Simulation of textile manufacturing processes for planning, scheduling, and quality control purposes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cropper, A. E.; Wang, Z.

1995-08-01

Simulation, as a management information tool, has been applied to engineering manufacture and assembly operations. The application of the principles to textile manufacturing (fiber to fabric) is discussed. The particular problems and solutions in applying the simulation software package to the yarn production processes are discussed with an indication of how the software achieves the production schedule. The system appears to have application in planning, scheduling, and quality assurance. The latter being a result of the traceability possibilities through a process involving mixing and splitting of material.

Software Quality Assurance Metrics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McRae, Kalindra A.

2004-01-01

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

Formal Methods Specification and Verification Guidebook for Software and Computer Systems. Volume 1; Planning and Technology Insertion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

The Formal Methods Specification and Verification Guidebook for Software and Computer Systems describes a set of techniques called Formal Methods (FM), and outlines their use in the specification and verification of computer systems and software. Development of increasingly complex systems has created a need for improved specification and verification techniques. NASA's Safety and Mission Quality Office has supported the investigation of techniques such as FM, which are now an accepted method for enhancing the quality of aerospace applications. The guidebook provides information for managers and practitioners who are interested in integrating FM into an existing systems development process. Information includes technical and administrative considerations that must be addressed when establishing the use of FM on a specific project. The guidebook is intended to aid decision makers in the successful application of FM to the development of high-quality systems at reasonable cost. This is the first volume of a planned two-volume set. The current volume focuses on administrative and planning considerations for the successful application of FM.

The evaluation of a 2D diode array in "magic phantom" for use in high dose rate brachytherapy pretreatment quality assurance.

PubMed

Espinoza, A; Petasecca, M; Fuduli, I; Howie, A; Bucci, J; Corde, S; Jackson, M; Lerch, M L F; Rosenfeld, A B

2015-02-01

High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy is a treatment method that is used increasingly worldwide. The development of a sound quality assurance program for the verification of treatment deliveries can be challenging due to the high source activity utilized and the need for precise measurements of dwell positions and times. This paper describes the application of a novel phantom, based on a 2D 11 × 11 diode array detection system, named "magic phantom" (MPh), to accurately measure plan dwell positions and times, compare them directly to the treatment plan, determine errors in treatment delivery, and calculate absorbed dose. The magic phantom system was CT scanned and a 20 catheter plan was generated to simulate a nonspecific treatment scenario. This plan was delivered to the MPh and, using a custom developed software suite, the dwell positions and times were measured and compared to the plan. The original plan was also modified, with changes not disclosed to the primary authors, and measured again using the device and software to determine the modifications. A new metric, the "position-time gamma index," was developed to quantify the quality of a treatment delivery when compared to the treatment plan. The MPh was evaluated to determine the minimum measurable dwell time and step size. The incorporation of the TG-43U1 formalism directly into the software allows for dose calculations to be made based on the measured plan. The estimated dose distributions calculated by the software were compared to the treatment plan and to calibrated EBT3 film, using the 2D gamma analysis method. For the original plan, the magic phantom system was capable of measuring all dwell points and dwell times and the majority were found to be within 0.93 mm and 0.25 s, respectively, from the plan. By measuring the altered plan and comparing it to the unmodified treatment plan, the use of the position-time gamma index showed that all modifications made could be readily detected. The MPh was able to measure dwell times down to 0.067 ± 0.001 s and planned dwell positions separated by 1 mm. The dose calculation carried out by the MPh software was found to be in agreement with values calculated by the treatment planning system within 0.75%. Using the 2D gamma index, the dose map of the MPh plane and measured EBT3 were found to have a pass rate of over 95% when compared to the original plan. The application of this magic phantom quality assurance system to HDR brachytherapy has demonstrated promising ability to perform the verification of treatment plans, based upon the measured dwell positions and times. The introduction of the quantitative position-time gamma index allows for direct comparison of measured parameters against the plan and could be used prior to patient treatment to ensure accurate delivery. © 2015 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

NASA software documentation standard software engineering program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The NASA Software Documentation Standard (hereinafter referred to as Standard) can be applied to the documentation of all NASA software. This Standard is limited to documentation format and content requirements. It does not mandate specific management, engineering, or assurance standards or techniques. This Standard defines the format and content of documentation for software acquisition, development, and sustaining engineering. Format requirements address where information shall be recorded and content requirements address what information shall be recorded. This Standard provides a framework to allow consistency of documentation across NASA and visibility into the completeness of project documentation. This basic framework consists of four major sections (or volumes). The Management Plan contains all planning and business aspects of a software project, including engineering and assurance planning. The Product Specification contains all technical engineering information, including software requirements and design. The Assurance and Test Procedures contains all technical assurance information, including Test, Quality Assurance (QA), and Verification and Validation (V&V). The Management, Engineering, and Assurance Reports is the library and/or listing of all project reports.

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

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

Richardson, S; Mehta, V

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

The evaluation of a 2D diode array in “magic phantom” for use in high dose rate brachytherapy pretreatment quality assurance

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

Espinoza, A.; Petasecca, M.; Fuduli, I.

2015-02-15

Purpose: High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy is a treatment method that is used increasingly worldwide. The development of a sound quality assurance program for the verification of treatment deliveries can be challenging due to the high source activity utilized and the need for precise measurements of dwell positions and times. This paper describes the application of a novel phantom, based on a 2D 11 × 11 diode array detection system, named “magic phantom” (MPh), to accurately measure plan dwell positions and times, compare them directly to the treatment plan, determine errors in treatment delivery, and calculate absorbed dose. Methods: Themore » magic phantom system was CT scanned and a 20 catheter plan was generated to simulate a nonspecific treatment scenario. This plan was delivered to the MPh and, using a custom developed software suite, the dwell positions and times were measured and compared to the plan. The original plan was also modified, with changes not disclosed to the primary authors, and measured again using the device and software to determine the modifications. A new metric, the “position–time gamma index,” was developed to quantify the quality of a treatment delivery when compared to the treatment plan. The MPh was evaluated to determine the minimum measurable dwell time and step size. The incorporation of the TG-43U1 formalism directly into the software allows for dose calculations to be made based on the measured plan. The estimated dose distributions calculated by the software were compared to the treatment plan and to calibrated EBT3 film, using the 2D gamma analysis method. Results: For the original plan, the magic phantom system was capable of measuring all dwell points and dwell times and the majority were found to be within 0.93 mm and 0.25 s, respectively, from the plan. By measuring the altered plan and comparing it to the unmodified treatment plan, the use of the position–time gamma index showed that all modifications made could be readily detected. The MPh was able to measure dwell times down to 0.067 ± 0.001 s and planned dwell positions separated by 1 mm. The dose calculation carried out by the MPh software was found to be in agreement with values calculated by the treatment planning system within 0.75%. Using the 2D gamma index, the dose map of the MPh plane and measured EBT3 were found to have a pass rate of over 95% when compared to the original plan. Conclusions: The application of this magic phantom quality assurance system to HDR brachytherapy has demonstrated promising ability to perform the verification of treatment plans, based upon the measured dwell positions and times. The introduction of the quantitative position–time gamma index allows for direct comparison of measured parameters against the plan and could be used prior to patient treatment to ensure accurate delivery.« less

Software engineering project management - A state-of-the-art report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thayer, R. H.; Lehman, J. H.

1977-01-01

The management of software engineering projects in the aerospace industry was investigated. The survey assessed such features as contract type, specification preparation techniques, software documentation required by customers, planning and cost-estimating, quality control, the use of advanced program practices, software tools and test procedures, the education levels of project managers, programmers and analysts, work assignment, automatic software monitoring capabilities, design and coding reviews, production times, success rates, and organizational structure of the projects.

NOSC Program Managers Handbook. Revision 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-02-01

cost. The effects of application of life-cycle cost analysis through the planning and RIDT&E phases of a program, and the " design to cost" concept on...is the plan for assuring the quality of the design , design documentation, and fabricated/assembled hardware and associated computer software. 13.5.3.2...listings and printouts, which document the n. requirements, design , or details of compute : software; explain the capabilities and limitations of the

Testing, Requirements, and Metrics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

1998-01-01

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

Review of the Water Resources Information System of Argentina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hutchison, N.E.

1987-01-01

A representative of the U.S. Geological Survey traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in November 1986, to discuss water information systems and data bank implementation in the Argentine Government Center for Water Resources Information. Software has been written by Center personnel for a minicomputer to be used to manage inventory (index) data and water quality data. Additional hardware and software have been ordered to upgrade the existing computer. Four microcomputers, statistical and data base management software, and network hardware and software for linking the computers have also been ordered. The Center plans to develop a nationwide distributed data base for Argentina that will include the major regional offices as nodes. Needs for continued development of the water resources information system for Argentina were reviewed. Identified needs include: (1) conducting a requirements analysis to define the content of the data base and insure that all user requirements are met, (2) preparing a plan for the development, implementation, and operation of the data base, and (3) developing a conceptual design to inform all development personnel and users of the basic functionality planned for the system. A quality assurance and configuration management program to provide oversight to the development process was also discussed. (USGS)

The experience factory: Can it make you a 5? or what is its relationship to other quality and improvement concepts?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basili, Victor R.

1992-01-01

The concepts of quality improvements have permeated many businesses. It is clear that the nineties will be the quality era for software and there is a growing need to develop or adapt quality improvement approaches to the software business. Thus we must understand software as an artifact and software as a business. Since the business we are dealing with is software, we must understand the nature of software and software development. The software discipline is evolutionary and experimental; it is a laboratory science. Software is development not production. The technologies of the discipline are human based. There is a lack of models that allow us to reason about the process and the product. All software is not the same; process is a variable, goals are variable, etc. Packaged, reusable, experiences require additional resources in the form of organization, processes, people, etc. There have been a variety of organizational frameworks proposed to improve quality for various businesses. The ones discussed in this presentation include: Plan-Do-Check-Act, a quality improvement process based upon a feedback cycle for optimizing a single process model/production line; the Experience Factory/Quality Improvement Paradigm, continuous improvements through the experimentation, packaging, and reuse of experiences based upon a business's needs; Total Quality Management, a management approach to long term success through customer satisfaction based on the participation of all members of an organization; the SEI capability maturity model, a staged process improvement based upon assessment with regard to a set of key process areas until you reach a level 5 which represents a continuous process improvement; and Lean (software) Development, a principle supporting the concentration of the production on 'value added' activities and the elimination of reduction of 'not value added' activities.

NASA's Approach to Software Assurance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wetherholt, Martha

2015-01-01

NASA defines software assurance as: the planned and systematic set of activities that ensure conformance of software life cycle processes and products to requirements, standards, and procedures via quality, safety, reliability, and independent verification and validation. NASA's implementation of this approach to the quality, safety, reliability, security and verification and validation of software is brought together in one discipline, software assurance. Organizationally, NASA has software assurance at each NASA center, a Software Assurance Manager at NASA Headquarters, a Software Assurance Technical Fellow (currently the same person as the SA Manager), and an Independent Verification and Validation Organization with its own facility. An umbrella risk mitigation strategy for safety and mission success assurance of NASA's software, software assurance covers a wide area and is better structured to address the dynamic changes in how software is developed, used, and managed, as well as it's increasingly complex functionality. Being flexible, risk based, and prepared for challenges in software at NASA is essential, especially as much of our software is unique for each mission.

[Development of integrated support software for clinical nutrition].

PubMed

Siquier Homar, Pedro; Pinteño Blanco, Manel; Calleja Hernández, Miguel Ángel; Fernández Cortés, Francisco; Martínez Sotelo, Jesús

2015-09-01

to develop an integrated computer software application for specialized nutritional support, integrated in the electronic clinical record, which detects automatically and early those undernourished patients or at risk of developing undernourishment, determining points of opportunity for improvement and evaluation of the results. the quality standards published by the Nutrition Work Group of the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy (SEFH) and the recommendations by the Pharmacy Group of the Spanish Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (SENPE) have been taken into account. According to these quality standards, the nutritional support has to include the following healthcare stages or sub-processes: nutritional screening, nutritional assessment, plan for nutritional care, prescription, preparation and administration. this software allows to conduct, in an automated way, a specific nutritional assessment for those patients with nutritional risk, implementing, if necessary, a nutritional treatment plan, conducting follow-up and traceability of outcomes derived from the implementation of improvement actions, and quantifying to what extent our practice is close to the established standard. this software allows to standardize the specialized nutritional support from a multidisciplinary point of view, introducing the concept of quality control per processes, and including patient as the main customer. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Web Application Software for Ground Operations Planning Database (GOPDb) Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lanham, Clifton; Kallner, Shawn; Gernand, Jeffrey

2013-01-01

A Web application facilitates collaborative development of the ground operations planning document. This will reduce costs and development time for new programs by incorporating the data governance, access control, and revision tracking of the ground operations planning data. Ground Operations Planning requires the creation and maintenance of detailed timelines and documentation. The GOPDb Web application was created using state-of-the-art Web 2.0 technologies, and was deployed as SaaS (Software as a Service), with an emphasis on data governance and security needs. Application access is managed using two-factor authentication, with data write permissions tied to user roles and responsibilities. Multiple instances of the application can be deployed on a Web server to meet the robust needs for multiple, future programs with minimal additional cost. This innovation features high availability and scalability, with no additional software that needs to be bought or installed. For data governance and security (data quality, management, business process management, and risk management for data handling), the software uses NAMS. No local copy/cloning of data is permitted. Data change log/tracking is addressed, as well as collaboration, work flow, and process standardization. The software provides on-line documentation and detailed Web-based help. There are multiple ways that this software can be deployed on a Web server to meet ground operations planning needs for future programs. The software could be used to support commercial crew ground operations planning, as well as commercial payload/satellite ground operations planning. The application source code and database schema are owned by NASA.

The Fifth Annual NASA/Contractors Conference on Quality and Productivity. Quality: A Commitment to the Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

The report is a summary of the 5th NASA/Contractors Conference on Quality and Productivity. The theme was 'Quality - A Commitment to the Future'. The summary report highlights the key points: commitment to quality, strategic and long-range planning, quality commitment, risk management, teaming, quality measurement, creating a quality environment, contract incentives, software quality and reliability.

NEAMS SOFTWARE V&V PLAN FOR THE MARMOT SOFTWARE

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

Michael R Tonks

2014-03-01

In order to ensure the accuracy and quality of the microstructure based materials models being developed in conjunction with MARMOT simulations, MARMOT must undergo exhaustive verification and validation. Only after this process can we confidently rely on the MARMOT code to predict the microstructure evolution within the fuel. Therefore, in this report we lay out a V&V plan for the MARMOT code, highlighting where existing data could be used and where new data is required.

The research and practice of spacecraft software engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chengxin; Wang, Jinghua; Xu, Xiaoguang

2017-06-01

In order to ensure the safety and reliability of spacecraft software products, it is necessary to execute engineering management. Firstly, the paper introduces the problems of unsystematic planning, uncertain classified management and uncontinuous improved mechanism in domestic and foreign spacecraft software engineering management. Then, it proposes a solution for software engineering management based on system-integrated ideology in the perspective of spacecraft system. Finally, a application result of spacecraft is given as an example. The research can provides a reference for executing spacecraft software engineering management and improving software product quality.

Using Knowledge Management to Revise Software-Testing Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nogeste, Kersti; Walker, Derek H. T.

2006-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to use a knowledge management (KM) approach to effectively revise a utility retailer's software testing process. This paper presents a case study of how the utility organisation's customer services IT production support group improved their test planning skills through applying the American Productivity and Quality Center…

Software engineering for ESO's VLT project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filippi, G.

1994-12-01

This paper reports on the experience at the European Southern Observatory on the application of software engineering techniques to a 200 man-year control software project for the Very Large Telescope (VLT). This shall provide astronomers, before the end of the century, with one of the most powerful telescopes in the world. From the definition of the general model, described in the software management plan, specific activities have been and will be defined: standards for documents and for code development, design approach using a CASE tool, the process of reviewing both documentation and code, quality assurance, test strategy, etc. The initial choices, the current implementation and the future planned activities are presented and, where feedback is already available, pros and cons are discussed.

NASA Software Documentation Standard

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The NASA Software Documentation Standard (hereinafter referred to as "Standard") is designed to support the documentation of all software developed for NASA; its goal is to provide a framework and model for recording the essential information needed throughout the development life cycle and maintenance of a software system. The NASA Software Documentation Standard can be applied to the documentation of all NASA software. The Standard is limited to documentation format and content requirements. It does not mandate specific management, engineering, or assurance standards or techniques. This Standard defines the format and content of documentation for software acquisition, development, and sustaining engineering. Format requirements address where information shall be recorded and content requirements address what information shall be recorded. This Standard provides a framework to allow consistency of documentation across NASA and visibility into the completeness of project documentation. The basic framework consists of four major sections (or volumes). The Management Plan contains all planning and business aspects of a software project, including engineering and assurance planning. The Product Specification contains all technical engineering information, including software requirements and design. The Assurance and Test Procedures contains all technical assurance information, including Test, Quality Assurance (QA), and Verification and Validation (V&V). The Management, Engineering, and Assurance Reports is the library and/or listing of all project reports.

Assuring Software Cost Estimates: Is it an Oxymoron?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hihn, Jarius; Tregre, Grant

2013-01-01

The software industry repeatedly observes cost growth of well over 100% even after decades of cost estimation research and well-known best practices, so "What's the problem?" In this paper we will provide an overview of the current state oj software cost estimation best practice. We then explore whether applying some of the methods used in software assurance might improve the quality of software cost estimates. This paper especially focuses on issues associated with model calibration, estimate review, and the development and documentation of estimates as part alan integrated plan.

Design requirements for SRB production control system. Volume 3: Package evaluation, modification and hardware

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

The software package evaluation was designed to analyze commercially available, field-proven, production control or manufacturing resource planning management technology and software package. The analysis was conducted by comparing SRB production control software requirements and conceptual system design to software package capabilities. The methodology of evaluation and the findings at each stage of evaluation are described. Topics covered include: vendor listing; request for information (RFI) document; RFI response rate and quality; RFI evaluation process; and capabilities versus requirements.

SU-F-T-564: 3 Year Experience of Treatment Plan QualityAssurance for Vero SBRT Patients

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

Su, Z; Li, Z; Mamalui, M

2016-06-15

Purpose: To verify treatment plan monitor units from iPlan treatment planning system for Vero Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) treatment using both software-based and (homogeneous and heterogeneous) phantom-based approaches. Methods: Dynamic conformal arcs (DCA) were used for SBRT treatment of oligometastasis patients using Vero linear accelerator. For each plan, Monte Carlo calculated treatment plans MU (prescribed dose to water with 1% variance) is verified first by RadCalc software with 3% difference threshold. Beyond 3% differences, treatment plans were copied onto (homogeneous) Scanditronix phantom for non-lung patients and copied onto (heterogeneous) CIRS phantom for lung patients and the corresponding plan dose wasmore » measured using a cc01 ion chamber. The difference between the planed and measured dose was recorded. For the past 3 years, we have treated 180 patients with 315 targets. Out of these patients, 99 targets treatment plan RadCalc calculation exceeded 3% threshold and phantom based measurements were performed with 26 plans using Scanditronix phantom and 73 plans using CIRS phantom. Mean and standard deviation of the dose differences were obtained and presented. Results: For all patient RadCalc calculations, the mean dose difference is 0.76% with a standard deviation of 5.97%. For non-lung patient plan Scanditronix phantom measurements, the mean dose difference is 0.54% with standard deviation of 2.53%; for lung patient plan CIRS phantom measurements, the mean dose difference is −0.04% with a standard deviation of 1.09%; The maximum dose difference is 3.47% for Scanditronix phantom measurements and 3.08% for CIRS phantom measurements. Conclusion: Limitations in secondary MU check software lead to perceived large dose discrepancies for some of the lung patient SBRT treatment plans. Homogeneous and heterogeneous phantoms were used in plan quality assurance for non-lung patients and lung patients, respectively. Phantom based QA showed the relative good agreement between iPlan calculated dose and measured dose.« less

Server-based enterprise collaboration software improves safety and quality in high-volume PET/CT practice.

PubMed

McDonald, James E; Kessler, Marcus M; Hightower, Jeremy L; Henry, Susan D; Deloney, Linda A

2013-12-01

With increasing volumes of complex imaging cases and rising economic pressure on physician staffing, timely reporting will become progressively challenging. Current and planned iterations of PACS and electronic medical record systems do not offer workflow management tools to coordinate delivery of imaging interpretations with the needs of the patient and ordering physician. The adoption of a server-based enterprise collaboration software system by our Division of Nuclear Medicine has significantly improved our efficiency and quality of service.

Approaches to Process Performance Modeling: A Summary from the SEI Series of Workshops on CMMI High Maturity Measurement and Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

Soporte de Modelos Sistémicos: Aplicación al Sector de Desarrollo de Software de Argentina,” Tesis de PhD, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional-Facultad...with New Results 31  2.3  Other Simulation Approaches 37  Conceptual Planning , Execution, and Operation of Combat Fire Support Effectiveness: A...Figure 29:  Functional Structure of Multiple Regression Model 80  Figure 30:  TSP Quality Plan One 85  Figure 31:  TSP Quality Plan Two 85  Figure

Formulation of consumables management models. Development approach for the mission planning processor working model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connelly, L. C.

1977-01-01

The mission planning processor is a user oriented tool for consumables management and is part of the total consumables subsystem management concept. The approach to be used in developing a working model of the mission planning processor is documented. The approach includes top-down design, structured programming techniques, and application of NASA approved software development standards. This development approach: (1) promotes cost effective software development, (2) enhances the quality and reliability of the working model, (3) encourages the sharing of the working model through a standard approach, and (4) promotes portability of the working model to other computer systems.

Guidance and Control Software Project Data - Volume 4: Configuration Management and Quality Assurance Documents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayhurst, Kelly J. (Editor)

2008-01-01

The Guidance and Control Software (GCS) project was the last in a series of software reliability studies conducted at Langley Research Center between 1977 and 1994. The technical results of the GCS project were recorded after the experiment was completed. Some of the support documentation produced as part of the experiment, however, is serving an unexpected role far beyond its original project context. Some of the software used as part of the GCS project was developed to conform to the RTCA/DO-178B software standard, "Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification," used in the civil aviation industry. That standard requires extensive documentation throughout the software development life cycle, including plans, software requirements, design and source code, verification cases and results, and configuration management and quality control data. The project documentation that includes this information is open for public scrutiny without the legal or safety implications associated with comparable data from an avionics manufacturer. This public availability has afforded an opportunity to use the GCS project documents for DO-178B training. This report provides a brief overview of the GCS project, describes the 4-volume set of documents and the role they are playing in training, and includes configuration management and quality assurance documents from the GCS project. Volume 4 contains six appendices: A. Software Accomplishment Summary for the Guidance and Control Software Project; B. Software Configuration Index for the Guidance and Control Software Project; C. Configuration Management Records for the Guidance and Control Software Project; D. Software Quality Assurance Records for the Guidance and Control Software Project; E. Problem Report for the Pluto Implementation of the Guidance and Control Software Project; and F. Support Documentation Change Reports for the Guidance and Control Software Project.

Software metrics: The key to quality software on the NCC project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burns, Patricia J.

1993-01-01

Network Control Center (NCC) Project metrics are captured during the implementation and testing phases of the NCCDS software development lifecycle. The metrics data collection and reporting function has interfaces with all elements of the NCC project. Close collaboration with all project elements has resulted in the development of a defined and repeatable set of metrics processes. The resulting data are used to plan and monitor release activities on a weekly basis. The use of graphical outputs facilitates the interpretation of progress and status. The successful application of metrics throughout the NCC project has been instrumental in the delivery of quality software. The use of metrics on the NCC Project supports the needs of the technical and managerial staff. This paper describes the project, the functions supported by metrics, the data that are collected and reported, how the data are used, and the improvements in the quality of deliverable software since the metrics processes and products have been in use.

Software for Optimizing Quality Assurance of Other Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feather, Martin; Cornford, Steven; Menzies, Tim

2004-01-01

Software assurance is the planned and systematic set of activities that ensures that software processes and products conform to requirements, standards, and procedures. Examples of such activities are the following: code inspections, unit tests, design reviews, performance analyses, construction of traceability matrices, etc. In practice, software development projects have only limited resources (e.g., schedule, budget, and availability of personnel) to cover the entire development effort, of which assurance is but a part. Projects must therefore select judiciously from among the possible assurance activities. At its heart, this can be viewed as an optimization problem; namely, to determine the allocation of limited resources (time, money, and personnel) to minimize risk or, alternatively, to minimize the resources needed to reduce risk to an acceptable level. The end result of the work reported here is a means to optimize quality-assurance processes used in developing software.

A new plan quality index for nasopharyngeal cancer SIB IMRT.

PubMed

Jin, X; Yi, J; Zhou, Y; Yan, H; Han, C; Xie, C

2014-02-01

A new plan quality index integrating dosimetric and radiobiological indices was proposed to facilitate the evaluation and comparison of simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plans for nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) patients. Ten NPC patients treated by SIB-IMRT were enrolled in the study. Custom software was developed to read dose-volume histogram (DVH) curves from the treatment planning system (TPS). A plan filtering matrix was introduced to filter plans that fail to satisfy treatment protocol. Target plan quality indices and organ at risk (OAR) plan quality indices were calculated for qualified plans. A unique composite plan quality index (CPQI) was proposed based on the relative weight of these indices to evaluate and compare competing plans. Plan ranking results were compared with detailed statistical analysis, radiation oncology quality system (ROQS) scoring results and physician's evaluation results to verify the accuracy of this new plan quality index. The average CPQI values for plans with OAR priority of low, normal, high, and PTV only were 0.22 ± 0.08, 0.49 ± 0.077, 0.71 ± 0.062, and -0.21 ± 0.16, respectively. There were significant differences among these plan quality indices (One-way ANOVA test, p < 0.01). This was consistent with statistical analysis, ROQS results and physician's ranking results in which 90% OAR high plans were selected. Plan filtering matrix was able to speed up the plan evaluation process. The new matrix plan quality index CPQI showed good consistence with physician ranking results. It is a promising index for NPC SIB-IMRT plan evaluation. Copyright © 2013 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Key Questions in Building Defect Prediction Models in Practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramler, Rudolf; Wolfmaier, Klaus; Stauder, Erwin; Kossak, Felix; Natschläger, Thomas

The information about which modules of a future version of a software system are defect-prone is a valuable planning aid for quality managers and testers. Defect prediction promises to indicate these defect-prone modules. However, constructing effective defect prediction models in an industrial setting involves a number of key questions. In this paper we discuss ten key questions identified in context of establishing defect prediction in a large software development project. Seven consecutive versions of the software system have been used to construct and validate defect prediction models for system test planning. Furthermore, the paper presents initial empirical results from the studied project and, by this means, contributes answers to the identified questions.

Multicentre analysis of treatment planning information: technical requirements, possible applications and a proposal.

PubMed

Ebert, M A; Blight, J; Price, S; Haworth, A; Hamilton, C; Cornes, D; Joseph, D J

2004-09-01

Digital data from 3-D treatment planning computers is generally used for patient planning and then never considered again. However, such data contains enormous quantities of information regarding patient geometries, tissue outlining, treatment approaches and dose distributions. Were such data accessible from planning systems from multiple manufacturers, there would be substantial opportunities for undertaking quality assurance of radiotherapy clinical trials, prospective assessment of trial outcomes and basic treatment planning research and development. The technicalities of data exchange between planning systems are outlined, and previous attempts at producing systems capable of viewing and/or manipulating imaging and radiotherapy digital data reviewed. Development of a software system for enhancing the quality of Australasian clinical trials is proposed.

TMT approach to observatory software development process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buur, Hanne; Subramaniam, Annapurni; Gillies, Kim; Dumas, Christophe; Bhatia, Ravinder

2016-07-01

The purpose of the Observatory Software System (OSW) is to integrate all software and hardware components of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) to enable observations and data capture; thus it is a complex software system that is defined by four principal software subsystems: Common Software (CSW), Executive Software (ESW), Data Management System (DMS) and Science Operations Support System (SOSS), all of which have interdependencies with the observatory control systems and data acquisition systems. Therefore, the software development process and plan must consider dependencies to other subsystems, manage architecture, interfaces and design, manage software scope and complexity, and standardize and optimize use of resources and tools. Additionally, the TMT Observatory Software will largely be developed in India through TMT's workshare relationship with the India TMT Coordination Centre (ITCC) and use of Indian software industry vendors, which adds complexity and challenges to the software development process, communication and coordination of activities and priorities as well as measuring performance and managing quality and risk. The software project management challenge for the TMT OSW is thus a multi-faceted technical, managerial, communications and interpersonal relations challenge. The approach TMT is using to manage this multifaceted challenge is a combination of establishing an effective geographically distributed software team (Integrated Product Team) with strong project management and technical leadership provided by the TMT Project Office (PO) and the ITCC partner to manage plans, process, performance, risk and quality, and to facilitate effective communications; establishing an effective cross-functional software management team composed of stakeholders, OSW leadership and ITCC leadership to manage dependencies and software release plans, technical complexities and change to approved interfaces, architecture, design and tool set, and to facilitate effective communications; adopting an agile-based software development process across the observatory to enable frequent software releases to help mitigate subsystem interdependencies; defining concise scope and work packages for each of the OSW subsystems to facilitate effective outsourcing of software deliverables to the ITCC partner, and to enable performance monitoring and risk management. At this stage, the architecture and high-level design of the software system has been established and reviewed. During construction each subsystem will have a final design phase with reviews, followed by implementation and testing. The results of the TMT approach to the Observatory Software development process will only be preliminary at the time of the submittal of this paper, but it is anticipated that the early results will be a favorable indication of progress.

[Requirements for the successful installation of an data management system].

PubMed

Benson, M; Junger, A; Quinzio, L; Hempelmann, G

2002-08-01

Due to increasing requirements on medical documentation, especially with reference to the German Social Law binding towards quality management and introducing a new billing system (DRGs), an increasing number of departments consider to implement a patient data management system (PDMS). The installation should be professionally planned as a project in order to insure and complete a successful installation. The following aspects are essential: composition of the project group, definition of goals, finance, networking, space considerations, hardware, software, configuration, education and support. Project and finance planning must be prepared before beginning the project and the project process must be constantly evaluated. In selecting the software, certain characteristics should be considered: use of standards, configurability, intercommunicability and modularity. Our experience has taught us that vaguely defined goals, insufficient project planning and the existing management culture are responsible for the failure of PDMS installations. The software used tends to play a less important role.

WE-G-BRA-02: SafetyNet: Automating Radiotherapy QA with An Event Driven Framework

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

Hadley, S; Kessler, M; Litzenberg, D

2015-06-15

Purpose: Quality assurance is an essential task in radiotherapy that often requires many manual tasks. We investigate the use of an event driven framework in conjunction with software agents to automate QA and eliminate wait times. Methods: An in house developed subscription-publication service, EventNet, was added to the Aria OIS to be a message broker for critical events occurring in the OIS and software agents. Software agents operate without user intervention and perform critical QA steps. The results of the QA are documented and the resulting event is generated and passed back to EventNet. Users can subscribe to those eventsmore » and receive messages based on custom filters designed to send passing or failing results to physicists or dosimetrists. Agents were developed to expedite the following QA tasks: Plan Revision, Plan 2nd Check, SRS Winston-Lutz isocenter, Treatment History Audit, Treatment Machine Configuration. Results: Plan approval in the Aria OIS was used as the event trigger for plan revision QA and Plan 2nd check agents. The agents pulled the plan data, executed the prescribed QA, stored the results and updated EventNet for publication. The Winston Lutz agent reduced QA time from 20 minutes to 4 minutes and provided a more accurate quantitative estimate of radiation isocenter. The Treatment Machine Configuration agent automatically reports any changes to the Treatment machine or HDR unit configuration. The agents are reliable, act immediately, and execute each task identically every time. Conclusion: An event driven framework has inverted the data chase in our radiotherapy QA process. Rather than have dosimetrists and physicists push data to QA software and pull results back into the OIS, the software agents perform these steps immediately upon receiving the sentinel events from EventNet. Mr Keranen is an employee of Varian Medical Systems. Dr. Moran’s institution receives research support for her effort for a linear accelerator QA project from Varian Medical Systems. Other quality projects involving her effort are funded by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and the NIH.« less

Provider software buyer's guide.

PubMed

1994-03-01

To help long term care providers find new ways to improve quality of care and efficiency, Provider magazine presents the fourth annual listing of software firms marketing computer programs for all areas of nursing facility operations. On the following five pages, more than 80 software firms display their wares, with programs such as minimum data set and care planning, dietary, accounting and financials, case mix, and medication administration records. The guide also charts compatible hardware, integration ability, telephone numbers, company contacts, and easy-to-use reader service numbers.

5th Annual Provider Software Buyer's Guide.

PubMed

1995-03-01

To help long term care providers find new ways to improve quality of care and efficiency, PROVIDER presents the fifth annual listing of software firms marketing computer programs for all areas of long term care operations. On the following five pages, more than 70 software firms display their wares, with programs such as minimum data set and care planning, dietary, accounting and financials, case mix, and medication administration records. The guide also charts compatible hardware, integration ability, telephone numbers, company contacts, and easy-to-use reader service numbers.

Provider software buyer's guide.

PubMed

1993-03-01

To help long term care providers find new ways to improve quality of care and efficiency. Provider magazine presents the third annual listing of software firms marketing computer programs for all areas of nursing facility operations. On the following five pages, more than 80 software firms display their wares, with programs such as minimum data set and care planning, dietary, accounting and financials, case mix, and medication administration records. The guide also charts compatible hardware, integration ability, telephone numbers, company contacts, and easy-to-use reader service numbers.

Business Intelligence Applied to the ALMA Software Integration Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zambrano, M.; Recabarren, C.; González, V.; Hoffstadt, A.; Soto, R.; Shen, T.-C.

2012-09-01

Software quality assurance and planning of an astronomy project is a complex task, specially if it is a distributed collaborative project such as ALMA, where the development centers are spread across the globe. When you execute a software project there is much valuable information about this process itself that you might be able to collect. One of the ways you can receive this input is via an issue tracking system that will gather the problem reports relative to software bugs captured during the testing of the software, during the integration of the different components or even worst, problems occurred during production time. Usually, there is little time spent on analyzing them but with some multidimensional processing you can extract valuable information from them and it might help you on the long term planning and resources allocation. We present an analysis of the information collected at ALMA from a collection of key unbiased indicators. We describe here the extraction, transformation and load process and how the data was processed. The main goal is to assess a software process and get insights from this information.

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

Giaddui, T; Li, N; Moore, K

Purpose: To establish a workflow for NRG-GY006 IMRT pre-treatment reviews, incorporating advanced radiotherapy technologies being evaluated as part of the clinical trial. Methods: Pre-Treatment reviews are required for every IMRT case as part of NRG-GY006 (a randomized phase II trial of radiation therapy and cisplatin alone or in combination with intravenous triapine in women with newly diagnosed bulky stage I B2, stage II, IIIB, or IVA cancer of the uterine cervix or stage II-IVA vaginal cancer. The pretreatment review process includes structures review and generating an active bone marrow(ABM)- to be used as an avoidance structure during IMRT optimization- andmore » evaluating initial IMRT plan quality using knowledgeengineering based planning (KBP). Institutions will initially submit their simulation CT scan, structures file and PET/CT to IROC QA center for generating ABM. The ABM will be returned to the institution for use in planning. Institutions will then submit an initial IMRT plan for review and will receive information back following implementation of a KBP algorithm, for use in re-optimization, before submitting the final IMRT used for treatment. Results: ABM structure is generated using MIM vista software (Version 6.5, MIM corporation, Inc.). Here, the planning CT and the diagnostic PET/CT are fused and a sub threshold structure is auto segmented above the mean value of the SUV of the bone marrow. The generated ABM were compared with those generated with other software system (e.g. Velocity, Varian) and Dice coefficient (reflects the overlap of structures) ranged between 80 – 90% was achieved. A KBP model was built in Varian Eclipse TPS using the RapidPlan KBP software to perform plan quality assurance. Conclusion: The workflow for IMRT pretreatment reviews has been established. It represents a major improvement of NRG Oncology clinical trial quality assurance and incorporates the latest radiotherapy technologies as part of NCI clinical trials. This project was supported by grants U24CA180803 (IROC), UG1CA189867 (NCORP), U10CA180868 (NRG Oncology Operations), U10CA180822 (NRG Oncology SDMC) from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and PA CURE grant.« less

"SABER": A new software tool for radiotherapy treatment plan evaluation.

PubMed

Zhao, Bo; Joiner, Michael C; Orton, Colin G; Burmeister, Jay

2010-11-01

Both spatial and biological information are necessary in order to perform true optimization of a treatment plan and for predicting clinical outcome. The goal of this work is to develop an enhanced treatment plan evaluation tool which incorporates biological parameters and retains spatial dose information. A software system is developed which provides biological plan evaluation with a novel combination of features. It incorporates hyper-radiosensitivity using the induced-repair model and applies the new concept of dose convolution filter (DCF) to simulate dose wash-out effects due to cell migration, bystander effect, and/or tissue motion during treatment. Further, the concept of spatial DVH (sDVH) is introduced to evaluate and potentially optimize the spatial dose distribution in the target volume. Finally, generalized equivalent uniform dose is derived from both the physical dose distribution (gEUD) and the distribution of equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions (gEUD2) and the software provides three separate models for calculation of tumor control probability (TCP), normal tissue complication probability (NTCP), and probability of uncomplicated tumor control (P+). TCP, NTCP, and P+ are provided as a function of prescribed dose and multivariable TCP, NTCP, and P+ plots are provided to illustrate the dependence on individual parameters used to calculate these quantities. Ten plans from two clinical treatment sites are selected to test the three calculation models provided by this software. By retaining both spatial and biological information about the dose distribution, the software is able to distinguish features of radiotherapy treatment plans not discernible using commercial systems. Plans that have similar DVHs may have different spatial and biological characteristics and the application of novel tools such as sDVH and DCF within the software may substantially change the apparent plan quality or predicted plan metrics such as TCP and NTCP. For the cases examined, both the calculation method and the application of DCF can change the ranking order of competing plans. The voxel-by-voxel TCP model makes it feasible to incorporate spatial variations of clonogen densities (n), radiosensitivities (SF2), and fractionation sensitivities (alpha/beta) as those data become available. The new software incorporates both spatial and biological information into the treatment planning process. The application of multiple methods for the incorporation of biological and spatial information has demonstrated that the order of application of biological models can change the order of plan ranking. Thus, the results of plan evaluation and optimization are dependent not only on the models used but also on the order in which they are applied. This software can help the planner choose more biologically optimal treatment plans and potentially predict treatment outcome more accurately.

Commissioning and validation of COMPASS system for VMAT patient specific quality assurance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pimthong, J.; Kakanaporn, C.; Tuntipumiamorn, L.; Laojunun, P.; Iampongpaiboon, P.

2016-03-01

Pre-treatment patient specific quality assurance (QA) of advanced treatment techniques such as volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is one of important QA in radiotherapy. The fast and reliable dosimetric device is required. The objective of this study is to commission and validate the performance of COMPASS system for dose verification of VMAT technique. The COMPASS system is composed of an array of ionization detectors (MatriXX) mounted to the gantry using a custom holder and software for the analysis and visualization of QA results. We validated the COMPASS software for basic and advanced clinical application. For the basic clinical study, the simple open field in various field sizes were validated in homogeneous phantom. And the advanced clinical application, the fifteen prostate and fifteen nasopharyngeal cancers VMAT plans were chosen to study. The treatment plans were measured by the MatriXX. The doses and dose-volume histograms (DVHs) reconstructed from the fluence measurements were compared to the TPS calculated plans. And also, the doses and DVHs computed using collapsed cone convolution (CCC) Algorithm were compared with Eclipse TPS calculated plans using Analytical Anisotropic Algorithm (AAA) that according to dose specified in ICRU 83 for PTV.

Optimal Planning and Problem-Solving

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clemet, Bradley; Schaffer, Steven; Rabideau, Gregg

2008-01-01

CTAEMS MDP Optimal Planner is a problem-solving software designed to command a single spacecraft/rover, or a team of spacecraft/rovers, to perform the best action possible at all times according to an abstract model of the spacecraft/rover and its environment. It also may be useful in solving logistical problems encountered in commercial applications such as shipping and manufacturing. The planner reasons around uncertainty according to specified probabilities of outcomes using a plan hierarchy to avoid exploring certain kinds of suboptimal actions. Also, planned actions are calculated as the state-action space is expanded, rather than afterward, to reduce by an order of magnitude the processing time and memory used. The software solves planning problems with actions that can execute concurrently, that have uncertain duration and quality, and that have functional dependencies on others that affect quality. These problems are modeled in a hierarchical planning language called C_TAEMS, a derivative of the TAEMS language for specifying domains for the DARPA Coordinators program. In realistic environments, actions often have uncertain outcomes and can have complex relationships with other tasks. The planner approaches problems by considering all possible actions that may be taken from any state reachable from a given, initial state, and from within the constraints of a given task hierarchy that specifies what tasks may be performed by which team member.

The Role of Personal Computers in Vocational Education: A Critical View.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Passmore, David L.; And Others

1984-01-01

Personal computers are inexpensive, portable, accessible, and adaptable for vocational education instruction, administration, and communications. Successful infusion of microcomputers into vocational education requires staff orientation, improvement in software quality, and careful planning. (SK)

Improvements and enhancements to LOSPLAN 2009 : summary report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-03-01

LOSPLAN is software that supports the Quality/Level of Service (Q/LOS) Handbook. The Handbook was developed by the Florida Department of Transportation Systems Planning Office with the intention that engineers, planners, and decision makers would use...

An experience of qualified preventive screening: shiraz smart screening software.

PubMed

Islami Parkoohi, Parisa; Zare, Hashem; Abdollahifard, Gholamreza

2015-01-01

Computerized preventive screening software is a cost effective intervention tool to address non-communicable chronic diseases. Shiraz Smart Screening Software (SSSS) was developed as an innovative tool for qualified screening. It allows simultaneous smart screening of several high-burden chronic diseases and supports reminder notification functionality. The extent in which SSSS affects screening quality is also described. Following software development, preventive screening and annual health examinations of 261 school staff (Medical School of Shiraz, Iran) was carried out in a software-assisted manner. To evaluate the quality of the software-assisted screening, we used quasi-experimental study design and determined coverage, irregular attendance and inappropriateness proportions in relation with the manual and software-assisted screening as well as the corresponding number of requested tests. In manual screening method, 27% of employees were covered (with 94% irregular attendance) while by software-assisted screening, the coverage proportion was 79% (attendance status will clear after the specified time). The frequency of inappropriate screening test requests, before the software implementation, was 41.37% for fasting plasma glucose, 41.37% for lipid profile, 0.84% for occult blood, 0.19% for flexible sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy, 35.29% for Pap smear, 19.20% for mammography and 11.2% for prostate specific antigen. All of the above were corrected by the software application. In total, 366 manual screening and 334 software-assisted screening tests were requested. SSSS is an innovative tool to improve the quality of preventive screening plans in terms of increased screening coverage, reduction in inappropriateness and the total number of requested tests.

RMP*eSubmit

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This online reporting software improves data quality and enables you to access your Risk Management Plan 24/7. It operates through EPA's Central Data Exchange (CDX) and runs in Java. You will need to set up accounts for a certifying official and preparer.

Space Shuttle flying qualities and flight control system assessment study, phase 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Myers, T. T.; Johnston, D. E.; Mcruer, D. T.

1983-01-01

A program of flying qualities experiments as part of the Orbiter Experiments Program (OEX) is defined. Phase 1, published as CR-170391, reviewed flying qualities criteria and shuttle data. The review of applicable experimental and shuttle data to further define the OEX plan is continued. An unconventional feature of this approach is the use of pilot strategy model identification to relate flight and simulator results. Instrumentation, software, and data analysis techniques for pilot model measurements are examined. The relationship between shuttle characteristics and superaugmented aircraft is established. STS flights 1 through 4 are reviewed from the point of view of flying qualities. A preliminary plan for a coordinated program of inflight and simulator research is presented.

Development and Evaluation of a Computer-Based Program for Assessing Quality of Family Medicine Teams Based on Accreditation Standards

PubMed Central

Valjevac, Salih; Ridjanovic, Zoran; Masic, Izet

2009-01-01

CONFLICT OF INTEREST: NONE DECLARED SUMMARY Introduction Agency for healthcare quality and accreditation in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AKAZ) is authorized body in the field of healthcare quality and safety improvement and accreditation of healthcare institutions. Beside accreditation standards for hospitals and primary health care centers, AKAZ has also developed accreditation standards for family medicine teams. Methods Software development was primarily based on Accreditation Standards for Family Medicine Teams. Seven chapters / topics: (1. Physical factors; 2. Equipment; 3. Organization and Management; 4. Health promotion and illness prevention; 5. Clinical services; 6. Patient survey; and 7. Patient’s rights and obligations) contain 35 standards describing expected level of family medicine team’s quality. Based on accreditation standards structure and needs of different potential users, it was concluded that software backbone should be a database containing all accreditation standards, self assessment and external assessment details. In this article we will present the development of standardized software for self and external evaluation of quality of service in family medicine, as well as plans for the future development of this software package. Conclusion Electronic data gathering and storing enhances the management, access and overall use of information. During this project we came to conclusion that software for self assessment and external assessment is ideal for accreditation standards distribution, their overview by the family medicine team members, their self assessment and external assessment. PMID:24109157

High-quality remote interactive imaging in the operating theatre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grimstead, Ian J.; Avis, Nick J.; Evans, Peter L.; Bocca, Alan

2009-02-01

We present a high-quality display system that enables the remote access within an operating theatre of high-end medical imaging and surgical planning software. Currently, surgeons often use printouts from such software for reference during surgery; our system enables surgeons to access and review patient data in a sterile environment, viewing real-time renderings of MRI & CT data as required. Once calibrated, our system displays shades of grey in Operating Room lighting conditions (removing any gamma correction artefacts). Our system does not require any expensive display hardware, is unobtrusive to the remote workstation and works with any application without requiring additional software licenses. To extend the native 256 levels of grey supported by a standard LCD monitor, we have used the concept of "PseudoGrey" where slightly off-white shades of grey are used to extend the intensity range from 256 to 1,785 shades of grey. Remote access is facilitated by a customized version of UltraVNC, which corrects remote shades of grey for display in the Operating Room. The system is successfully deployed at Morriston Hospital, Swansea, UK, and is in daily use during Maxillofacial surgery. More formal user trials and quantitative assessments are being planned for the future.

Items Supporting the Hanford Internal Dosimetry Program Implementation of the IMBA Computer Code

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

Carbaugh, Eugene H.; Bihl, Donald E.

2008-01-07

The Hanford Internal Dosimetry Program has adopted the computer code IMBA (Integrated Modules for Bioassay Analysis) as its primary code for bioassay data evaluation and dose assessment using methodologies of ICRP Publications 60, 66, 67, 68, and 78. The adoption of this code was part of the implementation plan for the June 8, 2007 amendments to 10 CFR 835. This information release includes action items unique to IMBA that were required by PNNL quality assurance standards for implementation of safety software. Copie of the IMBA software verification test plan and the outline of the briefing given to new users aremore » also included.« less

Support for comprehensive reuse

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basili, V. R.; Rombach, H. D.

1991-01-01

Reuse of products, processes, and other knowledge will be the key to enable the software industry to achieve the dramatic improvement in productivity and quality required to satisfy the anticipated growing demands. Although experience shows that certain kinds of reuse can be successful, general success has been elusive. A software life-cycle technology which allows comprehensive reuse of all kinds of software-related experience could provide the means to achieving the desired order-of-magnitude improvements. A comprehensive framework of models, model-based characterization schemes, and support mechanisms for better understanding, evaluating, planning, and supporting all aspects of reuse are introduced.

Retrospective evaluation of dosimetric quality for prostate carcinomas treated with 3D conformal, intensity modulated and volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy

PubMed Central

Crowe, Scott B; Kairn, Tanya; Middlebrook, Nigel; Hill, Brendan; Christie, David R H; Knight, Richard T; Kenny, John; Langton, Christian M; Trapp, Jamie V

2013-01-01

Introduction This study examines and compares the dosimetric quality of radiotherapy treatment plans for prostate carcinoma across a cohort of 163 patients treated across five centres: 83 treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT), 33 treated with intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and 47 treated with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Methods Treatment plan quality was evaluated in terms of target dose homogeneity and organs at risk (OAR), through the use of a set of dose metrics. These included the mean, maximum and minimum doses; the homogeneity and conformity indices for the target volumes; and a selection of dose coverage values that were relevant to each OAR. Statistical significance was evaluated using two-tailed Welch's T-tests. The Monte Carlo DICOM ToolKit software was adapted to permit the evaluation of dose metrics from DICOM data exported from a commercial radiotherapy treatment planning system. Results The 3DCRT treatment plans offered greater planning target volume dose homogeneity than the other two treatment modalities. The IMRT and VMAT plans offered greater dose reduction in the OAR: with increased compliance with recommended OAR dose constraints, compared to conventional 3DCRT treatments. When compared to each other, IMRT and VMAT did not provide significantly different treatment plan quality for like-sized tumour volumes. Conclusions This study indicates that IMRT and VMAT have provided similar dosimetric quality, which is superior to the dosimetric quality achieved with 3DCRT. PMID:26229621

SU-E-J-199: A Software Tool for Quality Assurance of Online Replanning with MR-Linac

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

Chen, G; Ahunbay, E; Li, X

2015-06-15

Purpose: To develop a quality assurance software tool, ArtQA, capable of automatically checking radiation treatment plan parameters, verifying plan data transfer from treatment planning system (TPS) to record and verify (R&V) system, performing a secondary MU calculation considering the effect of magnetic field from MR-Linac, and verifying the delivery and plan consistency, for online replanning. Methods: ArtQA was developed by creating interfaces to TPS (e.g., Monaco, Elekta), R&V system (Mosaiq, Elekta), and secondary MU calculation system. The tool obtains plan parameters from the TPS via direct file reading, and retrieves plan data both transferred from TPS and recorded during themore » actual delivery in the R&V system database via open database connectivity and structured query language. By comparing beam/plan datasets in different systems, ArtQA detects and outputs discrepancies between TPS, R&V system and secondary MU calculation system, and delivery. To consider the effect of 1.5T transverse magnetic field from MR-Linac in the secondary MU calculation, a method based on modified Clarkson integration algorithm was developed and tested for a series of clinical situations. Results: ArtQA is capable of automatically checking plan integrity and logic consistency, detecting plan data transfer errors, performing secondary MU calculations with or without a transverse magnetic field, and verifying treatment delivery. The tool is efficient and effective for pre- and post-treatment QA checks of all available treatment parameters that may be impractical with the commonly-used visual inspection. Conclusion: The software tool ArtQA can be used for quick and automatic pre- and post-treatment QA check, eliminating human error associated with visual inspection. While this tool is developed for online replanning to be used on MR-Linac, where the QA needs to be performed rapidly as the patient is lying on the table waiting for the treatment, ArtQA can be used as a general QA tool in radiation oncology practice. This work is partially supported by Elekta Inc.« less

Implementing Software Safety in the NASA Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wetherholt, Martha S.; Radley, Charles F.

1994-01-01

Until recently, NASA did not consider allowing computers total control of flight systems. Human operators, via hardware, have constituted the ultimate safety control. In an attempt to reduce costs, NASA has come to rely more and more heavily on computers and software to control space missions. (For example. software is now planned to control most of the operational functions of the International Space Station.) Thus the need for systematic software safety programs has become crucial for mission success. Concurrent engineering principles dictate that safety should be designed into software up front, not tested into the software after the fact. 'Cost of Quality' studies have statistics and metrics to prove the value of building quality and safety into the development cycle. Unfortunately, most software engineers are not familiar with designing for safety, and most safety engineers are not software experts. Software written to specifications which have not been safety analyzed is a major source of computer related accidents. Safer software is achieved step by step throughout the system and software life cycle. It is a process that includes requirements definition, hazard analyses, formal software inspections, safety analyses, testing, and maintenance. The greatest emphasis is placed on clearly and completely defining system and software requirements, including safety and reliability requirements. Unfortunately, development and review of requirements are the weakest link in the process. While some of the more academic methods, e.g. mathematical models, may help bring about safer software, this paper proposes the use of currently approved software methodologies, and sound software and assurance practices to show how, to a large degree, safety can be designed into software from the start. NASA's approach today is to first conduct a preliminary system hazard analysis (PHA) during the concept and planning phase of a project. This determines the overall hazard potential of the system to be built. Shortly thereafter, as the system requirements are being defined, the second iteration of hazard analyses takes place, the systems hazard analysis (SHA). During the systems requirements phase, decisions are made as to what functions of the system will be the responsibility of software. This is the most critical time to affect the safety of the software. From this point, software safety analyses as well as software engineering practices are the main focus for assuring safe software. While many of the steps proposed in this paper seem like just sound engineering practices, they are the best technical and most cost effective means to assure safe software within a safe system.

[Quality assurance of a virtual simulation software: application to IMAgo and SIMAgo (ISOgray)].

PubMed

Isambert, A; Beaudré, A; Ferreira, I; Lefkopoulos, D

2007-06-01

Virtual simulation process is often used to prepare three dimensional conformal radiation therapy treatments. As the quality of the treatment is widely dependent on this step, it is mandatory to perform extensive controls on this software before clinical use. The tests presented in this work have been carried out on the treatment planning system ISOgray (DOSIsoft), including the delineation module IMAgo and the virtual simulation module SIMAgo. According to our experience, the most relevant controls of international protocols have been selected. These tests mainly focused on measuring and delineation tools, virtual simulation functionalities, and have been performed with three phantoms: the Quasar Multi-Purpose Body Phantom, the Quasar MLC Beam Geometry Phantom (Modus Medical Devices Inc.) and a phantom developed at Hospital Tenon. No major issues have been identified while performing the tests. These controls have emphasized the necessity for the user to consider with a critical eye the results displayed by a virtual simulation software. The contrast of visualisation, the slice thickness, the calculation and display mode of 3D structures used by the software are many factors of uncertainties. A virtual simulation software quality assurance procedure has been written and applied on a set of CT images. Similar tests have to be performed periodically and at minimum at each change of major version.

SU-E-T-106: An Institutional Review of Using Commercially Available Software to Evaluate Treatment Plan Quality for Various Treatment Sites and Beam Deliveries

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

Esquivel, C; Patton, L; Walker, S

Purpose: Use Sun Nuclear Quality Reports™ with PlanIQ™ to evaluate different treatment delivery techniques for various treatment sites. Methods: Fifteen random patients with different treatment sites were evaluated. These include the Head/Neck, prostate, pelvis, lung, esophagus, axilla, bladder and abdomen. Initially, these sites were planned on the Pinnacle {sup 3} V9.6 treatment planning system and utilized nine 6MV step-n-shoot IMRT fields. The RT plan, dose and structure sets were sent to Quality Reports™ where a DVH was recreated and the plans were compared to a unique Plan Algorithm for each treatment site. Each algorithm has its own plan quality metricsmore » and objectives, which include the PTV coverage, PTV maximum dose, the prescription dose outside the target, doses to the critical structures, and the global maximum dose and its location. Each plan was scored base on meeting each objective. Plans may have been reoptimized and reevaluated with Quality Reports™ based on the initial score. PlanIQ™ was used to evaluate if any objective not met was achievable or difficult to obtain. A second plan using VMAT delivery was created for each patient and scored with Quality Reports™. Results: There were a wide range of scores for the different treatment sites with some scoring better for IMRT plans and some better for the VMAT deliveries. The variation in the scores could be attributed to the treatment site, location, and shape of the target. Most deliveries were chosen for the VMAT due to the short treatment times and quick patient throughput with acceptable plan scores. Conclusion: The tools are provided for both physician and dosimetrist to objectively evaluate the use of VMAT delivery versus the step-n-shoot IMRT delivery for various sites. PlanIQ validates if objectives can be met. For the physicist, a concise pass/fail report is created for plan evaluation.« less

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

Ma, R; Zhu, X; Li, S

Purpose: High Dose Rate (HDR) brachytherapy forward planning is principally an iterative process; hence, plan quality is affected by planners’ experiences and limited planning time. Thus, this may lead to sporadic errors and inconsistencies in planning. A statistical tool based on previous approved clinical treatment plans would help to maintain the consistency of planning quality and improve the efficiency of second checking. Methods: An independent dose calculation tool was developed from commercial software. Thirty-three previously approved cervical HDR plans with the same prescription dose (550cGy), applicator type, and treatment protocol were examined, and ICRU defined reference point doses (bladder, vaginalmore » mucosa, rectum, and points A/B) along with dwell times were collected. Dose calculation tool then calculated appropriate range with a 95% confidence interval for each parameter obtained, which would be used as the benchmark for evaluation of those parameters in future HDR treatment plans. Model quality was verified using five randomly selected approved plans from the same dataset. Results: Dose variations appears to be larger at the reference point of bladder and mucosa as compared with rectum. Most reference point doses from verification plans fell between the predicted range, except the doses of two points of rectum and two points of reference position A (owing to rectal anatomical variations & clinical adjustment in prescription points, respectively). Similar results were obtained for tandem and ring dwell times despite relatively larger uncertainties. Conclusion: This statistical tool provides an insight into clinically acceptable range of cervical HDR plans, which could be useful in plan checking and identifying potential planning errors, thus improving the consistency of plan quality.« less

A toolbox for developing bioinformatics software

PubMed Central

Potrzebowski, Wojciech; Puton, Tomasz; Rother, Magdalena; Wywial, Ewa; Bujnicki, Janusz M.

2012-01-01

Creating useful software is a major activity of many scientists, including bioinformaticians. Nevertheless, software development in an academic setting is often unsystematic, which can lead to problems associated with maintenance and long-term availibility. Unfortunately, well-documented software development methodology is difficult to adopt, and technical measures that directly improve bioinformatic programming have not been described comprehensively. We have examined 22 software projects and have identified a set of practices for software development in an academic environment. We found them useful to plan a project, support the involvement of experts (e.g. experimentalists), and to promote higher quality and maintainability of the resulting programs. This article describes 12 techniques that facilitate a quick start into software engineering. We describe 3 of the 22 projects in detail and give many examples to illustrate the usage of particular techniques. We expect this toolbox to be useful for many bioinformatics programming projects and to the training of scientific programmers. PMID:21803787

Overdose problem associated with treatment planning software for high energy photons in response of Panama's accident.

