10 CFR Appendix N to Subpart B of... - Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption of Furnaces and Boilers

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... the damper remains open during the cool-down test. For furnaces that employ post purge, measure the... control—cool-down test. For a furnace with adjustable fan control, this time delay will be 3.0 minutes for... 10 Energy 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption...

Improving lab compaction specifications for flexible bases within the Texas DOT.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-04-01

In Test Methods Tex-113-E and Tex-114-E, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) employs an impact hammer method of sample compaction for laboratory preparation of road base and subgrade materials for testing. In this third and final report do...

A transient laboratory method for determining the hydraulic properties of 'tight' rocks-I. Theory

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hsieh, P.A.; Tracy, J.V.; Neuzil, C.E.; Bredehoeft, J.D.; Silliman, Stephen E.

1981-01-01

Transient pulse testing has been employed increasingly in the laboratory to measure the hydraulic properties of rock samples with low permeability. Several investigators have proposed a mathematical model in terms of an initial-boundary value problem to describe fluid flow in a transient pulse test. However, the solution of this problem has not been available. In analyzing data from the transient pulse test, previous investigators have either employed analytical solutions that are derived with the use of additional, restrictive assumptions, or have resorted to numerical methods. In Part I of this paper, a general, analytical solution for the transient pulse test is presented. This solution is graphically illustrated by plots of dimensionless variables for several cases of interest. The solution is shown to contain, as limiting cases, the more restrictive analytical solutions that the previous investigators have derived. A method of computing both the permeability and specific storage of the test sample from experimental data will be presented in Part II. ?? 1981.

Non-destructive evaluation method employing dielectric electrostatic ultrasonic transducers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yost, William T. (Inventor); Cantrell, Jr., John H. (Inventor)

2003-01-01

An acoustic nonlinearity parameter (.beta.) measurement method and system for Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) of materials and structural members novelly employs a loosely mounted dielectric electrostatic ultrasonic transducer (DEUT) to receive and convert ultrasonic energy into an electrical signal which can be analyzed to determine the .beta. of the test material. The dielectric material is ferroelectric with a high dielectric constant .di-elect cons.. A computer-controlled measurement system coupled to the DEUT contains an excitation signal generator section and a measurement and analysis section. As a result, the DEUT measures the absolute particle displacement amplitudes in test material, leading to derivation of the nonlinearity parameter (.beta.) without the costly, low field reliability methods of the prior art.

Transient excitation and mechanical admittance test techniques for prediction of payload vibration environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kana, D. D.; Vargas, L. M.

1977-01-01

Transient excitation forces were applied separately to simple beam-and-mass launch vehicle and payload models to develop complex admittance functions for the interface and other appropriate points on the structures. These measured admittances were then analytically combined by a matrix representation to obtain a description of the coupled system dynamic characteristics. Response of the payload model to excitation of the launch vehicle model was predicted and compared with results measured on the combined models. These results are also compared with results of earlier work in which a similar procedure was employed except that steady-state sinusoidal excitation techniques were included. It is found that the method employing transient tests produces results that are better overall than the steady state methods. Furthermore, the transient method requires far less time to implement, and provides far better resolution in the data. However, the data acquisition and handling problem is more complex for this method. It is concluded that the transient test and admittance matrix prediction method can be a valuable tool for development of payload vibration tests.

A Review of International Space Station Habitable Element Equipment Offgassing Characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perry, Jay L.

2010-01-01

Crewed spacecraft trace contaminant control employs both passive and active methods to achieve acceptable cabin atmospheric quality. Passive methods include carefully selecting materials of construction, employing clean manufacturing practices, and minimizing systems and payload operational impacts to the cabin environment. Materials selection and manufacturing processes constitute the first level of equipment offgassing control. An element-level equipment offgassing test provides preflight verification that passive controls have been successful. Offgassing test results from multiple International Space Station (ISS) habitable elements and cargo vehicles are summarized and implications for active contamination control equipment design are discussed

Methods of Helium Injection and Removal for Heat Transfer Augmentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haight, Harlan; Kegley, Jeff; Bourdreaux, Meghan

2008-01-01

While augmentation of heat transfer from a test article by helium gas at low pressures is well known, the method is rarely employed during space simulation testing because the test objectives usually involve simulation of an orbital thermal environment. Test objectives of cryogenic optical testing at Marshall Space Flight Center's X-ray Cryogenic Facility (XRCF) have typically not been constrained by orbital environment parameters. As a result, several methods of helium injection have been utilized at the XRCF since 1999 to decrease thermal transition times. A brief synopsis of these injection (and removal) methods including will be presented.

Methods of Helium Injection and Removal for Heat Transfer Augmentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kegley, Jeffrey

2008-01-01

While augmentation of heat transfer from a test article by helium gas at low pressures is well known, the method is rarely employed during space simulation testing because the test objectives are to simulate an orbital thermal environment. Test objectives of cryogenic optical testing at Marshall Space Flight Center's X-ray Calibration Facility (XRCF) have typically not been constrained by orbital environment parameters. As a result, several methods of helium injection have been utilized at the XRCF since 1999 to decrease thermal transition times. A brief synopsis of these injection (and removal) methods including will be presented.

Evaluation of a Multiple Mediator Model of the Relationship between Core Self-Evaluations and Job Satisfaction in Employed Individuals with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smedema, Susan Miller; Kesselmayer, Rachel Friefeld; Peterson, Lauren

2018-01-01

Purpose: To test a meditation model of the relationship between core self-evaluations (CSE) and job satisfaction in employed individuals with disabilities. Method: A quantitative descriptive design using Hayes's (2012) PROCESS macro for SPSS and multiple regression analysis. Two-hundred fifty-nine employed persons with disabilities were recruited…

Radar, target and ranging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1984-09-01

This Test Operations Procedure (TOP) provides conventional test methods employing conventional test instrumentation for testing conventional radars. Single tests and subtests designed to test radar components, transmitters, receivers, antennas, etc., and system performance are conducted with single item instruments such as meters, generators, attenuators, counters, oscillators, plotters, etc., and with adequate land areas for conducting field tests.

Identification of characteristic frequencies of damaged railway tracks using field hammer test measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oregui, M.; Li, Z.; Dollevoet, R.

2015-03-01

In this paper, the feasibility of the Frequency Response Function (FRF)-based statistical method to identify the characteristic frequencies of railway track defects is studied. The method compares a damaged track state to a healthy state based on non-destructive field hammer test measurements. First, a study is carried out to investigate the repeatability of hammer tests in railway tracks. By changing the excitation and measurement locations it is shown that the variability introduced by the test process is negligible. Second, following the concepts of control charts employed in process monitoring, a method to define an approximate healthy state is introduced by using hammer test measurements at locations without visual damage. Then, the feasibility study includes an investigation into squats (i.e. a major type of rail surface defect) of varying severity. The identified frequency ranges related to squats agree with those found in an extensively validated vehicle-borne detection system. Therefore, the FRF-based statistical method in combination with the non-destructive hammer test measurements has the potential to be employed to identify the characteristic frequencies of damaged conditions in railway tracks in the frequency range of 300-3000 Hz.

Accelerated battery-life testing - A concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccallum, J.; Thomas, R. E.

1971-01-01

Test program, employing empirical, statistical and physical methods, determines service life and failure probabilities of electrochemical cells and batteries, and is applicable to testing mechanical, electrical, and chemical devices. Data obtained aids long-term performance prediction of battery or cell.

The Corrosion Protection of Magnesium Alloy AZ31B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Danford, M. D.; Mendrek, M. J.; Mitchell, M. L.; Torres, P. D.

1997-01-01

Corrosion rates for bare and coated Magnesium alloy AZ31B have been measured. Two coatings, Dow-23(Trademark) and Tagnite(Trademark), have been tested by electrochemical methods and their effectiveness determined. Electrochemical methods employed were the scanning reference electrode technique (SRET), the polarization resistance technique (PR) and the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique (EIS). In addition, general corrosion and stress corrosion methods were employed to examine the effectiveness of the above coatings in 90 percent humidity. Results from these studies are presented.

A Test Generation Framework for Distributed Fault-Tolerant Algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodloe, Alwyn; Bushnell, David; Miner, Paul; Pasareanu, Corina S.

2009-01-01

Heavyweight formal methods such as theorem proving have been successfully applied to the analysis of safety critical fault-tolerant systems. Typically, the models and proofs performed during such analysis do not inform the testing process of actual implementations. We propose a framework for generating test vectors from specifications written in the Prototype Verification System (PVS). The methodology uses a translator to produce a Java prototype from a PVS specification. Symbolic (Java) PathFinder is then employed to generate a collection of test cases. A small example is employed to illustrate how the framework can be used in practice.

Usability Testing as a Method to Refine a Health Sciences Library Website.

PubMed

Denton, Andrea H; Moody, David A; Bennett, Jason C

2016-01-01

User testing, a method of assessing website usability, can be a cost-effective and easily administered process to collect information about a website's effectiveness. A user experience (UX) team at an academic health sciences library has employed user testing for over three years to help refine the library's home page. Test methodology used in-person testers using the "think aloud" method to complete tasks on the home page. Review of test results revealed problem areas of the design and redesign; further testing was effective in refining the page. User testing has proved to be a valuable method to engage users and provide feedback to continually improve the library's home page.

