes with time delay. Controllers of the proposed structure are tuned using direct synthesis approach as this method enables the user to achieve a trade-off between the performance and robustness by adjusting a single design parameter. Furthermore, suitable values of the tuning parameters are recommended after studying their effect on the closed-loop performance and robustness. This is the main advantage of the proposed work over other recently published manuscripts, where authors provide only suitable ranges for the tuning parameters in spite of giving their suitable values. Simulation studies show that the proposed method results in satisfactory performance and improved robustness as compared to the recently reported control schemes. It is observed that the proposed scheme is able to work in the noisy environment also.

Dip-Coating Process Engineering and Performance Optimization for Three-State Electrochromic Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Lu; Yang, Dejiang; Fei, Lixun; Huang, Yue; Wu, Fang; Sun, Yiling; Shi, Jiayuan; Xiang, Yong

2017-06-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles were modified onto fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) via dip-coating technique with different nanoparticle sizes, lifting speeds, precursor concentrations, and dipping numbers. Electrodeposition-based electrochromic device with reversible three-state optical transformation (transparent, mirror, and black) was fabricated subsequently by sandwiching a suitable amount of gel electrolyte between modified FTO electrode and flat FTO electrode. Correlation between dip-coating process engineering, morphological features of TiO2 thin films, i.e., thickness and roughness, as well as performance of electrochromic devices, i.e., optical contrast, switching time, and cycling stability, were investigated. The modified device exhibits high optical contrast of 57%, the short coloration/bleaching switching time of 6 and 20 s, and excellent cycling stability after 1500 cycles of only 27% decrement rate by adjusting dip-coating processes engineering. The results in this study will provide valuable guidance for rational design of the electrochromic device with satisfactory performance.

The role of computer-aided 3D surgery and stereolithographic modelling for vector orientation in premaxillary and trans-sinusoidal maxillary distraction osteogenesis.

PubMed

Varol, Altan; Basa, Selçuk

2009-06-01

Maxillary distraction osteogenesis is a challenging procedure when it is performed with internal submerged distractors due to obligation of setting accurate distraction vectors. Five patients with severe maxillary retrognathy were planned with Mimics 10.01 CMF and Simplant 10.01 software. Distraction vectors and rods of distractors were arranged in 3D environment and on STL models. All patients were operated under general anaesthesia and complete Le Fort I downfracture was performed. All distractions were performed according to orientated vectors. All patients achieved stable occlusion and satisfactory aesthetic outcome at the end of the treatment period. Preoperative bending of internal maxillary distractors prevents significant loss of operation time. 3D computer-aided surgical simulation and model surgery provide accurate orientation of distraction vectors for premaxillary and internal trans-sinusoidal maxillary distraction. Combination of virtual surgical simulation and stereolithographic models surgery can be validated as an effective method of preoperative planning for complicated maxillofacial surgery cases.

Cross-cultural application of the Korean version of Ureteral Stent Symptoms Questionnaire.

PubMed

Park, Jinsung; Shin, Dong Wook; You, Changhee; Chung, Kyung Jin; Han, Deok Hyun; Joshi, Hrishi B; Park, Hyung Keun

2012-11-01

We validated the Korean version of the Ureteral Stent Symptoms Questionnaire (USSQ) in patients with an indwelling ureteral stent. Linguistic validation of the original USSQ was performed through a standard process including translation, back translation, and pilot study. A total of 65 patients who underwent ureteroscopic surgery were asked to complete the Korean USSQ as well as EuroQOL (male and female), the International Prostate Symptom Score (male), and Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 (female). Patients were evaluated at weeks 1 and 2 after stent placement and at week 4 after removal. Sixty-four healthy subjects without a ureteral stent were also asked to complete the Korean USSQ once. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were analyzed. Internal consistencies (Cronbach α coefficients: 0.73-0.83) and test-retest reliability (Spearman correlation coefficient: ≥0.6) were satisfactory for urinary symptom, body pain, general health, and work performance domains. Most USSQ domains showed moderate correlations with each other. Convergent validity determined by correlation between other instruments and corresponding USSQ domain was satisfactory. Sensitivity to change and discriminant validity were also good in most domains (P<0.01). Only a small proportion of the study population had an active sexual life, with the stent in situ, limiting its analysis. The Korean version of the USSQ is a reliable and valid instrument that can be self-administered by Korean patients with a ureteral stent in the clinical and research settings. Further clinical studies in the Korean settings would be useful to provide robust data on sensitivity to change.

A rapid and sensitive assay of perfluorocarboxylic acids in aqueous matrices by headspace solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Monteleone, Marcello; Naccarato, Attilio; Sindona, Giovanni; Tagarelli, Antonio

2012-08-17

The work aims at developing a rapid and sensitive method for the quantification of perfluorocarboxylic acids in aqueous matrices. The proposed analytical approach is based on the use of solid phase microextraction in headspace mode after a fast derivatization of the carboxylate function by propylchloroformate/propanol mixture. Several fibers were evaluated and the optimization of the parameters affecting the SPME process was carried out using a central composite design. The optimum working conditions in terms of response values were achieved by performing analysis with CAR/PDMS fiber at room temperature, without addition of NaCl, with a sample volume of 6 ml and an extraction time of 10 min. Assay of PFCAs was performed by using a gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-QqQ MS) system in negative chemical ionization mode with ammonia as reagent gas. An overall evaluation of all analytical parameters shows that the proposed method provides satisfactory results. In particular, the observed accuracies, ranging from 84.4% to 116.8%, and the RSD values in the range 0.4% and 14.5% confirm the effectiveness of the developed protocol in the assay of PFCAs content in aqueous matrices. Moreover, LOD and LOQ values ranging from 0.08 to 6.6 ng l(-1) and from 0.17 to 14.3 ng l(-1), respectively, can be considered very satisfactory. None of the compounds were detected in six samples of river collected in Calabria. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The development of a new questionnaire for cognitive complaints in vertigo: the Neuropsychological Vertigo Inventory (NVI).

PubMed

Lacroix, Emilie; Deggouj, Naima; Salvaggio, Samuel; Wiener, Valérie; Debue, Michel; Edwards, Martin Gareth

2016-12-01

Vertigo patients frequently complain of emotional and associated cognitive problems, yet currently, there is no satisfactory questionnaire to measure these associated problems. In the present paper, we propose a new internet-based Neuropsychological Vertigo Inventory (NVI; French) that evaluates attention, memory, emotion, space perception, time perception, vision, and motor abilities. The questionnaire was created using four steps: (1) open interviews with patients suffering from vertigo; (2) semi-structured interviews with an analysis grid to quantify and define the various cognitive and emotional problems reported by the patients; (3) a first version of an internet questionnaire tested on 108 vertigo participants; and (4) the selection of subscale items using principal component analyses (PCA). From the development phase, the revised NVI was composed of seven subscales, each with four items (28 items). In the validation phase, Cronbach's alphas were performed on the revised NVI for total and each subscale score, and to test extreme groups validity, the analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) taking into account age were performed between 108 vertigo and 104 non-vertigo participants. The Cronbach's alphas showed good to satisfactory coefficients for the total and for all subscale scores, demonstrating acceptable reliability. The extreme groups validity analyses (ANCOVAs) were reliable for the total scale and for four subscales. Supplementary analyses showed no effect of hearing difficulties and an inverse age effect for attention and emotion subscales, with reduced problems with increased age in the vertigo participants. The NVI provides a useful new questionnaire to determine cognitive and emotional neuropsychological complaints that are associated with vertigo.

RNA inverse folding using Monte Carlo tree search.

PubMed

Yang, Xiufeng; Yoshizoe, Kazuki; Taneda, Akito; Tsuda, Koji

2017-11-06

Artificially synthesized RNA molecules provide important ways for creating a variety of novel functional molecules. State-of-the-art RNA inverse folding algorithms can design simple and short RNA sequences of specific GC content, that fold into the target RNA structure. However, their performance is not satisfactory in complicated cases. We present a new inverse folding algorithm called MCTS-RNA, which uses Monte Carlo tree search (MCTS), a technique that has shown exceptional performance in Computer Go recently, to represent and discover the essential part of the sequence space. To obtain high accuracy, initial sequences generated by MCTS are further improved by a series of local updates. Our algorithm has an ability to control the GC content precisely and can deal with pseudoknot structures. Using common benchmark datasets for evaluation, MCTS-RNA showed a lot of promise as a standard method of RNA inverse folding. MCTS-RNA is available at https://github.com/tsudalab/MCTS-RNA .

Accelerating Pathology Image Data Cross-Comparison on CPU-GPU Hybrid Systems

PubMed Central

Wang, Kaibo; Huai, Yin; Lee, Rubao; Wang, Fusheng; Zhang, Xiaodong; Saltz, Joel H.

2012-01-01

As an important application of spatial databases in pathology imaging analysis, cross-comparing the spatial boundaries of a huge amount of segmented micro-anatomic objects demands extremely data- and compute-intensive operations, requiring high throughput at an affordable cost. However, the performance of spatial database systems has not been satisfactory since their implementations of spatial operations cannot fully utilize the power of modern parallel hardware. In this paper, we provide a customized software solution that exploits GPUs and multi-core CPUs to accelerate spatial cross-comparison in a cost-effective way. Our solution consists of an efficient GPU algorithm and a pipelined system framework with task migration support. Extensive experiments with real-world data sets demonstrate the effectiveness of our solution, which improves the performance of spatial cross-comparison by over 18 times compared with a parallelized spatial database approach. PMID:23355955

Model of critical diagnostic reasoning: achieving expert clinician performance.

PubMed

Harjai, Prashant Kumar; Tiwari, Ruby

2009-01-01

Diagnostic reasoning refers to the analytical processes used to determine patient health problems. While the education curriculum and health care system focus on training nurse clinicians to accurately recognize and rescue clinical situations, assessments of non-expert nurses have yielded less than satisfactory data on diagnostic competency. The contrast between the expert and non-expert nurse clinician raises the important question of how differences in thinking may contribute to a large divergence in accurate diagnostic reasoning. This article recognizes superior organization of one's knowledge base, using prototypes, and quick retrieval of pertinent information, using similarity recognition as two reasons for the expert's superior diagnostic performance. A model of critical diagnostic reasoning, using prototypes and similarity recognition, is proposed and elucidated using case studies. This model serves as a starting point toward bridging the gap between clinical data and accurate problem identification, verification, and management while providing a structure for a knowledge exchange between expert and non-expert clinicians.

Evaporatively cooled chiller for solar air conditioning systems design and field test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merrick, R. H.; Murray, J. G.

1984-06-01

Design changes to improve reliability, part load performance, and manufacturability characteristics of the chiller are focused upon. Low heat flux was achieved by large transfer area allows scale formation without being a thermal barrier: 80 mils = 1 deg. The scaling rate is minimized by keeping surface temperatures below 100 F and a generous water recirculation flow rate. By integrating the cooling tower function into the chiller itself parasitic power consumption was reduced 35%. This system also provided the winter freeze protection without the specific manual shut down procedures required by separate water cooled units and their towers. The severe reduction in cumulative coefficient of performance (COP) due to cycling conditions has been substantially reduced using the spin down control scheme. The major disappointment was the failure to develop a satisfactory inexpensive protective coating. Hot dip galvanizing was demonstrated to be effective but costly, partially due to transportation expense.

Microcontroller-based real-time QRS detection.

PubMed

Sun, Y; Suppappola, S; Wrublewski, T A

1992-01-01

The authors describe the design of a system for real-time detection of QRS complexes in the electrocardiogram based on a single-chip microcontroller (Motorola 68HC811). A systematic analysis of the instrumentation requirements for QRS detection and of the various design techniques is also given. Detection algorithms using different nonlinear transforms for the enhancement of QRS complexes are evaluated by using the ECG database of the American Heart Association. The results show that the nonlinear transform involving multiplication of three adjacent, sign-consistent differences in the time domain gives a good performance and a quick response. When implemented with an appropriate sampling rate, this algorithm is also capable of rejecting pacemaker spikes. The eight-bit single-chip microcontroller provides sufficient throughput and shows a satisfactory performance. Implementation of multiple detection algorithms in the same system improves flexibility and reliability. The low chip count in the design also favors maintainability and cost-effectiveness.

Performance evaluation and optimization of multiband phase-modulated radio over IsOWC link with balanced coherent homodyne detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zong, Kang; Zhu, Jiang

2018-04-01

In this paper, we present a multiband phase-modulated (PM) radio over intersatellite optical wireless communication (IsOWC) link with balanced coherent homodyne detection. The proposed system can provide the transparent transport of multiband radio frequency (RF) signals with higher linearity and better receiver sensitivity than intensity modulated with direct detection (IM/DD) system. The expressions of RF gain, noise figure (NF) and third-order spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) are derived considering the third-order intermodulation product and amplifier spontaneous emission (ASE) noise. The optimal power of local oscillator (LO) optical signal is also derived theoretically. Numerical results for RF gain, NF and third-order SFDR are given for demonstration. Results indicate that the gain of the optical preamplifier and the power of LO optical signal should be optimized to obtain the satisfactory performance.

Semikinematic mount for spatially constrained high aspect ratio spacecraft fold mirrors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahu, Rupali; Arora, Hemant; Munjal, Bhawdeep Singh

2017-12-01

An attempt has been made to propose a passive flexure-based semikinematic optimized mounting design for mirror fixing devices (MFDs) to mount spacecraft mirrors made of brittle materials, especially for high aspect ratio mirrors with low available space for mounting in satellites. The traditionally used tangent cantilever spiders occupy a lot of space and are suitable only for small mirrors. Similarly, the efficiency of flexural bipods is lost if not placed 120 deg apart, which is not possible in high aspect ratio mirrors. Two mounting configurations, one with collinear MFDs and the other with staggered MFDs, have been studied. An optimization problem is set up with dimensions of the proposed design as design variables and constraints imposed on structural performance of the mirror assembly. Investigations indicate that both configurations have potential applications in spacecrafts as they have provided feasible results and have satisfactory optical performance as well.

Intelligent vision guide for automatic ventilation grommet insertion into the tympanic membrane.

PubMed

Gao, Wenchao; Tan, Kok Kiong; Liang, Wenyu; Gan, Chee Wee; Lim, Hsueh Yee

2016-03-01

Otitis media with effusion is a worldwide ear disease. The current treatment is to surgically insert a ventilation grommet into the tympanic membrane. A robotic device allowing automatic grommet insertion has been designed in a previous study; however, the part of the membrane where the malleus bone is attached to the inner surface is to be avoided during the insertion process. This paper proposes a synergy of optical flow technique and a gradient vector flow active contours algorithm to achieve an online tracking of the malleus under endoscopic vision, to guide the working channel to move efficiently during the surgery. The proposed method shows a more stable and accurate tracking performance than the current tracking methods in preclinical tests. With satisfactory tracking results, vision guidance of a suitable insertion spot can be provided to the device to perform the surgery in an automatic way. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Crowd density estimation based on convolutional neural networks with mixed pooling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Li; Zheng, Hong; Zhang, Ying; Zhang, Dongming

2017-09-01

Crowd density estimation is an important topic in the fields of machine learning and video surveillance. Existing methods do not provide satisfactory classification accuracy; moreover, they have difficulty in adapting to complex scenes. Therefore, we propose a method based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs). The proposed method improves performance of crowd density estimation in two key ways. First, we propose a feature pooling method named mixed pooling to regularize the CNNs. It replaces deterministic pooling operations with a parameter that, by studying the algorithm, could combine the conventional max pooling with average pooling methods. Second, we present a classification strategy, in which an image is divided into two cells and respectively categorized. The proposed approach was evaluated on three datasets: two ground truth image sequences and the University of California, San Diego, anomaly detection dataset. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach performs more effectively and easily than other methods.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the System for Evaluation of Teaching Qualities (SETQ) in Graduate Medical Training.

PubMed

Boerebach, Benjamin C M; Lombarts, Kiki M J M H; Arah, Onyebuchi A

2016-03-01

The System for Evaluation of Teaching Qualities (SETQ) was developed as a formative system for the continuous evaluation and development of physicians' teaching performance in graduate medical training. It has been seven years since the introduction and initial exploratory psychometric analysis of the SETQ questionnaires. This study investigates the validity and reliability of the SETQ questionnaires across hospitals and medical specialties using confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs), reliability analysis, and generalizability analysis. The SETQ questionnaires were tested in a sample of 3,025 physicians and 2,848 trainees in 46 hospitals. The CFA revealed acceptable fit of the data to the previously identified five-factor model. The high internal consistency estimates suggest satisfactory reliability of the subscales. These results provide robust evidence for the validity and reliability of the SETQ questionnaires for evaluating physicians' teaching performance. © The Author(s) 2014.

Nonlinear Adaptive PID Control for Greenhouse Environment Based on RBF Network

PubMed Central

Zeng, Songwei; Hu, Haigen; Xu, Lihong; Li, Guanghui

2012-01-01

This paper presents a hybrid control strategy, combining Radial Basis Function (RBF) network with conventional proportional, integral, and derivative (PID) controllers, for the greenhouse climate control. A model of nonlinear conservation laws of enthalpy and matter between numerous system variables affecting the greenhouse climate is formulated. RBF network is used to tune and identify all PID gain parameters online and adaptively. The presented Neuro-PID control scheme is validated through simulations of set-point tracking and disturbance rejection. We compare the proposed adaptive online tuning method with the offline tuning scheme that employs Genetic Algorithm (GA) to search the optimal gain parameters. The results show that the proposed strategy has good adaptability, strong robustness and real-time performance while achieving satisfactory control performance for the complex and nonlinear greenhouse climate control system, and it may provide a valuable reference to formulate environmental control strategies for actual application in greenhouse production. PMID:22778587

Evaluation of neutron thermalization parameters and benchmark reactor calculations using a synthetic scattering function for molecular gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gillette, V. H.; Patiño, N. E.; Granada, J. R.; Mayer, R. E.

1989-08-01

Using a synthetic incoherent scattering function which describes the interaction of neutrons with molecular gases we provide analytical expressions for zero- and first-order scattering kernels, σ0( E0 → E), σ1( E0 → E), and total cross section σ0( E0). Based on these quantities, we have performed calculations of thermalization parameters and transport coefficients for H 2O, D 2O, C 6H 6 and (CH 2) n at room temperature. Comparison of such values with available experimental data and other calculations is satisfactory. We also generated nuclear data libraries for H 2O with 47 thermal groups at 300 K and performed some benchmark calculations ( 235U, 239Pu, PWR cell and typical APWR cell); the resulting reactivities are compared with experimental data and ENDF/B-IV calculations.

7 CFR 1033.10 - Producer-handler.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... are the producer-handler's own enterprise and at its own risk. (f) Any producer-handler with Class I... products; and (e) Provides proof satisfactory to the market administrator that the care and management of...

7 CFR 1032.10 - Producer-handler.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... are the producer-handler's own enterprise and at its own risk. (f) Any producer-handler with Class I... products; and (e) Provides proof satisfactory to the market administrator that the care and management of...

7 CFR 1126.10 - Producer-handler.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... are the producer-handler's own enterprise and at its own risk. (f) Any producer-handler with Class I... products; and (e) Provides proof satisfactory to the market administrator that the care and management of...

7 CFR 1030.10 - Producer-handler.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... are the producer-handler's own enterprise and at its own risk. (f) Any producer-handler with Class I... products; and (e) Provides proof satisfactory to the market administrator that the care and management of...

7 CFR 1001.10 - Producer-handler.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... are the producer-handler's own enterprise and at its own risk. (f) Any producer-handler with Class I... products; and (e) Provides proof satisfactory to the market administrator that the care and management of...

36 CFR 51.44 - How will the Director determine if a concessioner was satisfactory for purposes of a right of...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... determine if a concessioner was satisfactory for purposes of a right of preference? 51.44 Section 51.44... satisfactory for purposes of a right of preference? To be a satisfactory concessioner for the purposes of a... concessioner made subsequent to May 17, 2000 are less than satisfactory for any two or more years of operation...

Mechanization of and experience with a triplex fly-by-wire backup control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lock, W. P.; Petersen, W. R.; Whitman, G. B.

1975-01-01

A redundant three-axis analog control system was designed and developed to back up a digital fly-by-wire control system for an F-8C airplane. Forty-two flights, involving 58 hours of flight time, were flown by six pilots. The mechanization and operational experience with the backup control system, the problems involved in synchronizing it with the primary system, and the reliability of the system are discussed. The backup control system was dissimilar to the primary system, and it provided satisfactory handling through the flight envelope evaluated. Limited flight tests of a variety of control tasks showed that control was also satisfactory when the backup control system was controlled by a minimum-displacement (force) side stick. The operational reliability of the F-8 digital fly-by-wire control system was satisfactory, with no unintentional downmodes to the backup control system in flight. The ground and flight reliability of the system's components is discussed.

Development of self-acting seals for helicopter engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lynwander, P.

1974-01-01

An experimental evaluation of a NASA-designed self-acting face seal for use in advanced gas turbine main shaft positions was conducted. The seal incorporated Rayleigh step pads (self-acting geometry) for lift augmentation. Satisfactory performance of the gas film seal was demonstrated in a 500-hour endurance test at speeds to 183 m/s (600 ft/sec, 54,000 rpm) and air pressure differential of 137 newtons per square centimeter (198.7 psi). Carbon wear was minor. Tests were also conducted with seal seat runout greater than that expected in engine operation and in a severe sand and dust environment. Seal operation was satisfactory in both these detrimental modes of operation.

Efficient cooperative compressive spectrum sensing by identifying multi-candidate and exploiting deterministic matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jia; Wang, Qiang; Yan, Wenjie; Shen, Yi

2015-12-01

Cooperative spectrum sensing exploits the spatial diversity to improve the detection of occupied channels in cognitive radio networks (CRNs). Cooperative compressive spectrum sensing (CCSS) utilizing the sparsity of channel occupancy further improves the efficiency by reducing the number of reports without degrading detection performance. In this paper, we firstly and mainly propose the referred multi-candidate orthogonal matrix matching pursuit (MOMMP) algorithms to efficiently and effectively detect occupied channels at fusion center (FC), where multi-candidate identification and orthogonal projection are utilized to respectively reduce the number of required iterations and improve the probability of exact identification. Secondly, two common but different approaches based on threshold and Gaussian distribution are introduced to realize the multi-candidate identification. Moreover, to improve the detection accuracy and energy efficiency, we propose the matrix construction based on shrinkage and gradient descent (MCSGD) algorithm to provide a deterministic filter coefficient matrix of low t-average coherence. Finally, several numerical simulations validate that our proposals provide satisfactory performance with higher probability of detection, lower probability of false alarm and less detection time.

Registration of 'Prevail' hard red spring wheat

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Grower and end-user acceptance of new Hard Red Spring Wheat (HRSW; Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars is largely contingent upon satisfactory agronomic performance, end-use quality potential, and disease resistance levels. Additional characteristics, such as desirable plant height, can also contribute...

Design parameters and methodology for mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-10-01

Since its appearance in 1970s, mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls have become a majority among all types of retaining walls due to their economics and satisfactory performance. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has primarily adopt...

Comparison of performance criteria for evaluating stake test data

Treesearch

Stan T. Lebow; Patricia K. Lebow; Grant T. Kirker

2017-01-01

Stake tests are a critical part of evaluating durability of wood in ground-contact, but there is a lack of criteria for interpreting stake test results. This paper discusses criteria that might be used to determine if short term ratings indicate satisfactory longterm performance. Ratings of 19 by 19 mm stakes from multiple plots in the Harrison Experimental Forest,...