PubMed

Attalla, Ehab M; Lotayef, Mohamed M; Khalil, Ehab M; El-Hosiny, Hesham A; Nazmy, Mohamed S

2007-06-01

The purpose of this study was to quantify dose distribution errors by comparing actual dose measurements with the calculated values done by the software. To evaluate the outcome of radiation overexposure related to Panama's accident and in response to ensure that the treatment planning systems (T.P.S.) are being operated in accordance with the appropriate quality assurance programme, we studied the central axis and pripheral depth dose data using complex field shaped with blocks to quantify dose distribution errors. Multidata T.P.S. software versions 2.35 and 2.40 and Helax T.P.S. software version 5.1 B were assesed. The calculated data of the software treatment planning systems were verified by comparing these data with the actual dose measurements for open and blocked high energy photon fields (Co-60, 6MV & 18MV photons). Close calculated and measured results were obtained for the 2-D (Multidata) and 3-D treatment planning (TMS Helax). These results were correct within 1 to 2% for open fields and 0.5 to 2.5% for peripheral blocked fields. Discrepancies between calculated and measured data ranged between 13. to 36% along the central axis of complex blocked fields when normalisation point was selected at the Dmax, when the normalisation point was selected near or under the blocks, the variation between the calculated and the measured data was up to 500% difference. The present results emphasize the importance of the proper selection of the normalization point in the radiation field, as this facilitates detection of aberrant dose distribution (over exposure or under exposure).

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

Belley, M; Schmidt, M; Knutson, N

Purpose: Physics second-checks for external beam radiation therapy are performed, in-part, to verify that the machine parameters in the Record-and-Verify (R&V) system that will ultimately be sent to the LINAC exactly match the values initially calculated by the Treatment Planning System (TPS). While performing the second-check, a large portion of the physicists’ time is spent navigating and arranging display windows to locate and compare the relevant numerical values (MLC position, collimator rotation, field size, MU, etc.). Here, we describe the development of a software tool that guides the physicist by aggregating and succinctly displaying machine parameter data relevant to themore » physics second-check process. Methods: A data retrieval software tool was developed using Python to aggregate data and generate a list of machine parameters that are commonly verified during the physics second-check process. This software tool imported values from (i) the TPS RT Plan DICOM file and (ii) the MOSAIQ (R&V) Structured Query Language (SQL) database. The machine parameters aggregated for this study included: MLC positions, X&Y jaw positions, collimator rotation, gantry rotation, MU, dose rate, wedges and accessories, cumulative dose, energy, machine name, couch angle, and more. Results: A GUI interface was developed to generate a side-by-side display of the aggregated machine parameter values for each field, and presented to the physicist for direct visual comparison. This software tool was tested for 3D conformal, static IMRT, sliding window IMRT, and VMAT treatment plans. Conclusion: This software tool facilitated the data collection process needed in order for the physicist to conduct a second-check, thus yielding an optimized second-check workflow that was both more user friendly and time-efficient. Utilizing this software tool, the physicist was able to spend less time searching through the TPS PDF plan document and the R&V system and focus the second-check efforts on assessing the patient-specific plan-quality.« less

Evaluation of the optimal combinations of modulation factor and pitch for Helical TomoTherapy plans made with TomoEdge using Pareto optimal fronts.

PubMed

De Kerf, Geert; Van Gestel, Dirk; Mommaerts, Lobke; Van den Weyngaert, Danielle; Verellen, Dirk

2015-09-17

Modulation factor (MF) and pitch have an impact on Helical TomoTherapy (HT) plan quality and HT users mostly use vendor-recommended settings. This study analyses the effect of these two parameters on both plan quality and treatment time for plans made with TomoEdge planning software by using the concept of Pareto optimal fronts. More than 450 plans with different combinations of pitch [0.10-0.50] and MF [1.2-3.0] were produced. These HT plans, with a field width (FW) of 5 cm, were created for five head and neck patients and homogeneity index, conformity index, dose-near-maximum (D2), and dose-near-minimum (D98) were analysed for the planning target volumes, as well as the mean dose and D2 for most critical organs at risk. For every dose metric the median value will be plotted against treatment time. A Pareto-like method is used in the analysis which will show how pitch and MF influence both treatment time and plan quality. For small pitches (≤0.20), MF does not influence treatment time. The contrary is true for larger pitches (≥0.25) as lowering MF will both decrease treatment time and plan quality until maximum gantry speed is reached. At this moment, treatment time is saturated and only plan quality will further decrease. The Pareto front analysis showed optimal combinations of pitch [0.23-0.45] and MF > 2.0 for a FW of 5 cm. Outside this range, plans will become less optimal. As the vendor-recommended settings fall within this range, the use of these settings is validated.

STAR-CCM+ Verification and Validation Plan

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

Pointer, William David

2016-09-30

The commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code STAR-CCM+ provides general purpose finite volume method solutions for fluid dynamics and energy transport. This document defines plans for verification and validation (V&V) of the base code and models implemented within the code by the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light water reactors (CASL). The software quality assurance activities described herein are port of the overall software life cycle defined in the CASL Software Quality Assurance (SQA) Plan [Sieger, 2015]. STAR-CCM+ serves as the principal foundation for development of an advanced predictive multi-phase boiling simulation capability within CASL. The CASL Thermal Hydraulics Methodsmore » (THM) team develops advanced closure models required to describe the subgrid-resolution behavior of secondary fluids or fluid phases in multiphase boiling flows within the Eulerian-Eulerian framework of the code. These include wall heat partitioning models that describe the formation of vapor on the surface and the forces the define bubble/droplet dynamic motion. The CASL models are implemented as user coding or field functions within the general framework of the code. This report defines procedures and requirements for V&V of the multi-phase CFD capability developed by CASL THM. Results of V&V evaluations will be documented in a separate STAR-CCM+ V&V assessment report. This report is expected to be a living document and will be updated as additional validation cases are identified and adopted as part of the CASL THM V&V suite.« less

SU-C-202-05: Pilot Study of Online Treatment Evaluation and Adaptive Re-Planning for Laryngeal SBRT

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

Mao, W; Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI; Liu, C

Purpose: We have instigated a phase I trial of 5-fraction stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for advanced-stage laryngeal cancer. We conducted this pilot dosimetric study to confirm the potential utility of online adaptive re-planning to preserve treatment quality. Methods: Ten cases of larynx cancer were evaluated. Baseline and daily SBRT treatment plans were generated per trial protocol. Daily volumetric images were acquired prior to every fraction of treatment. Reference simulation CT images were deformably registered to daily volumetric images using Eclipse. Planning contours were then deformably propagated to daily images. Reference SBRT plans were directly copied to calculate delivered dose distributionsmore » on deformed reference CT images. In-house software platform has been developed to calculate cumulative dose over a course of treatment in four steps: 1) deforming delivered dose grid to reference CT images using deformation information exported from Eclipse; 2) generating tetrahedrons using deformed dose grid as vertices; 3) resampling dose to a high resolution within every tetrahedron; 4) calculating dose-volume histograms. Our inhouse software was benchmarked with a commercial software, Mirada. Results: In all ten cases including 49 fractions of treatments, delivered daily doses were completely evaluated and treatment could be re-planned within 10 minutes. Prescription dose coverage of PTV was less than intended in 53% of fractions of treatment (mean: 94%, range: 84%–98%) while minimum coverage of CTV and GTV was 94% and 97%, respectively. Maximum bystander point dose limits to arytenoids, parotids, and spinal cord remained respected in all cases, although variances in carotid artery doses were observed in a minority of cases. Conclusion: Although GTV and CTV coverage is preserved by in-room 3D image guidance of larynx SBRT, PTV coverage can vary significantly from intended plans. Online adaptive treatment evaluation and re-planning is potentially necessary and our procedure is clinically applicable to fully preserve treatment quality. This project is supported by CPRIT Individual Investigator Research Award RP150386.« less

Ada and software management in NASA: Symposium/forum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

The promises of Ada to improve software productivity and quality, and the claims that a transition to Ada would require significant changes in NASA's training programs and ways of doing business were investigated. The study assesses the agency's ongoing and planned Ada activities. A series of industry representatives (Computer Sciences Corporation, General Electric Aerospace, McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Company, TRW, Lockheed, and Boeing) reviewed the recommendations and assessed their impact from the Company's perspective. The potential effects on NASA programs were then discussed.

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

Zaks, D; Fletcher, R; Salamon, S

Purpose: To develop an online framework that tracks a patient’s plan from initial simulation to treatment and that helps automate elements of the physics plan checks usually performed in the record and verify (RV) system and treatment planning system. Methods: We have developed PlanTracker, an online plan tracking system that automatically imports new patients tasks and follows it through treatment planning, physics checks, therapy check, and chart rounds. A survey was designed to collect information about the amount of time spent by medical physicists in non-physics related tasks. We then assessed these non-physics tasks for automation. Using these surveys, wemore » directed our PlanTracker software development towards the automation of intra-plan physics review. We then conducted a systematic evaluation of PlanTracker’s accuracy by generating test plans in the RV system software designed to mimic real plans, in order to test its efficacy in catching errors both real and theoretical. Results: PlanTracker has proven to be an effective improvement to the clinical workflow in a radiotherapy clinic. We present data indicating that roughly 1/3 of the physics plan check can be automated, and the workflow optimized, and show the functionality of PlanTracker. When the full system is in clinical use we will present data on improvement of time use in comparison to survey data prior to PlanTracker implementation. Conclusion: We have developed a framework for plan tracking and automatic checks in radiation therapy. We anticipate using PlanTracker as a basis for further development in clinical/research software. We hope that by eliminating the most simple and time consuming checks, medical physicists may be able to spend their time on plan quality and other physics tasks rather than in arithmetic and logic checks. We see this development as part of a broader initiative to advance the clinical/research informatics infrastructure surrounding the radiotherapy clinic. This research project has been financially supported by Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA, through a Varian MRA.« less

Increasing productivity through Total Reuse Management (TRM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schuler, M. P.

1991-01-01

Total Reuse Management (TRM) is a new concept currently being promoted by the NASA Langley Software Engineering and Ada Lab (SEAL). It uses concepts similar to those promoted in Total Quality Management (TQM). Both technical and management personnel are continually encouraged to think in terms of reuse. Reuse is not something that is aimed for after a product is completed, but rather it is built into the product from inception through development. Lowering software development costs, reducing risk, and increasing code reliability are the more prominent goals of TRM. Procedures and methods used to adopt and apply TRM are described. Reuse is frequently thought of as only being applicable to code. However, reuse can apply to all products and all phases of the software life cycle. These products include management and quality assurance plans, designs, and testing procedures. Specific examples of successfully reused products are given and future goals are discussed.

Development of a software for quantitative evaluation radiotherapy target and organ-at-risk segmentation comparison.

PubMed

Kalpathy-Cramer, Jayashree; Awan, Musaddiq; Bedrick, Steven; Rasch, Coen R N; Rosenthal, David I; Fuller, Clifton D

2014-02-01

Modern radiotherapy requires accurate region of interest (ROI) inputs for plan optimization and delivery. Target delineation, however, remains operator-dependent and potentially serves as a major source of treatment delivery error. In order to optimize this critical, yet observer-driven process, a flexible web-based platform for individual and cooperative target delineation analysis and instruction was developed in order to meet the following unmet needs: (1) an open-source/open-access platform for automated/semiautomated quantitative interobserver and intraobserver ROI analysis and comparison, (2) a real-time interface for radiation oncology trainee online self-education in ROI definition, and (3) a source for pilot data to develop and validate quality metrics for institutional and cooperative group quality assurance efforts. The resultant software, Target Contour Testing/Instructional Computer Software (TaCTICS), developed using Ruby on Rails, has since been implemented and proven flexible, feasible, and useful in several distinct analytical and research applications.

A Planning and Development Proposal.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schachter, Rebeca

In view of the rapidly changing hardware technology along with the quality and quantity of software and general attitudes toward educational technology, the configuration of the Audio-Visual Distribution System and the Science and Engineering Library (SEL) should be flexible enough to incorporate these variables. SEL has made significant thrusts…

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

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

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

2015-06-15

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

Development of a model web-based system to support a statewide quality consortium in radiation oncology.

PubMed

Moran, Jean M; Feng, Mary; Benedetti, Lisa A; Marsh, Robin; Griffith, Kent A; Matuszak, Martha M; Hess, Michael; McMullen, Matthew; Fisher, Jennifer H; Nurushev, Teamour; Grubb, Margaret; Gardner, Stephen; Nielsen, Daniel; Jagsi, Reshma; Hayman, James A; Pierce, Lori J

A database in which patient data are compiled allows analytic opportunities for continuous improvements in treatment quality and comparative effectiveness research. We describe the development of a novel, web-based system that supports the collection of complex radiation treatment planning information from centers that use diverse techniques, software, and hardware for radiation oncology care in a statewide quality collaborative, the Michigan Radiation Oncology Quality Consortium (MROQC). The MROQC database seeks to enable assessment of physician- and patient-reported outcomes and quality improvement as a function of treatment planning and delivery techniques for breast and lung cancer patients. We created tools to collect anonymized data based on all plans. The MROQC system representing 24 institutions has been successfully deployed in the state of Michigan. Since 2012, dose-volume histogram and Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine-radiation therapy plan data and information on simulation, planning, and delivery techniques have been collected. Audits indicated >90% accurate data submission and spurred refinements to data collection methodology. This model web-based system captures detailed, high-quality radiation therapy dosimetry data along with patient- and physician-reported outcomes and clinical data for a radiation therapy collaborative quality initiative. The collaborative nature of the project has been integral to its success. Our methodology can be applied to setting up analogous consortiums and databases. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Radiation Oncology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mapping CMMI Level 2 to Scrum Practices: An Experience Report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diaz, Jessica; Garbajosa, Juan; Calvo-Manzano, Jose A.

CMMI has been adopted advantageously in large companies for improvements in software quality, budget fulfilling, and customer satisfaction. However SPI strategies based on CMMI-DEV require heavy software development processes and large investments in terms of cost and time that medium/small companies do not deal with. The so-called light software development processes, such as Agile Software Development (ASD), deal with these challenges. ASD welcomes changing requirements and stresses the importance of adaptive planning, simplicity and continuous delivery of valuable software by short time-framed iterations. ASD is becoming convenient in a more and more global, and changing software market. It would be greatly useful to be able to introduce agile methods such as Scrum in compliance with CMMI process model. This paper intends to increase the understanding of the relationship between ASD and CMMI-DEV reporting empirical results that confirm theoretical comparisons between ASD practices and CMMI level2.

Visual Uav Trajectory Plan System Based on Network Map

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, X. L.; Lin, Z. J.; Su, G. Z.; Wu, B. Y.

2012-07-01

The base map of the current software UP-30 using in trajectory plan for Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle is vector diagram. UP-30 draws navigation points manually. But in the field of operation process, the efficiency and the quality of work is influenced because of insufficient information, screen reflection, calculate inconveniently and other factors. If we do this work in indoor, the effect of external factors on the results would be eliminated, the network earth users can browse the free world high definition satellite images through downloading a client software, and can export the high resolution image by standard file format. This brings unprecedented convenient of trajectory plan. But the images must be disposed by coordinate transformation, geometric correction. In addition, according to the requirement of mapping scale ,camera parameters and overlap degree we can calculate exposure hole interval and trajectory distance between the adjacent trajectory automatically . This will improve the degree of automation of data collection. Software will judge the position of next point according to the intersection of the trajectory and the survey area and ensure the position of point according to trajectory distance. We can undertake the points artificially. So the trajectory plan is automatic and flexible. Considering safety, the date can be used in flying after simulating flight. Finally we can export all of the date using a key

Testing and validation of computerized decision support systems.

PubMed

Sailors, R M; East, T D; Wallace, C J; Carlson, D A; Franklin, M A; Heermann, L K; Kinder, A T; Bradshaw, R L; Randolph, A G; Morris, A H

1996-01-01

Systematic, through testing of decision support systems (DSSs) prior to release to general users is a critical aspect of high quality software design. Omission of this step may lead to the dangerous, and potentially fatal, condition of relying on a system with outputs of uncertain quality. Thorough testing requires a great deal of effort and is a difficult job because tools necessary to facilitate testing are not well developed. Testing is a job ill-suited to humans because it requires tireless attention to a large number of details. For these reasons, the majority of DSSs available are probably not well tested prior to release. We have successfully implemented a software design and testing plan which has helped us meet our goal of continuously improving the quality of our DSS software prior to release. While requiring large amounts of effort, we feel that the process of documenting and standardizing our testing methods are important steps toward meeting recognized national and international quality standards. Our testing methodology includes both functional and structural testing and requires input from all levels of development. Our system does not focus solely on meeting design requirements but also addresses the robustness of the system and the completeness of testing.

75 FR 27341 - Increasing Market and Planning Efficiency Through Improved Software; Notice of Technical...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-14

... Market and Planning Efficiency Through Improved Software; Notice of Technical Conference To Discuss Increasing Market and Planning Efficiency Through Improved Software May 7, 2010. Take notice that Commission... planning efficiency through improved software. [[Page 27342

Use of image registration and fusion algorithms and techniques in radiotherapy: Report of the AAPM Radiation Therapy Committee Task Group No. 132.

PubMed

Brock, Kristy K; Mutic, Sasa; McNutt, Todd R; Li, Hua; Kessler, Marc L

2017-07-01

Image registration and fusion algorithms exist in almost every software system that creates or uses images in radiotherapy. Most treatment planning systems support some form of image registration and fusion to allow the use of multimodality and time-series image data and even anatomical atlases to assist in target volume and normal tissue delineation. Treatment delivery systems perform registration and fusion between the planning images and the in-room images acquired during the treatment to assist patient positioning. Advanced applications are beginning to support daily dose assessment and enable adaptive radiotherapy using image registration and fusion to propagate contours and accumulate dose between image data taken over the course of therapy to provide up-to-date estimates of anatomical changes and delivered dose. This information aids in the detection of anatomical and functional changes that might elicit changes in the treatment plan or prescription. As the output of the image registration process is always used as the input of another process for planning or delivery, it is important to understand and communicate the uncertainty associated with the software in general and the result of a specific registration. Unfortunately, there is no standard mathematical formalism to perform this for real-world situations where noise, distortion, and complex anatomical variations can occur. Validation of the software systems performance is also complicated by the lack of documentation available from commercial systems leading to use of these systems in undesirable 'black-box' fashion. In view of this situation and the central role that image registration and fusion play in treatment planning and delivery, the Therapy Physics Committee of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine commissioned Task Group 132 to review current approaches and solutions for image registration (both rigid and deformable) in radiotherapy and to provide recommendations for quality assurance and quality control of these clinical processes. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Independent verification and validation for Space Shuttle flight software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

The Committee for Review of Oversight Mechanisms for Space Shuttle Software was asked by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Office of Space Flight to determine the need to continue independent verification and validation (IV&V) for Space Shuttle flight software. The Committee found that the current IV&V process is necessary to maintain NASA's stringent safety and quality requirements for man-rated vehicles. Therefore, the Committee does not support NASA's plan to eliminate funding for the IV&V effort in fiscal year 1993. The Committee believes that the Space Shuttle software development process is not adequate without IV&V and that elimination of IV&V as currently practiced will adversely affect the overall quality and safety of the software, both now and in the future. Furthermore, the Committee was told that no organization within NASA has the expertise or the manpower to replace the current IV&V function in a timely fashion, nor will building this expertise elsewhere necessarily reduce cost. Thus, the Committee does not recommend moving IV&V functions to other organizations within NASA unless the current IV&V is maintained for as long as it takes to build comparable expertise in the replacing organization.

Development of electronic software for the management of trauma patients on the orthopaedic unit.

PubMed

Patel, Vishal P; Raptis, Demitri; Christofi, T; Mathew, Rajeev; Horwitz, M D; Eleftheriou, K; McGovern, Paul D; Youngman, J; Patel, J V; Haddad, F S

2009-04-01

Continuity of patient care is an essential prerequisite for the successful running of a trauma surgery service. This is becoming increasingly difficult because of the new working arrangements of junior doctors. Handover is now central to ensure continuity of care following shift change over. The purpose of this study was to compare the quality of information handed over using the traditional ad hoc method of a handover sheet versus a web-based electronic software programme. It was hoped that through improved quality of handover the new system would have a positive impact on clinical care, risk and time management. Data was prospectively collected and analyzed using the SPSS 14 statistical package. The handover data of 350 patients using a paper-based system was compared to the data of 357 cases using the web-based system. Key data included basic demographic data, responsible surgeon, location of patient, injury site including site, whether fractures were open or closed, concomitant injuries and the treatment plan. A survey was conducted amongst health care providers to assess the impact of the new software. With the introduction of the electronic handover system, patients with missing demographic data reduced from 35.1% to 0.8% (p<0.0001) and missing patient location from 18.6% to 3.6% (p<0.0001). Missing consultant information and missing diagnosis dropped from 12.9% to 2.0% (p<0.0001) and from 11.7% to 0.8% (p<0.0001), respectively. The missing information regarding side and anatomical site of the injury was reduced from 31.4% to 0.8% (p<0.0001) and from 13.7% to 1.1% (p<0.0001), respectively. In 96.6% of paper ad hoc handovers it was not stated whether the injury was 'closed' or 'open', whereas in the electronic group this information was evident in all 357 patients (p<0.0001). A treatment plan was included only in 52.3% of paper handovers compared to 94.7% (p<0.0001) of electronic handovers. A survey revealed 96% of members of the trauma team felt an improvement of handover since the introduction of the software, and 94% of members were satisfied with the software. The findings of our study show that the use of web-based electronic software is effective in facilitating and improving the quality of information passed during handover. Structured software also aids in improving work flow amongst the trauma team. We argue that an improvement in the quality of handover is an improvement in clinical practice.

Uses of megavoltage digital tomosynthesis in radiotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkar, Vikren

With the advent of intensity modulated radiotherapy, radiation treatment plans are becoming more conformal to the tumor with the decreasing margins. It is therefore of prime importance that the patient be positioned correctly prior to treatment. Therefore, image guided treatment is necessary for intensity modulated radiotherapy plans to be implemented successfully. Current advanced imaging devices require costly hardware and software upgrade, and radiation imaging solutions, such as cone beam computed tomography, may introduce extra radiation dose to the patient in order to acquire better quality images. Thus, there is a need to extend current existing imaging device ability and functions while reducing cost and radiation dose. Existing electronic portal imaging devices can be used to generate computed tomography-like tomograms through projection images acquired over a small angle using the technique of cone-beam digital tomosynthesis. Since it uses a fraction of the images required for computed tomography reconstruction, use of this technique correspondingly delivers only a fraction of the imaging dose to the patient. Furthermore, cone-beam digital tomosynthesis can be offered as a software-only solution as long as a portal imaging device is available. In this study, the feasibility of performing digital tomosynthesis using individually-acquired megavoltage images from a charge coupled device-based electronic portal imaging device was investigated. Three digital tomosynthesis reconstruction algorithms, the shift-and-add, filtered back-projection, and simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique, were compared considering the final image quality and radiation dose during imaging. A software platform, DART, was created using a combination of the Matlab and C++ languages. The platform allows for the registration of a reference Cone Beam Digital Tomosynthesis (CBDT) image against a daily acquired set to determine how to shift the patient prior to treatment. Finally, the software was extended to investigate if the digital tomosynthesis dataset could be used in an adaptive radiotherapy regimen through the use of the Pinnacle treatment planning software to recalculate dose delivered. The feasibility study showed that the megavoltage CBDT visually agreed with corresponding megavoltage computed tomography images. The comparative study showed that the best compromise between imaging quality and imaging dose is obtained when 11 projection images, acquired over an imaging angle of 40°, are used with the filtered back-projection algorithm. DART was successfully used to register reference and daily image sets to within 1 mm in-plane and 2.5 mm out of plane. The DART platform was also effectively used to generate updated files that the Pinnacle treatment planning system used to calculate updated dose in a rigidly shifted patient. These doses were then used to calculate a cumulative dose distribution that could be used by a physician as reference to decide when the treatment plan should be updated. In conclusion, this study showed that a software solution is possible to extend existing electronic portal imaging devices to function as cone-beam digital tomosynthesis devices and achieve daily requirement for image guided intensity modulated radiotherapy treatments. The DART platform also has the potential to be used as a part of adaptive radiotherapy solution.

Space Station Mission Planning System (MPS) development study. Volume 1: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klus, W. J.

1987-01-01

The basic objective of the Space Station (SS) Mission Planning System (MPS) Development Study was to define a baseline Space Station mission plan and the associated hardware and software requirements for the system. A detailed definition of the Spacelab (SL) payload mission planning process and SL Mission Integration Planning System (MIPS) software was derived. A baseline concept was developed for performing SS manned base payload mission planning, and it was consistent with current Space Station design/operations concepts and philosophies. The SS MPS software requirements were defined. Also, requirements for new software include candidate programs for the application of artificial intelligence techniques to capture and make more effective use of mission planning expertise. A SS MPS Software Development Plan was developed which phases efforts for the development software to implement the SS mission planning concept.

Consolidated View on Space Software Engineering Problems - An Empirical Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, N.; Vieira, M.; Ricci, D.; Cotroneo, D.

2015-09-01

Independent software verification and validation (ISVV) has been a key process for engineering quality assessment for decades, and is considered in several international standards. The “European Space Agency (ESA) ISVV Guide” is used for the European Space market to drive the ISVV tasks and plans, and to select applicable tasks and techniques. Software artefacts have room for improvement due to the amount if issues found during ISVV tasks. This article presents the analysis of the results of a large set of ISVV issues originated from three different ESA missions-amounting to more than 1000 issues. The study presents the main types, triggers and impacts related to the ISVV issues found and sets the path for a global software engineering improvement based on the most common deficiencies identified for space projects.

Autonomous Planning and Replanning for Mine-Sweeping Unmanned Underwater Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaines, Daniel M.

2010-01-01

This software generates high-quality plans for carrying out mine-sweeping activities under resource constraints. The autonomous planning and replanning system for unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) takes as input a set of prioritized mine-sweep regions, and a specification of available UUV resources including available battery energy, data storage, and time available for accomplishing the mission. Mine-sweep areas vary in location, size of area to be swept, and importance of the region. The planner also works with a model of the UUV, as well as a model of the power consumption of the vehicle when idle and when moving.

TU-AB-201-02: An Automated Treatment Plan Quality Assurance Program for Tandem and Ovoid High Dose-Rate Brachytherapy

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

Tan, J; Shi, F; Hrycushko, B

2015-06-15

Purpose: For tandem and ovoid (T&O) HDR brachytherapy in our clinic, it is required that the planning physicist manually capture ∼10 images during planning, perform a secondary dose calculation and generate a report, combine them into a single PDF document, and upload it to a record- and-verify system to prove to an independent plan checker that the case was planned correctly. Not only does this slow down the already time-consuming clinical workflow, the PDF document also limits the number of parameters that can be checked. To solve these problems, we have developed a web-based automatic quality assurance (QA) program. Methods:more » We set up a QA server accessible through a web- interface. A T&O plan and CT images are exported as DICOMRT files and uploaded to the server. The software checks 13 geometric features, e.g. if the dwell positions are reasonable, and 10 dosimetric features, e.g. secondary dose calculations via TG43 formalism and D2cc to critical structures. A PDF report is automatically generated with errors and potential issues highlighted. It also contains images showing important geometric and dosimetric aspects to prove the plan was created following standard guidelines. Results: The program has been clinically implemented in our clinic. In each of the 58 T&O plans we tested, a 14- page QA report was automatically generated. It took ∼45 sec to export the plan and CT images and ∼30 sec to perform the QA tests and generate the report. In contrast, our manual QA document preparation tooks on average ∼7 minutes under optimal conditions and up to 20 minutes when mistakes were made during the document assembly. Conclusion: We have tested the efficiency and effectiveness of an automated process for treatment plan QA of HDR T&O cases. This software was shown to improve the workflow compared to our conventional manual approach.« less

Computer-aided navigation in dental implantology: 7 years of clinical experience.

PubMed

Ewers, Rolf; Schicho, Kurt; Truppe, Michael; Seemann, Rudolf; Reichwein, Astrid; Figl, Michael; Wagner, Arne

2004-03-01

This long-term study gives a review over 7 years of research, development, and routine clinical application of computer-aided navigation technology in dental implantology. Benefits and disadvantages of up-to-date technologies are discussed. In the course of the current advancement, various hardware and software configurations are used. In the initial phase, universally applicable navigation software is adapted for implantology. Since 2001, a special software module for dental implantology is available. Preoperative planning is performed on the basis of prosthetic aspects and requirements. In clinical routine use, patient and drill positions are intraoperatively registered by means of optoelectronic tracking systems; during preclinical tests, electromagnetic trackers are also used. In 7 years (1995 to 2002), 55 patients with 327 dental implants were successfully positioned with computer-aided navigation technology. The mean number of implants per patient was 6 (minimum, 1; maximum, 11). No complications were observed; the preoperative planning could be exactly realized. The average expenditure of time for the preparation of a surgical intervention with navigation decreased from 2 to 3 days in the initial phase to one-half day in clinical routine use with software that is optimized for dental implantology. The use of computer-aided navigation technology can contribute to considerable quality improvement. Preoperative planning is exactly realized and intraoperative safety is increased, because damage to nerves or neighboring teeth can be avoided.

Optimal guidance with obstacle avoidance for nap-of-the-earth flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pekelsma, Nicholas J.

1988-01-01

The development of automatic guidance is discussed for helicopter Nap-of-the-Earth (NOE) and near-NOE flight. It deals with algorithm refinements relating to automated real-time flight path planning and to mission planning. With regard to path planning, it relates rotorcraft trajectory characteristics to the NOE computation scheme and addresses real-time computing issues and both ride quality issues and pilot-vehicle interfaces. The automated mission planning algorithm refinements include route optimization, automatic waypoint generation, interactive applications, and provisions for integrating the results into the real-time path planning software. A microcomputer based mission planning workstation was developed and is described. Further, the application of Defense Mapping Agency (DMA) digital terrain to both the mission planning workstation and to automatic guidance is both discussed and illustrated.

Building an efficient supply chain.

PubMed

Scalise, Dagmara

2005-08-01

Realizing at last that supply chain management can produce efficiencies and save costs, hospitals are beginning to adopt practices from other industries, such as the concept of extended supply chains, to improve product flow. They're also investing in enterprise planning resource software, radio frequency identification and other technologies, using quality data to drive standardization and streamlining processes.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Transponder Loading Data Conversion Software. User's guide and software maintenance manual, version 1.2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mallasch, Paul G.

1993-01-01

This volume contains the complete software system documentation for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Transponder Loading Data Conversion Software (FIX-FCC). This software was written to facilitate the formatting and conversion of FCC Transponder Occupancy (Loading) Data before it is loaded into the NASA Geosynchronous Satellite Orbital Statistics Database System (GSOSTATS). The information that FCC supplies NASA is in report form and must be converted into a form readable by the database management software used in the GSOSTATS application. Both the User's Guide and Software Maintenance Manual are contained in this document. This volume of documentation passed an independent quality assurance review and certification by the Product Assurance and Security Office of the Planning Research Corporation (PRC). The manuals were reviewed for format, content, and readability. The Software Management and Assurance Program (SMAP) life cycle and documentation standards were used in the development of this document. Accordingly, these standards were used in the review. Refer to the System/Software Test/Product Assurance Report for the Geosynchronous Satellite Orbital Statistics Database System (GSOSTATS) for additional information.

Optimizing IV and V for Mature Organizations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuhman, Christopher

2003-01-01

NASA is intending for its future software development agencies to have at least a Level 3 rating in the Carnegie Mellon University Capability Maturity Model (CMM). The CMM has built-in Verification and Validation (V&V) processes that support higher software quality. Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) of software developed by mature agencies can be therefore more effective than for software developed by less mature organizations. How is Independent V&V different with respect to the maturity of an organization? Knowing a priori the maturity of an organization's processes, how can IV&V planners better identify areas of need choose IV&V activities, etc? The objective of this research is to provide a complementary set of guidelines and criteria to assist the planning of IV&V activities on a project using a priori knowledge of the measurable levels of maturity of the organization developing the software.

Man-rated flight software for the F-8 DFBW program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bairnsfather, R. R.

1975-01-01

The design, implementation, and verification of the flight control software used in the F-8 DFBW program are discussed. Since the DFBW utilizes an Apollo computer and hardware, the procedures, controls, and basic management techniques employed are based on those developed for the Apollo software system. Program Assembly Control, simulator configuration control, erasable-memory load generation, change procedures and anomaly reporting are discussed. The primary verification tools--the all-digital simulator, the hybrid simulator, and the Iron Bird simulator--are described, as well as the program test plans and their implementation on the various simulators. Failure-effects analysis and the creation of special failure-generating software for testing purposes are described. The quality of the end product is evidenced by the F-8 DFBW flight test program in which 42 flights, totaling 58 hours of flight time, were successfully made without any DFCS inflight software, or hardware, failures.

Software for Analyzing Laminar-to-Turbulent Flow Transitions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang, Chau-Lyan

2004-01-01

Software assurance is the planned and systematic set of activities that ensures that software processes and products conform to requirements, standards, and procedures. Examples of such activities are the following: code inspections, unit tests, design reviews, performance analyses, construction of traceability matrices, etc. In practice, software development projects have only limited resources (e.g., schedule, budget, and availability of personnel) to cover the entire development effort, of which assurance is but a part. Projects must therefore select judiciously from among the possible assurance activities. At its heart, this can be viewed as an optimization problem; namely, to determine the allocation of limited resources (time, money, and personnel) to minimize risk or, alternatively, to minimize the resources needed to reduce risk to an acceptable level. The end result of the work reported here is a means to optimize quality-assurance processes used in developing software. This is achieved by combining two prior programs in an innovative manner

Underground Test Area Activity Quality Assurance Plan Nevada National Security Site, Nevada. Revision 1

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

Farnham, Irene; Krenzien, Susan

This Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) provides the overall quality assurance (QA) requirements and general quality practices to be applied to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) Underground Test Area (UGTA) activities. The requirements in this QAP are consistent with DOE Order 414.1C, Quality Assurance (DOE, 2005); U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Guidance for Quality Assurance Project Plans for Modeling (EPA, 2002); and EPA Guidance on the Development, Evaluation, and Application of Environmental Models (EPA, 2009). NNSA/NSO, or designee, must review this QAP every two years. Changes that do not affect the overallmore » scope or requirements will not require an immediate QAP revision but will be incorporated into the next revision cycle after identification. Section 1.0 describes UGTA objectives, participant responsibilities, and administrative and management quality requirements (i.e., training, records, procurement). Section 1.0 also details data management and computer software requirements. Section 2.0 establishes the requirements to ensure newly collected data are valid, existing data uses are appropriate, and environmental-modeling methods are reliable. Section 3.0 provides feedback loops through assessments and reports to management. Section 4.0 provides the framework for corrective actions. Section 5.0 provides references for this document.« less

49 CFR 236.18 - Software management control plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Software management control plan. 236.18 Section... Instructions: All Systems General § 236.18 Software management control plan. (a) Within 6 months of June 6, 2005, each railroad shall develop and adopt a software management control plan for its signal and train...

75 FR 45623 - Increasing Market and Planning Efficiency Through Improved Software; Notice Establishing Date for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-03

... Market and Planning Efficiency Through Improved Software; Notice Establishing Date for Comments July 27... software related to wholesale electricity markets and planning: \\1\\ \\1\\ Notice of Technical Conference to Discuss Increasing Market and Planning Efficiency Through Improved Software, 75 FR 27,341 (2010). June 2-3...

49 CFR 236.18 - Software management control plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Software management control plan. 236.18 Section... Instructions: All Systems General § 236.18 Software management control plan. (a) Within 6 months of June 6, 2005, each railroad shall develop and adopt a software management control plan for its signal and train...

49 CFR 236.18 - Software management control plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Software management control plan. 236.18 Section... Instructions: All Systems General § 236.18 Software management control plan. (a) Within 6 months of June 6, 2005, each railroad shall develop and adopt a software management control plan for its signal and train...

49 CFR 236.18 - Software management control plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Software management control plan. 236.18 Section... Instructions: All Systems General § 236.18 Software management control plan. (a) Within 6 months of June 6, 2005, each railroad shall develop and adopt a software management control plan for its signal and train...

49 CFR 236.18 - Software management control plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Software management control plan. 236.18 Section... Instructions: All Systems General § 236.18 Software management control plan. (a) Within 6 months of June 6, 2005, each railroad shall develop and adopt a software management control plan for its signal and train...

SU-E-T-43: A Methodology for Quality Control of IMPT Treatment Plan Based On VMAT Plan

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

Jiang, S; Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital; Yang, Y

Purpose: IMPT plan design is highly dependent on planner’s experiences. VMAT plan design is relatively mature and can even be automated. The quality of IMPT plan designed by in-experienced planner could be inferior to that of VMAT plan designed by experienced planner or automatic planning software. Here we introduce a method for designing IMPT plan based on VMAT plan to ensure the IMPT plan be superior to IMRT/VMAT plan for majority clinical scenario. Methods: To design a new IMPT plan, a VMAT plan is first generated either by experienced planner or by in-house developed automatic planning system. An in-house developedmore » tool is used to generate the dose volume constrains for the IMPT plan as plan template to Eclipse TPS. The beam angles for IMPT plan are selected based on the preferred angles in the VMAT plan. IMPT plan is designed by importing the plan objectives generated from VMAT plan. Majority thoracic IMPT plans are designed using this plan approach in our center. In this work, a thoracic IMPT plan under RTOG 1308 protocol is selected to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of this approach. The dosimetric indices of IMPT are compared with VMAT plan. Results: The PTV D95, lung V20, MLD, mean heart dose, esophagus D1, cord D1 are 70Gy, 31%, 17.8Gy, 25.5Gy, 73Gy, 45Gy for IMPT plan and 65.3Gy, 34%, 21.6Gy, 35Gy, 74Gy, 48Gy for VMAT plan. For majority cases, the high dose region of the normal tissue which is in proximity of PTV is comparable between IMPT and VMAT plan. The low dose region of the IMPT plan is significantly better than VMAT plan. Conclusion: Using the knowledge gained in VMAT plan design can help efficiently and effectively design high quality IMPT plan. The quality of IMPT plan can be controlled to ensure the superiority of IMPT plan compared to VMAT/IMRT plan.« less

3D Visualization for Phoenix Mars Lander Science Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, Laurence; Keely, Leslie; Lees, David; Stoker, Carol

2012-01-01

Planetary surface exploration missions present considerable operational challenges in the form of substantial communication delays, limited communication windows, and limited communication bandwidth. A 3D visualization software was developed and delivered to the 2008 Phoenix Mars Lander (PML) mission. The components of the system include an interactive 3D visualization environment called Mercator, terrain reconstruction software called the Ames Stereo Pipeline, and a server providing distributed access to terrain models. The software was successfully utilized during the mission for science analysis, site understanding, and science operations activity planning. A terrain server was implemented that provided distribution of terrain models from a central repository to clients running the Mercator software. The Ames Stereo Pipeline generates accurate, high-resolution, texture-mapped, 3D terrain models from stereo image pairs. These terrain models can then be visualized within the Mercator environment. The central cross-cutting goal for these tools is to provide an easy-to-use, high-quality, full-featured visualization environment that enhances the mission science team s ability to develop low-risk productive science activity plans. In addition, for the Mercator and Viz visualization environments, extensibility and adaptability to different missions and application areas are key design goals.

SU-F-J-72: A Clinical Usable Integrated Contouring Quality Evaluation Software for Radiotherapy

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

Jiang, S; Dolly, S; Cai, B

Purpose: To introduce the Auto Contour Evaluation (ACE) software, which is the clinical usable, user friendly, efficient and all-in-one toolbox for automatically identify common contouring errors in radiotherapy treatment planning using supervised machine learning techniques. Methods: ACE is developed with C# using Microsoft .Net framework and Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) for elegant GUI design and smooth GUI transition animations through the integration of graphics engines and high dots per inch (DPI) settings on modern high resolution monitors. The industrial standard software design pattern, Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) pattern, is chosen to be the major architecture of ACE for neat coding structure, deepmore » modularization, easy maintainability and seamless communication with other clinical software. ACE consists of 1) a patient data importing module integrated with clinical patient database server, 2) a 2D DICOM image and RT structure simultaneously displaying module, 3) a 3D RT structure visualization module using Visualization Toolkit or VTK library and 4) a contour evaluation module using supervised pattern recognition algorithms to detect contouring errors and display detection results. ACE relies on supervised learning algorithms to handle all image processing and data processing jobs. Implementations of related algorithms are powered by Accord.Net scientific computing library for better efficiency and effectiveness. Results: ACE can take patient’s CT images and RT structures from commercial treatment planning software via direct user input or from patients’ database. All functionalities including 2D and 3D image visualization and RT contours error detection have been demonstrated with real clinical patient cases. Conclusion: ACE implements supervised learning algorithms and combines image processing and graphical visualization modules for RT contours verification. ACE has great potential for automated radiotherapy contouring quality verification. Structured with MVVM pattern, it is highly maintainable and extensible, and support smooth connections with other clinical software tools.« less

Implications of Artefacts Reduction in the Planning CT Originating from Implanted Fiducial Markers

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

Kassim, Iskandar, E-mail: i.binkassim@erasmusmc.n; Joosten, Hans; Barnhoorn, Jaco C.

The efficacy of metal artefact reduction (MAR) software to suppress artefacts in reconstructed computed tomography (CT) images originating from small metal objects, like tumor markers and surgical clips, was evaluated. In addition, possible implications of using digital reconstructed radiographs (DRRs), based on the MAR CT images, for setup verification were analyzed. A phantom and 15 patients with different tumor sites and implanted markers were imaged with a multislice CT scanner. The raw image data was reconstructed both with the clinically used filtered-backprojection (FBP) and with the MAR software. Using the MAR software, improvements in image quality were often observed inmore » CT slices with markers or clips. Especially when several markers were located near to each other, fewer streak artefacts were observed than with the FBP algorithm. In addition, the shape and size of markers could be identified more accurately, reducing the contoured marker volumes by a factor of 2. For the phantom study, the CT numbers measured near to the markers corresponded more closely to the expected values. However, the MAR images were slightly more smoothed compared with the images reconstructed with FBP. For 8 prostate cancer patients in this study, the interobserver variation in 3D marker definition was similar (<0.4 mm) when using DRRs based on either FBP or MAR CT scans. Automatic marker matches also showed a similar success rate. However, differences in automatic match results up to 1 mm, caused by differences in the marker definition, were observed, which turned out to be (borderline) statistically significant (p = 0.06) for 2 patients. In conclusion, the MAR software might improve image quality by suppressing metal artefacts, probably allowing for a more reliable delineation of structures. When implanted markers or clips are used for setup verification, the accuracy may slightly be improved as well, which is relevant when using very tight clinical target volume (CTV) to planning target volume (PTV) margins for planning.« less

Balancing Plan-Driven and Agile Methods in Software Engineering Project Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boehm, Barry; Port, Dan; Winsor Brown, A.

2002-09-01

For the past 6 years, we have been teaching a two-semester software engineering project course. The students organize into 5-person teams and develop largely web-based electronic services projects for real USC campus clients. We have been using and evolving a method called Model- Based (System) Architecting and Software Engineering (MBASE) for use in both the course and in industrial applications. The MBASE Guidelines include a lot of documents. We teach risk-driven documentation: if it is risky to document something, and not risky to leave it out (e.g., GUI screen placements), leave it out. Even so, students tend to associate more documentation with higher grades, although our grading eventually discourages this. We are always on the lookout for ways to have students learn best practices without having to produce excessive documentation. Thus, we were very interested in analyzing the various emerging agile methods. We found that agile methods and milestone plan-driven methods are part of a “how much planning is enough?” spectrum. Both agile and plan-driven methods have home grounds of project characteristics where they clearly work best, and where the other will have difficulties. Hybrid agile/plan-driven approaches are feasible, and necessary for projects having a mix of agile and plan-driven home ground characteristics. Information technology trends are going more toward the agile methods' home ground characteristics of emergent requirements and rapid change, although there is a concurrent increase in concern with dependability. As a result, we are currently experimenting with risk-driven combinations of MBASE and agile methods, such as integrating requirements, test plans, peer reviews, and pair programming into “agile quality management.”

75 FR 30387 - Improving Market and Planning Efficiency Through Improved Software; Notice of Agenda and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-01

... Market and Planning Efficiency Through Improved Software; Notice of Agenda and Procedures for Staff... planning models and software. The technical conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (EDT) on June.... Agenda for AD10-12 Staff Technical Conference on Planning Models and Software Federal Energy Regulatory...

SU-F-T-65: AutomaticTreatment Planning for High-Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy with a VaginalCylinder Applicator

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

Zhou, Y; Tan, J; Jiang, S

Purpose: High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy treatment planning is conventionally performed in a manual fashion. Yet it is highly desirable to perform computerized automated planning to improve treatment planning efficiency, eliminate human errors, and reduce plan quality variation. The goal of this research is to develop an automatic treatment planning tool for HDR brachytherapy with a cylinder applicator for vaginal cancer. Methods: After inserting the cylinder applicator into the patient, a CT scan was acquired and was loaded to an in-house developed treatment planning software. The cylinder applicator was automatically segmented using image-processing techniques. CTV was generated based on user-specifiedmore » treatment depth and length. Locations of relevant points (apex point, prescription point, and vaginal surface point), central applicator channel coordinates, and dwell positions were determined according to their geometric relations with the applicator. Dwell time was computed through an inverse optimization process. The planning information was written into DICOM-RT plan and structure files to transfer the automatically generated plan to a commercial treatment planning system for plan verification and delivery. Results: We have tested the system retrospectively in nine patients treated with vaginal cylinder applicator. These cases were selected with different treatment prescriptions, lengths, depths, and cylinder diameters to represent a large patient population. Our system was able to generate treatment plans for these cases with clinically acceptable quality. Computation time varied from 3–6 min. Conclusion: We have developed a system to perform automated treatment planning for HDR brachytherapy with a cylinder applicator. Such a novel system has greatly improved treatment planning efficiency and reduced plan quality variation. It also served as a testbed to demonstrate the feasibility of automatic HDR treatment planning for more complicated cases.« less

A Reference Model for Software and System Inspections. White Paper

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

He, Lulu; Shull, Forrest

2009-01-01

Software Quality Assurance (SQA) is an important component of the software development process. SQA processes provide assurance that the software products and processes in the project life cycle conform to their specified requirements by planning, enacting, and performing a set of activities to provide adequate confidence that quality is being built into the software. Typical techniques include: (1) Testing (2) Simulation (3) Model checking (4) Symbolic execution (5) Management reviews (6) Technical reviews (7) Inspections (8) Walk-throughs (9) Audits (10) Analysis (complexity analysis, control flow analysis, algorithmic analysis) (11) Formal method Our work over the last few years has resulted in substantial knowledge about SQA techniques, especially the areas of technical reviews and inspections. But can we apply the same QA techniques to the system development process? If yes, what kind of tailoring do we need before applying them in the system engineering context? If not, what types of QA techniques are actually used at system level? And, is there any room for improvement.) After a brief examination of the system engineering literature (especially focused on NASA and DoD guidance) we found that: (1) System and software development process interact with each other at different phases through development life cycle (2) Reviews are emphasized in both system and software development. (Figl.3). For some reviews (e.g. SRR, PDR, CDR), there are both system versions and software versions. (3) Analysis techniques are emphasized (e.g. Fault Tree Analysis, Preliminary Hazard Analysis) and some details are given about how to apply them. (4) Reviews are expected to use the outputs of the analysis techniques. In other words, these particular analyses are usually conducted in preparation for (before) reviews. The goal of our work is to explore the interaction between the Quality Assurance (QA) techniques at the system level and the software level.

The Effect of Background Traffic Packet Size to VoIP Speech Quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Triyason, Tuul; Kanthamanon, Prasert; Warasup, Kittipong; Yamsaengsung, Siam; Supattatham, Montri

VoIP is gaining acceptance into the corporate world especially, in small and medium sized business that want to save cost for gaining advantage over their competitors. The good voice quality is one of challenging task in deployment plan because VoIP voice quality was affected by packet loss and jitter delay. In this paper, we study the effect of background traffic packet size to voice quality. The background traffic was generated by Bricks software and the speech quality was assessed by MOS. The obtained result shows an interesting relationship between the voice quality and the number of TCP packets and their size. With the same amount of data smaller packets affect the voice's quality more than the larger packet.

A deterministic aggregate production planning model considering quality of products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madadi, Najmeh; Yew Wong, Kuan

2013-06-01

Aggregate Production Planning (APP) is a medium-term planning which is concerned with the lowest-cost method of production planning to meet customers' requirements and to satisfy fluctuating demand over a planning time horizon. APP problem has been studied widely since it was introduced and formulated in 1950s. However, in several conducted studies in the APP area, most of the researchers have concentrated on some common objectives such as minimization of cost, fluctuation in the number of workers, and inventory level. Specifically, maintaining quality at the desirable level as an objective while minimizing cost has not been considered in previous studies. In this study, an attempt has been made to develop a multi-objective mixed integer linear programming model that serves those companies aiming to incur the minimum level of operational cost while maintaining quality at an acceptable level. In order to obtain the solution to the multi-objective model, the Fuzzy Goal Programming approach and max-min operator of Bellman-Zadeh were applied to the model. At the final step, IBM ILOG CPLEX Optimization Studio software was used to obtain the experimental results based on the data collected from an automotive parts manufacturing company. The results show that incorporating quality in the model imposes some costs, however a trade-off should be done between the cost resulting from producing products with higher quality and the cost that the firm may incur due to customer dissatisfaction and sale losses.

Towards a comprehensive framework for reuse: A reuse-enabling software evolution environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basili, V. R.; Rombach, H. D.

1988-01-01

Reuse of products, processes and knowledge will be the key to enable the software industry to achieve the dramatic improvement in productivity and quality required to satisfy the anticipated growing demand. Although experience shows that certain kinds of reuse can be successful, general success has been elusive. A software life-cycle technology which allows broad and extensive reuse could provide the means to achieving the desired order-of-magnitude improvements. The scope of a comprehensive framework for understanding, planning, evaluating and motivating reuse practices and the necessary research activities is outlined. As a first step towards such a framework, a reuse-enabling software evolution environment model is introduced which provides a basis for the effective recording of experience, the generalization and tailoring of experience, the formalization of experience, and the (re-)use of experience.

Developing a User-Centred Planning Tool for Young Adults with Development Disorders: A Research-Based Teaching Project.

PubMed

Ribu, Kirsten; Patel, Tulpesh

2016-01-01

People with development disorders, for instance autism, need structured plans to help create predictability in their daily lives. Digital plans can facilitate enhanced independency, learning, and quality of life, but existing apps are largely general purpose and lack the flexibility required by this specific but heterogeneous user group. Universal design is both a goal and a process and should be based on a holistic approach and user-centered design, interacting with the users in all stages of the development process. At Oslo and Akershus University College (HiOA) we conducted a research-based teaching project in co-operation with the Department of Neuro-habilitation at Oslo University Hospital (OUS) with two employees acting as project managers and students as developers. Three groups of Computer Science bachelor students developed digital prototypes for a planning tool for young adults with pervasive development disorders, who live either with their families or in supervised residences, and do not receive extensive public services. The students conducted the initial planning phase of the software development process, focusing on prototyping the system requirements, whilst a professional software company programmed the end solution. The goal of the project was to develop flexible and adaptive user-oriented and user-specific app solutions for tablets that can aid this diverse user group in structuring daily life, whereby, for example, photos of objects and places known to the individual user replace general pictures or drawings, and checklists can be elaborate or sparse as necessary. The three student groups worked independently of each other and created interactive working prototypes based on tests, observations and short interviews with end users (both administrators and residents) and regular user feedback from the project managers. Three very different solutions were developed that were of high enough quality that an external software company were able to continue the work and create a beta version of the app. The first phase in software development process is always challenging and time consuming. Using a research-based teaching approach allowed us to not only save time and expense in the development phase, but, importantly, allowed us to thoroughly investigate a variety of aspects of the problem to create an accessible solution, whilst leveraging our students' knowledge, competencies and creativity. The next stage will be to evaluate the beta version of the app and study its impact on the user's quality of life. Although the end solution is designed for a specific user group, the built-in flexibility of its structure and function means there is the inherent potential to open it up to all users. The universal benefit lies in the flexibility of the solution.

Planning for the V&V of infused software technologies for the Mars Science Laboratory Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feather, Martin S.; Fesq, Lorraine M.; Ingham, Michel D.; Klein, Suzanne L.; Nelson, Stacy D.

2004-01-01

NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover mission is planning to make use of advanced software technologies in order to support fulfillment of its ambitious science objectives. The mission plans to adopt the Mission Data System (MDS) as the mission software architecture, and plans to make significant use of on-board autonomous capabilities for the rover software.

Quality-assurance plan for groundwater activities, U.S. Geological Survey, Washington Water Science Center

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kozar, Mark D.; Kahle, Sue C.

2013-01-01

This report documents the standard procedures, policies, and field methods used by the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Washington Water Science Center staff for activities related to the collection, processing, analysis, storage, and publication of groundwater data. This groundwater quality-assurance plan changes through time to accommodate new methods and requirements developed by the Washington Water Science Center and the USGS Office of Groundwater. The plan is based largely on requirements and guidelines provided by the USGS Office of Groundwater, or the USGS Water Mission Area. Regular updates to this plan represent an integral part of the quality-assurance process. Because numerous policy memoranda have been issued by the Office of Groundwater since the previous groundwater quality assurance plan was written, this report is a substantial revision of the previous report, supplants it, and contains significant additional policies not covered in the previous report. This updated plan includes information related to the organization and responsibilities of USGS Washington Water Science Center staff, training, safety, project proposal development, project review procedures, data collection activities, data processing activities, report review procedures, and archiving of field data and interpretative information pertaining to groundwater flow models, borehole aquifer tests, and aquifer tests. Important updates from the previous groundwater quality assurance plan include: (1) procedures for documenting and archiving of groundwater flow models; (2) revisions to procedures and policies for the creation of sites in the Groundwater Site Inventory database; (3) adoption of new water-level forms to be used within the USGS Washington Water Science Center; (4) procedures for future creation of borehole geophysics, surface geophysics, and aquifer-test archives; and (5) use of the USGS Multi Optional Network Key Entry System software for entry of routine water-level data collected as part of long-term water-level monitoring networks.

[Human resource planning in operative anaesthesia : Structured interviews with 23 supervising senior physicians].

PubMed

Bent, F; Ahlbrandt, J; Wagner, A; Weigand, M A; Hofer, S; Lichtenstern, C

2016-05-01

In the hospital, human resource planning has to consider the needs and preferences of personnel and planners as well as the financial interest of the hospital. Additionally, staff planning has become more complex due to a growing number of part-time doctors as well as a variety of working shifts. The aim of the study was to describe existing human resource planning in German anesthesiology departments. Furthermore, we evaluated existing software solutions supporting human resource planning. Anesthesiology departments of German university hospitals were enrolled in the study. The aspects covered were tools and time needed for planning, amount of conflicts while planning, components of the software solutions and the efficiency and satisfaction according to the users. This was evaluated for short-, intermediate- and long-term planning. Two groups were compared: departments with and without software exchanging information among the three planning periods. Out of 35 university anesthesiology departments, 23 took part in the survey. On average they employed 105.8 ± 27.8 doctors who had to cover 13.5 ± 6.3 different shifts during a weekday. Personnel planning is mostly done by senior physicians. In some departments, other staff, such as residents and junior doctors, were involved as well. Software that exchanged information between short-, intermediate- and long-term planning was used in 53 % of the departments (12 out of 23). Five departments used commercially available planning software: Polypoint Deutschland (PolypointDeutschland), Atoss (Atoss AG) and SP Expert (Interflex Datensysteme). The time needed for short-term planning was slightly reduced in the exchanging software group. No difference was shown for the intermediate planning period. The use of this software led to a slight reduction in planning conflicts and increased the self-estimated efficiency of the users (p = 0.02). Throughout all groups, the major complaint was missing interfaces, for example between the software and human resources department. The ideal planning software should reduce time needed for planning and prevent planning conflicts according to the interviewed physicians. Furthermore it should be flexible and transparent for all involved staff. This study analyzed structures established in human resource planning in the anesthesiology departments for the first time. Time for planning varies significantly in comparable departments indicating suboptimal processes. Throughout Germany, the requirements for human resources planning are similar; for example, the software should integrate all aspects of HR planning. Different approaches are under evaluation but so far no software solution has prevailed. The used solutions vary substantially and therefore a comparison is difficult. There is no software solution with wide adoption.

Tactical Approaches for Making a Successful Satellite Passive Microwave ESDR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardman, M.; Brodzik, M. J.; Gotberg, J.; Long, D. G.; Paget, A. C.

2014-12-01

Our NASA MEaSUREs project is producing a new, enhanced resolution gridded Earth System Data Record for the entire satellite passive microwave (SMMR, SSM/I-SSMIS and AMSR-E) time series. Our project goals are twofold: to produce a well-documented, consistently processed, high-quality historical record at higher spatial resolutions than have previously been available, and to transition the production software to the NSIDC DAAC for ongoing processing after our project completion. In support of these goals, our distributed team at BYU and NSIDC faces project coordination challenges to produce a high-quality data set that our user community will accept as a replacement for the currently available historical versions of these data. We work closely with our DAAC liaison on format specifications, data and metadata plans, and project progress. In order for the user community to understand and support our project, we have solicited a team of Early Adopters who are reviewing and evaluating a prototype version of the data. Early Adopter feedback will be critical input to our final data content and format decisions. For algorithm transparency and accountability, we have released an Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document (ATBD) and detailed supporting technical documentation, with rationale for all algorithm implementation decisions. For distributed team management, we are using collaborative tools for software revision control and issue tracking. For reliably transitioning a research-quality image reconstruction software system to production-quality software suitable for use at the DAAC, we have adopted continuous integration methods for running automated regression testing. Our presentation will summarize bothadvantages and challenges of each of these tactics in ensuring production of a successful ESDR and an enduring production software system.

Development of flying qualities criteria for single pilot instrument flight operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Gill, A.; Nixon, W. B.; Miller, G. E.

1982-01-01

Flying qualities criteria for Single Pilot Instrument Flight Rule (SPIFR) operations were investigated. The ARA aircraft was modified and adapted for SPIFR operations. Aircraft configurations to be flight-tested were chosen and matched on the ARA in-flight simulator, implementing modern control theory algorithms. Mission planning and experimental matrix design were completed. Microprocessor software for the onboard data acquisition system was debugged and flight-tested. Flight-path reconstruction procedure and the associated FORTRAN program were developed. Algorithms associated with the statistical analysis of flight test results and the SPIFR flying qualities criteria deduction are discussed.

Planning for land use and conservation: Assessing GIS-based conservation software for land use planning

Treesearch

Rob Baldwin; Ryan Scherzinger; Don Lipscomb; Miranda Mockrin; Susan Stein

2014-01-01

Recent advances in planning and ecological software make it possible to conduct highly technical analyses to prioritize conservation investments and inform local land use planning. We review these tools, termed conservation planning tools, and assess the knowledge of a key set of potential users: the land use planning community. We grouped several conservation software...

Project W-211, initial tank retrieval systems, retrieval control system software configuration management plan

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

RIECK, C.A.