Method and apparatus for testing microfilaments

DOEpatents

Schleitweiler, Patrick M.; Merten, Jr., Charles W.

1995-08-01

A method and apparatus are disclosed for testing tensile strength of microfilaments. Fibers as small as 0.001 inch in diameter and 0.04 inches in length have been tested, although the method and apparatus of the invention are capable of testing fibers of smaller diameter and length. The invention utilizes a method wherein one or both ends of a microfilament is gripped using resin which is softened sufficiently to accept an end of the microfilament and then allowed to harden. The invention also employs the use of a translation stage capable of controlled three-dimensional movement suited to facilitating gripping of the microfilament.

Underwater Test Diagnostics Using Explosively Excited Argon And Laser Light Photography Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wisotski, John

1990-01-01

This paper presents results of photographic methods employed in underwater tests used to study high-velocity fragment deceleration, deformation and fracture during the perforation of water-backed plates. These methods employed overlapping ultra-high and very high speed camera recordings using explosively excited argon and ruby-laser light sources that gave ample light to penetrate across a 2.3-meter (7.54-foot) diameter tank of water with enough intensity to photograph displacement-time histories of steel cubes with impact speeds of 1000 to 1500 m/s (3280 to 4920 ft/s) at camera framing rates of 250,000 and 17,000 fr/s, respectively.

Testing for genetic association taking into account phenotypic information of relatives.

PubMed

Uh, Hae-Won; Wijk, Henk Jan van der; Houwing-Duistermaat, Jeanine J

2009-12-15

We investigated efficient case-control association analysis using family data. The outcome of interest was coronary heart disease. We employed existing and new methods that take into account the correlations among related individuals to obtain the proper type I error rates. The methods considered for autosomal single-nucleotide polymorphisms were: 1) generalized estimating equations-based methods, 2) variance-modified Cochran-Armitage (MCA) trend test incorporating kinship coefficients, and 3) genotypic modified quasi-likelihood score test. Additionally, for X-linked single-nucleotide polymorphisms we proposed a two-degrees-of-freedom test. Performance of these methods was tested using Framingham Heart Study 500 k array data.

Development of laboratory test methods to replace the simulated high-temperature grout fluidity test.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-06-01

This report contains a summary of the research performed to develop a replacement for the high-temperature grout : fluidity (HTGF) test. The HTGF test was employed in the past by FDOT to qualify post-tensioning (PT) grouts for use in : post-tensioned...

Equal Employment Legislation: Alternative Means of Compliance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daum, Jeffrey W.

Alternative means of compliance available to organizations to bring their manpower uses into line with existing equal employment legislation are discussed in this paper. The first area addressed concerns the classical approach to selection and placement based on testing methods. The second area discussed reviews various nontesting techniques, such…

Impact fuze testing at 3000 m/sec employing explosively accelerating plates

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

Gill, W.

1981-01-01

The Explosives Testing Division at Sandia has developed a method of simulating a re-entry vehicle impacting the ground. The purpose of the simulation is to evaluate different fusing concepts. The design and operation of this impact testing facility are described.

Functional assessment of the ex vivo vocal folds through biomechanical testing: A review

PubMed Central

Dion, Gregory R.; Jeswani, Seema; Roof, Scott; Fritz, Mark; Coelho, Paulo; Sobieraj, Michael; Amin, Milan R.; Branski, Ryan C.

2016-01-01

The human vocal folds are complex structures made up of distinct layers that vary in cellular and extracellular composition. The mechanical properties of vocal fold tissue are fundamental to the study of both the acoustics and biomechanics of voice production. To date, quantitative methods have been applied to characterize the vocal fold tissue in both normal and pathologic conditions. This review describes, summarizes, and discusses the most commonly employed methods for vocal fold biomechanical testing. Force-elongation, torsional parallel plate rheometry, simple-shear parallel plate rheometry, linear skin rheometry, and indentation are the most frequently employed biomechanical tests for vocal fold tissues and each provide material properties data that can be used to compare native tissue verses diseased for treated tissue. Force-elongation testing is clinically useful, as it allows for functional unit testing, while rheometry provides physiologically relevant shear data, and nanoindentation permits micrometer scale testing across different areas of the vocal fold as well as whole organ testing. Thoughtful selection of the testing technique during experimental design to evaluate a hypothesis is important to optimizing biomechanical testing of vocal fold tissues. PMID:27127075

SPF Full-scale emissions test method development status ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This is a non-technical presentation that is intended to inform ASTM task group members about our intended approach to full-scale emissions testing that includes the application of spray foam in an environmental chamber. The presentation describes the approach to emissions characterization, types of measurement systems employed, and expected outcomes from the planned tests. Purpose of this presentation is to update the ASTM D22.05 work group regarding status of our full-scale emissions test method development.

Reform-Based-Instructional Method and Learning Styles on Students' Achievement and Retention in Mathematics: Administrative Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Modebelu, M. N.; Ogbonna, C. C.

2014-01-01

This study aimed at determining the effect of reform-based-instructional method learning styles on students' achievement and retention in mathematics. A sample size of 119 students was randomly selected. The quasiexperimental design comprising pre-test, post-test, and randomized control group were employed. The Collin Rose learning styles…

A Residual Mass Ballistic Testing Method to Compare Armor Materials or Components (Residual Mass Ballistic Testing Method)

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

Benjamin Langhorst; Thomas M Lillo; Henry S Chu

2014-05-01

A statistics based ballistic test method is presented for use when comparing multiple groups of test articles of unknown relative ballistic perforation resistance. The method is intended to be more efficient than many traditional methods for research and development testing. To establish the validity of the method, it is employed in this study to compare test groups of known relative ballistic performance. Multiple groups of test articles were perforated using consistent projectiles and impact conditions. Test groups were made of rolled homogeneous armor (RHA) plates and differed in thickness. After perforation, each residual projectile was captured behind the target andmore » its mass was measured. The residual masses measured for each test group were analyzed to provide ballistic performance rankings with associated confidence levels. When compared to traditional V50 methods, the residual mass (RM) method was found to require fewer test events and be more tolerant of variations in impact conditions.« less

What To Look for in ESL Admission Tests: Cambridge Certificate Exams, IELTS, and TOEFL.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chalhoub-Deville, Micheline; Turner, Carolyn E.

2000-01-01

Familiarizes test users with issues to consider when employing assessments for screening and admission purposes. Examines the purpose, content, and scoring methods of three English-as-a-Second-Language admissions tests--the Cambridge certificate exams, International English Language Teaching System, and Test of English as a Foreign…

Model-based phase-shifting interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Dong; Zhang, Lei; Shi, Tu; Yang, Yongying; Chong, Shiyao; Miao, Liang; Huang, Wei; Shen, Yibing; Bai, Jian

2015-10-01

A model-based phase-shifting interferometer (MPI) is developed, in which a novel calculation technique is proposed instead of the traditional complicated system structure, to achieve versatile, high precision and quantitative surface tests. In the MPI, the partial null lens (PNL) is employed to implement the non-null test. With some alternative PNLs, similar as the transmission spheres in ZYGO interferometers, the MPI provides a flexible test for general spherical and aspherical surfaces. Based on modern computer modeling technique, a reverse iterative optimizing construction (ROR) method is employed for the retrace error correction of non-null test, as well as figure error reconstruction. A self-compiled ray-tracing program is set up for the accurate system modeling and reverse ray tracing. The surface figure error then can be easily extracted from the wavefront data in forms of Zernike polynomials by the ROR method. Experiments of the spherical and aspherical tests are presented to validate the flexibility and accuracy. The test results are compared with those of Zygo interferometer (null tests), which demonstrates the high accuracy of the MPI. With such accuracy and flexibility, the MPI would possess large potential in modern optical shop testing.

Evaluation of the filtration performance of NIOSH-approved N95 filtering facepiece respirators by photometric and number-based test methods.

PubMed

Rengasamy, Samy; Miller, Adam; Eimer, Benjamin C

2011-01-01

N95 particulate filtering facepiece respirators are certified by measuring penetration levels photometrically with a presumed severe case test method using charge neutralized NaCl aerosols at 85 L/min. However, penetration values obtained by photometric methods have not been compared with count-based methods using contemporary respirators composed of electrostatic filter media and challenged with both generated and ambient aerosols. To better understand the effects of key test parameters (e.g., particle charge, detection method), initial penetration levels for five N95 model filtering facepiece respirators were measured using NaCl aerosols with the aerosol challenge and test equipment employed in the NIOSH respirator certification method (photometric) and compared with an ultrafine condensation particle counter method (count based) for the same NaCl aerosols as well as for ambient room air particles. Penetrations using the NIOSH test method were several-fold less than the penetrations obtained by the ultrafine condensation particle counter for NaCl aerosols as well as for room particles indicating that penetration measurement based on particle counting offers a more difficult challenge than the photometric method, which lacks sensitivity for particles < 100 nm. All five N95 models showed the most penetrating particle size around 50 nm for room air particles with or without charge neutralization, and at 200 nm for singly charged NaCl monodisperse particles. Room air with fewer charged particles and an overwhelming number of neutral particles contributed to the most penetrating particle size in the 50 nm range, indicating that the charge state for the majority of test particles determines the MPPS. Data suggest that the NIOSH respirator certification protocol employing the photometric method may not be a more challenging aerosol test method. Filter penetrations can vary among workplaces with different particle size distributions, which suggests the need for the development of new or revised "more challenging" aerosol test methods for NIOSH certification of respirators.