SNAP 19 Viking Program. Bimonthly technical progress report, October 1979-November 1979

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

Not Available

1979-12-01

Monitoring and evaluation of Viking 1 Lander power system data continued. The RTG series power range as measured at the PCDA was 65 to 68 watts at fin root temperatures between 280/sup 0/F and 310/sup 0/F. The Mars landed performance history of Viking 1 include both the minimum and maximum data for each of the SOL days. Monitoring and evaluation of Viking 2 Lander power system data continued. The RTG series power range as measured at the PCDA was 71 to 72 watts at fin root temperatures between 230/sup 0/F and 260/sup 0/F. The Mars landed performance history of Vikingmore » 2 include both the minimum and maximum data for each of the SOL days. The performance of both power systems continues to be very satisfactory. Power system performance data for Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 spacecraft were monitored through the reporting period. The estimated RTG system net power was 116 watts for Pioneer 10 and 118 watts for Pioneer Saturn. The September 1 encounter with Saturn appears to have had no deleterious effect on the RTG's of the spacecraft power system. The telemetry signals from both spacecrafts remain satisfactory.« less

Summary of NACA/NASA Variable-Sweep Research and Development Leading to the F-111 (TFX)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1966-01-01

On November 24, 1962, the United States ushered in a new era of aircraft development when the Department of Defense placed an initial development contract for the world's first supersonic variable-sweep aircraft - the F-111 or so-called TFX (tactical fighter-experimental). The multimission performance potential of this concept is made possible by virtue of the variable-sweep wing - a research development of the NASA and its predecessor, the NACA. With the wing swept forward into the maximum span position, the aircraft configuration is ideal for efficient subsonic flight. This provides long-range combat and ferry mission capability, short-field landing and take-off characteristics, and compatibility with naval aircraft carrier operation. With the wing swept back to about 650 of sweep, the aircraft has optimum supersonic performance to accomplish high-altitude supersonic bombing or interceptor missions. With the wing folded still further back, the aircraft provides low drag and low gust loads during supersonic flight "on the deck" (altitudes under 1000 feet). The concept of wing variable sweep, of course, is not new. Initial studies were conducted at Langley as early as 1945, and two subsonic variable-sweep prototypes (Bell X-5 and Grumman XF-IOF) were flown as early as 1951/52. These were subsonic aircraft, however, and the great advantage of variable sweep in improving supersonic flight efficiency could not be realized. Further the structures of these early aircraft were complicated by the necessity for translating the ing fore and aft to achieve satisfactory longitUdinal stability as the wing sweep was varied. Late in 1958 a research breakthrough at Langley provided the technology for designing a variable-sweep wing having satisfactory stability through a wide sweep angle range without the necessity for fore and aft translation of the wing. In this same period there evolved within the military services an urgent requirement for a versatile fighter-bomber that could fly efficiently at subsonic and supersonic speeds at high altitude and "on the deck". The application of variable sweep to this mission requirement then became obvious.

Salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction coupled to ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of tetracycline residues in infant foods.

PubMed

Moreno-González, David; García-Campaña, Ana M

2017-04-15

The use of salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction (SALLE) combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) has been evaluated for the determination of tetracyclines in infant foods based on meat and vegetables or in milk. To obtain satisfactory extraction efficiencies for the studied analytes, several parameters affecting the SALLE procedure were optimized. Analytical performances of the method were satisfactory, obtaining limits of quantification lower than 0.48μgkg -1 in all cases. The precision, expressed as relative standard deviation (%, RSD) was below 11.3%. The extraction efficiency for fortified samples ranged from 89.2 to 96.8%, with RSDs lower than 7.3%. Matrix effect was evaluated for all samples studied, being lower than |21|% in all cases. In relation to the low solvent consumption, the proposed methodology could be considered rapid, cheap and environmentally friendly. Its applicability has been successfully tested in a wide range of infant foods. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cell openness manipulation of low density polyurethane foam for efficient sound absorption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hyuk Park, Ju; Suh Minn, Kyung; Rae Lee, Hyeong; Hyun Yang, Sei; Bin Yu, Cheng; Yeol Pak, Seong; Sung Oh, Chi; Seok Song, Young; June Kang, Yeon; Ryoun Youn, Jae

2017-10-01

Satisfactory sound absorption using a low mass density foam is an intriguing desire for achieving high fuel efficiency of vehicles. This issue has been dealt with a microcellular geometry manipulation. In this study, we demonstrate the relationship between cell openness of polyurethane (PU) foam and sound absorption behaviors, both theoretically and experimentally. The objective of this work is to mitigate a threshold of mass density by rendering a sound absorber which shows a satisfactory performance. The cell openness, which causes the best sound absorption performance in all cases considered, was estimated as 15% by numerical simulation. Cell openness of PU foam was experimentally manipulated into desired ranges by adjusting rheological properties in a foaming reaction. Microcellular structures of the fabricated PU foams were observed and sound absorption coefficients were measured using a B&K impedance tube. The fabricated PU foam with the best cell openness showed better sound absorption performance than the foam with double mass density. We envisage that this study can help the manufacture of low mass density sound absorbing foams more efficiently and economically.

Evaluating Multi-Input/Multi-Output Digital Control Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pototzky, Anthony S.; Wieseman, Carol D.; Hoadley, Sherwood T.; Mukhopadhyay, Vivek

1994-01-01

Controller-performance-evaluation (CPE) methodology for multi-input/multi-output (MIMO) digital control systems developed. Procedures identify potentially destabilizing controllers and confirm satisfactory performance of stabilizing ones. Methodology generic and used in many types of multi-loop digital-controller applications, including digital flight-control systems, digitally controlled spacecraft structures, and actively controlled wind-tunnel models. Also applicable to other complex, highly dynamic digital controllers, such as those in high-performance robot systems.

An error analysis of the recovery capability of the relative sea-surface profile over the Puerto Rican trench from multi-station and ship tracking of GEOS-2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanley, H. R.; Martin, C. F.; Roy, N. A.; Vetter, J. R.

1971-01-01

Error analyses were performed to examine the height error in a relative sea-surface profile as determined by a combination of land-based multistation C-band radars and optical lasers and one ship-based radar tracking the GEOS 2 satellite. It was shown that two relative profiles can be obtained: one using available south-to-north passes of the satellite and one using available north-to-south type passes. An analysis of multi-station tracking capability determined that only Antigua and Grand Turk radars are required to provide satisfactory orbits for south-to-north type satellite passes, while a combination of Merritt Island, Bermuda, and Wallops radars provide secondary orbits for north-to-south passes. Analysis of ship tracking capabilities shows that high elevation single pass range-only solutions are necessary to give only moderate sensitivity to systematic error effects.

RBF neural network based PI pitch controller for a class of 5-MW wind turbines using particle swarm optimization algorithm.

PubMed

Poultangari, Iman; Shahnazi, Reza; Sheikhan, Mansour

2012-09-01

In order to control the pitch angle of blades in wind turbines, commonly the proportional and integral (PI) controller due to its simplicity and industrial usability is employed. The neural networks and evolutionary algorithms are tools that provide a suitable ground to determine the optimal PI gains. In this paper, a radial basis function (RBF) neural network based PI controller is proposed for collective pitch control (CPC) of a 5-MW wind turbine. In order to provide an optimal dataset to train the RBF neural network, particle swarm optimization (PSO) evolutionary algorithm is used. The proposed method does not need the complexities, nonlinearities and uncertainties of the system under control. The simulation results show that the proposed controller has satisfactory performance. Copyright © 2012 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inclusive Educative Technologies, for people with disabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Echenique, AM; Graffigna, JP; Pérez, E.; López, N.; Piccinini, D.; Fernández, H.; Garcés, A.

2016-04-01

The conventional educational environment imposes barriers to education for people with disabilities, limiting their rights, which is a non-discriminative education. In turn, hampers their access to other rights and creates huge obstacles to realize their potential and participate effectively in their communities. In this sense Assistive Technology provides alternative solutions, in order to compensate for a lost or diminished ability. Thus the necessary assistance is provided to perform tasks, including those related to education, improving the inclusion. In this paper some researches had been made in the Gabinete de TecnologiaMedica, in the Facultad de Ingenieria of the Universidad Nacional de San Juan in order to solve this problem. The researchers are classified by type of disability; sensory (visual and auditory) or motor. They have been designed, developed and experienced through various prototypes that have given satisfactory results. It had been published in national and international congresses of high relevance.

Ubiquitous health monitoring and real-time cardiac arrhythmias detection: a case study.

PubMed

Li, Jian; Zhou, Haiying; Zuo, Decheng; Hou, Kun-Mean; De Vaulx, Christophe

2014-01-01

As the symptoms and signs of heart diseases that cause sudden cardiac death, cardiac arrhythmia has attracted great attention. Due to limitations in time and space, traditional approaches to cardiac arrhythmias detection fail to provide a real-time continuous monitoring and testing service applicable in different environmental conditions. Integrated with the latest technologies in ECG (electrocardiograph) analysis and medical care, the pervasive computing technology makes possible the ubiquitous cardiac care services, and thus brings about new technical challenges, especially in the formation of cardiac care architecture and realization of the real-time automatic ECG detection algorithm dedicated to care devices. In this paper, a ubiquitous cardiac care prototype system is presented with its architecture framework well elaborated. This prototype system has been tested and evaluated in all the clinical-/home-/outdoor-care modes with a satisfactory performance in providing real-time continuous cardiac arrhythmias monitoring service unlimitedly adaptable in time and space.

Pilot-scale testing membrane bioreactor for wastewater reclamation in industrial laundry.

PubMed

Andersen, M; Kristensen, G H; Brynjolf, M; Grüttner, H

2002-01-01

A pilot-scale study of membrane bioreactor treatment for reclamation of wastewater from Berendsen Textile Service industrial laundry in Søborg, Denmark was carried out over a 4 month period. A satisfactory COD degradation was performed resulting in a low COD in the permeate (< 50 mg/l). To obtain satisfactory treatment, addition of nitrogen was necessary. The biodegradability of the permeate was very low (BOD5 < 2 mg/l). A hydraulic retention time of 1 d turned out to be sufficient at a sludge concentration of 10 g MLSS/l. Through addition of a cationic polymer, a satisfactory dewaterability of the sludge was reached. Membrane tests showed that operating at a trans-membrane pressure of 3 bar and a cross-flow velocity of 4 m/s, a flux of 120 l/m2h can be expected without using chemicals for membrane cleaning. The quality of the permeate was very good when comparing to the reuse quality demands of water to the wash processes. Reuse of the permeate in all rinsing steps requires additional treatment through reverse osmosis.

Surgical model pig ex vivo for venous dissection teaching in medical schools.

PubMed

Tube, Milton Ignacio Carvalho; Spencer-Netto, Fernando Antonio Campelo; Oliveira, Anderson Igor Pereira de; Holanda, Arthur Cesário de; Barros, Bruno Leão Dos Santos; Rezende, Caio Cezar Gomes; Cavalcanti, João Pedro Guerra; Batista, Marília Apolinário; Campos, Josemberg Marins

2017-02-01

To investigate a method for development of surgical skills in medical students simulating venous dissection in surgical ex vivo pig model. Prospective, analytical, experimental, controlled study with four stages: selection, theoretical teaching, training and assessment. Sample of 312 students was divided into two groups: Group A - 2nd semester students; Group B - students of 8th semester. The groups were divided into five groups of 12 students, trained two hours per week in the semester. They set up four models to three students in each skill station assisted by a monitor. Teaching protocol emergency procedures training were applied to venous dissection, test goal-discursive and OSATS scale. The pre-test confirmed that the methodology has not been previously applied to the students. The averages obtained in the theoretical evaluation reached satisfactory parameters in both groups. The results of applying OSATS scale showed the best performance in group A compared to group B, however, both groups had satisfactory medium. The method was enough to raise a satisfactory level of skill both groups in venous dissection running on surgical swine ex vivo models.

Optimized PID control of depth of hypnosis in anesthesia.

PubMed

Padula, Fabrizio; Ionescu, Clara; Latronico, Nicola; Paltenghi, Massimiliano; Visioli, Antonio; Vivacqua, Giulio

2017-06-01

This paper addresses the use of proportional-integral-derivative controllers for regulating the depth of hypnosis in anesthesia by using propofol administration and the bispectral index as a controlled variable. In fact, introducing an automatic control system might provide significant benefits for the patient in reducing the risk for under- and over-dosing. In this study, the controller parameters are obtained through genetic algorithms by solving a min-max optimization problem. A set of 12 patient models representative of a large population variance is used to test controller robustness. The worst-case performance in the considered population is minimized considering two different scenarios: the induction case and the maintenance case. Our results indicate that including a gain scheduling strategy enables optimal performance for induction and maintenance phases, separately. Using a single tuning to address both tasks may results in a loss of performance up to 102% in the induction phase and up to 31% in the maintenance phase. Further on, it is shown that a suitably designed low-pass filter on the controller output can handle the trade-off between the performance and the noise effect in the control variable. Optimally tuned PID controllers provide a fast induction time with an acceptable overshoot and a satisfactory disturbance rejection performance during maintenance. These features make them a very good tool for comparison when other control algorithms are developed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PPO and HMO performance factors: insurance company evaluation criteria.

PubMed

Rodin, B E

1993-01-01

A venture into managed care should be done only following the proper amount of due diligence. The goal should be to select the most effective managed care organization with the flexibility to meet long-term needs and the mission to work on an ongoing basis to improve service and managed care performance. Unfortunately, all too often purchasers do not demand critical information from managed care service providers. As a result, poor quality organizations have prospered and delivered less than satisfactory results. In fact, it is not unusual that savings from discounts are more than offset by increased use of health care services because of poor utilization management. It is important to be aware that use of the appropriate selection methods and monitoring performance on an ongoing basis are best done by dedicated professionals. They are also resource intensive and require a sophisticated systems capability. Since resources and systems involve significant investment, the most appropriate course for purchasers is to play the role of educated consumers. Detailed documentation should be demanded from all potential service providers to ensure that due diligence and ongoing management are in fact performed. The health care management staff at ITT Hartford is often told by managed care vendors that few other purchasers perform thorough review. It is imperative that managed care be scrutinized at least as closely as any important business venture.

A framework for assessing discretionary corporate performance towards the environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Labatt, Sonia

1991-03-01

This article reviews the existing models of corporate social responsiveness and develops a theoretical framework with which to examine corporations' discretionary performance with respect to one social issue, that of the environment. Discretionary indicators of corporate response to environmental issues are developed and tested within this framework. Twelve companies from five different sectors were selected for the survey, based on prior knowledge of their commitment to environmental concerns. Primary data was collected from personal interviews, and secondary data was obtained from company documents, annual reports, and other forms of publically disclosed information. Empirical results varied, but certain voluntary indicators, such as composition of the board of directors, the environmental affairs function, community support, and the annual report are considered to provide strong indications of discretionary corporate performance. Philanthropy and company products proved to be less satisfactory indicators of corporate commitment to the environment. The aggregated results revealed a correlation between the final rankings of firms' discretionary environmental performance and whether those companies are process or product oriented. Linkages between discretionary elements and those of economic and legal requirements were not explored.

Static test-stand performance of the YF-102 turbofan engine with several exhaust configurations for the Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft (QSRA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcardle, J. G.; Homyak, L.; Moore, A. S.

1979-01-01

The performance of a YF-102 turbofan engine was measured in an outdoor test stand with a bellmouth inlet and seven exhaust-system configurations. The configurations consisted of three separate-flow systems of various fan and core nozzle sizes and four confluent-flow systems of various nozzle sizes and shapes. A computer program provided good estimates of the engine performance and of thrust at maximum rating for each exhaust configuration. The internal performance of two different-shaped core nozzles for confluent-flow configurations was determined to be satisfactory. Pressure and temperature surveys were made with a traversing probe in the exhaust-nozzle flow for some confluent-flow configurations. The survey data at the mixing plane, plus the measured flow rates, were used to calculate the static-pressure variation along the exhaust nozzle length. The computed pressures compared well with experimental wall static-pressure data. External-flow surveys were made, for some confluent-flow configurations, with a large fixed rake at various locations in the exhaust plume.

[Primary care screening of problems in the elderly and a proposal for a screening protocol with a multidimensional approach].

PubMed

Lino, Valéria Teresa Saraiva; Portela, Margareth Crisóstomo; Camacho, Luiz Antonio Bastos; Rodrigues, Nadia Cristina Pinheiro; Andrade, Monica Kramer de Noronha; O'Dwyer, Gisele

2016-07-21

The objectives were to examine psychometric properties of a screening test for the elderly and to propose a protocol for use in primary care. The method consisted of four stages: (1) inter-evaluator reliability for performance tests and self-assessment questions for eight functions; (2) sensitivity and specificity of questions on depression and social support; (3) meeting of experts to select instrumental activities of daily living (IADL); and (4) elaboration of the protocol. Screening lasted 16 minutes. Inter-evaluator reliability was excellent for performance tests but poor for questions. Depression and social support showed satisfactory sensitivity and specificity (0.74/0.77 and 0.77/0.96). Four IADL were selected by more than 55% of the experts. Following the results, a screening protocol was elaborated that prioritized the use of performance tests, maintaining questions on mood, social support, and IADL. The study suggests better reproducibility of performance tests when compared to questions. For mood and social support, the questions may provide a first screening stage. The proposed protocol allows rapid screening of problems.

38 CFR 21.6362 - Satisfactory conduct and cooperation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Satisfactory conduct and cooperation. 21.6362 Section 21.6362 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS... Pension Recipients Satisfactory Conduct and Cooperation § 21.6362 Satisfactory conduct and cooperation...

5 CFR 532.417 - Within-grade increases.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 532.417 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PREVAILING RATE SYSTEMS Pay Administration § 532.417 Within-grade increases. (a) An employee paid under a regular Federal Wage System schedule with a work performance rating of satisfactory or better shall advance...

5 CFR 532.417 - Within-grade increases.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 532.417 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PREVAILING RATE SYSTEMS Pay Administration § 532.417 Within-grade increases. (a) An employee paid under a regular Federal Wage System schedule with a work performance rating of satisfactory or better shall advance...

5 CFR 532.417 - Within-grade increases.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 532.417 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PREVAILING RATE SYSTEMS Pay Administration § 532.417 Within-grade increases. (a) An employee paid under a regular Federal Wage System schedule with a work performance rating of satisfactory or better shall advance...

43 CFR 3195.30 - How do I apply to become a Federal helium supplier?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Federal helium buyers; and (3) A satisfactory record of performance in the distribution of helium or other compressed gases. (b) You must fill out and execute BLM's In-Kind Crude Helium Sales Contract and submit it...

Anemometer performance at fire-weather stations.

Treesearch

Donald A. Haines; John S. Frost

1984-01-01

A survey of 142 fire-weather stations in the Northeastern United States showed that, although maintenance was generally satisfactory, calibration or testing of anemometers was virtually nonexistent. We tested these anemometers using portable equipment that we designed and found the deviations from true wind speed.

0-6716 : design parameters and methodology for mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-08-01

Since their appearance in the 1970s, mechanically : stabilized earth (MSE) walls have become a majority : among all types of retaining walls due to their economics : and satisfactory performance. The Texas Department of : Transportation (TxDOT) has p...

What Is the Middle School Movement Really About?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lipsitz, Joan Scheff

The special needs and characteristics of pubescent adolescents led to the creation of junior high schools around the turn of the century, but these watered-down senior high schools have not provided a satisfactory transition between childhood and young adulthood. The middle school movement has not remedied the situation. It has provided programs…

Geomechanical Modeling of Gas Hydrate Bearing Sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez, M. J.; Gai, X., Sr.

2015-12-01

This contribution focuses on an advance geomechanical model for methane hydrate-bearing soils based on concepts of elasto-plasticity for strain hardening/softening soils and incorporates bonding and damage effects. The core of the proposed model includes: a hierarchical single surface critical state framework, sub-loading concepts for modeling the plastic strains generally observed inside the yield surface and a hydrate enhancement factor to account for the cementing effects provided by the presence of hydrates in sediments. The proposed framework has been validated against recently published experiments involving both, synthetic and natural hydrate soils, as well as different sediments types (i.e., different hydrate saturations, and different hydrates morphologies) and confinement conditions. The performance of the model in these different case studies was very satisfactory.

Use of absorbent materials in on-line coupled reversed-phase liquid chromatography-gas chromatography via the through oven transfer adsorption desorption interface.

PubMed

Flores, Gema; Díaz-Plaza, Eva María; Cortés, Jose Manuel; Villén, Jesús; Herraiz, Marta

2008-11-21

The use of absorbents as retaining materials in the through oven transfer adsorption desorption interface (TOTAD) of an on-line coupled reversed-phase liquid chromatography-gas chromatography system (RPLC-GC) is proposed for the first time. A comparative study of an adsorbent (Tenax TA) and two absorbents, namely polydimethylsiloxane and poly(50% phenyl/50% methylsiloxane) is performed to establish the best experimental conditions for the automated and simultaneous determination of 15 organophosphorus and organochlorine pesticide residues in olive oil. The proposed method provides satisfactory repeatability (RSDs lower, in general, than 8.5%) and sensitivity (limits of detection ranging from 0.6 to 81.9 microg/L) for the investigated compounds.

External auditory canal atresia of probable congenital origin in a dog.

PubMed

Schmidt, K; Piaia, T; Bertolini, G; De Lorenzi, D

2007-04-01

A nine-month-old Labrador retriever was referred to the Clinica Veterinaria Privata San Marco because of frequent headshaking and downward turning of the right ear. Clinical examination revealed that there was no external acoustic meatus in the right ear. Computed tomography confirmed that the vertical part of the right auditory canal ended blindly, providing a diagnosis of external auditory canal atresia. Cytological examination and culture of fluid from the canal and the bulla revealed only aseptic cerumen; for this reason, it was assumed that the dog was probably affected by a congenital developmental deformity of the external auditory canal. Reconstructive surgery was performed using a "pull-through" technique. Four months after surgery the cosmetic and functional results were satisfactory.

Quantification of Fibrosis and Osteosclerosis in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms: A Computer-Assisted Image Study

PubMed Central

Teman, Carolin J.; Wilson, Andrew R.; Perkins, Sherrie L.; Hickman, Kimberly; Prchal, Josef T.; Salama, Mohamed E.

2010-01-01

Evaluation of bone marrow fibrosis and osteosclerosis in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) is subject to interobserver inconsistency. Performance data for currently utilized fibrosis grading systems are lacking, and classification scales for osteosclerosis do not exist. Digital imaging can serve as a quantification method for fibrosis and osteosclerosis. We used digital imaging techniques for trabecular area assessment and reticulin-fiber quantification. Patients with all Philadelphia negative MPN subtypes had higher trabecular volume than controls (p ≤0.0015). Results suggest that the degree of osteosclerosis helps differentiate primary myelofibrosis from other MPN. Numerical quantification of fibrosis highly correlated with subjective scores, and interobserver correlation was satisfactory. Digital imaging provides accurate quantification for osteosclerosis and fibrosis. PMID:20122729

Study of an astronomical extreme ultraviolet rocket spectrometer for use on shuttle missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowyer, C. S.

1977-01-01

The adaptation of an extreme ultraviolet astronomy rocket payload for flight on the shuttle was studied. A sample payload for determining integration and flight procedures for experiments which may typically be flown on shuttle missions was provided. The electrical, mechanical, thermal, and operational interface requirements between the payload and the orbiter were examined. Of particular concern was establishing a baseline payload accommodation which utilizes proven common hardware for electrical, data, command, and possibly real time monitoring functions. The instrument integration and checkout procedures necessary to assure satisfactory in-orbit instrument performance were defined and those procedures which can be implemented in such a way as to minimize their impact on orbiter integration schedules were identified.

Laparoscopic proctocolectomy with ileal j-pouch anal anastomosis in children.

PubMed

Ateş, Ufuk; Ergün, Ergun; Göllü, Gülnur; Küçük, Gönül; Yağmurlu, Aydın

2017-09-01

We aimed to evaluate postoperative fecal incontinence scales of children who underwent laparoscopic proctocolectomy and ileal J-pouch anastomosis for familial adenomateous polyposis (FAP) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Fecal incontinence scores were collected at 3 months post-surgery. A retrospective chart review was also performed to obtain the demographic data and operative technical details. The postoperative Wexner Fecal Incontinence Score was 0 in 9 of 11 patients and satisfactory in the remaining two. None of the children had a major complication. Even though the presented study does not have any comparable data, it seems that laparoscopic total proctocolectomy with ileal J-pouch anal anastomosis (TP IPAA) might be the best choice of surgery because it provides good continence with low complication rates.