1999-02-23

This Software Configuration Management Plan (SCMP) provides the instructions for change control of the W-211 Project, Retrieval Control System (RCS) software after initial approval/release but prior to the transfer of custody to the waste tank operations contractor. This plan applies to the W-211 system software developed by the project, consisting of the computer human-machine interface (HMI) and programmable logic controller (PLC) software source and executable code, for production use by the waste tank operations contractor. The plan encompasses that portion of the W-211 RCS software represented on project-specific AUTOCAD drawings that are released as part of the C1 definitive designmore » package (these drawings are identified on the drawing list associated with each C-1 package), and the associated software code. Implementation of the plan is required for formal acceptance testing and production release. The software configuration management plan does not apply to reports and data generated by the software except where specifically identified. Control of information produced by the software once it has been transferred for operation is the responsibility of the receiving organization.« less

A method to establish seismic noise baselines for automated station assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

McNamara, D.E.; Hutt, C.R.; Gee, L.S.; Benz, H.M.; Buland, R.P.

2009-01-01

We present a method for quantifying station noise baselines and characterizing the spectral shape of out-of-nominal noise sources. Our intent is to automate this method in order to ensure that only the highest-quality data are used in rapid earthquake products at NEIC. In addition, the station noise baselines provide a valuable tool to support the quality control of GSN and ANSS backbone data and metadata. The procedures addressed here are currently in development at the NEIC, and work is underway to understand how quickly changes from nominal can be observed and used within the NEIC processing framework. The spectral methods and software used to compute station baselines and described herein (PQLX) can be useful to both permanent and portable seismic stations operators. Applications include: general seismic station and data quality control (QC), evaluation of instrument responses, assessment of near real-time communication system performance, characterization of site cultural noise conditions, and evaluation of sensor vault design, as well as assessment of gross network capabilities (McNamara et al. 2005). Future PQLX development plans include incorporating station baselines for automated QC methods and automating station status report generation and notification based on user-defined QC parameters. The PQLX software is available through the USGS (http://earthquake. usgs.gov/research/software/pqlx.php) and IRIS (http://www.iris.edu/software/ pqlx/).

A digital model individual template and CT-guided 125I seed implants for malignant tumors of the head and neck.

PubMed

Huang, Ming-Wei; Liu, Shu-Ming; Zheng, Lei; Shi, Yan; Zhang, Jie; Li, Yan-Sheng; Yu, Guang-Yan; Zhang, Jian-Guo

2012-11-01

To enhance the accuracy of radioactive seed implants in the head and neck, a digital model individual template, containing information simultaneously on needle pathway and facial features, was designed to guide implantation with CT imaging. Thirty-one patients with recurrent and local advanced malignant tumors of head and neck after prior surgery and radiotherapy were involved in this study. Before (125)I implants, patients received CT scans based on 0.75mm thickness. And the brachytherapy treatment planning system (BTPS) software was used to make the implantation plan based on the CT images. Mimics software and Geomagic software were used to read the data containing CT images and implantation plan, and to design the individual template. Then the individual template containing the information of needle pathway and face features simultaneously was made through rapid prototyping (RP) technique. All patients received (125)I seeds interstitial implantation under the guide of the individual template and CT. The individual templates were positioned easily and accurately, and were stable. After implants, treatment quality evaluation was made by CT and TPS. The seeds and dosages distribution (D(90),V(100),V(150)) were well meet the treatment requirement. Clinical practice confirms that this approach can facilitate easier and more accurate implantation.

Using component technology to facilitate external software reuse in ground-based planning systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chase, A.

2003-01-01

APGEN (Activity Plan GENerator - 314), a multi-mission planning tool, must interface with external software to vest serve its users. AP-GEN's original method for incorporating external software, the User-Defined library mechanism, has been very successful in allowing APGEN users access to external software functionality.

Performance analysis of a film dosimetric quality assurance procedure for IMRT with regard to the employment of quantitative evaluation methods.

PubMed

Winkler, Peter; Zurl, Brigitte; Guss, Helmuth; Kindl, Peter; Stuecklschweiger, Georg

2005-02-21

A system for dosimetric verification of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) treatment plans using absolute calibrated radiographic films is presented. At our institution this verification procedure is performed for all IMRT treatment plans prior to patient irradiation. Therefore clinical treatment plans are transferred to a phantom and recalculated. Composite treatment plans are irradiated to a single film. Film density to absolute dose conversion is performed automatically based on a single calibration film. A software application encompassing film calibration, 2D registration of measurement and calculated distributions, image fusion, and a number of visual and quantitative evaluation utilities was developed. The main topic of this paper is a performance analysis for this quality assurance procedure, with regard to the specification of tolerance levels for quantitative evaluations. Spatial and dosimetric precision and accuracy were determined for the entire procedure, comprising all possible sources of error. The overall dosimetric and spatial measurement uncertainties obtained thereby were 1.9% and 0.8 mm respectively. Based on these results, we specified 5% dose difference and 3 mm distance-to-agreement as our tolerance levels for patient-specific quality assurance for IMRT treatments.

Control of Technology Transfer at JPL

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oliver, Ronald

2006-01-01

Controlled Technology: 1) Design: preliminary or critical design data, schematics, technical flow charts, SNV code/diagnostics, logic flow diagrams, wirelist, ICDs, detailed specifications or requirements. 2) Development: constraints, computations, configurations, technical analyses, acceptance criteria, anomaly resolution, detailed test plans, detailed technical proposals. 3) Production: process or how-to: assemble, operated, repair, maintain, modify. 4) Manufacturing: technical instructions, specific parts, specific materials, specific qualities, specific processes, specific flow. 5) Operations: how-to operate, contingency or standard operating plans, Ops handbooks. 6) Repair: repair instructions, troubleshooting schemes, detailed schematics. 7) Test: specific procedures, data, analysis, detailed test plan and retest plans, detailed anomaly resolutions, detailed failure causes and corrective actions, troubleshooting, trended test data, flight readiness data. 8) Maintenance: maintenance schedules and plans, methods for regular upkeep, overhaul instructions. 9) Modification: modification instructions, upgrades kit parts, including software

Software Engineering Improvement Activities/Plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

bd Systems personnel accomplished the technical responsibilities for this reporting period, as planned. A close working relationship was maintained with personnel of the MSFC Avionics Department Software Group (ED14). Work accomplishments included development, evaluation, and enhancement of a software cost model, performing literature search and evaluation of software tools available for code analysis and requirements analysis, and participating in other relevant software engineering activities. Monthly reports were submitted. This support was provided to the Flight Software Group/ED 1 4 in accomplishing the software engineering improvement engineering activities of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Software Engineering Improvement Plan.

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

Chen, K.; Tsai, H.; Decision and Information Sciences

The technical basis for extending the Model 9977 shipping package periodic maintenance beyond the one-year interval to a maximum of five years is based on the performance of the O-ring seals and the environmental conditions. The DOE Packaging Certification Program (PCP) has tasked Argonne National Laboratory to develop a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) temperature monitoring system for use by the facility personnel at DAF/NTS. The RFID temperature monitoring system, depicted in the figure below, consists of the Mk-1 RFId tags, a reader, and a control computer mounted on a mobile platform that can operate as a stand-alone system, or it canmore » be connected to the local IT network. As part of the Conditions of Approval of the CoC, the user must complete the prescribed training to become qualified and be certified for operation of the RFID temperature monitoring system. The training course will be administered by Argonne National Laboratory on behalf of the Headquarters Certifying Official. This is a complete documentation package for the RFID temperature monitoring system of the Model 9977 packagings at NTS. The documentation package will be used for training and certification. The table of contents are: Acceptance Testing Procedure of MK-1 RFID Tags for DOE/EM Nuclear Materials Management Applications; Acceptance Testing Result of MK-1 RFID Tags for DOE/EM Nuclear Materials Management Applications; Performance Test of the Single Bolt Seal Sensor for the Model 9977 Packaging; Calibration of Built-in Thermistors in RFID Tags for Nevada Test Site; Results of Calibration of Built-in Thermistors in RFID Tags; Results of Thermal Calibration of Second Batch of MK-I RFID Tags; Procedure for Installing and Removing MK-1 RFID Tag on Model 9977 Drum; User Guide for RFID Reader and Software for Temperature Monitoring of Model 9977 Drums at NTS; Software Quality Assurance Plan (SQAP) for the ARG-US System; Quality Category for the RFID Temperature Monitoring System; The Documentation Package for the RFID Temperature Monitoring System; Software Test Plan and Results for ARG-US OnSite; Configuration Management Plan (CMP) for the ARG-US System; Requirements Management Plan for the ARG-US System; and Design Management Plan for ARG-US.« less

Clinical Implications of TiGRT Algorithm for External Audit in Radiation Oncology.

PubMed

Shahbazi-Gahrouei, Daryoush; Saeb, Mohsen; Monadi, Shahram; Jabbari, Iraj

2017-01-01

Performing audits play an important role in quality assurance program in radiation oncology. Among different algorithms, TiGRT is one of the common application software for dose calculation. This study aimed to clinical implications of TiGRT algorithm to measure dose and compared to calculated dose delivered to the patients for a variety of cases, with and without the presence of inhomogeneities and beam modifiers. Nonhomogeneous phantom as quality dose verification phantom, Farmer ionization chambers, and PC-electrometer (Sun Nuclear, USA) as a reference class electrometer was employed throughout the audit in linear accelerators 6 and 18 MV energies (Siemens ONCOR Impression Plus, Germany). Seven test cases were performed using semi CIRS phantom. In homogeneous regions and simple plans for both energies, there was a good agreement between measured and treatment planning system calculated dose. Their relative error was found to be between 0.8% and 3% which is acceptable for audit, but in nonhomogeneous organs, such as lung, a few errors were observed. In complex treatment plans, when wedge or shield in the way of energy is used, the error was in the accepted criteria. In complex beam plans, the difference between measured and calculated dose was found to be 2%-3%. All differences were obtained between 0.4% and 1%. A good consistency was observed for the same type of energy in the homogeneous and nonhomogeneous phantom for the three-dimensional conformal field with a wedge, shield, asymmetric using the TiGRT treatment planning software in studied center. The results revealed that the national status of TPS calculations and dose delivery for 3D conformal radiotherapy was globally within acceptable standards with no major causes for concern.

Clinical Implications of TiGRT Algorithm for External Audit in Radiation Oncology

PubMed Central

Shahbazi-Gahrouei, Daryoush; Saeb, Mohsen; Monadi, Shahram; Jabbari, Iraj

2017-01-01

Background: Performing audits play an important role in quality assurance program in radiation oncology. Among different algorithms, TiGRT is one of the common application software for dose calculation. This study aimed to clinical implications of TiGRT algorithm to measure dose and compared to calculated dose delivered to the patients for a variety of cases, with and without the presence of inhomogeneities and beam modifiers. Materials and Methods: Nonhomogeneous phantom as quality dose verification phantom, Farmer ionization chambers, and PC-electrometer (Sun Nuclear, USA) as a reference class electrometer was employed throughout the audit in linear accelerators 6 and 18 MV energies (Siemens ONCOR Impression Plus, Germany). Seven test cases were performed using semi CIRS phantom. Results: In homogeneous regions and simple plans for both energies, there was a good agreement between measured and treatment planning system calculated dose. Their relative error was found to be between 0.8% and 3% which is acceptable for audit, but in nonhomogeneous organs, such as lung, a few errors were observed. In complex treatment plans, when wedge or shield in the way of energy is used, the error was in the accepted criteria. In complex beam plans, the difference between measured and calculated dose was found to be 2%–3%. All differences were obtained between 0.4% and 1%. Conclusions: A good consistency was observed for the same type of energy in the homogeneous and nonhomogeneous phantom for the three-dimensional conformal field with a wedge, shield, asymmetric using the TiGRT treatment planning software in studied center. The results revealed that the national status of TPS calculations and dose delivery for 3D conformal radiotherapy was globally within acceptable standards with no major causes for concern. PMID:28989910

Monte Carlo calculations for reporting patient organ doses from interventional radiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huo, Wanli; Feng, Mang; Pi, Yifei; Chen, Zhi; Gao, Yiming; Xu, X. George

2017-09-01

This paper describes a project to generate organ dose data for the purposes of extending VirtualDose software from CT imaging to interventional radiology (IR) applications. A library of 23 mesh-based anthropometric patient phantoms were involved in Monte Carlo simulations for database calculations. Organ doses and effective doses of IR procedures with specific beam projection, filed of view (FOV) and beam quality for all parts of body were obtained. Comparing organ doses for different beam qualities, beam projections, patients' ages and patient's body mass indexes (BMIs) which generated by VirtualDose-IR, significant discrepancies were observed. For relatively long time exposure, IR doses depend on beam quality, beam direction and patient size. Therefore, VirtualDose-IR, which is based on the latest anatomically realistic patient phantoms, can generate accurate doses for IR treatment. It is suitable to apply this software in clinical IR dose management as an effective tool to estimate patient doses and optimize IR treatment plans.

Software development to support decision making in the selection of nursing diagnoses and interventions for children and adolescents1

PubMed Central

Silva, Kenya de Lima; Évora, Yolanda Dora Martinez; Cintra, Camila Santana Justo

2015-01-01

Objective: to report the development of a software to support decision-making for the selection of nursing diagnoses and interventions for children and adolescents, based on the nomenclature of nursing diagnoses, outcomes and interventions of a university hospital in Paraiba. Method: a methodological applied study based on software engineering, as proposed by Pressman, developed in three cycles, namely: flow chart construction, development of the navigation interface, and construction of functional expressions and programming development. Result: the software consists of administrative and nursing process screens. The assessment is automatically selected according to age group, the nursing diagnoses are suggested by the system after information is inserted, and can be indicated by the nurse. The interventions for the chosen diagnosis are selected by structuring the care plan. Conclusion: the development of this tool used to document the nursing actions will contribute to decision-making and quality of care. PMID:26487144

Software development to support decision making in the selection of nursing diagnoses and interventions for children and adolescents.

PubMed

Silva, Kenya de Lima; Évora, Yolanda Dora Martinez; Cintra, Camila Santana Justo

2015-01-01

to report the development of a software to support decision-making for the selection of nursing diagnoses and interventions for children and adolescents, based on the nomenclature of nursing diagnoses, outcomes and interventions of a university hospital in Paraiba. a methodological applied study based on software engineering, as proposed by Pressman, developed in three cycles, namely: flow chart construction, development of the navigation interface, and construction of functional expressions and programming development. the software consists of administrative and nursing process screens. The assessment is automatically selected according to age group, the nursing diagnoses are suggested by the system after information is inserted, and can be indicated by the nurse. The interventions for the chosen diagnosis are selected by structuring the care plan. the development of this tool used to document the nursing actions will contribute to decision-making and quality of care.

From Exotic to Mainstream: A 10-year Odyssey from Internet Speed to Boundary Spanning with Scrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baskerville, Richard; Pries-Heje, Jan; Madsen, Sabine

Based on four empirical studies conducted over a 10-year time period from 1999 to 2008 we investigate how local software processes interact with global changes in the software development context. In 1999 companies were developing software at high speed in a desperate rush to be first-to-market. In 2001 a new high speed/quick results development process had become established practice. In 2003 changes in the market created the need for a more balanced view on speed and quality, and in 2008 companies were successfully combining agile and plan driven approaches to achieve the benefits of both. The studies reveal a twostage pattern in which dramatic changes in the market causes disruption of established practices, experimentation, and process adaptations followed by consolidation of lessons learnt into a new (and once again mature) software development process. Limitations, implications, and areas for future research are discussed.

Student self-assessment in an interactive learning environment: Technological tools for scaffolding and understanding self-assessment practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eslinger, Eric Martin

Metacognitive skills are a crucial component of a successful learning career. We define metacognition as the ability to plan, monitor progress toward a goal, reflect on the quality of work and process, and revise the work or plan accordingly. By explicitly addressing certain metacognitive practices in classrooms, researchers have observed improved learning outcomes in both science and mathematical problem solving. Although these efforts were successful, they were also limited in the range of skills that could be addressed at one time and the methods used to address them due to the static nature inherent in traditional pencil-and-paper format. We wished to address these skills in a more dynamic, continuous representation such as that afforded by a computerized learning environment. This paper outlines such an environment and describes pedagogical activities afforded by the system. The ThinkerTools group developed and tested a software scaffold for inquiry projects in a middle-school classroom. By analyzing student use of the software tool, three forms of self-assessment activity were noted: integrated, task and project self-assessment. Each assessment form was related to the degree of interleaving between assessment and work the students engaged in as they developed their inquiry products. I argue that the integrated forms of assessment are more beneficial to student learning, and show that there is a significant relationship between active self-assessment forms and measures of student achievement and product quality. Through the use of case studies including video analysis, I address specific student self-assessment activity that utilized the software as well as self-assessment that took place outside of the software. A model of student self-assessment activity was created, highlighting aspects of activity that afford more productive self-assessment episodes.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

1990-01-01

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

Software verification plan for GCS. [guidance and control software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dent, Leslie A.; Shagnea, Anita M.; Hayhurst, Kelly J.

1990-01-01

This verification plan is written as part of an experiment designed to study the fundamental characteristics of the software failure process. The experiment will be conducted using several implementations of software that were produced according to industry-standard guidelines, namely the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics RTCA/DO-178A guidelines, Software Consideration in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification, for the development of flight software. This plan fulfills the DO-178A requirements for providing instructions on the testing of each implementation of software. The plan details the verification activities to be performed at each phase in the development process, contains a step by step description of the testing procedures, and discusses all of the tools used throughout the verification process.

Generating Safety-Critical PLC Code From a High-Level Application Software Specification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

The benefits of automatic-application code generation are widely accepted within the software engineering community. These benefits include raised abstraction level of application programming, shorter product development time, lower maintenance costs, and increased code quality and consistency. Surprisingly, code generation concepts have not yet found wide acceptance and use in the field of programmable logic controller (PLC) software development. Software engineers at Kennedy Space Center recognized the need for PLC code generation while developing the new ground checkout and launch processing system, called the Launch Control System (LCS). Engineers developed a process and a prototype software tool that automatically translates a high-level representation or specification of application software into ladder logic that executes on a PLC. All the computer hardware in the LCS is planned to be commercial off the shelf (COTS), including industrial controllers or PLCs that are connected to the sensors and end items out in the field. Most of the software in LCS is also planned to be COTS, with only small adapter software modules that must be developed in order to interface between the various COTS software products. A domain-specific language (DSL) is a programming language designed to perform tasks and to solve problems in a particular domain, such as ground processing of launch vehicles. The LCS engineers created a DSL for developing test sequences of ground checkout and launch operations of future launch vehicle and spacecraft elements, and they are developing a tabular specification format that uses the DSL keywords and functions familiar to the ground and flight system users. The tabular specification format, or tabular spec, allows most ground and flight system users to document how the application software is intended to function and requires little or no software programming knowledge or experience. A small sample from a prototype tabular spec application is shown.

Maintaining Quality and Confidence in Open-Source, Evolving Software: Lessons Learned with PFLOTRAN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frederick, J. M.; Hammond, G. E.

2017-12-01

Software evolution in an open-source framework poses a major challenge to a geoscientific simulator, but when properly managed, the pay-off can be enormous for both the developers and the community at large. Developers must juggle implementing new scientific process models, adopting increasingly efficient numerical methods and programming paradigms, changing funding sources (or total lack of funding), while also ensuring that legacy code remains functional and reported bugs are fixed in a timely manner. With robust software engineering and a plan for long-term maintenance, a simulator can evolve over time incorporating and leveraging many advances in the computational and domain sciences. In this positive light, what practices in software engineering and code maintenance can be employed within open-source development to maximize the positive aspects of software evolution and community contributions while minimizing its negative side effects? This presentation will discusses steps taken in the development of PFLOTRAN (www.pflotran.org), an open source, massively parallel subsurface simulator for multiphase, multicomponent, and multiscale reactive flow and transport processes in porous media. As PFLOTRAN's user base and development team continues to grow, it has become increasingly important to implement strategies which ensure sustainable software development while maintaining software quality and community confidence. In this presentation, we will share our experiences and "lessons learned" within the context of our open-source development framework and community engagement efforts. Topics discussed will include how we've leveraged both standard software engineering principles, such as coding standards, version control, and automated testing, as well unique advantages of object-oriented design in process model coupling, to ensure software quality and confidence. We will also be prepared to discuss the major challenges faced by most open-source software teams, such as on-boarding new developers or one-time contributions, dealing with competitors or lookie-loos, and other downsides of complete transparency, as well as our approach to community engagement, including a user group email list, hosting short courses and workshops for new users, and maintaining a website. SAND2017-8174A

Evaluation of Dosimetry Check software for IMRT patient-specific quality assurance.

PubMed

Narayanasamy, Ganesh; Zalman, Travis; Ha, Chul S; Papanikolaou, Niko; Stathakis, Sotirios

2015-05-08

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of the Dosimetry Check system for patient-specific IMRT QA. Typical QA methods measure the dose in an array dosimeter surrounded by homogenous medium for which the treatment plan has been recomputed. With the Dosimetry Check system, fluence measurements acquired on a portal dosimeter is applied to the patient's CT scans. Instead of making dose comparisons in a plane, Dosimetry Check system produces isodose lines and dose-volume histograms based on the planning CT images. By exporting the dose distribution from the treatment planning system into the Dosimetry Check system, one is able to make a direct comparison between the calculated dose and the planned dose. The versatility of the software is evaluated with respect to the two IMRT techniques - step and shoot and volumetric arc therapy. The system analyzed measurements made using EPID, PTW seven29, and IBA MatriXX, and an intercomparison study was performed. Plans from patients previously treated at our institution with treated anatomical site on brain, head & neck, liver, lung, and prostate were analyzed using Dosimetry Check system for any anatomical site dependence. We have recommendations and possible precautions that may be necessary to ensure proper QA with the Dosimetry Check system.

Understanding and Predicting the Process of Software Maintenance Releases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basili, Victor; Briand, Lionel; Condon, Steven; Kim, Yong-Mi; Melo, Walcelio L.; Valett, Jon D.

1996-01-01

One of the major concerns of any maintenance organization is to understand and estimate the cost of maintenance releases of software systems. Planning the next release so as to maximize the increase in functionality and the improvement in quality are vital to successful maintenance management. The objective of this paper is to present the results of a case study in which an incremental approach was used to better understand the effort distribution of releases and build a predictive effort model for software maintenance releases. This study was conducted in the Flight Dynamics Division (FDD) of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center(GSFC). This paper presents three main results: 1) a predictive effort model developed for the FDD's software maintenance release process; 2) measurement-based lessons learned about the maintenance process in the FDD; and 3) a set of lessons learned about the establishment of a measurement-based software maintenance improvement program. In addition, this study provides insights and guidelines for obtaining similar results in other maintenance organizations.

Diabetes care may be improved with Steno Quality Assurance Tool--a self-assessment tool in diabetes management.

PubMed

Bjerre-Christensen, Ulla; Nielsen, Annemette Anker; Binder, Christian; Hansen, Jes B; Eldrup, Ebbe

2014-08-01

To evaluate if improvements in the quality of diabetes care in Indian clinics can be obtained by simple self-surveillance PC-based software. Nineteen Indian diabetes clinics were introduced to the principles of quality assurance (QA), and to a software program, the Steno Quality Assurance Tool (SQAT). Data was entered for an initial 3 months period. Subsequently data were analyzed by the users, who designed plans to improve indicator status and set goals for the upcoming period. A second data entry period followed after 7-9 months. QA data was analyzed from 4487 T2DM patients (baseline) and 4440 (follow-up). The average examination frequency per clinic of the following indicators increased significantly: lipid examination (72-87%) (p=0.007), foot examination (80-94%) (p=0.02), HbA1c investigation (59-77%) (p=0.006), and urine albumin excretion investigation (72-87%) (p=0.006). Outcome parameters also improved significantly: mean (SD) fasting and post prandial BG reduced from 144(16) to 132(16)mg/dl (p=0.02) and 212(24)-195(29)mg/dl (p=0.03), respectively. Systolic BP reduced from 139(6) to 133(4) (p=0.0008)mmHg and diastolic BP from 83(3) to 81(3)mmHg (p=0.002). Quality of diabetes care can be improved by applying SQAT, a QA self-surveillance software that enables documentation of changes in process and outcome indicators. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality assurance plan for discharge measurements using broadband acoustic Doppler current profilers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lipscomb, S.W.

1995-01-01

The recent introduction of the Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) as an instrument for measuring velocities and discharge in the riverine and estuarine environment promises to revolutionize the way these data are collected by the U.S. Geological Survey. The ADCP and associated software, however, compose a complex system and should be used only by qualifies personnel. Standard procedures should be rigorously followed to ensure that the quality of data collected is commensurate with the standards set by the Water Resources Division for all its varied activities in hydrologic investigations.

A retrospective planning analysis comparing intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) using two optimization algorithms for the treatment of early-stage prostate cancer

PubMed Central

Elith, Craig A; Dempsey, Shane E; Warren-Forward, Helen M

2013-01-01

Introduction The primary aim of this study is to compare intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for the radical treatment of prostate cancer using version 10.0 (v10.0) of Varian Medical Systems, RapidArc radiation oncology system. Particular focus was placed on plan quality and the implications on departmental resources. The secondary objective was to compare the results in v10.0 to the preceding version 8.6 (v8.6). Methods Twenty prostate cancer cases were retrospectively planned using v10.0 of Varian's Eclipse and RapidArc software. Three planning techniques were performed: a 5-field IMRT, VMAT using one arc (VMAT-1A), and VMAT with two arcs (VMAT-2A). Plan quality was assessed by examining homogeneity, conformity, the number of monitor units (MUs) utilized, and dose to the organs at risk (OAR). Resource implications were assessed by examining planning and treatment times. The results obtained using v10.0 were also compared to those previously reported by our group for v8.6. Results In v10.0, each technique was able to produce a dose distribution that achieved the departmental planning guidelines. The IMRT plans were produced faster than VMAT plans and displayed improved homogeneity. The VMAT plans provided better conformity to the target volume, improved dose to the OAR, and required fewer MUs. Treatments using VMAT-1A were significantly faster than both IMRT and VMAT-2A. Comparison between versions 8.6 and 10.0 revealed that in the newer version, VMAT planning was significantly faster and the quality of the VMAT dose distributions produced were of a better quality. Conclusion VMAT (v10.0) using one or two arcs provides an acceptable alternative to IMRT for the treatment of prostate cancer. VMAT-1A has the greatest impact on reducing treatment time. PMID:26229615

Initial experience of ArcCHECK and 3DVH software for RapidArc treatment plan verification

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

Infusino, Erminia; Mameli, Alessandra, E-mail: e.infusino@unicampus.it; Conti, Roberto

2014-10-01

The purpose of this study was to perform delivery quality assurance with ArcCHECK and 3DVH system (Sun Nuclear, FL) and to evaluate the suitability of this system for volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) (RapidArc [RA]) verification. This software calculates the delivered dose distributions in patients by perturbing the calculated dose using errors detected in fluence or planar dose measurements. The device is tested to correlate the gamma passing rate (%GP) and the composite dose predicted by 3DVH software. A total of 28 patients with prostate cancer who were treated with RA were analyzed. RA treatments were delivered to a diode arraymore » phantom (ArcCHECK), which was used to create a planned dose perturbation (PDP) file. The 3DVH analysis used the dose differences derived from comparing the measured dose with the treatment planning system (TPS)-calculated doses to perturb the initial TPS-calculated dose. The 3DVH then overlays the resultant dose on the patient's structures using the resultant “PDP” beams. Measured dose distributions were compared with the calculated ones using the gamma index (GI) method by applying the global (Van Dyk) normalization and acceptance criteria, i.e., 3%/3 mm. Paired differences tests were used to estimate statistical significance of the differences between the composite dose calculated using 3DVH and %GP. Also, statistical correlation by means of logistic regression analysis has been analyzed. Dose-volume histogram (DVH) analysis for patient plans revealed small differences between treatment plan calculations and 3DVH results for organ at risk (OAR), whereas planning target volume (PTV) of the measured plan was systematically higher than that predicted by the TPS. The t-test results between the planned and the estimated DVH values showed that mean values were incomparable (p < 0.05). The quality assurance (QA) gamma analysis 3%/3 mm showed that in all cases there were only weak-to-moderate correlations (Pearson r: 0.12 to 0.74). Moreover, clinically relevant differences increased with increasing QA passing rate, indicating that some of the largest dose differences occurred in the cases of high QA passing rates, which may be called “false negatives.” The clinical importance of any disagreement between the measured and the calculated dose is often difficult to interpret; however, beam errors (either in delivery or in TPS calculation) can affect the effectiveness of the patient dose. Further research is needed to determinate the role of a PDP-type algorithm to accurately estimate patient dose effect.« less

A DICOM based radiotherapy plan database for research collaboration and reporting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Westberg, J.; Krogh, S.; Brink, C.; Vogelius, I. R.

2014-03-01

Purpose: To create a central radiotherapy (RT) plan database for dose analysis and reporting, capable of calculating and presenting statistics on user defined patient groups. The goal is to facilitate multi-center research studies with easy and secure access to RT plans and statistics on protocol compliance. Methods: RT institutions are able to send data to the central database using DICOM communications on a secure computer network. The central system is composed of a number of DICOM servers, an SQL database and in-house developed software services to process the incoming data. A web site within the secure network allows the user to manage their submitted data. Results: The RT plan database has been developed in Microsoft .NET and users are able to send DICOM data between RT centers in Denmark. Dose-volume histogram (DVH) calculations performed by the system are comparable to those of conventional RT software. A permission system was implemented to ensure access control and easy, yet secure, data sharing across centers. The reports contain DVH statistics for structures in user defined patient groups. The system currently contains over 2200 patients in 14 collaborations. Conclusions: A central RT plan repository for use in multi-center trials and quality assurance was created. The system provides an attractive alternative to dummy runs by enabling continuous monitoring of protocol conformity and plan metrics in a trial.

Visual Decision Support Tool for Supporting Asset ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Abstract:Managing urban water infrastructures faces the challenge of jointly dealing with assets of diverse types, useful life, cost, ages and condition. Service quality and sustainability require sound long-term planning, well aligned with tactical and operational planning and management. In summary, the objective of an integrated approach to infrastructure asset management is to assist utilities answer the following questions:•Who are we at present?•What service do we deliver?•What do we own?•Where do we want to be in the long-term?•How do we get there?The AWARE-P approach (www.aware-p.org) offers a coherent methodological framework and a valuable portfolio of software tools. It is designed to assist water supply and wastewater utility decision-makers in their analyses and planning processes. It is based on a Plan-Do-Check-Act process and is in accordance with the key principles of the International Standards Organization (ISO) 55000 standards on asset management. It is compatible with, and complementary to WERF’s SIMPLE framework. The software assists in strategic, tactical, and operational planning, through a non-intrusive, web-based, collaborative environment where objectives and metrics drive IAM planning. It is aimed at industry professionals and managers, as well as at the consultants and technical experts that support them. It is easy to use and maximizes the value of information from multiple existing data sources, both in da

Software archeology: a case study in software quality assurance and design

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

Macdonald, John M; Lloyd, Jane A; Turner, Cameron J

2009-01-01

Ideally, quality is designed into software, just as quality is designed into hardware. However, when dealing with legacy systems, demonstrating that the software meets required quality standards may be difficult to achieve. As the need to demonstrate the quality of existing software was recognized at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), an effort was initiated to uncover and demonstrate that legacy software met the required quality standards. This effort led to the development of a reverse engineering approach referred to as software archaeology. This paper documents the software archaeology approaches used at LANL to document legacy software systems. A case studymore » for the Robotic Integrated Packaging System (RIPS) software is included.« less

Fully Employing Software Inspections Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shull, Forrest; Feldmann, Raimund L.; Seaman, Carolyn; Regardie, Myrna; Godfrey, Sally

2009-01-01

Software inspections provide a proven approach to quality assurance for software products of all kinds, including requirements, design, code, test plans, among others. Common to all inspections is the aim of finding and fixing defects as early as possible, and thereby providing cost savings by minimizing the amount of rework necessary later in the lifecycle. Measurement data, such as the number and type of found defects and the effort spent by the inspection team, provide not only direct feedback about the software product to the project team but are also valuable for process improvement activities. In this paper, we discuss NASA's use of software inspections and the rich set of data that has resulted. In particular, we present results from analysis of inspection data that illustrate the benefits of fully utilizing that data for process improvement at several levels. Examining such data across multiple inspections or projects allows team members to monitor and trigger cross project improvements. Such improvements may focus on the software development processes of the whole organization as well as improvements to the applied inspection process itself.

Publishing Platform for Scientific Software - Lessons Learned

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammitzsch, Martin; Fritzsch, Bernadette; Reusser, Dominik; Brembs, Björn; Deinzer, Gernot; Loewe, Peter; Fenner, Martin; van Edig, Xenia; Bertelmann, Roland; Pampel, Heinz; Klump, Jens; Wächter, Joachim

2015-04-01

Scientific software has become an indispensable commodity for the production, processing and analysis of empirical data but also for modelling and simulation of complex processes. Software has a significant influence on the quality of research results. For strengthening the recognition of the academic performance of scientific software development, for increasing its visibility and for promoting the reproducibility of research results, concepts for the publication of scientific software have to be developed, tested, evaluated, and then transferred into operations. For this, the publication and citability of scientific software have to fulfil scientific criteria by means of defined processes and the use of persistent identifiers, similar to data publications. The SciForge project is addressing these challenges. Based on interviews a blueprint for a scientific software publishing platform and a systematic implementation plan has been designed. In addition, the potential of journals, software repositories and persistent identifiers have been evaluated to improve the publication and dissemination of reusable software solutions. It is important that procedures for publishing software as well as methods and tools for software engineering are reflected in the architecture of the platform, in order to improve the quality of the software and the results of research. In addition, it is necessary to work continuously on improving specific conditions that promote the adoption and sustainable utilization of scientific software publications. Among others, this would include policies for the development and publication of scientific software in the institutions but also policies for establishing the necessary competencies and skills of scientists and IT personnel. To implement the concepts developed in SciForge a combined bottom-up / top-down approach is considered that will be implemented in parallel in different scientific domains, e.g. in earth sciences, climate research and the life sciences. Based on the developed blueprints a scientific software publishing platform will be iteratively implemented, tested, and evaluated. Thus the platform should be developed continuously on the basis of gained experiences and results. The platform services will be extended one by one corresponding to the requirements of the communities. Thus the implemented platform for the publication of scientific software can be improved and stabilized incrementally as a tool with software, science, publishing, and user oriented features.

Impact of Spot Size and Spacing on the Quality of Robustly Optimized Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy Plans for Lung Cancer.

PubMed

Liu, Chenbin; Schild, Steven E; Chang, Joe Y; Liao, Zhongxing; Korte, Shawn; Shen, Jiajian; Ding, Xiaoning; Hu, Yanle; Kang, Yixiu; Keole, Sameer R; Sio, Terence T; Wong, William W; Sahoo, Narayan; Bues, Martin; Liu, Wei

2018-06-01

To investigate how spot size and spacing affect plan quality, robustness, and interplay effects of robustly optimized intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) for lung cancer. Two robustly optimized IMPT plans were created for 10 lung cancer patients: first by a large-spot machine with in-air energy-dependent large spot size at isocenter (σ: 6-15 mm) and spacing (1.3 σ), and second by a small-spot machine with in-air energy-dependent small spot size (σ: 2-6 mm) and spacing (5 mm). Both plans were generated by optimizing radiation dose to internal target volume on averaged 4-dimensional computed tomography scans using an in-house-developed IMPT planning system. The dose-volume histograms band method was used to evaluate plan robustness. Dose evaluation software was developed to model time-dependent spot delivery to incorporate interplay effects with randomized starting phases for each field per fraction. Patient anatomy voxels were mapped phase-to-phase via deformable image registration, and doses were scored using in-house-developed software. Dose-volume histogram indices, including internal target volume dose coverage, homogeneity, and organs at risk (OARs) sparing, were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Compared with the large-spot machine, the small-spot machine resulted in significantly lower heart and esophagus mean doses, with comparable target dose coverage, homogeneity, and protection of other OARs. Plan robustness was comparable for targets and most OARs. With interplay effects considered, significantly lower heart and esophagus mean doses with comparable target dose coverage and homogeneity were observed using smaller spots. Robust optimization with a small spot-machine significantly improves heart and esophagus sparing, with comparable plan robustness and interplay effects compared with robust optimization with a large-spot machine. A small-spot machine uses a larger number of spots to cover the same tumors compared with a large-spot machine, which gives the planning system more freedom to compensate for the higher sensitivity to uncertainties and interplay effects for lung cancer treatments. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Software requirements elicitation to support internal monitoring of quality assurance system for higher education in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amalia, A.; Gunawan, D.; Hardi, S. M.; Rachmawati, D.

2018-02-01

The Internal Quality Assurance System (in Indonesian: SPMI (Sistem Penjaminan Mutu Internal) is a systemic activity of quality assurance of higher education in Indonesia. SPMI should be done by all higher education or universities in Indonesia based on the Regulation of the Minister of Research, Technology and Higher Education of the Republic of Indonesia Number 62 of 2016. Implementation of SPMI must refer to the principle of SPMI that is independent, standardize, accurate, well planned and sustainable, documented and systematic. To assist the SPMI cycle properly, universities need a supporting software to monitor all the activities of SPMI. But in reality, many universities are not optimal in building this SPMI monitoring system. One of the obstacles is the determination of system requirements in support of SPMI principles is difficult to achieve. In this paper, we observe the initial phase of the engineering requirements elicitation. Unlike other methods that collect system requirements from users and stakeholders, we find the system requirements of the SPMI principles from SPMI guideline book. The result of this paper can be used as a choice in determining SPMI software requirements. This paper can also be used by developers and users to understand the scenario of SPMI so that could overcome the problems of understanding between this two parties.

SU-F-T-231: Improving the Efficiency of a Radiotherapy Peer-Review System for Quality Assurance

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

Hsu, S; Basavatia, A; Garg, M

Purpose: To improve the efficiency of a radiotherapy peer-review system using a commercially available software application for plan quality evaluation and documentation. Methods: A commercial application, FullAccess (Radialogica LLC, Version 1.4.4), was implemented in a Citrix platform for peer-review process and patient documentation. This application can display images, isodose lines, and dose-volume histograms and create plan reports for peer-review process. Dose metrics in the report can also be benchmarked for plan quality evaluation. Site-specific templates were generated based on departmental treatment planning policies and procedures for each disease site, which generally follow RTOG protocols as well as published prospective clinicalmore » trial data, including both conventional fractionation and hypo-fractionation schema. Once a plan is ready for review, the planner exports the plan to FullAccess, applies the site-specific template, and presents the report for plan review. The plan is still reviewed in the treatment planning system, as that is the legal record. Upon physician’s approval of a plan, the plan is packaged for peer review with the plan report and dose metrics are saved to the database. Results: The reports show dose metrics of PTVs and critical organs for the plans and also indicate whether or not the metrics are within tolerance. Graphical results with green, yellow, and red lights are displayed of whether planning objectives have been met. In addition, benchmarking statistics are collected to see where the current plan falls compared to all historical plans on each metric. All physicians in peer review can easily verify constraints by these reports. Conclusion: We have demonstrated the improvement in a radiotherapy peer-review system, which allows physicians to easily verify planning constraints for different disease sites and fractionation schema, allows for standardization in the clinic to ensure that departmental policies are maintained, and builds a comprehensive database for potential clinical outcome evaluation.« less

Predicting Software Suitability Using a Bayesian Belief Network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beaver, Justin M.; Schiavone, Guy A.; Berrios, Joseph S.

2005-01-01

The ability to reliably predict the end quality of software under development presents a significant advantage for a development team. It provides an opportunity to address high risk components earlier in the development life cycle, when their impact is minimized. This research proposes a model that captures the evolution of the quality of a software product, and provides reliable forecasts of the end quality of the software being developed in terms of product suitability. Development team skill, software process maturity, and software problem complexity are hypothesized as driving factors of software product quality. The cause-effect relationships between these factors and the elements of software suitability are modeled using Bayesian Belief Networks, a machine learning method. This research presents a Bayesian Network for software quality, and the techniques used to quantify the factors that influence and represent software quality. The developed model is found to be effective in predicting the end product quality of small-scale software development efforts.

RDD-100 and the systems engineering process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Averill, Robert D.

1994-01-01

An effective systems engineering approach applied through the project life cycle can help Langley produce a better product. This paper demonstrates how an enhanced systems engineering process for in-house flight projects assures that each system will achieve its goals with quality performance and within planned budgets and schedules. This paper also describes how the systems engineering process can be used in combination with available software tools.

The Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation Enabling Computational Technologies FY09 Report

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

Diachin, L F; Garaizar, F X; Henson, V E

2009-10-12

In this document we report on the status of the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) Enabling Computational Technologies (ECT) effort. In particular, we provide the context for ECT In the broader NEAMS program and describe the three pillars of the ECT effort, namely, (1) tools and libraries, (2) software quality assurance, and (3) computational facility (computers, storage, etc) needs. We report on our FY09 deliverables to determine the needs of the integrated performance and safety codes (IPSCs) in these three areas and lay out the general plan for software quality assurance to meet the requirements of DOE andmore » the DOE Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI). We conclude with a brief description of our interactions with the Idaho National Laboratory computer center to determine what is needed to expand their role as a NEAMS user facility.« less

Perceptions of primary care staff on a regional data quality intervention in Australian general practice: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Ghosh, Abhijeet; McCarthy, Sandra; Halcomb, Elizabeth

2016-04-26

Technological advances in clinical data capturing and storage systems have led to recent attempts at disease surveillance and region specific population health planning through regularly collected primary care administrative clinical data. However the accuracy and comprehensiveness of primary care health records remain questionable. We aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of general practice staff in maintaining accurate patient health data within clinical software used in primary care settings of regional NSW. Focus groups were conducted with general practitioners, practice nurses and practice administrative staff from 17 practices in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region of the state of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia that had participated in the Sentinel Practices Data Sourcing (SPDS) project - a general practice based chronic disease surveillance and data quality improvement study. A total of 25 respondents that included 12 general practitioners (GPs) and 13 practice staff participated in the 6 focus groups. Focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis of the data was undertaken. Five key themes emerged from the data. Firstly, the theme of resourcing data management raised issues of time constraints, the lack of a dedicated data management role and the importance of multidisciplinary involvement, including a data champion. The need for incentives was identified as being important to motivate ongoing commitment to maintaining data quality. However, quality of software packages, including coding issues and software limitations and information technology skills were seen as key barriers. The final theme provided insight into the lessons learnt from the project and the increased awareness of the importance of data quality amongst practice staff. The move towards electronic methods of maintaining general practice patient records offers significant potential benefits in terms of both patient care and monitoring of health status and health needs within the community. However, this study has reinforced the importance of human factors in the maintenance of such datasets. To achieve optimal benefits of electronic health and medical records for patient care and for population health planning purposes, it is extremely essential to address the barriers that clinicians and other staff face in maintaining complete and correct primary care patient electronic health and medical information.

A user need study and system plan for an Arizona Natural Resources Information System report to the Arizona state legislature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

A survey instrument was developed and implemented in order to evaluate the current needs for natural resource information in Arizona and to determine which state agencies have information systems capable of coordinating, accessing and analyzing the data. Data and format requirements were determined for the following categories: air quality, animals, cultural resources, geology, land use, soils, water, vegetation, ownership, and social and economic aspects. Hardware and software capabilities were assessed and a data processing plan was developed. Possible future applications with the next generation LANDSAT were also identified.

Comparison between In-house developed and Diamond commercial software for patient specific independent monitor unit calculation and verification with heterogeneity corrections.

PubMed

Kuppusamy, Vijayalakshmi; Nagarajan, Vivekanandan; Jeevanandam, Prakash; Murugan, Lavanya

2016-02-01

The study was aimed to compare two different monitor unit (MU) or dose verification software in volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) using modified Clarkson's integration technique for 6 MV photons beams. In-house Excel Spreadsheet based monitor unit verification calculation (MUVC) program and PTW's DIAMOND secondary check software (SCS), version-6 were used as a secondary check to verify the monitor unit (MU) or dose calculated by treatment planning system (TPS). In this study 180 patients were grouped into 61 head and neck, 39 thorax and 80 pelvic sites. Verification plans are created using PTW OCTAVIUS-4D phantom and also measured using 729 detector chamber and array with isocentre as the suitable point of measurement for each field. In the analysis of 154 clinically approved VMAT plans with isocentre at a region above -350 HU, using heterogeneity corrections, In-house Spreadsheet based MUVC program and Diamond SCS showed good agreement TPS. The overall percentage average deviations for all sites were (-0.93% + 1.59%) and (1.37% + 2.72%) for In-house Excel Spreadsheet based MUVC program and Diamond SCS respectively. For 26 clinically approved VMAT plans with isocentre at a region below -350 HU showed higher variations for both In-house Spreadsheet based MUVC program and Diamond SCS. It can be concluded that for patient specific quality assurance (QA), the In-house Excel Spreadsheet based MUVC program and Diamond SCS can be used as a simple and fast accompanying to measurement based verification for plans with isocentre at a region above -350 HU. Copyright © 2016 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SU-G-IeP2-03: Comparison of Dose Calculation On MAR (metal Artifact Reduction) and Non-MAR Datasets for Pelvic Patients with Hip Prosthesis and Head and Neck Patients with Dental Filling

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

Huang, V; Kohli, K

Purpose: Metal artifact reduction (MAR) software in computed tomography (CT) was previously evaluated with phantoms demonstrating the algorithm is capable of reducing metal artifacts without affecting the overall image quality. The goal of this study is to determine the dosimetric impact when calculating with CT datasets reconstructed with and without MAR software. Methods: Twelve head and neck cancer patients with dental fillings and four pelvic cancer patients with hip prosthesis were scanned with a GE Optima RT 580 CT scanner. Images were reconstructed with and without the MAR software. 6MV IMRT and VMAT plans were calculated with AAA on themore » MAR dataset until all constraints met our clinic’s guidelines. Contours from the MAR dataset were copied to the non-MAR dataset. Next, dose calculation on the non-MAR dataset was performed using the same field arrangements and fluence as the MAR plan. Conformality index, D99% and V100% to PTV were compared between MAR and non-MAR plans. Results: Differences between MAR and non-MAR plans were evaluated. For head and neck plans, the largest variations in conformality index, D99% and V100% were −3.8%, −0.9% and −2.1% respectively whereas for pelvic plans, the biggest discrepancies were −32.7%, −0.4% and -33.5% respectively. The dosimetric impact from hip prosthesis is greater because it produces more artifacts compared to dental fillings. Coverage to PTV can increase or decrease depending on the artifacts since dark streaks reduce the HU whereas bright streaks increase the HU. In the majority of the cases, PTV dose in the non-MAR plans is higher than MAR plans. Conclusion: With the presence of metals, MAR algorithm can allow more accurate delineation of targets and OARs. Dose difference between MAR and non-MAR plans depends on the proximity of the organ to the high density material, the streaking artifacts and the beam arrangements of the plan.« less

Software Quality Perceptions of Stakeholders Involved in the Software Development Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Padmanabhan, Priya

2013-01-01

Software quality is one of the primary determinants of project management success. Stakeholders involved in software development widely agree that quality is important (Barney and Wohlin 2009). However, they may differ on what constitutes software quality, and which of its attributes are more important than others. Although, software quality…

Underground Test Area Activity Quality Assurance Plan Nevada National Security Site, Nevada. Revision 2

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

Krenzien, Susan; Farnham, Irene

This Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) provides the overall quality assurance (QA) requirements and general quality practices to be applied to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) Underground Test Area (UGTA) activities. The requirements in this QAP are consistent with DOE Order 414.1D, Change 1, Quality Assurance (DOE, 2013a); U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Guidance for Quality Assurance Project Plans for Modeling (EPA, 2002); and EPA Guidance on the Development, Evaluation, and Application of Environmental Models (EPA, 2009). If a participant’s requirement document differs from this QAP, the stricter requirement will take precedence.more » NNSA/NFO, or designee, must review this QAP every two years. Changes that do not affect the overall scope or requirements will not require an immediate QAP revision but will be incorporated into the next revision cycle after identification. Section 1.0 describes UGTA objectives, participant responsibilities, and administrative and management quality requirements (i.e., training, records, procurement). Section 1.0 also details data management and computer software requirements. Section 2.0 establishes the requirements to ensure newly collected data are valid, existing data uses are appropriate, and environmental-modeling methods are reliable. Section 3.0 provides feedback loops through assessments and reports to management. Section 4.0 provides the framework for corrective actions. Section 5.0 provides references for this document.« less

Telescience Resource Kit Software Lifecycle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griner, Carolyn S.; Schneider, Michelle

1998-01-01

The challenge of a global operations capability led to the Telescience Resource Kit (TReK) project, an in-house software development project of the Mission Operations Laboratory (MOL) at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The TReK system is being developed as an inexpensive comprehensive personal computer- (PC-) based ground support system that can be used by payload users from their home sites to interact with their payloads on board the International Space Station (ISS). The TReK project is currently using a combination of the spiral lifecycle model and the incremental lifecycle model. As with any software development project, there are four activities that can be very time consuming: Software design and development, project documentation, testing, and umbrella activities, such as quality assurance and configuration management. In order to produce a quality product, it is critical that each of these activities receive the appropriate amount of attention. For TReK, the challenge was to lay out a lifecycle and project plan that provides full support for these activities, is flexible, provides a way to deal with changing risks, can accommodate unknowns, and can respond to changes in the environment quickly. This paper will provide an overview of the TReK lifecycle, a description of the project's environment, and a general overview of project activities.

Integration of oncologic margins in three-dimensional virtual planning for head and neck surgery, including a validation of the software pathway.

PubMed

Kraeima, Joep; Schepers, Rutger H; van Ooijen, Peter M A; Steenbakkers, Roel J H M; Roodenburg, Jan L N; Witjes, Max J H

2015-10-01

Three-dimensional (3D) virtual planning of reconstructive surgery, after resection, is a frequently used method for improving accuracy and predictability. However, when applied to malignant cases, the planning of the oncologic resection margins is difficult due to visualisation of tumours in the current 3D planning. Embedding tumour delineation on a magnetic resonance image, similar to the routinely performed radiotherapeutic contouring of tumours, is expected to provide better margin planning. A new software pathway was developed for embedding tumour delineation on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within the 3D virtual surgical planning. The software pathway was validated by the use of five bovine cadavers implanted with phantom tumour objects. MRI and computed tomography (CT) images were fused and the tumour was delineated using radiation oncology software. This data was converted to the 3D virtual planning software by means of a conversion algorithm. Tumour volumes and localization were determined in both software stages for comparison analysis. The approach was applied to three clinical cases. A conversion algorithm was developed to translate the tumour delineation data to the 3D virtual plan environment. The average difference in volume of the tumours was 1.7%. This study reports a validated software pathway, providing multi-modality image fusion for 3D virtual surgical planning. Copyright © 2015 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Software cost/resource modeling: Software quality tradeoff measurement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawler, R. W.

1980-01-01

A conceptual framework for treating software quality from a total system perspective is developed. Examples are given to show how system quality objectives may be allocated to hardware and software; to illustrate trades among quality factors, both hardware and software, to achieve system performance objectives; and to illustrate the impact of certain design choices on software functionality.

Photometric Modeling of Simulated Surace-Resolved Bennu Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golish, D.; DellaGiustina, D. N.; Clark, B.; Li, J. Y.; Zou, X. D.; Bennett, C. A.; Lauretta, D. S.

2017-12-01

The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) is a NASA mission to study and return a sample of asteroid (101955) Bennu. Imaging data from the mission will be used to develop empirical surface-resolved photometric models of Bennu at a series of wavelengths. These models will be used to photometrically correct panchromatic and color base maps of Bennu, compensating for variations due to shadows and photometric angle differences, thereby minimizing seams in mosaicked images. Well-corrected mosaics are critical to the generation of a global hazard map and a global 1064-nm reflectance map which predicts LIDAR response. These data products directly feed into the selection of a site from which to safely acquire a sample. We also require photometric correction for the creation of color ratio maps of Bennu. Color ratios maps provide insight into the composition and geological history of the surface and allow for comparison to other Solar System small bodies. In advance of OSIRIS-REx's arrival at Bennu, we use simulated images to judge the efficacy of both the photometric modeling software and the mission observation plan. Our simulation software is based on USGS's Integrated Software for Imagers and Spectrometers (ISIS) and uses a synthetic shape model, a camera model, and an empirical photometric model to generate simulated images. This approach gives us the flexibility to create simulated images of Bennu based on analog surfaces from other small Solar System bodies and to test our modeling software under those conditions. Our photometric modeling software fits image data to several conventional empirical photometric models and produces the best fit model parameters. The process is largely automated, which is crucial to the efficient production of data products during proximity operations. The software also produces several metrics on the quality of the observations themselves, such as surface coverage and the completeness of the data set for evaluating the phase and disk functions of the surface. Application of this software to simulated mission data has revealed limitations in the initial mission design, which has fed back into the planning process. The entire photometric pipeline further serves as an exercise of planned activities for proximity operations.

GCS plan for software aspects of certification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shagnea, Anita M.; Lowman, Douglas S.; Withers, B. Edward

1990-01-01

As part of the Guidance and Control Software (GCS) research project being sponsored by NASA to evaluate the failure processes of software, standard industry software development procedures are being employed. To ensure that these procedures are authentic, the guidelines outlined in the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA/DO-178A document entitled, software considerations in airborne systems and equipment certification, were adopted. A major aspect of these guidelines is proper documentation. As such, this report, the plan for software aspects of certification, was produced in accordance with DO-178A. An overview is given of the GCS research project, including the goals of the project, project organization, and project schedules. It also specifies the plans for all aspects of the project which relate to the certification of the GCS implementations developed under a NASA contract. These plans include decisions made regarding the software specification, accuracy requirements, configuration management, implementation development and verification, and the development of the GCS simulator.

Software Acquisition: Evolution, Total Quality Management, and Applications to the Army Tactical Missile System

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-06-01

presents the concept of software Total Quality Management (TQM) which focuses on the entire process of software acquisition, as a partial solution to...software TQM can be applied to software acquisition. Software Development, Software Acquisition, Total Quality management (TQM), Army Tactical Missile

The Effects of Development Team Skill on Software Product Quality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beaver, Justin M.; Schiavone, Guy A.

2006-01-01

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

ICESat (GLAS) Science Processing Software Document Series. Volume 2; Science Data Management Plan; 4.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jester, Peggy L.; Hancock, David W., III

1999-01-01

This document provides the Data Management Plan for the GLAS Standard Data Software (SDS) supporting the GLAS instrument of the EOS ICESat Spacecraft. The SDS encompasses the ICESat Science Investigator-led Processing System (I-SIPS) Software and the Instrument Support Facility (ISF) Software. This Plan addresses the identification, authority, and description of the interface nodes associated with the GLAS Standard Data Products and the GLAS Ancillary Data.

SU-G-BRB-06: Commissioning and Evaluation of EPID-Based in Vivo Dosimetry Software Using a Tissue-Maximum Ratio Approach

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

Held, M; Cheung, J; Morin, O

Purpose: To commission and evaluate an in vivo EPID-based transit dosimetry software (EPIgray, DOSIsoft, Cachan, France) using simple fields and TG119-based IMRT treatment plans. Methods: EPIgray was commissioned on a Truebeam based on finite tissue-maximum ratio (fTMR) measurements with solid water blocks of thicknesses between 0 and 37 cm. Field sizes varied from 2×2 to 20×20 cm{sup 2}. Subsequently, treatment plans of single and opposed beams with field sizes between 4×4 and 15×15 cm{sup 2} as well as IMRT plans were measured to evaluate the dose reconstruction accuracy. Single field dose predictions were made for anterior-posterior and lateral beams. IMRTmore » plans were created based on TG119 recommendations. The reconstructed dose was compared to the planned dose for selected points at isocenter and away from isocenter. Results: For single square fields, the dose in EPIgray was reconstructed within 3% accuracy at isocenter relative to the planned dose. Similarly, the relative deviation of the total dose was accurately reconstructed within 3% for all IMRT plans with points placed inside a high dose region near the isocenter. Predictions became less accurate than 5% when the evaluation point was outside the majority of IMRT beam segments. Additionally, points 5 cm or more away from the isocenter or within an avoidance structure were predicted less reliably. Conclusion: EPIgray formalism accuracy is adequate for an efficient error detection system. It provides immediate intra-fractional feedback on the delivery of treatment plans without affecting the treatment beam. Besides the EPID, no additional hardware is required, which makes it accessible to all clinics. The software evaluates point dose measurements to verify treatment plan delivery and patient positioning within 5% accuracy, depending on the placement of evaluation points. EPIgray is not intended to replace patient-specific quality assurance but should be utilized as an additional layer of safety for continuous patient treatment verification. This research is supported by DOSIsoft.« less

Interpretation of Gamma Index for Quality Assurance of Simultaneously Integrated Boost (SIB) IMRT Plans for Head and Neck Carcinoma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atiq, Maria; Atiq, Atia; Iqbal, Khalid; Shamsi, Quratul ain; Andleeb, Farah; Buzdar, Saeed Ahmad

2017-12-01

Objective: The Gamma Index is prerequisite to estimate point-by-point difference between measured and calculated dose distribution in terms of both Distance to Agreement (DTA) and Dose Difference (DD). This study aims to inquire what percentage of pixels passing a certain criteria assure a good quality plan and suggest gamma index as efficient mechanism for dose verification of Simultaneous Integrated Boost Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy plans. Method: In this study, dose was calculated for 14 head and neck patients and IMRT Quality Assurance was performed with portal dosimetry using the Eclipse treatment planning system. Eclipse software has a Gamma analysis function to compare measured and calculated dose distribution. Plans of this study were deemed acceptable when passing rate was 95% using tolerance for Distance to agreement (DTA) as 3mm and Dose Difference (DD) as 5%. Result and Conclusion: Thirteen cases pass tolerance criteria of 95% set by our institution. Confidence Limit for DD is 9.3% and for gamma criteria our local CL came out to be 2.0% (i.e., 98.0% passing). Lack of correlation was found between DD and γ passing rate with R2 of 0.0509. Our findings underline the importance of gamma analysis method to predict the quality of dose calculation. Passing rate of 95% is achieved in 93% of cases which is adequate level of accuracy for analyzed plans thus assuring the robustness of SIB IMRT treatment technique. This study can be extended to investigate gamma criteria of 5%/3mm for different tumor localities and to explore confidence limit on target volumes of small extent and simple geometry.

Ask Pete, software planning and estimation through project characterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kurtz, T.

2001-01-01

Ask Pete, was developed by NASA to provide a tool for integrating the estimation and planning activities for a software development effort. It incorporates COCOMO II estimating with NASA's software development practices and IV&V criteria to characterize a project. This characterization is then used to generate estimates and tailored planning documents.