Method and apparatus for testing microfilaments

DOEpatents

Schleitweiler, P.M.; Merten, C.W. Jr.

1995-08-01

A method and apparatus are disclosed for testing tensile strength of microfilaments. Fibers as small as 0.001 inch in diameter and 0.04 inches in length have been tested, although the method and apparatus of the invention are capable of testing fibers of smaller diameter and length. The invention utilizes a method wherein one or both ends of a microfilament is gripped using resin which is softened sufficiently to accept an end of the microfilament and then allowed to harden. The invention also employs the use of a translation stage capable of controlled three-dimensional movement suited to facilitating gripping of the microfilament. 2 figs.

An Epidemiology Primer: Bridging the Gap between Epidemiology and Psychology.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-07-01

to the methods traditionally used in the field of psychology , The intent of this report is to describe some of these methods and explain the. in a...Hypotheses are formulated and tested in much the ame manmer and chi-square, regression, correLation, and analyses of variance are commonly employed in...etudies of morb~idity and mortality. It elsa we fu that epidemiologic studies employ rat"s and measures which, although sldm see in psychology , are

Coatings, sealants and filters to address bridge concrete deterioration and aesthetics : Phase I.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-06-01

The study addresses experimental evaluation and testing of concrete coatings for maintenance purposes on structural (steel reinforced) concrete. The test methods employed are intended to identify coatings and sealers for eventual incorporation into a...

Methods of experimentation with models and utilization of results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robert,

1924-01-01

The present report treats the subject of testing small models in a wind tunnel and of the methods employed for rendering the results constant, accurate and comparable with one another. Detailed experimental results are given.

Fault detection of gearbox using time-frequency method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widodo, A.; Satrijo, Dj.; Prahasto, T.; Haryanto, I.

2017-04-01

This research deals with fault detection and diagnosis of gearbox by using vibration signature. In this work, fault detection and diagnosis are approached by employing time-frequency method, and then the results are compared with cepstrum analysis. Experimental work has been conducted for data acquisition of vibration signal thru self-designed gearbox test rig. This test-rig is able to demonstrate normal and faulty gearbox i.e., wears and tooth breakage. Three accelerometers were used for vibration signal acquisition from gearbox, and optical tachometer was used for shaft rotation speed measurement. The results show that frequency domain analysis using fast-fourier transform was less sensitive to wears and tooth breakage condition. However, the method of short-time fourier transform was able to monitor the faults in gearbox. Wavelet Transform (WT) method also showed good performance in gearbox fault detection using vibration signal after employing time synchronous averaging (TSA).

Modeling and Assessment of Alternative Cooling Methods of the Combat Operation Center

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

through the employment of a measure designed to remove heat load at a lower rate of power consumption than an ECU. 3. The Simulation To test the...24 G. PROCEDURE FOR TESTING PROPOSED SOLUTIONS .....................25 1. The Model...ASSUMPTIONS .............................................................................................28 1. July 2010 COC (v2) test

New Testing Methods to Assess Technical Problem-Solving Ability.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hambleton, Ronald K.; And Others

Tests to assess problem-solving ability being provided for the Air Force are described, and some details on the development and validation of these computer-administered diagnostic achievement tests are discussed. Three measurement approaches were employed: (1) sequential problem solving; (2) context-free assessment of fundamental skills and…

Method and apparatus for tensile testing of metal foil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wade, O. W. (Inventor)

1976-01-01

A method for obtaining accurate and reproducible results in the tensile testing of metal foils in tensile testing machines is described. Before the test specimen are placed in the machine, foil side edges are worked until they are parallel and flaw free. The specimen are also aligned between and secured to grip end members. An aligning apparatus employed in the method is comprised of an alignment box with a longitudinal bottom wall and two upright side walls, first and second removable grip end members at each end of the box, and a means for securing the grip end members within the box.

Multiplex Microsphere Immunoassays for the Detection of IgM and IgG to Arboviral Diseases

PubMed Central

Basile, Alison J.; Horiuchi, Kalanthe; Panella, Amanda J.; Laven, Janeen; Kosoy, Olga; Lanciotti, Robert S.; Venkateswaran, Neeraja; Biggerstaff, Brad J.

2013-01-01

Serodiagnosis of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) at the Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, CDC, employs a combination of individual enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and microsphere immunoassays (MIAs) to test for IgM and IgG, followed by confirmatory plaque-reduction neutralization tests. Based upon the geographic origin of a sample, it may be tested concurrently for multiple arboviruses, which can be a cumbersome task. The advent of multiplexing represents an opportunity to streamline these types of assays; however, because serologic cross-reactivity of the arboviral antigens often confounds results, it is of interest to employ data analysis methods that address this issue. Here, we constructed 13-virus multiplexed IgM and IgG MIAs that included internal and external controls, based upon the Luminex platform. Results from samples tested using these methods were analyzed using 8 different statistical schemes to identify the best way to classify the data. Geographic batteries were also devised to serve as a more practical diagnostic format, and further samples were tested using the abbreviated multiplexes. Comparative error rates for the classification schemes identified a specific boosting method based on logistic regression “Logitboost” as the classification method of choice. When the data from all samples tested were combined into one set, error rates from the multiplex IgM and IgG MIAs were <5% for all geographic batteries. This work represents both the most comprehensive, validated multiplexing method for arboviruses to date, and also the most systematic attempt to determine the most useful classification method for use with these types of serologic tests. PMID:24086608

29 CFR Appendix C to Subpart M of... - Personal Fall Arrest Systems

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... with the requirements in § 1926.502(d). Paragraphs (b), (c), (d) and (e) of this Appendix describe test... Appendix D of this subpart, the test methods listed here in Appendix C can also be used to assist employers... operation. (c) Strength test. (1) During the testing of all systems, a test weight of 300 pounds plus or...

29 CFR Appendix C to Subpart M of... - Personal Fall Arrest Systems

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... with the requirements in § 1926.502(d). Paragraphs (b), (c), (d) and (e) of this appendix describe test... appendix D of this subpart, the test methods listed here in appendix C can also be used to assist employers... operation. (c) Strength test. (1) During the testing of all systems, a test weight of 300 pounds plus or...

Individual Characteristics and Unit Performance: A Review of Research and Methods

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-02-01

behavioral segments, improves performance. Simu- lation exercises , especially those employing new high-technology devices, provide surrogate...high-technology training simulation exercise MOB Military Occupational Specialty ORTT Operational Readiness Training Test-a field test REALTRAIN A...REAListic TRAINing simulation exercise SAM Surface-to-Air Missile SAT Scholastic Aptitude Test SQT Skill Qualification Test-an Army performance meas

Interagency comparison of iodometric methods for ozone determination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Demore, W. B.; Romanovsky, J. C.; Feldstein, M.; Mueller, P. K.; Hamming, W. J.

1976-01-01

The California Air Resources Board appointed an Oxidant Calibration Committee for the purpose of evaluating the accuracy of the different agency calibration procedures. The committee chose UV absorption photometry as the reference method for ozone measurement. Interagency comparisons of the various iodometric methods were conducted relative to the ultraviolet standard. The tests included versions of the iodometric methods as employed by the Air Resources Board, the Los Angeles Air Pollution Control District, and the EPA. An alternative candidate reference method for ozone measurement, gas phase titration, was also included in the test series.

Applications of hybrid genetic algorithms in seismic tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soupios, Pantelis; Akca, Irfan; Mpogiatzis, Petros; Basokur, Ahmet T.; Papazachos, Constantinos

2011-11-01

Almost all earth sciences inverse problems are nonlinear and involve a large number of unknown parameters, making the application of analytical inversion methods quite restrictive. In practice, most analytical methods are local in nature and rely on a linearized form of the problem equations, adopting an iterative procedure which typically employs partial derivatives in order to optimize the starting (initial) model by minimizing a misfit (penalty) function. Unfortunately, especially for highly non-linear cases, the final model strongly depends on the initial model, hence it is prone to solution-entrapment in local minima of the misfit function, while the derivative calculation is often computationally inefficient and creates instabilities when numerical approximations are used. An alternative is to employ global techniques which do not rely on partial derivatives, are independent of the misfit form and are computationally robust. Such methods employ pseudo-randomly generated models (sampling an appropriately selected section of the model space) which are assessed in terms of their data-fit. A typical example is the class of methods known as genetic algorithms (GA), which achieves the aforementioned approximation through model representation and manipulations, and has attracted the attention of the earth sciences community during the last decade, with several applications already presented for several geophysical problems. In this paper, we examine the efficiency of the combination of the typical regularized least-squares and genetic methods for a typical seismic tomography problem. The proposed approach combines a local (LOM) and a global (GOM) optimization method, in an attempt to overcome the limitations of each individual approach, such as local minima and slow convergence, respectively. The potential of both optimization methods is tested and compared, both independently and jointly, using the several test models and synthetic refraction travel-time date sets that employ the same experimental geometry, wavelength and geometrical characteristics of the model anomalies. Moreover, real data from a crosswell tomographic project for the subsurface mapping of an ancient wall foundation are used for testing the efficiency of the proposed algorithm. The results show that the combined use of both methods can exploit the benefits of each approach, leading to improved final models and producing realistic velocity models, without significantly increasing the required computation time.