16 CFR 1105.3 - A more satisfactory standard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false A more satisfactory standard. 1105.3 Section 1105.3 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY ACT REGULATIONS... satisfactory standard. In considering whether a contribution is likely to result in a more satisfactory...

38 CFR 21.362 - Satisfactory conduct and cooperation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Satisfactory conduct and.... Chapter 31 Conduct and Cooperation § 21.362 Satisfactory conduct and cooperation. (a) General. The... satisfactory conduct and cooperation in developing and implementing a program of rehabilitation services under...

34 CFR 668.34 - Satisfactory progress.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Satisfactory progress. 668.34 Section 668.34 Education..., DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION STUDENT ASSISTANCE GENERAL PROVISIONS Student Eligibility § 668.34 Satisfactory... requirements contained in § 668.32(f), the student must be making satisfactory under the provisions of...

Pell Grants as Performance-Based Scholarships? An Examination of Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements in the Nation's Largest Need-Based Aid Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schudde, Lauren; Scott-Clayton, Judith

2016-01-01

The Federal Pell Grant Program is the nation's largest need-based grant program. While students' initial eligibility for the Pell is based on financial need, renewal is contingent on meeting minimum academic standards similar to those in models of performance-based scholarships, including a grade point average (GPA) requirement and ratio of…

Use of Laboratory-Supplied Natural Gas in Breakthrough Phenomena.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eiceman, G. A.; And Others

1985-01-01

Natural gas from regular commercial lines contains enough carbon-8 and above hydrocarbon contaminants to serve as a satisfactory sample for breakthrough experiments. Procedures used, typical results obtained, and theoretical background information are provided. (JN)

Determination of centers of gravity of infants.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1969-11-01

Recent efforts to provide effective restraint equipment for crash protection of infants in our transportation complex and to develop satisfactory flotation equipment for the little ones have revealed that there is a lack of data concerning the locati...

Computer method for identification of boiler transfer functions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miles, J. H.

1972-01-01

Iterative computer aided procedure was developed which provides for identification of boiler transfer functions using frequency response data. Method uses frequency response data to obtain satisfactory transfer function for both high and low vapor exit quality data.

36 CFR 223.234 - Determination of responsibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... AGRICULTURE SALE AND DISPOSAL OF NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM TIMBER Special Forest Products Award of Contracts... Officer shall not award a contract, permit, or other instrument authorizing the sale of special forest... under all applicable laws and regulations; (6) The declared high bidder has a satisfactory performance...

36 CFR 223.101 - Determination of purchaser responsibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... AGRICULTURE SALE AND DISPOSAL OF NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM TIMBER Timber Sale Contracts Award of Contracts § 223.101 Determination of purchaser responsibility. (a) A Contracting Officer shall not award a timber sale... and governmental business commitments; (3) The purchaser has a satisfactory performance record on...

Wall proximity corrections for hot-wire readings in turbulent flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hebbar, K. S.

1980-01-01

This note describes some details of recent (successful) attempts of wall proximity corrections for hot-wire measurements performed in a three-dimensional incompressible turbulent boundary layer. A simple and quite satisfactory method of estimating wall proximity effects on hot-wire readings is suggested.

Effects of blends of cement kiln dust and fly ash on properties of concrete.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-01-01

This study evaluated concretes containing cement kiln dust (CKD) and fly ash to determine whether satisfactory properties can be achieved for long-lasting performance in the field. The results indicate that certain combinations of cement, CKD, and fl...

Latex modified Portland cement overlays : an analysis of samples removed from a bridge deck.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1975-01-01

This report describes an evaluation of the latex modified mortar overlay the Route 85 (NBL) bridge over the Roanoke River. While the performance of the overlay has been generally satisfactory, corings and chloride analyses indicate the possibility of...

50 CFR 37.14 - Bonding.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM GEOLOGICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL EXPLORATION OF THE COASTAL PLAIN, ARCTIC NATIONAL... a surety bond of not less than $100,000, or other security satisfactory to the Service, to secure... needed to secure performance of its exploration plan and plan(s) of operation and compliance with the...

Assessment of Institutional Capacities of Flood Management Institution in Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Noor M.

2009-03-01

Pakistan is frequently devastated by floods. The flood impacts can be reduced if the flood management institutional capacities are improved. This paper reviews and assesses the capacities of flood management institution in Pakistan. Citing a number of case studies about the flood management practices in Pakistan, the study estimates the weaknesses and strengths of the institution with respect to various phases of flood management, namely, mitigation, preparedness, response, and rehabilitation and also with respect to various characteristics of institutions, namely, deliberation, coordination, implementation, and evaluation, using an improved capacity assessment framework. It has been found that the performance of the mitigation and rehabilitation phases is not satisfactory and that of preparedness and response is satisfactory. It is concluded that the functions of deliberation need to be improved while the other three characteristics of institution namely, coordination, implementation, and evaluation are performing well. The study will help the policy makers to concentrate on the identified weak capacities.

The relationship between physician participation in continuing professional development programs and physician in-practice peer assessments.

PubMed

Wenghofer, Elizabeth F; Marlow, Bernard; Campbell, Craig; Carter, Lorraine; Kam, Sophia; McCauley, William; Hill, Lori

2014-06-01

To investigate the relationship between physicians' performance, as evaluated through in-practice peer assessments, and their participation in continuing professional development (CPD). The authors examined the predictive effects of participating in the CPD programs of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the College of Family Physicians of Canada one year before in-practice peer assessments conducted by the medical regulatory authority in Ontario, Canada, in 2008-2009. Two multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine whether physicians who reported participating in any CPD and group-based, assessment-based, and/or self-directed CPD activities were more or less likely to receive satisfactory assessments than physicians who had not. All models were adjusted for the effects of sex, age, specialty certification, practice location, number of patient visits per week, hours worked per week, and international medical graduate status. A total of 617 physicians were included in the study. Analysis revealed that physicians who reported participating in any CPD activities were significantly more likely (odds ratio [OR] = 2.5; P = .021) to have satisfactory assessments than those who had not. In addition, physicians participating in group-based CPD activities were more likely to have satisfactory assessments than those who did not (OR = 2.4; P = .016). There is encouraging evidence supporting a positive predictive association between participating in CPD and performance on in-practice peer assessments. The findings have potential implications for policies which require physicians to participate in programs of lifelong learning.

Alkali metal protective garment and composite material

DOEpatents

Ballif, III, John L.; Yuan, Wei W.

1980-01-01

A protective garment and composite material providing satisfactory heat resistance and physical protection for articles and personnel exposed to hot molten alkali metals, such as sodium. Physical protection is provided by a continuous layer of nickel foil. Heat resistance is provided by an underlying backing layer of thermal insulation. Overlying outer layers of fireproof woven ceramic fibers are used to protect the foil during storage and handling.

24 CFR 203.385 - Types of satisfactory title evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Types of satisfactory title... Title Waivers § 203.385 Types of satisfactory title evidence. The following types of title evidence shall be satisfactory to the Commissioner: (a) Fee or owner's title policy. A fee or owner's policy of...

Reliability and validity of 12-item Short-Form health survey (SF-12) for the health status of Chinese community elderly population in Xujiahui district of Shanghai.

PubMed

Shou, Juan; Ren, Limin; Wang, Haitang; Yan, Fei; Cao, Xiaoyun; Wang, Hui; Wang, Zhiliang; Zhu, Shanzhu; Liu, Yao

2016-04-01

The 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) is the abridged practical version of SF-36. This cross-sectional study was aimed to assess the reliability and validity of SF-12 for the health status of Chinese community elderly population. The Chinese community elderly people in Xujiahui district of Shanghai were investigated. The internal consistency reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and split-half reliability coefficients. Construct validity was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Spearman's correlation coefficient (ρ) was used for the evaluation of criterion, convergent, and discriminant validity with Spearman's ρ ≥ 0.4 as satisfactory. Comparisons of the SF-12 summary scores among populations that differed in demographics were performed for discriminant validity. Total 1343 individuals aged ≥60 and <85 years old (response rate: 91.3 %) were analyzed. The Cronbach's α value (0.910) and the split-half reliability coefficient (0.812) reflected satisfactory internal consistency reliability of SF-12. EFA extracted a two-factor model (physical and mental health). About 60.7 % of the total variance was explained by the two factors. CFA showed that the two-factor solution provided a good fit to the data. Good convergent validity and discriminant validity of SF-12 were proved by the correction analyses (Spearman's ρ > 0.4) and the comparisons of the SF-12 summary scores among populations (P < 0.05). SF-12 summary scores were significantly correlated with the SF-36 summary scores (Spearman's ρ > 0.4, P < 0.05). In conclusion, SF-12 had satisfactory reliability and validity in measuring health status of Chinese community elderly population in Xujiahui district of Shanghai.

No prosthetic management of massive and irreparable rotator cuff tears

PubMed Central

Garofalo, Raffaele; Cesari, Eugenio

2014-01-01

A massive rotator cuff tear is not necessarily irreparable. Number of tendons involved, muscle-tendon unit quality, and decreased acromionhumeral distance (AHD) are as important as tear size in determining reparability of lesion. Massive and irreparable rotator cuff tears cannot be anatomically repaired to the bone and are a common source of pain and disability even in middle-aged patients. In these patients when conservative management has failed, it is possible to perform different surgical techniques. A functional repair can help to restore the horizontal force couple of the cuff on the humeral head and to increase the AHD. Debridement of irreparable tears and biceps tenotomy or tenodesis can have a role in low functional demand patients but results deteriorate over time. Recently, several commercially available tissue-engineered biological and synthetic scaffolds have been developed to augment rotator cuff repairs. The aim is to provide a mechanical improvement in case of poor quality tissue at time zero and give a support to have a better cuff healing. In selected cases, the scaffold can be used also to bridge tendon defect. Patients who not have pseudoparalysis, cuff tear arthropathy and with intact deltoid function can benefit from tendon transfers with satisfactory outcomes. These different procedures should be chosen for each patient with selected criteria and after a satisfactory explanation about the really possible expectation after surgery. PMID:27582930

A Randomized Clinical Trial of Comparing Monophasic Monodensified and Biphasic Nonanimal Stabilized Hyaluronic Acid Dermal Fillers in Treatment of Asian Nasolabial Folds.

PubMed

Zhou, Shuang-Bai; Xie, Yun; Chiang, Cheng-An; Liu, Kai; Li, Qing-Feng

2016-09-01

Cross-linked hyaluronic acids (HAs) with varying characteristics and formulations are available. Despite the popularity of HA, limited studies compared the effectiveness of monophasic monodensified hyaluronic acid (MMHA) and biphasic nonanimal stabilized hyaluronic acid (BHA) products in correcting nasolabial folds (NLFs) in the Asian population. This double-blinded, randomized research aimed at evaluating the outcomes of MMHA and BHA products in treating Asian NLFs. Subjects aged between 18 and 65 years with moderate-to-severe NLFs were randomized to receive MMHA or BHA treatment. A touch-up treatment with the same product was performed at the 4-week follow-up, if needed. The effectiveness was evaluated for 24 weeks by masked investigators. All adverse events were recorded for safety evaluation. Twenty-five subjects in the MMHA Group and twenty-four subjects in the BHA Group finished 24-week follow-up. Results showed that subjects from both groups obtained satisfactory outcome in NLF correction. A lower amount of MMHA was required to achieve a similar result as that of BHA (p < .01). Both HA products maintained the effectiveness at the end of the 24-week follow-up. Both MMHA and BHA are effective for correcting NLF in Asian patients, producing satisfactory results. Monophasic monodensified hyaluronic acid provides similar satisfaction to BHA while requiring less injection volume.

9 CFR 114.14 - Extension of expiration date for a serial or subserial.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... this subchapter. (2) For any serial or portion of any serial which has left licensed premises: Provided... requirements for release. The new expiration date shall be calculated from the date the latest satisfactory...

Performance of hybrid programming models for multiscale cardiac simulations: preparing for petascale computation.

PubMed

Pope, Bernard J; Fitch, Blake G; Pitman, Michael C; Rice, John J; Reumann, Matthias

2011-10-01

Future multiscale and multiphysics models that support research into human disease, translational medical science, and treatment can utilize the power of high-performance computing (HPC) systems. We anticipate that computationally efficient multiscale models will require the use of sophisticated hybrid programming models, mixing distributed message-passing processes [e.g., the message-passing interface (MPI)] with multithreading (e.g., OpenMP, Pthreads). The objective of this study is to compare the performance of such hybrid programming models when applied to the simulation of a realistic physiological multiscale model of the heart. Our results show that the hybrid models perform favorably when compared to an implementation using only the MPI and, furthermore, that OpenMP in combination with the MPI provides a satisfactory compromise between performance and code complexity. Having the ability to use threads within MPI processes enables the sophisticated use of all processor cores for both computation and communication phases. Considering that HPC systems in 2012 will have two orders of magnitude more cores than what was used in this study, we believe that faster than real-time multiscale cardiac simulations can be achieved on these systems.

CHOBS: Color Histogram of Block Statistics for Automatic Bleeding Detection in Wireless Capsule Endoscopy Video.

PubMed

Ghosh, Tonmoy; Fattah, Shaikh Anowarul; Wahid, Khan A

2018-01-01

Wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) is the most advanced technology to visualize whole gastrointestinal (GI) tract in a non-invasive way. But the major disadvantage here, it takes long reviewing time, which is very laborious as continuous manual intervention is necessary. In order to reduce the burden of the clinician, in this paper, an automatic bleeding detection method for WCE video is proposed based on the color histogram of block statistics, namely CHOBS. A single pixel in WCE image may be distorted due to the capsule motion in the GI tract. Instead of considering individual pixel values, a block surrounding to that individual pixel is chosen for extracting local statistical features. By combining local block features of three different color planes of RGB color space, an index value is defined. A color histogram, which is extracted from those index values, provides distinguishable color texture feature. A feature reduction technique utilizing color histogram pattern and principal component analysis is proposed, which can drastically reduce the feature dimension. For bleeding zone detection, blocks are classified using extracted local features that do not incorporate any computational burden for feature extraction. From extensive experimentation on several WCE videos and 2300 images, which are collected from a publicly available database, a very satisfactory bleeding frame and zone detection performance is achieved in comparison to that obtained by some of the existing methods. In the case of bleeding frame detection, the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity obtained from proposed method are 97.85%, 99.47%, and 99.15%, respectively, and in the case of bleeding zone detection, 95.75% of precision is achieved. The proposed method offers not only low feature dimension but also highly satisfactory bleeding detection performance, which even can effectively detect bleeding frame and zone in a continuous WCE video data.

A low-cost biosorbent-based coating for the highly sensitive determination of organochlorine pesticides by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-electron capture detection.

PubMed

do Carmo, Sângela Nascimento; Merib, Josias; Dias, Adriana Neves; Stolberg, Joni; Budziak, Dilma; Carasek, Eduardo

2017-11-24

In this study, an environmentally friendly and low-cost biosorbent coating was evaluated, for the first time, as the extraction phase for solid-phase microextraction (SPME) supported on a nitinol alloy. The characterization of the new fiber was performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The applicability of the biosorbent-based fiber in the determination of δ-hexachlorocyclohexane, aldrin, heptachlor epoxide, α-endosulfan, endrin and 4,4'-DDD in water samples was verified, with separation/detection by gas chromatography coupled to electron capture detection (GC-ECD). The influencing parameters (temperature, extraction time and ionic strength) were optimized simultaneously using a central composite design. The optimum conditions were: extraction time of 80min at 80°C and sodium chloride concentration of 15% (w/v). Satisfactory analytical performance was achieved with limits of detection (LOD) between 0.19 and 0.71ngL -1 and limits of quantification (LOQ) between 0.65 and 2.38ngL -1 . The relative recoveries for the analytes were determined using river and lake water samples spiked at different concentrations and ranged from 60% for α-endosulfan to 113% for δ-hexachlorocyclohexane, with relative standard deviations (RSD) lower than 21%. The fiber-to-fiber reproducibility (n=3) was also evaluated and the RSD was lower than 14%. The extraction efficiency obtained for the proposed biosorbent coating was compared to a commercially available DVB/Car/PDMS coating. The proposed fiber provided very promising results, including LODs at the level of parts per trillion and highly satisfactory thermal and mechanical stability. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

36 CFR 223.101 - Determination of purchaser responsibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... purchaser has a satisfactory performance record on timber sale contracts. A prospective purchaser that is or... AGRICULTURE SALE AND DISPOSAL OF NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM TIMBER, SPECIAL FOREST PRODUCTS, AND FOREST BOTANICAL PRODUCTS Timber Sale Contracts Award of Contracts § 223.101 Determination of purchaser responsibility. (a...

29 CFR 1926.901 - Blaster qualifications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... blaster shall be in good physical condition and not be addicted to narcotics, intoxicants, or similar types of drugs. (c) A blaster shall be qualified, by reason of training, knowledge, or experience, in... furnish satisfactory evidence of competency in handling explosives and performing in a safe manner the...

29 CFR 1926.901 - Blaster qualifications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... blaster shall be in good physical condition and not be addicted to narcotics, intoxicants, or similar types of drugs. (c) A blaster shall be qualified, by reason of training, knowledge, or experience, in... furnish satisfactory evidence of competency in handling explosives and performing in a safe manner the...

29 CFR 1926.901 - Blaster qualifications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... blaster shall be in good physical condition and not be addicted to narcotics, intoxicants, or similar types of drugs. (c) A blaster shall be qualified, by reason of training, knowledge, or experience, in... furnish satisfactory evidence of competency in handling explosives and performing in a safe manner the...

29 CFR 1926.901 - Blaster qualifications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... blaster shall be in good physical condition and not be addicted to narcotics, intoxicants, or similar types of drugs. (c) A blaster shall be qualified, by reason of training, knowledge, or experience, in... furnish satisfactory evidence of competency in handling explosives and performing in a safe manner the...

29 CFR 1926.901 - Blaster qualifications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... blaster shall be in good physical condition and not be addicted to narcotics, intoxicants, or similar types of drugs. (c) A blaster shall be qualified, by reason of training, knowledge, or experience, in... furnish satisfactory evidence of competency in handling explosives and performing in a safe manner the...

Band II, Music: 5623.50.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silkebakken, Dennis L.

This quinmester course of easy-to-medium difficulty is recommended for pupils who have had band or have demonstrated satisfactory proficiency on an instrument. Emphasis for both musicianship and performance is placed on intonation, phrasing, sight-reading, and instrumental technical facility, as well as responsibility of the individual to the…

Schwannoma of T12 Vertebra: Case Report and Review of Literature

PubMed Central

Shackleford, I.; Al Jafari, M.

2000-01-01

We report a case of schwannoma of the twelfth thoracic vertebra that presented with paraparesis. The tumour was excised, and posterior and anterior stabilisation was performed. Eighteenmonths following this procedure, the patient has solid bony union, satisfactory neurological improvement and no recurrence. PMID:18521301

36 CFR 223.100 - Award to highest bidder.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... bidder has elected Forest Service road construction in response to an advertisement extending such an option, the Forest Service cannot perform the construction and in response to solicitation has not received a satisfactory bid for such construction within the period stated in the prospectus and the high...

30 CFR 20.8 - Class 1 lamps.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... parts including conductors, are adequately covered and protected by the sealed or locked compartments... upon satisfactory performance in service. (2) Corrosion of battery container. The material of which the container is made shall resist corrosion under conditions of normal use. [Sched. 10C, May 17, 1938, as...

Investigating the impact of the properties of pilot points on calibration of groundwater models: case study of a karst catchment in Rote Island, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klaas, Dua K. S. Y.; Imteaz, Monzur Alam

2017-09-01

A robust configuration of pilot points in the parameterisation step of a model is crucial to accurately obtain a satisfactory model performance. However, the recommendations provided by the majority of recent researchers on pilot-point use are considered somewhat impractical. In this study, a practical approach is proposed for using pilot-point properties (i.e. number, distance and distribution method) in the calibration step of a groundwater model. For the first time, the relative distance-area ratio ( d/ A) and head-zonation-based (HZB) method are introduced, to assign pilot points into the model domain by incorporating a user-friendly zone ratio. This study provides some insights into the trade-off between maximising and restricting the number of pilot points, and offers a relative basis for selecting the pilot-point properties and distribution method in the development of a physically based groundwater model. The grid-based (GB) method is found to perform comparably better than the HZB method in terms of model performance and computational time. When using the GB method, this study recommends a distance-area ratio of 0.05, a distance-x-grid length ratio ( d/ X grid) of 0.10, and a distance-y-grid length ratio ( d/ Y grid) of 0.20.

"Life's First Need Is for Us to Be Realistic" and Other Reasons for Examining the Sociocultural Construction of Race in the Science Performance of African American Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mutegi, Jomo W.

2013-01-01

The body of research aimed at explaining the science teaching and learning of African Americans has identified myriad factors that correlate with African American's science career choices and science performance generally. It has not, however, offered any satisfactory explanations as to why those factors are disproportionately racially determined.…

Computer-aided diagnosis with textural features for breast lesions in sonograms.

PubMed

Chen, Dar-Ren; Huang, Yu-Len; Lin, Sheng-Hsiung

2011-04-01

Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems provided second beneficial support reference and enhance the diagnostic accuracy. This paper was aimed to develop and evaluate a CAD with texture analysis in the classification of breast tumors for ultrasound images. The ultrasound (US) dataset evaluated in this study composed of 1020 sonograms of region of interest (ROI) subimages from 255 patients. Two-view sonogram (longitudinal and transverse views) and four different rectangular regions were utilized to analyze each tumor. Six practical textural features from the US images were performed to classify breast tumors as benign or malignant. However, the textural features always perform as a high dimensional vector; high dimensional vector is unfavorable to differentiate breast tumors in practice. The principal component analysis (PCA) was used to reduce the dimension of textural feature vector and then the image retrieval technique was performed to differentiate between benign and malignant tumors. In the experiments, all the cases were sampled with k-fold cross-validation (k=10) to evaluate the performance with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The area (A(Z)) under the ROC curve for the proposed CAD system with the specific textural features was 0.925±0.019. The classification ability for breast tumor with textural information is satisfactory. This system differentiates benign from malignant breast tumors with a good result and is therefore clinically useful to provide a second opinion. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adaptive Control of Four-Leg VSC Based DSTATCOM in Distribution System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Bhim; Arya, Sabha Raj

2014-01-01

This work discusses an experimental performance of a four-leg Distribution Static Compensator (DSTATCOM) using an adaptive filter based approach. It is used for estimation of reference supply currents through extracting the fundamental active power components of three-phase distorted load currents. This control algorithm is implemented on an assembled DSTATCOM for harmonics elimination, neutral current compensation and load balancing, under nonlinear loads. Experimental results are discussed, and it is noticed that DSTATCOM is effective solution to perform satisfactory performance under load dynamics.

Biosignal-based relaxation evaluation of head-care robot.

PubMed

Ando, Takeshi; Takeda, Maki; Maruyama, Tomomi; Susuki, Yuto; Hirose, Toshinori; Fujioka, Soichiro; Mizuno, Osamu; Yamada, Kenji; Ohno, Yuko; Yukio, Honda

2013-01-01

Such popular head care procedures as shampooing and scalp massages provide physical and mental relaxation. However, they place a big burden such as chapped hands on beauticians and other practitioners. Based on our robot hand technology, we have been developing a head care robot. In this paper, we quantitatively evaluated its relaxation effect using the following biosignals: accelerated plethymography (SDNN, HF/TP, LF/HF), heart rate (HR), blood pressure, salivary amylase (sAA) and peripheral skin temperature (PST). We compared the relaxation of our developed head care robot with the head care provided by nurses. In our experimental result with 54 subjects, the activity of the autonomic nerve system changed before and after head care procedures performed by both a human nurse and our proposed robot. Especially, in the proposed robot, we confirmed significant differences with the procedure performed by our proposed head care robot in five indexes: HF/TP, LF/HF, HR, sAA, and PST. The activity of the sympathetic nerve system decreased, because the values of its indexes significantly decreased: LF/HF, HR, and sAA. On the other hand, the activity of the parasympathetic nerve system increased, because of the increase of its indexes value: HF/TP and PST. Our developed head care robot provided satisfactory relaxation in just five minutes of use.