Patient-specific IMRT verification using independent fluence-based dose calculation software: experimental benchmarking and initial clinical experience.

PubMed

Georg, Dietmar; Stock, Markus; Kroupa, Bernhard; Olofsson, Jörgen; Nyholm, Tufve; Ahnesjö, Anders; Karlsson, Mikael

2007-08-21

Experimental methods are commonly used for patient-specific intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) verification. The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy and performance of independent dose calculation software (denoted as 'MUV' (monitor unit verification)) for patient-specific quality assurance (QA). 52 patients receiving step-and-shoot IMRT were considered. IMRT plans were recalculated by the treatment planning systems (TPS) in a dedicated QA phantom, in which an experimental 1D and 2D verification (0.3 cm(3) ionization chamber; films) was performed. Additionally, an independent dose calculation was performed. The fluence-based algorithm of MUV accounts for collimator transmission, rounded leaf ends, tongue-and-groove effect, backscatter to the monitor chamber and scatter from the flattening filter. The dose calculation utilizes a pencil beam model based on a beam quality index. DICOM RT files from patient plans, exported from the TPS, were directly used as patient-specific input data in MUV. For composite IMRT plans, average deviations in the high dose region between ionization chamber measurements and point dose calculations performed with the TPS and MUV were 1.6 +/- 1.2% and 0.5 +/- 1.1% (1 S.D.). The dose deviations between MUV and TPS slightly depended on the distance from the isocentre position. For individual intensity-modulated beams (total 367), an average deviation of 1.1 +/- 2.9% was determined between calculations performed with the TPS and with MUV, with maximum deviations up to 14%. However, absolute dose deviations were mostly less than 3 cGy. Based on the current results, we aim to apply a confidence limit of 3% (with respect to the prescribed dose) or 6 cGy for routine IMRT verification. For off-axis points at distances larger than 5 cm and for low dose regions, we consider 5% dose deviation or 10 cGy acceptable. The time needed for an independent calculation compares very favourably with the net time for an experimental approach. The physical effects modelled in the dose calculation software MUV allow accurate dose calculations in individual verification points. Independent calculations may be used to replace experimental dose verification once the IMRT programme is mature.

A Framework of the Use of Information in Software Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaveh, Payman

2010-01-01

With the increasing role that software systems play in our daily lives, software quality has become extremely important. Software quality is impacted by the efficiency of the software testing process. There are a growing number of software testing methodologies, models, and initiatives to satisfy the need to improve software quality. The main…

Extreme C2 and Multi-Touch, Multi-User Collaborative User Interfaces

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

Organization: Office of the Chief Engineer , Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Charleston Address: PO Box 190022 N. Charleston, SC 29419 843...collaborative development technique can increase the adaptability and quality of software, something of high value in the complex domain of enterprise...concept to C2 should be able to produce similar benefits for planning in military operations, particularly complex, multi- faceted operations. This

Development and evaluation of a web-based software for crash data collection, processing and analysis.

PubMed

Montella, Alfonso; Chiaradonna, Salvatore; Criscuolo, Giorgio; De Martino, Salvatore

2017-02-05

First step of the development of an effective safety management system is to create reliable crash databases since the quality of decision making in road safety depends on the quality of the data on which decisions are based. Improving crash data is a worldwide priority, as highlighted in the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety adopted by the United Nations, which recognizes that the overall goal of the plan will be attained improving the quality of data collection at the national, regional and global levels. Crash databases provide the basic information for effective highway safety efforts at any level of government, but lack of uniformity among countries and among the different jurisdictions in the same country is observed. Several existing databases show significant drawbacks which hinder their effective use for safety analysis and improvement. Furthermore, modern technologies offer great potential for significant improvements of existing methods and procedures for crash data collection, processing and analysis. To address these issues, in this paper we present the development and evaluation of a web-based platform-independent software for crash data collection, processing and analysis. The software is designed for mobile and desktop electronic devices and enables a guided and automated drafting of the crash report, assisting police officers both on-site and in the office. The software development was based both on the detailed critical review of existing Australasian, EU, and U.S. crash databases and software as well as on the continuous consultation with the stakeholders. The evaluation was carried out comparing the completeness, timeliness, and accuracy of crash data before and after the use of the software in the city of Vico Equense, in south of Italy showing significant advantages. The amount of collected information increased from 82 variables to 268 variables, i.e., a 227% increase. The time saving was more than one hour per crash, i.e., a 36% reduction. The on-site data collection did not produce time saving, however this is a temporary weakness that will be annihilated very soon in the future after officers are more acquainted with the software. The phase of evaluation, processing and analysis carried out in the office was dramatically shortened, i.e., a 69% reduction. Another benefit was the standardization which allowed fast and consistent data analysis and evaluation. Even if all these benefits are remarkable, the most valuable benefit of the new procedure was the reduction of the police officers mistakes during the manual operations of survey and data evaluation. Because of these benefits, the satisfaction questionnaires administrated to the police officers after the testing phase showed very good acceptance of the procedure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detailed Design Documentation, without the Pain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramsay, C. D.; Parkes, S.

2004-06-01

Producing detailed forms of design documentation, such as pseudocode and structured flowcharts, to describe the procedures of a software system:(1) allows software developers to model and discuss their understanding of a problem and the design of a solution free from the syntax of a programming language,(2) facilitates deeper involvement of non-technical stakeholders, such as the customer or project managers, whose influence ensures the quality, correctness and timeliness of the resulting system,(3) forms comprehensive documentation of the system for its future maintenance, reuse and/or redeployment.However, such forms of documentation require effort to create and maintain.This paper describes a software tool which is currently being developed within the Space Systems Research Group at the University of Dundee which aims to improve the utility of, and the incentive for, creating detailed design documentation for the procedures of a software system. The rationale for creating such a tool is briefly discussed, followed by a description of the tool itself, a summary of its perceived benefits, and plans for future work.

Software Smarts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

Under an SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research) contract with Johnson Space Center, Knowledge Based Systems Inc. (KBSI) developed an intelligent software environment for modeling and analyzing mission planning activities, simulating behavior, and, using a unique constraint propagation mechanism, updating plans with each change in mission planning activities. KBSI developed this technology into a commercial product, PROJECTLINK, a two-way bridge between PROSIm, KBSI's process modeling and simulation software and leading project management software like Microsoft Project and Primavera's SureTrak Project Manager.

Training, Quality Assurance Factors, and Tools Investigation: a Work Report and Suggestions on Software Quality Assurance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Pen-Nan

1991-01-01

Previously, several research tasks have been conducted, some observations were obtained, and several possible suggestions have been contemplated involving software quality assurance engineering at NASA Johnson. These research tasks are briefly described. Also, a brief discussion is given on the role of software quality assurance in software engineering along with some observations and suggestions. A brief discussion on a training program for software quality assurance engineers is provided. A list of assurance factors as well as quality factors are also included. Finally, a process model which can be used for searching and collecting software quality assurance tools is presented.

78 FR 31916 - Increasing Market and Planning Efficiency Through Improved Software; Supplemental Agenda Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-28

... Market and Planning Efficiency Through Improved Software; Supplemental Agenda Notice Take notice that... for increasing real-time and day-ahead market efficiency through improved software. A detailed agenda..., the software industry, government, research centers and academia and is intended to build on the...

77 FR 19280 - Increasing Market and Planning Efficiency Through Improved Software; Notice of Technical...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-30

... Market and Planning Efficiency Through Improved Software; Notice of Technical Conference: Increasing Real-Time and Day- Ahead Market Efficiency Through Improved Software Take notice that Commission staff will...-time and day-ahead market efficiency through improved software. A detailed agenda with the list of and...

76 FR 28022 - Increasing Market and Planning Efficiency Through Improved Software; Notice of Technical...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-13

... Market and Planning Efficiency Through Improved Software; Notice of Technical Conference: Increasing Real-Time and Day- Ahead Market Efficiency Through Improved Software Take notice that Commission staff will... for increasing real-time and day-ahead market efficiency through improved software. This conference...

Poster - Thur Eve - 54: A software solution for ongoing DVH quality assurance in radiation therapy.

PubMed

Annis, S-L; Zeng, G; Wu, X; Macpherson, M

2012-07-01

A program has been developed in MATLAB for use in quality assurance of treatment planning of radiation therapy. It analyzes patient DVH files and compiles dose volume data for review, trending, comparison and analysis. Patient DVH files are exported from the Eclipse treatment planning system and saved according to treatment sites and date. Currently analysis is available for 4 treatment sites; Prostate, Prostate Bed, Lung, and Upper GI, with two functions for data report and analysis: patient-specific and organ-specific. The patient-specific function loads one patient DVH file and reports the user-specified dose volume data of organs and targets. These data can be compiled to an external file for a third party analysis. The organ-specific function extracts a requested dose volume of an organ from the DVH files of a patient group and reports the statistics over this population. A graphical user interface is utilized to select clinical sites, function and structures, and input user's requests. We have implemented this program in planning quality assurance at our center. The program has tracked the dosimetric improvement in GU sites after VMAT was implemented clinically. It has generated dose volume statistics for different groups of patients associated with technique or time range. This program allows reporting and statistical analysis of DVH files. It is an efficient tool for the planning quality control in radiation therapy. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Framework for the quality assurance of 'omics technologies considering GLP requirements.

PubMed

Kauffmann, Hans-Martin; Kamp, Hennicke; Fuchs, Regine; Chorley, Brian N; Deferme, Lize; Ebbels, Timothy; Hackermüller, Jörg; Perdichizzi, Stefania; Poole, Alan; Sauer, Ursula G; Tollefsen, Knut E; Tralau, Tewes; Yauk, Carole; van Ravenzwaay, Ben

2017-12-01

'Omics technologies are gaining importance to support regulatory toxicity studies. Prerequisites for performing 'omics studies considering GLP principles were discussed at the European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals (ECETOC) Workshop Applying 'omics technologies in Chemical Risk Assessment. A GLP environment comprises a standard operating procedure system, proper pre-planning and documentation, and inspections of independent quality assurance staff. To prevent uncontrolled data changes, the raw data obtained in the respective 'omics data recording systems have to be specifically defined. Further requirements include transparent and reproducible data processing steps, and safe data storage and archiving procedures. The software for data recording and processing should be validated, and data changes should be traceable or disabled. GLP-compliant quality assurance of 'omics technologies appears feasible for many GLP requirements. However, challenges include (i) defining, storing, and archiving the raw data; (ii) transparent descriptions of data processing steps; (iii) software validation; and (iv) ensuring complete reproducibility of final results with respect to raw data. Nevertheless, 'omics studies can be supported by quality measures (e.g., GLP principles) to ensure quality control, reproducibility and traceability of experiments. This enables regulators to use 'omics data in a fit-for-purpose context, which enhances their applicability for risk assessment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

RELAP-7 Software Verification and Validation Plan: Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) Part 1 – Physics and numerical methods

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

Choi, Yong Joon; Yoo, Jun Soo; Smith, Curtis Lee

2015-09-01

This INL plan comprehensively describes the Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) on main physics and numerical method of the RELAP-7. The plan also describes the testing-based software verification and validation (SV&V) process—a set of specially designed software models used to test RELAP-7.

Pragmatic quality metrics for evolutionary software development models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Royce, Walker

1990-01-01

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

Building quality into medical product software design.

PubMed

Mallory, S R

1993-01-01

The software engineering and quality assurance disciplines are a requisite to the design of safe and effective software-based medical devices. It is in the areas of software methodology and process that the most beneficial application of these disciplines to software development can be made. Software is a product of complex operations and methodologies and is not amenable to the traditional electromechanical quality assurance processes. Software quality must be built in by the developers, with the software verification and validation engineers acting as the independent instruments for ensuring compliance with performance objectives and with development and maintenance standards. The implementation of a software quality assurance program is a complex process involving management support, organizational changes, and new skill sets, but the benefits are profound. Its rewards provide safe, reliable, cost-effective, maintainable, and manageable software, which may significantly speed the regulatory review process and therefore potentially shorten the overall time to market. The use of a trial project can greatly facilitate the learning process associated with the first-time application of a software quality assurance program.

Financial Planning in Transit : Use of Commercially Available Microcomputer Software

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1983-11-01

This report addresses the potential of using commercially available microcomputer software for transit financial planning activities. Discussions with transit operators identified the need for inexpensive, easy to use software for ridership and fare ...

SU-F-T-266: Dynalogs Based Evaluation of Different Dose Rate IMRT Using DVH and Gamma Index

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

Ahmed, S; Ahmed, S; Ahmed, F

2016-06-15

Purpose: This work investigates the impact of low and high dose rate on IMRT through Dynalogs by evaluating Gamma Index and Dose Volume Histogram. Methods: The Eclipse™ treatment planning software was used to generate plans on prostate and head and neck sites. A range of dose rates 300 MU/min and 600 MU/min were applied to each plan in order to investigate their effect on the beam ON time, efficiency and accuracy. Each plan had distinct monitor units per fraction, delivery time, mean dose rate and leaf speed. The DVH data was used in the assessment of the conformity and planmore » quality.The treatments were delivered on Varian™ Clinac 2100C accelerator equipped with 120 leaf millennium MLC. Dynalogs of each plan were analyzed by MATLAB™ program. Fluence measurements were performed using the Sun Nuclear™ 2D diode array and results were assessed, based on Gamma analysis of dose fluence maps, beam delivery statistics and Dynalogs data. Results: Minor differences found by adjusted R-squared analysis of DVH’s for all the plans with different dose rates. It has been also found that more and larger fields have greater time reduction at high dose rate and there was a sharp decrease in number of control points observed in dynalog files by switching dose rate from 300 MU/min to 600 MU/min. Gamma Analysis of all plans passes the confidence limit of ≥95% with greater number of passing points in 300 MU/min dose rate plans. Conclusion: The dynalog files are compatible tool for software based IMRT QA. It can work perfectly parallel to measurement based QA setup and stand-by procedure for pre and post delivery of treatment plan.« less

Developing high-quality educational software.

PubMed

Johnson, Lynn A; Schleyer, Titus K L

2003-11-01

The development of effective educational software requires a systematic process executed by a skilled development team. This article describes the core skills required of the development team members for the six phases of successful educational software development. During analysis, the foundation of product development is laid including defining the audience and program goals, determining hardware and software constraints, identifying content resources, and developing management tools. The design phase creates the specifications that describe the user interface, the sequence of events, and the details of the content to be displayed. During development, the pieces of the educational program are assembled. Graphics and other media are created, video and audio scripts written and recorded, the program code created, and support documentation produced. Extensive testing by the development team (alpha testing) and with students (beta testing) is conducted. Carefully planned implementation is most likely to result in a flawless delivery of the educational software and maintenance ensures up-to-date content and software. Due to the importance of the sixth phase, evaluation, we have written a companion article on it that follows this one. The development of a CD-ROM product is described including the development team, a detailed description of the development phases, and the lessons learned from the project.

A Systematic Analysis of 2 Monoisocentric Techniques for the Treatment of Multiple Brain Metastases.

PubMed

Narayanasamy, Ganesh; Stathakis, Sotirios; Gutierrez, Alonso N; Pappas, Evangelos; Crownover, Richard; Floyd, John R; Papanikolaou, Niko

2017-10-01

In this treatment planning study, we compare the plan quality and delivery parameters for the treatment of multiple brain metastases using 2 monoisocentric techniques: the Multiple Metastases Element from Brainlab and the RapidArc volumetric-modulated arc therapy from Varian Medical Systems. Eight patients who were treated in our institution for multiple metastases (3-7 lesions) were replanned with Multiple Metastases Element using noncoplanar dynamic conformal arcs. The same patients were replanned with the RapidArc technique in Eclipse using 4 noncoplanar arcs. Both techniques were designed using a single isocenter. Plan quality metrics (conformity index, homogeneity index, gradient index, and R 50% ), monitor unit, and the planning time were recorded. Comparison of the Multiple Metastases Element and RapidArc plans was performed using Shapiro-Wilk test, paired Student t test, and Wilcoxon signed rank test. A paired Wilcoxon signed rank test between Multiple Metastases Element and RapidArc showed comparable plan quality metrics and dose to brain. Mean ± standard deviation values of conformity index were 1.8 ± 0.7 and 1.7 ± 0.6, homogeneity index were 1.3 ± 0.1 and 1.3 ± 0.1, gradient index were 5.0 ± 1.8 and 5.1 ± 1.9, and R 50% were 4.9 ± 1.8 and 5.0 ± 1.9 for Multiple Metastases Element and RapidArc plans, respectively. Mean brain dose was 2.3 and 2.7 Gy for Multiple Metastases Element and RapidArc plans, respectively. The mean value of monitor units in Multiple Metastases Element plan was 7286 ± 1065, which is significantly lower than the RapidArc monitor units of 9966 ± 1533 ( P < .05). For the planning of multiple brain lesions to be treated with stereotactic radiosurgery, Multiple Metastases Element planning software produced equivalent conformity, homogeneity, dose falloff, and brain V 12 Gy but required significantly lower monitor units, when compared to RapidArc plans.

A Systematic Analysis of 2 Monoisocentric Techniques for the Treatment of Multiple Brain Metastases

PubMed Central

Stathakis, Sotirios; Gutierrez, Alonso N.; Pappas, Evangelos; Crownover, Richard; Floyd, John R.; Papanikolaou, Niko

2016-01-01

Background: In this treatment planning study, we compare the plan quality and delivery parameters for the treatment of multiple brain metastases using 2 monoisocentric techniques: the Multiple Metastases Element from Brainlab and the RapidArc volumetric-modulated arc therapy from Varian Medical Systems. Methods: Eight patients who were treated in our institution for multiple metastases (3-7 lesions) were replanned with Multiple Metastases Element using noncoplanar dynamic conformal arcs. The same patients were replanned with the RapidArc technique in Eclipse using 4 noncoplanar arcs. Both techniques were designed using a single isocenter. Plan quality metrics (conformity index, homogeneity index, gradient index, and R50%), monitor unit, and the planning time were recorded. Comparison of the Multiple Metastases Element and RapidArc plans was performed using Shapiro-Wilk test, paired Student t test, and Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results: A paired Wilcoxon signed rank test between Multiple Metastases Element and RapidArc showed comparable plan quality metrics and dose to brain. Mean ± standard deviation values of conformity index were 1.8 ± 0.7 and 1.7 ± 0.6, homogeneity index were 1.3 ± 0.1 and 1.3 ± 0.1, gradient index were 5.0 ± 1.8 and 5.1 ± 1.9, and R50% were 4.9 ± 1.8 and 5.0 ± 1.9 for Multiple Metastases Element and RapidArc plans, respectively. Mean brain dose was 2.3 and 2.7 Gy for Multiple Metastases Element and RapidArc plans, respectively. The mean value of monitor units in Multiple Metastases Element plan was 7286 ± 1065, which is significantly lower than the RapidArc monitor units of 9966 ± 1533 (P < .05). Conclusion: For the planning of multiple brain lesions to be treated with stereotactic radiosurgery, Multiple Metastases Element planning software produced equivalent conformity, homogeneity, dose falloff, and brain V12 Gy but required significantly lower monitor units, when compared to RapidArc plans. PMID:27612917

A measurement system for large, complex software programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rone, Kyle Y.; Olson, Kitty M.; Davis, Nathan E.

1994-01-01

This paper describes measurement systems required to forecast, measure, and control activities for large, complex software development and support programs. Initial software cost and quality analysis provides the foundation for meaningful management decisions as a project evolves. In modeling the cost and quality of software systems, the relationship between the functionality, quality, cost, and schedule of the product must be considered. This explicit relationship is dictated by the criticality of the software being developed. This balance between cost and quality is a viable software engineering trade-off throughout the life cycle. Therefore, the ability to accurately estimate the cost and quality of software systems is essential to providing reliable software on time and within budget. Software cost models relate the product error rate to the percent of the project labor that is required for independent verification and validation. The criticality of the software determines which cost model is used to estimate the labor required to develop the software. Software quality models yield an expected error discovery rate based on the software size, criticality, software development environment, and the level of competence of the project and developers with respect to the processes being employed.

Top Down Implementation Plan for system performance test software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobson, G. N.; Spinak, A.

1982-01-01

The top down implementation plan used for the development of system performance test software during the Mark IV-A era is described. The plan is based upon the identification of the hierarchical relationship of the individual elements of the software design, the development of a sequence of functionally oriented demonstrable steps, the allocation of subroutines to the specific step where they are first required, and objective status reporting. The results are: determination of milestones, improved managerial visibility, better project control, and a successful software development.

Software quality in 1997

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

Jones, C.

1997-11-01

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

Software component quality evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clough, A. J.

1991-01-01

The paper describes a software inspection process that can be used to evaluate the quality of software components. Quality criteria, process application, independent testing of the process and proposed associated tool support are covered. Early results indicate that this technique is well suited for assessing software component quality in a standardized fashion. With automated machine assistance to facilitate both the evaluation and selection of software components, such a technique should promote effective reuse of software components.

Quality measures and assurance for AI (Artificial Intelligence) software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rushby, John

1988-01-01

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

RELAP-7 Code Assessment Plan and Requirement Traceability Matrix

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

Yoo, Junsoo; Choi, Yong-joon; Smith, Curtis L.

2016-10-01

The RELAP-7, a safety analysis code for nuclear reactor system, is under development at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Overall, the code development is directed towards leveraging the advancements in computer science technology, numerical solution methods and physical models over the last decades. Recently, INL has also been putting an effort to establish the code assessment plan, which aims to ensure an improved final product quality through the RELAP-7 development process. The ultimate goal of this plan is to propose a suitable way to systematically assess the wide range of software requirements for RELAP-7, including the software design, user interface, andmore » technical requirements, etc. To this end, we first survey the literature (i.e., international/domestic reports, research articles) addressing the desirable features generally required for advanced nuclear system safety analysis codes. In addition, the V&V (verification and validation) efforts as well as the legacy issues of several recently-developed codes (e.g., RELAP5-3D, TRACE V5.0) are investigated. Lastly, this paper outlines the Requirement Traceability Matrix (RTM) for RELAP-7 which can be used to systematically evaluate and identify the code development process and its present capability.« less

Vehicle management and mission planning systems with shuttle applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

A preliminary definition of a concept for an automated system is presented that will support the effective management and planning of space shuttle operations. It is called the Vehicle Management and Mission Planning System (VMMPS). In addition to defining the system and its functions, some of the software requirements of the system are identified and a phased and evolutionary method is recommended for software design, development, and implementation. The concept is composed of eight software subsystems supervised by an executive system. These subsystems are mission design and analysis, flight scheduler, launch operations, vehicle operations, payload support operations, crew support, information management, and flight operations support. In addition to presenting the proposed system, a discussion of the evolutionary software development philosophy that the Mission Planning and Analysis Division (MPAD) would propose to use in developing the required supporting software is included. A preliminary software development schedule is also included.

SU-F-T-618: Evaluation of a Mono-Isocentric Treatment Planning Software for Stereotactic Radiosurgery of Multiple Brain Metastases

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

Sham, E; Sattarivand, M; Mulroy, L

Purpose: To evaluate planning performance of an automated treatment planning software (BrainLAB; Elements) for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) of multiple brain metastases. Methods: Brainlab’s Multiple Metastases Elements (MME) uses single isocentric technique to treat up to 10 cranial planning target volumes (PTVs). The planning algorithm of the MME accounts for multiple PTVs overlapping with one another on the beam eyes view (BEV) and automatically selects a subset of all overlapping PTVs on each arc for sparing normal tissues in the brain. The algorithm also optimizes collimator angles, margins between multi-leaf collimators (MLCs) and PTVs, as well as monitor units (MUs) usingmore » minimization of conformity index (CI) for all targets. Planning performance was evaluated by comparing the MME-calculated treatment plan parameters with the same parameters calculated with the Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) optimization on Varian’s Eclipse platform. Results: Figures 1 to 3 compare several treatment plan outcomes calculated between the MME and VMAT for 5 clinical multi-targets SRS patient plans. Prescribed target dose was volume-dependent and defined based on the RTOG recommendation. For a total number of 18 PTV’s, mean values for the CI, PITV, and GI were comparable between the MME and VMAT within one standard deviation (σ). However, MME-calculated MDPD was larger than the same VMAT-calculated parameter. While both techniques delivered similar maximum point doses to the critical cranial structures and total MU’s for the 5 patient plans, the MME required less treatment planning time by an order of magnitude compared to VMAT. Conclusion: The MME and VMAT produce similar plan qualities in terms of MUs, target dose conformation, and OAR dose sparing. While the selective use of PTVs for arc-optimization with the MME reduces significantly the total planning time in comparison to VMAT, the target dose homogeneity was also compromised due to its simplified inverse planning algorithm used.« less

76 FR 41790 - Increasing Market and Planning Efficiency Through Improved Software; Notice Establishing Date for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-15

... Market and Planning Efficiency Through Improved Software; Notice Establishing Date for Comments From June... real-time and day- ahead market efficiency through improved software.\\1\\ \\1\\ Notice of technical conference: increasing real-time and day-ahead market efficiency through improved software, 76 Fed. Reg. 28...

Flight Planning Branch NASA Co-op Tour

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marr, Aja M.

2013-01-01

This semester I worked with the Flight Planning Branch at the NASA Johnson Space Center. I learned about the different aspects of flight planning for the International Space Station as well as the software that is used internally and ISSLive! which is used to help educate the public on the space program. I had the opportunity to do on the job training in the Mission Control Center with the planning team. I transferred old timeline records from the planning team's old software to the new software in order to preserve the data for the future when the software is retired. I learned about the operations of the International Space Station, the importance of good communication between the different parts of the planning team, and enrolled in professional development classes as well as technical classes to learn about the space station.

Software Quality Evaluation Models Applicable in Health Information and Communications Technologies. A Review of the Literature.

PubMed

Villamor Ordozgoiti, Alberto; Delgado Hito, Pilar; Guix Comellas, Eva María; Fernandez Sanchez, Carlos Manuel; Garcia Hernandez, Milagros; Lluch Canut, Teresa

2016-01-01

Information and Communications Technologies in healthcare has increased the need to consider quality criteria through standardised processes. The aim of this study was to analyse the software quality evaluation models applicable to healthcare from the perspective of ICT-purchasers. Through a systematic literature review with the keywords software, product, quality, evaluation and health, we selected and analysed 20 original research papers published from 2005-2016 in health science and technology databases. The results showed four main topics: non-ISO models, software quality evaluation models based on ISO/IEC standards, studies analysing software quality evaluation models, and studies analysing ISO standards for software quality evaluation. The models provide cost-efficiency criteria for specific software, and improve use outcomes. The ISO/IEC25000 standard is shown as the most suitable for evaluating the quality of ICTs for healthcare use from the perspective of institutional acquisition.

Issues in NASA Program and Project Management: Focus on Project Planning and Scheduling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffman, Edward J. (Editor); Lawbaugh, William M. (Editor)

1997-01-01

Topics addressed include: Planning and scheduling training for working project teams at NASA, overview of project planning and scheduling workshops, project planning at NASA, new approaches to systems engineering, software reliability assessment, and software reuse in wind tunnel control systems.

GLOBECOM '84 - Global Telecommunications Conference, Atlanta, GA, November 26-29, 1984, Conference Record. Volume 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

The subjects discussed are related to LSI/VLSI based subscriber transmission and customer access for the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), special applications of fiber optics, ISDN and competitive telecommunication services, technical preparations for the Geostationary-Satellite Orbit Conference, high-capacity statistical switching fabrics, networking and distributed systems software, adaptive arrays and cancelers, synchronization and tracking, speech processing, advances in communication terminals, full-color videotex, and a performance analysis of protocols. Advances in data communications are considered along with transmission network plans and progress, direct broadcast satellite systems, packet radio system aspects, radio-new and developing technologies and applications, the management of software quality, and Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) aspects of telematic services. Attention is given to personal computers and OSI, the role of software reliability measurement in information systems, and an active array antenna for the next-generation direct broadcast satellite.

Guidance and Control Software Project Data - Volume 3: Verification Documents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayhurst, Kelly J. (Editor)

2008-01-01

The Guidance and Control Software (GCS) project was the last in a series of software reliability studies conducted at Langley Research Center between 1977 and 1994. The technical results of the GCS project were recorded after the experiment was completed. Some of the support documentation produced as part of the experiment, however, is serving an unexpected role far beyond its original project context. Some of the software used as part of the GCS project was developed to conform to the RTCA/DO-178B software standard, "Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification," used in the civil aviation industry. That standard requires extensive documentation throughout the software development life cycle, including plans, software requirements, design and source code, verification cases and results, and configuration management and quality control data. The project documentation that includes this information is open for public scrutiny without the legal or safety implications associated with comparable data from an avionics manufacturer. This public availability has afforded an opportunity to use the GCS project documents for DO-178B training. This report provides a brief overview of the GCS project, describes the 4-volume set of documents and the role they are playing in training, and includes the verification documents from the GCS project. Volume 3 contains four appendices: A. Software Verification Cases and Procedures for the Guidance and Control Software Project; B. Software Verification Results for the Pluto Implementation of the Guidance and Control Software; C. Review Records for the Pluto Implementation of the Guidance and Control Software; and D. Test Results Logs for the Pluto Implementation of the Guidance and Control Software.

Guidance and Control Software Project Data - Volume 2: Development Documents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayhurst, Kelly J. (Editor)

2008-01-01

The Guidance and Control Software (GCS) project was the last in a series of software reliability studies conducted at Langley Research Center between 1977 and 1994. The technical results of the GCS project were recorded after the experiment was completed. Some of the support documentation produced as part of the experiment, however, is serving an unexpected role far beyond its original project context. Some of the software used as part of the GCS project was developed to conform to the RTCA/DO-178B software standard, "Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification," used in the civil aviation industry. That standard requires extensive documentation throughout the software development life cycle, including plans, software requirements, design and source code, verification cases and results, and configuration management and quality control data. The project documentation that includes this information is open for public scrutiny without the legal or safety implications associated with comparable data from an avionics manufacturer. This public availability has afforded an opportunity to use the GCS project documents for DO-178B training. This report provides a brief overview of the GCS project, describes the 4-volume set of documents and the role they are playing in training, and includes the development documents from the GCS project. Volume 2 contains three appendices: A. Guidance and Control Software Development Specification; B. Design Description for the Pluto Implementation of the Guidance and Control Software; and C. Source Code for the Pluto Implementation of the Guidance and Control Software

SU-G-TeP4-06: An Integrated Application for Radiation Therapy Treatment Plan Directives, Management, and Reporting

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

Matuszak, M; Anderson, C; Lee, C

Purpose: With electronic medical records, patient information for the treatment planning process has become disseminated across multiple applications with limited quality control and many associated failure modes. We present the development of a single application with a centralized database to manage the planning process. Methods: The system was designed to replace current functionalities of (i) static directives representing the physician intent for the prescription and planning goals, localization information for delivery, and other information, (ii) planning objective reports, (iii) localization and image guidance documents and (iv) the official radiation therapy prescription in the medical record. Using the Eclipse Scripting Applicationmore » Programming Interface, a plug-in script with an associated domain-specific SQL Server database was created to manage the information in (i)–(iv). The system’s user interface and database were designed by a team of physicians, clinical physicists, database experts, and software engineers to ensure usability and robustness for clinical use. Results: The resulting system has been fully integrated within the TPS via a custom script and database. Planning scenario templates, version control, approvals, and logic-based quality control allow this system to fully track and document the planning process as well as physician approval of tradeoffs while improving the consistency of the data. Multiple plans and prescriptions are supported along with non-traditional dose objectives and evaluation such as biologically corrected models, composite dose limits, and management of localization goals. User-specific custom views were developed for the attending physician review, physicist plan checks, treating therapists, and peer review in chart rounds. Conclusion: A method was developed to maintain cohesive information throughout the planning process within one integrated system by using a custom treatment planning management application that interfaces directly with the TPS. Future work includes quantifying the improvements in quality, safety and efficiency that are possible with the routine clinical use of this system. Supported in part by NIH-P01-CA-059827.« less

[Computer-assisted operational planning for pediatric abdominal surgery. 3D-visualized MRI with volume rendering].

PubMed

Günther, P; Tröger, J; Holland-Cunz, S; Waag, K L; Schenk, J P

2006-08-01

Exact surgical planning is necessary for complex operations of pathological changes in anatomical structures of the pediatric abdomen. 3D visualization and computer-assisted operational planning based on CT data are being increasingly used for difficult operations in adults. To minimize radiation exposure and for better soft tissue contrast, sonography and MRI are the preferred diagnostic methods in pediatric patients. Because of manifold difficulties 3D visualization of these MRI data has not been realized so far, even though the field of embryonal malformations and tumors could benefit from this.A newly developed and modified raycasting-based powerful 3D volume rendering software (VG Studio Max 1.2) for the planning of pediatric abdominal surgery is presented. With the help of specifically developed algorithms, a useful surgical planning system is demonstrated. Thanks to the easy handling and high-quality visualization with enormous gain of information, the presented system is now an established part of routine surgical planning.

Culture shock: Improving software quality

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

de Jong, K.; Trauth, S.L.

1988-01-01

The concept of software quality can represent a significant shock to an individual who has been developing software for many years and who believes he or she has been doing a high quality job. The very idea that software includes lines of code and associated documentation is foreign and difficult to grasp, at best. Implementation of a software quality program hinges on the concept that software is a product whose quality needs improving. When this idea is introduced into a technical community that is largely ''self-taught'' and has been producing ''good'' software for some time, a fundamental understanding of themore » concepts associated with software is often weak. Software developers can react as if to say, ''What are you talking about. What do you mean I'm not doing a good job. I haven't gotten any complaints about my code yetexclamation'' Coupling such surprise and resentment with the shock that software really is a product and software quality concepts do exist, can fuel the volatility of these emotions. In this paper, we demonstrate that the concept of software quality can indeed pose a culture shock to developers. We also show that a ''typical'' quality assurance approach, that of imposing a standard and providing inspectors and auditors to assure its adherence, contributes to this shock and detracts from the very goal the approach should achieve. We offer an alternative, adopted through experience, to implement a software quality program: cooperative assistance. We show how cooperation, education, consultation and friendly assistance can overcome this culture shock. 3 refs.« less

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

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

Jones, C.

1997-11-01

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

Route Planning Software for Lunar Polar Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunningham, C.; Jones, H.; Amato, J.; Holst, I.; Otten, N.; Kitchell, F.; Whittaker, W.; Horchler, A.

2016-11-01

Rover mission planning on the lunar poles is challenging due to the long, time-varying shadows. This abstract presents software for efficiently planning traverses while balancing competing demands of science goals, rover energy constraints, and risk.

Planning and tracking chemotherapy production for cancer treatment: a performing and integrated solution.

PubMed

Kergosien, Y; Tournamille, J-F; Laurence, B; Billaut, J-C

2011-09-01

Chemotherapy drugs are intended for the treatment of cancer. The production of such drugs and their administration to the patient is a delicate and expensive operation. The study deals with the acquisition and processing of data regarding the production of intravenous chemotherapy, from the production request (the medical prescription), the production itself (pharmaceutical process), to the delivery in the health care unit, for the administration of the chemotherapy. The goal of this study is to develop a system that can schedule, control and track the chemotherapy preparations and satisfy a certification process of quality management ("ISO 9001 version 2000" standard). The solution proposed in this paper was developed within the framework of a common certification process at the Biopharmaceutical Unit of the Oncology Clinic (UBCO) of the Bretonneau hospital in Tours (France). The system consists of two software programs: a software to insure traceability and a decision making software to plan the production. To simplify the data entry process, some mobile entry points with bar code reader have been deployed. These tools enable an accurate tracking of the production, a security and control for the schedule production phases, and a full traceability of each operation leading to the administration of the chemotherapy drug. The first result is a software that creates the production schedule, allows a real time control of the production process and a full traceability of each step. Computational experiments are based on real data sets, with a comparison of a time period before and after the implementation of this solution. The results show the positive impacts of this software, like the reduction of delayed deliveries, real time generation of production indicators, optimization of the production and a saving of staff time. This intuitive system guarantees a traceability in connection with a high quality system certified ISO 9001-v2000 (with a rapid data entry), an assistant to schedule the production of preparations in a better way, a permanent follow-up and analysis of operations. This project proves the benefits of implementing computer solutions for the traceability and assistance in decision making in the hospital systems. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Software metrics: Software quality metrics for distributed systems. [reliability engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Post, J. V.

1981-01-01

Software quality metrics was extended to cover distributed computer systems. Emphasis is placed on studying embedded computer systems and on viewing them within a system life cycle. The hierarchy of quality factors, criteria, and metrics was maintained. New software quality factors were added, including survivability, expandability, and evolvability.

A Requirements Analysis Model for Selection of Personal Computer (PC) software in Air Force Organizations

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-09-01

Institute of Technology Air University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Systems Management Dexter R... management system software Diag/Prob Diagnosis and problem solving or problem finding GR Graphics software Int/Transp Interoperability and...language software Plan/D.S. Planning and decision support or decision making PM Program management software SC Systems for Command, Control, Communications

Supporting the Use of CERT (registered trademark) Secure Coding Standards in DoD Acquisitions

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-01

Capability Maturity Model IntegrationSM (CMMI®) [Davis 2009]. SM Team Software Process, TSP, and Capability Maturity Model Integration are service...STP Software Test Plan TEP Test and Evaluation Plan TSP Team Software Process V & V verification and validation CMU/SEI-2012-TN-016 | 47...Supporting the Use of CERT® Secure Coding Standards in DoD Acquisitions Tim Morrow ( Software Engineering Institute) Robert Seacord ( Software

SU-E-P-05: Is Routine Treatment Planning System Quality Assurance Necessary?

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

Alaei, P

Purpose: To evaluate the variation of dose calculations using a treatment planning system (TPS) over a two year period and assessment of the need for TPS QA on regular intervals. Methods: Two phantoms containing solid water and lung- and bone-equivalent heterogeneities were constructed in two different institutions for the same brand treatment planning system. Multiple plans, consisting of photons and electron beams, including IMRT and VMAT ones, were created and calculated on the phantoms. The accuracy of dose computation in the phantoms was evaluated at the onset by dose measurements within the phantoms. The dose values at up to 24more » points of interest (POI) within the solid water, lung, and bone slabs, as well as mean doses to several regions of interest (ROI), were re-calculated over a two-year period which included two software upgrades. The variations in POI and ROI dose values were analyzed and evaluated. Results: The computed doses vary slightly month-over-month. There are noticeable variations at the times of software upgrade, if the upgrade involves remodeling and/or re-commissioning of the beams. The variations are larger in certain points within the phantom, usually in the buildup region or near interfaces, and are almost non-existent for electron beams. Conclusion: Routine TPS QA is recommended by AAPM and other professional societies, and is often required by accreditation organizations. The frequency and type of QA, though, is subject to debate. The results presented here demonstrate that the frequency of these tests could be at longer intervals than monthly. However, it is essential to perform TPS QA at the time of commissioning and after each software upgrade.« less

RELAP-7 Software Verification and Validation Plan

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

Smith, Curtis L.; Choi, Yong-Joon; Zou, Ling

This INL plan comprehensively describes the software for RELAP-7 and documents the software, interface, and software design requirements for the application. The plan also describes the testing-based software verification and validation (SV&V) process—a set of specially designed software models used to test RELAP-7. The RELAP-7 (Reactor Excursion and Leak Analysis Program) code is a nuclear reactor system safety analysis code being developed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The code is based on the INL’s modern scientific software development framework – MOOSE (Multi-Physics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment). The overall design goal of RELAP-7 is to take advantage of the previous thirty yearsmore » of advancements in computer architecture, software design, numerical integration methods, and physical models. The end result will be a reactor systems analysis capability that retains and improves upon RELAP5’s capability and extends the analysis capability for all reactor system simulation scenarios.« less

75 FR 30010 - Improving Market and Planning Efficiency Through Improved Software; Notice of Agenda and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-28

... Market and Planning Efficiency Through Improved Software; Notice of Agenda and Procedures for Staff... conference to be held on June 2, 2010 and June 3, 2010, to discuss issues related to unit commitment software... Unit Commitment Software Federal Energy Regulatory Commission June 2, 2010 8 a.m Richard O'Neill, FERC...

SEPAC software configuration control plan and procedures, revision 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

SEPAC Software Configuration Control Plan and Procedures are presented. The objective of the software configuration control is to establish the process for maintaining configuration control of the SEPAC software beginning with the baselining of SEPAC Flight Software Version 1 and encompass the integration and verification tests through Spacelab Level IV Integration. They are designed to provide a simplified but complete configuration control process. The intent is to require a minimum amount of paperwork but provide total traceability of SEPAC software.

Payload software technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

A software analysis was performed of known STS sortie payload elements and their associated experiments. This provided basic data for STS payload software characteristics and sizes. A set of technology drivers was identified based on a survey of future technology needs and an assessment of current software technology. The results will be used to evolve a planned approach to software technology development. The purpose of this plan is to ensure that software technology is advanced at a pace and a depth sufficient to fulfill the identified future needs.

The Influence of Software Complexity on the Maintenance Effort: Case Study on Software Developed within Educational Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radulescu, Iulian Ionut

2006-01-01

Software complexity is the most important software quality attribute and a very useful instrument in the study of software quality. Is one of the factors that affect most of the software quality characteristics, including maintainability. It is very important to quantity this influence and identify the means to keep it under control; by using…

Splash: a software tool for stereotactic planning of recording chamber placement and electrode trajectories.

PubMed

Sperka, Daniel J; Ditterich, Jochen

2011-01-01

While computer-aided planning of human neurosurgeries is becoming more and more common, animal researchers still largely rely on paper atlases for planning their approach before implanting recording chambers to perform invasive recordings of neural activity, which makes this planning process tedious and error-prone. Here we present SPLASh (Stereotactic PLAnning Software), an interactive software tool for the stereotactic planning of recording chamber placement and electrode trajectories. SPLASh has been developed for monkey cortical recordings and relies on a combination of structural MRIs and electronic brain atlases. Since SPLASh is based on the neuroanatomy software Caret, it should also be possible to use it for other parts of the brain or other species for which Caret atlases are available. The tool allows the user to interactively evaluate different possible placements of recording chambers and to simulate electrode trajectories.

Splash: A Software Tool for Stereotactic Planning of Recording Chamber Placement and Electrode Trajectories

PubMed Central

Sperka, Daniel J.; Ditterich, Jochen

2011-01-01

While computer-aided planning of human neurosurgeries is becoming more and more common, animal researchers still largely rely on paper atlases for planning their approach before implanting recording chambers to perform invasive recordings of neural activity, which makes this planning process tedious and error-prone. Here we present SPLASh (Stereotactic PLAnning Software), an interactive software tool for the stereotactic planning of recording chamber placement and electrode trajectories. SPLASh has been developed for monkey cortical recordings and relies on a combination of structural MRIs and electronic brain atlases. Since SPLASh is based on the neuroanatomy software Caret, it should also be possible to use it for other parts of the brain or other species for which Caret atlases are available. The tool allows the user to interactively evaluate different possible placements of recording chambers and to simulate electrode trajectories. PMID:21472085

Implementation of a software for REmote COMparison of PARticlE and photon treatment plans: ReCompare.

PubMed

Löck, Steffen; Roth, Klaus; Skripcak, Tomas; Worbs, Mario; Helmbrecht, Stephan; Jakobi, Annika; Just, Uwe; Krause, Mechthild; Baumann, Michael; Enghardt, Wolfgang; Lühr, Armin

2015-09-01

To guarantee equal access to optimal radiotherapy, a concept of patient assignment to photon or particle radiotherapy using remote treatment plan exchange and comparison - ReCompare - was proposed. We demonstrate the implementation of this concept and present its clinical applicability. The ReCompare concept was implemented using a client-server based software solution. A clinical workflow for the remote treatment plan exchange and comparison was defined. The steps required by the user and performed by the software for a complete plan transfer were described and an additional module for dose-response modeling was added. The ReCompare software was successfully tested in cooperation with three external partner clinics and worked meeting all required specifications. It was compatible with several standard treatment planning systems, ensured patient data protection, and integrated in the clinical workflow. The ReCompare software can be applied to support non-particle radiotherapy institutions with the patient-specific treatment decision on the optimal irradiation modality by remote treatment plan exchange and comparison. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Final Report: Computer Games to Teach Geography: El Nino: Mysteries of the Pacific and Mysteries of the Antarctic, August 15, 1994 - June 20, 1998

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

Gautier-Downes, Catherine

During the period covered by this project we have accomplished all the objectives described in our original proposal. The main achievement, however, has been to bring to the commercial market an excellent quality education software product. This highest level of quality has been recognized by the Software Publisher Association, which has awarded its most prestigious appreciation, the Codie Award, for our first product Ocean Expeditions: El Nino. With regards to commercialization, we have developed, as a Phase III project, a comprehensive business plan which we have used to find a publisher/distributor of our products (Tom Snyder Productions) and are presentlymore » updating to raise private funding. Also, we have been awarded a 5-year Cooperative Agreement by NASA to continue the development of our products and bring five new products to the education market by the early part of the millennium.« less

Automated Sequence Generation Process and Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gladden, Roy

2007-01-01

"Automated sequence generation" (autogen) signifies both a process and software used to automatically generate sequences of commands to operate various spacecraft. The autogen software comprises the autogen script plus the Activity Plan Generator (APGEN) program. APGEN can be used for planning missions and command sequences.

SU-E-I-97: Smart Auto-Planning Framework in An EMR Environment (SAFEE)

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

Zhang, B; Chen, S; Mutaf, Y

2014-06-01

Purpose: Our Radiation Oncology Department uses clinical practice guidelines for patient treatment, including normal tissue sparing and other dosimetric constraints. These practice guidelines were adapted from national guidelines, clinical trials, literature reviews, and practitioner's own experience. Modern treatment planning systems (TPS) have the capability of incorporating these practice guidelines to automatically create radiation therapy treatment plans with little human intervention. We are developing a software infrastructure to integrate clinical practice guidelines and radiation oncology electronic medical record (EMR) system into radiation therapy treatment planning system (TPS) for auto planning. Methods: Our Smart Auto-Planning Framework in an EMR environment (SAFEE) usesmore » a software pipeline framework to integrate practice guidelines,EMR, and TPS together. The SAFEE system starts with retrieving diagnosis information and physician's prescription from the EMR system. After approval of contouring, SAFEE will automatically create plans according to our guidelines. Based on clinical objectives, SAFEE will automatically select treatment delivery techniques (such as, 3DRT/IMRT/VMAT) and optimize plans. When necessary, SAFEE will create multiple treatment plans with different combinations of parameters. SAFEE's pipeline structure makes it very flexible to integrate various techniques, such as, Model-Base Segmentation (MBS) and plan optimization algorithms, e.g., Multi-Criteria Optimization (MCO). In addition, SAFEE uses machine learning, data mining techniques, and an integrated database to create clinical knowledgebase and then answer clinical questions, such as, how to score plan quality or how volume overlap affects physicians' decision in beam and treatment technique selection. Results: In our institution, we use Varian Aria EMR system and RayStation TPS from RaySearch, whose ScriptService API allows control by external programs. These applications are the building blocks of our SAFEE system. Conclusion: SAFEE is a feasible method of integrating clinical information to develop an auto-planning paradigm to improve clinical workflow in cancer patient care.« less

The Medical Imaging Interaction Toolkit: challenges and advances : 10 years of open-source development.

PubMed

Nolden, Marco; Zelzer, Sascha; Seitel, Alexander; Wald, Diana; Müller, Michael; Franz, Alfred M; Maleike, Daniel; Fangerau, Markus; Baumhauer, Matthias; Maier-Hein, Lena; Maier-Hein, Klaus H; Meinzer, Hans-Peter; Wolf, Ivo

2013-07-01

The Medical Imaging Interaction Toolkit (MITK) has been available as open-source software for almost 10 years now. In this period the requirements of software systems in the medical image processing domain have become increasingly complex. The aim of this paper is to show how MITK evolved into a software system that is able to cover all steps of a clinical workflow including data retrieval, image analysis, diagnosis, treatment planning, intervention support, and treatment control. MITK provides modularization and extensibility on different levels. In addition to the original toolkit, a module system, micro services for small, system-wide features, a service-oriented architecture based on the Open Services Gateway initiative (OSGi) standard, and an extensible and configurable application framework allow MITK to be used, extended and deployed as needed. A refined software process was implemented to deliver high-quality software, ease the fulfillment of regulatory requirements, and enable teamwork in mixed-competence teams. MITK has been applied by a worldwide community and integrated into a variety of solutions, either at the toolkit level or as an application framework with custom extensions. The MITK Workbench has been released as a highly extensible and customizable end-user application. Optional support for tool tracking, image-guided therapy, diffusion imaging as well as various external packages (e.g. CTK, DCMTK, OpenCV, SOFA, Python) is available. MITK has also been used in several FDA/CE-certified applications, which demonstrates the high-quality software and rigorous development process. MITK provides a versatile platform with a high degree of modularization and interoperability and is well suited to meet the challenging tasks of today's and tomorrow's clinically motivated research.

Quality Market: Design and Field Study of Prediction Market for Software Quality Control

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krishnamurthy, Janaki

2010-01-01

Given the increasing competition in the software industry and the critical consequences of software errors, it has become important for companies to achieve high levels of software quality. While cost reduction and timeliness of projects continue to be important measures, software companies are placing increasing attention on identifying the user…

Online Planning Algorithm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rabideau, Gregg R.; Chien, Steve A.

2010-01-01

AVA v2 software selects goals for execution from a set of goals that oversubscribe shared resources. The term goal refers to a science or engineering request to execute a possibly complex command sequence, such as image targets or ground-station downlinks. Developed as an extension to the Virtual Machine Language (VML) execution system, the software enables onboard and remote goal triggering through the use of an embedded, dynamic goal set that can oversubscribe resources. From the set of conflicting goals, a subset must be chosen that maximizes a given quality metric, which in this case is strict priority selection. A goal can never be pre-empted by a lower priority goal, and high-level goals can be added, removed, or updated at any time, and the "best" goals will be selected for execution. The software addresses the issue of re-planning that must be performed in a short time frame by the embedded system where computational resources are constrained. In particular, the algorithm addresses problems with well-defined goal requests without temporal flexibility that oversubscribes available resources. By using a fast, incremental algorithm, goal selection can be postponed in a "just-in-time" fashion allowing requests to be changed or added at the last minute. Thereby enabling shorter response times and greater autonomy for the system under control.

SU-E-T-106: Development of a Collision Prediction Algorithm for Determining Problematic Geometry for SBRT Treatments Using a Stereotactic Body Frame

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

Wagar, M; Friesen, S; Mannarino, E

2014-06-01

Purpose: Collision between the gantry and the couch or patient during Radiotherapy is not a common concern for conventional RT (static fields or arc). With the increase in the application of stereotactic planning techniques to the body, collisions have become a greater concern. Non-coplanar beam geometry is desirable in stereotatic treatments in order to achieve sharp gradients and a high conformality. Non-coplanar geometry is less intuitive in the body and often requires an iterative process of planning and dry runs to guarantee deliverability. Methods: Purpose written software was developed in order to predict the likelihood of collision between the headmore » of the gantry and the couch, patient or stereotatic body frame. Using the DICOM plan and structures set, exported by the treatment planning system, this software is able to predict the possibility of a collision. Given the plan's isocenter, treatment geometry and exterior contours, the software is able to determine if a particular beam/arc is clinically deliverable or if collision is imminent. Results: The software was tested on real world treatment plans with untreatable beam geometry. Both static non-coplanar and VMAT plans were tested. Of these, the collision prediction software could identify all as having potentially problematic geometry. Re-plans of the same cases were also tested and validated as deliverable. Conclusion: This software is capable of giving good initial indication of deliverability for treatment plans that utilize complex geometry (SBRT) or have lateral isocenters. This software is not intended to replace the standard pre-treatment QA dry run. The effectiveness is limited to those portions of the patient and immobilization devices that have been included in the simulation CT and contoured in the planning system. It will however aid the planner in reducing the iterations required to create complex treatment geometries necessary to achieve ideal conformality and organ sparing.« less

Four simple recommendations to encourage best practices in research software

PubMed Central

Jiménez, Rafael C.; Kuzak, Mateusz; Alhamdoosh, Monther; Barker, Michelle; Batut, Bérénice; Borg, Mikael; Capella-Gutierrez, Salvador; Chue Hong, Neil; Cook, Martin; Corpas, Manuel; Flannery, Madison; Garcia, Leyla; Gelpí, Josep Ll.; Gladman, Simon; Goble, Carole; González Ferreiro, Montserrat; Gonzalez-Beltran, Alejandra; Griffin, Philippa C.; Grüning, Björn; Hagberg, Jonas; Holub, Petr; Hooft, Rob; Ison, Jon; Katz, Daniel S.; Leskošek, Brane; López Gómez, Federico; Oliveira, Luis J.; Mellor, David; Mosbergen, Rowland; Mulder, Nicola; Perez-Riverol, Yasset; Pergl, Robert; Pichler, Horst; Pope, Bernard; Sanz, Ferran; Schneider, Maria V.; Stodden, Victoria; Suchecki, Radosław; Svobodová Vařeková, Radka; Talvik, Harry-Anton; Todorov, Ilian; Treloar, Andrew; Tyagi, Sonika; van Gompel, Maarten; Vaughan, Daniel; Via, Allegra; Wang, Xiaochuan; Watson-Haigh, Nathan S.; Crouch, Steve

2017-01-01

Scientific research relies on computer software, yet software is not always developed following practices that ensure its quality and sustainability. This manuscript does not aim to propose new software development best practices, but rather to provide simple recommendations that encourage the adoption of existing best practices. Software development best practices promote better quality software, and better quality software improves the reproducibility and reusability of research. These recommendations are designed around Open Source values, and provide practical suggestions that contribute to making research software and its source code more discoverable, reusable and transparent. This manuscript is aimed at developers, but also at organisations, projects, journals and funders that can increase the quality and sustainability of research software by encouraging the adoption of these recommendations. PMID:28751965

Four simple recommendations to encourage best practices in research software.

PubMed

Jiménez, Rafael C; Kuzak, Mateusz; Alhamdoosh, Monther; Barker, Michelle; Batut, Bérénice; Borg, Mikael; Capella-Gutierrez, Salvador; Chue Hong, Neil; Cook, Martin; Corpas, Manuel; Flannery, Madison; Garcia, Leyla; Gelpí, Josep Ll; Gladman, Simon; Goble, Carole; González Ferreiro, Montserrat; Gonzalez-Beltran, Alejandra; Griffin, Philippa C; Grüning, Björn; Hagberg, Jonas; Holub, Petr; Hooft, Rob; Ison, Jon; Katz, Daniel S; Leskošek, Brane; López Gómez, Federico; Oliveira, Luis J; Mellor, David; Mosbergen, Rowland; Mulder, Nicola; Perez-Riverol, Yasset; Pergl, Robert; Pichler, Horst; Pope, Bernard; Sanz, Ferran; Schneider, Maria V; Stodden, Victoria; Suchecki, Radosław; Svobodová Vařeková, Radka; Talvik, Harry-Anton; Todorov, Ilian; Treloar, Andrew; Tyagi, Sonika; van Gompel, Maarten; Vaughan, Daniel; Via, Allegra; Wang, Xiaochuan; Watson-Haigh, Nathan S; Crouch, Steve

2017-01-01

Scientific research relies on computer software, yet software is not always developed following practices that ensure its quality and sustainability. This manuscript does not aim to propose new software development best practices, but rather to provide simple recommendations that encourage the adoption of existing best practices. Software development best practices promote better quality software, and better quality software improves the reproducibility and reusability of research. These recommendations are designed around Open Source values, and provide practical suggestions that contribute to making research software and its source code more discoverable, reusable and transparent. This manuscript is aimed at developers, but also at organisations, projects, journals and funders that can increase the quality and sustainability of research software by encouraging the adoption of these recommendations.

CrossTalk: The Journal of Defense Software Engineering. Volume 24, Number 6. November/December 2011

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-11-01

Software Development.” Software Quality Professional Journal, American Society for Quality (ASQ), (March 2010) 4-14. 3. Nair, Gopalakrishnan T.R...Inspection Performance Metric”. Software Quality Professional Journal, American Society for Quality (ASQ), Volume 13, Issue 2, (March 2011) 14-26...the discovery process and are marketed by compa- nies such as Black Duck Software, OpenLogic, Palamida, and Protecode, among others.7 A number of open

Field Test of Route Planning Software for Lunar Polar Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horchler, A. D.; Cunningham, C.; Jones, H. L.; Arnett, D.; Fang, E.; Amoroso, E.; Otten, N.; Kitchell, F.; Holst, I.; Rock, G.; Whittaker, W.

2017-10-01

A novel field test paradigm has been developed to demonstrate and validate route planning software in the stark low-angled light and sweeping shadows a rover would experience at the poles of the Moon. Software, ConOps, and test results are presented.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawrence, Stella

1992-01-01

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

Operational excellence (six sigma) philosophy: Application to software quality assurance

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

Lackner, M.

1997-11-01

This report contains viewgraphs on operational excellence philosophy of six sigma applied to software quality assurance. This report outlines the following: goal of six sigma; six sigma tools; manufacturing vs administrative processes; Software quality assurance document inspections; map software quality assurance requirements document; failure mode effects analysis for requirements document; measuring the right response variables; and questions.

Evaluation of a commercial automatic treatment planning system for prostate cancers.

PubMed

Nawa, Kanabu; Haga, Akihiro; Nomoto, Akihiro; Sarmiento, Raniel A; Shiraishi, Kenshiro; Yamashita, Hideomi; Nakagawa, Keiichi

2017-01-01

Recent developments in Radiation Oncology treatment planning have led to the development of software packages that facilitate automated intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) planning. Such solutions include site-specific modules, plan library methods, and algorithm-based methods. In this study, the plan quality for prostate cancer generated by the Auto-Planning module of the Pinnacle 3 radiation therapy treatment planning system (v9.10, Fitchburg, WI) is retrospectively evaluated. The Auto-Planning module of Pinnacle 3 uses a progressive optimization algorithm. Twenty-three prostate cancer cases, which had previously been planned and treated without lymph node irradiation, were replanned using the Auto-Planning module. Dose distributions were statistically compared with those of manual planning by the paired t-test at 5% significance level. Auto-Planning was performed without any manual intervention. Planning target volume (PTV) dose and dose to rectum were comparable between Auto-Planning and manual planning. The former, however, significantly reduced the dose to the bladder and femurs. Regression analysis was performed to examine the correlation between volume overlap between bladder and PTV divided by the total bladder volume and resultant V70. The findings showed that manual planning typically exhibits a logistic way for dose constraint, whereas Auto-Planning shows a more linear tendency. By calculating the Akaike information criterion (AIC) to validate the statistical model, a reduction of interoperator variation in Auto-Planning was shown. We showed that, for prostate cancer, the Auto-Planning module provided plans that are better than or comparable with those of manual planning. By comparing our results with those previously reported for head and neck cancer treatment, we recommend the homogeneous plan quality generated by the Auto-Planning module, which exhibits less dependence on anatomic complexity. Copyright © 2017 American Association of Medical Dosimetrists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of a Software Tool to Automate ADCO Flight Controller Console Planning Tasks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Mark G.