26 CFR 1.482-5 - Comparable profits method.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... distinguish it from potential uncontrolled comparables. (ii) Adjustments for tested party. The tested party's... functional differences generally have a greater effect on the relationship between profit and costs or sales... functional differences than the rate of return on capital employed. Therefore, closer functional...

26 CFR 1.482-5 - Comparable profits method.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... distinguish it from potential uncontrolled comparables. (ii) Adjustments for tested party. The tested party's... functional differences generally have a greater effect on the relationship between profit and costs or sales... functional differences than the rate of return on capital employed. Therefore, closer functional...

26 CFR 1.482-5 - Comparable profits method.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... distinguish it from potential uncontrolled comparables. (ii) Adjustments for tested party. The tested party's... functional differences generally have a greater effect on the relationship between profit and costs or sales... functional differences than the rate of return on capital employed. Therefore, closer functional...

26 CFR 1.482-5 - Comparable profits method.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... distinguish it from potential uncontrolled comparables. (ii) Adjustments for tested party. The tested party's... functional differences generally have a greater effect on the relationship between profit and costs or sales... functional differences than the rate of return on capital employed. Therefore, closer functional...

The Qtracer2 Program for Tracer-Breakthrough Curve Analysis for Tracer Tests in Karstic Aquifers and Other Hydrologic Systems (2002)

EPA Science Inventory

Tracer testing is generally regarded as the most reliable and efficient method of gathering surface and subsurface hydraulic information. This is especially true for karstic and fractured-rock aquifers. Qualitative tracing tests have been conventionally employed in most karst s...

Techniques employed by the NASA White Sands Test Facility to ensure oxygen system component safety

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stradling, J. S.; Pippen, D. L.; Frye, G. W.

1983-01-01

Methods of ascertaining the safety and suitability of a variety of oxygen system components are discussed. Additionally, qualification and batch control requirements for soft goods in oxygen systems are presented. Current oxygen system component qualification test activities in progress at White Sands Test Facility are described.

46 CFR 16.210 - Pre-employment testing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... test for dangerous drugs for that employer. (b) An employer may waive a pre-employment test required... 46 Shipping 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Pre-employment testing requirements. 16.210 Section 16... TESTING Required Chemical Testing § 16.210 Pre-employment testing requirements. (a) No marine employer...

46 CFR 16.210 - Pre-employment testing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... test for dangerous drugs for that employer. (b) An employer may waive a pre-employment test required... 46 Shipping 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Pre-employment testing requirements. 16.210 Section 16... TESTING Required Chemical Testing § 16.210 Pre-employment testing requirements. (a) No marine employer...

46 CFR 16.210 - Pre-employment testing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... test for dangerous drugs for that employer. (b) An employer may waive a pre-employment test required... 46 Shipping 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Pre-employment testing requirements. 16.210 Section 16... TESTING Required Chemical Testing § 16.210 Pre-employment testing requirements. (a) No marine employer...

46 CFR 16.210 - Pre-employment testing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... test for dangerous drugs for that employer. (b) An employer may waive a pre-employment test required... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Pre-employment testing requirements. 16.210 Section 16... TESTING Required Chemical Testing § 16.210 Pre-employment testing requirements. (a) No marine employer...

46 CFR 16.210 - Pre-employment testing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... test for dangerous drugs for that employer. (b) An employer may waive a pre-employment test required... 46 Shipping 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Pre-employment testing requirements. 16.210 Section 16... TESTING Required Chemical Testing § 16.210 Pre-employment testing requirements. (a) No marine employer...

Quality assessment of internet pharmaceutical products using traditional and non-traditional analytical techniques.

PubMed

Westenberger, Benjamin J; Ellison, Christopher D; Fussner, Andrew S; Jenney, Susan; Kolinski, Richard E; Lipe, Terra G; Lyon, Robbe C; Moore, Terry W; Revelle, Larry K; Smith, Anjanette P; Spencer, John A; Story, Kimberly D; Toler, Duckhee Y; Wokovich, Anna M; Buhse, Lucinda F

2005-12-08

This work investigated the use of non-traditional analytical methods to evaluate the quality of a variety of pharmaceutical products purchased via internet sites from foreign sources and compared the results with those obtained from conventional quality assurance methods. Traditional analytical techniques employing HPLC for potency, content uniformity, chromatographic purity and drug release profiles were used to evaluate the quality of five selected drug products (fluoxetine hydrochloride, levothyroxine sodium, metformin hydrochloride, phenytoin sodium, and warfarin sodium). Non-traditional techniques, such as near infrared spectroscopy (NIR), NIR imaging and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), were employed to verify the results and investigate their potential as alternative testing methods. Two of 20 samples failed USP monographs for quality attributes. The additional analytical methods found 11 of 20 samples had different formulations when compared to the U.S. product. Seven of the 20 samples arrived in questionable containers, and 19 of 20 had incomplete labeling. Only 1 of the 20 samples had final packaging similar to the U.S. products. The non-traditional techniques complemented the traditional techniques used and highlighted additional quality issues for the products tested. For example, these methods detected suspect manufacturing issues (such as blending), which were not evident from traditional testing alone.

Experimental Validation of the Dynamic Inertia Measurement Method to Find the Mass Properties of an Iron Bird Test Article

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chin, Alexander W.; Herrera, Claudia Y.; Spivey, Natalie D.; Fladung, William A.; Cloutier, David

2015-01-01

The mass properties of an aerospace vehicle are required by multiple disciplines in the analysis and prediction of flight behavior. Pendulum oscillation methods have been developed and employed for almost a century as a means to measure mass properties. However, these oscillation methods are costly, time consuming, and risky. The NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center has been investigating the Dynamic Inertia Measurement, or DIM method as a possible alternative to oscillation methods. The DIM method uses ground test techniques that are already applied to aerospace vehicles when conducting modal surveys. Ground vibration tests would require minimal additional instrumentation and time to apply the DIM method. The DIM method has been validated on smaller test articles, but has not yet been fully proven on large aerospace vehicles.

49 CFR 655.42 - Pre-employment alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive functions by every... test some covered employees and not others). (c) The employer must conduct the pre-employment tests...-employment alcohol test. (d) The employer must conduct all pre-employment alcohol tests using the alcohol...

49 CFR 655.42 - Pre-employment alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive functions by every... test some covered employees and not others). (c) The employer must conduct the pre-employment tests...-employment alcohol test. (d) The employer must conduct all pre-employment alcohol tests using the alcohol...

49 CFR 655.42 - Pre-employment alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive functions by every... test some covered employees and not others). (c) The employer must conduct the pre-employment tests...-employment alcohol test. (d) The employer must conduct all pre-employment alcohol tests using the alcohol...

49 CFR 655.42 - Pre-employment alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive functions by every... test some covered employees and not others). (c) The employer must conduct the pre-employment tests...-employment alcohol test. (d) The employer must conduct all pre-employment alcohol tests using the alcohol...

49 CFR 655.42 - Pre-employment alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive functions by every... test some covered employees and not others). (c) The employer must conduct the pre-employment tests...-employment alcohol test. (d) The employer must conduct all pre-employment alcohol tests using the alcohol...

Supercritical tests of a self-optimizing, variable-Camber wind tunnel model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levinsky, E. S.; Palko, R. L.

1979-01-01

A testing procedure was used in a 16-foot Transonic Propulsion Wind Tunnel which leads to optimum wing airfoil sections without stopping the tunnel for model changes. Being experimental, the optimum shapes obtained incorporate various three-dimensional and nonlinear viscous and transonic effects not included in analytical optimization methods. The method is a closed-loop, computer-controlled, interactive procedure and employs a Self-Optimizing Flexible Technology wing semispan model that conformally adapts the airfoil section at two spanwise control stations to maximize or minimize various prescribed merit functions subject to both equality and inequality constraints. The model, which employed twelve independent hydraulic actuator systems and flexible skins, was also used for conventional testing. Although six of seven optimizations attempted were at least partially convergent, further improvements in model skin smoothness and hydraulic reliability are required to make the technique fully operational.