49 CFR 385.413 - What happens if a motor carrier receives a proposed safety rating that is less than Satisfactory?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... proposed safety rating that is less than Satisfactory? 385.413 Section 385.413 Transportation Other... Satisfactory? (a) If a motor carrier does not already have a safety permit, it will not be issued a safety permit (including a temporary safety permit) unless and until a Satisfactory safety rating is issued to...

A digital clock recovery algorithm based on chromatic dispersion and polarization mode dispersion feedback dual phase detection for coherent optical transmission systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Bo; Xin, Xiangjun; Zhang, Lijia; Wang, Fu; Zhang, Qi

2018-02-01

A new feedback symbol timing recovery technique using timing estimation joint equalization is proposed for digital receivers with two samples/symbol or higher sampling rate. Different from traditional methods, the clock recovery algorithm in this paper adopts another algorithm distinguishing the phases of adjacent symbols, so as to accurately estimate the timing offset based on the adjacent signals with the same phase. The addition of the module for eliminating phase modulation interference before timing estimation further reduce the variance, thus resulting in a smoothed timing estimate. The Mean Square Error (MSE) and Bit Error Rate (BER) of the resulting timing estimate are simulated to allow a satisfactory estimation performance. The obtained clock tone performance is satisfactory for MQAM modulation formats and the Roll-off Factor (ROF) close to 0. In the back-to-back system, when ROF= 0, the maximum of MSE obtained with the proposed approach reaches 0 . 0125. After 100-km fiber transmission, BER decreases to 10-3 with ROF= 0 and OSNR = 11 dB. With the increase in ROF, the performances of MSE and BER become better.

78 FR 36645 - Availability of Records

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-19

... FOIA personnel to provide satisfactory service. DATES: Effective June 19, 2013. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION... Government Information Services (hereinafter ``OGIS''). One individual commenter suggested that EEOC consider... service those members of the public wanting access to EEOC's public reading rooms and materials. The Union...

Parametric Cost Study of AC-DC Wayside Power Systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1975-09-01

The wayside power system provides all the power requirements of an electric vehicle operating on a fixed guideway. For a given set of specifications there are numerous wayside power supply configurations which will be satisfactory from a technical st...

Software for computerised analysis of cardiotocographic traces.

PubMed

Romano, M; Bifulco, P; Ruffo, M; Improta, G; Clemente, F; Cesarelli, M

2016-02-01

Despite the widespread use of cardiotocography in foetal monitoring, the evaluation of foetal status suffers from a considerable inter and intra-observer variability. In order to overcome the main limitations of visual cardiotocographic assessment, computerised methods to analyse cardiotocographic recordings have been recently developed. In this study, a new software for automated analysis of foetal heart rate is presented. It allows an automatic procedure for measuring the most relevant parameters derivable from cardiotocographic traces. Simulated and real cardiotocographic traces were analysed to test software reliability. In artificial traces, we simulated a set number of events (accelerations, decelerations and contractions) to be recognised. In the case of real signals, instead, results of the computerised analysis were compared with the visual assessment performed by 18 expert clinicians and three performance indexes were computed to gain information about performances of the proposed software. The software showed preliminary performance we judged satisfactory in that the results matched completely the requirements, as proved by tests on artificial signals in which all simulated events were detected from the software. Performance indexes computed in comparison with obstetricians' evaluations are, on the contrary, not so satisfactory; in fact they led to obtain the following values of the statistical parameters: sensitivity equal to 93%, positive predictive value equal to 82% and accuracy equal to 77%. Very probably this arises from the high variability of trace annotation carried out by clinicians. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Proximal Opening Wedge Osteotomy Provides Satisfactory Midterm Results With a Low Complication Rate.

PubMed

Oravakangas, Rami; Leppilahti, Juhana; Laine, Vesa; Niinimäki, Tuukka

2016-01-01

Hallux valgus is one of the most common foot deformities. Proximal opening wedge osteotomy is used for the treatment of moderate and severe hallux valgus with metatarsus primus varus. However, hypermobility of the first tarsometatarsal joint can compromise the results of the operation, and a paucity of midterm results are available regarding proximal open wedge osteotomy surgery. The aim of the present study was to assess the midterm results of proximal open wedge osteotomy in a consecutive series of patients with severe hallux valgus. Thirty-one consecutive adult patients (35 feet) with severe hallux valgus underwent proximal open wedge osteotomy. Twenty patients (35.5%) and 23 feet (34.3%) were available for the final follow-up examination. The mean follow-up duration was 5.8 (range 4.6 to 7.0) years. The radiologic measurements and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society hallux-metatarsophalangeal-interphalangeal scores were recorded pre- and postoperatively, and subjective questionnaires were completed and foot scan analyses performed at the end of the follow-up period. The mean hallux valgus angle decreased from 38° to 23°, and the mean intermetatarsal angle correction decreased from 17° to 10°. The mean improvement in the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society hallux metatarsophalangeal-interphalangeal score increased from 52 to 84. Two feet (5.7%) required repeat surgery because of recurrent hallux valgus. No nonunions were identified. Proximal open wedge osteotomy provided satisfactory midterm results in the treatment of severe hallux valgus, with a low complication rate. The potential instability of the first tarsometatarsal joint does not seem to jeopardize the midterm results of the operation. Copyright © 2016 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Therapeutic embolization of the genicular arteries for recurrent hemarthrosis after total knee arthroplasty.

PubMed

Katsimihas, M; Robinson, D; Thornton, M; Langkamer, V G

2001-10-01

The case of a recurrent hemarthrosis initially presenting 30 months after a total knee arthroplasty in a patient on lifelong warfarin is described. Angiography was used to aid in the diagnosis, and therapeutic selective embolization of the superior genicular arteries was performed with satisfactory clinical results.

Evaluation of a Colorimetric Personal Dosimeter for Nitrogen Oxide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diamond, Philip

A personal colorimetric dosimeter for nitrogen dioxide was developed. Tests were performed to determine the response of these strips to various concentrations of NO2. The dosimeter strips were satisfactory for approximate determinations of total exposure (concentration + time) of nitrogen dioxide. The total exposure was calculated in terms of time…

30 CFR 27.32 - Tests to determine performance of the system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... TESTING, EVALUATION, AND APPROVAL OF MINING PRODUCTS METHANE-MONITORING SYSTEMS Test Requirements § 27.32... durability of a methane-monitoring system. The tests shall be conducted as follows: 2 Normal replacements and... gas (containing a high percentage of methane) is a satisfactory substitute for pure methane in these...

Construction and performance of a stone matrix asphalt mix test section in Virginia.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-01-01

SMA is a gap-graded mix filled with a rich asphalt-fines mastic developed in Europe. In 1991 five states constructed trial sections to determine if satisfactory mixes could be produced in the United States with current materials and high rates of pro...

13 CFR 120.451 - How does a Lender become a PLP Lender?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... for final decision. (b) In making its decision, SBA considers whether the Lender: (1) Has the required.... The Lender's Risk Rating, among other factors, will be considered in determining satisfactory SBA performance. Other factors may include, but are not limited to, on-site review/examination assessments...

13 CFR 120.812 - Probationary period for newly certified CDCs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... its recommendation to the D/FA, who will make the final decision. SBA will determine permanent CDC... discretion. The CDC's Risk Rating, among other factors, will be considered in determining satisfactory SBA performance. Other factors may include, but are not limited to, on-site review/examination assessments...

Iranian Special Library Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harvey, John F.

The purposes of these standards are: (1) to suggest the steps necessary for the establishment of special libraries; (2) for those recently established, to suggest the steps necessary to achieve satisfactory performance levels in all areas, and finally, (3) for well established libraries, to suggest the steps necessary to achieve excellence. These…

REAL TIME MONITORING OF PCDD/PCDF FOR TRANSIENT CHARACTERIZATION AND PROCESS CONTROL

EPA Science Inventory

Current sampling methods for PCDD/F emission compliance make use of a sample taken during steady state conditions which is assumed to be representative of facility performance. This is often less than satisfactory. The rapid variation of PCDDs, PCDF, and other co-pollutants due ...

Success and challenges met during the calibration of APEX on large plots

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

As the APEX model is increasingly considered for the evaluation of agricultural systems, satisfactory performance of APEX on fields is critical. APEX was applied to 16 replicated large plots established in 1991 in Northeast Missouri. Until 2009, each phase of each rotation was represented every year...

International Space Station Acoustics - A Status Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Christopher S.

2015-01-01

It is important to control acoustic noise aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to provide a satisfactory environment for voice communications, crew productivity, alarm audibility, and restful sleep, and to minimize the risk for temporary and permanent hearing loss. Acoustic monitoring is an important part of the noise control process on ISS, providing critical data for trend analysis, noise exposure analysis, validation of acoustic analyses and predictions, and to provide strong evidence for ensuring crew health and safety, thus allowing Flight Certification. To this purpose, sound level meter (SLM) measurements and acoustic noise dosimetry are routinely performed. And since the primary noise sources on ISS include the environmental control and life support system (fans and airflow) and active thermal control system (pumps and water flow), acoustic monitoring will reveal changes in hardware noise emissions that may indicate system degradation or performance issues. This paper provides the current acoustic levels in the ISS modules and sleep stations and is an update to the status presented in 2011. Since this last status report, many payloads (science experiment hardware) have been added and a significant number of quiet ventilation fans have replaced noisier fans in the Russian Segment. Also, noise mitigation efforts are planned to reduce the noise levels of the T2 treadmill and levels in Node 3, in general. As a result, the acoustic levels on the ISS continue to improve.

Embedded Hyperchaotic Generators: A Comparative Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadoudi, Said; Tanougast, Camel; Azzaz, Mohamad Salah; Dandache, Abbas

In this paper, we present a comparative analysis of FPGA implementation performances, in terms of throughput and resources cost, of five well known autonomous continuous hyperchaotic systems. The goal of this analysis is to identify the embedded hyperchaotic generator which leads to designs with small logic area cost, satisfactory throughput rates, low power consumption and low latency required for embedded applications such as secure digital communications between embedded systems. To implement the four-dimensional (4D) chaotic systems, we use a new structural hardware architecture based on direct VHDL description of the forth order Runge-Kutta method (RK-4). The comparative analysis shows that the hyperchaotic Lorenz generator provides attractive performances compared to that of others. In fact, its hardware implementation requires only 2067 CLB-slices, 36 multipliers and no block RAMs, and achieves a throughput rate of 101.6 Mbps, at the output of the FPGA circuit, at a clock frequency of 25.315 MHz with a low latency time of 316 ns. Consequently, these good implementation performances offer to the embedded hyperchaotic Lorenz generator the advantage of being the best candidate for embedded communications applications.

Diagnosis of poor safety culture as a major shortcoming in OHSAS 18001-certified companies.

PubMed

Ghahramani, Abolfazl

2017-04-07

The evaluation of safety performance in occupational health and safety assessment series (OHSAS) 18001-certified companies provides useful information about the quality of the management system. A certified organization should employ an adequate level of safety management and a positive safety culture to achieve a satisfactory safety performance. The present study conducted in six manufacturing companies: three OHSAS 18001-certified, and three non-certified to assess occupational health and safety (OHS) as well as OHSAS 18001 practices. The certified companies had a better OHS practices compared with the non-certified companies. The certified companies slightly differed in OHS and OHSAS 18001 practices and one of the certified companies had the highest activity rates for both practices. The results indicated that the implemented management systems have not developed and been maintained appropriately in the certified companies. The in-depth analysis of the collected evidence revealed shortcomings in safety culture improvement in the certified companies. This study highlights the importance of safety culture to continuously improve the quality of OHSAS 18001 and to properly perform OHS/OHSAS 18001 practices in the certified companies.

Electroencephalogram Signal Classification for Automated Epileptic Seizure Detection Using Genetic Algorithm

PubMed Central

Nanthini, B. Suguna; Santhi, B.

2017-01-01

Background: Epilepsy causes when the repeated seizure occurs in the brain. Electroencephalogram (EEG) test provides valuable information about the brain functions and can be useful to detect brain disorder, especially for epilepsy. In this study, application for an automated seizure detection model has been introduced successfully. Materials and Methods: The EEG signals are decomposed into sub-bands by discrete wavelet transform using db2 (daubechies) wavelet. The eight statistical features, the four gray level co-occurrence matrix and Renyi entropy estimation with four different degrees of order, are extracted from the raw EEG and its sub-bands. Genetic algorithm (GA) is used to select eight relevant features from the 16 dimension features. The model has been trained and tested using support vector machine (SVM) classifier successfully for EEG signals. The performance of the SVM classifier is evaluated for two different databases. Results: The study has been experimented through two different analyses and achieved satisfactory performance for automated seizure detection using relevant features as the input to the SVM classifier. Conclusion: Relevant features using GA give better accuracy performance for seizure detection. PMID:28781480

New Icing Cloud Simulation System at the NASA Glenn Research Center Icing Research Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Irvine, Thomas B.; Oldenburg, John R.; Sheldon, David W.

1999-01-01

A new spray bar system was designed, fabricated, and installed in the NASA Glenn Research Center's Icing Research Tunnel (IRT). This system is key to the IRT's ability to do aircraft in-flight icing cloud simulation. The performance goals and requirements levied on the design of the new spray bar system included increased size of the uniform icing cloud in the IRT test section, faster system response time, and increased coverage of icing conditions as defined in Appendix C of the Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR), Part 25 and Part 29. Through significant changes to the mechanical and electrical designs of the previous-generation spray bar system, the performance goals and requirements were realized. Postinstallation aerodynamic and icing cloud calibrations were performed to quantify the changes and improvements made to the IRT test section flow quality and icing cloud characteristics. The new and improved capability to simulate aircraft encounters with in-flight icing clouds ensures that the 1RT will continue to provide a satisfactory icing ground-test simulation method to the aeronautics community.

Diagnosis of poor safety culture as a major shortcoming in OHSAS 18001-certified companies

PubMed Central

GHAHRAMANI, Abolfazl

2016-01-01

The evaluation of safety performance in occupational health and safety assessment series (OHSAS) 18001-certified companies provides useful information about the quality of the management system. A certified organization should employ an adequate level of safety management and a positive safety culture to achieve a satisfactory safety performance. The present study conducted in six manufacturing companies: three OHSAS 18001-certified, and three non-certified to assess occupational health and safety (OHS) as well as OHSAS 18001 practices. The certified companies had a better OHS practices compared with the non-certified companies. The certified companies slightly differed in OHS and OHSAS 18001 practices and one of the certified companies had the highest activity rates for both practices. The results indicated that the implemented management systems have not developed and been maintained appropriately in the certified companies. The in-depth analysis of the collected evidence revealed shortcomings in safety culture improvement in the certified companies. This study highlights the importance of safety culture to continuously improve the quality of OHSAS 18001 and to properly perform OHS/OHSAS 18001 practices in the certified companies. PMID:28025422

A flight evaluation of VTOL jet transport under visual and simulated instrument conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holzhauser, C. A.; Morello, S. A.; Innis, R. C.; Patton, J. M., Jr.

1972-01-01

A flight investigation was performed with the Dornier DO-31 VTOL to evaluate the performance, handling qualities, and operating characteristics that are considered to be important in the operation of a commerical VTOL transport in the terminal area. The DO-31, a 20,000 kilogram transport, has a mixed jet propulsion system; main engines with nozzles deflect from a cruise to a hover position, and vertical lift engines operated below 170 knots. This VTOL mode incorporates pitch and roll attitude and yaw rate stabilization. The tests concentrated on the transition, approach, and vertical landing. The mixed jet propulsion system provided a large usable performance envelope that enabled simulated IFR approaches to be made on 7 deg and 12 deg glide slopes. In these approaches management of thrust magnitude and direction was a primary problem, and some form of integrating the controls will be necessary. The handling qualities evaluation pointed out the need for additional research of define flight path criteria. The aircraft had satisfactory control and stability in hover out of ground effect. The recirculation effects in vertical landing were large below 15 meters.

Performances of CN-columns for the analysis of γ-oryzanol and its p-coumarate and caffeate derivatives by normal phase HPLC and a validated method of quantitation.

PubMed

D'Ambrosio, Michele

2013-06-15

γ-Oryzanol is an important phytochemical used in pharmaceutical, alimentary and cosmetic preparations. The present article, for the first time, discloses the performances of NP-HPLC in separating γ-oryzanol components and develops a validated method for its routine quantification. The analysis is performed on a cyanopropyl bonded column using the hexane/MTBE gradient elution and UV detection at 325 nm. The method allows: the separation of steryl ferulate, p-coumarate and caffeate esters, the separation of cis- from trans-ferulate isomers, the splitting of steroid moieties into saturated and unsaturated at the side chain. The optimised method provides excellent linear response (R(2)=0.99997), high precision (RSD<1.0%) and satisfactory accuracy (R(∗)=70-86%). In conclusion, the established method presents the details of the procedure and the experimental conditions in order to achieve the required precision and instrumental accuracy. The method is fast and sensitive and it could be a suitable tool for quality assurance and determination of origin. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Steady-state phase error for a phase-locked loop subjected to periodic Doppler inputs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, C.-C.; Win, M. Z.

1991-01-01

The performance of a carrier phase locked loop (PLL) driven by a periodic Doppler input is studied. By expanding the Doppler input into a Fourier series and applying the linearized PLL approximations, it is easy to show that, for periodic frequency disturbances, the resulting steady state phase error is also periodic. Compared to the method of expanding frequency excursion into a power series, the Fourier expansion method can be used to predict the maximum phase error excursion for a periodic Doppler input. For systems with a large Doppler rate fluctuation, such as an optical transponder aboard an Earth orbiting spacecraft, the method can be applied to test whether a lower order tracking loop can provide satisfactory tracking and thereby save the effect of a higher order loop design.

Efficient high-order structure-preserving methods for the generalized Rosenau-type equation with power law nonlinearity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Jiaxiang; Liang, Hua; Zhang, Chun

2018-06-01

Based on the multi-symplectic Hamiltonian formula of the generalized Rosenau-type equation, a multi-symplectic scheme and an energy-preserving scheme are proposed. To improve the accuracy of the solution, we apply the composition technique to the obtained schemes to develop high-order schemes which are also multi-symplectic and energy-preserving respectively. Discrete fast Fourier transform makes a significant improvement to the computational efficiency of schemes. Numerical results verify that all the proposed schemes have satisfactory performance in providing accurate solution and preserving the discrete mass and energy invariants. Numerical results also show that although each basic time step is divided into several composition steps, the computational efficiency of the composition schemes is much higher than that of the non-composite schemes.

A vision-based weld quality evaluation system

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

Barnett, R.J.; Cook, G.E.; Strauss, A.M.

1996-12-31

Inspection of the appearance of weld beads is an integral part of the overall welding process. Lack of satisfactory appearance in itself may be sufficient grounds for part rejection or the lack of satisfactory appearance may be used as an indirect indicator of more substantive problems such as poor fusion or subsurface cracks. In all cases the inspection process tends to be both time and labor intensive. The present research uses a video system and appropriate image capture and processing to determine the quality of the weld based upon surface appearance. This relative quality rating was compared to similar ratingsmore » performed by human inspectors and was found to give very good correlation. The system was implemented for the Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) and Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) processes.« less

Endoscopic carpal tunnel release: a prospective analysis of factors associated with unsatisfactory results.

PubMed

Straub, T A

1999-04-01

The first 100 consecutive cases of endoscopic carpal tunnel release (ECTR) performed by the author were studied prospectively during 6 to 24 months follow-up. Various preoperative and postoperative factors were subjected to statistical analysis to determine possible associations with unsatisfactory results. Overall, 92% of hands had a satisfactory result from ECTR, although not all were rendered symptom-free. There were no significant complications. Preoperative factors associated with an increased likelihood of unsatisfactory results included hands with preoperative weakness, widened two-point discrimination, myofascial pain syndrome or fibromyalgia, involvement in litigation, multiple compressive neuropathies, or the presence of abnormal psychological factors. A trend to less satisfactory results was present in Workers' Compensation cases and patients with normal motor latencies on nerve conduction studies. Multiple postoperative factors correlated with unsatisfactory results.

Stir bar sorptive extraction with EG-Silicone coating for bisphenols determination in personal care products by GC-MS.

PubMed

Cacho, Juan Ignacio; Campillo, Natalia; Viñas, Pilar; Hernández-Córdoba, Manuel

2013-05-05

An easy to perform analytical method for the determination of three bisphenol compounds (BPs) in commonly used personal care products (PCPs) is presented. Ethylene glycol-silicone (EG-Silicone) coated stir bars, which have recently become commercially available, are evaluated in this study for the simultaneous determination of bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol F (BPF) and bisphenol Z (BPZ) by stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) in combination with thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS). This new sorptive extraction phase allows the analysis of these compounds without any previous derivatization procedure. Different parameters affecting both SBSE extraction and thermal desorption were carefully optimized, using experimental designs based on the Taguchi orthogonal arrays. The procedure was applied to analyzing easily bought PCPs, providing detection limits of about 8 ng g(-1), with precisions lower than 11% in terms of relative standard deviation. Recovery studies performed at two different concentration levels provided satisfactory values for all the compounds. The analyzed personal care samples contained BPA at concentration levels ranging from 30.9 to 88.3 ng g(-1). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An audit of therapeutic drug monitoring of anticonvulsants.

PubMed Central

Sharpe, P. C.; Morrow, J.; Trimble, E. R.

1995-01-01

An audit of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of anticonvulsants was performed to assess both its use and misuse in the management of patients with epilepsy. Over a four week period all samples received for phenytoin, carbamazepine, sodium valproate and phenobarbitone assays were included in the audit. The aims were to establish the source of the specimens, the reasons for the requests and to ascertain what action, if any, would be taken when the result of the assay was provided. A total of 163 separate assays were performed over the four week period (43 phenytoin, 74 carbamazepine, 41 valproate, 5 phenobarbitone). Only 18.7% of all requests originated from the adult neurology department. The vast majority of tests had been ordered by junior medical staff (only 10% by consultants) and approximately 50% were 'routine' with no satisfactory clinical reason for the request offered. There was a tendency to manipulate prescribed doses on the basis of drug levels alone without taking the clinical picture into consideration. These results demonstrate a general ignorance, especially amongst junior medical staff, of the value of TDM of anticonvulsants, and reinforce the need for both an educative and interpretive service to be provided by the Chemical Pathology Department. PMID:8533181

77 FR 53814 - Availability of Records

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-04

... there are adequate FOIA personnel to provide satisfactory service. DATES: Written comments must be... service the public, the proposed rule revises Sec. 1610.04 by requiring the Commission's Headquarters..., and distributes that work to an audience. Examples of news media entities are television or radio...

7 CFR 1710.112 - Loan feasibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... other energy sources to prevent substantial load loss while providing satisfactory service to its consumers. (4) Risks of possible loss of substantial loads from large consumers or from load concentrations in particular industries will not substantially impair loan feasibility. (5) Risks of loss of...

7 CFR 1710.112 - Loan feasibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... other energy sources to prevent substantial load loss while providing satisfactory service to its consumers. (4) Risks of possible loss of substantial loads from large consumers or from load concentrations in particular industries will not substantially impair loan feasibility. (5) Risks of loss of...

7 CFR 1710.112 - Loan feasibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... other energy sources to prevent substantial load loss while providing satisfactory service to its consumers. (4) Risks of possible loss of substantial loads from large consumers or from load concentrations in particular industries will not substantially impair loan feasibility. (5) Risks of loss of...

7 CFR 1710.112 - Loan feasibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... other energy sources to prevent substantial load loss while providing satisfactory service to its consumers. (4) Risks of possible loss of substantial loads from large consumers or from load concentrations in particular industries will not substantially impair loan feasibility. (5) Risks of loss of...