2011-01-01

This independent study project covers the development of the International Space Station (ISS) Attitude Determination and Control Officer (ADCO) Planning Exchange APEX Tool. The primary goal of the tool is to streamline existing manual and time-intensive planning tools into a more automated, user-friendly application that interfaces with existing products and allows the ADCO to produce accurate products and timelines more effectively. This paper will survey the current ISS attitude planning process and its associated requirements, goals, documentation and software tools and how a software tool could simplify and automate many of the planning actions which occur at the ADCO console. The project will be covered from inception through the initial prototype delivery in November 2011 and will include development of design requirements and software as well as design verification and testing.

Computer planning tools applied to a cable logging research study

Treesearch

Chris B. LeDoux; Penn A. Peters

1985-01-01

Contemporary harvest planning software was used in planning the layout of cable logging units for a production study of the Clearwater Yarder in upstate New York. Planning software, including payload analysis and digital terrain models, allowed researchers to identify layout and yarding problems before the experiment. Analysis of proposed ground profiles pinpointed the...

78 FR 16474 - Extension of the Period for Comments on the Enhancement of Quality of Software-Related Patents

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-15

...] Extension of the Period for Comments on the Enhancement of Quality of Software-Related Patents AGENCY... announcing the formation of a partnership with the software community to enhance the quality of software-related patents (Software Partnership), and a request for comments on the preparation of patent...

SU-F-T-300: Impact of Electron Density Modeling of ArcCHECK Cylindricaldiode Array On 3DVH Patient Specific QA Software Tool Analysis

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

Patwe, P; Mhatre, V; Dandekar, P

Purpose: 3DVH software is a patient specific quality assurance tool which estimates the 3D dose to the patient specific geometry with the help of Planned Dose Perturbation algorithm. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of HU value of ArcCHECK phantom entered in Eclipse TPS on 3D dose & DVH QA analysis. Methods: Manufacturer of ArcCHECK phantom provides CT data set of phantom & recommends considering it as a homogeneous phantom with electron density (1.19 gm/cc or 282 HU) close to PMMA. We performed this study on Eclipse TPS (V13, VMS) & trueBEAM STx VMS Linac &more » ArcCHECK phantom (SNC). Plans were generated for 6MV photon beam, 20cm×20cm field size at isocentre & SPD (Source to phantom distance) of 86.7 cm to deliver 100cGy at isocentre. 3DVH software requires patients DICOM data generated by TPS & plan delivered on ArcCHECK phantom. Plans were generated in TPS by assigning different HU values to phantom. We analyzed gamma index & the dose profile for all plans along vertical down direction of beam’s central axis for Entry, Exit & Isocentre dose. Results: The global gamma passing rate (2% & 2mm) for manufacturer recommended HU value 282 was 96.3%. Detector entry, Isocentre & detector exit Doses were 1.9048 (1.9270), 1.00(1.0199) & 0.5078(0.527) Gy for TPS (Measured) respectively.The global gamma passing rate for electron density 1.1302 gm/cc was 98.6%. Detector entry, Isocentre & detector exit Doses were 1.8714 (1.8873), 1.00(0.9988) & 0.5211(0.516) Gy for TPS (Measured) respectively. Conclusion: Electron density value assigned by manufacturer does not hold true for every user. Proper modeling of electron density of ArcCHECK in TPS is essential to avoid systematic error in dose calculation of patient specific QA.« less

The State of Software for Evolutionary Biology.

PubMed

Darriba, Diego; Flouri, Tomáš; Stamatakis, Alexandros

2018-05-01

With Next Generation Sequencing data being routinely used, evolutionary biology is transforming into a computational science. Thus, researchers have to rely on a growing number of increasingly complex software. All widely used core tools in the field have grown considerably, in terms of the number of features as well as lines of code and consequently, also with respect to software complexity. A topic that has received little attention is the software engineering quality of widely used core analysis tools. Software developers appear to rarely assess the quality of their code, and this can have potential negative consequences for end-users. To this end, we assessed the code quality of 16 highly cited and compute-intensive tools mainly written in C/C++ (e.g., MrBayes, MAFFT, SweepFinder, etc.) and JAVA (BEAST) from the broader area of evolutionary biology that are being routinely used in current data analysis pipelines. Because, the software engineering quality of the tools we analyzed is rather unsatisfying, we provide a list of best practices for improving the quality of existing tools and list techniques that can be deployed for developing reliable, high quality scientific software from scratch. Finally, we also discuss journal as well as science policy and, more importantly, funding issues that need to be addressed for improving software engineering quality as well as ensuring support for developing new and maintaining existing software. Our intention is to raise the awareness of the community regarding software engineering quality issues and to emphasize the substantial lack of funding for scientific software development.

Development strategies for the satellite flight software on-board Meteosat Third Generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tipaldi, Massimo; Legendre, Cedric; Koopmann, Olliver; Ferraguto, Massimo; Wenker, Ralf; D'Angelo, Gianni

2018-04-01

Nowadays, satellites are becoming increasingly software dependent. Satellite Flight Software (FSW), that is to say, the application software running on the satellite main On-Board Computer (OBC), plays a relevant role in implementing complex space mission requirements. In this paper, we examine relevant technical approaches and programmatic strategies adopted for the development of the Meteosat Third Generation Satellite (MTG) FSW. To begin with, we present its layered model-based architecture, and the means for ensuring a robust and reliable interaction among the FSW components. Then, we focus on the selection of an effective software development life cycle model. In particular, by combining plan-driven and agile approaches, we can fulfill the need of having preliminary SW versions. They can be used for the elicitation of complex system-level requirements as well as for the initial satellite integration and testing activities. Another important aspect can be identified in the testing activities. Indeed, very demanding quality requirements have to be fulfilled in satellite SW applications. This manuscript proposes a test automation framework, which uses an XML-based test procedure language independent of the underlying test environment. Finally, a short overview of the MTG FSW sizing and timing budgets concludes the paper.

APPLICATION OF SOFTWARE QUALITY ASSURANCE CONCEPTS AND PROCEDURES TO ENVIORNMENTAL RESEARCH INVOLVING SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

EPA Science Inventory

As EPA’s environmental research expands into new areas that involve the development of software, quality assurance concepts and procedures that were originally developed for environmental data collection may not be appropriate. Fortunately, software quality assurance is a ...

48 CFR 208.7400 - Scope of subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... OF DEFENSE ACQUISITION PLANNING REQUIRED SOURCES OF SUPPLIES AND SERVICES Enterprise Software... commercial software and software maintenance, including software and software maintenance that is acquired...

48 CFR 208.7400 - Scope of subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... OF DEFENSE ACQUISITION PLANNING REQUIRED SOURCES OF SUPPLIES AND SERVICES Enterprise Software... commercial software and software maintenance, including software and software maintenance that is acquired...

48 CFR 208.7400 - Scope of subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... OF DEFENSE ACQUISITION PLANNING REQUIRED SOURCES OF SUPPLIES AND SERVICES Enterprise Software... commercial software and software maintenance, including software and software maintenance that is acquired...

48 CFR 208.7400 - Scope of subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... OF DEFENSE ACQUISITION PLANNING REQUIRED SOURCES OF SUPPLIES AND SERVICES Enterprise Software... commercial software and software maintenance, including software and software maintenance that is acquired...

Beyond Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): The Next Generation Enterprise Resource Planning Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-01

Software as a Service ( SaaS )— SaaS solutions involve conforming an organization’s...consumer of the utilized service . Service Models Software as a Service ( SaaS ) The capability provided to the consumer is to use the provider’s...operating system, platforms, and software installed. In contrast, Software as a Service ( SaaS ) abstracts the entire stack except for a few

Quality Attributes for Mission Flight Software: A Reference for Architects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilmot, Jonathan; Fesq, Lorraine; Dvorak, Dan

2016-01-01

In the international standards for architecture descriptions in systems and software engineering (ISO/IEC/IEEE 42010), "concern" is a primary concept that often manifests itself in relation to the quality attributes or "ilities" that a system is expected to exhibit - qualities such as reliability, security and modifiability. One of the main uses of an architecture description is to serve as a basis for analyzing how well the architecture achieves its quality attributes, and that requires architects to be as precise as possible about what they mean in claiming, for example, that an architecture supports "modifiability." This paper describes a table, generated by NASA's Software Architecture Review Board, which lists fourteen key quality attributes, identifies different important aspects of each quality attribute and considers each aspect in terms of requirements, rationale, evidence, and tactics to achieve the aspect. This quality attribute table is intended to serve as a guide to software architects, software developers, and software architecture reviewers in the domain of mission-critical real-time embedded systems, such as space mission flight software.

A research review of quality assessment for software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

Measures were recommended to assess the quality of software submitted to the AdaNet program. The quality factors that are important to software reuse are explored and methods of evaluating those factors are discussed. Quality factors important to software reuse are: correctness, reliability, verifiability, understandability, modifiability, and certifiability. Certifiability is included because the documentation of many factors about a software component such as its efficiency, portability, and development history, constitute a class for factors important to some users, not important at all to other, and impossible for AdaNet to distinguish between a priori. The quality factors may be assessed in different ways. There are a few quantitative measures which have been shown to indicate software quality. However, it is believed that there exists many factors that indicate quality and have not been empirically validated due to their subjective nature. These subjective factors are characterized by the way in which they support the software engineering principles of abstraction, information hiding, modularity, localization, confirmability, uniformity, and completeness.

Data Quality Monitoring System for New GEM Muon Detectors for the CMS Experiment Upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Robert; CMS Muon Group Team

2017-01-01

The Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detectors are novel detectors designed to improve the muon trigger and tracking performance in CMS experiment for the high luminosity upgrade of the LHC. Partial installation of GEM detectors is planned during the 2016-2017 technical stop. Before the GEM system is installed underground, its data acquisition (DAQ) electronics must be thoroughly tested. The DAQ system includes several commercial and custom-built electronic boards running custom firmware. The front-end electronics are radiation-hard and communicate via optical fibers. The data quality monitoring (DQM) software framework has been designed to provide online verification of the integrity of the data produced by the detector electronics, and to promptly identify potential hardware or firmware malfunctions in the system. Local hits reconstruction and clustering algorithms allow quality control of the data produced by each GEM chamber. Once the new detectors are installed, the DQM will monitor the stability and performance of the system during normal data-taking operations. We discuss the design of the DQM system, the software being developed to read out and process the detector data, and the methods used to identify and report hardware and firmware malfunctions of the system.

The role of open-source software in innovation and standardization in radiology.

PubMed

Erickson, Bradley J; Langer, Steve; Nagy, Paul

2005-11-01

The use of open-source software (OSS), in which developers release the source code to applications they have developed, is popular in the software industry. This is done to allow others to modify and improve software (which may or may not be shared back to the community) and to allow others to learn from the software. Radiology was an early participant in this model, supporting OSS that implemented the ACR-National Electrical Manufacturers Association (now Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) standard for medical image communications. In radiology and in other fields, OSS has promoted innovation and the adoption of standards. Popular OSS is of high quality because access to source code allows many people to identify and resolve errors. Open-source software is analogous to the peer-review scientific process: one must be able to see and reproduce results to understand and promote what is shared. The authors emphasize that support for OSS need not threaten vendors; most vendors embrace and benefit from standards. Open-source development does not replace vendors but more clearly defines their roles, typically focusing on areas in which proprietary differentiators benefit customers and on professional services such as implementation planning and service. Continued support for OSS is essential for the success of our field.

A Structure for Creating Quality Software.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christensen, Larry C.; Bodey, Michael R.

1990-01-01

Addresses the issue of assuring quality software for use in computer-aided instruction and presents a structure by which developers can create quality courseware. Differences between courseware and computer-aided instruction software are discussed, methods for testing software are described, and human factors issues as well as instructional design…

Stereoelectroencephalography based on the Leksell stereotactic frame and Neurotech operation planning software.

PubMed

Zhang, Guangming; Chen, Guoqiang; Meng, Dawei; Liu, Yanwu; Chen, Jianwei; Shu, Lanmei; Liu, Wenbo

2017-06-01

This study aimed to introduce a new stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) system based on Leksell stereotactic frame (L-SEEG) as well as Neurotech operation planning software, and to investigate its safety, applicability, and reliability.L-SEEG, without the help of navigation, includes SEEG operation planning software (Neurotech), Leksell stereotactic frame, and corresponding surgical instruments. Neurotech operation planning software can be used to display three-dimensional images of the cortex and cortical vessels and to plan the intracranial electrode implantation. In 44 refractory epilepsy patients, 364 intracranial electrodes were implanted through the L-SEEG system, and the postoperative complications such as bleeding, cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) leakage, infection, and electrode-related problems were also investigated.All electrodes were implanted accurately as preoperatively planned shown by postoperative lamina computed tomography and preoperative lamina magnetic resonance imaging. There was no severe complication after intracranial electrode implantation through the L-SEEG system. There were no electrode-related problems, no CSF leakage and no infection after surgery. All the patients recovered favorably after SEEG electrode implantation, and only 1 patient had asymptomatic frontal lateral ventricle hematoma (3 mL).The L-SEEG system with Neurotech operation planning software can be used for safe, accurate, and reliable intracranial electrode implantation for SEEG.

A planning language for activity scheduling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zoch, David R.; Lavallee, David; Weinstein, Stuart; Tong, G. Michael

1991-01-01

Mission planning and scheduling of spacecraft operations are becoming more complex at NASA. Described here are a mission planning process; a robust, flexible planning language for spacecraft and payload operations; and a software scheduling system that generates schedules based on planning language inputs. The mission planning process often involves many people and organizations. Consequently, a planning language is needed to facilitate communication, to provide a standard interface, and to represent flexible requirements. The software scheduling system interprets the planning language and uses the resource, time duration, constraint, and alternative plan flexibilities to resolve scheduling conflicts.

Integrating ecosystem-service tradeoffs into land-use decisions

PubMed Central

Goldstein, Joshua H.; Caldarone, Giorgio; Duarte, Thomas Kaeo; Ennaanay, Driss; Hannahs, Neil; Mendoza, Guillermo; Polasky, Stephen; Wolny, Stacie; Daily, Gretchen C.

2012-01-01

Recent high-profile efforts have called for integrating ecosystem-service values into important societal decisions, but there are few demonstrations of this approach in practice. We quantified ecosystem-service values to help the largest private landowner in Hawaii, Kamehameha Schools, design a land-use development plan that balances multiple private and public values on its North Shore land holdings (Island of O’ahu) of ∼10,600 ha. We used the InVEST software tool to evaluate the environmental and financial implications of seven planning scenarios encompassing contrasting land-use combinations including biofuel feedstocks, food crops, forestry, livestock, and residential development. All scenarios had positive financial return relative to the status quo of negative return. However, tradeoffs existed between carbon storage and water quality as well as between environmental improvement and financial return. Based on this analysis and community input, Kamehameha Schools is implementing a plan to support diversified agriculture and forestry. This plan generates a positive financial return ($10.9 million) and improved carbon storage (0.5% increase relative to status quo) with negative relative effects on water quality (15.4% increase in potential nitrogen export relative to status quo). The effects on water quality could be mitigated partially (reduced to a 4.9% increase in potential nitrogen export) by establishing vegetation buffers on agricultural fields. This plan contributes to policy goals for climate change mitigation, food security, and diversifying rural economic opportunities. More broadly, our approach illustrates how information can help guide local land-use decisions that involve tradeoffs between private and public interests. PMID:22529388

Integrating ecosystem-service tradeoffs into land-use decisions.

PubMed

Goldstein, Joshua H; Caldarone, Giorgio; Duarte, Thomas Kaeo; Ennaanay, Driss; Hannahs, Neil; Mendoza, Guillermo; Polasky, Stephen; Wolny, Stacie; Daily, Gretchen C

2012-05-08

Recent high-profile efforts have called for integrating ecosystem-service values into important societal decisions, but there are few demonstrations of this approach in practice. We quantified ecosystem-service values to help the largest private landowner in Hawaii, Kamehameha Schools, design a land-use development plan that balances multiple private and public values on its North Shore land holdings (Island of O'ahu) of ∼10,600 ha. We used the InVEST software tool to evaluate the environmental and financial implications of seven planning scenarios encompassing contrasting land-use combinations including biofuel feedstocks, food crops, forestry, livestock, and residential development. All scenarios had positive financial return relative to the status quo of negative return. However, tradeoffs existed between carbon storage and water quality as well as between environmental improvement and financial return. Based on this analysis and community input, Kamehameha Schools is implementing a plan to support diversified agriculture and forestry. This plan generates a positive financial return ($10.9 million) and improved carbon storage (0.5% increase relative to status quo) with negative relative effects on water quality (15.4% increase in potential nitrogen export relative to status quo). The effects on water quality could be mitigated partially (reduced to a 4.9% increase in potential nitrogen export) by establishing vegetation buffers on agricultural fields. This plan contributes to policy goals for climate change mitigation, food security, and diversifying rural economic opportunities. More broadly, our approach illustrates how information can help guide local land-use decisions that involve tradeoffs between private and public interests.

Evidence-based development of a diagnosis-dependent therapy planning system and its implementation in modern diagnostic software.

PubMed

Ahlers, M O; Jakstat, H A

2005-07-01

The prerequisite for structured individual therapy of craniomandibular dysfunctions is differential diagnostics. Suggestions for the structured recording of findings and their structured evaluation beyond the global diagnosis of "craniomandibular disorders" have been published. Only this structured approach enables computerization of the diagnostic process. The respective software is available for use in practice (CMDcheck for CMD screening, CMDfact for the differential diagnostics). Based on this structured diagnostics, knowledge-based therapy planning is also conceivable. The prerequisite for this would be a model of achieving consensus on the indicated forms of therapy related to the diagnosis. Therefore, a procedure for evidence-based achievement of consensus on suitable forms of therapy in CMD was developed first in multicentric cooperation, and then implemented in corresponding software. The clinical knowledge of experienced specialists was included consciously for the consensus achievement process. At the same time, anonymized mathematical statistical evaluations were used for control and objectification. Different examiners form different departments of several universities working independently of one another assigned the theoretically conceiveable therapeutic alternatives to the already published diagnostic scheme. After anonymization, the correlation of these assignments was then calculated mathematically. For achieving consensus in those cases for which no agreement initally existed, agreement was subsequently arrived at in the course of a consensus conference on the basis of literature evaluations and the discussion of clinical case examples. This consensus in turn finally served as the basis of a therapy planner implemented in the above-mentioned diagnostic software CMDfact. Contributing to quality assurance, the principles of programming this assistant as well as the interface for linking into the diagnostic software are documented and also published here.

"Quality of prenatal and maternal care: bridging the know-do gap" (QUALMAT study): an electronic clinical decision support system for rural Sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Blank, Antje; Prytherch, Helen; Kaltschmidt, Jens; Krings, Andreas; Sukums, Felix; Mensah, Nathan; Zakane, Alphonse; Loukanova, Svetla; Gustafsson, Lars L; Sauerborn, Rainer; Haefeli, Walter E

2013-04-10

Despite strong efforts to improve maternal care, its quality remains deficient in many countries of Sub-Saharan Africa as persistently high maternal mortality rates testify. The QUALMAT study seeks to improve the performance and motivation of rural health workers and ultimately quality of primary maternal health care services in three African countries Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Tanzania. One major intervention is the introduction of a computerized Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) for rural primary health care centers to be used by health care workers of different educational levels. A stand-alone, java-based software, able to run on any standard hardware, was developed based on assessment of the health care situation in the involved countries. The software scope was defined and the final software was programmed under consideration of test experiences. Knowledge for the decision support derived from the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline "Pregnancy, Childbirth, Postpartum and Newborn Care; A Guide for Essential Practice". The QUALMAT CDSS provides computerized guidance and clinical decision support for antenatal care, and care during delivery and up to 24 hours post delivery. The decision support is based on WHO guidelines and designed using three principles: (1) Guidance through routine actions in maternal and perinatal care, (2) integration of clinical data to detect situations of concern by algorithms, and (3) electronic tracking of peri- and postnatal activities. In addition, the tool facilitates patient management and is a source of training material. The implementation of the software, which is embedded in a set of interventions comprising the QUALMAT study, is subject to various research projects assessing and quantifying the impact of the CDSS on quality of care, the motivation of health care staff (users) and its health economic aspects. The software will also be assessed for its usability and acceptance, as well as for its influence on workflows in the rural setting of primary health care in the three countries involved. The development and implementation of a CDSS in rural primary health care centres presents challenges, which may be overcome with careful planning and involvement of future users at an early stage. A tailored software with stable functionality should offer perspectives to improve maternal care in resource-poor settings.

“Quality of prenatal and maternal care: bridging the know-do gap” (QUALMAT study): an electronic clinical decision support system for rural Sub-Saharan Africa

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Despite strong efforts to improve maternal care, its quality remains deficient in many countries of Sub-Saharan Africa as persistently high maternal mortality rates testify. The QUALMAT study seeks to improve the performance and motivation of rural health workers and ultimately quality of primary maternal health care services in three African countries Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Tanzania. One major intervention is the introduction of a computerized Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) for rural primary health care centers to be used by health care workers of different educational levels. Methods A stand-alone, java-based software, able to run on any standard hardware, was developed based on assessment of the health care situation in the involved countries. The software scope was defined and the final software was programmed under consideration of test experiences. Knowledge for the decision support derived from the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline “Pregnancy, Childbirth, Postpartum and Newborn Care; A Guide for Essential Practice”. Results The QUALMAT CDSS provides computerized guidance and clinical decision support for antenatal care, and care during delivery and up to 24 hours post delivery. The decision support is based on WHO guidelines and designed using three principles: (1) Guidance through routine actions in maternal and perinatal care, (2) integration of clinical data to detect situations of concern by algorithms, and (3) electronic tracking of peri- and postnatal activities. In addition, the tool facilitates patient management and is a source of training material. The implementation of the software, which is embedded in a set of interventions comprising the QUALMAT study, is subject to various research projects assessing and quantifying the impact of the CDSS on quality of care, the motivation of health care staff (users) and its health economic aspects. The software will also be assessed for its usability and acceptance, as well as for its influence on workflows in the rural setting of primary health care in the three countries involved. Conclusion The development and implementation of a CDSS in rural primary health care centres presents challenges, which may be overcome with careful planning and involvement of future users at an early stage. A tailored software with stable functionality should offer perspectives to improve maternal care in resource-poor settings. Trial registration http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/NCT01409824. PMID:23574764

Geographic Information Systems and Web Page Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reynolds, Justin

2004-01-01

The Facilities Engineering and Architectural Branch is responsible for the design and maintenance of buildings, laboratories, and civil structures. In order to improve efficiency and quality, the FEAB has dedicated itself to establishing a data infrastructure based on Geographic Information Systems, GIS. The value of GIS was explained in an article dating back to 1980 entitled "Need for a Multipurpose Cadastre" which stated, "There is a critical need for a better land-information system in the United States to improve land-conveyance procedures, furnish a basis for equitable taxation, and provide much-needed information for resource management and environmental planning." Scientists and engineers both point to GIS as the solution. What is GIS? According to most text books, Geographic Information Systems is a class of software that stores, manages, and analyzes mapable features on, above, or below the surface of the earth. GIS software is basically database management software to the management of spatial data and information. Simply put, Geographic Information Systems manage, analyze, chart, graph, and map spatial information. GIS can be broken down into two main categories, urban GIS and natural resource GIS. Further still, natural resource GIS can be broken down into six sub-categories, agriculture, forestry, wildlife, catchment management, archaeology, and geology/mining. Agriculture GIS has several applications, such as agricultural capability analysis, land conservation, market analysis, or whole farming planning. Forestry GIs can be used for timber assessment and management, harvest scheduling and planning, environmental impact assessment, and pest management. GIS when used in wildlife applications enables the user to assess and manage habitats, identify and track endangered and rare species, and monitor impact assessment.

Individual radiation therapy patient whole-body phantoms for peripheral dose evaluations: method and specific software.

PubMed

Alziar, I; Bonniaud, G; Couanet, D; Ruaud, J B; Vicente, C; Giordana, G; Ben-Harrath, O; Diaz, J C; Grandjean, P; Kafrouni, H; Chavaudra, J; Lefkopoulos, D; de Vathaire, F; Diallo, I

2009-09-07

This study presents a method aimed at creating radiotherapy (RT) patient-adjustable whole-body phantoms to permit retrospective and prospective peripheral dose evaluations for enhanced patient radioprotection. Our strategy involves virtual whole-body patient models (WBPM) in different RT treatment positions for both genders and for different age groups. It includes a software tool designed to match the anatomy of the phantoms with the anatomy of the actual patients, based on the quality of patient data available. The procedure for adjusting a WBPM to patient morphology includes typical dimensions available in basic auxological tables for the French population. Adjustment is semi-automatic. Because of the complexity of the human anatomy, skilled personnel are required to validate changes made in the phantom anatomy. This research is part of a global project aimed at proposing appropriate methods and software tools capable of reconstituting the anatomy and dose evaluations in the entire body of RT patients in an adapted treatment planning system (TPS). The graphic user interface is that of a TPS adapted to obtain a comfortable working process. Such WBPM have been used to supplement patient therapy planning images, usually restricted to regions involved in treatment. Here we report, as an example, the case of a patient treated for prostate cancer whose therapy planning images were complemented by an anatomy model. Although present results are preliminary and our research is ongoing, they appear encouraging, since such patient-adjusted phantoms are crucial in the optimization of radiation protection of patients and for follow-up studies.

NOTE: Individual radiation therapy patient whole-body phantoms for peripheral dose evaluations: method and specific software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alziar, I.; Bonniaud, G.; Couanet, D.; Ruaud, J. B.; Vicente, C.; Giordana, G.; Ben-Harrath, O.; Diaz, J. C.; Grandjean, P.; Kafrouni, H.; Chavaudra, J.; Lefkopoulos, D.; de Vathaire, F.; Diallo, I.

2009-09-01

This study presents a method aimed at creating radiotherapy (RT) patient-adjustable whole-body phantoms to permit retrospective and prospective peripheral dose evaluations for enhanced patient radioprotection. Our strategy involves virtual whole-body patient models (WBPM) in different RT treatment positions for both genders and for different age groups. It includes a software tool designed to match the anatomy of the phantoms with the anatomy of the actual patients, based on the quality of patient data available. The procedure for adjusting a WBPM to patient morphology includes typical dimensions available in basic auxological tables for the French population. Adjustment is semi-automatic. Because of the complexity of the human anatomy, skilled personnel are required to validate changes made in the phantom anatomy. This research is part of a global project aimed at proposing appropriate methods and software tools capable of reconstituting the anatomy and dose evaluations in the entire body of RT patients in an adapted treatment planning system (TPS). The graphic user interface is that of a TPS adapted to obtain a comfortable working process. Such WBPM have been used to supplement patient therapy planning images, usually restricted to regions involved in treatment. Here we report, as an example, the case of a patient treated for prostate cancer whose therapy planning images were complemented by an anatomy model. Although present results are preliminary and our research is ongoing, they appear encouraging, since such patient-adjusted phantoms are crucial in the optimization of radiation protection of patients and for follow-up studies.

Development of innovative computer software to facilitate the setup and computation of water quality index.

PubMed

Nabizadeh, Ramin; Valadi Amin, Maryam; Alimohammadi, Mahmood; Naddafi, Kazem; Mahvi, Amir Hossein; Yousefzadeh, Samira

2013-04-26

Developing a water quality index which is used to convert the water quality dataset into a single number is the most important task of most water quality monitoring programmes. As the water quality index setup is based on different local obstacles, it is not feasible to introduce a definite water quality index to reveal the water quality level. In this study, an innovative software application, the Iranian Water Quality Index Software (IWQIS), is presented in order to facilitate calculation of a water quality index based on dynamic weight factors, which will help users to compute the water quality index in cases where some parameters are missing from the datasets. A dataset containing 735 water samples of drinking water quality in different parts of the country was used to show the performance of this software using different criteria parameters. The software proved to be an efficient tool to facilitate the setup of water quality indices based on flexible use of variables and water quality databases.

System integration test plan for HANDI 2000 business management system

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

Wilson, D.

This document presents the system integration test plan for the Commercial-Off-The-Shelf, PassPort and PeopleSoft software, and custom software created to work with the COTS products. The PP software is an integrated application for AP, Contract Management, Inventory Management, Purchasing and Material Safety Data Sheet. The PS software is an integrated application for Project Costing, General Ledger, Human Resources/Training, Payroll, and Base Benefits.

The State of Software for Evolutionary Biology

PubMed Central

Darriba, Diego; Flouri, Tomáš; Stamatakis, Alexandros

2018-01-01

Abstract With Next Generation Sequencing data being routinely used, evolutionary biology is transforming into a computational science. Thus, researchers have to rely on a growing number of increasingly complex software. All widely used core tools in the field have grown considerably, in terms of the number of features as well as lines of code and consequently, also with respect to software complexity. A topic that has received little attention is the software engineering quality of widely used core analysis tools. Software developers appear to rarely assess the quality of their code, and this can have potential negative consequences for end-users. To this end, we assessed the code quality of 16 highly cited and compute-intensive tools mainly written in C/C++ (e.g., MrBayes, MAFFT, SweepFinder, etc.) and JAVA (BEAST) from the broader area of evolutionary biology that are being routinely used in current data analysis pipelines. Because, the software engineering quality of the tools we analyzed is rather unsatisfying, we provide a list of best practices for improving the quality of existing tools and list techniques that can be deployed for developing reliable, high quality scientific software from scratch. Finally, we also discuss journal as well as science policy and, more importantly, funding issues that need to be addressed for improving software engineering quality as well as ensuring support for developing new and maintaining existing software. Our intention is to raise the awareness of the community regarding software engineering quality issues and to emphasize the substantial lack of funding for scientific software development. PMID:29385525

Preoperative Planning of Orthopedic Procedures using Digitalized Software Systems.

PubMed

Steinberg, Ely L; Segev, Eitan; Drexler, Michael; Ben-Tov, Tomer; Nimrod, Snir

2016-06-01

The progression from standard celluloid films to digitalized technology led to the development of new software programs to fulfill the needs of preoperative planning. We describe here preoperative digitalized programs and the variety of conditions for which those programs can be used to facilitate preparation for surgery. A PubMed search using the keywords "digitalized software programs," "preoperative planning" and "total joint arthroplasty" was performed for all studies regarding preoperative planning of orthopedic procedures that were published from 1989 to 2014 in English. Digitalized software programs are enabled to import and export all picture archiving communication system (PACS) files (i.e., X-rays, computerized tomograms, magnetic resonance images) from either the local working station or from any remote PACS. Two-dimension (2D) and 3D CT scans were found to be reliable tools with a high preoperative predicting accuracy for implants. The short learning curve, user-friendly features, accurate prediction of implant size, decreased implant stocks and low-cost maintenance makes digitalized software programs an attractive tool in preoperative planning of total joint replacement, fracture fixation, limb deformity repair and pediatric skeletal disorders.

Feasibility study of an Integrated Program for Aerospace-vehicle Design (IPAD) system. Volume 6: Implementation schedule, development costs, operational costs, benefit assessment, impact on company organization, spin-off assessment, phase 1, tasks 3 to 8

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garrocq, C. A.; Hurley, M. J.; Dublin, M.

1973-01-01

A baseline implementation plan, including alternative implementation approaches for critical software elements and variants to the plan, was developed. The basic philosophy was aimed at: (1) a progressive release of capability for three major computing systems, (2) an end product that was a working tool, (3) giving participation to industry, government agencies, and universities, and (4) emphasizing the development of critical elements of the IPAD framework software. The results of these tasks indicate an IPAD first release capability 45 months after go-ahead, a five year total implementation schedule, and a total developmental cost of 2027 man-months and 1074 computer hours. Several areas of operational cost increases were identified mainly due to the impact of additional equipment needed and additional computer overhead. The benefits of an IPAD system were related mainly to potential savings in engineering man-hours, reduction of design-cycle calendar time, and indirect upgrading of product quality and performance.

The application of dynamic programming in production planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Run

2017-05-01

Nowadays, with the popularity of the computers, various industries and fields are widely applying computer information technology, which brings about huge demand for a variety of application software. In order to develop software meeting various needs with most economical cost and best quality, programmers must design efficient algorithms. A superior algorithm can not only soul up one thing, but also maximize the benefits and generate the smallest overhead. As one of the common algorithms, dynamic programming algorithms are used to solving problems with some sort of optimal properties. When solving problems with a large amount of sub-problems that needs repetitive calculations, the ordinary sub-recursive method requires to consume exponential time, and dynamic programming algorithm can reduce the time complexity of the algorithm to the polynomial level, according to which we can conclude that dynamic programming algorithm is a very efficient compared to other algorithms reducing the computational complexity and enriching the computational results. In this paper, we expound the concept, basic elements, properties, core, solving steps and difficulties of the dynamic programming algorithm besides, establish the dynamic programming model of the production planning problem.

a Low-Cost and Lightweight 3d Interactive Real Estate-Purposed Indoor Virtual Reality Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozacar, K.; Ortakci, Y.; Kahraman, I.; Durgut, R.; Karas, I. R.

2017-11-01

Interactive 3D architectural indoor design have been more popular after it benefited from Virtual Reality (VR) technologies. VR brings computer-generated 3D content to real life scale and enable users to observe immersive indoor environments so that users can directly modify it. This opportunity enables buyers to purchase a property off-the-plan cheaper through virtual models. Instead of showing property through 2D plan or renders, this visualized interior architecture of an on-sale unbuilt property is demonstrated beforehand so that the investors have an impression as if they were in the physical building. However, current applications either use highly resource consuming software, or are non-interactive, or requires specialist to create such environments. In this study, we have created a real-estate purposed low-cost high quality fully interactive VR application that provides a realistic interior architecture of the property by using free and lightweight software: Sweet Home 3D and Unity. A preliminary study showed that participants generally liked proposed real estate-purposed VR application, and it satisfied the expectation of the property buyers.

SU-E-T-215: Interactive Dose Shaping: Proof of Concept Study for Six Prostate Patients

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

Kamerling, CP; German Cancer Research Center; Ziegenhein, P

Purpose: To provide a proof of concept study for IMRT treatment planning through interactive dose shaping (IDS) by utilising the respective tools to create IMRT treatment plans for six prostate patients. Methods: The IDS planning paradigm aims to perform interactive local dose adaptations of an IMRT plan without compromising already established valuable dose features in real-time. Various IDS tools are available in our in-house treatment planning software Dynaplan and were utilised to create IMRT treatment plans for six patients with an adeno-carcinoma of the prostate. The sequenced IDS treatment plans were compared to conventionally optimised clinically approved plans (9 beams,more » co-planar). The starting point consisted of open fields. The IDS tools were utilised to sculpt dose out of the rectum and bladder. For each patient, several IDS plans were created, with different trade-offs between organ sparing and target coverage. The reference dose distributions were imported into Dynaplan. For each patient, the IDS treatment plan with a similar or better trade-off between target coverage and OAR sparing was selected for plan evaluation, guided by a physician. Pencil beam dose calculation was performed on a grid with a voxel size of 1.95×1.95×2.0 mm{sup 3}. D98%, D2%, mean dose and dose-volume indicators as specified by Quantec were calculated for plan evaluation. Results: It was possible to utilise the software prototype to generate treatment plans for prostate patient geometries in 15–45 minutes. Individual local dose adaptations could be performed in less than one second. The average differences compared to the reference plans were for the mean dose: 0.0 Gy (boost) and 1.2 Gy (CTV), for D98%: −1.1 Gy and for D2%: 1.1 Gy (both target volumes). The dose-volume quality indicators were well below the Quantec constraints. Conclusion: Real-time treatment planning utilising IDS is feasible and has the potential to be implemented clinically. Research at The Institute of Cancer Research is supported by Cancer Research UK under Programme C46/A10588.« less

Software Management Environment (SME): Components and algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hendrick, Robert; Kistler, David; Valett, Jon

1994-01-01

This document presents the components and algorithms of the Software Management Environment (SME), a management tool developed for the Software Engineering Branch (Code 552) of the Flight Dynamics Division (FDD) of the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The SME provides an integrated set of visually oriented experienced-based tools that can assist software development managers in managing and planning software development projects. This document describes and illustrates the analysis functions that underlie the SME's project monitoring, estimation, and planning tools. 'SME Components and Algorithms' is a companion reference to 'SME Concepts and Architecture' and 'Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL) Relationships, Models, and Management Rules.'

Orbit attitude processor. STS-1 bench program verification test plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcclain, C. R.

1980-01-01

A plan for the static verification of the STS-1 ATT PROC ORBIT software requirements is presented. The orbit version of the SAPIENS bench program is used to generate the verification data. A brief discussion of the simulation software and flight software modules is presented along with a description of the test cases.

Integrated System for Autonomous Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chien, Steve; Sherwood, Robert; Tran, Daniel; Cichy, Benjamin; Davies, Ashley; Castano, Rebecca; Rabideau, Gregg; Frye, Stuart; Trout, Bruce; Shulman, Seth;

Development and validation of a novel large field of view phantom and a software module for the quality assurance of geometric distortion in magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Torfeh, Tarraf; Hammoud, Rabih; McGarry, Maeve; Al-Hammadi, Noora; Perkins, Gregory

2015-09-01

To develop and validate a large field of view phantom and quality assurance software tool for the assessment and characterization of geometric distortion in MRI scanners commissioned for radiation therapy planning. A purpose built phantom was developed consisting of 357 rods (6mm in diameter) of polymethyl-methacrylat separated by 20mm intervals, providing a three dimensional array of control points at known spatial locations covering a large field of view up to a diameter of 420mm. An in-house software module was developed to allow automatic geometric distortion assessment. This software module was validated against a virtual dataset of the phantom that reproduced the exact geometry of the physical phantom, but with known translational and rotational displacements and warping. For validation experiments, clinical MRI sequences were acquired with and without the application of a commercial 3D distortion correction algorithm (Gradwarp™). The software module was used to characterize and assess system-related geometric distortion in the sequences relative to a benchmark CT dataset, and the efficacy of the vendor geometric distortion correction algorithms (GDC) was also assessed. Results issued from the validation of the software against virtual images demonstrate the algorithm's ability to accurately calculate geometric distortion with sub-pixel precision by the extraction of rods and quantization of displacements. Geometric distortion was assessed for the typical sequences used in radiotherapy applications and over a clinically relevant 420mm field of view (FOV). As expected and towards the edges of the field of view (FOV), distortion increased with increasing FOV. For all assessed sequences, the vendor GDC was able to reduce the mean distortion to below 1mm over a field of view of 5, 10, 15 and 20cm radius respectively. Results issued from the application of the developed phantoms and algorithms demonstrate a high level of precision. The results indicate that this platform represents an important, robust and objective tool to perform routine quality assurance of MR-guided therapeutic applications, where spatial accuracy is paramount. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Engineering Quality Software: 10 Recommendations for Improved Software Quality Management

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-27

lack of user involvement • Inadequate Software Process Management & Control By Contractors • No “Team” of Vendors and users; little SME participation...1990 Quality Perspectives • Process Quality ( CMMI ) • Product Quality (ISO/IEC 2500x) – Internal Quality Attributes – External Quality Attributes... CMMI /ISO 9000 Assessments – Capture organizational knowledge • Identify best practices, lessons learned Know where you are, and where you need to be

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (nasa)/american Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Summer Faculty Fellowship Program, 1991, Volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hyman, William A. (Editor); Goldstein, Stanley H. (Editor)

1991-01-01

Presented here is a compilation of the final reports of the research projects done by the faculty members during the summer of 1991. Topics covered include optical correlation; lunar production and application of solar cells and synthesis of diamond film; software quality assurance; photographic image resolution; target detection using fractal geometry; evaluation of fungal metabolic compounds released to the air in a restricted environment; and planning and resource management in an intelligent automated power management system.

Getting started on metrics - Jet Propulsion Laboratory productivity and quality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bush, M. W.

1990-01-01

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

SU-E-T-421: Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) of Xoft Electronic Brachytherapy for the Treatment of Superficial Skin Cancers

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

Hoisak, J; Manger, R; Dragojevic, I

Purpose: To perform a failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) of the process for treating superficial skin cancers with the Xoft Axxent electronic brachytherapy (eBx) system, given the recent introduction of expanded quality control (QC) initiatives at our institution. Methods: A process map was developed listing all steps in superficial treatments with Xoft eBx, from the initial patient consult to the completion of the treatment course. The process map guided the FMEA to identify the failure modes for each step in the treatment workflow and assign Risk Priority Numbers (RPN), calculated as the product of the failure mode’s probability ofmore » occurrence (O), severity (S) and lack of detectability (D). FMEA was done with and without the inclusion of recent QC initiatives such as increased staffing, physics oversight, standardized source calibration, treatment planning and documentation. The failure modes with the highest RPNs were identified and contrasted before and after introduction of the QC initiatives. Results: Based on the FMEA, the failure modes with the highest RPN were related to source calibration, treatment planning, and patient setup/treatment delivery (Fig. 1). The introduction of additional physics oversight, standardized planning and safety initiatives such as checklists and time-outs reduced the RPNs of these failure modes. High-risk failure modes that could be mitigated with improved hardware and software interlocks were identified. Conclusion: The FMEA analysis identified the steps in the treatment process presenting the highest risk. The introduction of enhanced QC initiatives mitigated the risk of some of these failure modes by decreasing their probability of occurrence and increasing their detectability. This analysis demonstrates the importance of well-designed QC policies, procedures and oversight in a Xoft eBx programme for treatment of superficial skin cancers. Unresolved high risk failure modes highlight the need for non-procedural quality initiatives such as improved planning software and more robust hardware interlock systems.« less

IUS/TUG orbital operations and mission support study. Volume 4: Project planning data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

Planning data are presented for the development phases of interim upper stage (IUS) and tug systems. Major project planning requirements, major event schedules, milestones, system development and operations process networks, and relevant support research and technology requirements are included. Topics discussed include: IUS flight software; tug flight software; IUS/tug ground control center facilities, personnel, data systems, software, and equipment; IUS mission events; tug mission events; tug/spacecraft rendezvous and docking; tug/orbiter operations interface, and IUS/orbiter operations interface.

SU-F-T-391: Comparative Study of Treatment Planning Between IMRT and IMAT for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

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

Duan, J

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the dosimetric differences between intensitymodulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and intensity modulated arc therapy (IMAT) for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) patients with regard to the sparing effect on organs at risk (OARs), plan quality, and delivery efficiency. Methods: Ten MPM patients were recruited in this study. To avoid the inter-operator variability, IMRT and IMAT plans for each patient were performed by one experienced dosimetrist. The treatment planning optimization process was carried out using the Eclipse 13.0 software. For a fair comparison, the planning target volume (PTV) coverage of the two plans wasmore » normalized to the same level. The treatment plans were evaluated on the following dosimetric variables: conformity index (CI) and homogeneity index (HI) for PTV, OARs dose, and the delivery efficiency for each plan. Results: All plans satisfied clinical requirements. The IMAT plans gained better CI and HI. The IMRT plans performed better sparing for heart and lung. Less MUs and control points were found in the IMAT plans. IMAT shortened delivery time compared with IMRT. Conclusion: For MPM, IMAT gains better conformity and homogeneity for PTV with IMRT, but increases the irradiation dose for OARs. IMAT shows an advantage in delivery efficiency.« less

Software Reviews Since Acquisition Reform - The Artifact Perspective

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-01-01

Risk Management OLD NEW Slide 13Acquisition of Software Intensive Systems 2004 – Peter Hantos Single, basic software paradigm Single processor Low...software risk mitigation related trade-offs must be done together Integral Software Engineering Activities Process Maturity and Quality Frameworks Quality

Quality assurance planning for lunar Mars exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Myers, Kay

1991-01-01

A review is presented of the tools and techniques required to meet the challenge of total quality in the goal of traveling to Mars and returning to the moon. One program used by NASA to ensure the integrity of baselined requirements documents is configuration management (CM). CM is defined as an integrated management process that documents and identifies the functional and physical characteristics of a facility's systems, structures, computer software, and components. It also ensures that changes to these characteristics are properly assessed, developed, approved, implemented, verified, recorded, and incorporated into the facility's documentation. Three principal areas are discussed that will realize significant efficiencies and enhanced effectiveness, change assessment, change avoidance, and requirements management.

Establishing Qualitative Software Metrics in Department of the Navy Programs

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-29

dedicated to provide the highest quality software to its users. In doing, there is a need for a formalized set of Software Quality Metrics . The goal...of this paper is to establish the validity of those necessary Quality metrics . In our approach we collected the data of over a dozen programs...provide the necessary variable data for our formulas and tested the formulas for validity. Keywords: metrics ; software; quality I. PURPOSE Space

Development of innovative computer software to facilitate the setup and computation of water quality index

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Developing a water quality index which is used to convert the water quality dataset into a single number is the most important task of most water quality monitoring programmes. As the water quality index setup is based on different local obstacles, it is not feasible to introduce a definite water quality index to reveal the water quality level. Findings In this study, an innovative software application, the Iranian Water Quality Index Software (IWQIS), is presented in order to facilitate calculation of a water quality index based on dynamic weight factors, which will help users to compute the water quality index in cases where some parameters are missing from the datasets. Conclusion A dataset containing 735 water samples of drinking water quality in different parts of the country was used to show the performance of this software using different criteria parameters. The software proved to be an efficient tool to facilitate the setup of water quality indices based on flexible use of variables and water quality databases. PMID:24499556

Applying the metro map to software development management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aguirregoitia, Amaia; Dolado, J. Javier; Presedo, Concepción

2010-01-01

This paper presents MetroMap, a new graphical representation model for controlling and managing the software development process. Metromap uses metaphors and visual representation techniques to explore several key indicators in order to support problem detection and resolution. The resulting visualization addresses diverse management tasks, such as tracking of deviations from the plan, analysis of patterns of failure detection and correction, overall assessment of change management policies, and estimation of product quality. The proposed visualization uses a metaphor with a metro map along with various interactive techniques to represent information concerning the software development process and to deal efficiently with multivariate visual queries. Finally, the paper shows the implementation of the tool in JavaFX with data of a real project and the results of testing the tool with the aforementioned data and users attempting several information retrieval tasks. The conclusion shows the results of analyzing user response time and efficiency using the MetroMap visualization system. The utility of the tool was positively evaluated.

Online survey software as a data collection tool for medical education: A case study on lesson plan assessment.

PubMed

Kimiafar, Khalil; Sarbaz, Masoumeh; Sheikhtaheri, Abbas

2016-01-01

Background: There are no general strategies or tools to evaluate daily lesson plans; however, assessments conducted using traditional methods usually include course plans. This study aimed to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of online survey software in collecting data on education in medical fields and the application of such softwares to evaluate students' views and modification of lesson plans. Methods: After investigating the available online survey software, esurveypro was selected for assessing daily lesson plans. After using the software for one semester, a questionnaire was prepared to assess the advantages and disadvantages of this method and students' views in a cross-sectional study. Results: The majority of the students (51.7%) rated the evaluation of classes per session (lesson plans) using the online survey as useful or very useful. About 51% (n=36) of the students considered this method effective in improving the management of each session, 67.1% (n=47) considered it effective in improving the management of sessions for the next semester, and 51.4% (n=36) said it had a high impact on improving the educational content of subsequent sessions. Finally, 61.4% (n=43) students expressed high and very high levels of satisfaction with using an online survey at each session. Conclusion: The use of online surveys may be appropriate to improve lesson plans and educational planning at different levels. This method can be used for other evaluations and for assessing people's opinions at different levels of an educational system.

Role of technology in supporting quality control and treatment fidelity in a family caregiver clinical trial.

PubMed

Farran, Carol J; Etkin, Caryn D; McCann, Judith J; Paun, Olimpia; Eisenstein, Amy R; Wilbur, Joellen

2011-11-01

This article describes how a family caregiver lifestyle physical activity clinical trial uses research technology to enhance quality control and treatment fidelity. This trial uses a range of Internet, Blaise(®) Windows-based software and Echo Server technologies to support quality control issues, such as data collection, data entry, and study management advocated by the clinical trials literature, and to ensure treatment fidelity concerning intervention implementation (i.e., design, training, delivery, receipt, and enactment) as proposed by the National Institutes of Health Behavior Change Consortium. All research staff are trained to use these technologies. Strengths of this technological approach to support quality control and treatment fidelity include the comprehensive plan, involvement of all staff, and ability to maintain accurate and timely data. Limitations include the upfront time and costs for developing and testing these technological methods, and having support staff readily available to address technological issues if they occur.

A Nursing Intelligence System to Support Secondary Use of Nursing Routine Data

PubMed Central

Rauchegger, F.; Ammenwerth, E.

2015-01-01

Summary Background Nursing care is facing exponential growth of information from nursing documentation. This amount of electronically available data collected routinely opens up new opportunities for secondary use. Objectives To present a case study of a nursing intelligence system for reusing routinely collected nursing documentation data for multiple purposes, including quality management of nursing care. Methods The SPIRIT framework for systematically planning the reuse of clinical routine data was leveraged to design a nursing intelligence system which then was implemented using open source tools in a large university hospital group following the spiral model of software engineering. Results The nursing intelligence system is in routine use now and updated regularly, and includes over 40 million data sets. It allows the outcome and quality analysis of data related to the nursing process. Conclusions Following a systematic approach for planning and designing a solution for reusing routine care data appeared to be successful. The resulting nursing intelligence system is useful in practice now, but remains malleable for future changes. PMID:26171085

Underground Test Area Activity Preemptive Review Guidance Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, Revision 0

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

Farnham, Irene; Rehfeldt, Kenneth

Preemptive reviews (PERs) of Underground Test Area (UGTA) Activity corrective action unit (CAU) studies are an important and long-maintained quality improvement process. The CAU-specific PER committees provide internal technical review of ongoing work throughout the CAU lifecycle. The reviews, identified in the UGTA Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) (Sections 1.3.5.1 and 3.2), assure work is comprehensive, accurate, in keeping with the state of the art, and consistent with CAU goals. PER committees review various products, including data, documents, software/codes, analyses, and models. PER committees may also review technical briefings including Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO)-required presentations to the Nevadamore » Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) and presentations supporting key technical decisions (e.g., investigation plans and approaches). PER committees provide technical recommendations to support regulatory decisions that are the responsibility of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) and NDEP.« less

SU-C-BRB-01: Automated Dose Deformation for Re-Irradiation

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

Lim, S; Kainz, K; Li, X

Purpose: An objective of retreatment planning is to minimize dose to previously irradiated tissues. Conventional retreatment planning is based largely on best-guess superposition of the previous treatment’s isodose lines. In this study, we report a rigorous, automated retreatment planning process to minimize dose to previously irradiated organs at risk (OAR). Methods: Data for representative patients previously treated using helical tomotherapy and later retreated in the vicinity of the original disease site were retrospectively analyzed in an automated fashion using a prototype treatment planning system equipped with a retreatment planning module (Accuray, Inc.). The initial plan’s CT, structures, and planned dosemore » were input along with the retreatment CT and structure set. Using a deformable registration algorithm implemented in the module, the initially planned dose and structures were warped onto the retreatment CT. An integrated third-party sourced software (MIM, Inc.) was used to evaluate registration quality and to contour overlapping regions between isodose lines and OARs, providing additional constraints during retreatment planning. The resulting plan and the conventionally generated retreatment plan were compared. Results: Jacobian maps showed good quality registration between the initial plan and retreatment CTs. For a right orbit case, the dose deformation facilitated delineating the regions of the eyes and optic chiasm originally receiving 13 to 42 Gy. Using these regions as dose constraints, the new retreatment plan resulted in V50 reduction of 28% for the right eye and 8% for the optic chiasm, relative to the conventional plan. Meanwhile, differences in the PTV dose coverage were clinically insignificant. Conclusion: Automated retreatment planning with dose deformation and definition of previously-irradiated regions allowed for additional planning constraints to be defined to minimize re-irradiation of OARs. For serial organs that do not recover from radiation damage, this method provides a more precise and quantitative means to limit cumulative dose. This research is partially supported by Accuray, Inc.« less

Space Station Mission Planning Study (MPS) development study. Volume 3: Software development plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klus, W. L.

1987-01-01

A software development plan is presented for the definition, design, and implementation of the Space Station (SS) Payload Mission Planning System (MPS). This plan is an evolving document and must be updated periodically as the SS design and operations concepts as well as the SS MPS concept evolve. The major segments of this plan are as follows: an overview of the SS MPS and a description of its required capabilities including the computer programs identified as configurable items with an explanation of the place and function of each within the system; an overview of the project plan and a detailed description of each development project activity breaking each into lower level tasks where applicable; identification of the resources required and recommendations for the manner in which they should be utilized including recommended schedules and estimated manpower requirements; and a description of the practices, standards, and techniques recommended for the SS MPS Software (SW) development.

Three-dimensional path planning software-assisted transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt: a technical modification.

PubMed

Tsauo, Jiaywei; Luo, Xuefeng; Ye, Linchao; Li, Xiao

2015-06-01

This study was designed to report our results with a modified technique of three-dimensional (3D) path planning software assisted transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). 3D path planning software was recently developed to facilitate TIPS creation by using two carbon dioxide portograms acquired at least 20° apart to generate a 3D path for overlay needle guidance. However, one shortcoming is that puncturing along the overlay would be technically impossible if the angle of the liver access set and the angle of the 3D path are not the same. To solve this problem, a prototype 3D path planning software was fitted with a utility to calculate the angle of the 3D path. Using this, we modified the angle of the liver access set accordingly during the procedure in ten patients. Failure for technical reasons occurred in three patients (unsuccessful wedged hepatic venography in two cases, software technical failure in one case). The procedure was successful in the remaining seven patients, and only one needle pass was required to obtain portal vein access in each case. The course of puncture was comparable to the 3D path in all patients. No procedure-related complication occurred following the procedures. Adjusting the angle of the liver access set to match the angle of the 3D path determined by the software appears to be a favorable modification to the technique of 3D path planning software assisted TIPS.

Computer-aided software development process design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Chi Y.; Levary, Reuven R.

1989-01-01

The authors describe an intelligent tool designed to aid managers of software development projects in planning, managing, and controlling the development process of medium- to large-scale software projects. Its purpose is to reduce uncertainties in the budget, personnel, and schedule planning of software development projects. It is based on dynamic model for the software development and maintenance life-cycle process. This dynamic process is composed of a number of time-varying, interacting developmental phases, each characterized by its intended functions and requirements. System dynamics is used as a modeling methodology. The resulting Software LIfe-Cycle Simulator (SLICS) and the hybrid expert simulation system of which it is a subsystem are described.

Software Quality and Copyright: Issues in Computer-Assisted Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helm, Virginia

The two interconnected problems of educational quality and piracy are described and analyzed in this book, which begins with an investigation of the accusations regarding the alleged dismal quality of educational software. The reality behind accusations of rampant piracy and the effect of piracy on the quality of educational software is examined…

Development of preoperative planning software for transforaminal endoscopic surgery and the guidance for clinical applications.

PubMed

Chen, Xiaojun; Cheng, Jun; Gu, Xin; Sun, Yi; Politis, Constantinus

2016-04-01

Preoperative planning is of great importance for transforaminal endoscopic techniques applied in percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy. In this study, a modular preoperative planning software for transforaminal endoscopic surgery was developed and demonstrated. The path searching method is based on collision detection, and the oriented bounding box was constructed for the anatomical models. Then, image reformatting algorithms were developed for multiplanar reconstruction which provides detailed anatomical information surrounding the virtual planned path. Finally, multithread technique was implemented to realize the steady-state condition of the software. A preoperative planning software for transforaminal endoscopic surgery (TE-Guider) was developed; seven cases of patients with symptomatic lumbar disc herniations were planned preoperatively using TE-Guider. The distances to the midlines and the direction of the optimal paths were exported, and each result was in line with the empirical value. TE-Guider provides an efficient and cost-effective way to search the ideal path and entry point for the puncture. However, more clinical cases will be conducted to demonstrate its feasibility and reliability.

Software Quality Assurance Audits Guidebooks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The growth in cost and importance of software to NASA has caused NASA to address the improvement of software development across the agency. One of the products of this program is a series of guidebooks that define a NASA concept of the assurance processes that are used in software development. The Software Assurance Guidebook, NASA-GB-A201, issued in September, 1989, provides an overall picture of the NASA concepts and practices in software assurance. Second level guidebooks focus on specific activities that fall within the software assurance discipline, and provide more detailed information for the manager and/or practitioner. This is the second level Software Quality Assurance Audits Guidebook that describes software quality assurance audits in a way that is compatible with practices at NASA Centers.

AdaNET Dynamic Software Inventory (DSI) prototype component acquisition plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanley, Lionel

1989-01-01

A component acquisition plan contains the information needed to evaluate, select, and acquire software and hardware components necessary for successful completion of the AdaNET Dynamic Software Inventory (DSI) Management System Prototype. This plan will evolve and be applicable to all phases of the DSI prototype development. Resources, budgets, schedules, and organizations related to component acquisition activities are provided. A purpose and description of a software or hardware component which is to be acquired are presented. Since this is a plan for acquisition of all components, this section is not applicable. The procurement activities and events conducted by the acquirer are described and who is responsible is identified, where the activity will be performed, and when the activities will occur for each planned procurement. Acquisition requirements describe the specific requirements and standards to be followed during component acquisition. The activities which will take place during component acquisition are described. A list of abbreviations and acronyms, and a glossary are contained.

Challenges in Patient Discharge Planning in the Health System of Iran: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Gholizadeh, Masumeh; Delgoshaei, Bahram; Gorji, Hasan Abulghasem; Torani, Sogand; Janati, Ali

2016-01-01

Background: One of the main factors relating to quality of hospitals is effective discharge planning. Discharge planning promotes the quality of inpatient care and reduces unplanned hospital readmission. The current study investigated the challenges of discharge planning observed in the health system of Iran. Methods: This qualitative research was conducted using a thematic and framework analyses to identify the challenges under each themes defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), to understand barriers in developing an effective discharge planning system in Iran health system. The data was collected from detailed semi-structured interviews and sessions of focus group discussions. This study involved 51 participants including health policy makers, hospital and health managers, faculty members, nurses, practitioners, community medicine specialists and other professionals of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME). To reduce the bias and to increase the credibility of the study, evaluation criteria from Lincoln and Guba were used. All interviews and FGDs were recorded and transcribed, then analyzed by the software MAXQDA-11 and also manually. Results: According to the WHO health systems framework, challenges of effective hospital discharge planning were divided into six areas, leadership/governance, service delivery, information, financing, health workforce, and medical production(themes), in which there were 5,3,2,2,3,1 subthemes respectively. Conclusion: It is evident from the findings of this study that changes in the perspective of policy makers, health staff and managers, strengthening of systematic approach, and establishment of required infrastructures are essential for successful implementation of effective discharge planning in health systems in Iran. PMID:26755460

Prostate intensity-modulated radiotherapy planning in seven mouse clicks: Development of a class solution for cancer.