Validation of Physics Standardized Test Items

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, Jill

2008-10-01

The Texas Physics Assessment Team (TPAT) examined the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) to determine whether it is a valid indicator of physics preparation for future course work and employment, and of the knowledge and skills needed to act as an informed citizen in a technological society. We categorized science items from the 2003 and 2004 10th and 11th grade TAKS by content area(s) covered, knowledge and skills required to select the correct answer, and overall quality. We also analyzed a 5000 student sample of item-level results from the 2004 11th grade exam using standard statistical methods employed by test developers (factor analysis and Item Response Theory). Triangulation of our results revealed strengths and weaknesses of the different methods of analysis. The TAKS was found to be only weakly indicative of physics preparation and we make recommendations for increasing the validity of standardized physics testing..

21 CFR 352.77 - Test modifications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... modification of the testing procedures in this subpart. In addition, alternative methods (including automated or in vitro procedures) employing the same basic procedures as those described in this subpart may be used. Any proposed modification or alternative procedure shall be submitted as a petition in accord...

21 CFR 352.77 - Test modifications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... modification of the testing procedures in this subpart. In addition, alternative methods (including automated or in vitro procedures) employing the same basic procedures as those described in this subpart may be used. Any proposed modification or alternative procedure shall be submitted as a petition in accord...

An investigation of new methods for estimating parameter sensitivities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beltracchi, Todd J.; Gabriele, Gary A.

1989-01-01

The method proposed for estimating sensitivity derivatives is based on the Recursive Quadratic Programming (RQP) method and in conjunction a differencing formula to produce estimates of the sensitivities. This method is compared to existing methods and is shown to be very competitive in terms of the number of function evaluations required. In terms of accuracy, the method is shown to be equivalent to a modified version of the Kuhn-Tucker method, where the Hessian of the Lagrangian is estimated using the BFS method employed by the RQP algorithm. Initial testing on a test set with known sensitivities demonstrates that the method can accurately calculate the parameter sensitivity.

Rheological behavior, zeta potential, and accelerated stability tests of Buriti oil (Mauritia flexuosa) emulsions containing lyotropic liquid crystals.

PubMed

Zanatta, Cinthia Fernanda; de Faria Sato, Anne Miwa Callejón; de Camargo, Flavio Bueno; Campos, Patrícia Maria Berardo Gonçalves Maia; Rocha-Filho, Pedro Alves

2010-01-01

It is well known that the Amazon region presents a huge biodiversity; therefore, countless natural resources are being employed in the production of phytocosmetics and phytomedicines. The purpose of this work was to obtain emulsions produced with Buriti oil and non-ionic surfactants. Two surfactant systems were employed (Steareth-2 associated to Ceteareth-5 and to Ceteareth-20) to produce the emulsions using phase diagram method. Emulsions were obtained by echo-planar imaging method at 75°C. Rheological behavior and zeta potential were evaluated, and accelerated stability tests were performed. All emulsions analyzed presented pseudoplastic behavior. Zeta potential values were obtained between -14.2 and -53.3 mV. The formulations did not show changes in either physical stability, pH, or rheological behavior after accelerated stability tests. Significant differences were observed only after temperature cycling test. Based on these results, the emulsions obtained could be considered as promising delivery systems.

Results of Investigative Tests of Gas Turbine Engine Compressor Blades Obtained by Electrochemical Machining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozhina, T. D.; Kurochkin, A. V.

2016-04-01

The paper highlights results of the investigative tests of GTE compressor Ti-alloy blades obtained by the method of electrochemical machining with oscillating tool-electrodes, carried out in order to define the optimal parameters of the ECM process providing attainment of specified blade quality parameters given in the design documentation, while providing maximal performance. The new technological methods suggested based on the results of the tests; in particular application of vibrating tool-electrodes and employment of locating elements made of high-strength materials, significantly extend the capabilities of this method.

Multishaker modal testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Craig, R. R., Jr.

1985-01-01

A component mode synthesis method for damped structures was developed and modal test methods were explored which could be employed to determine the relevant parameters required by the component mode synthesis method. Research was conducted on the following topics: (1) Development of a generalized time-domain component mode synthesis technique for damped systems; (2) Development of a frequency-domain component mode synthesis method for damped systems; and (3) Development of a system identification algorithm applicable to general damped systems. Abstracts are presented of the major publications which have been previously issued on these topics.

Speech Recognition and Cognitive Skills in Bimodal Cochlear Implant Users

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hua, Håkan; Johansson, Björn; Magnusson, Lennart; Lyxell, Björn; Ellis, Rachel J.

2017-01-01

Purpose: To examine the relation between speech recognition and cognitive skills in bimodal cochlear implant (CI) and hearing aid users. Method: Seventeen bimodal CI users (28-74 years) were recruited to the study. Speech recognition tests were carried out in quiet and in noise. The cognitive tests employed included the Reading Span Test and the…

49 CFR Appendix E to Part 240 - Recommended Procedures for Conducting Skill Performance Tests

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... experience difficulty in establishing an objective method of measuring an individual's skill level. Any... employ a written aid to help record events and procedures that as a minimum should be observed for when... developing such a written aid so as to ensure meaningful testing. When conducting a skills performance test...

49 CFR Appendix E to Part 240 - Recommended Procedures for Conducting Skill Performance Tests

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... experience difficulty in establishing an objective method of measuring an individual's skill level. Any... employ a written aid to help record events and procedures that as a minimum should be observed for when... developing such a written aid so as to ensure meaningful testing. When conducting a skills performance test...

49 CFR Appendix E to Part 240 - Recommended Procedures for Conducting Skill Performance Tests

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... experience difficulty in establishing an objective method of measuring an individual's skill level. Any... employ a written aid to help record events and procedures that as a minimum should be observed for when... developing such a written aid so as to ensure meaningful testing. When conducting a skills performance test...

Modal analysis using a Fourier analyzer, curve-fitting, and modal tuning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Craig, R. R., Jr.; Chung, Y. T.

1981-01-01

The proposed modal test program differs from single-input methods in that preliminary data may be acquired using multiple inputs, and modal tuning procedures may be employed to define closely spaced frquency modes more accurately or to make use of frequency response functions (FRF's) which are based on several input locations. In some respects the proposed modal test proram resembles earlier sine-sweep and sine-dwell testing in that broadband FRF's are acquired using several input locations, and tuning is employed to refine the modal parameter estimates. The major tasks performed in the proposed modal test program are outlined. Data acquisition and FFT processing, curve fitting, and modal tuning phases are described and examples are given to illustrate and evaluate them.

Model-Invariant Hybrid Computations of Separated Flows for RCA Standard Test Cases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodruff, Stephen

2016-01-01

NASA's Revolutionary Computational Aerosciences (RCA) subproject has identified several smooth-body separated flows as standard test cases to emphasize the challenge these flows present for computational methods and their importance to the aerospace community. Results of computations of two of these test cases, the NASA hump and the FAITH experiment, are presented. The computations were performed with the model-invariant hybrid LES-RANS formulation, implemented in the NASA code VULCAN-CFD. The model- invariant formulation employs gradual LES-RANS transitions and compensation for model variation to provide more accurate and efficient hybrid computations. Comparisons revealed that the LES-RANS transitions employed in these computations were sufficiently gradual that the compensating terms were unnecessary. Agreement with experiment was achieved only after reducing the turbulent viscosity to mitigate the effect of numerical dissipation. The stream-wise evolution of peak Reynolds shear stress was employed as a measure of turbulence dynamics in separated flows useful for evaluating computations.

Field validation of the dnph method for aldehydes and ketones. Final report

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

Workman, G.S.; Steger, J.L.

1996-04-01

A stationary source emission test method for selected aldehydes and ketones has been validated. The method employs a sampling train with impingers containing 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) to derivatize the analytes. The resulting hydrazones are recovered and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. Nine analytes were studied; the method was validated for formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, acetophenone and isophorone. Acrolein, menthyl ethyl ketone, menthyl isobutyl ketone, and quinone did not meet the validation criteria. The study employed the validation techniques described in EPA method 301, which uses train spiking to determine bias, and collocated sampling trains to determine precision. The studies were carriedmore » out at a plywood veneer dryer and a polyester manufacturing plant.« less

Improved detection of DNA-binding proteins via compression technology on PSSM information.

PubMed

Wang, Yubo; Ding, Yijie; Guo, Fei; Wei, Leyi; Tang, Jijun

2017-01-01

Since the importance of DNA-binding proteins in multiple biomolecular functions has been recognized, an increasing number of researchers are attempting to identify DNA-binding proteins. In recent years, the machine learning methods have become more and more compelling in the case of protein sequence data soaring, because of their favorable speed and accuracy. In this paper, we extract three features from the protein sequence, namely NMBAC (Normalized Moreau-Broto Autocorrelation), PSSM-DWT (Position-specific scoring matrix-Discrete Wavelet Transform), and PSSM-DCT (Position-specific scoring matrix-Discrete Cosine Transform). We also employ feature selection algorithm on these feature vectors. Then, these features are fed into the training SVM (support vector machine) model as classifier to predict DNA-binding proteins. Our method applys three datasets, namely PDB1075, PDB594 and PDB186, to evaluate the performance of our approach. The PDB1075 and PDB594 datasets are employed for Jackknife test and the PDB186 dataset is used for the independent test. Our method achieves the best accuracy in the Jacknife test, from 79.20% to 86.23% and 80.5% to 86.20% on PDB1075 and PDB594 datasets, respectively. In the independent test, the accuracy of our method comes to 76.3%. The performance of independent test also shows that our method has a certain ability to be effectively used for DNA-binding protein prediction. The data and source code are at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.5104084.