7 CFR 1710.112 - Loan feasibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... other energy sources to prevent substantial load loss while providing satisfactory service to its consumers. (4) Risks of possible loss of substantial loads from large consumers or from load concentrations in particular industries will not substantially impair loan feasibility. (5) Risks of loss of...

42 CFR 417.142 - Requirements for qualification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

....142 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... assurances specified in paragraphs (b) through (f) of this section, as appropriate. (2) CMS determines... entity, within 30 days of CMS's determination, provides written assurances, satisfactory to CMS, that it...

USGS Laboratory Review Program Ensures Analytical Quality

USGS Publications Warehouse

Erdmann, David E.

1995-01-01

The USGS operates a review program for laboratories that analyze samples for USGS environmental investigations. This program has been effective in providing QA feedback to laboratories while ensuring that analytical data are consistent, of satisfactory quality, and meet the data objectives of the investigation.

7 CFR 1806.25 - Conditions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... flooding. (2) If the financial assistance is to build or provide substantial improvement, the requirements...) Nonresidential buildings. Construction plans and specifications for new buildings or improvements to existing... adequate state policy of self-insurance satisfactory to the Secretary of HUD, who will publish a list of...

Composite self-expanding bioresorbable prototype stents with reinforced compression performance for congenital heart disease application: Computational and experimental investigation.

PubMed

Zhao, Fan; Xue, Wen; Wang, Fujun; Liu, Laijun; Shi, Haoqin; Wang, Lu

2018-08-01

Stents are vital devices to treat vascular stenosis in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease. Bioresorbable stents (BRSs) have been applied to reduce challenging complications caused by permanent metal stents. However, it remains almost a total lack of BRSs with satisfactory compression performance specifically for children with congenital heart disease, leading to importantly suboptimal effects. In this work, composite bioresorbable prototype stents with superior compression resistance were designed by braiding and annealing technology, incorporating poly (p-dioxanone) (PPDO) monofilaments and polycaprolactone (PCL) multifilament. Stent prototype compression properties were investigated. The results revealed that novel composite prototype stents showed superior compression force compared to the control ones, as well as recovery ability. Furthermore, deformation mechanisms were analyzed by computational simulation, which revealed bonded interlacing points among yarns play an important role. This research presents important clinical implications in bioresorbable stent manufacture and provides further study with an innovative stent design. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effectiveness of simulated robots for supporting the learning of introductory programming: a multi-case case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Major, Louis; Kyriacou, Theocharis; Brereton, Pearl

2014-07-01

This work investigates the effectiveness of simulated robots as tools to support the learning of programming. After the completion of a systematic review and exploratory research, a multi-case case study was undertaken. A simulator, named Kebot, was developed and used to run four 10-hour programming workshops. Twenty-three student participants (aged 16-18) in addition to 23 pre-service, and 3 in-service, teachers took part. The effectiveness of this intervention was determined by considering opinions, attitudes, and motivation as well as by analysing students' programming performance. Pre- and post-questionnaires, in- and post-workshop exercises, and interviews were used. Participants enjoyed learning using the simulator and believed the approach to be valuable and engaging. The performance of students indicates that the simulator aids learning as most completed tasks to a satisfactory standard. Evidence suggests robot simulators can offer an effective means of introducing programming. Recommendations to support the development of other simulators are provided.

Local regression type methods applied to the study of geophysics and high frequency financial data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mariani, M. C.; Basu, K.

2014-09-01

In this work we applied locally weighted scatterplot smoothing techniques (Lowess/Loess) to Geophysical and high frequency financial data. We first analyze and apply this technique to the California earthquake geological data. A spatial analysis was performed to show that the estimation of the earthquake magnitude at a fixed location is very accurate up to the relative error of 0.01%. We also applied the same method to a high frequency data set arising in the financial sector and obtained similar satisfactory results. The application of this approach to the two different data sets demonstrates that the overall method is accurate and efficient, and the Lowess approach is much more desirable than the Loess method. The previous works studied the time series analysis; in this paper our local regression models perform a spatial analysis for the geophysics data providing different information. For the high frequency data, our models estimate the curve of best fit where data are dependent on time.

Flight service evaluation of Kevlar-49 epoxy composite panels in wide-bodied commercial transport aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, R. H.

1978-01-01

Kevlar-49 fairing panels, installed as flight service components on three L-1011s, were inspected after four years' service, and found to be performing satisfactorily. The Kevlar-49 components were all found to be performing satisfactorily in service with no major problems, or any condition requiring corrective action. The only defects noted were minor impact damage, and a minor degree of fastener hole fraying and elongation. These are for the most part comparable to damage noted on fiberglass fairings. A concurrent investigation was conducted on Kevlar-49/epoxy coupons exposed to an outdoor environment over a three year period at various locations providing a variety of climatic conditions. Weight changes and retention of mechanical properties were determined after one and three years exposure. A net weight loss occurred due to ultraviolet effects on the unpainted specimens. Mechanical property retentions were satisfactory with most specimens retaining well over 80% of their original value.

Super non-linear RRAM with ultra-low power for 3D vertical nano-crossbar arrays.

PubMed

Luo, Qing; Xu, Xiaoxin; Liu, Hongtao; Lv, Hangbing; Gong, Tiancheng; Long, Shibing; Liu, Qi; Sun, Haitao; Banerjee, Writam; Li, Ling; Gao, Jianfeng; Lu, Nianduan; Liu, Ming

2016-08-25

Vertical crossbar arrays provide a cost-effective approach for high density three-dimensional (3D) integration of resistive random access memory. However, an individual selector device is not allowed to be integrated with the memory cell separately. The development of V-RRAM has impeded the lack of satisfactory self-selective cells. In this study, we have developed a high performance bilayer self-selective device using HfO2 as the memory switching layer and a mixed ionic and electron conductor as the selective layer. The device exhibits high non-linearity (>10(3)) and ultra-low half-select leakage (<0.1 pA). A four layer vertical crossbar array was successfully demonstrated based on the developed self-selective device. High uniformity, ultra-low leakage, sub-nA operation, self-compliance, and excellent read/write disturbance immunity were achieved. The robust array level performance shows attractive potential for low power and high density 3D data storage applications.

libSRES: a C library for stochastic ranking evolution strategy for parameter estimation.

PubMed

Ji, Xinglai; Xu, Ying

2006-01-01

Estimation of kinetic parameters in a biochemical pathway or network represents a common problem in systems studies of biological processes. We have implemented a C library, named libSRES, to facilitate a fast implementation of computer software for study of non-linear biochemical pathways. This library implements a (mu, lambda)-ES evolutionary optimization algorithm that uses stochastic ranking as the constraint handling technique. Considering the amount of computing time it might require to solve a parameter-estimation problem, an MPI version of libSRES is provided for parallel implementation, as well as a simple user interface. libSRES is freely available and could be used directly in any C program as a library function. We have extensively tested the performance of libSRES on various pathway parameter-estimation problems and found its performance to be satisfactory. The source code (in C) is free for academic users at http://csbl.bmb.uga.edu/~jix/science/libSRES/

Performance indicators for quality in surgical and laboratory services at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) in Tanzania.

PubMed

Mbembati, Naboth A; Mwangu, Mugwira; Muhondwa, Eustace P Y; Leshabari, Melkizedek M

2008-04-01

Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), a teaching and national referral hospital, is undergoing major reforms to improve the quality of health care. We performed a retrospective descriptive study using a set of performance indicators for the surgical and laboratory services of MNH in years 2001 and 2002, to help monitor and evaluate the impact of reforms on the quality of health care during and after the reform process. Hospital records were reviewed and information recorded for planned and postponed operations, laboratory equipment, reagents, laboratory tests and quality assurance programmes. In the year 2001 a total of 4332 non-emergency operations were planned, 3313 operations were performed and 1019 (23.5%) operations were postponed. In the year 2002, 4301 non-emergency operations were planned, 3046 were performed and 1255 (29%) were postponed. The most common reasons for operation postponement were "time-barred", interference by emergency operations, no show of patients and inoperable anaesthetic machines. Equipment problems and supply and staff shortages together accounted for one quarter of postponements. In the laboratory, a lack of equipment prevented some tests, but quality assurance was performed for most tests. Current surgical services at MNH are inadequate; operating theatres require modern, functioning equipment and adequate supplies of consumables to provide satisfactory care.

A translational velocity command system for VTOL low speed flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merrick, V. K.

1982-01-01

A translational velocity flight controller, suitable for very low speed maneuvering, is described and its application to a large class of VTOL aircraft from jet lift to propeller driven types is analyzed. Estimates for the more critical lateral axis lead to the conclusion that the controller would provide a jet lift (high disk loading) VTOL aircraft with satisfactory "hands off" station keeping in operational conditions more stringent than any specified in current or projected requirements. It also seems likely that ducted fan or propeller driven (low disk loading) VTOL aircraft would have acceptable hovering handling qualities even in high turbulence, although in these conditions pilot intervention to maintain satisfactory station keeping would probably be required for landing in restricted areas.

Standardization and validation of the body weight adjustment regression equations in Olympic weightlifting.

PubMed

Kauhanen, Heikki; Komi, Paavo V; Häkkinen, Keijo

2002-02-01

The problems in comparing the performances of Olympic weightlifters arise from the fact that the relationship between body weight and weightlifting results is not linear. In the present study, this relationship was examined by using a nonparametric curve fitting technique of robust locally weighted regression (LOWESS) on relatively large data sets of the weightlifting results made in top international competitions. Power function formulas were derived from the fitted LOWESS values to represent the relationship between the 2 variables in a way that directly compares the snatch, clean-and-jerk, and total weightlifting results of a given athlete with those of the world-class weightlifters (golden standards). A residual analysis of several other parametric models derived from the initial results showed that they all experience inconsistencies, yielding either underestimation or overestimation of certain body weights. In addition, the existing handicapping formulas commonly used in normalizing the performances of Olympic weightlifters did not yield satisfactory results when applied to the present data. It was concluded that the devised formulas may provide objective means for the evaluation of the performances of male weightlifters, regardless of their body weights, ages, or performance levels.

Hierarchically mesostructured porous TiO2 hollow nanofibers for high performance glucose biosensing.

PubMed

Guo, Qiaohui; Liu, Lijuan; Zhang, Man; Hou, Haoqing; Song, Yonghai; Wang, Huadong; Zhong, Baoying; Wang, Li

2017-06-15

Effective immobilization of enzymes on an electrode surface is of great importance for biosensor development, but it still remains challenging because enzymes tend to denaturation and/or form close-packed structures. In this work, a free-standing TiO 2 hollow nanofibers (HNF-TiO 2 ) was successfully prepared by a simple and scalable electrospun nanofiber film template-assisted sol-gel method, and was further explored for glucose oxidase (GOD) immobilization and biosensing. This porous and nanotubular HNF-TiO 2 provides a well-defined hierarchical nanostructure for GOD loading, and the fine TiO 2 nanocrystals facilitate direct electron transfer from GOD to the electrode, also the strong interaction between GOD and HNF-TiO 2 greatly enhances the stability of the biosensor. The as-prepared glucose biosensors show good sensing performances both in O 2 -free and O 2 -containing conditions with good sensitivity, satisfactory selectivity, long-term stability and sound reliability. The novel textile formation, porous and hierarchically mesostructured nature of HNF-TiO 2 with excellent analytical performances make it a superior platform for the construction of high-performance glucose biosensors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Towards autonomous neuroprosthetic control using Hebbian reinforcement learning.

PubMed

Mahmoudi, Babak; Pohlmeyer, Eric A; Prins, Noeline W; Geng, Shijia; Sanchez, Justin C

2013-12-01

Our goal was to design an adaptive neuroprosthetic controller that could learn the mapping from neural states to prosthetic actions and automatically adjust adaptation using only a binary evaluative feedback as a measure of desirability/undesirability of performance. Hebbian reinforcement learning (HRL) in a connectionist network was used for the design of the adaptive controller. The method combines the efficiency of supervised learning with the generality of reinforcement learning. The convergence properties of this approach were studied using both closed-loop control simulations and open-loop simulations that used primate neural data from robot-assisted reaching tasks. The HRL controller was able to perform classification and regression tasks using its episodic and sequential learning modes, respectively. In our experiments, the HRL controller quickly achieved convergence to an effective control policy, followed by robust performance. The controller also automatically stopped adapting the parameters after converging to a satisfactory control policy. Additionally, when the input neural vector was reorganized, the controller resumed adaptation to maintain performance. By estimating an evaluative feedback directly from the user, the HRL control algorithm may provide an efficient method for autonomous adaptation of neuroprosthetic systems. This method may enable the user to teach the controller the desired behavior using only a simple feedback signal.

Separation of Native Allophycocyanin and R-Phycocyanin from Marine Red Macroalga Polysiphonia urceolata by the Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis Performed in Novel Buffer Systems

PubMed Central

Wang, Yu; Gong, Xueqin; Wang, Shumei; Chen, Lixue; Sun, Li

2014-01-01

Three buffer systems of Imidazole−Acetic acid, HEPES−Imidazole/Bis-tris and Bis-tris−HEPES−MES were designed based on the principle of discontinuous polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) for the native PAGE which could be performed in pH 7.0 and 6.5 in order to analyze and prepare the minor components of allophycocyanin (AP) and R-phycocyanin (R-PC) from marine red macroalga Polysiphonia urceolata. These AP and R-PC phycobiliproteins are easily denatured in alkaline environments. The obtained results demonstrated that the PAGE modes performed in the buffer systems of HEPES−Imidazole/Bis-tris and Bis-tris−HEPES−MES gave the satisfactory resolution and separation of AP and R-PC proteins. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of the AP and R-PC proteins which were prepared by the established PAGE modes proved that they maintained natural spectroscopic characteristics. The established PAGE modes may also provide useful references and selections for some other proteins that are sensitive to alkaline environments or are not effectively separated by the classical PAGE modes performed normally in alkaline buffer systems. PMID:25166028

7 CFR 58.320 - Brine tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Brine tanks. 58.320 Section 58.320 Agriculture....320 Brine tanks. Brine tanks used for the treating of parchment liners shall be constructed of... liners. The tank should also be provided with a satisfactory drainage outlet. ...

7 CFR 58.320 - Brine tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Brine tanks. 58.320 Section 58.320 Agriculture....320 Brine tanks. Brine tanks used for the treating of parchment liners shall be constructed of... liners. The tank should also be provided with a satisfactory drainage outlet. ...

7 CFR 58.320 - Brine tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Brine tanks. 58.320 Section 58.320 Agriculture....320 Brine tanks. Brine tanks used for the treating of parchment liners shall be constructed of... liners. The tank should also be provided with a satisfactory drainage outlet. ...

7 CFR 58.320 - Brine tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Brine tanks. 58.320 Section 58.320 Agriculture....320 Brine tanks. Brine tanks used for the treating of parchment liners shall be constructed of... liners. The tank should also be provided with a satisfactory drainage outlet. ...

7 CFR 58.320 - Brine tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Brine tanks. 58.320 Section 58.320 Agriculture....320 Brine tanks. Brine tanks used for the treating of parchment liners shall be constructed of... liners. The tank should also be provided with a satisfactory drainage outlet. ...

Active-standby servovalue/actuator development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Masm, R. K.

1973-01-01

A redundant, fail/operate fail/fixed servoactuator was constructed and tested along with electronic models of a servovalve. It was found that a torque motor switch is satisfactory for the space shuttle main engine hydraulic actuation system, and that this system provides an effective failure monitoring technique.

46 CFR 169.650 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false General. 169.650 Section 169.650 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) NAUTICAL SCHOOLS SAILING SCHOOL VESSELS Machinery and Electrical Bilge Systems § 169.650 General. All vessels must be provided with a satisfactory arrangement for...

American Association of Dental Schools Curricular Guidelines for Oral Radiology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal of Dental Education, 1980

1980-01-01

Oral radiology curricular guidelines developed by the American Association of Dental Schools are provided. The guidelines describe minimal conditions under which a satisfactory educational experience can be offered. Principles of x-radiation, radiobiological concepts, radiological health, radiographic technique, radiographic quality, and darkroom…

A Simple Method for Deriving the Confidence Regions for the Penalized Cox’s Model via the Minimand Perturbation†

PubMed Central

Lin, Chen-Yen; Halabi, Susan

2017-01-01

We propose a minimand perturbation method to derive the confidence regions for the regularized estimators for the Cox’s proportional hazards model. Although the regularized estimation procedure produces a more stable point estimate, it remains challenging to provide an interval estimator or an analytic variance estimator for the associated point estimate. Based on the sandwich formula, the current variance estimator provides a simple approximation, but its finite sample performance is not entirely satisfactory. Besides, the sandwich formula can only provide variance estimates for the non-zero coefficients. In this article, we present a generic description for the perturbation method and then introduce a computation algorithm using the adaptive least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) penalty. Through simulation studies, we demonstrate that our method can better approximate the limiting distribution of the adaptive LASSO estimator and produces more accurate inference compared with the sandwich formula. The simulation results also indicate the possibility of extending the applications to the adaptive elastic-net penalty. We further demonstrate our method using data from a phase III clinical trial in prostate cancer. PMID:29326496

A Simple Method for Deriving the Confidence Regions for the Penalized Cox's Model via the Minimand Perturbation.

PubMed

Lin, Chen-Yen; Halabi, Susan

2017-01-01

We propose a minimand perturbation method to derive the confidence regions for the regularized estimators for the Cox's proportional hazards model. Although the regularized estimation procedure produces a more stable point estimate, it remains challenging to provide an interval estimator or an analytic variance estimator for the associated point estimate. Based on the sandwich formula, the current variance estimator provides a simple approximation, but its finite sample performance is not entirely satisfactory. Besides, the sandwich formula can only provide variance estimates for the non-zero coefficients. In this article, we present a generic description for the perturbation method and then introduce a computation algorithm using the adaptive least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) penalty. Through simulation studies, we demonstrate that our method can better approximate the limiting distribution of the adaptive LASSO estimator and produces more accurate inference compared with the sandwich formula. The simulation results also indicate the possibility of extending the applications to the adaptive elastic-net penalty. We further demonstrate our method using data from a phase III clinical trial in prostate cancer.

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

Adams, W.D.

Passive solar heating was used in a still in which a packed column packed with popped popcorn separates the alcohol and water vapors. The still's performance was not satisfactory, and it is concluded that passive solar heating could have been better used to preheat makeup water for the fermentation process and to maintain proper fermentation temperatures during the winter. (LEW)

Addressing Substandard Teaching in Schools: An Assessment of Principals' Enabling Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gluck, Arlene

2013-01-01

Researchers estimate that 5-15% of American teachers do not produce the desired student performance. Nevertheless, 99% of U.S. teachers receive satisfactory evaluations annually. Guided by literature on obstacles to effective evaluation, this qualitative case study sought to understand the reasons why principals hesitate to confront substandard…

46 CFR 56.95-10 - Type and extent of examination required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... necessary by the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection. In such cases a method of testing satisfactory to the... performance, particularly in field welding where conditions such as position, ambient temperatures, and cleanliness are not as readily controlled as in shop welding. It is to be employed whenever an Officer in...

Using Calibrated Exemplars in the Teacher-Assessment of Writing: An Empirical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heldsinger, Sandra A.; Humphry, Stephen M.

2013-01-01

Background: Many in education argue for the importance of incorporating teacher judgements in the assessment and reporting of student performance. Advocates of such an approach are cognisant, though, that obtaining a satisfactory level of consistency in teacher judgements poses a challenge. Purpose: This study investigates the extent to which the…

50 CFR 82.8 - Prosecution of work.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 8 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Prosecution of work. 82.8 Section 82.8... (MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION ACT OF 1972) Administration § 82.8 Prosecution of work. (a) The grantee shall... by the Secretary that satisfactory progress has not been maintained. (b) All work shall be performed...

Tools and Their Uses. Rate Training Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naval Personnel Program Support Activity, Washington, DC.

One of a series of training manuals prepared for enlisted personnel in the Navy and Naval Reserve, this supplementary manual contains data pertinent to a variety of tools necessary to the satisfactory performance of modern technical equipment used by the Navy. It is designed to help the learner identify tools and fastening devices by their correct…

Cryptanalysis and improvement of a biometrics-based authentication and key agreement scheme for multi-server environments.

PubMed

Yang, Li; Zheng, Zhiming

2018-01-01

According to advancements in the wireless technologies, study of biometrics-based multi-server authenticated key agreement schemes has acquired a lot of momentum. Recently, Wang et al. presented a three-factor authentication protocol with key agreement and claimed that their scheme was resistant to several prominent attacks. Unfortunately, this paper indicates that their protocol is still vulnerable to the user impersonation attack, privileged insider attack and server spoofing attack. Furthermore, their protocol cannot provide the perfect forward secrecy. As a remedy of these aforementioned problems, we propose a biometrics-based authentication and key agreement scheme for multi-server environments. Compared with various related schemes, our protocol achieves the stronger security and provides more functionality properties. Besides, the proposed protocol shows the satisfactory performances in respect of storage requirement, communication overhead and computational cost. Thus, our protocol is suitable for expert systems and other multi-server architectures. Consequently, the proposed protocol is more appropriate in the distributed networks.

Cryptanalysis and improvement of a biometrics-based authentication and key agreement scheme for multi-server environments

PubMed Central

Zheng, Zhiming

2018-01-01

According to advancements in the wireless technologies, study of biometrics-based multi-server authenticated key agreement schemes has acquired a lot of momentum. Recently, Wang et al. presented a three-factor authentication protocol with key agreement and claimed that their scheme was resistant to several prominent attacks. Unfortunately, this paper indicates that their protocol is still vulnerable to the user impersonation attack, privileged insider attack and server spoofing attack. Furthermore, their protocol cannot provide the perfect forward secrecy. As a remedy of these aforementioned problems, we propose a biometrics-based authentication and key agreement scheme for multi-server environments. Compared with various related schemes, our protocol achieves the stronger security and provides more functionality properties. Besides, the proposed protocol shows the satisfactory performances in respect of storage requirement, communication overhead and computational cost. Thus, our protocol is suitable for expert systems and other multi-server architectures. Consequently, the proposed protocol is more appropriate in the distributed networks. PMID:29534085

Coupling apparatus for a metal vapor laser

DOEpatents

Ball, D.G.; Miller, J.L.

1993-02-23

Coupling apparatus for a large bore metal vapor laser is disclosed. The coupling apparatus provides for coupling high voltage pulses (approximately 40 KV) to a metal vapor laser with a high repetition rate (approximately 5 KHz). The coupling apparatus utilizes existing thyratron circuits and provides suitable power input to a large bore metal vapor laser while maintaining satisfactory operating lifetimes for the existing thyratron circuits.

The Introduction of a New Grading System at a Public Teaching Institution: Impact on Grading Tendencies of the Faculty.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Felder, Nathaniel L.

The grading system at the University of North Carolina at Asheville before fall 1978 provided four designations: H (honors); G (good or well above average); P (pass or satisfactory); and F (failure). This range does not provide a grade for unsatisfactory but passing work. It was suspected that this led teachers to give "average" grades…

Coupling apparatus for a metal vapor laser

DOEpatents

Ball, Don G.; Miller, John L.

1993-01-01

Coupling apparatus for a large bore metal vapor laser is disclosed. The coupling apparatus provides for coupling high voltage pulses (approximately 40 KV) to a metal vapor laser with a high repetition rate (approximately 5 KHz). The coupling apparatus utilizes existing thyratron circuits and provides suitable power input to a large bore metal vapor laser while maintaining satisfactory operating lifetimes for the existing thyratron circuits.

The neutron flux monitors from 20 keV to 1 MeV for BNCT: performance study using accelerator-based neutron sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, X. C.; Gong, Y.; Murata, I.; Wang, T. S.