PubMed

Wood, Maree; Fonseca, Amara; Sampson, David; Kovendy, Andrew; Westhuyzen, Justin; Shakespeare, Thomas; Turnbull, Kirsty

2016-01-01

The aim of the retrospective study was to develop a planning class solution for prostate intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) that achieved target and organs-at-risk (OAR) doses within acceptable departmental protocol criteria using the Monaco treatment planning system (Elekta-CMS Software, MO, USA). Advances in radiation therapy technology have led to a re-evaluation of work practices. Class solutions have the potential to produce highly conformal plans in a time-efficient manner. Using data from intermediate and high risk prostate cancer patients, a stepwise quality improvement model was employed. Stage 1 involved the development of a broadly based treatment template developed across 10 patients. Stage 2 involved template refinement and clinical audit ( n  = 20); Stage 3, template review ( n  = 50) and Stage 4 an assessment of a revised template against the actual treatment plan involving 72 patients. The computer algorithm that comprised the Stage 4 template met clinical treatment criteria for 82% of patients. Minor template changes were required for a further 13% of patients. Major changes were required in 4%; one patient could not be assessed. The average calculation time was 13 min and involved seven mouse clicks by the planner. Thus, the new template met treatment criteria or required only minor changes in 95% of prostate patients; this is an encouraging result suggesting improvements in planning efficiency and consistency. It is feasible to develop a class solution for prostate IMRT using a stepwise quality improvement model which delivers clinically acceptable plans in the great majority of prostate cases.

SU-G-BRC-06: Evaluation of a Novel Radiosurgery Software for Treating Multiple Brain Metastases Simultaneously in a Single Fraction

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

Levin, D; Shekel, E; Epstein, D

Purpose: To evaluate a new, automated brain metastases planning software designed to treat up to ten brain metastases simultaneously. Methods: We treated 61 patients with multiple brain metastases using the Elements software by BrainLab (Munich, Germany). Patients had between 2–10 metastases ranging from 0.01–8.64 cc. Dose prescription was 18–24 Gy. Plans use up to 5 non-coplanar arcs with a single isocenter at the metastases’ center of mass. The high degree of automation shortens the planning time to 15–20 minutes per patient.For comparison we planned 21 of the patients using Rapid Arc (Varian, Palo Alto CA) (RA). We used two coplanarmore » arcs so as to keep planning times comparable to the Elements. We also planned 8 patients using iPlan software (BrainLab). We compared conformity index (CI), volume of brain receiving over 12 Gy (V{sub 12}) and mean brain dose (MBD) for the three different planning systems (TPSs). Results: Plans from all TPSs were judged clinically acceptable. V{sub 12} and MBD were not statistically significantly different between TPSs.CI between RA and Elements was similar, however for iPlan CI was significantly worse compared to both RA and Elements (p<0.001). RA plans took approximately 40 minutes to plan (despite fusion and contouring being done in the Elements), and iPlan plans over an hour each. Delivery times were approximately 30 minutes for Elements, 10 minutes for RA, and up to 300 minutes for iPlan. Conclusion: Elements plans had good CI values and low brain doses. While treatment times for Elements were longer than for RA, 30 minutes is a significant improvement over conventional radiosurgery techniques where each metastasis is treated individually and delivery times to 10 metastases are close to 300 minutes.BrainLab Elements is a novel software allowing fast, automated planning and efficient irradiation of multiple brain metastases with minimal dose to healthy brain.« less

Technical Note: A fast online adaptive replanning method for VMAT using flattening filter free beams

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

Ates, Ozgur; Ahunbay, Ergun E.; Li, X. Allen, E-mail: ali@mcw.edu

Purpose: To develop a fast replanning algorithm based on segment aperture morphing (SAM) for online replanning of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with flattening filter free (FFF) beams. Methods: A software tool was developed to interface with a VMAT research planning system, which enables the input and output of beam and machine parameters of VMAT plans. The SAM algorithm was used to modify multileaf collimator positions for each segment aperture based on the changes of the target from the planning (CT/MR) to daily image [CT/CBCT/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)]. The leaf travel distance was controlled for large shifts to prevent themore » increase of VMAT delivery time. The SAM algorithm was tested for 11 patient cases including prostate, pancreatic, and lung cancers. For each daily image set, three types of VMAT plans, image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) repositioning, SAM adaptive, and full-scope reoptimization plans, were generated and compared. Results: The SAM adaptive plans were found to have improved the plan quality in target and/or critical organs when compared to the IGRT repositioning plans and were comparable to the reoptimization plans based on the data of planning target volume (PTV)-V100 (volume covered by 100% of prescription dose). For the cases studied, the average PTV-V100 was 98.85% ± 1.13%, 97.61% ± 1.45%, and 92.84% ± 1.61% with FFF beams for the reoptimization, SAM adaptive, and repositioning plans, respectively. The execution of the SAM algorithm takes less than 10 s using 16-CPU (2.6 GHz dual core) hardware. Conclusions: The SAM algorithm can generate adaptive VMAT plans using FFF beams with comparable plan qualities as those from the full-scope reoptimization plans based on daily CT/CBCT/MRI and can be used for online replanning to address interfractional variations.« less

SU-E-J-127: Implementation of An Online Replanning Tool for VMAT Using Flattening Filter-Free Beams

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

Ates, O; Ahunbay, E; Li, X

2015-06-15

Purpose: This is to report the implementation of an online replanning tool based on segment aperture morphing (SAM) for VMAT with flattening filter free (FFF) beams. Methods: Previously reported SAM algorithm modified to accommodate VMAT with FFF beams was implemented in a tool that was interfaced with a treatment planning system (Monaco, Elekta). The tool allows (1) to output the beam parameters of the original VMAT plan from Monaco, and (2) to input the apertures generated from the SAM algorithm into Monaco for the dose calculation on daily CT/CBCT/MRI in the following steps:(1) Quickly generating target contour based on themore » image of the day, using an auto-segmentation tool (ADMIRE, Elekta) with manual editing if necessary; (2) Morphing apertures based on the SAM in the original VMAT plan to account for the interfractional change of the target from the planning to the daily images; (3) Calculating dose distribution for new apertures with the same numbers of MU as in the original plan; (4) Transferring the new plan into a record & verify system (MOSAIQ, Elekta); (5) Performing a pre-delivery QA based on software; (6) Delivering the adaptive plan for the fraction.This workflow was implemented on a 16-CPU (2.6 GHz dual-core) hardware with GPU and was tested for sample cases of prostate, pancreas and lung tumors. Results: The online replanning process can be completed within 10 minutes. The adaptive plans generally have improved the plan quality when compared to the IGRT repositioning plans. The adaptive plans with FFF beams have better normal tissue sparing as compared with those of FF beams. Conclusion: The online replanning tool based on SAM can quickly generate adaptive VMAT plans using FFF beams with improved plan quality than those from the IGRT repositioning plans based on daily CT/CBCT/MRI and can be used clinically. This research was supported by Elekta Inc. (Crawley, UK)« less

Evaluation of dosimetric effect caused by slowing with multi-leaf collimator (MLC) leaves for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT)

PubMed Central

Wang, Iris Z.; Kumaraswamy, Lalith K.; Podgorsak, Matthew B.

2016-01-01

Background This study is to report 1) the sensitivity of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) QA method for clinical volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans with multi-leaf collimator (MLC) leaf errors that will not trigger MLC interlock during beam delivery; 2) the effect of non-beam-hold MLC leaf errors on the quality of VMAT plan dose delivery. Materials and methods. Eleven VMAT plans were selected and modified using an in-house developed software. For each control point of a VMAT arc, MLC leaves with the highest speed (1.87-1.95 cm/s) were set to move at the maximal allowable speed (2.3 cm/s), which resulted in a leaf position difference of less than 2 mm. The modified plans were considered as ‘standard’ plans, and the original plans were treated as the ‘slowing MLC’ plans for simulating ‘standard’ plans with leaves moving at relatively lower speed. The measurement of each ‘slowing MLC’ plan using MapCHECK®2 was compared with calculated planar dose of the ‘standard’ plan with respect to absolute dose Van Dyk distance-to-agreement (DTA) comparisons using 3%/3 mm and 2%/2 mm criteria. Results All ‘slowing MLC’ plans passed the 90% pass rate threshold using 3%/3 mm criteria while one brain and three anal VMAT cases were below 90% with 2%/2 mm criteria. For ten out of eleven cases, DVH comparisons between ‘standard’ and ‘slowing MLC’ plans demonstrated minimal dosimetric changes in targets and organs-at-risk. Conclusions For highly modulated VMAT plans, pass rate threshold (90%) using 3%/3mm criteria is not sensitive in detecting MLC leaf errors that will not trigger the MLC leaf interlock. However, the consequential effects of non-beam hold MLC errors on target and OAR doses are negligible, which supports the reliability of current patient-specific IMRT quality assurance (QA) method for VMAT plans. PMID:27069458

SU-E-T-644: Evaluation of Angular Dependence Correction for 2D Array Detector Using for Quality Assurance of Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy

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

Karthikeyan, N; Ganesh, K M; Vikraman, S

2014-06-15

Purpose: To evaluate the angular dependence correction for Matrix Evolution 2D array detector in quality assurance of volumetric modulated arc therapy(VMAT). Methods: Total ten patients comprising of different sites were planned for VMAT and taken for the study. Each plan was exposed on Matrix Evolution 2D array detector with Omnipro IMRT software based on the following three different methods using 6MV photon beams from Elekta Synergy linear accelerator. First method, VMAT plan was delivered on Matrix Evolution detector as it gantry mounted with dedicated holder with build-up of 2.3cm. Second, the VMAT plan was delivered with the static gantry anglemore » on to the table mounted setup. Third, the VMAT plan was delivered with actual gantry angle on Matrix Evolution detector fixed in Multicube phantom with gantry angle sensor and angular dependence correction were applied to quantify the plan quality. For all these methods, the corresponding QA plans were generated in TPS and the dose verification was done for both point and 2D fluence analysis with pass criteria of 3% dose difference and 3mm distance to agreement. Results: The measured point dose variation for the first method was observed as 1.58±0.6% of mean and SD with TPS calculated. For second and third method, the mean and standard deviation(SD) was observed as 1.67±0.7% and 1.85±0.8% respectively. The 2D fluence analysis of measured and TPS calculated has the mean and SD of 97.9±1.1%, 97.88±1.2% and 97.55±1.3% for first, second and third methods respectively. The calculated two-tailed Pvalue for point dose and 2D fluence analysis shows the insignificance with values of 0.9316 and 0.9015 respectively, among the different methods of QA. Conclusion: The qualitative evaluation of angular dependence correction for Matrix Evolution 2D array detector shows its competency in accuracy of quality assurance measurement of composite dose distribution of volumetric modulated arc therapy.« less

The NCC project: A quality management perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Raymond H.

1993-01-01

The Network Control Center (NCC) Project introduced the concept of total quality management (TQM) in mid-1990. The CSC project team established a program which focused on continuous process improvement in software development methodology and consistent deliveries of high quality software products for the NCC. The vision of the TQM program was to produce error free software. Specific goals were established to allow continuing assessment of the progress toward meeting the overall quality objectives. The total quality environment, now a part of the NCC Project culture, has become the foundation for continuous process improvement and has resulted in the consistent delivery of quality software products over the last three years.

Waste treatability guidance program. User`s guide. Revision 0

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

Toth, C.

1995-12-21

DOE sites across the country generate and manage radioactive, hazardous, mixed, and sanitary wastes. It is necessary for each site to find the technologies and associated capacities required to manage its waste. One role of DOE HQ Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management is to facilitate the integration of the site- specific plans into coherent national plans. DOE has developed a standard methodology for defining and categorizing waste streams into treatability groups based on characteristic parameters that influence waste management technology needs. This Waste Treatability Guidance Program automates the Guidance Document for the categorization of waste information into treatabilitymore » groups; this application provides a consistent implementation of the methodology across the National TRU Program. This User`s Guide provides instructions on how to use the program, including installations instructions and program operation. This document satisfies the requirements of the Software Quality Assurance Plan.« less

Quality control system preparation for photogrammetric and laser scanning missions of Spanish national plan of aerial orthophotogpaphy (PNOA). (Polish Title: Opracowanie systemu kontroli jakości realizacji nalotów fotogrametrycznych i skaningowych dla hiszpańskiego narodowego planu ortofotomapy lotniczej (PNOA))

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rzonca, A.

2013-12-01

The paper presents the state of the art of quality control of photogrammetric and laser scanning data captured by airborne sensors. The described subject is very important for photogrammetric and LiDAR project execution, because the data quality a prior decides about the final product quality. On the other hand, precise and effective quality control process allows to execute the missions without wide margin of safety, especially in case of the mountain areas projects. For introduction, the author presents theoretical background of the quality control, basing on his own experience, instructions and technical documentation. He describes several variants of organization solutions. Basically, there are two main approaches: quality control of the captured data and the control of discrepancies of the flight plan and its results of its execution. Both of them are able to use test of control and analysis of the data. The test is an automatic algorithm controlling the data and generating the control report. Analysis is a less complicated process, that is based on documentation, data and metadata manual check. The example of quality control system for large area project was presented. The project is being realized periodically for the territory of all Spain and named National Plan of Aerial Orthophotography (Plan Nacional de Ortofotografía Aérea, PNOA). The system of the internal control guarantees its results soon after the flight and informs the flight team of the company. It allows to correct all the errors shortly after the flight and it might stop transferring the data to another team or company, for further data processing. The described system of data quality control contains geometrical and radiometrical control of photogrammetric data and geometrical control of LiDAR data. According to all specified parameters, it checks all of them and generates the reports. They are very helpful in case of some errors or low quality data. The paper includes the author experience in the field of data quality control, presents the conclusions and suggestions of the organization and technical aspects, with a short definition of the necessary control software.

Spacecraft Trajectory Analysis and Mission Planning Simulation (STAMPS) Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Puckett, Nancy; Pettinger, Kris; Hallstrom,John; Brownfield, Dana; Blinn, Eric; Williams, Frank; Wiuff, Kelli; McCarty, Steve; Ramirez, Daniel; Lamotte, Nicole;

A system for beach video-monitoring: Beachkeeper plus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brignone, Massimo; Schiaffino, Chiara F.; Isla, Federico I.; Ferrari, Marco

2012-12-01

A suitable knowledge of coastal systems, of their morphodynamic characteristics and their response to storm events and man-made structures is essential for littoral conservation and management. Nowadays webcams represent a useful device to obtain information from beaches. Video-monitoring techniques are generally site specific and softwares working with any image acquisition system are rare. Therefore, this work aims at submitting theory and applications of an experimental video monitoring software: Beachkeeper plus, a freeware non-profit software, can be employed and redistributed without modifications. A license file is provided inside software package and in the user guide. Beachkeeper plus is based on Matlab® and it can be used for the analysis of images and photos coming from any kind of acquisition system (webcams, digital cameras or images downloaded from internet), without any a-priori information or laboratory study of the acquisition system itself. Therefore, it could become a useful tool for beach planning. Through a simple guided interface, images can be analyzed by performing georeferentiation, rectification, averaging and variance. This software was initially operated in Pietra Ligure (Italy), using images from a tourist webcam, and in Mar del Plata (Argentina) using images from a digital camera. In both cases the reliability in different geomorphologic and morphodynamic conditions was confirmed by the good quality of obtained images after georeferentiation, rectification and averaging.

Enterprise Architecture Planning in developing A planning Information System: a Case Study of Semarang State University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budiman, Kholiq; Prahasto, Toni; Kusumawardhani, Amie

2018-02-01

This research has applied an integrated design and development of planning information system, which is been designed using Enterprise Architecture Planning. Frequent discrepancy between planning and realization of the budget that has been made, resulted in ineffective planning, is one of the reason for doing this research. The design using EAP aims to keep development aligned and in line with the strategic direction of the organization. In the practice, EAP is carried out in several stages of the planning initiation, identification and definition of business functions, proceeded with architectural design and EA implementation plan that has been built. In addition to the design of the Enterprise Architecture, this research carried out the implementation, and was tested by several methods of black box and white box. Black box testing method is used to test the fundamental aspects of the software, tested by two kinds of testing, first is using User Acceptance Testing and the second is using software functionality testing. White box testing method is used to test the effectiveness of the code in the software, tested using unit testing. Tests conducted using white box and black box on the integrated planning information system, is declared successful. Success in the software testing can not be ascertained if the software built has not shown any distinction from prior circumstance to the development of this integrated planning information system. For ensuring the success of this system implementation, the authors test consistency between the planning of data and the realization of prior-use of the information system, until after-use information system. This consistency test is done by reducing the time data of the planning and realization time. From the tabulated data, the planning information system that has been built reduces the difference between the planning time and the realization time, in which indicates that the planning information system can motivate the planner unit in realizing the budget that has been designed. It also proves that the value chain of the information planning system has brought implications for budget realization.

The software analysis project for the Office of Human Resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tureman, Robert L., Jr.

1994-01-01

There were two major sections of the project for the Office of Human Resources (OHR). The first section was to conduct a planning study to analyze software use with the goal of recommending software purchases and determining whether the need exists for a file server. The second section was analysis and distribution planning for retirement planning computer program entitled VISION provided by NASA Headquarters. The software planning study was developed to help OHR analyze the current administrative desktop computing environment and make decisions regarding software acquisition and implementation. There were three major areas addressed by the study: current environment new software requirements, and strategies regarding the implementation of a server in the Office. To gather data on current environment, employees were surveyed and an inventory of computers were produced. The surveys were compiled and analyzed by the ASEE fellow with interpretation help by OHR staff. New software requirements represented a compilation and analysis of the surveyed requests of OHR personnel. Finally, the information on the use of a server represents research done by the ASEE fellow and analysis of survey data to determine software requirements for a server. This included selection of a methodology to estimate the number of copies of each software program required given current use and estimated growth. The report presents the results of the computing survey, a description of the current computing environment, recommenations for changes in the computing environment, current software needs, management advantages of using a server, and management considerations in the implementation of a server. In addition, detailed specifications were presented for the hardware and software recommendations to offer a complete picture to OHR management. The retirement planning computer program available to NASA employees will aid in long-range retirement planning. The intended audience is the NASA civil service employee with several years until retirement. The employee enters current salary and savings information as well as goals concerning salary at retirement, assumptions on inflation, and the return on investments. The program produces a picture of the employee's retirement income from all sources based on the assumptions entered. A session showing features of the program was conducted for key personnel at the Center. After analysis, it was decided to offer the program through the Learning Center starting in August 1994.

The impact of software quality characteristics on healthcare outcome: a literature review.

PubMed

Aghazadeh, Sakineh; Pirnejad, Habibollah; Moradkhani, Alireza; Aliev, Alvosat

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to discover the effect of software quality characteristics on healthcare quality and efficiency indicators. Through a systematic literature review, we selected and analyzed 37 original research papers to investigate the impact of the software indicators (coming from the standard ISO 9126 quality characteristics and sub-characteristics) on some of healthcare important outcome indicators and finally ranked these software indicators. The results showed that the software characteristics usability, reliability and efficiency were mostly favored in the studies, indicating their importance. On the other hand, user satisfaction, quality of patient care, clinical workflow efficiency, providers' communication and information exchange, patient satisfaction and care costs were among the healthcare outcome indicators frequently evaluated in relation to the mentioned software characteristics. Regression Logistic Method was the most common assessment methodology, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling were performed to test the structural model's fit. The software characteristics were considered to impact the healthcare outcome indicators through other intermediate factors (variables).

UAVSAR Flight-Planning System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

A system of software partly automates planning of a flight of the Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) -- a polarimetric synthetic-aperture radar system aboard an unpiloted or minimally piloted airplane. The software constructs a flight plan that specifies not only the intended flight path but also the setup of the radar system at each point along the path.

Online survey software as a data collection tool for medical education: A case study on lesson plan assessment

PubMed Central

Kimiafar, Khalil; Sarbaz, Masoumeh; Sheikhtaheri, Abbas

2016-01-01

Background: There are no general strategies or tools to evaluate daily lesson plans; however, assessments conducted using traditional methods usually include course plans. This study aimed to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of online survey software in collecting data on education in medical fields and the application of such softwares to evaluate students' views and modification of lesson plans. Methods: After investigating the available online survey software, esurveypro was selected for assessing daily lesson plans. After using the software for one semester, a questionnaire was prepared to assess the advantages and disadvantages of this method and students’ views in a cross-sectional study. Results: The majority of the students (51.7%) rated the evaluation of classes per session (lesson plans) using the online survey as useful or very useful. About 51% (n=36) of the students considered this method effective in improving the management of each session, 67.1% (n=47) considered it effective in improving the management of sessions for the next semester, and 51.4% (n=36) said it had a high impact on improving the educational content of subsequent sessions. Finally, 61.4% (n=43) students expressed high and very high levels of satisfaction with using an online survey at each session. Conclusion: The use of online surveys may be appropriate to improve lesson plans and educational planning at different levels. This method can be used for other evaluations and for assessing people’s opinions at different levels of an educational system. PMID:28491839

Planning of electroporation-based treatments using Web-based treatment-planning software.

PubMed

Pavliha, Denis; Kos, Bor; Marčan, Marija; Zupanič, Anže; Serša, Gregor; Miklavčič, Damijan

2013-11-01

Electroporation-based treatment combining high-voltage electric pulses and poorly permanent cytotoxic drugs, i.e., electrochemotherapy (ECT), is currently used for treating superficial tumor nodules by following standard operating procedures. Besides ECT, another electroporation-based treatment, nonthermal irreversible electroporation (N-TIRE), is also efficient at ablating deep-seated tumors. To perform ECT or N-TIRE of deep-seated tumors, following standard operating procedures is not sufficient and patient-specific treatment planning is required for successful treatment. Treatment planning is required because of the use of individual long-needle electrodes and the diverse shape, size and location of deep-seated tumors. Many institutions that already perform ECT of superficial metastases could benefit from treatment-planning software that would enable the preparation of patient-specific treatment plans. To this end, we have developed a Web-based treatment-planning software for planning electroporation-based treatments that does not require prior engineering knowledge from the user (e.g., the clinician). The software includes algorithms for automatic tissue segmentation and, after segmentation, generation of a 3D model of the tissue. The procedure allows the user to define how the electrodes will be inserted. Finally, electric field distribution is computed, the position of electrodes and the voltage to be applied are optimized using the 3D model and a downloadable treatment plan is made available to the user.

Quality Assurance in Software Development: An Exploratory Investigation in Software Project Failures and Business Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ichu, Emmanuel A.

2010-01-01

Software quality is perhaps one of the most sought-after attributes in product development, however; this goal is unattained. Problem factors in software development and how these have affected the maintainability of the delivered software systems requires a thorough investigation. It was, therefore, very important to understand software…

Software Process Improvement through the Removal of Project-Level Knowledge Flow Obstacles: The Perceptions of Software Engineers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Susan Marie

2012-01-01

Uncontrollable costs, schedule overruns, and poor end product quality continue to plague the software engineering field. Innovations formulated with the expectation to minimize or eliminate cost, schedule, and quality problems have generally fallen into one of three categories: programming paradigms, software tools, and software process…

A novel imaging technique for fusion of high-quality immobilised MR images of the head and neck with CT scans for radiotherapy target delineation.

PubMed

Webster, G J; Kilgallon, J E; Ho, K F; Rowbottom, C G; Slevin, N J; Mackay, R I

2009-06-01

Uncertainty and inconsistency are observed in target volume delineation in the head and neck for radiotherapy treatment planning based only on CT imaging. Alternative modalities such as MRI have previously been incorporated into the delineation process to provide additional anatomical information. This work aims to improve on previous studies by combining good image quality with precise patient immobilisation in order to maintain patient position between scans. MR images were acquired using quadrature coils placed over the head and neck while the patient was immobilised in the treatment position using a five-point thermoplastic shell. The MR image and CT images were automatically fused in the Pinnacle treatment planning system using Syntegra software. Image quality, distortion and accuracy of the image registration using patient anatomy were evaluated. Image quality was found to be superior to that acquired using the body coil, while distortion was < 1.0 mm to a radius of 8.7 cm from the scan centre. Image registration accuracy was found to be 2.2 mm (+/- 0.9 mm) and < 3.0 degrees (n = 6). A novel MRI technique that combines good image quality with patient immobilization has been developed and is now in clinical use. The scan duration of approximately 15 min has been well tolerated by all patients.

Medical three-dimensional printing opens up new opportunities in cardiology and cardiac surgery.

PubMed

Bartel, Thomas; Rivard, Andrew; Jimenez, Alejandro; Mestres, Carlos A; Müller, Silvana

2018-04-14

Advanced percutaneous and surgical procedures in structural and congenital heart disease require precise pre-procedural planning and continuous quality control. Although current imaging modalities and post-processing software assists with peri-procedural guidance, their capabilities for spatial conceptualization remain limited in two- and three-dimensional representations. In contrast, 3D printing offers not only improved visualization for procedural planning, but provides substantial information on the accuracy of surgical reconstruction and device implantations. Peri-procedural 3D printing has the potential to set standards of quality assurance and individualized healthcare in cardiovascular medicine and surgery. Nowadays, a variety of clinical applications are available showing how accurate 3D computer reformatting and physical 3D printouts of native anatomy, embedded pathology, and implants are and how they may assist in the development of innovative therapies. Accurate imaging of pathology including target region for intervention, its anatomic features and spatial relation to the surrounding structures is critical for selecting optimal approach and evaluation of procedural results. This review describes clinical applications of 3D printing, outlines current limitations, and highlights future implications for quality control, advanced medical education and training.

Dose specification for hippocampal sparing whole brain radiotherapy (HS WBRT): considerations from the UK HIPPO trial QA programme.

PubMed

Megias, Daniel; Phillips, Mark; Clifton-Hadley, Laura; Harron, Elizabeth; Eaton, David J; Sanghera, Paul; Whitfield, Gillian

2017-03-01

The HIPPO trial is a UK randomized Phase II trial of hippocampal sparing (HS) vs conventional whole-brain radiotherapy after surgical resection or radiosurgery in patients with favourable prognosis with 1-4 brain metastases. Each participating centre completed a planning benchmark case as part of the dedicated radiotherapy trials quality assurance programme (RTQA), promoting the safe and effective delivery of HS intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in a multicentre trial setting. Submitted planning benchmark cases were reviewed using visualization for radiotherapy software (VODCA) evaluating plan quality and compliance in relation to the HIPPO radiotherapy planning and delivery guidelines. Comparison of the planning benchmark data highlighted a plan specified using dose to medium as an outlier by comparison with those specified using dose to water. Further evaluation identified that the reported plan statistics for dose to medium were lower as a result of the dose calculated at regions of PTV inclusive of bony cranium being lower relative to brain. Specification of dose to water or medium remains a source of potential ambiguity and it is essential that as part of a multicentre trial, consideration is given to reported differences, particularly in the presence of bone. Evaluation of planning benchmark data as part of an RTQA programme has highlighted an important feature of HS IMRT dosimetry dependent on dose being specified to water or medium, informing the development and undertaking of HS IMRT as part of the HIPPO trial. Advances in knowledge: The potential clinical impact of differences between dose to medium and dose to water are demonstrated for the first time, in the setting of HS whole-brain radiotherapy.

Survey Available Computer Software for Automated Production Planning and Inventory Control, and Software and Hardware for Data Logging and Monitoring Shop Floor Activities

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-08-01

pricing and sales, order processing , and purchasing. The class of manufacturing planning functions include aggregate production planning, materials...level. I Depending on the application, each control level will have a number of functions associated with it. For instance, order processing , purchasing...include accounting, sales forecasting, product costing, pricing and sales, order processing , and purchasing. The class of manufacturing planning functions

Three-Dimensional Path Planning Software-Assisted Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt: A Technical Modification

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

Tsauo, Jiaywei, E-mail: 80732059@qq.com; Luo, Xuefeng, E-mail: luobo-913@126.com; Ye, Linchao, E-mail: linchao.ye@siemens.com

2015-06-15

PurposeThis study was designed to report our results with a modified technique of three-dimensional (3D) path planning software assisted transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS).Methods3D path planning software was recently developed to facilitate TIPS creation by using two carbon dioxide portograms acquired at least 20° apart to generate a 3D path for overlay needle guidance. However, one shortcoming is that puncturing along the overlay would be technically impossible if the angle of the liver access set and the angle of the 3D path are not the same. To solve this problem, a prototype 3D path planning software was fitted with a utility to calculate themore » angle of the 3D path. Using this, we modified the angle of the liver access set accordingly during the procedure in ten patients.ResultsFailure for technical reasons occurred in three patients (unsuccessful wedged hepatic venography in two cases, software technical failure in one case). The procedure was successful in the remaining seven patients, and only one needle pass was required to obtain portal vein access in each case. The course of puncture was comparable to the 3D path in all patients. No procedure-related complication occurred following the procedures.ConclusionsAdjusting the angle of the liver access set to match the angle of the 3D path determined by the software appears to be a favorable modification to the technique of 3D path planning software assisted TIPS.« less

Preliminary Design of an Autonomous Amphibious System

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

changing vehicle dynamics will require innovative new autonomy algorithms. The developed software architecture, drive-by- wire kit, and supporting...COMMUNICATIONS ARCHITECTURE .................................................12 3.3 DRIVE-BY- WIRE DESIGN...SOFTWARE MATURATION PLANS ......................................................17 4.2 DRIVE-BY- WIRE PLANNED REFINEMENT

Improvement of Computer Software Quality through Software Automated Tools.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-08-31

requirement for increased emphasis on software quality assurance has lead to the creation of various methods of verification and validation. Experience...result was a vast array of methods , systems, languages and automated tools to assist in the process. Given that the primary role of quality assurance is...Unfortunately, there is no single method , tool or technique that can insure accurate, reliable and cost effective software. Therefore, government and industry

Implementation research: a mentoring programme to improve laboratory quality in Cambodia

PubMed Central

Voeurng, Vireak; Sek, Sophat; Song, Sophanna; Vong, Nora; Tous, Chansamrach; Flandin, Jean-Frederic; Confer, Deborah; Costa, Alexandre; Martin, Robert

2016-01-01

Abstract Objective To implement a mentored laboratory quality stepwise implementation (LQSI) programme to strengthen the quality and capacity of Cambodian hospital laboratories. Methods We recruited four laboratory technicians to be mentors and trained them in mentoring skills, laboratory quality management practices and international standard organization (ISO) 15189 requirements for medical laboratories. Separately, we trained staff from 12 referral hospital laboratories in laboratory quality management systems followed by tri-weekly in-person mentoring on quality management systems implementation using the LQSI tool, which is aligned with the ISO 15189 standard. The tool was adapted from a web-based resource into a software-based spreadsheet checklist, which includes a detailed action plan and can be used to qualitatively monitor each laboratory’s progress. The tool – translated into Khmer – included a set of quality improvement activities grouped into four phases for implementation with increasing complexity. Project staff reviewed the laboratories’ progress and challenges in weekly conference calls and bi-monthly meetings with focal points of the health ministry, participating laboratories and local partners. We present the achievements in implementation from September 2014 to March 2016. Findings As of March 2016, the 12 laboratories have completed 74–90% of the 104 activities in phase 1, 53–78% of the 178 activities in phase 2, and 18–26% of the 129 activities in phase 3. Conclusion Regular on-site mentoring of laboratories using a detailed action plan in the local language allows staff to learn concepts of quality management system and learn on the job without disruption to laboratory service provision. PMID:27843164

Key Points to Facilitate the Adoption of Computer-Based Assessments.

PubMed

Burr, S A; Chatterjee, A; Gibson, S; Coombes, L; Wilkinson, S

2016-01-01

There are strong pedagogical arguments in favor of adopting computer-based assessment. The risks of technical failure can be managed and are offset by improvements in cost-effectiveness and quality assurance capability. Academic, administrative, and technical leads at an appropriately senior level within an institution need to be identified, so that they can act as effective advocates. All stakeholder groups need to be represented in undertaking a detailed appraisal of requirements and shortlisting software based on core functionality, summative assessment life cycle needs, external compatibility, security, and usability. Any software that is a candidate for adoption should be trialed under simulated summative conditions, with all stakeholders having a voice in agreeing the optimum solution. Transfer to a new system should be carefully planned and communicated, with a programme of training established to maximize the success of adoption.

Key Points to Facilitate the Adoption of Computer-Based Assessments

PubMed Central

Burr, S.A.; Chatterjee, A.; Gibson, S.; Coombes, L.; Wilkinson, S.

2016-01-01

There are strong pedagogical arguments in favor of adopting computer-based assessment. The risks of technical failure can be managed and are offset by improvements in cost-effectiveness and quality assurance capability. Academic, administrative, and technical leads at an appropriately senior level within an institution need to be identified, so that they can act as effective advocates. All stakeholder groups need to be represented in undertaking a detailed appraisal of requirements and shortlisting software based on core functionality, summative assessment life cycle needs, external compatibility, security, and usability. Any software that is a candidate for adoption should be trialed under simulated summative conditions, with all stakeholders having a voice in agreeing the optimum solution. Transfer to a new system should be carefully planned and communicated, with a programme of training established to maximize the success of adoption. PMID:29349322

From implant planning to surgical execution: an integrated approach for surgery in oral implantology.

PubMed

Chiarelli, Tommaso; Franchini, Federico; Lamma, Achille; Lamma, Evelina; Sansoni, Tommaso

2012-03-01

Using oral implantology software and transferring the preoperative planning into a stereolithographic model, prosthodontists can produce the related surgical guide. This procedure has some disadvantages: bone-supported stent invasiveness, lack of references due to scattering and non-negligible stereolithography cost. An alternative solution is presented that provides an ideal surgical stent (not invasive, precise, and cheap) as a result. This work focuses on the third phase of a fully 3D approach to oral implant planning, that starts by CT scanning a patient who wears a markers-equipped radiological stent, continues exploiting built-on-purpose preoperative planning software, and finishes producing the ideal surgical template. A 5-axes bur-equipped robot has been designed able to reproduce the milling vectors planned by the software. Software-robot interfacing has been achieved properly matching the stent reference frame and the software and robot coordinate systems. Invasiveness has been avoided achieving the surgical stent from the mucosa-supported radiological mask wax-up. Scattering is ignored because of the surgical stent independency from the bone structure radiography. Production cost has been strongly reduced by avoiding the stereolithographic model. Finally, software-robot interfacing precision has been validated comparing digitally a multi-marker base and its planning transfer. Average position and orientation errors (respectively 0.283 mm ± 0.073 mm and 1.798° ± 0.496°) were significantly better than those achieved using methods based on stereolithography (respectively, 1.45 mm ± 1.42 mm and 7.25° ± 2.67°, with a general best maximum translation discrepancy of about 1.1 mm). This paper describes the last step of a fully 3D approach in which implant planning can be done in a 3D environment, and the correct position, orientation and depth of the planned implants are easily computed and transferred to the surgical phase. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Framework for Evaluating the Software Product Quality of Pregnancy Monitoring Mobile Personal Health Records.

PubMed

Idri, Ali; Bachiri, Mariam; Fernández-Alemán, José Luis

2016-03-01

Stakeholders' needs and expectations are identified by means of software quality requirements, which have an impact on software product quality. In this paper, we present a set of requirements for mobile personal health records (mPHRs) for pregnancy monitoring, which have been extracted from literature and existing mobile apps on the market. We also use the ISO/IEC 25030 standard to suggest the requirements that should be considered during the quality evaluation of these mPHRs. We then go on to design a checklist in which we contrast the mPHRs for pregnancy monitoring requirements with software product quality characteristics and sub-characteristics in order to calculate the impact of these requirements on software product quality, using the ISO/IEC 25010 software product quality standard. The results obtained show that the requirements related to the user's actions and the app's features have the most impact on the external sub-characteristics of the software product quality model. The only sub-characteristic affected by all the requirements is Appropriateness of Functional suitability. The characteristic Operability is affected by 95% of the requirements while the lowest degrees of impact were identified for Compatibility (15%) and Transferability (6%). Lastly, the degrees of the impact of the mPHRs for pregnancy monitoring requirements are discussed in order to provide appropriate recommendations for the developers and stakeholders of mPHRs for pregnancy monitoring.

The SHARPn Project on Secondary Use of Electronic Medical Record Data: Progress, Plans, and Possibilities

PubMed Central

Chute, Christopher G; Pathak, Jyotishman; Savova, Guergana K; Bailey, Kent R; Schor, Marshall I; Hart, Lacey A; Beebe, Calvin E; Huff, Stanley M

2011-01-01

SHARPn is a collaboration among 16 academic and industry partners committed to the production and distribution of high-quality software artifacts that support the secondary use of EMR data. Areas of emphasis are data normalization, natural language processing, high-throughput phenotyping, and data quality metrics. Our work avails the industrial scalability afforded by the Unstructured Information Management Architecture (UIMA) from IBM Watson Research labs, the same framework which underpins the Watson Jeopardy demonstration. This descriptive paper outlines our present work and achievements, and presages our trajectory for the remainder of the funding period. The project is one of the four Strategic Health IT Advanced Research Projects (SHARP) projects funded by the Office of the National Coordinator in 2010. PMID:22195076

The SHARPn project on secondary use of Electronic Medical Record data: progress, plans, and possibilities.

PubMed

Chute, Christopher G; Pathak, Jyotishman; Savova, Guergana K; Bailey, Kent R; Schor, Marshall I; Hart, Lacey A; Beebe, Calvin E; Huff, Stanley M

2011-01-01

SHARPn is a collaboration among 16 academic and industry partners committed to the production and distribution of high-quality software artifacts that support the secondary use of EMR data. Areas of emphasis are data normalization, natural language processing, high-throughput phenotyping, and data quality metrics. Our work avails the industrial scalability afforded by the Unstructured Information Management Architecture (UIMA) from IBM Watson Research labs, the same framework which underpins the Watson Jeopardy demonstration. This descriptive paper outlines our present work and achievements, and presages our trajectory for the remainder of the funding period. The project is one of the four Strategic Health IT Advanced Research Projects (SHARP) projects funded by the Office of the National Coordinator in 2010.

Software quality: Process or people

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palmer, Regina; Labaugh, Modenna

1993-01-01

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

Java RMI Software Technology for the Payload Planning System of the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bryant, Barrett R.

1999-01-01

The Payload Planning System is for experiment planning on the International Space Station. The planning process has a number of different aspects which need to be stored in a database which is then used to generate reports on the planning process in a variety of formats. This process is currently structured as a 3-tier client/server software architecture comprised of a Java applet at the front end, a Java server in the middle, and an Oracle database in the third tier. This system presently uses CGI, the Common Gateway Interface, to communicate between the user-interface and server tiers and Active Data Objects (ADO) to communicate between the server and database tiers. This project investigated other methods and tools for performing the communications between the three tiers of the current system so that both the system performance and software development time could be improved. We specifically found that for the hardware and software platforms that PPS is required to run on, the best solution is to use Java Remote Method Invocation (RMI) for communication between the client and server and SQLJ (Structured Query Language for Java) for server interaction with the database. Prototype implementations showed that RMI combined with SQLJ significantly improved performance and also greatly facilitated construction of the communication software.

Cost Estimation of Software Development and the Implications for the Program Manager

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-06-01

Software Lifecycle Model (SLIM), the Jensen System-4 model, the Software Productivity, Quality, and Reliability Estimator ( SPQR \\20), the Constructive...function models in current use are the Software Productivity, Quality, and Reliability Estimator ( SPQR /20) and the Software Architecture Sizing and...Estimator ( SPQR /20) was developed by T. Capers Jones of Software Productivity Research, Inc., in 1985. The model is intended to estimate the outcome

48 CFR 208.7400 - Scope of subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... OF DEFENSE ACQUISITION PLANNING REQUIRED SOURCES OF SUPPLIES AND SERVICES Enterprise Software... commercial software and software maintenance, including software and software maintenance that is acquired— (a) As part of a system or system upgrade, where practicable; (b) Under a service contract; (c) Under...

WastePlan model implementation for New York State. Final report

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

Visalli, J.R.; Blackman, D.A.

1995-07-01

WastePlan is a computer software tool that models solid waste quantities, costs, and other parameters on a regional basis. The software was developed by the Tellus Institute, a nonprofit research and consulting firm. The project`s objective was to provide local solid waste management planners in New York State responsible to develop and implement comprehensive solid waste management plans authorized by the Solid Waste Management Act of 1988, with a WastePlan model specifically tailored to fit the demographic and other characteristics of New York State and to provide training and technical support to the users. Two-day workshops were held in 1992more » to introduce planners to the existing versions; subsequently, extensive changes were made to the model and a second set of two-day workshops were held in 1993 to introduce planners to the enhanced version of WastePlan. Following user evaluations, WastePlan was further modified to allow users to model systems using a simplified version, and to incorporate report forms required by New York State. A post-project survey of trainees revealed limited regular use of software. Possible reasons include lack of synchronicity with NYSDEC planning process; lack of computer literacy and aptitude among trainees; hardware limitations; software user-friendliness; and the work environment of the trainees. A number of recommendations are made to encourage use of WastePlan by local solid waste management planners.« less

Ascent/Descent Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Charles; Andrew, Robert; Roe, Scott; Frye, Ronald; Harvey, Michael; Vu, Tuan; Balachandran, Krishnaiyer; Bly, Ben

2012-01-01

The Ascent/Descent Software Suite has been used to support a variety of NASA Shuttle Program mission planning and analysis activities, such as range safety, on the Integrated Planning System (IPS) platform. The Ascent/Descent Software Suite, containing Ascent Flight Design (ASC)/Descent Flight Design (DESC) Configuration items (Cis), lifecycle documents, and data files used for shuttle ascent and entry modeling analysis and mission design, resides on IPS/Linux workstations. A list of tools in Navigation (NAV)/Prop Software Suite represents tool versions established during or after the IPS Equipment Rehost-3 project.

Evaluating software development characteristics: Assessment of software measures in the Software Engineering Laboratory. [reliability engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basili, V. R.

1981-01-01

Work on metrics is discussed. Factors that affect software quality are reviewed. Metrics is discussed in terms of criteria achievements, reliability, and fault tolerance. Subjective and objective metrics are distinguished. Product/process and cost/quality metrics are characterized and discussed.

Software for Probabilistic Risk Reduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hensley, Scott; Michel, Thierry; Madsen, Soren; Chapin, Elaine; Rodriguez, Ernesto

2004-01-01

A computer program implements a methodology, denoted probabilistic risk reduction, that is intended to aid in planning the development of complex software and/or hardware systems. This methodology integrates two complementary prior methodologies: (1) that of probabilistic risk assessment and (2) a risk-based planning methodology, implemented in a prior computer program known as Defect Detection and Prevention (DDP), in which multiple requirements and the beneficial effects of risk-mitigation actions are taken into account. The present methodology and the software are able to accommodate both process knowledge (notably of the efficacy of development practices) and product knowledge (notably of the logical structure of a system, the development of which one seeks to plan). Estimates of the costs and benefits of a planned development can be derived. Functional and non-functional aspects of software can be taken into account, and trades made among them. It becomes possible to optimize the planning process in the sense that it becomes possible to select the best suite of process steps and design choices to maximize the expectation of success while remaining within budget.

SU-E-J-26: Analysis of Image Quality in CBCT QA Using a Treatment Planning System

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

Xu, M

2014-06-01

Purpose: The objective of this study is to propose an alternative QA technique that analyzes imaging quality(IQ) in CBCT-QA processing. Methods: A catphan phantom was used to take CT imaging data set that were imported into a treatment planning system - Eclipse. The image quality was analyzed in terms of in-slice geometry resolution, Hounsfield numbers(HU) accuracy, mean-slice thickness, edge-to-center uniformity, low contrast resolution, and high contrast spatial resolution in Eclipse workstation. The CBCT-QA was also analyzed by OBI-workstation and a commercial software. Comparison was made to evaluation feasibility in a TPS environment. Results: The analysis of IQ was conducted inmore » Eclipse v10.0 TPS. In-slice geometric resolution was measured between 2-rods in section CTP404 and repeated for all 4 rods with the difference between expected and measured values less than +/−0.1 cm. For HU, the difference between expected and measured values in HU was found much less than +/−40. Mean slice thickness measured by a distance on the wire proportional to scanner increment multiplying by a factor of 0.42. After repeating measurements to 4 wires, the average difference between expected and measured values was less +/−0.124 mm in slice thickness. HU uniformity was measured in section CTP486 with the tolerance less than +/−40 HU. Low contrast resolution in section CTP515 and high contrast resolution in section CTP528 were found to be 7 disks in diameter of 4 mm and 6 lp/cm, respectively. Eclipse TPS results indicated a good agreement to those obtained in OBI workstation and ImagePro software for major parameters. Conclusion: An analysis of IQ was proposed as an alternative CBCT QA processing. Based upon measured data assessment, proposed method was accurate and consistent to IQ evaluation and TG142 guideline. The approach was to utilize TPS resource, which can be valuable to re-planning, verification, and delivery in adaptive therapy.« less

Assessment of accuracy and efficiency of atlas-based autosegmentation for prostate radiotherapy in a variety of clinical conditions.

PubMed

Simmat, I; Georg, P; Georg, D; Birkfellner, W; Goldner, G; Stock, M

2012-09-01

The goal of the current study was to evaluate the commercially available atlas-based autosegmentation software for clinical use in prostate radiotherapy. The accuracy was benchmarked against interobserver variability. A total of 20 planning computed tomographs (CTs) and 10 cone-beam CTs (CBCTs) were selected for prostate, rectum, and bladder delineation. The images varied regarding to individual (age, body mass index) and setup parameters (contrast agent, rectal balloon, implanted markers). Automatically created contours with ABAS(®) and iPlan(®) were compared to an expert's delineation by calculating the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and conformity index. Demo-atlases of both systems showed different results for bladder (DSC(ABAS) 0.86 ± 0.17, DSC(iPlan) 0.51 ± 0.30) and prostate (DSC(ABAS) 0.71 ± 0.14, DSC(iPlan) 0.57 ± 0.19). Rectum delineation (DSC(ABAS) 0.78 ± 0.11, DSC(iPlan) 0.84 ± 0.08) demonstrated differences between the systems but better correlation of the automatically drawn volumes. ABAS(®) was closest to the interobserver benchmark. Autosegmentation with iPlan(®), ABAS(®) and manual segmentation took 0.5, 4 and 15-20 min, respectively. Automatic contouring on CBCT showed high dependence on image quality (DSC bladder 0.54, rectum 0.42, prostate 0.34). For clinical routine, efforts are still necessary to either redesign algorithms implemented in autosegmentation or to optimize image quality for CBCT to guarantee required accuracy and time savings for adaptive radiotherapy.

Automated daily quality control analysis for mammography in a multi-unit imaging center.

PubMed

Sundell, Veli-Matti; Mäkelä, Teemu; Meaney, Alexander; Kaasalainen, Touko; Savolainen, Sauli

2018-01-01

Background The high requirements for mammography image quality necessitate a systematic quality assurance process. Digital imaging allows automation of the image quality analysis, which can potentially improve repeatability and objectivity compared to a visual evaluation made by the users. Purpose To develop an automatic image quality analysis software for daily mammography quality control in a multi-unit imaging center. Material and Methods An automated image quality analysis software using the discrete wavelet transform and multiresolution analysis was developed for the American College of Radiology accreditation phantom. The software was validated by analyzing 60 randomly selected phantom images from six mammography systems and 20 phantom images with different dose levels from one mammography system. The results were compared to a visual analysis made by four reviewers. Additionally, long-term image quality trends of a full-field digital mammography system and a computed radiography mammography system were investigated. Results The automated software produced feature detection levels comparable to visual analysis. The agreement was good in the case of fibers, while the software detected somewhat more microcalcifications and characteristic masses. Long-term follow-up via a quality assurance web portal demonstrated the feasibility of using the software for monitoring the performance of mammography systems in a multi-unit imaging center. Conclusion Automated image quality analysis enables monitoring the performance of digital mammography systems in an efficient, centralized manner.

Improving the quality of EHR recording in primary care: a data quality feedback tool.

PubMed

van der Bij, Sjoukje; Khan, Nasra; Ten Veen, Petra; de Bakker, Dinny H; Verheij, Robert A

2017-01-01

Electronic health record (EHR) data are used to exchange information among health care providers. For this purpose, the quality of the data is essential. We developed a data quality feedback tool that evaluates differences in EHR data quality among practices and software packages as part of a larger intervention. The tool was applied in 92 practices in the Netherlands using different software packages. Practices received data quality feedback in 2010 and 2012. We observed large differences in the quality of recording. For example, the percentage of episodes of care that had a meaningful diagnostic code ranged from 30% to 100%. Differences were highly related to the software package. A year after the first measurement, the quality of recording had improved significantly and differences decreased, with 67% of the physicians indicating that they had actively changed their recording habits based on the results of the first measurement. About 80% found the feedback helpful in pinpointing recording problems. One of the software vendors made changes in functionality as a result of the feedback. Our EHR data quality feedback tool is capable of highlighting differences among practices and software packages. As such, it also stimulates improvements. As substantial variability in recording is related to the software package, our study strengthens the evidence that data quality can be improved substantially by standardizing the functionalities of EHR software packages. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Radiosurgery planning supported by the GEMSS grid.

PubMed

Fenner, J W; Mehrem, R A; Ganesan, V; Riley, S; Middleton, S E; Potter, K; Walton, L

2005-01-01

GEMSS (Grid Enabled Medical Simulation Services IST-2001-37153) is an EU project funded to provide a test bed for Grid-enabled health applications. Its purpose is evaluation of Grid computing in the health sector. The health context imposes particular constraints on Grid infrastructure design, and it is this that has driven the feature set of the middleware. In addition to security, the time critical nature of health applications is accommodated by a Quality of Service component, and support for a well defined business model is also included. This paper documents experience of a GEMSS compliant radiosurgery application running within the Medical Physics department at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in the UK. An outline of the Grid-enabled RAPT radiosurgery application is presented and preliminary experience of its use in the hospital environment is reported. The performance of the software is compared against GammaPlan (an industry standard) and advantages/disadvantages are highlighted. The RAPT software relies on features of the GEMSS middleware that are integral to the success of this application, and together they provide a glimpse of an enabling technology that can impact upon patient management in the 21st century.

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

Tanny, S; Bogue, J; Parsai, E

Purpose: Potential collisions between the gantry head and the patient or table assembly are difficult to detect in most treatment planning systems. We have developed and implemented a novel software package for the representation of potential gantry collisions with the couch assembly at the time of treatment planning. Methods: Physical dimensions of the Varian Edge linear accelerator treatment head were measured and reproduced using the Visual Python display package. A script was developed for the Pinnacle treatment planning system to generate a file with the relevant couch, gantry, and isocenter positions for each beam in a planning trial. A pythonmore » program was developed to parse the information from the TPS and produce a representative model of the couch/gantry system. Using the model and the Visual Python libraries, a rendering window is generated for each beam that allows the planner to evaluate the possibility of a collision. Results: Comparison against heuristic methods and direct verification on the machine validated the collision model generated by the software. Encounters of <1 cm between the gantry treatment head and table were visualized as collisions in our virtual model. Visual windows were created depicting the angle of collision for each beam, including the anticipated table coordinates. Visual rendering of a 6 arc trial with multiple couch positions was completed in under 1 minute, with network bandwidth being the primary bottleneck. Conclusion: The developed software allows for quick examination of possible collisions during the treatment planning process and helps to prevent major collisions prior to plan approval. The software can easily be implemented on future planning systems due to the versatility and platform independence of the Python programming language. Further integration of the software with the treatment planning system will allow the possibility of patient-gantry collision detection for a range of treatment machines.« less

Evaluating Software Assurance Knowledge and Competency of Acquisition Professionals

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-01

of ISO 12207 -2008, both internationally and in the United States [7]. That standard documents a comprehensive set of activities and supporting...grows, organizations must ensure that their procurement agents acquire high quality, secure software. ISO 12207 and the Software Assurance Competency...cyberattacks grows, organizations must ensure that their procurement agents acquire high quality, secure software. ISO 12207 and the Software Assurance

A report on NASA software engineering and Ada training requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Legrand, Sue; Freedman, Glenn B.; Svabek, L.

1987-01-01

NASA's software engineering and Ada skill base are assessed and information that may result in new models for software engineering, Ada training plans, and curricula are provided. A quantitative assessment which reflects the requirements for software engineering and Ada training across NASA is provided. A recommended implementation plan including a suggested curriculum with associated duration per course and suggested means of delivery is also provided. The distinction between education and training is made. Although it was directed to focus on NASA's need for the latter, the key relationships to software engineering education are also identified. A rationale and strategy for implementing a life cycle education and training program are detailed in support of improved software engineering practices and the transition to Ada.

SOA: A Quality Attribute Perspective

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-23

in software engineering from CMU. 6June 2011 Twitter #seiwebinar © 2011 Carnegie Mellon University Agenda Service -Oriented Architecture and... Software Architecture: Review Service -Orientation and Quality Attributes Summary and Future Challenges 7June 2011 Twitter #seiwebinar © 2011...Architecture and Software Architecture: Review Service -Orientation and Quality Attributes Summary and Future Challenges Review 10June 2011 Twitter

Software Configuration Management Plan for the B-Plant Canyon Ventilation Control System

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

MCDANIEL, K.S.

1999-08-31

Project W-059 installed a new B Plant Canyon Ventilation System. Monitoring and control of the system is implemented by the Canyon Ventilation Control System (CVCS). This Software Configuration Management Plan provides instructions for change control of the CVCS.

ENVIRONMENTAL METHODS TESTING SITE PROJECT: DATA MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES PLAN

EPA Science Inventory

The Environmental Methods Testing Site (EMTS) Data Management Procedures Plan identifies the computer hardware and software resources used in the EMTS project. It identifies the major software packages that are available for use by principal investigators for the analysis of data...

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

Qiu, J; Zheng, X; Liu, H

Purpose: This study is to evaluate the feasibility of simultaneously integrated boost (SIB) to hypoxic subvolume (HTV) in nasopharyngeal carcinomas under the guidance of 18F-Fluoromisonidazole (FMISO) PET/CT using a novel non-uniform volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT)technique. Methods: Eight nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients treated with conventional uniform VMAT were retrospectively analyzed. For each treatment, actual conventional uniform VMAT plan with two or more arcs (2–2.5 arcs, totally rotating angle < 1000o) was designed with dose boost to hopxic subvolume (total dose, 84Gy) in the gross tumor volme (GTV) under the guidance of 18F- FMISO PET/CT. Based on the same dataset, experimental singlemore » arc non-uniform VAMT plans were generated with the same dose prescription using customized software tools. Dosimetric parameters, quality assurance and the efficiency of the treatment delivery were compared between the uniform and non-uniform VMAT plans. Results: To develop the non-uniform VMAT technique, a specific optimization model was successfully established. Both techniques generate high-quality plans with pass rate (>98%) with the 3mm, 3% criterion. HTV received dose of 84.1±0.75Gy and 84.1±1.2Gy from uniform and non-uniform VMAT plans, respectively. In terms of target coverage and dose homogeneity, there was no significant statistical difference between actual and experimental plans for each case. However, for critical organs at risk (OAR), including the parotids, oral cavity and larynx, dosimetric difference was significant with better dose sparing form experimental plans. Regarding plan implementation efficiency, the average machine time was 3.5 minutes for the actual VMAT plans and 3.7 minutes for the experimental nonuniform VMAT plans (p>0.050). Conclusion: Compared to conventional VMAT technique, the proposed non-uniform VMAT technique has the potential to produce efficient and safe treatment plans, especially in cases with complicated anatomical structures and demanding dose boost to subvolumes.« less

Development and Application of New Quality Model for Software Projects

PubMed Central

Karnavel, K.; Dillibabu, R.

2014-01-01

The IT industry tries to employ a number of models to identify the defects in the construction of software projects. In this paper, we present COQUALMO and its limitations and aim to increase the quality without increasing the cost and time. The computation time, cost, and effort to predict the residual defects are very high; this was overcome by developing an appropriate new quality model named the software testing defect corrective model (STDCM). The STDCM was used to estimate the number of remaining residual defects in the software product; a few assumptions and the detailed steps of the STDCM are highlighted. The application of the STDCM is explored in software projects. The implementation of the model is validated using statistical inference, which shows there is a significant improvement in the quality of the software projects. PMID:25478594

Development and application of new quality model for software projects.

PubMed

Karnavel, K; Dillibabu, R

2014-01-01

The IT industry tries to employ a number of models to identify the defects in the construction of software projects. In this paper, we present COQUALMO and its limitations and aim to increase the quality without increasing the cost and time. The computation time, cost, and effort to predict the residual defects are very high; this was overcome by developing an appropriate new quality model named the software testing defect corrective model (STDCM). The STDCM was used to estimate the number of remaining residual defects in the software product; a few assumptions and the detailed steps of the STDCM are highlighted. The application of the STDCM is explored in software projects. The implementation of the model is validated using statistical inference, which shows there is a significant improvement in the quality of the software projects.

Software reuse in spacecraft planning and scheduling systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mclean, David; Tuchman, Alan; Broseghini, Todd; Yen, Wen; Page, Brenda; Johnson, Jay; Bogovich, Lynn; Burkhardt, Chris; Mcintyre, James; Klein, Scott

1993-01-01

The use of a software toolkit and development methodology that supports software reuse is described. The toolkit includes source-code-level library modules and stand-alone tools which support such tasks as data reformatting and report generation, simple relational database applications, user interfaces, tactical planning, strategic planning and documentation. The current toolkit is written in C and supports applications that run on IBM-PC's under DOS and UNlX-based workstations under OpenLook and Motif. The toolkit is fully integrated for building scheduling systems that reuse AI knowledge base technology. A typical scheduling scenario and three examples of applications that utilize the reuse toolkit will be briefly described. In addition to the tools themselves, a description of the software evolution and reuse methodology that was used is presented.

Stereotactic radiation treatment planning and follow-up studies involving fused multimodality imaging.