A bibliography on formal methods for system specification, design and validation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, J. F.; Furchtgott, D. G.; Movaghar, A.

1982-01-01

Literature on the specification, design, verification, testing, and evaluation of avionics systems was surveyed, providing 655 citations. Journal papers, conference papers, and technical reports are included. Manual and computer-based methods were employed. Keywords used in the online search are listed.

Job Satisfaction of University Faculty.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Onuoha, Alphonso R. A.

1980-01-01

In testing Herzberg's two-factor theory of job satisfaction, it was found that theories of job satisfaction may be closely related to the methods used in collecting data; hence, the results of studies employing different methods raise questions about the validity of a particular theory. (Author/IRT)

Test-taking Intervention: Associated Effects on an Allied Health Certifying Examination.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frierson, Henry T., Jr.

1985-01-01

An interventionist approach focusing primarily on effective test-taking methods, but also emphasizing self-assessment and self-directed learning, was employed in efforts to enhance a class of medical technology students' performance on the American Society of Clinical Pathologists Registry Examination for medical technologists. (Author/CT)

21 CFR 58.185 - Reporting of nonclinical laboratory study results.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...) Statistical methods employed for analyzing the data. (4) The test and control articles identified by name... characteristics. (5) Stability of the test and control articles under the conditions of administration. (6) A... scientists or professionals, and the names of all supervisory personnel, involved in the study. (11) A...

Investigating Learning with an Interactive Tutorial: A Mixed-Methods Strategy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Villiers, M. R.; Becker, Daphne

2017-01-01

From the perspective of parallel mixed-methods research, this paper describes interactivity research that employed usability-testing technology to analyse cognitive learning processes; personal learning styles and times; and errors-and-recovery of learners using an interactive e-learning tutorial called "Relations." "Relations"…

Comparative studies of copy number variation detection methods for next-generation sequencing technologies.

PubMed

Duan, Junbo; Zhang, Ji-Gang; Deng, Hong-Wen; Wang, Yu-Ping

2013-01-01

Copy number variation (CNV) has played an important role in studies of susceptibility or resistance to complex diseases. Traditional methods such as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) suffer from low resolution of genomic regions. Following the emergence of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, CNV detection methods based on the short read data have recently been developed. However, due to the relatively young age of the procedures, their performance is not fully understood. To help investigators choose suitable methods to detect CNVs, comparative studies are needed. We compared six publicly available CNV detection methods: CNV-seq, FREEC, readDepth, CNVnator, SegSeq and event-wise testing (EWT). They are evaluated both on simulated and real data with different experiment settings. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve is employed to demonstrate the detection performance in terms of sensitivity and specificity, box plot is employed to compare their performances in terms of breakpoint and copy number estimation, Venn diagram is employed to show the consistency among these methods, and F-score is employed to show the overlapping quality of detected CNVs. The computational demands are also studied. The results of our work provide a comprehensive evaluation on the performances of the selected CNV detection methods, which will help biological investigators choose the best possible method.

An Analysis of Research Methods and Statistical Techniques Used by Doctoral Dissertation at the Education Sciences in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karadag, Engin

2010-01-01

To assess research methods and analysis of statistical techniques employed by educational researchers, this study surveyed unpublished doctoral dissertation from 2003 to 2007. Frequently used research methods consisted of experimental research; a survey; a correlational study; and a case study. Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, factor…

Assessing and comparison of different machine learning methods in parent-offspring trios for genotype imputation.

PubMed

Mikhchi, Abbas; Honarvar, Mahmood; Kashan, Nasser Emam Jomeh; Aminafshar, Mehdi

2016-06-21

Genotype imputation is an important tool for prediction of unknown genotypes for both unrelated individuals and parent-offspring trios. Several imputation methods are available and can either employ universal machine learning methods, or deploy algorithms dedicated to infer missing genotypes. In this research the performance of eight machine learning methods: Support Vector Machine, K-Nearest Neighbors, Extreme Learning Machine, Radial Basis Function, Random Forest, AdaBoost, LogitBoost, and TotalBoost compared in terms of the imputation accuracy, computation time and the factors affecting imputation accuracy. The methods employed using real and simulated datasets to impute the un-typed SNPs in parent-offspring trios. The tested methods show that imputation of parent-offspring trios can be accurate. The Random Forest and Support Vector Machine were more accurate than the other machine learning methods. The TotalBoost performed slightly worse than the other methods.The running times were different between methods. The ELM was always most fast algorithm. In case of increasing the sample size, the RBF requires long imputation time.The tested methods in this research can be an alternative for imputation of un-typed SNPs in low missing rate of data. However, it is recommended that other machine learning methods to be used for imputation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Resting-state fMRI data reflects default network activity rather than null data: A defense of commonly employed methods to correct for multiple comparisons.

PubMed

Slotnick, Scott D

2017-07-01

Analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data typically involves over one hundred thousand independent statistical tests; therefore, it is necessary to correct for multiple comparisons to control familywise error. In a recent paper, Eklund, Nichols, and Knutsson used resting-state fMRI data to evaluate commonly employed methods to correct for multiple comparisons and reported unacceptable rates of familywise error. Eklund et al.'s analysis was based on the assumption that resting-state fMRI data reflect null data; however, their 'null data' actually reflected default network activity that inflated familywise error. As such, Eklund et al.'s results provide no basis to question the validity of the thousands of published fMRI studies that have corrected for multiple comparisons or the commonly employed methods to correct for multiple comparisons.

Gram stain method shows better sensitivity than clinical criteria for detection of bacterial vaginosis in surveillance of pregnant, low-income women in a clinical setting.

PubMed Central

Tam, M T; Yungbluth, M; Myles, T

1998-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study is to determine whether the Gram stain method is superior to the clinical criteria for the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis in low-income pregnant women seen in a resident clinic setting. The clinical criteria is the current diagnostic method employed to diagnose bacterial vaginosis. STUDY DESIGN: In this study, 51 pregnant women with vaginal discharge were prospectively evaluated. All were screened using the clinical criteria, Gram stain method, and culture of the discharge. The modified scoring system instituted by Nugent et al. (J Clin Microbiol 29:297-301, 1991) was employed in reading the Gram stain smears. The clinical criteria were then compared with the Gram stain method. Isolation of moderate to many Gardnerella vaginalis growth by culture was used as the confirmatory finding. RESULTS: Sensitivity of the Gram stain method (91%) was significantly higher than that of the clinical criteria (46%), (sign test P = 0.0023, < 0.01). The Gram stain method also has both a low false-negative (4%) and high negative predictive value (96%), making it an ideal diagnostic test. CONCLUSION: The Gram stain method is a rapid and cost-effective test that is also highly reproducible and readily available in many laboratories. These features make the Gram stain method a more desirable screening procedure for bacterial vaginosis in a clinic population. PMID:9894174

Hepatic encephalopathy before and neurological complications after liver transplantation have no impact on the employment status 1 year after transplantation

PubMed Central

Pflugrad, Henning; Tryc, Anita B; Goldbecker, Annemarie; Strassburg, Christian P; Barg-Hock, Hannelore; Klempnauer, Jürgen; Weissenborn, Karin

2017-01-01

AIM To investigate the impact of hepatic encephalopathy before orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) and neurological complications after OLT on employment after OLT. METHODS One hundred and fourteen patients with chronic liver disease aged 18-60 years underwent neurological examination to identify neurological complications, neuropsychological tests comprising the PSE-Syndrome-Test yielding the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score, the critical flicker frequency and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), completed a questionnaire concerning their occupation and filled in the short form 36 (SF-36) to assess health-related quality of life before OLT and 12 mo after OLT, if possible. Sixty-eight (59.6%) patients were recruited before OLT, while on the waiting list for OLT at Hannover Medical School [age: 48.7 ± 10.2 years, 45 (66.2%) male], and 46 (40.4%) patients were included directly after OLT. RESULTS Before OLT 43.0% of the patients were employed. The patients not employed before OLT were more often non-academics (employed: Academic/non-academic 16 (34.0%)/31 vs not employed 10 (17.6%)/52, P = 0.04), had more frequently a history of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) (yes/no; employed 15 (30.6%)/34 vs not employed 32 (49.2%)/33, P = 0.05) and achieved worse results in psychometric tests (RBANS sum score mean ± SD employed 472.1 ± 44.5 vs not employed 443.1 ± 56.7, P = 0.04) than those employed. Ten patients (18.2%), who were not employed before OLT, resumed work afterwards. The patients employed after OLT were younger [age median (range, min-max) employed 47 (42, 18-60) vs not employed 50 (31, 29-60), P = 0.01], achieved better results in the psychometric tests (RBANS sum score mean ± SD employed 490.7 ± 48.2 vs not employed 461.0 ± 54.5, P = 0.02) and had a higher health-related quality of life (SF 36 sum score mean ± SD employed 627.0 ± 138.1 vs not employed 433.7 ± 160.8; P < 0.001) compared to patients not employed after OLT. Employment before OLT (P < 0.001), age (P < 0.01) and SF-36 sum score 12 mo after OLT (P < 0.01) but not HE before OLT or neurological complications after OLT were independent predictors of the employment status after OLT. CONCLUSION HE before and neurological complications after OLT have no impact on the employment status 12 mo after OLT. Instead younger age and employment before OLT predict employment one year after OLT. PMID:28443157

Psychoactive Substance Use and School Performance among Adolescents in Public Secondary Schools in Uganda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rukundo, Aloysius; Kibanja, Grace; Steffens, Karl

2014-01-01

Introduction: Psychoactive substance use among adolescents influences behavioral and cognitive processes and is associated with adolescents' performance in school. We therefore sought to investigate association of PASU with adolescents' school performance. Methods: We employed quantitative methods of data collection and analysis. To test the…

Razalas' Grouping Method and Mathematics Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salazar, Douglas A.