2018-05-01

The performance of the neutron flux monitors from 20 keV to 1 MeV developed for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is studied by Monte Carlo simulations using accelerator-based neutron sources (ABNSs). The results show that the performance of the neutron flux monitors is very satisfactory and they can be efficiently used in practical applications to measure the neutron fluxes from 20 keV to 1 MeV of ABNSs for BNCT to high accuracy.

An assessment of the use of antimisting fuel in turbofan engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fiorentino, A.; Desaro, R.; Franz, T.

1980-01-01

The effects of antimisting kerosene on the performance of the components from the fuel system and the combustor of a JT8D aircraft engine were evaluated. The problems associated with antimisting kerosene were identified and the extent of shearing or degradation required to allow the engine components to achieve satisfactory operation were determined. The performance of the combustor was assessed in a high pressure facility and in an altitude relight/cold ignition facility. The performance of the fuel pump and control system was evaluated in an open loop simulation.

38 CFR 21.7153 - Progress and conduct.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Bill-Active Duty) Pursuit of Courses § 21.7153 Progress and conduct. (a) Satisfactory pursuit of... must maintain satisfactory progress. VA will discontinue educational assistance if the individual does not maintain satisfactory progress. Progress is unsatisfactory if the individual does not...

Eastern Airlines LOFT program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beach, B. E.

1981-01-01

Beginning with scenario design and development issues, Eastern Airlines committed itself to the full four-hour LOFT training format without the additional time for specific maneuvers. Abnormals and emergency conditions, pacing, and quiet periods are included in the scenarios which are written for the instructor to follow verbatim. Simulator capabilities, performance assessment; training vs. checking; crew composition and scheduling; satisfactory completion; the use of video performance printouts; the number of instructors; instructor training and standardization; and initial, transition, and upgrade training are discussed.

Pilot production and testing of high efficiency wraparound contact solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gillanders, M.

1981-01-01

Modifications were made to the process sequence until a device capable of high performance and satisfactory processing yields could be fabricated on a production line. Pilot production resulted in a 2 x 4 cm screen printed dielectric wraparound contact solar cell with average 28 C, Air Mass Zero (AMO) conversion efficiencies of 14.2% and reasonable process yields. This high performance was obtained with two different back contact configurations, making the device acceptable for many applications.

An optimized inverse modelling method for determining the location and strength of a point source releasing airborne material in urban environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Efthimiou, George C.; Kovalets, Ivan V.; Venetsanos, Alexandros; Andronopoulos, Spyros; Argyropoulos, Christos D.; Kakosimos, Konstantinos

2017-12-01

An improved inverse modelling method to estimate the location and the emission rate of an unknown point stationary source of passive atmospheric pollutant in a complex urban geometry is incorporated in the Computational Fluid Dynamics code ADREA-HF and presented in this paper. The key improvement in relation to the previous version of the method lies in a two-step segregated approach. At first only the source coordinates are analysed using a correlation function of measured and calculated concentrations. In the second step the source rate is identified by minimizing a quadratic cost function. The validation of the new algorithm is performed by simulating the MUST wind tunnel experiment. A grid-independent flow field solution is firstly attained by applying successive refinements of the computational mesh and the final wind flow is validated against the measurements quantitatively and qualitatively. The old and new versions of the source term estimation method are tested on a coarse and a fine mesh. The new method appeared to be more robust, giving satisfactory estimations of source location and emission rate on both grids. The performance of the old version of the method varied between failure and success and appeared to be sensitive to the selection of model error magnitude that needs to be inserted in its quadratic cost function. The performance of the method depends also on the number and the placement of sensors constituting the measurement network. Of significant interest for the practical application of the method in urban settings is the number of concentration sensors required to obtain a ;satisfactory; determination of the source. The probability of obtaining a satisfactory solution - according to specified criteria -by the new method has been assessed as function of the number of sensors that constitute the measurement network.

Can radiological results be surrogate markers of functional outcome in distal radial extra-articular fractures?

PubMed

Kumar, Skand; Penematsa, Subbaraju; Sadri, Maziar; Deshmukh, Subodh C

2008-08-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between radiological and functional results in patients with extra-articular fractures of the distal radius. We conducted a prospective study of radiological and functional assessment in 95 consecutively selected extra-articular distal radius fractures. There were two patient groups: more than 60 and less than 60 years of age. The final fracture union radiographs were analysed for their functional outcome using the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHQ) and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire. In patients with acceptable radiological results, 62% (MHQ group) and 72% (DASH group) of patients had satisfactory functional outcome. Analysing patients with satisfactory functional results, 56% (MHQ group) and 59% (DASH group) had satisfactory radiological results. There was a higher proportion of patients with better functional results, despite poor radiological results, in both of the age groups. There was a statistically significant correlation between satisfactory radial tilt and functional outcome in the younger patients. In the older age group, patients with satisfactory radiological results had satisfactory functional outcome (p<0.05). However, in the older age group, satisfactory functional results were achieved, despite unsatisfactory radiological results.

Friedel-Crafts Alkylation Using Elemental Aluminum Catalyst: An Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meeks, B. Spencer; Lucas, Anita R.

1989-01-01

Provides methodology for carrying out the synthesis of sec-butyltoluene by the Friedel-Crafts alkylation of toluene. Suggests using simple elemental aluminum as the catalyst in place of AlCl3 or amalgamated aluminum. Notes satisfactory results for both macro- and microscale operations. (MVL)

Work Exploration At The Junior-High Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devin, Paul

1969-01-01

The New Horizons Project provides 300 Des Moines inter-city junior high school students, who possess skills but are not making satisfactory academic progress, with work-study, extra guidance, and individual attention in an effort to increase their chance of vocational, social, civic and academic success. (Author/JG)

21 CFR 1230.34 - Analysis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Analysis. 1230.34 Section 1230.34 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) REGULATIONS UNDER..., provided, however, that any method of analysis or examination satisfactory to the Food and Drug...

21 CFR 1230.34 - Analysis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Analysis. 1230.34 Section 1230.34 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) REGULATIONS UNDER..., provided, however, that any method of analysis or examination satisfactory to the Food and Drug...

21 CFR 1230.34 - Analysis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Analysis. 1230.34 Section 1230.34 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) REGULATIONS UNDER..., provided, however, that any method of analysis or examination satisfactory to the Food and Drug...

21 CFR 1230.34 - Analysis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Analysis. 1230.34 Section 1230.34 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) REGULATIONS UNDER..., provided, however, that any method of analysis or examination satisfactory to the Food and Drug...

21 CFR 1230.34 - Analysis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Analysis. 1230.34 Section 1230.34 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) REGULATIONS UNDER..., provided, however, that any method of analysis or examination satisfactory to the Food and Drug...

34 CFR 303.125 - Fiscal control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 34 Education 2 2011-07-01 2010-07-01 true Fiscal control. 303.125 Section 303.125 Education... DISABILITIES State Application for a Grant Statement of Assurances § 303.125 Fiscal control. The statement must provide assurance satisfactory to the Secretary that such fiscal control and fund accounting procedures...

34 CFR 303.125 - Fiscal control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Fiscal control. 303.125 Section 303.125 Education... DISABILITIES State Application for a Grant Statement of Assurances § 303.125 Fiscal control. The statement must provide assurance satisfactory to the Secretary that such fiscal control and fund accounting procedures...

9 CFR 113.8 - In vitro tests for serial release.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

....8 Section 113.8 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT... Health Inspection Service (APHIS); (3) Establishing satisfactory potency for the product in accordance... potency test by Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service as provided in this paragraph. Products shall...

Pseudo-Equivalent Groups and Linking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haberman, Shelby J.

2015-01-01

Adjustment by minimum discriminant information provides an approach to linking test forms in the case of a nonequivalent groups design with no satisfactory common items. This approach employs background information on individual examinees in each administration so that weighted samples of examinees form pseudo-equivalent groups in the sense that…

Temple University Libraries in the Mid-Seventies: A Status Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nitecki, Joseph Z.

Present central library operations are discussed in terms of emerging needs and possible direction for future development. Library objectives include acquiring and organizing relevant records of knowledge, and providing satisfactory information service standards. Issues relating to objectives include the library's involvement in planning and…

Student evaluations of teaching: teaching quantitative courses can be hazardous to one’s career

PubMed Central

Smibert, Dylan

2017-01-01

Anonymous student evaluations of teaching (SETs) are used by colleges and universities to measure teaching effectiveness and to make decisions about faculty hiring, firing, re-appointment, promotion, tenure, and merit pay. Although numerous studies have found that SETs correlate with various teaching effectiveness irrelevant factors (TEIFs) such as subject, class size, and grading standards, it has been argued that such correlations are small and do not undermine the validity of SETs as measures of professors’ teaching effectiveness. However, previous research has generally used inappropriate parametric statistics and effect sizes to examine and to evaluate the significance of TEIFs on personnel decisions. Accordingly, we examined the influence of quantitative vs. non-quantitative courses on SET ratings and SET based personnel decisions using 14,872 publicly posted class evaluations where each evaluation represents a summary of SET ratings provided by individual students responding in each class. In total, 325,538 individual student evaluations from a US mid-size university contributed to theses class evaluations. The results demonstrate that class subject (math vs. English) is strongly associated with SET ratings, has a substantial impact on professors being labeled satisfactory vs. unsatisfactory and excellent vs. non-excellent, and the impact varies substantially depending on the criteria used to classify professors as satisfactory vs. unsatisfactory. Professors teaching quantitative courses are far more likely not to receive tenure, promotion, and/or merit pay when their performance is evaluated against common standards. PMID:28503380

Hepatic resection for post-cholecystectomy bile duct injuries: a literature review.

PubMed

Truant, Stéphanie; Boleslawski, Emmanuel; Lebuffe, Gilles; Sergent, Géraldine; Pruvot, François-René

2010-06-01

This study seeks to identify factors for hepatectomy in the management of post-cholecystectomy bile duct injury (BDI) and outcome via a systematic review of the literature. Relevant literature was found by searching the PubMed database and the bibliographies of extracted articles. To avoid bias selection, factors for hepatectomy were analysed in series reporting both patients undergoing hepatectomy and patients undergoing biliary repair without hepatectomy (bimodal treatment). Relevant variables were the presence or absence of additional hepatic artery and/or portal vein injury, the level of BDI, and a previous biliary repair. Among 460 potentially relevant publications, only 31 met the eligibility criteria. A total of 99 hepatectomies were reported among 1756 (5.6%) patients referred for post-cholecystectomy BDI. In eight series reporting bimodal treatment, including 232 patients, logistic regression multivariate analysis showed that hepatic arterial and Strasberg E4 and E5 injuries were independent factors associated with hepatectomy. Patients with combined arterial and Strasberg E4 or E5 injury were 43.3 times more likely to undergo hepatectomy (95% confidence interval 8.0-234.2) than patients without complex injury. Despite high postoperative morbidity, mortality rates were comparable with those of hepaticojejunostomy, except in urgent hepatectomies (within 2 weeks; four of nine patients died). Longterm outcome was satisfactory in 12 of 18 patients in the largest series. Hepatectomies were performed mainly in patients showing complex concurrent Strasberg E4 or E5 and hepatic arterial injury and provided satisfactory longterm outcomes despite high postoperative morbidity.

Bioinspired Polyelectrolyte-Assembled Graphene-Oxide-Coated C18 Composite Solid-Phase Microextraction Fibers for In Vivo Monitoring of Acidic Pharmaceuticals in Fish.

PubMed

Qiu, Junlang; Chen, Guosheng; Liu, Shuqin; Zhang, Tianlang; Wu, Jiayi; Wang, Fuxin; Xu, Jianqiao; Liu, Yan; Zhu, Fang; Ouyang, Gangfeng

2016-06-07

A novel solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber was prepared by gluing poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) assembled graphene oxide (GO)-coated C18 composite particles (C18@GO@PDDA) onto a quartz fiber with polyaniline (PANI). The fiber surface coating was sequentially modified with bioinspired polynorepinephrine, which provided a smooth biointerface and makes the coating suitable for in vivo sampling. The novel custom-made coating was used to extract acidic pharmaceuticals, and high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was employed for analysis. The custom-made coating exhibited a much higher extraction efficiency than the previously used commercial polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polyacrylate (PA) coatings. The custom-made coating also possessed satisfactory stability (the relative standard deviations (RSDs) ranged from 1.60% to 10.3% for six sampling-desorption cycles), interfiber reproducibility (the RSDs ranged from 2.61% to 11.5%), and resistance to matrix effects. The custom-made fibers were used to monitor the presence of acid pharmaceuticals in dorsal-epaxial muscle of living fish, and satisfactory sensitivities (limits of detection ranged from 0.13 ng/g to 7.56 ng/g) were achieved. The accuracies were verified by the comparison with liquid extraction. Moreover, the novel fibers were successfully used to monitor the presence of acidic pharmaceuticals in living fish, which demonstrated that the custom-made fibers were feasible for possible long-term in vivo continuous pharmaceutical monitoring.

Dietary score and the risk of oral cancer: a case-control study in southeast China.

PubMed

Chen, Fa; Yan, Lingjun; Lin, Lisong; Liu, Fengqiong; Qiu, Yu; Wang, Jing; Wu, Junfeng; Liu, Fangping; Huang, Jiangfeng; Cai, Lin; He, Baochang

2017-05-23

This study aims to develop a simple dietary score to comprehensively evaluate the role of diet in the risk of oral cancer. A case-control study including 930 oral cancer cases and 2667 frequency-matched controls was performed in Fujian, China. Unconditional logistic regression model was used to estimate the effects of dietary factors on oral cancer. After adjustment for potential confounders, less intake of domestic meat (< 3 times per week), fish (< 3 times per week), seafood (< 3 times per week), leafy vegetables (< 1 time per day), other vegetables (< 1 time per day), fruits (< 3 times per week), milk and dairy products (< 1 time per week) and eggs (< 5 times per week) were significant risk factors for oral cancer. Then these variables were incorporated to establish dietary risk score. Assessed by the receiver operating characteristic curve, the score showed a satisfactory discriminatory capacity, with an area under the curve of 0.682 (95% CI: 0.662-0.702). Moreover, the score was positively associated with the risk of oral cancer as quartiles, and the association was apparently stronger in tobacco smokers or alcohol drinkers. Additionally, there were significant multiplicative interactions between the score and tobacco smoking or alcohol drinking for oral cancer. In the present study, a convenient dietary score with satisfactory discriminatory capacity was developed to assess the collected effect of dietary factors on oral cancer, which could provide a new strategy for the prevention of oral cancer through changing in dietary habits.

Student evaluations of teaching: teaching quantitative courses can be hazardous to one's career.

PubMed

Uttl, Bob; Smibert, Dylan

2017-01-01

Anonymous student evaluations of teaching (SETs) are used by colleges and universities to measure teaching effectiveness and to make decisions about faculty hiring, firing, re-appointment, promotion, tenure, and merit pay. Although numerous studies have found that SETs correlate with various teaching effectiveness irrelevant factors (TEIFs) such as subject, class size, and grading standards, it has been argued that such correlations are small and do not undermine the validity of SETs as measures of professors' teaching effectiveness. However, previous research has generally used inappropriate parametric statistics and effect sizes to examine and to evaluate the significance of TEIFs on personnel decisions. Accordingly, we examined the influence of quantitative vs. non-quantitative courses on SET ratings and SET based personnel decisions using 14,872 publicly posted class evaluations where each evaluation represents a summary of SET ratings provided by individual students responding in each class. In total, 325,538 individual student evaluations from a US mid-size university contributed to theses class evaluations. The results demonstrate that class subject (math vs. English) is strongly associated with SET ratings, has a substantial impact on professors being labeled satisfactory vs. unsatisfactory and excellent vs. non-excellent, and the impact varies substantially depending on the criteria used to classify professors as satisfactory vs. unsatisfactory. Professors teaching quantitative courses are far more likely not to receive tenure, promotion, and/or merit pay when their performance is evaluated against common standards.

31 CFR 515.543 - Proof of origin.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... of goods of Cuban origin are generally not issued unless the applicant submits satisfactory... constitute satisfactory proof varies depending upon the facts of the particular case, it is not possible to... satisfactory proof of origin. Independent corroborating documentary evidence, such as insurance documents...

Finite Time Control Design for Bilateral Teleoperation System With Position Synchronization Error Constrained.

PubMed

Yang, Yana; Hua, Changchun; Guan, Xinping

2016-03-01

Due to the cognitive limitations of the human operator and lack of complete information about the remote environment, the work performance of such teleoperation systems cannot be guaranteed in most cases. However, some practical tasks conducted by the teleoperation system require high performances, such as tele-surgery needs satisfactory high speed and more precision control results to guarantee patient' health status. To obtain some satisfactory performances, the error constrained control is employed by applying the barrier Lyapunov function (BLF). With the constrained synchronization errors, some high performances, such as, high convergence speed, small overshoot, and an arbitrarily predefined small residual constrained synchronization error can be achieved simultaneously. Nevertheless, like many classical control schemes only the asymptotic/exponential convergence, i.e., the synchronization errors converge to zero as time goes infinity can be achieved with the error constrained control. It is clear that finite time convergence is more desirable. To obtain a finite-time synchronization performance, the terminal sliding mode (TSM)-based finite time control method is developed for teleoperation system with position error constrained in this paper. First, a new nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode (NFTSM) surface with new transformed synchronization errors is proposed. Second, adaptive neural network system is applied for dealing with the system uncertainties and the external disturbances. Third, the BLF is applied to prove the stability and the nonviolation of the synchronization errors constraints. Finally, some comparisons are conducted in simulation and experiment results are also presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Introducing a new semi-active engine mount using force controlled variable stiffness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azadi, Mojtaba; Behzadipour, Saeed; Faulkner, Gary

2013-05-01

This work introduces a new concept in designing semi-active engine mounts. Engine mounts are under continuous development to provide better and more cost-effective engine vibration control. Passive engine mounts do not provide satisfactory solution. Available semi-active and active mounts provide better solutions but they are more complex and expensive. The variable stiffness engine mount (VSEM) is a semi-active engine mount with a simple ON-OFF control strategy. However, unlike available semi-active engine mounts that work based on damping change, the VSEM works based on the static stiffness change by using a new fast response force controlled variable spring. The VSEM is an improved version of the vibration mount introduced by the authors in their previous work. The results showed significant performance improvements over a passive rubber mount. The VSEM also provides better vibration control than a hydromount at idle speed. Low hysteresis and the ability to be modelled by a linear model in low-frequency are the advantages of the VSEM over the vibration isolator introduced earlier and available hydromounts. These specifications facilitate the use of VSEM in the automotive industry, however, further evaluation and developments are needed for this purpose.

Preliminary Flight Tests of the N.A.C.A. Roots Type Aircraft Engine Supercharger

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gardiner, Arthur W; Reid, Elliott G

1928-01-01

An investigation of the suitability of the N.A.C.A. Roots type aircraft engine supercharger to flight-operating conditions, as determined the effects of the use of the supercharger upon engine operation and airplane performance, is described in this report. Attention was concentrated on the operation of the engine-supercharger unit and on the improvement of climbing ability; some information concerning high speeds at altitude was obtained. The supercharger was found to be satisfactory under flight-operating conditions. Although two failures occurred during the tests, the causes of both were minor and have been eliminated. Careful examination of the engines revealed no detrimental effects which could be attributed to supercharging. Marked improvements in climbing ability and high speeds at altitude were effected. It was also found that the load which could be carried to a given moderate or high altitude in a fixed time was considerably augmented. A slight sacrifice of low-altitude performance was necessitated, however, by the use of a fixed-pitch propeller. From a consideration of the very satisfactory flight performance of the Roots supercharger and of its inherent advantages, it is concluded that this type is particularly attractive for use in certain classes of commercial airplanes and in a number of military types.

Symbolic magnitude processing in elementary school children: A group administered paper-and-pencil measure (SYMP Test).

PubMed

Brankaer, Carmen; Ghesquière, Pol; De Smedt, Bert

2017-08-01

The ability to compare symbolic numerical magnitudes correlates with children's concurrent and future mathematics achievement. We developed and evaluated a quick timed paper-and-pencil measure that can easily be used, for example in large-scale research, in which children have to cross out the numerically larger of two Arabic one- and two-digit numbers (SYMP Test). We investigated performance on this test in 1,588 primary school children (Grades 1-6) and examined in each grade its associations with mathematics achievement. The SYMP Test had satisfactory test-retest reliability. The SYMP Test showed significant and stable correlations with mathematics achievement for both one-digit and two-digit comparison, across all grades. This replicates the previously observed association between symbolic numerical magnitude processing and mathematics achievement, but extends it by showing that the association is observed in all grades in primary education and occurs for single- as well as multi-digit processing. Children with mathematical learning difficulties performed significantly lower on one-digit comparison and two-digit comparison in all grades. This all suggests satisfactory construct and criterion-related validity of the SYMP Test, which can be used in research, when performing large-scale (intervention) studies, and by practitioners, as screening measure to identify children at risk for mathematical difficulties or dyscalculia.

Removal of organic micropollutants from drinking water by a novel electro-Fenton filter: Pilot-scale studies.

PubMed

Plakas, Konstantinos V; Sklari, Stella D; Yiankakis, Dimitrios A; Sideropoulos, Georgios Th; Zaspalis, Vassilis T; Karabelas, Anastasios J

2016-03-15

To assess the performance of a novel 'filter'-type electro-Fenton (EF) device, results are reported from pilot-scale studies of continuous water treatment, to degrade diclofenac (DCF), a typical organic micro-pollutant, with no addition of oxidants. The novel 'filter' consisted of three pairs of anode/cathode electrodes made of carbon felt, with cathodes impregnated with iron nanoparticles (γ-Fe2O3/F3O4 oxides). The best 'filter' performance was obtained at applied potential of 2 V and low water superficial velocities (∼0.09 cm/s), i.e., the mineralization current efficiency (MCE) was >20%, during continuous steady state treatment of tap water with low DCF concentrations (16 μg/L). The EF 'filter' exhibited satisfactory stability regarding both electrode integrity (no iron leaching) and removal efficiency, even after multiple filtration/oxidation treatment cycles, achieving (under steady conditions) DCF and TOC removal 85% and 36%, respectively. This performance is considered satisfactory because the EF process took place under rather unfavorable conditions, such as neutral pH, low dissolved O2 concentration, low electrical conductivity, and presence of natural organic matter and inorganic ions in tap water. Ongoing R&D is aimed at 'filter' development and optimization for practical applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pressure measurements and comfort of foam safety cushions for confined seating.

PubMed

Jackson, Colin; Emck, Adrian J; Hunston, Michael J; Jarvis, Philip C

2009-06-01

Glider flights may require the pilot to sit for many hours in a cramped cockpit that allows little movement. Experiments were undertaken to evaluate the performance of different seat cushions in a glider simulator. Subjects were male glider pilots with a maximum height of 1.85 m (6.07 ft) who participated in simulated glider flights lasting 1.5 h. A pressure-mapping device was used to determine cushion performance. By analyzing 15 subjects we calculated the pressure threshold for comfort, above which fidgeting provided objective evidence of discomfort. To determine cushion performance relative to that threshold, 20 other pilots then sat on 5 different viscoelastic foam cushions in the simulator. The time-averaged peak pressure below which no discomfort-induced fidgeting occurred was 8.8 kPa (1.28 psi). The highest peak pressure at which discomfort could be relieved by fidgeting was 11.0 kPa (1.6 psi). Of the five cushions tested, pressure remained below the discomfort threshold for almost all subjects for only one type of cushion. The best-performing cushion had a layered structure made up of approximately 25 mm of Confor C47 foam with an overlay of approximately 13 mm of Confor C45. The other types of energy-absorbing cushions tested, either with or without a softer top layer, are unlikely to provide comfortable seating solutions for most pilots. We conclude that satisfactory cushions are available for this application and that they can be objectively evaluated using this technique.

Sclerotherapy with picibanil (OK-432) for congenital lymphatic malformation in the head and neck.