PubMed

Hamm, Klaus D; Surber, Gunnar; Schmücking, Michael; Wurm, Reinhard E; Aschenbach, Rene; Kleinert, Gabriele; Niesen, A; Baum, Richard P

2004-11-01

Innovative new software solutions may enable image fusion to produce the desired data superposition for precise target definition and follow-up studies in radiosurgery/stereotactic radiotherapy in patients with intracranial lesions. The aim is to integrate the anatomical and functional information completely into the radiation treatment planning and to achieve an exact comparison for follow-up examinations. Special conditions and advantages of BrainLAB's fully automatic image fusion system are evaluated and described for this purpose. In 458 patients, the radiation treatment planning and some follow-up studies were performed using an automatic image fusion technique involving the use of different imaging modalities. Each fusion was visually checked and corrected as necessary. The computerized tomography (CT) scans for radiation treatment planning (slice thickness 1.25 mm), as well as stereotactic angiography for arteriovenous malformations, were acquired using head fixation with stereotactic arc or, in the case of stereotactic radiotherapy, with a relocatable stereotactic mask. Different magnetic resonance (MR) imaging sequences (T1, T2, and fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery images) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans were obtained without head fixation. Fusion results and the effects on radiation treatment planning and follow-up studies were analyzed. The precision level of the results of the automatic fusion depended primarily on the image quality, especially the slice thickness and the field homogeneity when using MR images, as well as on patient movement during data acquisition. Fully automated image fusion of different MR, CT, and PET studies was performed for each patient. Only in a few cases was it necessary to correct the fusion manually after visual evaluation. These corrections were minor and did not materially affect treatment planning. High-quality fusion of thin slices of a region of interest with a complete head data set could be performed easily. The target volume for radiation treatment planning could be accurately delineated using multimodal information provided by CT, MR, angiography, and PET studies. The fusion of follow-up image data sets yielded results that could be successfully compared and quantitatively evaluated. Depending on the quality of the originally acquired image, automated image fusion can be a very valuable tool, allowing for fast (approximately 1-2 minute) and precise fusion of all relevant data sets. Fused multimodality imaging improves the target volume definition for radiation treatment planning. High-quality follow-up image data sets should be acquired for image fusion to provide exactly comparable slices and volumetric results that will contribute to quality contol.

Improving Software Quality and Management Through Use of Service Level Agreements

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-03-01

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

The Federal Aviation Administration Plan for Research, Engineering and Development, 1994

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-05-01

Aeronautical Data Link Communications and (COTS) runway incursion system software will Applications, and 051-130 Airport Safety be demonstrated as a... airport departure and ar- efforts rival scheduling plans that optimize daily traffic flows for long-range flights between major city- * OTFP System to...Expanded HARS planning capabilities to in- aviation dispatchers to develop optimized high clude enhanced communications software for altitude flight

Flight software issues in onboard automated planning: lessons learned on EO-1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tran, Daniel; Chien, Steve; Rabideau, Gregg; Cichy, Benjamin

2004-01-01

This paper focuses on the onboard planner and scheduler CASPER, whose core planning engine is based on the ground system ASPEN. Given the challenges of developing flight software, we discuss several of the issues encountered in preparing the planner for flight, including reducing the code image size, determining what data to place within the engineering telemetry packet, and performing long term planning.

Preliminary experience with SpineEOS, a new software for 3D planning in AIS surgery.

PubMed

Ferrero, Emmanuelle; Mazda, Keyvan; Simon, Anne-Laure; Ilharreborde, Brice

2018-04-24

Preoperative planning of scoliosis surgery is essential in the effective treatment of spine pathology. Thus, precontoured rods have been recently developed to avoid iatrogenic sagittal misalignment and rod breakage. Some specific issues exist in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), such as a less distal lower instrumented level, a great variability in the location of inflection point (transition from lumbar lordosis to thoracic kyphosis), and sagittal correction is limited by both bone-implant interface. Since 2007, stereoradiographic imaging system is used and allows for 3D reconstructions. Therefore, a software was developed to perform preoperative 3D surgical planning and to provide rod's shape and length. The goal of this preliminary study was to assess the feasibility, reliability, and the clinical relevance of this new software. Retrospective study on 47 AIS patients operated with the same surgical technique: posteromedial translation through posterior approach with lumbar screws and thoracic sublaminar bands. Pre- and postoperatively, 3D reconstructions were performed on stereoradiographic images (EOS system, Paris, France) and compared. Then, the software was used to plan the surgical correction and determine rod's shape and length. Simulated spine and rods were compared to postoperative real 3D reconstructions. 3D reconstructions and planning were performed by an independent observer. 3D simulations were performed on the 47 patients. No difference was found between the simulated model and the postoperative 3D reconstructions in terms of sagittal parameters. Postoperatively, 21% of LL were not within reference values. Postoperative SVA was 20 mm anterior in 2/3 of the cases. Postoperative rods were significantly longer than precontoured rods planned with the software (mean 10 mm). Inflection points were different on the rods used and the planned rods (2.3 levels on average). In this preliminary study, the software based on 3D stereoradiography low-dose system used to plan AIS surgery seems reliable for preoperative planning and precontoured rods. It is an interesting tool to improve surgeons' practice, since 3D planning is expected to reduce complications such as iatrogenic malalignment and to help for a better understanding of the complications, choosing the location of the transitional vertebra. However, further work is needed to improve thoracic kyphosis planning. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

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

Peck, T; Sparkman, D; Storch, N

''The LLNL Site-Specific Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASCI) Software Quality Engineering Recommended Practices VI.I'' document describes a set of recommended software quality engineering (SQE) practices for ASCI code projects at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). In this context, SQE is defined as the process of building quality into software products by applying the appropriate guiding principles and management practices. Continual code improvement and ongoing process improvement are expected benefits. Certain practices are recommended, although projects may select the specific activities they wish to improve, and the appropriate time lines for such actions. Additionally, projects can rely on the guidance ofmore » this document when generating ASCI Verification and Validation (VSrV) deliverables. ASCI program managers will gather information about their software engineering practices and improvement. This information can be shared to leverage the best SQE practices among development organizations. It will further be used to ensure the currency and vitality of the recommended practices. This Overview is intended to provide basic information to the LLNL ASCI software management and development staff from the ''LLNL Site-Specific ASCI Software Quality Engineering Recommended Practices VI.I'' document. Additionally the Overview provides steps to using the ''LLNL Site-Specific ASCI Software Quality Engineering Recommended Practices VI.I'' document. For definitions of terminology and acronyms, refer to the Glossary and Acronyms sections in the ''LLNL Site-Specific ASCI Software Quality Engineering Recommended Practices VI.I''.« less

Advanced communications technology satellite high burst rate link evaluation terminal power control and rain fade software test plan, version 1.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reinhart, Richard C.

1993-01-01

The Power Control and Rain Fade Software was developed at the NASA Lewis Research Center to support the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite High Burst Rate Link Evaluation Terminal (ACTS HBR-LET). The HBR-LET is an experimenters terminal to communicate with the ACTS for various experiments by government, university, and industry agencies. The Power Control and Rain Fade Software is one segment of the Control and Performance Monitor (C&PM) Software system of the HBR-LET. The Power Control and Rain Fade Software automatically controls the LET uplink power to compensate for signal fades. Besides power augmentation, the C&PM Software system is also responsible for instrument control during HBR-LET experiments, control of the Intermediate Frequency Switch Matrix on board the ACTS to yield a desired path through the spacecraft payload, and data display. The Power Control and Rain Fade Software User's Guide, Version 1.0 outlines the commands and procedures to install and operate the Power Control and Rain Fade Software. The Power Control and Rain Fade Software Maintenance Manual, Version 1.0 is a programmer's guide to the Power Control and Rain Fade Software. This manual details the current implementation of the software from a technical perspective. Included is an overview of the Power Control and Rain Fade Software, computer algorithms, format representations, and computer hardware configuration. The Power Control and Rain Fade Test Plan provides a step-by-step procedure to verify the operation of the software using a predetermined signal fade event. The Test Plan also provides a means to demonstrate the capability of the software.

Use of Soft Computing Technologies for a Qualitative and Reliable Engine Control System for Propulsion Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trevino, Luis; Brown, Terry; Crumbley, R. T. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The problem to be addressed in this paper is to explore how the use of Soft Computing Technologies (SCT) could be employed to improve overall vehicle system safety, reliability, and rocket engine performance by development of a qualitative and reliable engine control system (QRECS). Specifically, this will be addressed by enhancing rocket engine control using SCT, innovative data mining tools, and sound software engineering practices used in Marshall's Flight Software Group (FSG). The principle goals for addressing the issue of quality are to improve software management, software development time, software maintenance, processor execution, fault tolerance and mitigation, and nonlinear control in power level transitions. The intent is not to discuss any shortcomings of existing engine control methodologies, but to provide alternative design choices for control, implementation, performance, and sustaining engineering, all relative to addressing the issue of reliability. The approaches outlined in this paper will require knowledge in the fields of rocket engine propulsion (system level), software engineering for embedded flight software systems, and soft computing technologies (i.e., neural networks, fuzzy logic, data mining, and Bayesian belief networks); some of which are briefed in this paper. For this effort, the targeted demonstration rocket engine testbed is the MC-1 engine (formerly FASTRAC) which is simulated with hardware and software in the Marshall Avionics & Software Testbed (MAST) laboratory that currently resides at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, building 4476, and is managed by the Avionics Department. A brief plan of action for design, development, implementation, and testing a Phase One effort for QRECS is given, along with expected results. Phase One will focus on development of a Smart Start Engine Module and a Mainstage Engine Module for proper engine start and mainstage engine operations. The overall intent is to demonstrate that by employing soft computing technologies, the quality and reliability of the overall scheme to engine controller development is further improved and vehicle safety is further insured. The final product that this paper proposes is an approach to development of an alternative low cost engine controller that would be capable of performing in unique vision spacecraft vehicles requiring low cost advanced avionics architectures for autonomous operations from engine pre-start to engine shutdown.

Digital surveying and mapping of forest road network for development of a GIS tool for the effective protection and management of natural ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drosos, Vasileios C.; Liampas, Sarantis-Aggelos G.; Doukas, Aristotelis-Kosmas G.

2014-08-01

In our time, the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have become important tools, not only in the geosciences and environmental sciences, as well as virtually for all researches that require monitoring, planning or land management. The purpose of this paper was to develop a planning tool and decision making tool using AutoCAD Map software, ArcGIS and Google Earth with emphasis on the investigation of the suitability of forest roads' mapping and the range of its implementation in Greece in prefecture level. Integrating spatial information into a database makes data available throughout the organization; improving quality, productivity, and data management. Also working in such an environment, you can: Access and edit information, integrate and analyze data and communicate effectively. To select desirable information such as forest road network in a very early stage in the planning of silviculture operations, for example before the planning of the harvest is carried out. The software programs that were used were AutoCAD Map for the export in shape files for the GPS data, and ArcGIS in shape files (ArcGlobe), while Google Earth with KML files (Keyhole Markup Language) in order to better visualize and evaluate existing conditions, design in a real-world context and exchange information with government agencies, utilities, and contractors in both CAD and GIS data formats. The automation of the updating procedure and transfer of any files between agencies-departments is one of the main tasks of the integrated GIS-tool among the others should be addressed.

Guidelines for software inspections

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

Quality control inspections are software problem finding procedures which provide defect removal as well as improvements in software functionality, maintenance, quality, and development and testing methodology is discussed. The many side benefits include education, documentation, training, and scheduling.

Comparison of 3D reconstruction of mandible for pre-operative planning using commercial and open-source software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullah, Johari Yap; Omar, Marzuki; Pritam, Helmi Mohd Hadi; Husein, Adam; Rajion, Zainul Ahmad

2016-12-01

3D printing of mandible is important for pre-operative planning, diagnostic purposes, as well as for education and training. Currently, the processing of CT data is routinely performed with commercial software which increases the cost of operation and patient management for a small clinical setting. Usage of open-source software as an alternative to commercial software for 3D reconstruction of the mandible from CT data is scarce. The aim of this study is to compare two methods of 3D reconstruction of the mandible using commercial Materialise Mimics software and open-source Medical Imaging Interaction Toolkit (MITK) software. Head CT images with a slice thickness of 1 mm and a matrix of 512x512 pixels each were retrieved from the server located at the Radiology Department of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia. The CT data were analysed and the 3D models of mandible were reconstructed using both commercial Materialise Mimics and open-source MITK software. Both virtual 3D models were saved in STL format and exported to 3matic and MeshLab software for morphometric and image analyses. Both models were compared using Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test and Hausdorff Distance. No significant differences were obtained between the 3D models of the mandible produced using Mimics and MITK software. The 3D model of the mandible produced using MITK open-source software is comparable to the commercial MIMICS software. Therefore, open-source software could be used in clinical setting for pre-operative planning to minimise the operational cost.

48 CFR 208.7402 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... DEFENSE ACQUISITION PLANNING REQUIRED SOURCES OF SUPPLIES AND SERVICES Enterprise Software Agreements 208.7402 General. Departments and agencies shall fulfill requirements for commercial software and related services, such as software maintenance, in accordance with the DoD Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI...

48 CFR 208.7402 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... DEFENSE ACQUISITION PLANNING REQUIRED SOURCES OF SUPPLIES AND SERVICES Enterprise Software Agreements 208.7402 General. (1) Departments and agencies shall fulfill requirements for commercial software and related services, such as software maintenance, in accordance with the DoD Enterprise Software Initiative...

48 CFR 208.7402 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... DEFENSE ACQUISITION PLANNING REQUIRED SOURCES OF SUPPLIES AND SERVICES Enterprise Software Agreements 208.7402 General. Departments and agencies shall fulfill requirements for commercial software and related services, such as software maintenance, in accordance with the DoD Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI...

48 CFR 208.7402 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... DEFENSE ACQUISITION PLANNING REQUIRED SOURCES OF SUPPLIES AND SERVICES Enterprise Software Agreements 208.7402 General. Departments and agencies shall fulfill requirements for commercial software and related services, such as software maintenance, in accordance with the DoD Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI...

48 CFR 208.7401 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... OF DEFENSE ACQUISITION PLANNING REQUIRED SOURCES OF SUPPLIES AND SERVICES Enterprise Software... a contract that is used to acquire designated commercial software or related services such as... Officer to develop processes for DoD-wide software asset management. Software maintenance means services...

Software engineering standards and practices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Durachka, R. W.

1981-01-01

Guidelines are presented for the preparation of a software development plan. The various phases of a software development project are discussed throughout its life cycle including a general description of the software engineering standards and practices to be followed during each phase.

Copyright and the Assurance of Quality Courseware.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helm, Virginia M.

Issues related to the illegal copying or piracy of educational software in the schools and its potential effect on quality software availability are discussed. Copyright violation is examined as a reason some software producers may be abandoning the school software market. An explanation of what the copyright allows and prohibits in terms of…

A survey of Canadian medical physicists: software quality assurance of in-house software.

PubMed

Salomons, Greg J; Kelly, Diane

2015-01-05

This paper reports on a survey of medical physicists who write and use in-house written software as part of their professional work. The goal of the survey was to assess the extent of in-house software usage and the desire or need for related software quality guidelines. The survey contained eight multiple-choice questions, a ranking question, and seven free text questions. The survey was sent to medical physicists associated with cancer centers across Canada. The respondents to the survey expressed interest in having guidelines to help them in their software-related work, but also demonstrated extensive skills in the area of testing, safety, and communication. These existing skills form a basis for medical physicists to establish a set of software quality guidelines.

Implementation of Cyber-Physical Production Systems for Quality Prediction and Operation Control in Metal Casting.

PubMed

Lee, JuneHyuck; Noh, Sang Do; Kim, Hyun-Jung; Kang, Yong-Shin

2018-05-04

The prediction of internal defects of metal casting immediately after the casting process saves unnecessary time and money by reducing the amount of inputs into the next stage, such as the machining process, and enables flexible scheduling. Cyber-physical production systems (CPPS) perfectly fulfill the aforementioned requirements. This study deals with the implementation of CPPS in a real factory to predict the quality of metal casting and operation control. First, a CPPS architecture framework for quality prediction and operation control in metal-casting production was designed. The framework describes collaboration among internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence, simulations, manufacturing execution systems, and advanced planning and scheduling systems. Subsequently, the implementation of the CPPS in actual plants is described. Temperature is a major factor that affects casting quality, and thus, temperature sensors and IoT communication devices were attached to casting machines. The well-known NoSQL database, HBase and the high-speed processing/analysis tool, Spark, are used for IoT repository and data pre-processing, respectively. Many machine learning algorithms such as decision tree, random forest, artificial neural network, and support vector machine were used for quality prediction and compared with R software. Finally, the operation of the entire system is demonstrated through a CPPS dashboard. In an era in which most CPPS-related studies are conducted on high-level abstract models, this study describes more specific architectural frameworks, use cases, usable software, and analytical methodologies. In addition, this study verifies the usefulness of CPPS by estimating quantitative effects. This is expected to contribute to the proliferation of CPPS in the industry.

Impact of Requirements Quality on Project Success or Failure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamai, Tetsuo; Kamata, Mayumi Itakura

We are interested in the relationship between the quality of the requirements specifications for software projects and the subsequent outcome of the projects. To examine this relationship, we investigated 32 projects started and completed between 2003 and 2005 by the software development division of a large company in Tokyo. The company has collected reliable data on requirements specification quality, as evaluated by software quality assurance teams, and overall project performance data relating to cost and time overruns. The data for requirements specification quality were first converted into a multiple-dimensional space, with each dimension corresponding to an item of the recommended structure for software requirements specifications (SRS) defined in IEEE Std. 830-1998. We applied various statistical analysis methods to the SRS quality data and project outcomes.

SigmaPlot 2000, Version 6.00, SPSS Inc. Computer Software Test Plan

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

HURLBUT, S.T.

2000-10-24

SigmaPlot is a vendor software product used in conjunction with the supercritical fluid extraction Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (SFE-FTIR) system. This product converts the raw spectral data to useful area numbers. SigmaPlot will be used in conjunction with procedure ZA-565-301, ''Determination of Moisture by Supercritical Fluid Extraction and Infrared Detection.'' This test plan will be performed in conjunction with or prior to HNF-6936, ''HA-53 Supercritical Fluid Extraction System Acceptance Test Plan'', to perform analyses for water. The test will ensure that the software can be installed properly and will manipulate the analytical data correctly.

Validation of a Quality Management Metric

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-09-01

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

A software quality model and metrics for risk assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hyatt, L.; Rosenberg, L.

1996-01-01

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

Innovative Stormwater Quality Tools by SARA for Holistic Watershed Master Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, S. M.; Su, Y. C.; Hummel, P. R.

2016-12-01

Stormwater management strategies such as Best Management Practices (BMP) and Low-Impact Development (LID) have increasingly gained attention in urban runoff control, becoming vital to holistic watershed master plans. These strategies can help address existing water quality impairments and support regulatory compliance, as well as guide planning and management of future development when substantial population growth and urbanization is projected to occur. However, past efforts have been limited to qualitative planning due to the lack of suitable tools to conduct quantitative assessment. The San Antonio River Authority (SARA), with the assistance of Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) and AQUA TERRA Consultants (a division of RESPEC), developed comprehensive hydrodynamic and water quality models using the Hydrological Simulation Program-FORTRAN (HSPF) for several urban watersheds in the San Antonio River Basin. These models enabled watershed management to look at water quality issues on a more refined temporal and spatial scale than the limited monitoring data. They also provided a means to locate and quantify potential water quality impairments and evaluate the effects of mitigation measures. To support the models, a suite of software tools were developed. including: 1) SARA Timeseries Utility Tool for managing and processing of large model timeseries files, 2) SARA Load Reduction Tool to determine load reductions needed to achieve screening levels for each modeled constituent on a sub-basin basis, and 3) SARA Enhanced BMP Tool to determine the optimal combination of BMP types and units needed to achieve the required load reductions. Using these SARA models and tools, water quality agencies and stormwater professionals can determine the optimal combinations of BMP/LID to accomplish their goals and save substantial stormwater infrastructure and management costs. The tools can also help regulators and permittees evaluate the feasibility of achieving compliance using BMP/LID. The project has gained national attention, being showcased in multiple newsletters, professional magazines, and conference presentations. The project also won the Texas American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Gold Medal Award and the ACEC National Recognition Award in 2016.

Optimum-AIV: A planning and scheduling system for spacecraft AIV

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arentoft, M. M.; Fuchs, Jens J.; Parrod, Y.; Gasquet, Andre; Stader, J.; Stokes, I.; Vadon, H.

1991-01-01

A project undertaken for the European Space Agency (ESA) is presented. The project is developing a knowledge based software system for planning and scheduling of activities for spacecraft assembly, integration, and verification (AIV). The system extends into the monitoring of plan execution and the plan repair phase. The objectives are to develop an operational kernel of a planning, scheduling, and plan repair tool, called OPTIMUM-AIV, and to provide facilities which will allow individual projects to customize the kernel to suit its specific needs. The kernel shall consist of a set of software functionalities for assistance in initial specification of the AIV plan, in verification and generation of valid plans and schedules for the AIV activities, and in interactive monitoring and execution problem recovery for the detailed AIV plans. Embedded in OPTIMUM-AIV are external interfaces which allow integration with alternative scheduling systems and project databases. The current status of the OPTIMUM-AIV project, as of Jan. 1991, is that a further analysis of the AIV domain has taken place through interviews with satellite AIV experts, a software requirement document (SRD) for the full operational tool was approved, and an architectural design document (ADD) for the kernel excluding external interfaces is ready for review.

AZ-101 Mixer Pump Demonstration Data Acquisition System and Gamma Cart Data Acquisition Control System Software Configuration Management Plan

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

WHITE, D.A.

1999-12-29

This Software Configuration Management Plan (SCMP) provides the instructions for change control of the AZ1101 Mixer Pump Demonstration Data Acquisition System (DAS) and the Sludge Mobilization Cart (Gamma Cart) Data Acquisition and Control System (DACS).

A software architecture for hard real-time execution of automatically synthesized plans or control laws

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schoppers, Marcel

1994-01-01

The design of a flexible, real-time software architecture for trajectory planning and automatic control of redundant manipulators is described. Emphasis is placed on a technique of designing control systems that are both flexible and robust yet have good real-time performance. The solution presented involves an artificial intelligence algorithm that dynamically reprograms the real-time control system while planning system behavior.

Federal Aviation Administration Plan for Research, Engineering and Development 1993

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-02-01

pace the United States economy. With no additional with technology, and help maintain economic major airports planned in the near term, the FAA growth...provides Route Software Development, 62-20 Terminal ARTCC and TRACON controllers with automa- ATC Automation (TATCA), 62-21 Airport Sur- tion aids for...Applications, and 051-130 Airport Safety (COTS) runway incursion system software will Technology. Capital Investment Plan projects: be demonstrated

OsiriX software as a preoperative planning tool in cranial neurosurgery: A step-by-step guide for neurosurgical residents

PubMed Central

Spiriev, Toma; Nakov, Vladimir; Laleva, Lili; Tzekov, Christo

2017-01-01

Background: OsiriX (Pixmeo, Switzerland) is an open-source Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) viewer that is gaining more and more attention in the neurosurgical community because of its user-friendly interface, powerful three-dimensional (3D) volumetric rendering capabilities, and various options for data integration. This paper presents in detail the use of OsiriX software as a preoperative planning tool in cranial neurosurgery. Methods: In January 2013, OsiriX software was introduced into our clinical practice as a preoperative planning tool. Its capabilities are being evaluated on an ongoing basis in routine elective cranial cases. Results: The program has proven to be highly effective at volumetrically representing data from radiological examinations in 3D. Among its benefits in preoperative planning are simulating the position and exact location of the lesion in 3D, tailoring the skin incision and craniotomy bone flap, enhancing the representation of normal and pathological anatomy, and aiding in planning the reconstruction of the affected area. Conclusion: OsiriX is a useful tool for preoperative planning and visualization in neurosurgery. The software greatly facilitates the surgeon's understanding of the relationship between normal and pathological anatomy and can be used as a teaching tool. PMID:29119039

GP Workbench Manual: Technical Manual, User's Guide, and Software Guide

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oden, Charles P.; Moulton, Craig W.

2006-01-01

GP Workbench is an open-source general-purpose geophysical data processing software package written primarily for ground penetrating radar (GPR) data. It also includes support for several USGS prototype electromagnetic instruments such as the VETEM and ALLTEM. The two main programs in the package are GP Workbench and GP Wave Utilities. GP Workbench has routines for filtering, gridding, and migrating GPR data; as well as an inversion routine for characterizing UXO (unexploded ordinance) using ALLTEM data. GP Workbench provides two-dimensional (section view) and three-dimensional (plan view or time slice view) processing for GPR data. GP Workbench can produce high-quality graphics for reports when Surfer 8 or higher (Golden Software) is installed. GP Wave Utilities provides a wide range of processing algorithms for single waveforms, such as filtering, correlation, deconvolution, and calculating GPR waveforms. GP Wave Utilities is used primarily for calibrating radar systems and processing individual traces. Both programs also contain research features related to the calibration of GPR systems and calculating subsurface waveforms. The software is written to run on the Windows operating systems. GP Workbench can import GPR data file formats used by major commercial instrument manufacturers including Sensors and Software, GSSI, and Mala. The GP Workbench native file format is SU (Seismic Unix), and subsequently, files generated by GP Workbench can be read by Seismic Unix as well as many other data processing packages.

SeisComP 3 - Where are we now?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saul, Joachim; Becker, Jan; Hanka, Winfried; Heinloo, Andres; Weber, Bernd

2010-05-01

The seismological software SeisComP has evolved within the last approximately 10 years from a pure acquisition modules to a fully featured real-time earthquake monitoring software. The now very popular SeedLink protocol for seismic data transmission has been the core of SeisComP from the very beginning. Later additions included simple, purely automatic event detection, location and magnitude determination capabilities. Especially within the development of the 3rd-generation SeisComP, also known as "SeisComP 3", automatic processing capabilities have been augmented by graphical user interfaces for vizualization, rapid event review and quality control. Communication between the modules is achieved using a a TCP/IP infrastructure that allows distributed computing and remote review. For seismological metadata exchange export/import to/from QuakeML is avalable, which also provides a convenient interface with 3rd-party software. SeisComP is the primary seismological processing software at the GFZ Potsdam. It has also been in use for years in numerous seismic networks in Europe and, more recently, has been adopted as primary monitoring software by several tsunami warning centers around the Indian Ocean. In our presentation we describe the current status of development as well as future plans. We illustrate its possibilities by discussing different use cases for global and regional real-time earthquake monitoring and tsunami warning.

48 CFR 208.7402 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... DEFENSE ACQUISITION PLANNING REQUIRED SOURCES OF SUPPLIES AND SERVICES Enterprise Software Agreements 208... services, such as software maintenance, in accordance with the DoD Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI... software and related services. ESI does not dictate the products or services to be acquired. ...

[Development of a Compared Software for Automatically Generated DVH in Eclipse TPS].

PubMed

Xie, Zhao; Luo, Kelin; Zou, Lian; Hu, Jinyou

2016-03-01

This study is to automatically calculate the dose volume histogram(DVH) for the treatment plan, then to compare it with requirements of doctor's prescriptions. The scripting language Autohotkey and programming language C# were used to develop a compared software for automatically generated DVH in Eclipse TPS. This software is named Show Dose Volume Histogram (ShowDVH), which is composed of prescription documents generation, operation functions of DVH, software visualization and DVH compared report generation. Ten cases in different cancers have been separately selected, in Eclipse TPS 11.0 ShowDVH could not only automatically generate DVH reports but also accurately determine whether treatment plans meet the requirements of doctor’s prescriptions, then reports gave direction for setting optimization parameters of intensity modulated radiated therapy. The ShowDVH is an user-friendly and powerful software, and can automatically generated compared DVH reports fast in Eclipse TPS 11.0. With the help of ShowDVH, it greatly saves plan designing time and improves working efficiency of radiation therapy physicists.

Visual Sample Plan Version 7.0 User's Guide

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

Matzke, Brett D.; Newburn, Lisa LN; Hathaway, John E.

2014-03-01

User's guide for VSP 7.0 This user's guide describes Visual Sample Plan (VSP) Version 7.0 and provides instructions for using the software. VSP selects the appropriate number and location of environmental samples to ensure that the results of statistical tests performed to provide input to risk decisions have the required confidence and performance. VSP Version 7.0 provides sample-size equations or algorithms needed by specific statistical tests appropriate for specific environmental sampling objectives. It also provides data quality assessment and statistical analysis functions to support evaluation of the data and determine whether the data support decisions regarding sites suspected of contamination.more » The easy-to-use program is highly visual and graphic. VSP runs on personal computers with Microsoft Windows operating systems (XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8). Designed primarily for project managers and users without expertise in statistics, VSP is applicable to two- and three-dimensional populations to be sampled (e.g., rooms and buildings, surface soil, a defined layer of subsurface soil, water bodies, and other similar applications) for studies of environmental quality. VSP is also applicable for designing sampling plans for assessing chem/rad/bio threat and hazard identification within rooms and buildings, and for designing geophysical surveys for unexploded ordnance (UXO) identification.« less

[Neurosurgical planning using osirix software].

PubMed

Jaimovich, Sebastián Gastón; Guevara, Martin; Pampin, Sergio; Jaimovich, Roberto; Gardella, Javier Luis

2014-01-01

Anatomical individuality is key to reduce surgical trauma and obtain a better outcome. Nowadays, the advances in neuroimaging has allowed us to analyze this anatomical individuality and to plan the surgery. With this objective, we present our experience with the OsiriX software. We present three different applications as example of forty procedures performed. Case 1: Patient with a premotor cortex convexity parasagittal meningioma; Case 2: Patient with a nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenoma operated on 2 years ago in another institution, achieving a partial resection by a transsphenoidal approach; Case 3: Patient with bilateral middle cerebellar peduncles lesions. OsiriX Software was used for surgical planning. Volumetric CT and MRI images were fused and 3D reconstruction images obtained, to analyze anatomical relationships, measure distances, coordinates and trajectories, among other features. OsiriX software is a useful, open-source and free software tool that provides the surgeon with valuable information. It allows to study individual patient's anatomy and plan a surgical approach in a fast, simple, inexpensive and safety way. In Case 1 the software let us analyze the relationship of the tumor with the surrounding structures in order to minimize the approach's morbidity. In Case 2, to understand the unique anatomic characteristics of an already operated patient giving us important information regarding pathways and need for extra bone removal, achieving a complete tumor resection by an endoscopic transnasal approach. In Case 3, allowed us to obtain the stereotactic coordinates and trajectory for a not visualizable CT scan lesion. When expensive neuronavigation systems are not available, OsiriX is an alternative for neurosurgical planning, with the aim of reducing trauma and surgical morbidity.

Design and implementation of software for automated quality control and data analysis for a complex LC/MS/MS assay for urine opiates and metabolites.

PubMed

Dickerson, Jane A; Schmeling, Michael; Hoofnagle, Andrew N; Hoffman, Noah G

2013-01-16

Mass spectrometry provides a powerful platform for performing quantitative, multiplexed assays in the clinical laboratory, but at the cost of increased complexity of analysis and quality assurance calculations compared to other methodologies. Here we describe the design and implementation of a software application that performs quality control calculations for a complex, multiplexed, mass spectrometric analysis of opioids and opioid metabolites. The development and implementation of this application improved our data analysis and quality assurance processes in several ways. First, use of the software significantly improved the procedural consistency for performing quality control calculations. Second, it reduced the amount of time technologists spent preparing and reviewing the data, saving on average over four hours per run, and in some cases improving turnaround time by a day. Third, it provides a mechanism for coupling procedural and software changes with the results of each analysis. We describe several key details of the implementation including the use of version control software and automated unit tests. These generally useful software engineering principles should be considered for any software development project in the clinical lab. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Integrated Framework for Multipollutant Air Quality Management and Its Application in Georgia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohan, Daniel S.; Boylan, James W.; Marmur, Amit; Khan, Maudood N.

2007-10-01

Air protection agencies in the United States increasingly confront non-attainment of air quality standards for multiple pollutants sharing interrelated emission origins. Traditional approaches to attainment planning face important limitations that are magnified in the multipollutant context. Recognizing those limitations, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division has adopted an integrated framework to address ozone, fine particulate matter, and regional haze in the state. Rather than applying atmospheric modeling merely as a final check of an overall strategy, photochemical sensitivity analysis is conducted upfront to compare the effectiveness of controlling various precursor emission species and source regions. Emerging software enables the modeling of health benefits and associated economic valuations resulting from air pollution control. Photochemical sensitivity and health benefits analyses, applied together with traditional cost and feasibility assessments, provide a more comprehensive characterization of the implications of various control options. The fuller characterization both informs the selection of control options and facilitates the communication of impacts to affected stakeholders and the public. Although the integrated framework represents a clear improvement over previous attainment-planning efforts, key remaining shortcomings are also discussed.

Biomathematical Description of Synthetic Peptide Libraries

PubMed Central

Trepel, Martin

2015-01-01

Libraries of randomised peptides displayed on phages or viral particles are essential tools in a wide spectrum of applications. However, there is only limited understanding of a library's fundamental dynamics and the influences of encoding schemes and sizes on their quality. Numeric properties of libraries, such as the expected number of different peptides and the library's coverage, have long been in use as measures of a library's quality. Here, we present a graphical framework of these measures together with a library's relative efficiency to help to describe libraries in enough detail for researchers to plan new experiments in a more informed manner. In particular, these values allow us to answer-in a probabilistic fashion-the question of whether a specific library does indeed contain one of the "best" possible peptides. The framework is implemented in a web-interface based on two packages, discreteRV and peptider, to the statistical software environment R. We further provide a user-friendly web-interface called PeLiCa (Peptide Library Calculator, http://www.pelica.org), allowing scientists to plan and analyse their peptide libraries. PMID:26042419

Innovations in Radiotherapy Technology.

PubMed

Feain, I J; Court, L; Palta, J R; Beddar, S; Keall, P

2017-02-01

Many low- and middle-income countries, together with remote and low socioeconomic populations within high-income countries, lack the resources and services to deal with cancer. The challenges in upgrading or introducing the necessary services are enormous, from screening and diagnosis to radiotherapy planning/treatment and quality assurance. There are severe shortages not only in equipment, but also in the capacity to train, recruit and retain staff as well as in their ongoing professional development via effective international peer-review and collaboration. Here we describe some examples of emerging technology innovations based on real-time software and cloud-based capabilities that have the potential to redress some of these areas. These include: (i) automatic treatment planning to reduce physics staffing shortages, (ii) real-time image-guided adaptive radiotherapy technologies, (iii) fixed-beam radiotherapy treatment units that use patient (rather than gantry) rotation to reduce infrastructure costs and staff-to-patient ratios, (iv) cloud-based infrastructure programmes to facilitate international collaboration and quality assurance and (v) high dose rate mobile cobalt brachytherapy techniques for intraoperative radiotherapy. Copyright © 2016 The Royal College of Radiologists. All rights reserved.

An integrated framework for multipollutant air quality management and its application in Georgia.

PubMed

Cohan, Daniel S; Boylan, James W; Marmur, Amit; Khan, Maudood N

2007-10-01

Air protection agencies in the United States increasingly confront non-attainment of air quality standards for multiple pollutants sharing interrelated emission origins. Traditional approaches to attainment planning face important limitations that are magnified in the multipollutant context. Recognizing those limitations, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division has adopted an integrated framework to address ozone, fine particulate matter, and regional haze in the state. Rather than applying atmospheric modeling merely as a final check of an overall strategy, photochemical sensitivity analysis is conducted upfront to compare the effectiveness of controlling various precursor emission species and source regions. Emerging software enables the modeling of health benefits and associated economic valuations resulting from air pollution control. Photochemical sensitivity and health benefits analyses, applied together with traditional cost and feasibility assessments, provide a more comprehensive characterization of the implications of various control options. The fuller characterization both informs the selection of control options and facilitates the communication of impacts to affected stakeholders and the public. Although the integrated framework represents a clear improvement over previous attainment-planning efforts, key remaining shortcomings are also discussed.

Suitable housing placement: a GIS-based approach.

PubMed

Sorrentino, John A; Meenar, Md Mahbubur R; Flamm, Bradley J

2008-11-01

The intent of this paper is to operationalize some aspects of local sustainability in a suitable development scenario and to compare its energy-use and environmental impacts to trend development. After a discussion of suburban sprawl, local sustainability, and the current state of the Pennypack Creek Watershed in the Philadelphia metro region, these residential location scenarios are presented. The latter were created using geographic information systems software and are based on projections from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. The impacts of the scenarios on energy use, air emissions, greenhouse gas emissions, water quality, and biological integrity were estimated with very few data, and the effect on the value of generic ecosystem services was assessed. The suitable development scenario was 29% better in terms of energy use and air and greenhouse gas emissions, 2.4% worse on water quality, and 2.6% better with respect to biological integrity. Given its net beneficial results, recommendations for policies to engender suitable development are made, and an outline of an implementation plan is proposed. Thoughts regarding refinements of the present work and the applicability of the methods used here to other watersheds conclude the work.

Software technology insertion: A study of success factors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lydon, Tom

1990-01-01

Managing software development in large organizations has become increasingly difficult due to increasing technical complexity, stricter government standards, a shortage of experienced software engineers, competitive pressure for improved productivity and quality, the need to co-develop hardware and software together, and the rapid changes in both hardware and software technology. The 'software factory' approach to software development minimizes risks while maximizing productivity and quality through standardization, automation, and training. However, in practice, this approach is relatively inflexible when adopting new software technologies. The methods that a large multi-project software engineering organization can use to increase the likelihood of successful software technology insertion (STI), especially in a standardized engineering environment, are described.

Implementation of electronic medical records requires more than new software: Lessons on integrating and managing health technologies from Mbarara, Uganda.

PubMed

Madore, Amy; Rosenberg, Julie; Muyindike, Winnie R; Bangsberg, David R; Bwana, Mwebesa B; Martin, Jeffrey N; Kanyesigye, Michael; Weintraub, Rebecca

2015-12-01

Implementation lessons: • Technology alone does not necessarily lead to improvement in health service delivery, in contrast to the common assumption that advanced technology goes hand in hand with progress. • Implementation of electronic medical record (EMR) systems is a complex, resource-intensive process that, in addition to software, hardware, and human resource investments, requires careful planning, change management skills, adaptability, and continuous engagement of stakeholders. • Research requirements and goals must be balanced with service delivery needs when determining how much information is essential to collect and who should be interfacing with the EMR system. • EMR systems require ongoing monitoring and regular updates to ensure they are responsive to evolving clinical use cases and research questions. • High-quality data and analyses are essential for EMRs to deliver value to providers, researchers, and patients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of computer-based treatment planning software on clinical judgment of dental students for planning prosthodontic rehabilitation

PubMed Central

Deshpande, Saee; Chahande, Jayashree

2014-01-01

Purpose Successful prosthodontic rehabilitation involves making many interrelated clinical decisions which have an impact on each other. Self-directed computer-based training has been shown to be a very useful tool to develop synthetic and analytical problem-solving skills among students. Thus, a computer-based case study and treatment planning (CSTP) software program was developed which would allow students to work through the process of comprehensive, multidisciplinary treatment planning for patients in a structured and logical manner. The present study was aimed at assessing the effect of this CSTP software on the clinical judgment of dental students while planning prosthodontic rehabilitation and to assess the students’ perceptions about using the program for its intended use. Methods A CSTP software program was developed and validated. The impact of this program on the clinical decision making skills of dental graduates was evaluated by real life patient encounters, using a modified and validated mini-CEX. Students’ perceptions about the program were obtained by a pre-validated feedback questionnaire. Results The faculty assessment scores of clinical judgment improved significantly after the use of this program. The majority of students felt it was an informative, useful, and innovative way of learning and they strongly felt that they had learnt the logical progression of planning, the insight into decision making, and the need for flexibility in treatment planning after using this program. Conclusion CSTP software was well received by the students. There was significant improvement in students’ clinical judgment after using this program. It should thus be envisaged fundamentally as an adjunct to conventional teaching techniques to improve students’ decision making skills and confidence. PMID:25170288

Requirements model for an e-Health awareness portal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussain, Azham; Mkpojiogu, Emmanuel O. C.; Nawi, Mohd Nasrun M.

2016-08-01

Requirements engineering is at the heart and foundation of software engineering process. Poor quality requirements inevitably lead to poor quality software solutions. Also, poor requirement modeling is tantamount to designing a poor quality product. So, quality assured requirements development collaborates fine with usable products in giving the software product the needed quality it demands. In the light of the foregoing, the requirements for an e-Ebola Awareness Portal were modeled with a good attention given to these software engineering concerns. The requirements for the e-Health Awareness Portal are modeled as a contribution to the fight against Ebola and helps in the fulfillment of the United Nation's Millennium Development Goal No. 6. In this study requirements were modeled using UML 2.0 modeling technique.

Interactive reconstructions of cranial 3D implants under MeVisLab as an alternative to commercial planning software.

PubMed

Egger, Jan; Gall, Markus; Tax, Alois; Ücal, Muammer; Zefferer, Ulrike; Li, Xing; von Campe, Gord; Schäfer, Ute; Schmalstieg, Dieter; Chen, Xiaojun

2017-01-01

In this publication, the interactive planning and reconstruction of cranial 3D Implants under the medical prototyping platform MeVisLab as alternative to commercial planning software is introduced. In doing so, a MeVisLab prototype consisting of a customized data-flow network and an own C++ module was set up. As a result, the Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software prototype guides a user through the whole workflow to generate an implant. Therefore, the workflow begins with loading and mirroring the patients head for an initial curvature of the implant. Then, the user can perform an additional Laplacian smoothing, followed by a Delaunay triangulation. The result is an aesthetic looking and well-fitting 3D implant, which can be stored in a CAD file format, e.g. STereoLithography (STL), for 3D printing. The 3D printed implant can finally be used for an in-depth pre-surgical evaluation or even as a real implant for the patient. In a nutshell, our research and development shows that a customized MeVisLab software prototype can be used as an alternative to complex commercial planning software, which may also not be available in every clinic. Finally, not to conform ourselves directly to available commercial software and look for other options that might improve the workflow.

Interactive reconstructions of cranial 3D implants under MeVisLab as an alternative to commercial planning software

PubMed Central

Egger, Jan; Gall, Markus; Tax, Alois; Ücal, Muammer; Zefferer, Ulrike; Li, Xing; von Campe, Gord; Schäfer, Ute; Schmalstieg, Dieter; Chen, Xiaojun

2017-01-01

In this publication, the interactive planning and reconstruction of cranial 3D Implants under the medical prototyping platform MeVisLab as alternative to commercial planning software is introduced. In doing so, a MeVisLab prototype consisting of a customized data-flow network and an own C++ module was set up. As a result, the Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software prototype guides a user through the whole workflow to generate an implant. Therefore, the workflow begins with loading and mirroring the patients head for an initial curvature of the implant. Then, the user can perform an additional Laplacian smoothing, followed by a Delaunay triangulation. The result is an aesthetic looking and well-fitting 3D implant, which can be stored in a CAD file format, e.g. STereoLithography (STL), for 3D printing. The 3D printed implant can finally be used for an in-depth pre-surgical evaluation or even as a real implant for the patient. In a nutshell, our research and development shows that a customized MeVisLab software prototype can be used as an alternative to complex commercial planning software, which may also not be available in every clinic. Finally, not to conform ourselves directly to available commercial software and look for other options that might improve the workflow. PMID:28264062

The Elements of an Effective Software Development Plan - Software Development Process Guidebook

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-11-11

standards and practices required for all XMPL software development. This SDP implements the <corporate> Standard Software Process (SSP). as tailored...Developing and integrating reusable software products • Approach to managing COTS/Reuse software implementation • COTS/Reuse software selection...final selection and submit to change board for approval MAINTENANCE Monitor current products for obsolescence or end of support Track new

Payload software technology: Software technology development plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Programmatic requirements for the advancement of software technology are identified for meeting the space flight requirements in the 1980 to 1990 time period. The development items are described, and software technology item derivation worksheets are presented along with the cost/time/priority assessments.

ISS Operations Cost Reductions Through Automation of Real-Time Planning Tasks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Timothy A.

2011-01-01

In 2008 the Johnson Space Center s Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) management team challenged their organization to find ways to reduce the costs of International Space station (ISS) console operations in the Mission Control Center (MCC). Each MOD organization was asked to identify projects that would help them attain a goal of a 30% reduction in operating costs by 2012. The MOD Operations and Planning organization responded to this challenge by launching several software automation projects that would allow them to greatly improve ISS console operations and reduce staffing and operating costs. These projects to date have allowed the MOD Operations organization to remove one full time (7 x 24 x 365) ISS console position in 2010; with the plan of eliminating two full time ISS console support positions by 2012. This will account for an overall 10 EP reduction in staffing for the Operations and Planning organization. These automation projects focused on utilizing software to automate many administrative and often repetitive tasks involved with processing ISS planning and daily operations information. This information was exchanged between the ground flight control teams in Houston and around the globe, as well as with the ISS astronaut crew. These tasks ranged from managing mission plan changes from around the globe, to uploading and downloading information to and from the ISS crew, to even more complex tasks that required multiple decision points to process the data, track approvals and deliver it to the correct recipient across network and security boundaries. The software solutions leveraged several different technologies including customized web applications and implementation of industry standard web services architecture between several planning tools; as well as a engaging a previously research level technology (TRL 2-3) developed by Ames Research Center (ARC) that utilized an intelligent agent based system to manage and automate file traffic flow, archiving f data, and generating console logs. This technology called OCAMS (OCA (Orbital Communication System) Management System), is now considered TRL level 9 and is in daily use in the Mission Control Center in support of ISS operations. These solutions have not only allowed for improved efficiency on console; but since many of the previously manual data transfers are now automated, many of the human error prone steps have been removed, and the quality of the planning products has improved tremendously. This has also allowed our Planning Flight Controllers more time to focus on the abstract areas of the job, (like the complexities of planning a mission for 6 international crew members with a global planning team), instead of being burdened with the administrative tasks that took significant time each console shift to process. The resulting automation solutions have allowed the Operations and Planning organization to realize significant cost savings for the ISS program through 2020 and many of these solutions could be a viable

Development and case study of a science-based software platform to support policy making on air quality.

PubMed

Zhu, Yun; Lao, Yanwen; Jang, Carey; Lin, Chen-Jen; Xing, Jia; Wang, Shuxiao; Fu, Joshua S; Deng, Shuang; Xie, Junping; Long, Shicheng

2015-01-01

This article describes the development and implementations of a novel software platform that supports real-time, science-based policy making on air quality through a user-friendly interface. The software, RSM-VAT, uses a response surface modeling (RSM) methodology and serves as a visualization and analysis tool (VAT) for three-dimensional air quality data obtained by atmospheric models. The software features a number of powerful and intuitive data visualization functions for illustrating the complex nonlinear relationship between emission reductions and air quality benefits. The case study of contiguous U.S. demonstrates that the enhanced RSM-VAT is capable of reproducing the air quality model results with Normalized Mean Bias <2% and assisting in air quality policy making in near real time. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Automated Attitude Sensor Calibration: Progress and Plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sedlak, Joseph; Hashmall, Joseph

2004-01-01

This paper describes ongoing work a NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center to improve the quality of spacecraft attitude sensor calibration and reduce costs by automating parts of the calibration process. The new calibration software can autonomously preview data quality over a given time span, select a subset of the data for processing, perform the requested calibration, and output a report. This level of automation is currently being implemented for two specific applications: inertial reference unit (IRU) calibration and sensor alignment calibration. The IRU calibration utility makes use of a sequential version of the Davenport algorithm. This utility has been successfully tested with simulated and actual flight data. The alignment calibration is still in the early testing stage. Both utilities will be incorporated into the institutional attitude ground support system.

Specific recommendations for accurate and direct use of PET-CT in PET guided radiotherapy for head and neck sites

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

Thomas, C. M., E-mail: christopher.thomas@gstt.nhs.uk; Convery, D. J.; Greener, A. G.

2014-04-15

Purpose: To provide specific experience-based guidance and recommendations for centers wishing to develop, validate, and implement an accurate and efficient process for directly using positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) for the radiotherapy planning of head and neck cancer patients. Methods: A PET-CT system was modified with hard-top couch, external lasers and radiotherapy immobilization and indexing devices and was subject to a commissioning and quality assurance program. PET-CT imaging protocols were developed specifically for radiotherapy planning and the image quality and pathway tested using phantoms and five patients recruited into an in-house study. Security and accuracy of data transfer was testedmore » throughout the whole data pathway. The patient pathway was fully established and tested ready for implementation in a PET-guided dose-escalation trial for head and neck cancer patients. Results: Couch deflection was greater than for departmental CT simulator machines. An area of high attenuation in the couch generated image artifacts and adjustments were made accordingly. Using newly developed protocols CT image quality was suitable to maintain delineation and treatment accuracy. Upon transfer of data to the treatment planning system a half pixel offset between PET and CT was observed and corrected. By taking this into account, PET to CT alignment accuracy was maintained below 1 mm in all systems in the data pathway. Transfer of structures delineated in the PET fusion software to the radiotherapy treatment planning system was validated. Conclusions: A method to perform direct PET-guided radiotherapy planning was successfully validated and specific recommendations were developed to assist other centers. Of major concern is ensuring that the quality of PET and CT data is appropriate for radiotherapy treatment planning and on-treatment verification. Couch movements can be compromised, bore-size can be a limitation for certain immobilization techniques, laser positioning may affect setup accuracy and couch deflection may be greater than scanners dedicated to radiotherapy. The full set of departmental commissioning and routine quality assurance tests applied to radiotherapy CT simulators must be carried out on the PET-CT scanner. CT image quality must be optimized for radiotherapy planning whilst understanding that the appearance will differ between scanners and may affect delineation. PET-CT quality assurance schedules will need to be added to and modified to incorporate radiotherapy quality assurance. Methods of working for radiotherapy and PET staff will change to take into account considerations of both parties. PET to CT alignment must be subject to quality control on a loaded and unloaded couch preferably using a suitable emission phantom, and tested throughout the whole data pathway. Data integrity must be tested throughout the whole pathway and a system included to verify that delineated structures are transferred correctly. Excellent multidisciplinary team communication and working is vital, and key staff members on both sides should be specifically dedicated to the project. Patient pathway should be clearly devised to optimize patient care and the resources of all departments. Recruitment of a cohort of patients into a methodology study is valuable to test the quality assurance methods and pathway.« less

Feasibility of on-line temperature-based hyperthermia treatment planning to improve tumour temperatures during locoregional hyperthermia.

PubMed

Kok, H P; Korshuize-van Straten, L; Bakker, A; de Kroon-Oldenhof, R; Westerveld, G H; Versteijne, E; Stalpers, L J A; Crezee, J

2017-11-16

The effectiveness of hyperthermia is strongly dependent on the achieved tumour temperatures. Phased-array systems allow flexible power steering to realise good tumour heating while avoiding excessive heating in normal tissue, but the limited quantitative accuracy of pre-treatment planning complicates realising optimal tumour heating. On-line hyperthermia treatment planning could help to improve the heating quality. This paper demonstrates the feasibility of using on-line temperature-based treatment planning to improve the heating quality during hyperthermia in three patients. Hyperthermia treatment planning was performed using the Plan2Heat software package combined with a dedicated graphical user interface for on-line application. Electric fields were pre-calculated to allow instant update and visualisation of the predicted temperature distribution for user-selected phase-amplitude settings during treatment. On-line treatment planning using manual variation of system settings for the AMC-8 hyperthermia system was applied in one patient with a deep-seated pelvic melanoma metastasis and two cervical cancer patients. For a clinically relevant improvement the increase in average target temperature should be at least 0.2 °C. With the assistance of on-line treatment planning a substantial improvement in tumour temperatures was realised for all three patients. In the melanoma patient, the average measured target temperature increased from 38.30 °C to 39.15 °C (i.e. +0.85 °C). In the cervical cancer patients, the average measured target temperature increased from 41.30 °C to 42.05 °C (i.e. +0.75 °C) and from 41.70 °C to 42.80 °C (i.e. +1.1 °C), respectively. On-line temperature-based treatment planning is clinically feasible to improve tumour temperatures. A next, worthwhile step is automatic optimisation for a larger number of patients.

Small Business Innovations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

Under an Army Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant, Symbiotics, Inc. developed a software system that permits users to upgrade products from standalone applications so they can communicate in a distributed computing environment. Under a subsequent NASA SBIR grant, Symbiotics added additional tools to the SOCIAL product to enable NASA to coordinate conventional systems for planning Shuttle launch support operations. Using SOCIAL, data may be shared among applications in a computer network even when the applications are written in different programming languages. The product was introduced to the commercial market in 1993 and is used to monitor and control equipment for operation support and to integrate financial networks. The SBIR program was established to increase small business participation in federal R&D activities and to transfer government research to industry. InQuisiX is a reuse library providing high performance classification, cataloging, searching, browsing, retrieval and synthesis capabilities. These form the foundation for software reuse, producing higher quality software at lower cost and in less time. Software Productivity Solutions, Inc. developed the technology under Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) projects funded by NASA and the Army and is marketing InQuisiX in conjunction with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). The SBIR program was established to increase small business participation in federal R&D activities and to transfer government research to industry.

The new meaning of quality in the information age.

PubMed

Prahalad, C K; Krishnan, M S

1999-01-01

Software applications are now a mission-critical source of competitive advantage for most companies. They are also a source of great risk, as the Y2K bug has made clear. Yet many line managers still haven't confronted software issues--partly because they aren't sure how best to define the quality of the applications in their IT infrastructures. Some companies such as Wal-Mart and the Gap have successfully integrated the software in their networks, but most have accumulated an unwidely number of incompatible applications--all designed to perform the same tasks. The authors provide a framework for measuring the performance of software in a company's IT portfolio. Quality traditionally has been measured according to a product's ability to meet certain specifications; other views of quality have emerged that measure a product's adaptability to customers' needs and a product's ability to encourage innovation. To judge software quality properly, argue the authors, managers must measure applications against all three approaches. Understanding the domain of a software application is an important part of that process. The domain is the body of knowledge about a user's needs and expectations for a product. Software domains change frequently based on how a consumer chooses to use, for example, Microsoft Word or a spreadsheet application. The domain can also be influenced by general changes in technology, such as the development of a new software platform. Thus, applications can't be judged only according to whether they conform to specifications. The authors discuss how to identify domain characteristics and software risks and suggest ways to reduce the variability of software domains.

Planning the Unplanned Experiment: Assessing the Efficacy of Standards for Safety Critical Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graydon, Patrick J.; Holloway, C. Michael

2015-01-01

We need well-founded means of determining whether software is t for use in safety-critical applications. While software in industries such as aviation has an excellent safety record, the fact that software aws have contributed to deaths illustrates the need for justi ably high con dence in software. It is often argued that software is t for safety-critical use because it conforms to a standard for software in safety-critical systems. But little is known about whether such standards `work.' Reliance upon a standard without knowing whether it works is an experiment; without collecting data to assess the standard, this experiment is unplanned. This paper reports on a workshop intended to explore how standards could practicably be assessed. Planning the Unplanned Experiment: Assessing the Ecacy of Standards for Safety Critical Software (AESSCS) was held on 13 May 2014 in conjunction with the European Dependable Computing Conference (EDCC). We summarize and elaborate on the workshop's discussion of the topic, including both the presented positions and the dialogue that ensued.

Evaluation of Key Factors Impacting Feeding Safety in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Matus, Bethany A; Bridges, Kayla M; Logomarsino, John V

2018-06-21

Individualized feeding care plans and safe handling of milk (human or formula) are critical in promoting growth, immune function, and neurodevelopment in the preterm infant. Feeding errors and disruptions or limitations to feeding processes in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are associated with negative safety events. Feeding errors include contamination of milk and delivery of incorrect or expired milk and may result in adverse gastrointestinal illnesses. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the effect(s) of centralized milk preparation, use of trained technicians, use of bar code-scanning software, and collaboration between registered dietitians and registered nurses on feeding safety in the NICU. A systematic review of the literature was completed, and 12 articles were selected as relevant to search criteria. Study quality was evaluated using the Downs and Black scoring tool. An evaluation of human studies indicated that the use of centralized milk preparation, trained technicians, bar code-scanning software, and possible registered dietitian involvement decreased feeding-associated error in the NICU. A state-of-the-art NICU includes a centralized milk preparation area staffed by trained technicians, care supported by bar code-scanning software, and utilization of a registered dietitian to improve patient safety. These resources will provide nurses more time to focus on nursing-specific neonatal care. Further research is needed to evaluate the impact of factors related to feeding safety in the NICU as well as potential financial benefits of these quality improvement opportunities.

Use of a quality improvement tool, the prioritization matrix, to identify and prioritize triage software algorithm enhancement.

PubMed

North, Frederick; Varkey, Prathiba; Caraballo, Pedro; Vsetecka, Darlene; Bartel, Greg

2007-10-11

Complex decision support software can require significant effort in maintenance and enhancement. A quality improvement tool, the prioritization matrix, was successfully used to guide software enhancement of algorithms in a symptom assessment call center.

Implementation and Testing of VLBI Software Correlation at the USNO

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fey, Alan; Ojha, Roopesh; Boboltz, Dave; Geiger, Nicole; Kingham, Kerry; Hall, David; Gaume, Ralph; Johnston, Ken

2010-01-01

The Washington Correlator (WACO) at the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) is a dedicated VLBI processor based on dedicated hardware of ASIC design. The WACO is currently over 10 years old and is nearing the end of its expected lifetime. Plans for implementation and testing of software correlation at the USNO are currently being considered. The VLBI correlation process is, by its very nature, well suited to a parallelized computing environment. Commercial off-the-shelf computer hardware has advanced in processing power to the point where software correlation is now both economically and technologically feasible. The advantages of software correlation are manifold but include flexibility, scalability, and easy adaptability to changing environments and requirements. We discuss our experience with and plans for use of software correlation at USNO with emphasis on the use of the DiFX software correlator.

The VLBI Data Analysis Software νSolve: Development Progress and Plans for the Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolotin, S.; Baver, K.; Gipson, J.; Gordon, D.; MacMillan, D.

2014-12-01

The program νSolve is a part of the CALC/SOLVE VLBI data analysis system. It is a replacement for interactive SOLVE, the part of CALC/SOLVE that is used for preliminary data analysis of new VLBI sessions. νSolve is completely new software. It is written in C++ and has a modern graphical user interface. In this article we present the capabilities of the software, its current status, and our plans for future development.

Consolidated Cab Display (CCD) System, Project Planning Document (PPD),

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-02-01

1980 1981 I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1112 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1011112 1 2 31 12. Software Documentation a. Overall Computer Program Description ( OCPD ) b...Approve OCPD c. Computer Program Functional Specifications (CPFS) d. Data Base Table Design Specification (DBTDS) e. Software Interface Control Document...Parts List Master Pattern and Plan View Reproducible Drawings Instruction Book Training Aids/Materials b. Software: OCPD CPFS SI CD PDS DBTDS SDD

Quality assurance methodology for Varian RapidArc treatment plans

PubMed Central

Cirino, Eileen T.; Xiong, Li; Mower, Herbert W.