2015-01-01

This study aimed to raise the achievement level of students in Integral Calculus using Direct Instruction with Razalas' Method of Grouping. The study employed qualitative and quantitative analysis relative to data generated by the Achievement Test and Math journal with follow-up interview. Within the framework of the limitations of the study, the…

Handsheet formation and mechanical testing via fiber-level simulations

Treesearch

Leonard H. Switzer; Daniel J. Klingenberg; C. Tim Scott

2004-01-01

A fiber model and simulation method are employed to investigate the mechanical response of planar fiber networks subjected to elongational deformation. The simulated responses agree qualitatively with numerous experimental observations. suggesting that such simulation methods may be useful for probing the relationships between fiber properties and interactions and the...

INTERLABORATORY STUDY OF THE COLD VAPOR TECHNIQUE FOR TOTAL MERCURY IN WATER

EPA Science Inventory

The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted a joint study of the cold vapor technique for total mercury in water, before formal acceptance of the method by each organization. The method employs an acid-permang...

The Impact of Collaboration, Empowerment, and Choice: An Empirical Examination of the Collaborative Course Development Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aiken, K. Damon; Heinze, Timothy C.; Meuter, Matthew L.; Chapman, Kenneth J.

2017-01-01

This research empirically tests collaborative course development (CCD)-a pedagogy presented in the 2016 "Marketing Education Review Special Issue on Teaching Innovations". A team of researchers taught experimental courses using CCD methods (employing various techniques including syllabus building, "flex-tures," free-choice…

Aircraft propeller induced structure-borne noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Unruh, James F.

1989-01-01

A laboratory-based test apparatus employing components typical of aircraft construction was developed that would allow the study of structure-borne noise transmission due to propeller induced wake/vortex excitation of in-wake structural appendages. The test apparatus was employed to evaluate several aircraft installation effects (power plant placement, engine/nacelle mass loading, and wing/fuselage attachment methods) and several structural response modifications for structure-borne noise control (the use of wing blocking mass/fuel, wing damping treaments, and tuned mechanical dampers). Most important was the development of in-flight structure-borne noise transmission detection techniques using a combination of ground-based frequency response function testing and in-flight structural response measurement. Propeller wake/vortex excitation simulation techniques for improved ground-based testing were also developed to support the in-flight structure-borne noise transmission detection development.

49 CFR 382.301 - Pre-employment testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... ALCOHOL USE AND TESTING Tests Required § 382.301 Pre-employment testing. (a) Prior to the first time a... 40 of this title, the employer shall conduct a pre-employment controlled substances test. (d) An...: (1) It must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive...

49 CFR 382.301 - Pre-employment testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... ALCOHOL USE AND TESTING Tests Required § 382.301 Pre-employment testing. (a) Prior to the first time a... 40 of this title, the employer shall conduct a pre-employment controlled substances test. (d) An...: (1) It must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive...

49 CFR 382.301 - Pre-employment testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... ALCOHOL USE AND TESTING Tests Required § 382.301 Pre-employment testing. (a) Prior to the first time a... 40 of this title, the employer shall conduct a pre-employment controlled substances test. (d) An...: (1) It must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive...

49 CFR 382.301 - Pre-employment testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... ALCOHOL USE AND TESTING Tests Required § 382.301 Pre-employment testing. (a) Prior to the first time a... 40 of this title, the employer shall conduct a pre-employment controlled substances test. (d) An...: (1) It must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive...

The Effect of Situated Learning on Students Vocational English Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Özüdogru, Melike; Özüdogru, Fatma

2017-01-01

The current study aimed to find out the effect of situated learning on students' Vocational English learning. This research employed a mixed method research design. In the quantitative part of the study, pre-tests and post-tests were implemented to investigate the differences in students' vocational English learning between the experimental and…

Critical assessment of jet erosion test methodologies for cohesive soil and sediment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The submerged Jet Erosion Test (JET) is a commonly used technique to assess the erodibility of cohesive soil. Employing a linear excess shear stress equation and impinging jet theory, simple numerical methods have been developed to analyze data collected using a JET to determine the critical shear s...

Construction and Validation of an Instrument to Measure Environmental Orientations in a Diverse Group of Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larson, Lincoln R.; Green, Gary T.; Castleberry, Steven B.

2011-01-01

An understanding of children's environmental orientations is of critical importance as opportunities for authentic contact with nature diminish. Current instruments for measuring children's environmental attitudes are complex, and few have been tested across diverse audiences. This study employed a mixed-methods approach that included pilot tests,…

Relationship between Study Habits and Test Anxiety of Higher Secondary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawrence, Arul A. S.

2014-01-01

The present study aims to probe the relationship between study habits and test anxiety of higher secondary students. In this normative study survey method was employed. The population for the present study consisted of higher secondary students studying in Tirunelveli district. The investigator used the simple random sampling technique. The sample…

Keys to a drug-free workplace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fortuna, Joseph J.; Fortuna, Patricia B.

1997-01-01

What does it take to establish a drug free work place. Are technologies available other than urine testing for pre- employment screening and monitoring of employees. Various methods are now available to screen for illicit drug residues on items handled by individuals. The residues can be acquired from the surfaces of items such as telephones, door knobs, steering wheels, lockers, clothing, identification cards, etc. Test kits are also available for urine testing at NIDA threshold levels. Analysis of hair, saliva, and sweat is now possible. How good ar these methods and kits. What value are they to the public. What are the legal concerns facing employers. What do the screening test show. These questions and others are addressed in this paper. The authors review for the reader how drug abuse by US workers costs businesses. The paper then addresses the various aspects of the DOT regulations to determine why urine analysis (UA) is insufficient to eliminate drug abuse. The authors present applications of screening technologies in addition to UA. Finally, the authors provide a conclusion of findings and recommendations for businesses that truly want or need drug free work places.

Current practice trends in allergy: results of a united states survey of otolaryngologists, allergist-immunologists, and primary care physicians.

PubMed

Ryan, Matthew W; Marple, Bradley F; Leatherman, Bryan; Mims, J Whit; Fornadley, John; Veling, Maria; Lin, Sandra Y

2014-10-01

Clinical practices for the diagnosis and treatment of allergic disease evolve over time in response to a variety of forces. The techniques used by various physician specialties are not clearly defined and may vary from published descriptions or recommendations in the literature. This work is a Web-based survey enrolling 250 U.S. physicians in the following specialties: otolaryngology (ENT), allergy-immunology (A/I), and primary care (PCP). Respondents reported that skin-prick testing is the most common diagnostic testing method, followed by in vitro specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) testing. ENTs were more likely to use intradermal testing compared to other specialties (p = 0.0003 vs A/I; p < 0.0001 vs PCP). Respondents reported a wide distribution in number of allergens tested, regardless of testing method (range, 11 to >60). Significant use of home immunotherapy injections (defined as >10% of immunotherapy patients) ranged from 27% to 36% of physicians, with no statistically significant difference noted based upon specialty. PCPs reported greater use of sublingual immunotherapy (PCP, 68%; A/I, 45%; otolaryngology, 35%; A/I vs PCP, p = 0.005; ENT vs PCP p < 0.001)). A variety of allergy testing and treatment methods are employed by U.S. physicians, with some differences noted based upon specialty. Home immunotherapy continues to be employed in allergy practices, and sublingual immunotherapy is a common form of delivery, especially in primary care practices. © 2014 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

A hybrid localization technique for patient tracking.

PubMed

Rodionov, Denis; Kolev, George; Bushminkin, Kirill

2013-01-01

Nowadays numerous technologies are employed for tracking patients and assets in hospitals or nursing homes. Each of them has advantages and drawbacks. For example, WiFi localization has relatively good accuracy but cannot be used in case of power outage or in the areas with poor WiFi coverage. Magnetometer positioning or cellular network does not have such problems but they are not as accurate as localization with WiFi. This paper describes technique that simultaneously employs different localization technologies for enhancing stability and average accuracy of localization. The proposed algorithm is based on fingerprinting method paired with data fusion and prediction algorithms for estimating the object location. The core idea of the algorithm is technology fusion using error estimation methods. For testing accuracy and performance of the algorithm testing simulation environment has been implemented. Significant accuracy improvement was showed in practical scenarios.