PubMed

Sung, M W; Lee, D W; Kim, D Y; Lee, S J; Hwang, C H; Park, S W; Kim, K H

2001-08-01

Congenital lymphatic malformations of the head and neck (LMHN) present special challenges to the otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon. Recently, a number of sclerotherapy trials have shown promising results. In this study, we present our experiences with picibanil (OK-432) sclerotherapy for this lesion. Retrospectively review. We retrospectively reviewed 21 patients who have undergone sclerotherapy with picibanil for LMHN. Satisfactory response with complete or nearly complete shrinkage of the lesions was observed in 15 cases after repeated sclerotherapy (average, two times). We did not observe any significant morbidity or complications in the patients treated with picibanil. Reduction in size of the mass was achieved in weeks to months. Some of the patients who had not had any other previous treatment showed remarkable reductions in size even after the first therapy. When we used picibanil sclerotherapy as a primary treatment for the LMHN, most of our patients showed satisfactory results regardless of the size or location of the lesions. Given with our experience and the reports that failure of picibanil sclerotherapy does not hinder subsequent surgical salvage procedures, we recommend trying picibanil sclerotherapy as a primary treatment for the LMHN and performing surgical excision as a secondary modality if the response to the sclerotherapy is not satisfactory.

Merging physical parameters and laboratory subjective ratings for the soundscape assessment of urban squares.

PubMed

Brambilla, Giovanni; Maffei, Luigi; Di Gabriele, Maria; Gallo, Veronica

2013-07-01

An experimental study was carried out in 20 squares in the center of Rome, covering a wide range of different uses, sonic environments, geometry, and architectural styles. Soundwalks along the perimeter of each square were performed during daylight and weekdays taking binaural and video recordings, as well as spot measurements of illuminance. The cluster analysis performed on the physical parameters, not only acoustic, provided two clusters that are in satisfactory agreement with the "a priori" classification. Applying the principal component analysis (PCA) to five physical parameters, two main components were obtained which might be associated to two environmental features, namely, "chaotic/calm" and "open/enclosed." On the basis of these two features, six squares were selected for the laboratory audio-video tests where 32 subjects took part filling in a questionnaire. The PCA performed on the subjective ratings on the sonic environment showed two main components which might be associated to two emotional meanings, namely, "calmness" and "vibrancy." The linear regression modeling between five objective parameters and the mean value of subjective ratings on chaotic/calm and enclosed/open attributes showed a good correlation. Notwithstanding these interesting results being limited to the specific data set, it is worth pointing out that the complexity of the soundscape quality assessment can be more comprehensively examined merging the field measurements of physical parameters with the subjective ratings provided by field and/or laboratory tests.

38 CFR 21.4277 - Discontinuance: unsatisfactory progress, conduct and attendance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... progress, conduct and attendance. (a) Satisfactory pursuit of program. Entitlement to benefits for a... the pursuit of such program, continues to maintain satisfactory progress. If the veteran or eligible person does not maintain satisfactory progress, educational benefits will be discontinued by the...

Evaluating comprehensiveness in children's healthcare.

PubMed

Diniz, Suênia Gonçalves de Medeiros; Damasceno, Simone Soares; Coutinho, Simone Elizabeth Duarte; Toso, Beatriz Rosana Gonçalves de Oliveira; Collet, Neusa

2016-12-15

To evaluate the presence and extent of comprehensiveness in children's healthcare in the context of the Family Health Strategy. Evaluative, quantitative, cross-sectional study conducted with 344 family members of children at the Family Health Units of João Pessoa, PB, Brazil. Data were collected using the PCATool Brazil - child version and analysed according to descriptive and exploratory statistics. The attribute of comprehensiveness did not obtain satisfactory scores in the two evaluated dimensions, namely "available services" and "provided services". The low scores reveal that the attribute comprehensiveness is not employed as expected in a primary care unit and points to the issues that must be altered. It was concluded that the services should be restructured to ensure cross-sector performance in the provision of child care. It is also important to improve the relations between professionals and users to promote comprehensive and effective care.

Evaluation of a patient specific femoral alignment guide for hip resurfacing.

PubMed

Olsen, Michael; Naudie, Douglas D; Edwards, Max R; Sellan, Michael E; McCalden, Richard W; Schemitsch, Emil H

2014-03-01

A novel alternative to conventional instrumentation for femoral component insertion in hip resurfacing is a patient specific, computed tomography based femoral alignment guide. A benchside study using cadaveric femora was performed comparing a custom alignment guide to conventional instrumentation and computer navigation. A clinical series of twenty-five hip resurfacings utilizing a custom alignment guide was conducted by three surgeons experienced in hip resurfacing. Using cadaveric femora, the custom guide was comparable to conventional instrumentation with computer navigation proving superior to both. Clinical femoral component alignment accuracy was 3.7° and measured within ± 5° of plan in 20 of 24 cases. Patient specific femoral alignment guides provide a satisfactory level of accuracy and may be a better alternative to conventional instrumentation for initial femoral guidewire placement in hip resurfacing. Crown Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved.

The aerodynamics of circulation control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, N. J.

1981-01-01

Two dimensional subsonic wind tunnel tests were conducted on a 20% thickness: chord ratio circulation controlled elliptic aerofoil section equipped with forward and reverse blowing slots. Overall performance measurements were made over a range of trailing edge blowing momentum coefficients from 0 to 0.04; some included the effect of leading edge blowing. A detailed investigation of the trailing edge wall jet, using split film probes, hot wire probes and total head tubes, provided measurements of mean velocity components, Reynolds normal and shear stresses, and radial static pressure. The closure of the two dimensional angular momentum and continuity equations was examined using the measured data, with and without correction, and the difficulty of obtaining a satisfactory solution illustrated. Suggestions regarding the nature of the flow field which should aid the understanding of Coanda effect and the theoretical solution of highly curved wall jet flows are presented.

Modular Chemical Descriptor Language (MCDL): Stereochemical modules

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

Gakh, Andrei A; Burnett, Michael N; Trepalin, Sergei V.

2011-01-01

In our previous papers we introduced the Modular Chemical Descriptor Language (MCDL) for providing a linear representation of chemical information. A subsequent development was the MCDL Java Chemical Structure Editor which is capable of drawing chemical structures from linear representations and generating MCDL descriptors from structures. In this paper we present MCDL modules and accompanying software that incorporate unique representation of molecular stereochemistry based on Cahn-Ingold-Prelog and Fischer ideas in constructing stereoisomer descriptors. The paper also contains additional discussions regarding canonical representation of stereochemical isomers, and brief algorithm descriptions of the open source LINDES, Java applet, and Open Babel MCDLmore » processing module software packages. Testing of the upgraded MCDL Java Chemical Structure Editor on compounds taken from several large and diverse chemical databases demonstrated satisfactory performance for storage and processing of stereochemical information in MCDL format.« less

Laser-assisted tympanostomy (LAT) in adult individuals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prokopakis, E. P.; Lachanas, V. A.; Helidonis, Emmanuel S.; Velegrakis, G.

2004-06-01

Objectives: To assess outcome, in adult individuals undergone Laser Assisted Tympanostomy (LAT) without ventilation tube placement. Method: LAT was performed on a total of 95 ears (72 individuals). Indications included serous otitis media with effusion (44 ears/31 patients), eustachian tube dysfunction (32 ears/24 patients), acute otitis media (13 ears/11 patients), and endoscopic visualization of the middle ear (6 ears/6 patients). Results: Middle ear disease was resolved after the closure of tympanostomy in 48% of patients with serous otitis media with effusion. In 78% of patients with Eustachian tube dysfunction symptoms were diminished. All patients with acute otitis media had a satisfactory outcome. LAT was found quite effective in patients undergoing middle ear endoscopy. Conclusion: LAT without ventilation tubes provides a safe alternative surgical option in adult patients in certain cases. The selection criteria for this procedure are addressed in detail.

A Simplified Guidance for Target Missiles Used in Ballistic Missile Defence Evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prabhakar, N.; Kumar, I. D.; Tata, S. K.; Vaithiyanathan, V.

2013-01-01

A simplified guidance scheme for the target missiles used in Ballistic Missile Defence is presented in this paper. The proposed method has two major components, a Ground Guidance Computation (GGC) and an In-Flight Guidance Computation. The GGC which runs on the ground uses a missile model to generate attitude history in pitch plane and computes launch azimuth of the missile to compensate for the effect of earth rotation. The vehicle follows the pre launch computed attitude (theta) history in pitch plane and also applies the course correction in azimuth plane based on its deviation from the pre launch computed azimuth plane. This scheme requires less computations and counters In-flight disturbances such as wind, gust etc. quite efficiently. The simulation results show that the proposed method provides the satisfactory performance and robustness.

Image restoration approach to address reduced modulation contrast in structured illumination microscopy

PubMed Central

Patwary, Nurmohammed; Doblas, Ana; Preza, Chrysanthe

2018-01-01

The performance of structured illumination microscopy (SIM) is hampered in many biological applications due to the inability to modulate the light when imaging deep into the sample. This is in part because sample-induced aberration reduces the modulation contrast of the structured pattern. In this paper, we present an image restoration approach suitable for processing raw incoherent-grid-projection SIM data with a low fringe contrast. Restoration results from simulated and experimental ApoTome SIM data show results with improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and optical sectioning compared to the results obtained from existing methods, such as 2D demodulation and 3D SIM deconvolution. Our proposed method provides satisfactory results (quantified by the achieved SNR and normalized mean square error) even when the modulation contrast of the illumination pattern is as low as 7%. PMID:29675307

Quality control in urinalysis.

PubMed

Takubo, T; Tatsumi, N

1999-01-01

Quality control (QC) has been introduced in laboratories, and QC surveys in urinalysis have been performed by College of American Pathologist, by Japanese Association of Medical Technologists, by Osaka Medical Association and by manufacturers. QC survey in urinalysis for synthetic urine by the reagent strip and instrument made in same manufacturer, and by an automated urine cell analyser provided satisfactory results among laboratories. QC survey in urinalysis for synthetic urine by the reagent strips and instruments made by various manufacturers indicated differences in the determination values among manufacturers, and between manual and automated methods because the reagent strips and instruments have different characteristics, respectively. QC photo survey in urinalysis on the microscopic photos of urine sediment constituents indicated differences in the identification of cells among laboratories. From the results, it is necessary to standardize a reagent strip method, manual and automated methods, and synthetic urine.

Robust adaptive antiswing control of underactuated crane systems with two parallel payloads and rail length constraint.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhongcai; Wu, Yuqiang; Huang, Jinming

2016-11-01

The antiswing control and accurate positioning are simultaneously investigated for underactuated crane systems in the presence of two parallel payloads on the trolley and rail length limitation. The equations of motion for the crane system in question are established via the Euler-Lagrange equation. An adaptive control strategy is proposed with the help of system energy function and energy shaping technique. Stability analysis shows that under the designed adaptive controller, the payload swings can be suppressed ultimately and the trolley can be regulated to the destination while not exceeding the pre-specified boundaries. Simulation results are provided to show the satisfactory control performances of the presented control method in terms of working efficiency as well as robustness with respect to external disturbances. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Laser induced fluoroescence from algae: Results of a ship-borne field test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartmann, B.; Steinvall, O.; Widen, A.

1981-01-01

A basis is provided for the feasibility of air-borne laser fluorosensing not only of chlorophyll but also of pollutants such as oils and chemicals. There was a satisfactory correlation between the laser data and those obtained manually. The absolute determination of the chlorophyll concentration is discussed.

Permeant Ions, Impermeant Ions, Electrogenic Pumps, Cell Volume, and the Resting Membrane Potential.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Charles

1982-01-01

Students often have difficulty in understanding the processes responsible for the ionic basis of the membrane potential. Because descriptions in textbooks are not satisfactory and in some cases in error, a discussion of the processes underlying the potential (combining known results) is provided. (Author/JN)

24 CFR 242.61 - Management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Management. 242.61 Section 242.61... Management. The mortgagor shall provide for management of the hospital in a manner satisfactory to HUD. (a) Contract Management of Hospital. The mortgagor shall not execute a management agreement or any other...

24 CFR 242.61 - Management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Management. 242.61 Section 242.61... Management. The mortgagor shall provide for management of the hospital in a manner satisfactory to HUD. (a) Contract Management of Hospital. The mortgagor shall not execute a management agreement or any other...

24 CFR 242.61 - Management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Management. 242.61 Section 242.61... Management. The mortgagor shall provide for management of the hospital in a manner satisfactory to HUD. (a) Contract Management of Hospital. The mortgagor shall not execute a management agreement or any other...

24 CFR 242.61 - Management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Management. 242.61 Section 242.61... Management. The mortgagor shall provide for management of the hospital in a manner satisfactory to HUD. (a) Contract Management of Hospital. The mortgagor shall not execute a management agreement or any other...

7 CFR 4280.108 - Project eligibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... operation and maintenance. A third-party under contract to the owner may be used to control revenues and expenses and manage the operation and/or maintenance of the project. (f) Sites must be controlled by the... guarantees. (g) Satisfactory sources of revenue in an amount sufficient to provide for the operation...

Nanotechnology, nanosurfaces and silicone gel breast implants: current aspects

PubMed Central

Mendonça Munhoz, Alexandre; Santanelli di Pompeo, Fabio; De Mezerville, Roberto

2017-01-01

Abstract Nanotechnology is defined as the design of products that interact with biological systems on the nanoscopic scale. Creating a controlled nanotexture and understanding the ways in which surface properties impact inflammatory response is of the utmost significance in designing implants that can provide satisfactory outcomes. PMID:29250575

Effective Student Motivation Commences with Resolving "Dissatisfiers"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prescott, Ann; Simpson, Edward

2004-01-01

The evolution in students' expectations based on Maslow's theory of human motivation shows a transition from expectations having an effect upon motivation towards those providing a satisfactory experience. Maslow's argument was that once the lower level needs, such as physiological and safety needs, are met other higher needs emerge. In the…

7 CFR 1710.101 - Types of eligible borrowers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... provide: (1) The retail electric service needs of rural areas, or (2) The power supply needs of distribution borrowers under the terms of power supply arrangements satisfactory to RUS. (b) In making loans... the power supply borrower and RUS. (d) For the purpose of determining the eligibility of a...

7 CFR 1710.101 - Types of eligible borrowers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... provide: (1) The retail electric service needs of rural areas, or (2) The power supply needs of distribution borrowers under the terms of power supply arrangements satisfactory to RUS. (b) In making loans... the power supply borrower and RUS. (d) For the purpose of determining the eligibility of a...

14 CFR 121.265 - Fire-extinguishing agents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Fire-extinguishing agents. 121.265 Section...-extinguishing agents. Only methyl bromide, carbon dioxide, or another agent that has been shown to provide... satisfactory recharging equipment. If carbon dioxide is used, it must not be possible to discharge enough gas...

24 CFR 242.61 - Management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Management. 242.61 Section 242.61... Management. The mortgagor shall provide for management of the hospital in a manner satisfactory to HUD. (a) Contract Management of Hospital. The mortgagor shall not execute a management agreement or any other...

The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) in an Argentine Population

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montes, Silvana Andrea; Ledesma, Rubén Daniel; García, Natalia Mariana; Poó, Fernando Martín

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to provide evidence of validity for the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale scores in an Argentine sample (Spanish-language version). Results indicated satisfactory psychometric properties (a one-factor structure, good item discrimination, high reliability, and significant correlations with additional measures). This…

21 CFR 610.11a - Inactivated influenza vaccine, general safety test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... guinea pigs, the test shall be satisfied if the product provides satisfactory results using either the subcutaneous or intraperitoneal injection of 5.0 milliliters of inactivated influenza vaccine into each guinea pig. The requirements for general safety for inactivated influenza vaccine shall not be considered to...

Voluntary Childlessness: A Neglected Area of Family Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Veevers, J. E.

1973-01-01

Empirical research on childlessness would provide a necessary control group for analyses of motivations for parenthood, and of the effects of children on personal and marital adjustment. Knowledge of the conditions under which voluntary childlessness constitutes a viable and satisfactory alternate life style would have implications for more…

Schistosomiasis: The Social Challenge of Controlling a Man-Made Disease

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lemma, Aklilu

1973-01-01

There is an indication of a method for curbing or controlling schistosomiasis or bilharziasis. Modern technological advances in applied pharmacology have not provided a satisfactory remedy but a simple natural product, an endod berry, has been used to control the disease on a self-help basis. (EB)

Effectiveness of Educational Programs on Nutritional Behavior in Addicts Referring to Baharan Hospital, Zahedan (Eastern of IR Iran)

PubMed Central

Karajibani, Mansour; Montazerifar, Farzaneh; Dashipour, Alireza; Lashkaripour, Kobra; Abery, Maryam; Salari, Sajedeh

2014-01-01

Background: There are many factors which affect nutritional status of addicted such as lack o f knowledge, incorrect attitude toward modification of food pattern, and careless to food intake. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of educational program on nutritional behavior in addicts referring to Baharan hospital in Zahedan. Patients and Methods: Thirty-six addict patients were selected randomly. After recording general demographic data of patients, nutritional behaviors were determined. To determine the effectiveness of nutritional educational program, pre and post-tests were performed. Evaluation of nutritional behavior was determined as poor, fair and satisfactory levels. Statically analysis was performed by SPSS software. Results: Most addict patients had a medium level of education. Improvement in knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of patients after intervention was observed as follows; decreasing KAP in poor level (2.8% vs. 30.6%), (3% vs. 50%), (25% vs. 80.6%), respectively; also, increasing KAP in fair level (7% vs. 55.6 %), (15% vs. 15%), (19% vs. 7%), respectively and increasing KAP in satisfactory levels (77.8% vs. 13.8%), (50% vs. 8.3%), and (22.2% vs. 0%), respectively (P < 0.0001). There was a significant difference regarding the grade of KAP in patients based on gender, marital status, and education level after education (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: This study showed that nutritional KAP was improved in addicts. After intervention, there was a significant difference in the score of knowledge, attitude, and practice scores in patients in the current study. KAP was improved in patients after intervention including; decreased KAP in poor level and increased KAP in fair and satisfactory levels. This finding indicates that addict patients would like to modify their life style. PMID:25032162

Cohabitation with farm animals in urban households with and without occupational farm work: associations between participation in educational activities and good hygiene practices in at-risk households cohabiting with farm animals.

PubMed

Somphou, Phoupasong; Takano, Takehito; Nakamura, Keiko

2008-11-01

This study was performed to investigate patterns of cohabitation with farm animals in urban households in Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic, with regard to animal-to-human disease transmission. We also investigated the association between participation in hygiene-related educational activities and good hygiene practices in households with or without cohabitation with animals. A survey regarding cohabitation with animals, socioeconomic characteristics and participation in educational activities was conducted among 1,497 households randomly sampled from urban districts of Vientiane in 2001. Rates of satisfactory performance of recommended good hygiene practices according to a program commencing in 1996 were compared among households cohabiting with animals with or without participation in educational activities (reference group). Even among households not engaged in agriculture as a major source of income, 54.4, 34.9, 7.9, 3.1 and 35.7% cohabited with chickens, ducks, cattle, buffaloes and dogs, respectively. The percentage of households fulfilling the recommendations for good hygiene practices was 56.7%. The rates of satisfactory hygiene practices among households participating in health education and cohabitating with chickens, ducks or cattle were greater than those in the reference group (OR = 1.7, 95%CI = 1.2, 2.3; OR = 2.0, 95%CI = 1.3, 3.0; OR = 2.3, 95%CI = 1.0, 4.9) regardless of socioeconomic factors. Households cohabiting with animals showed poorer rates of satisfactory hygiene practices than those without animals. Cohabitation with farm animals is common in urban Vientiane regardless of household involvement in agriculture. Further effort is required to improve hygiene conditions, despite some positive effects of health education even in households cohabiting with animals.

The Effect of Online Co-Regulated Learning in the Implementation of Team-Based Learning on Improving Students' Involvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsai, Chia-Wen

2015-01-01

Many education institutions and teachers are recognizing and applying online learning and related educational technologies to help students achieve satisfactory learning performance. Due to the free entertainment on the Internet that may distract students' attention from online courses and with the purpose of developing students' teamwork…

Thermal/acoustical aircraft insulation material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Struzik, E. A.; Kunz, R.; Lin, R.

1975-01-01

Attempts made to improve the acoustical properties of low density Fiberfrax foam, an aircraft insulation material, are reported. Characterizations were also made of the physical and thermal properties. Two methods, optimization of fiber blend composition and modification of the foam fabrication process, were examined as possible means of improving foam acoustics. Flame impingement tests were also made; results show performance was satisfactory.

13 CFR 120.433 - What are SBA's other requirements for sales and sales of participating interests?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... for sales and sales of participating interests? 120.433 Section 120.433 Business Credit and Assistance... requirements for sales and sales of participating interests? SBA requires the following: (a) The Lender must be... Lender has satisfactory SBA performance, as determined by SBA in its discretion. The Lender's Risk Rating...

13 CFR 120.433 - What are SBA's other requirements for sales and sales of participating interests?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... for sales and sales of participating interests? 120.433 Section 120.433 Business Credit and Assistance... requirements for sales and sales of participating interests? SBA requires the following: (a) The Lender must be... Lender has satisfactory SBA performance, as determined by SBA in its discretion. The Lender's Risk Rating...

Improving Face Verification in Photo Albums by Combining Facial Recognition and Metadata With Cross-Matching

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-01

satisfactory performance. We do not use statistical models, and we do not create patterns that require supervised learning. Our methodology is intended...statistical models, and we do not create patterns that require supervised learning. Our methodology is intended for use in personal digital image...THESIS MOTIVATION .........................................................................19 III. METHODOLOGY

Analysis of improved criteria for mold growth in ASHRAE standard 160 by comparison with field observations

Treesearch

Samuel V. Glass; Stanley D. Gatland II; Kohta Ueno; Christopher J. Schumacher

2017-01-01

ASHRAE Standard 160, Criteria for Moisture-Control Design Analysis in Buildings, was published in 2009. The standard sets criteria for moisture design loads, hygrothermal analysis methods, and satisfactory moisture performance of the building envelope. One of the evaluation criteria specifies conditions necessary to avoid mold growth. The current standard requires that...

Bilateral intra-areolar polythelia: report of a rare case.

PubMed

Onesti, Maria Giuseppina; Anniboletti, Tommaso; Spinelli, Graziano; Meggiorini, Maria Letizia

2010-06-01

A very rare case of bilateral intra-areolar polythelia with two nipples in each breast is presented. There were no other associated malformations and the patient's family history was normal. Surgical correction was performed for cosmetic reasons at the patient's request using transposition flaps in a Z-plasty design. The aesthetic and functional results were satisfactory.

Unilateral dichotomy of nipple (intraareolar polythelia) and areola: report of a case and surgical correction.

PubMed

Arranz López, José L; García, Lourdes; Elena, Elvira; Benito, Pablo; De Juan, Ana

2006-01-01

An unusual case of intraareolar polythelia with two nipples is presented. The dichotomy affected not only the nipple, but also the areola. No other breast malformation existed. Surgical correction was performed by transposition flaps sutured to one another in the center of the areola. The anatomic and functional results were satisfactory.

Linking log quality with product performance

Treesearch

D. W. Green; Robert Ross

1997-01-01

In the United States, log grading procedures use visual assessment of defects, in relation to the log scaling diameter, to estimate the yield of lumber that maybe expected from the log. This procedure was satisfactory when structural grades were based only on defect size and location. In recent years, however, structural products have increasingly been graded using a...

The Effect of Formal Policies and Informal Social Learning on Perceptions of Corporate Ethics: Actions Speak Louder than Codes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kronzon, Shirit

2002-01-01

Discusses unethical business conduct and corporate crime, focusing on workers who bend rules to achieve satisfactory performance and organizational goals. Describes research that investigated how two cues in an organizational setting, one legal (codes of conduct) and one social (company responses to ethical transgressions), affect how individuals…

Performance Requirements in Need-Based Aid: What Roles Do They Serve, and Do They Work? Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott-Clayton, Judith; Schudde, Lauren

2017-01-01

Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) requirements have existed in some form in the federal student aid programs for nearly 40 years--and have become increasingly strict--yet only limited research exists regarding their motivations and consequences. In this brief, the authors discuss two recent CAPSEE studies they conducted that examine the…

Brake control system modification, augmentor Wing Jet STOL Research Airplane (AWJSRA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amberg, R. L.; Arline, J. A.; Jenny, R. W.