2010-01-01

With the commercial introduction of the Varian RapidArc, a new modality for treatment planning and delivery, the need has arisen for consistent and efficient techniques for performing patient‐specific quality assurance (QA) tests. In this paper we present our methodology for a RapidArc treatment plan QA procedure. For our measurements we used a 2D diode array (MapCHECK) embedded at 5 cm water equivalent depth in MapPHAN 5 phantom and an Exradin A16 ion chamber placed in six different positions in a cylindrical homogeneous phantom (QUASAR). We also checked the MUs for the RapidArc plans by using independent software (RadCalc). The agreement between Eclipse calculations and MapCHECK/MapPHAN 5 measurements was evaluated using both absolute distance‐to‐agreement (DTA) and gamma index with 10% dose threshold (TH), 3% dose difference (DD), and 3 mm DTA. The average agreement was 94.4% for the DTA approach and 96.3% for the gamma index approach. In high‐dose areas, the discrepancy between calculations and ion chamber measurements using the QUASAR phantom was within 4.5% for prostate cases. For the RadCalc calculations, we used the average SSD along the arc; however, for some patients the agreement for the MUs obtained with RadCalc versus Eclipse was inadequate (discrepancy>5%). In these cases, the plan was divided into partial arc plans so that RadCalc could perform a better estimation of the MUs. The discrepancy was further reduced to within ~4% using this approach. Regardless of the variation in prescribed dose and location of the treated areas, we obtained very good results for all patients studied in this paper. PACS number: 87.55.Qr

Measuring the impact of computer resource quality on the software development process and product

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcgarry, Frank; Valett, Jon; Hall, Dana

1985-01-01

The availability and quality of computer resources during the software development process was speculated to have measurable, significant impact on the efficiency of the development process and the quality of the resulting product. Environment components such as the types of tools, machine responsiveness, and quantity of direct access storage may play a major role in the effort to produce the product and in its subsequent quality as measured by factors such as reliability and ease of maintenance. During the past six years, the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has conducted experiments with software projects in an attempt to better understand the impact of software development methodologies, environments, and general technologies on the software process and product. Data was extracted and examined from nearly 50 software development projects. All were related to support of satellite flight dynamics ground-based computations. The relationship between computer resources and the software development process and product as exemplified by the subject NASA data was examined. Based upon the results, a number of computer resource-related implications are provided.

Migrating data from TcSE to DOORS : an evaluation of the T-Plan Integrator software application.

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

Post, Debra S.; Manzanares, David A.; Taylor, Jeffrey L.

2011-02-01

This report describes our evaluation of the T-Plan Integrator software application as it was used to transfer a real data set from the Teamcenter for Systems Engineering (TcSE) software application to the DOORS software application. The T-Plan Integrator was evaluated to determine if it would meet the needs of Sandia National Laboratories to migrate our existing data sets from TcSE to DOORS. This report presents the struggles of migrating data and focuses on how the Integrator can be used to map a data set and its data architecture from TcSE to DOORS. Finally, this report describes how the bulk ofmore » the migration can take place using the Integrator; however, about 20-30% of the data would need to be transferred from TcSE to DOORS manually. This report does not evaluate the transfer of data from DOORS to TcSE.« less

Control of Space-Based Electron Beam Free Form Fabrication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seifzer. W. J.; Taminger, K. M.

2007-01-01

Engineering a closed-loop control system for an electron beam welder for space-based additive manufacturing is challenging. For earth and space based applications, components must work in a vacuum and optical components become occluded with metal vapor deposition. For extraterrestrial applications added components increase launch weight, increase complexity, and increase space flight certification efforts. Here we present a software tool that closely couples path planning and E-beam parameter controls into the build process to increase flexibility. In an environment where data collection hinders real-time control, another approach is considered that will still yield a high quality build.

Administrator's Guide to Technology: Planning, Funding & Implementation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aspen Education Development Group, Gaithersburg, MD.

This document provides guidelines for administrators related to instructional technology and planning. Chapter 1 discusses planning, including developing a technology plan, facility assessment, e-rate planning, formation of a technology committee, budget planning, and hardware/software replacement plan and costs. Chapter 2 addresses…

SU-F-T-586: Pre-Treatment QA of InCise2 MLC Plans On a Cyberknife-M6 Using the Delta4 System in SBRT

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

Schmidhalter, D; Henzen, D; Malthaner, M

Purpose: Performing pre-treatment quality assurance (QA) with the Delta4 system (ScandiDos Inc., Madison, WI) is well established for linac-based radiotherapy. This is not true when using a Cyberknife (Accuray Inc., Sunnyvale, CA) where, typically film-based QA is applied. The goal of this work was to test the feasibility to use the Delta4 system for pre-treatment QA for stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) using a Cyberknife-M6 equipped with the InCise2 multileaf collimator (MLC). Methods: In order to perform measurements without accelerator pulse signal, the Tomotherapy option within the Delta4 software was used. Absolute calibration of the Delta4 phantom was performed usingmore » a 10×10 cm{sup 2} field shaped by the InCise2 MLC of the Cyberknife-M6. Five fiducials were attached to the Delta4 phantom in order to be able to track the phantom before and during measurements. For eight SBRT treatment plans (two liver, two prostate, one lung, three bone metastases) additional verification plans were recalculated on the Delta4 phantom using MultiPlan. Dicom data was exported from MultiPlan and was adapted in order to be compatible with the Delta4 software. The measured and calculated dose distributions were compared using the gamma analysis of the Delta4 system. Results: All eight SBRT plans were successfully measured with the aid of the Delta4 system. In the mean, 98.0±1.9%, 95.8±4.1% and 88.40±11.4% of measured dose points passed the gamma analysis using a global dose deviation criterion of 3% (100% corresponds to the dose maximum) and a distance-to-agreement criterion of 3 mm, 2 mm and 1 mm, respectively, and a threshold of 20%. Conclusion: Pre-treatment QA of SBRT plans using the Delta4 system on a Cyberknife-M6 is feasible. Measured dose distributions of SBRT plans showed clinically acceptable agreement with the corresponding calculated dose distributions.« less

Technology-Based Literature Plans for Elementary Students (Technology Links to Literacy).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wepner, Shelley B.

1991-01-01

Presents ideas for incorporating software into each guided reading phase for two realistic fiction books: Lois Lowry's "Anastasia on Her Own" and Barthe DeClements's "The Fourth Grade Wizards." Discusses how each skeletal plan uses three pieces of software to enliven students' oral and written thoughts about the books'…

75 FR 34734 - Improving Market and Planning Efficiency Through Improved Software; Notice of Agenda and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-18

... Market and Planning Efficiency Through Improved Software; Notice of Agenda and Procedures for Staff Technical Conference June 10, 2010. This notice establishes the agenda and procedures for the staff[email protected] . Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary. Agenda for AD10-12 Staff Technical Conference on Enhanced Power...

Using virtual reality for science mission planning: A Mars Pathfinder case

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Jacqueline H.; Weidner, Richard J.; Sacks, Allan L.

1994-01-01

NASA's Mars Pathfinder Project requires a Ground Data System (GDS) that supports both engineering and scientific payloads with reduced mission operations staffing, and short planning schedules. Also, successful surface operation of the lander camera requires efficient mission planning and accurate pointing of the camera. To meet these challenges, a new software strategy that integrates virtual reality technology with existing navigational ancillary information and image processing capabilities. The result is an interactive workstation based applications software that provides a high resolution, 3-dimensial, stereo display of Mars as if it were viewed through the lander camera. The design, implementation strategy and parametric specification phases for the development of this software were completed, and the prototype tested. When completed, the software will allow scientists and mission planners to access simulated and actual scenes of Mars' surface. The perspective from the lander camera will enable scientists to plan activities more accurately and completely. The application will also support the sequence and command generation process and will allow testing and verification of camera pointing commands via simulation.

Software process assessments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Sharon E.; Tucker, George T.; Verducci, Anthony J., Jr.

1992-01-01

Software process assessments (SPA's) are part of an ongoing program of continuous quality improvements in AT&T. Their use was found to be very beneficial by software development organizations in identifying the issues facing the organization and the actions required to increase both quality and productivity in the organization.

Software IV and V Research Priorities and Applied Program Accomplishments Within NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blazy, Louis J.

2000-01-01

The mission of this research is to be world-class creators and facilitators of innovative, intelligent, high performance, reliable information technologies that enable NASA missions to (1) increase software safety and quality through error avoidance, early detection and resolution of errors, by utilizing and applying empirically based software engineering best practices; (2) ensure customer software risks are identified and/or that requirements are met and/or exceeded; (3) research, develop, apply, verify, and publish software technologies for competitive advantage and the advancement of science; and (4) facilitate the transfer of science and engineering data, methods, and practices to NASA, educational institutions, state agencies, and commercial organizations. The goals are to become a national Center Of Excellence (COE) in software and system independent verification and validation, and to become an international leading force in the field of software engineering for improving the safety, quality, reliability, and cost performance of software systems. This project addresses the following problems: Ensure safety of NASA missions, ensure requirements are met, minimize programmatic and technological risks of software development and operations, improve software quality, reduce costs and time to delivery, and improve the science of software engineering

The TAME Project: Towards improvement-oriented software environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basili, Victor R.; Rombach, H. Dieter

1988-01-01

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

xSDK Foundations: Toward an Extreme-scale Scientific Software Development Kit

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

Heroux, Michael A.; Bartlett, Roscoe; Demeshko, Irina

Here, extreme-scale computational science increasingly demands multiscale and multiphysics formulations. Combining software developed by independent groups is imperative: no single team has resources for all predictive science and decision support capabilities. Scientific libraries provide high-quality, reusable software components for constructing applications with improved robustness and portability. However, without coordination, many libraries cannot be easily composed. Namespace collisions, inconsistent arguments, lack of third-party software versioning, and additional difficulties make composition costly. The Extreme-scale Scientific Software Development Kit (xSDK) defines community policies to improve code quality and compatibility across independently developed packages (hypre, PETSc, SuperLU, Trilinos, and Alquimia) and provides a foundationmore » for addressing broader issues in software interoperability, performance portability, and sustainability. The xSDK provides turnkey installation of member software and seamless combination of aggregate capabilities, and it marks first steps toward extreme-scale scientific software ecosystems from which future applications can be composed rapidly with assured quality and scalability.« less

xSDK Foundations: Toward an Extreme-scale Scientific Software Development Kit

DOE PAGES

Heroux, Michael A.; Bartlett, Roscoe; Demeshko, Irina; ...

2017-03-01

Here, extreme-scale computational science increasingly demands multiscale and multiphysics formulations. Combining software developed by independent groups is imperative: no single team has resources for all predictive science and decision support capabilities. Scientific libraries provide high-quality, reusable software components for constructing applications with improved robustness and portability. However, without coordination, many libraries cannot be easily composed. Namespace collisions, inconsistent arguments, lack of third-party software versioning, and additional difficulties make composition costly. The Extreme-scale Scientific Software Development Kit (xSDK) defines community policies to improve code quality and compatibility across independently developed packages (hypre, PETSc, SuperLU, Trilinos, and Alquimia) and provides a foundationmore » for addressing broader issues in software interoperability, performance portability, and sustainability. The xSDK provides turnkey installation of member software and seamless combination of aggregate capabilities, and it marks first steps toward extreme-scale scientific software ecosystems from which future applications can be composed rapidly with assured quality and scalability.« less

SU-F-T-80: A Mobile Application for Intra-Operative Electron Radiotherapy Treatment Planning

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

Williams, C; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Crowley, E

Purpose: Intraoperative electron radiotherapy (IORT) poses a unique set of challenges for treatment planning. Planning must be performed in a busy operating room environment over a short timeframe often with little advance knowledge of the treatment depth or applicator size. Furthermore, IORT accelerators can have a large number of possible applicators, requiring extensive databooks that must be searched for the appropriate dosimetric parameters. The goal of this work is to develop a software tool to assist in the planning process that is suited to the challenges faced in the IORT environment. Methods: We developed a mobile application using HTML5 andmore » Javascript that can be deployed to tablet devices suitable for use in the operating room. The user selects the desired treatment parameters cone diameter, bevel angle, and energy (a total of 141 datasets) and desired bolus. The application generates an interactive display that allows the user to dynamically select points on the depth-dose curve and to visualize the shape of the corresponding isodose contours. The user can indicate a prescription isodose line or depth. The software performs a monitor unit calculation and generates a PDF report. Results: We present our application, which is now used routinely in our IORT practice. It has been employed successfully in over 23 cases. The interactivity of the isodose distributions was found to be of particular use to physicians who are less-frequent IORT users, as well as for the education of residents and trainees. Conclusion: This software has served as a useful tool in IORT planning, and demonstrates the need for treatment planning tools that are designed for the specialized challenges encountered in IORT. This software is the subject of a license agreement with the IntraOp Medical Corporation. This software is the subject of a license agreement between Massachusetts General Hospital / Partners Healthcare and the IntraOp Medical Corporation. CLW is consulting on software development with the IntraOp Medical Corporation.« less

Software for project-based learning of robot motion planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moll, Mark; Bordeaux, Janice; Kavraki, Lydia E.

2013-12-01

Motion planning is a core problem in robotics concerned with finding feasible paths for a given robot. Motion planning algorithms perform a search in the high-dimensional continuous space of robot configurations and exemplify many of the core algorithmic concepts of search algorithms and associated data structures. Motion planning algorithms can be explained in a simplified two-dimensional setting, but this masks many of the subtleties and complexities of the underlying problem. We have developed software for project-based learning of motion planning that enables deep learning. The projects that we have developed allow advanced undergraduate students and graduate students to reflect on the performance of existing textbook algorithms and their own variations on such algorithms. Formative assessment has been conducted at three institutions. The core of the software used for this teaching module is also used within the Robot Operating System, a widely adopted platform by the robotics research community. This allows for transfer of knowledge and skills to robotics research projects involving a large variety robot hardware platforms.

Controlling Distributed Planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clement, Bradley; Barrett, Anthony

2004-01-01

A system of software implements an extended version of an approach, denoted shared activity coordination (SHAC), to the interleaving of planning and the exchange of plan information among organizations devoted to different missions that normally communicate infrequently except that they need to collaborate on joint activities and/or the use of shared resources. SHAC enables the planning and scheduling systems of the organizations to coordinate by resolving conflicts while optimizing local planning solutions. The present software provides a framework for modeling and executing communication protocols for SHAC. Shared activities are represented in each interacting planning system to establish consensus on joint activities or to inform the other systems of consumption of a common resource or a change in a shared state. The representations of shared activities are extended to include information on (1) the role(s) of each participant, (2) permissions (defined as specifications of which participant controls what aspects of shared activities and scheduling thereof), and (3) constraints on the parameters of shared activities. Also defined in the software are protocols for changing roles, permissions, and constraints during the course of coordination and execution.

TU-FG-201-07: Development of SRS Conical Collimator Collision Prediction Software for Radiation Treatment Safety

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

Gutti, V; Morrow, A; Kim, S

Purpose: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatments using conical collimators can potentially result in gantry collision with treatment table due to limited collision-clear spaces. An in-house software was developed to help the SRS treatment planner mitigate potential SRS conical collimator (Varian Medical System, Palo Alto, CA) collisions with the treatment table. This software was designed to remove treatment re-planning secondary to unexpected collisions. Methods: A BrainLAB SRS ICT Frameless Extension used for SRS treatments in our clinic was mathematically modelled using surface points registered to the 3D co-ordinate space of the couch extension. The surface points are transformed based on the treatmentmore » isocenter point and potential collisions are determined in 3D space for couch and gantry angle combinations. The distance between the SRS conical collimators and LINAC isocenter is known. The collision detection model was programmed in MATLAB (Mathwork, Natick, MA) to display graphical plots of the calculations, and the plotted data is used to avoid the gantry and couch angle combinations that would likely result in a collision. We have utilized the cone collision tool for 23 SRS cone treatment plans (8 retrospective and 15 prospective for 10 patients). Results: Twenty one plans strongly agreed with the software tool prediction for collision. However, in two plans, a collision was observed with a 0.5 cm margin when the software predicted no collision. Therefore, additional margins were added to the clearance criteria in the program to achieve a lower risk of actual collisions. Conclusion: Our in-house developed collision check software successfully avoided SRS cone re-planning by 91.3% due to a reduction in cone collisions with the treatment table. Future developments to our software will include a CT image data set based collision prediction model as well as a beam angle optimization tool to avoid normal critical tissues as well as previously treated lesions.« less

Technical Note: scuda: A software platform for cumulative dose assessment.

PubMed

Park, Seyoun; McNutt, Todd; Plishker, William; Quon, Harry; Wong, John; Shekhar, Raj; Lee, Junghoon

2016-10-01

Accurate tracking of anatomical changes and computation of actually delivered dose to the patient are critical for successful adaptive radiation therapy (ART). Additionally, efficient data management and fast processing are practically important for the adoption in clinic as ART involves a large amount of image and treatment data. The purpose of this study was to develop an accurate and efficient Software platform for CUmulative Dose Assessment (scuda) that can be seamlessly integrated into the clinical workflow. scuda consists of deformable image registration (DIR), segmentation, dose computation modules, and a graphical user interface. It is connected to our image PACS and radiotherapy informatics databases from which it automatically queries/retrieves patient images, radiotherapy plan, beam data, and daily treatment information, thus providing an efficient and unified workflow. For accurate registration of the planning CT and daily CBCTs, the authors iteratively correct CBCT intensities by matching local intensity histograms during the DIR process. Contours of the target tumor and critical structures are then propagated from the planning CT to daily CBCTs using the computed deformations. The actual delivered daily dose is computed using the registered CT and patient setup information by a superposition/convolution algorithm, and accumulated using the computed deformation fields. Both DIR and dose computation modules are accelerated by a graphics processing unit. The cumulative dose computation process has been validated on 30 head and neck (HN) cancer cases, showing 3.5 ± 5.0 Gy (mean±STD) absolute mean dose differences between the planned and the actually delivered doses in the parotid glands. On average, DIR, dose computation, and segmentation take 20 s/fraction and 17 min for a 35-fraction treatment including additional computation for dose accumulation. The authors developed a unified software platform that provides accurate and efficient monitoring of anatomical changes and computation of actually delivered dose to the patient, thus realizing an efficient cumulative dose computation workflow. Evaluation on HN cases demonstrated the utility of our platform for monitoring the treatment quality and detecting significant dosimetric variations that are keys to successful ART.

Technical Note: SCUDA: A software platform for cumulative dose assessment

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

Park, Seyoun; McNutt, Todd; Quon, Harry

Purpose: Accurate tracking of anatomical changes and computation of actually delivered dose to the patient are critical for successful adaptive radiation therapy (ART). Additionally, efficient data management and fast processing are practically important for the adoption in clinic as ART involves a large amount of image and treatment data. The purpose of this study was to develop an accurate and efficient Software platform for CUmulative Dose Assessment (SCUDA) that can be seamlessly integrated into the clinical workflow. Methods: SCUDA consists of deformable image registration (DIR), segmentation, dose computation modules, and a graphical user interface. It is connected to our imagemore » PACS and radiotherapy informatics databases from which it automatically queries/retrieves patient images, radiotherapy plan, beam data, and daily treatment information, thus providing an efficient and unified workflow. For accurate registration of the planning CT and daily CBCTs, the authors iteratively correct CBCT intensities by matching local intensity histograms during the DIR process. Contours of the target tumor and critical structures are then propagated from the planning CT to daily CBCTs using the computed deformations. The actual delivered daily dose is computed using the registered CT and patient setup information by a superposition/convolution algorithm, and accumulated using the computed deformation fields. Both DIR and dose computation modules are accelerated by a graphics processing unit. Results: The cumulative dose computation process has been validated on 30 head and neck (HN) cancer cases, showing 3.5 ± 5.0 Gy (mean±STD) absolute mean dose differences between the planned and the actually delivered doses in the parotid glands. On average, DIR, dose computation, and segmentation take 20 s/fraction and 17 min for a 35-fraction treatment including additional computation for dose accumulation. Conclusions: The authors developed a unified software platform that provides accurate and efficient monitoring of anatomical changes and computation of actually delivered dose to the patient, thus realizing an efficient cumulative dose computation workflow. Evaluation on HN cases demonstrated the utility of our platform for monitoring the treatment quality and detecting significant dosimetric variations that are keys to successful ART.« less

15 CFR 995.25 - Quality management system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... management system are those defined in this part. The quality management system must ensure that the... type approved conversion software is maintained by a third party, CEVAD shall ensure that no changes made to the conversion software render the type approval of the conversion software invalid, and shall...

15 CFR 995.25 - Quality management system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... management system are those defined in this part. The quality management system must ensure that the... type approved conversion software is maintained by a third party, CEVAD shall ensure that no changes made to the conversion software render the type approval of the conversion software invalid, and shall...

15 CFR 995.25 - Quality management system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... management system are those defined in this part. The quality management system must ensure that the... type approved conversion software is maintained by a third party, CEVAD shall ensure that no changes made to the conversion software render the type approval of the conversion software invalid, and shall...

15 CFR 995.25 - Quality management system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... management system are those defined in this part. The quality management system must ensure that the... type approved conversion software is maintained by a third party, CEVAD shall ensure that no changes made to the conversion software render the type approval of the conversion software invalid, and shall...

SU-F-T-494: A Multi-Institutional Study of Independent Dose Verification Using Golden Beam Data

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

Itano, M; Yamazaki, T; Tachibana, R

Purpose: In general, beam data of individual linac is measured for independent dose verification software program and the verification is performed as a secondary check. In this study, independent dose verification using golden beam data was compared to that using individual linac’s beam data. Methods: Six institutions were participated and three different beam data were prepared. The one was individual measured data (Original Beam Data, OBD) .The others were generated by all measurements from same linac model (Model-GBD) and all linac models (All-GBD). The three different beam data were registered to the independent verification software program for each institute. Subsequently,more » patient’s plans in eight sites (brain, head and neck, lung, esophagus, breast, abdomen, pelvis and bone) were analyzed using the verification program to compare doses calculated using the three different beam data. Results: 1116 plans were collected from six institutes. Compared to using the OBD, the results shows the variation using the Model-GBD based calculation and the All-GBD was 0.0 ± 0.3% and 0.0 ± 0.6%, respectively. The maximum variations were 1.2% and 2.3%, respectively. The plans with the variation over 1% shows the reference points were located away from the central axis with/without physical wedge. Conclusion: The confidence limit (2SD) using the Model-GBD and the All-GBD was within 0.6% and 1.2%, respectively. Thus, the use of golden beam data may be feasible for independent verification. In addition to it, the verification using golden beam data provide quality assurance of planning from the view of audit. This research is partially supported by Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development(AMED)« less

Software Design Improvements. Part 2; Software Quality and the Design and Inspection Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lalli, Vincent R.; Packard, Michael H.; Ziemianski, Tom

1997-01-01

The application of assurance engineering techniques improves the duration of failure-free performance of software. The totality of features and characteristics of a software product are what determine its ability to satisfy customer needs. Software in safety-critical systems is very important to NASA. We follow the System Safety Working Groups definition for system safety software as: 'The optimization of system safety in the design, development, use and maintenance of software and its integration with safety-critical systems in an operational environment. 'If it is not safe, say so' has become our motto. This paper goes over methods that have been used by NASA to make software design improvements by focusing on software quality and the design and inspection process.

Establishing Quantitative Software Metrics in Department of the Navy Programs

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-01

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

Standard practices for the implementation of computer software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Irvine, A. P. (Editor)

1978-01-01

A standard approach to the development of computer program is provided that covers the file cycle of software development from the planning and requirements phase through the software acceptance testing phase. All documents necessary to provide the required visibility into the software life cycle process are discussed in detail.

78 FR 47014 - Configuration Management Plans for Digital Computer Software Used in Safety Systems of Nuclear...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-02

... Software Used in Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Plants AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION... Computer Software Used in Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Plants.'' This RG endorses, with clarifications... Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Standard 828-2005, ``IEEE Standard for Software Configuration...

There is an "app" for that: Designing mobile phone technology to improve asthma action plan use in adolescent patients.

PubMed

Odom, Laura; Christenbery, Tom

2016-11-01

Asthma burden affects mortality, morbidity, quality of life, and the economy. Written asthma action plans are standard of care according to national guidelines, but these plans are often not prescribed. The purpose of this project was to develop an asthma action plan application for smartphones. A development studio was consulted for support in developing a smartphone application to code the software for the asthma action plan and assist in the design process. During development of the application, a survey was conducted to assist in design of the application and functionality. All survey participants agreed that the application was easy to use, could be used without written instruction, and was designed for adolescents with asthma of any severity. Patients and providers mostly agreed that the app would help provide information about what to do in the event of an asthma exacerbation, and the application would be used frequently. There was consensus from both patients and providers that this application is not only functional but also helpful in the event of an asthma exacerbation. The project met the goal of designing a mobile phone application that would improve patient access to asthma action plans. ©2016 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Knowledge-Based Aircraft Automation: Managers Guide on the use of Artificial Intelligence for Aircraft Automation and Verification and Validation Approach for a Neural-Based Flight Controller

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Broderick, Ron

1997-01-01

The ultimate goal of this report was to integrate the powerful tools of artificial intelligence into the traditional process of software development. To maintain the US aerospace competitive advantage, traditional aerospace and software engineers need to more easily incorporate the technology of artificial intelligence into the advanced aerospace systems being designed today. The future goal was to transition artificial intelligence from an emerging technology to a standard technology that is considered early in the life cycle process to develop state-of-the-art aircraft automation systems. This report addressed the future goal in two ways. First, it provided a matrix that identified typical aircraft automation applications conducive to various artificial intelligence methods. The purpose of this matrix was to provide top-level guidance to managers contemplating the possible use of artificial intelligence in the development of aircraft automation. Second, the report provided a methodology to formally evaluate neural networks as part of the traditional process of software development. The matrix was developed by organizing the discipline of artificial intelligence into the following six methods: logical, object representation-based, distributed, uncertainty management, temporal and neurocomputing. Next, a study of existing aircraft automation applications that have been conducive to artificial intelligence implementation resulted in the following five categories: pilot-vehicle interface, system status and diagnosis, situation assessment, automatic flight planning, and aircraft flight control. The resulting matrix provided management guidance to understand artificial intelligence as it applied to aircraft automation. The approach taken to develop a methodology to formally evaluate neural networks as part of the software engineering life cycle was to start with the existing software quality assurance standards and to change these standards to include neural network development. The changes were to include evaluation tools that can be applied to neural networks at each phase of the software engineering life cycle. The result was a formal evaluation approach to increase the product quality of systems that use neural networks for their implementation.

Clinical data miner: an electronic case report form system with integrated data preprocessing and machine-learning libraries supporting clinical diagnostic model research.

PubMed

Installé, Arnaud Jf; Van den Bosch, Thierry; De Moor, Bart; Timmerman, Dirk

2014-10-20

Using machine-learning techniques, clinical diagnostic model research extracts diagnostic models from patient data. Traditionally, patient data are often collected using electronic Case Report Form (eCRF) systems, while mathematical software is used for analyzing these data using machine-learning techniques. Due to the lack of integration between eCRF systems and mathematical software, extracting diagnostic models is a complex, error-prone process. Moreover, due to the complexity of this process, it is usually only performed once, after a predetermined number of data points have been collected, without insight into the predictive performance of the resulting models. The objective of the study of Clinical Data Miner (CDM) software framework is to offer an eCRF system with integrated data preprocessing and machine-learning libraries, improving efficiency of the clinical diagnostic model research workflow, and to enable optimization of patient inclusion numbers through study performance monitoring. The CDM software framework was developed using a test-driven development (TDD) approach, to ensure high software quality. Architecturally, CDM's design is split over a number of modules, to ensure future extendability. The TDD approach has enabled us to deliver high software quality. CDM's eCRF Web interface is in active use by the studies of the International Endometrial Tumor Analysis consortium, with over 4000 enrolled patients, and more studies planned. Additionally, a derived user interface has been used in six separate interrater agreement studies. CDM's integrated data preprocessing and machine-learning libraries simplify some otherwise manual and error-prone steps in the clinical diagnostic model research workflow. Furthermore, CDM's libraries provide study coordinators with a method to monitor a study's predictive performance as patient inclusions increase. To our knowledge, CDM is the only eCRF system integrating data preprocessing and machine-learning libraries. This integration improves the efficiency of the clinical diagnostic model research workflow. Moreover, by simplifying the generation of learning curves, CDM enables study coordinators to assess more accurately when data collection can be terminated, resulting in better models or lower patient recruitment costs.

Process Correlation Analysis Model for Process Improvement Identification

PubMed Central

Park, Sooyong

2014-01-01

Software process improvement aims at improving the development process of software systems. It is initiated by process assessment identifying strengths and weaknesses and based on the findings, improvement plans are developed. In general, a process reference model (e.g., CMMI) is used throughout the process of software process improvement as the base. CMMI defines a set of process areas involved in software development and what to be carried out in process areas in terms of goals and practices. Process areas and their elements (goals and practices) are often correlated due to the iterative nature of software development process. However, in the current practice, correlations of process elements are often overlooked in the development of an improvement plan, which diminishes the efficiency of the plan. This is mainly attributed to significant efforts and the lack of required expertise. In this paper, we present a process correlation analysis model that helps identify correlations of process elements from the results of process assessment. This model is defined based on CMMI and empirical data of improvement practices. We evaluate the model using industrial data. PMID:24977170

Update on PISCES

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pearson, Don; Hamm, Dustin; Kubena, Brian; Weaver, Jonathan K.

2010-01-01

An updated version of the Platform Independent Software Components for the Exploration of Space (PISCES) software library is available. A previous version was reported in Library for Developing Spacecraft-Mission-Planning Software (MSC-22983), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 25, No. 7 (July 2001), page 52. To recapitulate: This software provides for Web-based, collaborative development of computer programs for planning trajectories and trajectory- related aspects of spacecraft-mission design. The library was built using state-of-the-art object-oriented concepts and software-development methodologies. The components of PISCES include Java-language application programs arranged in a hierarchy of classes that facilitates the reuse of the components. As its full name suggests, the PISCES library affords platform-independence: The Java language makes it possible to use the classes and application programs with a Java virtual machine, which is available in most Web-browser programs. Another advantage is expandability: Object orientation facilitates expansion of the library through creation of a new class. Improvements in the library since the previous version include development of orbital-maneuver- planning and rendezvous-launch-window application programs, enhancement of capabilities for propagation of orbits, and development of a desktop user interface.

Process correlation analysis model for process improvement identification.

PubMed

Choi, Su-jin; Kim, Dae-Kyoo; Park, Sooyong

2014-01-01

Software process improvement aims at improving the development process of software systems. It is initiated by process assessment identifying strengths and weaknesses and based on the findings, improvement plans are developed. In general, a process reference model (e.g., CMMI) is used throughout the process of software process improvement as the base. CMMI defines a set of process areas involved in software development and what to be carried out in process areas in terms of goals and practices. Process areas and their elements (goals and practices) are often correlated due to the iterative nature of software development process. However, in the current practice, correlations of process elements are often overlooked in the development of an improvement plan, which diminishes the efficiency of the plan. This is mainly attributed to significant efforts and the lack of required expertise. In this paper, we present a process correlation analysis model that helps identify correlations of process elements from the results of process assessment. This model is defined based on CMMI and empirical data of improvement practices. We evaluate the model using industrial data.

Test, Control and Monitor System maintenance plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buehler, David P.; Lougheed, M. J.

1993-01-01

The maintenance requirements for Test, Control, and Monitor System (TCMS) and the method for satisfying these requirements prior to First Need Date (FND) of the last TCMS set are described. The method for satisfying maintenance requirements following FND of the last TCMS set will be addressed by a revision to this plan. This maintenance plan serves as the basic planning document for maintenance of this equipment by the NASA Payloads Directorate (CM) and the Payload Ground Operations Contractor (PGOC) at KSC. The terms TCMS Operations and Maintenance (O&M), Payloads Logistics, TCMS Sustaining Engineering, Payload Communications, and Integrated Network Services refer to the appropriate NASA and PGOC organization. For the duration of their contract, the Core Electronic Contractor (CEC) will provide a Set Support Team (SST). One of the primary purposes of this team is to help NASA and PGOC operate and maintain TCMS. It is assumed that SST is an integral part of TCMS O&M. The purpose of this plan is to describe the maintenance concept for TCMS hardware and system software in order to facilitate activation, transition planning, and continuing operation. When software maintenance is mentioned in this plan, it refers to maintenance of TCMS system software.

Resource Allocation Planning Helper (RALPH): Lessons learned

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Durham, Ralph; Reilly, Norman B.; Springer, Joe B.

1990-01-01

The current task of Resource Allocation Process includes the planning and apportionment of JPL's Ground Data System composed of the Deep Space Network and Mission Control and Computing Center facilities. The addition of the data driven, rule based planning system, RALPH, has expanded the planning horizon from 8 weeks to 10 years and has resulted in large labor savings. Use of the system has also resulted in important improvements in science return through enhanced resource utilization. In addition, RALPH has been instrumental in supporting rapid turn around for an increased volume of special what if studies. The status of RALPH is briefly reviewed and important lessons learned from the creation of an highly functional design team are focused on through an evolutionary design and implementation period in which an AI shell was selected, prototyped, and ultimately abandoned, and through the fundamental changes to the very process that spawned the tool kit. Principal topics include proper integration of software tools within the planning environment, transition from prototype to delivered to delivered software, changes in the planning methodology as a result of evolving software capabilities and creation of the ability to develop and process generic requirements to allow planning flexibility.

Application of the Software as a Service Model to the Control of Complex Building Systems

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

Stadler, Michael; Donadee, Jonathan; Marnay, Chris

2011-03-17

In an effort to create broad access to its optimization software, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), in collaboration with the University of California at Davis (UC Davis) and OSISoft, has recently developed a Software as a Service (SaaS) Model for reducing energy costs, cutting peak power demand, and reducing carbon emissions for multipurpose buildings. UC Davis currently collects and stores energy usage data from buildings on its campus. Researchers at LBNL sought to demonstrate that a SaaS application architecture could be built on top of this data system to optimize the scheduling of electricity and heat delivery in the building.more » The SaaS interface, known as WebOpt, consists of two major parts: a) the investment& planning and b) the operations module, which builds on the investment& planning module. The operational scheduling and load shifting optimization models within the operations module use data from load prediction and electrical grid emissions models to create an optimal operating schedule for the next week, reducing peak electricity consumption while maintaining quality of energy services. LBNL's application also provides facility managers with suggested energy infrastructure investments for achieving their energy cost and emission goals based on historical data collected with OSISoft's system. This paper describes these models as well as the SaaS architecture employed by LBNL researchers to provide asset scheduling services to UC Davis. The peak demand, emissions, and cost implications of the asset operation schedule and investments suggested by this optimization model are analysed.« less

Application of the Software as a Service Model to the Control of Complex Building Systems

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

Stadler, Michael; Donadee, Jon; Marnay, Chris

2011-03-18

In an effort to create broad access to its optimization software, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), in collaboration with the University of California at Davis (UC Davis) and OSISoft, has recently developed a Software as a Service (SaaS) Model for reducing energy costs, cutting peak power demand, and reducing carbon emissions for multipurpose buildings. UC Davis currently collects and stores energy usage data from buildings on its campus. Researchers at LBNL sought to demonstrate that a SaaS application architecture could be built on top of this data system to optimize the scheduling of electricity and heat delivery in the building.more » The SaaS interface, known as WebOpt, consists of two major parts: a) the investment& planning and b) the operations module, which builds on the investment& planning module. The operational scheduling and load shifting optimization models within the operations module use data from load prediction and electrical grid emissions models to create an optimal operating schedule for the next week, reducing peak electricity consumption while maintaining quality of energy services. LBNL's application also provides facility managers with suggested energy infrastructure investments for achieving their energy cost and emission goals based on historical data collected with OSISoft's system. This paper describes these models as well as the SaaS architecture employed by LBNL researchers to provide asset scheduling services to UC Davis. The peak demand, emissions, and cost implications of the asset operation schedule and investments suggested by this optimization model are analyzed.« less

SU-F-J-194: Development of Dose-Based Image Guided Proton Therapy Workflow

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

Pham, R; Sun, B; Zhao, T

Purpose: To implement image-guided proton therapy (IGPT) based on daily proton dose distribution. Methods: Unlike x-ray therapy, simple alignment based on anatomy cannot ensure proper dose coverage in proton therapy. Anatomy changes along the beam path may lead to underdosing the target, or overdosing the organ-at-risk (OAR). With an in-room mobile computed tomography (CT) system, we are developing a dose-based IGPT software tool that allows patient positioning and treatment adaption based on daily dose distributions. During an IGPT treatment, daily CT images are acquired in treatment position. After initial positioning based on rigid image registration, proton dose distribution is calculatedmore » on daily CT images. The target and OARs are automatically delineated via deformable image registration. Dose distributions are evaluated to decide if repositioning or plan adaptation is necessary in order to achieve proper coverage of the target and sparing of OARs. Besides online dose-based image guidance, the software tool can also map daily treatment doses to the treatment planning CT images for offline adaptive treatment. Results: An in-room helical CT system is commissioned for IGPT purposes. It produces accurate CT numbers that allow proton dose calculation. GPU-based deformable image registration algorithms are developed and evaluated for automatic ROI-delineation and dose mapping. The online and offline IGPT functionalities are evaluated with daily CT images of the proton patients. Conclusion: The online and offline IGPT software tool may improve the safety and quality of proton treatment by allowing dose-based IGPT and adaptive proton treatments. Research is partially supported by Mevion Medical Systems.« less

[Software for illustrating a cost-quality balance carried out by clinical laboratory practice].

PubMed

Nishibori, Masahiro; Asayama, Hitoshi; Kimura, Satoshi; Takagi, Yasushi; Hagihara, Michio; Fujiwara, Mutsunori; Yoneyama, Akiko; Watanabe, Takashi

2010-09-01

We have no proper reference indicating the quality of clinical laboratory practice, which should clearly illustrates that better medical tests require more expenses. Japanese Society of Laboratory Medicine was concerned about recent difficult medical economy and issued a committee report proposing a guideline to evaluate the good laboratory practice. According to the guideline, we developed software that illustrate a cost-quality balance carried out by clinical laboratory practice. We encountered a number of controversial problems, for example, how to measure and weight each quality-related factor, how to calculate costs of a laboratory test and how to consider characteristics of a clinical laboratory. Consequently we finished only prototype software within the given period and the budget. In this paper, software implementation of the guideline and the above-mentioned problems are summarized. Aiming to stimulate these discussions, the operative software will be put on the Society's homepage for trial

Perk Station – Percutaneous Surgery Training and Performance Measurement Platform

PubMed Central

Vikal, Siddharth; U-Thainual, Paweena; Carrino, John A.; Iordachita, Iulian; Fischer, Gregory S.; Fichtinger, Gabor

2009-01-01

Motivation Image-guided percutaneous (through the skin) needle-based surgery has become part of routine clinical practice in performing procedures such as biopsies, injections and therapeutic implants. A novice physician typically performs needle interventions under the supervision of a senior physician; a slow and inherently subjective training process that lacks objective, quantitative assessment of the surgical skill and performance[S1]. Shortening the learning curve and increasing procedural consistency are important factors in assuring high-quality medical care. Methods This paper describes a laboratory validation system, called Perk Station, for standardized training and performance measurement under different assistance techniques for needle-based surgical guidance systems. The initial goal of the Perk Station is to assess and compare different techniques: 2D image overlay, biplane laser guide, laser protractor and conventional freehand. The main focus of this manuscript is the planning and guidance software system developed on the 3D Slicer platform, a free, open source software package designed for visualization and analysis of medical image data. Results The prototype Perk Station has been successfully developed, the associated needle insertion phantoms were built, and the graphical user interface was fully implemented. The system was inaugurated in undergraduate teaching and a wide array of outreach activities. Initial results, experiences, ongoing activities and future plans are reported. PMID:19539446

Management tools for the 21st century environmental office: The role of office automation and information technology. Final report

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

Fittipaldi, J.J.; Sliwinski, B.J.

1991-06-01

Army environmental planning and compliance activities continue to grow in magnitude and complexity, straining the resources of installation environmental offices. New efficiencies must be found to meet the increasing demands of planning and compliance imperatives. This study examined how office automation/information technology (OA/IT) may boost productivity in U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) installation environmental offices between now and the year 2000. A survey of four TRADOC installation environmental offices revealed that the workload often exceeds the capacity of staff. Computer literacy among personnel varies widely, limiting the benefits available from OA/IT now in use. Since environmental personnel aremore » primarily gatherers and processors of information, better implementation of OA/IT could substantially improve work quality and productivity. Advanced technologies expected to reach the consumer market during the 1990s will dramatically increase the potential productivity of environmental office personnel. Multitasking operating environments will allow simultaneous automation of communications, document processing, and engineering software. Increased processor power and parallel processing techniques will spur simplification of the user interface and greater software capabilities in general. The authors conclude that full implementation of this report's OA/IT recommendations could double TRADOC environmental office productivity by the year 2000.« less

Integrated Flight Path Planning System and Flight Control System for Unmanned Helicopters

PubMed Central

Jan, Shau Shiun; Lin, Yu Hsiang

2011-01-01

This paper focuses on the design of an integrated navigation and guidance system for unmanned helicopters. The integrated navigation system comprises two systems: the Flight Path Planning System (FPPS) and the Flight Control System (FCS). The FPPS finds the shortest flight path by the A-Star (A*) algorithm in an adaptive manner for different flight conditions, and the FPPS can add a forbidden zone to stop the unmanned helicopter from crossing over into dangerous areas. In this paper, the FPPS computation time is reduced by the multi-resolution scheme, and the flight path quality is improved by the path smoothing methods. Meanwhile, the FCS includes the fuzzy inference systems (FISs) based on the fuzzy logic. By using expert knowledge and experience to train the FIS, the controller can operate the unmanned helicopter without dynamic models. The integrated system of the FPPS and the FCS is aimed at providing navigation and guidance to the mission destination and it is implemented by coupling the flight simulation software, X-Plane, and the computing software, MATLAB. Simulations are performed and shown in real time three-dimensional animations. Finally, the integrated system is demonstrated to work successfully in controlling the unmanned helicopter to operate in various terrains of a digital elevation model (DEM). PMID:22164029

Integrated flight path planning system and flight control system for unmanned helicopters.

PubMed

Jan, Shau Shiun; Lin, Yu Hsiang

2011-01-01

This paper focuses on the design of an integrated navigation and guidance system for unmanned helicopters. The integrated navigation system comprises two systems: the Flight Path Planning System (FPPS) and the Flight Control System (FCS). The FPPS finds the shortest flight path by the A-Star (A*) algorithm in an adaptive manner for different flight conditions, and the FPPS can add a forbidden zone to stop the unmanned helicopter from crossing over into dangerous areas. In this paper, the FPPS computation time is reduced by the multi-resolution scheme, and the flight path quality is improved by the path smoothing methods. Meanwhile, the FCS includes the fuzzy inference systems (FISs) based on the fuzzy logic. By using expert knowledge and experience to train the FIS, the controller can operate the unmanned helicopter without dynamic models. The integrated system of the FPPS and the FCS is aimed at providing navigation and guidance to the mission destination and it is implemented by coupling the flight simulation software, X-Plane, and the computing software, MATLAB. Simulations are performed and shown in real time three-dimensional animations. Finally, the integrated system is demonstrated to work successfully in controlling the unmanned helicopter to operate in various terrains of a digital elevation model (DEM).

Overview of Hazard Assessment and Emergency Planning Software of Use to RN First Responders

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

Waller, E; Millage, K; Blakely, W F

2008-08-26

There are numerous software tools available for field deployment, reach-back, training and planning use in the event of a radiological or nuclear (RN) terrorist event. Specialized software tools used by CBRNe responders can increase information available and the speed and accuracy of the response, thereby ensuring that radiation doses to responders, receivers, and the general public are kept as low as reasonably achievable. Software designed to provide health care providers with assistance in selecting appropriate countermeasures or therapeutic interventions in a timely fashion can improve the potential for positive patient outcome. This paper reviews various software applications of relevance tomore » radiological and nuclear (RN) events that are currently in use by first responders, emergency planners, medical receivers, and criminal investigators.« less

Patient-specific Monte Carlo-based dose-kernel approach for inverse planning in afterloading brachytherapy.

PubMed

D'Amours, Michel; Pouliot, Jean; Dagnault, Anne; Verhaegen, Frank; Beaulieu, Luc

2011-12-01

Brachytherapy planning software relies on the Task Group report 43 dosimetry formalism. This formalism, based on a water approximation, neglects various heterogeneous materials present during treatment. Various studies have suggested that these heterogeneities should be taken into account to improve the treatment quality. The present study sought to demonstrate the feasibility of incorporating Monte Carlo (MC) dosimetry within an inverse planning algorithm to improve the dose conformity and increase the treatment quality. The method was based on precalculated dose kernels in full patient geometries, representing the dose distribution of a brachytherapy source at a single dwell position using MC simulations and the Geant4 toolkit. These dose kernels are used by the inverse planning by simulated annealing tool to produce a fast MC-based plan. A test was performed for an interstitial brachytherapy breast treatment using two different high-dose-rate brachytherapy sources: the microSelectron iridium-192 source and the electronic brachytherapy source Axxent operating at 50 kVp. A research version of the inverse planning by simulated annealing algorithm was combined with MC to provide a method to fully account for the heterogeneities in dose optimization, using the MC method. The effect of the water approximation was found to depend on photon energy, with greater dose attenuation for the lower energies of the Axxent source compared with iridium-192. For the latter, an underdosage of 5.1% for the dose received by 90% of the clinical target volume was found. A new method to optimize afterloading brachytherapy plans that uses MC dosimetric information was developed. Including computed tomography-based information in MC dosimetry in the inverse planning process was shown to take into account the full range of scatter and heterogeneity conditions. This led to significant dose differences compared with the Task Group report 43 approach for the Axxent source. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MO-D-213-01: Workflow Monitoring for a High Volume Radiation Oncology Center

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

Laub, S; Dunn, M; Galbreath, G

2015-06-15

Purpose: Implement a center wide communication system that increases interdepartmental transparency and accountability while decreasing redundant work and treatment delays by actively monitoring treatment planning workflow. Methods: Intake Management System (IMS), a program developed by ProCure Treatment Centers Inc., is a multi-function database that stores treatment planning process information. It was devised to work with the oncology information system (Mosaiq) to streamline interdepartmental workflow.Each step in the treatment planning process is visually represented and timelines for completion of individual tasks are established within the software. The currently active step of each patient’s planning process is highlighted either red or greenmore » according to whether the initially allocated amount of time has passed for the given process. This information is displayed as a Treatment Planning Process Monitor (TPPM), which is shown on screens in the relevant departments throughout the center. This display also includes the individuals who are responsible for each task.IMS is driven by Mosaiq’s quality checklist (QCL) functionality. Each step in the workflow is initiated by a Mosaiq user sending the responsible party a QCL assignment. IMS is connected to Mosaiq and the sending or completing of a QCL updates the associated field in the TPPM to the appropriate status. Results: Approximately one patient a week is identified during the workflow process as needing to have his/her treatment start date modified or resources re-allocated to address the most urgent cases. Being able to identify a realistic timeline for planning each patient and having multiple departments communicate their limitations and time constraints allows for quality plans to be developed and implemented without overburdening any one department. Conclusion: Monitoring the progression of the treatment planning process has increased transparency between departments, which enables efficient communication. Having built-in timelines allows easy prioritization of tasks and resources and facilitates effective time management.« less

Significance of preoperative planning software for puncture and channel establishment in percutaneous endoscopic lumbar DISCECTOMY: A study of 40 cases.

PubMed

Hu, Zhouyang; Li, Xinhua; Cui, Jian; He, Xiaobo; Li, Cong; Han, Yingchao; Pan, Jie; Yang, Mingjie; Tan, Jun; Li, Lijun

2017-05-01

Preoperative planning software has been widely used in many other minimally invasive surgeries, but there is a lack of information describing the clinical benefits of existing software applied in percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD). This study aimed to compare the clinical efficacy of preoperative planning software in puncture and channel establishment of PELD with routine methods in treating lumbar disc herniation (LDH). From June 2016 to October 2016, 40 patients who had single L4/5 or L5/S1 disc herniation were divided into two groups. Group A adopted planning software for preoperative puncture simulation while Group B took routine cases discussion for making puncture plans. The channel establishment time, operative time, fluoroscopic times and complications were compared between the two groups. The surgical efficacy was evaluated according to the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and modified Macnab's criteria. The mean channel establishment time was 25.1 ± 4.2 min and 34.6 ± 5.4 min in Group A and B, respectively (P < 0.05). The mean operative time was 80.8 ± 8.4 min and 92.1 ± 7.3 min in Group A and B, respectively (P < 0.05). The fluoroscopic times were 21.5 ± 5.2 in Group A and 29.3 ± 5.5 in Group B (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in VAS and ODI scorings between the two groups either preoperatively or postoperatively (P > 0.05). The findings of modified Macnab's criteria at each follow-up also showed no significant differences (P > 0.05). The application of preoperative planning software in puncture and cannula insertion planning in PELD was easy and reliable, and could reduce the channel establishment time, operative time and fluoroscopic times of PELD significantly. Copyright © 2017 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A survey of Canadian medical physicists: software quality assurance of in‐house software

PubMed Central

Kelly, Diane

2015-01-01

This paper reports on a survey of medical physicists who write and use in‐house written software as part of their professional work. The goal of the survey was to assess the extent of in‐house software usage and the desire or need for related software quality guidelines. The survey contained eight multiple‐choice questions, a ranking question, and seven free text questions. The survey was sent to medical physicists associated with cancer centers across Canada. The respondents to the survey expressed interest in having guidelines to help them in their software‐related work, but also demonstrated extensive skills in the area of testing, safety, and communication. These existing skills form a basis for medical physicists to establish a set of software quality guidelines. PACS number: 87.55.Qr PMID:25679168

A Guide to Software Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leonard, Rex; LeCroy, Barbara

Arguing that software evaluation is crucial to the quality of courseware available in a school, this paper begins by discussing reasons why microcomputers are making such a tremendous impact on education, and notes that, although the quality of software has improved over the years, the challenge for teachers to integrate computing into the…

76 FR 54800 - International Business Machines (IBM), Software Group Business Unit, Quality Assurance Group, San...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-02

... Machines (IBM), Software Group Business Unit, Quality Assurance Group, San Jose, California; Notice of... workers of International Business Machines (IBM), Software Group Business Unit, Optim Data Studio Tools QA... February 2, 2011 (76 FR 5832). The subject worker group supplies acceptance testing services, design...

Implementation of Cyber-Physical Production Systems for Quality Prediction and Operation Control in Metal Casting

PubMed Central

Lee, JuneHyuck; Noh, Sang Do; Kim, Hyun-Jung; Kang, Yong-Shin

2018-01-01

The prediction of internal defects of metal casting immediately after the casting process saves unnecessary time and money by reducing the amount of inputs into the next stage, such as the machining process, and enables flexible scheduling. Cyber-physical production systems (CPPS) perfectly fulfill the aforementioned requirements. This study deals with the implementation of CPPS in a real factory to predict the quality of metal casting and operation control. First, a CPPS architecture framework for quality prediction and operation control in metal-casting production was designed. The framework describes collaboration among internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence, simulations, manufacturing execution systems, and advanced planning and scheduling systems. Subsequently, the implementation of the CPPS in actual plants is described. Temperature is a major factor that affects casting quality, and thus, temperature sensors and IoT communication devices were attached to casting machines. The well-known NoSQL database, HBase and the high-speed processing/analysis tool, Spark, are used for IoT repository and data pre-processing, respectively. Many machine learning algorithms such as decision tree, random forest, artificial neural network, and support vector machine were used for quality prediction and compared with R software. Finally, the operation of the entire system is demonstrated through a CPPS dashboard. In an era in which most CPPS-related studies are conducted on high-level abstract models, this study describes more specific architectural frameworks, use cases, usable software, and analytical methodologies. In addition, this study verifies the usefulness of CPPS by estimating quantitative effects. This is expected to contribute to the proliferation of CPPS in the industry. PMID:29734699

TU-C-BRE-11: 3D EPID-Based in Vivo Dosimetry: A Major Step Forward Towards Optimal Quality and Safety in Radiation Oncology Practice

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

Mijnheer, B; Mans, A; Olaciregui-Ruiz, I

Purpose: To develop a 3D in vivo dosimetry method that is able to substitute pre-treatment verification in an efficient way, and to terminate treatment delivery if the online measured 3D dose distribution deviates too much from the predicted dose distribution. Methods: A back-projection algorithm has been further developed and implemented to enable automatic 3D in vivo dose verification of IMRT/VMAT treatments using a-Si EPIDs. New software tools were clinically introduced to allow automated image acquisition, to periodically inspect the record-and-verify database, and to automatically run the EPID dosimetry software. The comparison of the EPID-reconstructed and planned dose distribution is donemore » offline to raise automatically alerts and to schedule actions when deviations are detected. Furthermore, a software package for online dose reconstruction was also developed. The RMS of the difference between the cumulative planned and reconstructed 3D dose distributions was used for triggering a halt of a linac. Results: The implementation of fully automated 3D EPID-based in vivo dosimetry was able to replace pre-treatment verification for more than 90% of the patient treatments. The process has been fully automated and integrated in our clinical workflow where over 3,500 IMRT/VMAT treatments are verified each year. By optimizing the dose reconstruction algorithm and the I/O performance, the delivered 3D dose distribution is verified in less than 200 ms per portal image, which includes the comparison between the reconstructed and planned dose distribution. In this way it was possible to generate a trigger that can stop the irradiation at less than 20 cGy after introducing large delivery errors. Conclusion: The automatic offline solution facilitated the large scale clinical implementation of 3D EPID-based in vivo dose verification of IMRT/VMAT treatments; the online approach has been successfully tested for various severe delivery errors.« less

AIS ASM Operational Integration Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-01

al. | Public August 2013 This page intentionally left blank. AIS ASM Operational Integration Plan v ...that supply AIS Routers as part of their AIS shoreside network software : Kongsberg C-Scope, Gatehouse AIS, Transas AIS Network, and CNS DataSwitch...commercial systems would be suitable for the current USCG traffic conditions. The ASM Manager is software that adds the required queuing and

Development of a Conference Planning Model Using Integrated Database, Word Processing, and Spreadsheet Software.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevens, William E.

This report presents a model for conducting a statewide conference for the approximately 900 members of the South Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics (SCCTM) using the AppleWorks integrated software as the basis of the implementation plan. The first and second chapters provide background information on the conference and the…

CASPER Version 2.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chien, Steve; Rabideau, Gregg; Tran, Daniel; Knight, Russell; Chouinard, Caroline; Estlin, Tara; Gaines, Daniel; Clement, Bradley; Barrett, Anthony

2007-01-01

CASPER is designed to perform automated planning of interdependent activities within a system subject to requirements, constraints, and limitations on resources. In contradistinction to the traditional concept of batch planning followed by execution, CASPER implements a concept of continuous planning and replanning in response to unanticipated changes (including failures), integrated with execution. Improvements over other, similar software that have been incorporated into CASPER version 2.0 include an enhanced executable interface to facilitate integration with a wide range of execution software systems and supporting software libraries; features to support execution while reasoning about urgency, importance, and impending deadlines; features that enable accommodation to a wide range of computing environments that include various central processing units and random- access-memory capacities; and improved generic time-server and time-control features.

The Assistant for Specifying the Quality Software (ASQS) Operational Concept Document. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-01

Assistant in which the manager supplies system-specific characteristics and needs and the Assistant fills in the software quality concepts and methods. The...member(s) of the Computer Resources Working Group (CRWG) to aid in performing a software quality engineering study. Figure 3.4-1 outlines the...need to recovery from faults more likely than need _o provide alternative functions or interfaces), and more on Autcncmy - 27 - that Modularity

Secure software practices among Malaysian software practitioners: An exploratory study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamed, Shafinah Farvin Packeer; Baharom, Fauziah; Deraman, Aziz; Yahya, Jamaiah; Mohd, Haslina

2016-08-01

Secure software practices is increasingly gaining much importance among software practitioners and researchers due to the rise of computer crimes in the software industry. It has become as one of the determinant factors for producing high quality software. Even though its importance has been revealed, its current practice in the software industry is still scarce, particularly in Malaysia. Thus, an exploratory study is conducted among software practitioners in Malaysia to study their experiences and practices in the real-world projects. This paper discusses the findings from the study, which involved 93 software practitioners. Structured questionnaire is utilized for data collection purpose whilst statistical methods such as frequency, mean, and cross tabulation are used for data analysis. Outcomes from this study reveal that software practitioners are becoming increasingly aware on the importance of secure software practices, however, they lack of appropriate implementation, which could affect the quality of produced software.

Software And Systems Engineering Risk Management

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

RSKM 2004 COSO Enterprise RSKM Framework 2006 ISO/IEC 16085 Risk Management Process 2008 ISO/IEC 12207 Software Lifecycle Processes 2009 ISO/IEC...1 Software And Systems Engineering Risk Management John Walz VP Technical and Conferences Activities, IEEE Computer Society Vice-Chair Planning...Software & Systems Engineering Standards Committee, IEEE Computer Society US TAG to ISO TMB Risk Management Working Group Systems and Software

Impact of Computer Software on Advertising Media Courses: A Study of 71 Colleges and Universities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Dennis G.; Vaccaro-Lloyd, Carla

A study evaluated the impact of microcomputers and software in advertising media courses by surveying media planning instructors in 71 (out of 111) colleges and universities. The survey asked instructors to evaluate textbooks, workbooks, and computer software; to assess the impact of software on the media course; and to compare software users with…

Three-dimensional Cross-Platform Planning for Complex Spinal Procedures: A New Method Adaptive to Different Navigation Systems.

PubMed

Kosterhon, Michael; Gutenberg, Angelika; Kantelhardt, Sven R; Conrad, Jens; Nimer Amr, Amr; Gawehn, Joachim; Giese, Alf

2017-08-01

A feasibility study. To develop a method based on the DICOM standard which transfers complex 3-dimensional (3D) trajectories and objects from external planning software to any navigation system for planning and intraoperative guidance of complex spinal procedures. There have been many reports about navigation systems with embedded planning solutions but only few on how to transfer planning data generated in external software. Patients computerized tomography and/or magnetic resonance volume data sets of the affected spinal segments were imported to Amira software, reconstructed to 3D images and fused with magnetic resonance data for soft-tissue visualization, resulting in a virtual patient model. Objects needed for surgical plans or surgical procedures such as trajectories, implants or surgical instruments were either digitally constructed or computerized tomography scanned and virtually positioned within the 3D model as required. As crucial step of this method these objects were fused with the patient's original diagnostic image data, resulting in a single DICOM sequence, containing all preplanned information necessary for the operation. By this step it was possible to import complex surgical plans into any navigation system. We applied this method not only to intraoperatively adjustable implants and objects under experimental settings, but also planned and successfully performed surgical procedures, such as the percutaneous lateral approach to the lumbar spine following preplanned trajectories and a thoracic tumor resection including intervertebral body replacement using an optical navigation system. To demonstrate the versatility and compatibility of the method with an entirely different navigation system, virtually preplanned lumbar transpedicular screw placement was performed with a robotic guidance system. The presented method not only allows virtual planning of complex surgical procedures, but to export objects and surgical plans to any navigation or guidance system able to read DICOM data sets, expanding the possibilities of embedded planning software.