1974-01-01

The braking system for a short takeoff aircraft is discussed and the deficiencies are described. The installation of a Boeing 727 aircraft brake system was made to correct the deficiencies. Tests of the modified system were conducted using an analog computer/hardware simulator. Actual performance tests were conducted and the characteristics of the system were satisfactory.

Case Studies of Teacher Satisfaction with Three Plans for Evaluation and Supervision

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arp, Jeb-Stuart Bennett

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify which plans for evaluation and supervision are most satisfactory to teachers. The study's participants come from three school systems in northwest Georgia. Each school district uses a different plan for evaluation and supervision; each claiming that the end goal is to improve teacher performance. Prior…

Fabrication techniques for superconducting readout loops

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Payne, J. E.

1982-01-01

Procedures for the fabrication of superconducting readout loops out of niobium on glass substrates were developed. A computer program for an existing fabrication system was developed. Both positive and negative resist procedures for the production of the readout loops were investigated. Methods used to produce satisfactory loops are described and the various parameters affecting the performance of the loops are analyzed.

Psychometric properties of WHOQOL-BREF in clinical and health Greek populations: incorporating new culture-relevant items.

PubMed

Ginieri-Coccossis, M; Triantafillou, E; Tomaras, V; Soldatos, C; Mavreas, V; Christodoulou, G

2012-01-01

Τhe present study examines main psychometric properties of the World Health Organisation (WHO) quality of life (QoL) instrument, the WHOQOL-BREF with the inclusion of four national items. Participants were 425 adult native Greek speaking, grouped into patients with physical disorders, psychiatric disorders and healthy individuals. Participants were administered WHOQOL-BREF and 23 national items, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and the Life Satisfaction Index (LSI). Confirmatory factor analysis produced acceptable fit values for the original model of 26 items within the four WHOQOL domains: physical health, psychological health, social relationships and environment. Testing for the fit of national items within this model, the results indicated four new items with the most satisfactory fit indices and were thus included forming a 30-items version. The national items refer to: (a) nutrition, (b) satisfaction with work (both loaded in the physical health domain), (c) home life and (d) social life (both loaded in the social relationships domain). Statistical tests were applied to the 26- and 30-items versions producing satisfactory results, with the 30-items version showing slightly better values. Furthermore, results on the 30-items version included: (a) internal consistency, which was found satisfactory, with alpha values ranging from α=0.67-0.81, while the inclusion of new items produced higher alpha values in physical health and social relationships domains, (b) construct validity with good item-domain correlations, as well as strong correlations between domain scores, (c) convergent validity, which was very satisfactory, showing good correlations with GHQ-28 and LSI, (d) discriminant validity, showing instrument's ability to detect QoL differences between healthy and unhealthy participants, and between physically ill and psychiatric patients, and (e) test-retest reliability, with ICC scores in excess of 0.80 obtaining for all domains. The WHOQOL-BREF Greek version was found to perform well with sick and healthy participants, demonstrating satisfactory psychometric properties. Use of the instrument may be recommended for clinical and general populations, for service or intervention evaluation, as well as for cross-cultural clinical trials.

Rocket-borne submillimeter radiometer.

PubMed

Lange, A E; Hayakawa, S; Matsumoto, T; Matsuo, H; Murakami, H; Richards, P L; Sato, S

1987-01-15

We report the performance of a rocket-borne absolute radiometer which was designed to measure the diffuse brightness of the sky in six passbands between 100 microm and 1 mm. The radiometer consisted of a horn antenna and a photometer, both of which were cooled to 1.2 K by liquid (4)He. The performance of the instrument was satisfactory, but no astrophysical data were obtained during the flight because a lid covering the horn antenna failed to pen. Another flight of a similar apparatus is planned for 1986.

A compact inflow control device for simulating flight fan noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Homyak, L.; Mcardle, J. G.; Heidelberg, L. J.

1983-01-01

Inflow control device (ICD's) of various shapes and sizes have been used to simulate inflight fan tone noise during ground static tests. A small, simple inexpensive ICD design was optimized from previous design and fabrication techniques. This compact two-fan-diameter ICD exhibits satisfactory acoustic performance characteristics without causing noise attenuation or redirection. In addition, it generates no important new noise sources. Design and construction details of the compact ICD are discussed and acoustic performance test results are presented.

Historical overview of V/STOL aircraft technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, S. B.

1981-01-01

The requirements for satisfactory characteristics in several key technology areas are discussed and a review is made of various V/STOL aircraft for the purpose of assessing the success or failure of each design in meeting design requirements. Special operating techniques were developed to help circumvent deficiencies. For the most part performance and handling qualities limitations restricted operational evaluations. Flight operations emphasized the need for good STOL performance, good handling qualities, and stability and control augmentation. The majority of aircraft suffered adverse ground effects.

29 CFR 101.33 - Initiation of formal action; settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Director satisfactory evidence that they have adjusted the dispute, the Regional Director withdraws the... submit to the Regional Director satisfactory evidence that they have agreed upon methods for the... section 9(c) of the Act, or any other satisfactory method to resolve the dispute. If the agreed-upon...

24 CFR 242.76 - Title evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

..., the mortgagee shall furnish to HUD a survey of the mortgage property, satisfactory to HUD, and a... reasons HUD considers to be satisfactory, title insurance cannot be furnished, the mortgagee shall furnish... company and in a form satisfactory to HUD. The policy shall name as the insureds the mortgagee and the...

42 CFR 456.650 - Basis, purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS UTILIZATION CONTROL Penalty for Failure To Make a Satisfactory... be reduced, by a specified formula, for any quarter in which a State fails to make a satisfactory... subpart specifies— (1) What States must do to make a satisfactory showing; (2) How the Administrator will...

[Clinical analysis of nasal mucosa contact headache].

PubMed

Gu, Qingjia; Wen, Bei; Li, Jingxian; Fan, Jiangang; He, Gang

2013-07-01

To investigate the efficacy of nasal mucosa contact point headache with the treatment of endoscopic sinus surgery. Clinical data of 75 cases with nasal mucosa contact point headache treated in our department from Jan 2008 to Nov 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were performed with endoscopic sinus surgery. All patients were followed up for more than six months. They all achieved significant efficacy and no complications occurred. Nasal mucosa contact point headache and primary headache had different clinical features and different treatment. Misdiagnosis were easily made if not being carefully analyzed. Three lines tension relaxing septorhinoplasty combined with nasal bone fracture correction can achieve satisfactory curative effect and can effectively prevent the occurrence of complications. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the awareness of this disease. Nasal structure abnormality is the main reason of nasal mucosa contact point headache. The implementation of individualized nasal endoscopic sinus surgery can achieve satisfactory curative effect.

A simulation model of hospital management based on cost accounting analysis according to disease.

PubMed

Tanaka, Koji; Sato, Junzo; Guo, Jinqiu; Takada, Akira; Yoshihara, Hiroyuki

2004-12-01

Since a little before 2000, hospital cost accounting has been increasingly performed at Japanese national university hospitals. At Kumamoto University Hospital, for instance, departmental costs have been analyzed since 2000. And, since 2003, the cost balance has been obtained according to certain diseases for the preparation of Diagnosis-Related Groups and Prospective Payment System. On the basis of these experiences, we have constructed a simulation model of hospital management. This program has worked correctly at repeated trials and with satisfactory speed. Although there has been room for improvement of detailed accounts and cost accounting engine, the basic model has proved satisfactory. We have constructed a hospital management model based on the financial data of an existing hospital. We will later improve this program from the viewpoint of construction and using more various data of hospital management. A prospective outlook may be obtained for the practical application of this hospital management model.

34 CFR 535.42 - What is the period of a fellowship?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... one-year periods to an individual who maintains satisfactory progress in a master's or post-doctoral... satisfactory progress in a doctoral program of study. (b) Subject to the availability of funds, and if an IHE... maintain satisfactory progress in the program of study. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7475) ...

46 CFR 177.310 - Satisfactory service as a design basis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Satisfactory service as a design basis. 177.310 Section... (UNDER 100 GROSS TONS) CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT Hull Structure § 177.310 Satisfactory service as a design basis. When scantlings for the hull, deckhouse, and frames of the vessel differ from those...

Identification-While-Scanning of a Multi-Aircraft Formation Based on Sparse Recovery for Narrowband Radar.

PubMed

Jiang, Yuan; Xu, Jia; Peng, Shi-Bao; Mao, Er-Ke; Long, Teng; Peng, Ying-Ning

2016-11-23

It is known that the identification performance of a multi-aircraft formation (MAF) of narrowband radar mainly depends on the time on target (TOT). To realize the identification task in one rotated scan with limited TOT, the paper proposes a novel identification-while-scanning (IWS) method based on sparse recovery to maintain high rotating speed and super-resolution for MAF identification, simultaneously. First, a multiple chirp signal model is established for MAF in a single scan, where different aircraft may have different Doppler centers and Doppler rates. Second, based on the sparsity of MAF in the Doppler parameter space, a novel hierarchical basis pursuit (HBP) method is proposed to obtain satisfactory sparse recovery performance as well as high computational efficiency. Furthermore, the parameter estimation performance of the proposed IWS identification method is analyzed with respect to recovery condition, signal-to-noise ratio and TOT. It is shown that an MAF can be effectively identified via HBP with a TOT of only about one hundred microseconds for IWS applications. Finally, some numerical experiment results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method based on both simulated and real measured data.

Self-tuning control algorithm design for vehicle adaptive cruise control system through real-time estimation of vehicle parameters and road grade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marzbanrad, Javad; Tahbaz-zadeh Moghaddam, Iman

2016-09-01

The main purpose of this paper is to design a self-tuning control algorithm for an adaptive cruise control (ACC) system that can adapt its behaviour to variations of vehicle dynamics and uncertain road grade. To this aim, short-time linear quadratic form (STLQF) estimation technique is developed so as to track simultaneously the trend of the time-varying parameters of vehicle longitudinal dynamics with a small delay. These parameters are vehicle mass, road grade and aerodynamic drag-area coefficient. Next, the values of estimated parameters are used to tune the throttle and brake control inputs and to regulate the throttle/brake switching logic that governs the throttle and brake switching. The performance of the designed STLQF-based self-tuning control (STLQF-STC) algorithm for ACC system is compared with the conventional method based on fixed control structure regarding the speed/distance tracking control modes. Simulation results show that the proposed control algorithm improves the performance of throttle and brake controllers, providing more comfort while travelling, enhancing driving safety and giving a satisfactory performance in the presence of different payloads and road grade variations.

HPTLC-FLD-SERS as a facile and reliable screening tool: Exemplarily shown with tyramine in cheese.

PubMed

Wang, Liao; Xu, Xue-Ming; Chen, Yi-Sheng; Ren, Jie; Liu, Yun-Tao

2018-04-01

The serious cytotoxicity of tyramine attracted marked attention as it induced necrosis of human intestinal cells. This paper presented a novel and facile high performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method tailored for screening tyramine in cheese. Separation was performed on glass backed silica gel plates, using methanol/ethyl acetate/ammonia (6/4/1 v/v/v) as the mobile phase. Special efforts were focused on optimizing conditions (substrate preparation, laser wavelength, salt types and concentrations) of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) measurements directly on plates after derivatization, which enabled molecule-specific identification of targeted bands. In parallel, fluorescent densitometry (FLD) scanning at 380

Transient, hypervelocity flow in an axisymmetric nozzle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobs, P. A.

1991-01-01

The performance of an axisymmetric nozzle was examined which was designed to produce uniform, parallel flow with a nominal Mach number of 8. A free-piston driven shock tube was used to supply the nozzle with high-temperature, high-pressure test gas. Performance was assessed by measuring Pitot pressures across the exit plane of the nozzle and, over the range of operating conditions examined, the nozzle produced satisfactory test flows. However, there were flow disturbances that persisted for significant times after flow initiation. The detailed starting process of the nozzle was also investigated by performing numerical simulations at several nominal test conditions. The classical description of the starting process, based on a quasi-one-dimensional model, provided a reasonable approximation and was used to demonstrate that the starting process could consume a significant fraction of the otherwise usable test gas. This was especially important at high operating enthalpies where nozzle supply conditions were maintained for shorter times. Multidimensional simulations illustrated a mechanism by which the starting process in the actual nozzle could take longer than that predicted by the quasi-one-dimensional analysis. However, the cause of the persistent disturbances observed in the experimental calibration was not identified.

Flight Investigation of the Performance of a Two-stage Solid-propellant Nike-deacon (DAN) Meteorological Sounding Rocket

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heitkotter, Robert H

1956-01-01

A flight investigation of two Nike-Deacon (DAN) two-stage solid-propellant rocket vehicles indicated satisfactory performance may be expected from the DAN meteorological sounding rocket. Peak altitudes of 356,000 and 350,000 feet, respectively, were recorded for the two flight tests when both vehicles were launched from sea level at an elevation angle of 75 degrees. Performance calculations based on flight-test results show that altitudes between 358,000 feet and 487,000 feet may be attained with payloads varying between 60 pounds and 10 pounds.

Shake-table testing of a self-centering precast reinforced concrete frame with shear walls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Xilin; Yang, Boya; Zhao, Bin

2018-04-01

The seismic performance of a self-centering precast reinforced concrete (RC) frame with shear walls was investigated in this paper. The lateral force resistance was provided by self-centering precast RC shear walls (SPCW), which utilize a combination of unbonded prestressed post-tensioned (PT) tendons and mild steel reinforcing bars for flexural resistance across base joints. The structures concentrated deformations at the bottom joints and the unbonded PT tendons provided the self-centering restoring force. A 1/3-scale model of a five-story self-centering RC frame with shear walls was designed and tested on a shake-table under a series of bi-directional earthquake excitations with increasing intensity. The acceleration response, roof displacement, inter-story drifts, residual drifts, shear force ratios, hysteresis curves, and local behaviour of the test specimen were analysed and evaluated. The results demonstrated that seismic performance of the test specimen was satisfactory in the plane of the shear wall; however, the structure sustained inter-story drift levels up to 2.45%. Negligible residual drifts were recorded after all applied earthquake excitations. Based on the shake-table test results, it is feasible to apply and popularize a self-centering precast RC frame with shear walls as a structural system in seismic regions.

Enhanced direct electrochemistry of glucose oxidase and biosensing for glucose via synergy effect of graphene and CdS nanocrystals.

PubMed

Wang, Kun; Liu, Qian; Guan, Qing-Meng; Wu, Jun; Li, He-Nan; Yan, Jia-Jia

2011-01-15

Integrating graphene-based composites with enzyme provides a potent strategy to enhance biosensor performance due to their unique physicochemical properties. Herein we report on the utilization of graphene-CdS (G-CdS) nanocomposite as a novel immobilization matrix for the enzymes, which glucose oxidase (GOD) was chosen as model enzyme. In comparison with the graphene sheet and CdS nanocrystal, G-CdS nanocomposite exhibited excellent electron transfer properties for GOD with the rate constant (k(s)) of 5.9 s(-1) due to the synergy effect of graphene sheet and CdS nanocrystals. Further, based on the decrease of the electrocatalytic response of the reduced form of GOD to dissolved oxygen, the obtained glucose biosensor displays satisfactory analytical performance over an acceptable linear range from 2.0 to 16 mM with a detection limit of 0.7 mM, and also prevents the effects of interfering species, which is suitable for glucose determination by real samples. These results mean that this immobilization matrix not only can be used for immobilizing GOD, but also can be extended to other enzymes and bioactive molecules, thus providing a promising platform for the development of biosensors. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Integrating medical, assistive, and universal design products and technologies: Assistive Technology Service Method (ATSM).

PubMed

Elsaesser, Linda-Jeanne; Bauer, Stephen

2012-07-01

ISO26000 provides guidance on effective organizational performance that recognizes social responsibility (including rights of persons with disabilities (PWD)), engages stakeholders, and contributes to sustainable development [1]. Millennium Development Goals 2010 state: while progress has been made, insufficient dedication to sustainable development, and inequalities to the most vulnerable people require attention [2]. World Report on Disability 2011 recommendations includes improved data collection and removal of barriers to rehabilitation that empower PWD [3]. The Assistive Technology Service Method (ATSM), Assistive Technology Device Classification (ATDC) and Matching Person and Technology (MPT) provide an evidence-based, standardized, internationally comparable framework to improve rehabilitation interventions [4-6]. The ATSM and ATDC support universal design (UD) principles and provision of universal technology. The MPT assures interventions are effective and satisfactory to end-users [7]. The ICF conceptual framework and common language are used throughout [8]. Research findings on healthcare needs are translated. ATSM applications in support of these findings are presented. National initiatives demonstrate the need and value of the ATSM as an evidence-based, user-centric, interdisciplinary method to improve individual and organizational performance for rehabilitation [including AT] services. Two Disability & Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology articles demonstrate ATSM and ATDC use to strengthen rehabilitation services and integrate Universal Design principles for socially responsible behavior.

Design of a Model Reference Adaptive Controller for an Unmanned Air Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crespo, Luis G.; Matsutani, Megumi; Annaswamy, Anuradha M.

2010-01-01

This paper presents the "Adaptive Control Technology for Safe Flight (ACTS)" architecture, which consists of a non-adaptive controller that provides satisfactory performance under nominal flying conditions, and an adaptive controller that provides robustness under off nominal ones. The design and implementation procedures of both controllers are presented. The aim of these procedures, which encompass both theoretical and practical considerations, is to develop a controller suitable for flight. The ACTS architecture is applied to the Generic Transport Model developed by NASA-Langley Research Center. The GTM is a dynamically scaled test model of a transport aircraft for which a flight-test article and a high-fidelity simulation are available. The nominal controller at the core of the ACTS architecture has a multivariable LQR-PI structure while the adaptive one has a direct, model reference structure. The main control surfaces as well as the throttles are used as control inputs. The inclusion of the latter alleviates the pilot s workload by eliminating the need for cancelling the pitch coupling generated by changes in thrust. Furthermore, the independent usage of the throttles by the adaptive controller enables their use for attitude control. Advantages and potential drawbacks of adaptation are demonstrated by performing high fidelity simulations of a flight-validated controller and of its adaptive augmentation.

The components of shoulder and elbow movements as goals of primary reconstructive operation in obstetric brachial plexus lesions.

PubMed

Luszawski, Jerzy; Marcol, Wiesław; Mandera, Marek

Most of the cases of obstetric brachial plexus lesions (OBPL) show satisfactory improvement with conservative management, but in about 25% some surgical treatment is indicated. The present paper analyzes the effects of primary reconstructive surgeries in aspect of achieving delineated intraoperatively goals. Children operated before the age of 18 months with follow-up period longer than 1 year were selected. Therapeutic goals established during the operation were identified by analysis of initial clinical status and operative protocols. The elementary movement components in shoulder and elbow joints were classified by assessing range of motion, score in Active Movement Scale and modified British Medical Research Council scale of muscle strength. The effect was considered satisfactory when some antigravity movement was possible, and good when strength exceeded M3 or antigravity movement exceeded half of range of passive movement. In 13 of 19 patients most of established goals were achieved at good level, in 2 at satisfactory level. Remaining 4 patients showed improvement only in some aspects of extremity function. In 2 patients improvement in some movements was accompanied by worsening of other movements. The analysis of results separated into individual components of movements showed that goals were achieved in most of the cases, simultaneously clearly indicating which damaged structures failed to provide satisfactory function despite being addressed intraoperatively. The good results were obtained mainly by regeneration through grafts implanted after resection of neuroma in continuity, which proves that this technique is safe in spite of unavoidable temporary regression of function postoperatively. Copyright © 2017 Polish Neurological Society. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

Wind tunnel research comparing lateral control devices, particularly at high angles of attack X : various control devices on a wing with a fixed auxiliary airfoil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weick, Fred E; Noyes, Richard W

1933-01-01

Results are given of a series of systemic tests comparing lateral control devices with particular reference to their effectiveness at high angles of attack. These tests were made with two sizes of ordinary ailerons and different sizes of spoilers on a Clark Y wing model having a narrow auxiliary airfoil fixed ahead and above the leading edge, the chords of the main and auxiliary airfoils being parallel. In addition, the auxiliary airfoil itself was given angular deflection. The purpose was to provide rolling moments for lateral control. The tests were made in a 7 by 10 foot wind tunnel. They included both force and rotation tests to show the effect of the devices on the lift and drag characteristics of the wing and on the lateral stability characteristics, as well as lateral control. They showed that none of the aileron arrangements tried would give rolling control of an assumed satisfactory value at all angles of attack up to the stall. However, they would give satisfactory values, but at the expense of abnormally high deflections and very heavy hinge moments. The most effective combination of ailerons and spoilers gave satisfactory values of rolling moment at angles of attack below the stall, and the values did not fall off as rapidly above the stall as with ailerons alone. With an arrangement of this type having the proper relative proportions and linkage, it should be possible to obtain reasonably satisfactory yawing moments and control forces. Deflecting one-half of the auxiliary airfoil downward for the purpose of control gave strong favorable yawing moments at all angles of attack, but gave very small rolling moments at the low angles of attack.

75 FR 21300 - Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Funding Opportunity

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-23

... National Center for Child Traumatic Stress. SUMMARY: This notice is to inform the public that the Substance... Stress (NCCTS). This is not a formal request for applications. Assistance will be provided only to the current grantee for the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress based on the receipt of a satisfactory...

46 CFR Appendix E to Subpart C to... - Respirator Fit Tests

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... provides the most comfortable fit. Each respirator represents a different size and shape and, if fitted and... only a preliminary review and must not constitute the subject's formal training on respirator use. (c... projects under the facepiece or otherwise interferes with a satisfactory fit must be altered or removed. (j...

46 CFR Appendix E to Subpart C to... - Respirator Fit Tests

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... provides the most comfortable fit. Each respirator represents a different size and shape and, if fitted and... only a preliminary review and must not constitute the subject's formal training on respirator use. (c... projects under the facepiece or otherwise interferes with a satisfactory fit must be altered or removed. (j...

Superlinear scaling for innovation in cities.

PubMed

Arbesman, Samuel; Kleinberg, Jon M; Strogatz, Steven H

2009-01-01

Superlinear scaling in cities, which appears in sociological quantities such as economic productivity and creative output relative to urban population size, has been observed, but not been given a satisfactory theoretical explanation. Here we provide a network model for the superlinear relationship between population size and innovation found in cities, with a reasonable range for the exponent.

9 CFR 113.40 - Dog safety tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Dog safety tests. 113.40 Section 113... Procedures § 113.40 Dog safety tests. The safety tests provided in this section shall be conducted when... recommended for use in dogs. Serials which are not found to be satisfactory when tested pursuant to the...

9 CFR 113.40 - Dog safety tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Dog safety tests. 113.40 Section 113... Procedures § 113.40 Dog safety tests. The safety tests provided in this section shall be conducted when... recommended for use in dogs. Serials which are not found to be satisfactory when tested pursuant to the...

9 CFR 113.40 - Dog safety tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Dog safety tests. 113.40 Section 113... Procedures § 113.40 Dog safety tests. The safety tests provided in this section shall be conducted when... recommended for use in dogs. Serials which are not found to be satisfactory when tested pursuant to the...

9 CFR 113.40 - Dog safety tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Dog safety tests. 113.40 Section 113... Procedures § 113.40 Dog safety tests. The safety tests provided in this section shall be conducted when... recommended for use in dogs. Serials which are not found to be satisfactory when tested pursuant to the...

Spatial downscaling of SMAP soil moisture using MODIS land surface temperature and NDVI during SMAPVEX15

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive) mission provides global surface soil moisture product at 36 km resolution from its L-band radiometer. While the coarse resolution is satisfactory to many applications there are also a lot of applications which would benefit from a higher resolution soil moistu...