A Study of Applying Pulsed Remote Field Eddy Current in Ferromagnetic Pipes Testing

PubMed Central

Luo, Qingwang; Shi, Yibing; Wang, Zhigang; Zhang, Wei; Li, Yanjun

2017-01-01

Pulsed Remote Field Eddy Current Testing (PRFECT) attracts the attention in the testing of ferromagnetic pipes because of its continuous spectrum. This paper simulated the practical PRFECT of pipes by using ANSYS software and employed Least Squares Support Vector Regression (LSSVR) to extract the zero-crossing time to analyze the pipe thickness. As a result, a secondary peak is found in zero-crossing time when transmitter passed by a defect. The secondary peak will lead to wrong quantification and the localization of defects, especially when defects are found only at the transmitter location. Aiming to eliminate the secondary peaks, double sensing coils are set in the transition zone and Wiener deconvolution filter is applied. In the proposed method, position dependent response of the differential signals from the double sensing coils is calibrated by employing zero-mean normalization. The methods proposed in this paper are validated by analyzing the simulation signals and can improve the practicality of PRFECT of ferromagnetic pipes. PMID:28475141

A Study of Applying Pulsed Remote Field Eddy Current in Ferromagnetic Pipes Testing.

PubMed

Luo, Qingwang; Shi, Yibing; Wang, Zhigang; Zhang, Wei; Li, Yanjun

2017-05-05

Pulsed Remote Field Eddy Current Testing (PRFECT) attracts the attention in the testing of ferromagnetic pipes because of its continuous spectrum. This paper simulated the practical PRFECT of pipes by using ANSYS software and employed Least Squares Support Vector Regression (LSSVR) to extract the zero-crossing time to analyze the pipe thickness. As a result, a secondary peak is found in zero-crossing time when transmitter passed by a defect. The secondary peak will lead to wrong quantification and the localization of defects, especially when defects are found only at the transmitter location. Aiming to eliminate the secondary peaks, double sensing coils are set in the transition zone and Wiener deconvolution filter is applied. In the proposed method, position dependent response of the differential signals from the double sensing coils is calibrated by employing zero-mean normalization. The methods proposed in this paper are validated by analyzing the simulation signals and can improve the practicality of PRFECT of ferromagnetic pipes.

Production of an anti-dermatophyte monoclonal antibody and its application: immunochromatographic detection of dermatophytes

PubMed Central

Noriki, Sakon; Ishida, Hisaya

2016-01-01

Tinea refers to superficial infection with one of three fungal genera—Microsporum, Epidermophyton, or Trichophyton—that are collectively known as dermatophytes. These infections are among the most common diseases worldwide and cause chronic morbidity. They are usually diagnosed by direct microscopy and fungal culture, which are burdensome to perform in the clinical setting. To supplement conventional methods, we developed a new method that employs an immunochromatography test for detection of dermatophyte infections. First, anti-Trichophyton monoclonal antibodies (mAb) were produced in mice using a Trichophyton allergen solution as an immunogen. The mAb specificity was assessed by immunostaining alcohol fixed slide cultures and formalin fixed paraffin-embedded microbial samples. Both alcohol- and formalin-fixed samples of all seven species of Trichophyton tested displayed positive immunostaining. Immunochromatography test strips were created using the anti-Trichophyton mAb. The efficiency of the test strip was assessed in patients diagnosed with tinea unguium and in healthy volunteers. Of the 20 patient nails tested, 19 tested positive and one tested negative, whereas of the 17 volunteer nails, only one tested positive. However, KOH microscopic examination of the volunteer nail that tested positive revealed the existence of Trichophyton hyphae. Although the number of nails assayed was small, since the assay had a sensitivity of 95.0% (19/20) and a specificity of 94.1% (16/17), the obtained results were considered to be promising. Thus, while further investigation with a greater number of samples is necessary, this method could potentially be employed as a new diagnostic tool for Trichophyton in the future. PMID:27250927

Recent statistical methods for orientation data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batschelet, E.

1972-01-01

The application of statistical methods for determining the areas of animal orientation and navigation are discussed. The method employed is limited to the two-dimensional case. Various tests for determining the validity of the statistical analysis are presented. Mathematical models are included to support the theoretical considerations and tables of data are developed to show the value of information obtained by statistical analysis.

Microfluidic systems and methods of transport and lysis of cells and analysis of cell lysate

DOEpatents

Culbertson, Christopher T.; Jacobson, Stephen C.; McClain, Maxine A.; Ramsey, J. Michael

2004-08-31

Microfluidic systems and methods are disclosed which are adapted to transport and lyse cellular components of a test sample for analysis. The disclosed microfluidic systems and methods, which employ an electric field to rupture the cell membrane, cause unusually rapid lysis, thereby minimizing continued cellular activity and resulting in greater accuracy of analysis of cell processes.

Microfluidic systems and methods for transport and lysis of cells and analysis of cell lysate

DOEpatents

Culbertson, Christopher T [Oak Ridge, TN; Jacobson, Stephen C [Knoxville, TN; McClain, Maxine A [Knoxville, TN; Ramsey, J Michael [Knoxville, TN

2008-09-02

Microfluidic systems and methods are disclosed which are adapted to transport and lyse cellular components of a test sample for analysis. The disclosed microfluidic systems and methods, which employ an electric field to rupture the cell membrane, cause unusually rapid lysis, thereby minimizing continued cellular activity and resulting in greater accuracy of analysis of cell processes.

Prenotification, Incentives, and Survey Modality: An Experimental Test of Methods to Increase Survey Response Rates of School Principals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacob, Robin Tepper; Jacob, Brian

2012-01-01

Teacher and principal surveys are among the most common data collection techniques employed in education research. Yet there is remarkably little research on survey methods in education, or about the most cost-effective way to raise response rates among teachers and principals. In an effort to explore various methods for increasing survey response…

Methods of biological dosimetry employing chromosome-specific staining

DOEpatents

Gray, Joe W.; Pinkel, Daniel

2000-01-01

Methods and compositions for staining based upon nucleic acid sequence that employ nucleic acid probes are provided. Said methods produce staining patterns that can be tailored for specific cytogenetic analyses. Said probes are appropriate for in situ hybridization and stain both interphase and metaphase chromosomal material with reliable signals. The nucleic acid probes are typically of a complexity greater than 50 kb, the complexity depending upon the cytogenetic application. Methods are provided to disable the hybridization capacity of shared, high copy repetitive sequences and/or remove such sequences to provide for useful contrast. Still further methods are provided to produce chromosome-specific staining reagents which are made specific to the targeted chromosomal material, which can be one or more whole chromosomes, one or more regions on one or more chromosomes, subsets of chromosomes and/or the entire genome. Probes and test kits are provided for use in tumor cytogenetics, in the detection of disease related loci, in analysis of structural abnormalities, such as translocations, and for biological dosimetry. Further, methods and prenatal test kits are provided to stain targeted chromosomal material of fetal cells, including fetal cells obtained from maternal blood. Still further, the invention provides for automated means to detect and analyse chromosomal abnormalities.

Comparison of counter-immunoelectrophoresis with other serological tests in the diagnosis of human brucellosis

PubMed Central

Díaz, R.; Maravi-Poma, E.; Rivero, A.

1976-01-01

Sera from 65 persons with clinical brucellosis were employed in a comparison of standard and rapid serological tests. The results obtained with the Rose Bengal test correlated very well with those of the standard tube agglutination test, whereas results with the rapid plate agglutination test and the Coombs (antiglobulin) test were inferior. Absorption of patients' sera with specific anti-human immunoglobulin sera showed that IgM was active in the Rose Bengal test but not in the Coombs test, whereas IgG and IgA were active in both tests. In addition to the A & M antigen, which plays the most important role in the agglutination, Rose Bengal, and Coombs tests, other antigenic fractions of Brucella were examined in precipitation tests. A protein antigen reacted with 94% of the sera in counter-immunoelectrophoresis. On the basis of the results with both groups of sera, the Rose Bengal test and counter-immunoelectrophoresis appear to be the most promising methods for diagnosing clinical brucellosis. The tests differ qualitatively since different Brucella antigens are employed. PMID:791532

Clinical experimental stress studies: methods and assessment.

PubMed

Bali, Anjana; Jaggi, Amteshwar Singh

2015-01-01

Stress is a state of threatened homeostasis during which a variety of adaptive processes are activated to produce physiological and behavioral changes. Stress induction methods are pivotal for understanding these physiological or pathophysiological changes in the body in response to stress. Furthermore, these methods are also important for the development of novel pharmacological agents for stress management. The well-described methods to induce stress in humans include the cold pressor test, Trier Social Stress Test, Montreal Imaging Stress Task, Maastricht Acute Stress Test, CO2 challenge test, Stroop test, Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task, noise stress, and Mannheim Multicomponent Stress Test. Stress assessment in humans is done by measuring biochemical markers such as cortisol, cortisol awakening response, dexamethasone suppression test, salivary α-amylase, plasma/urinary norepinephrine, norepinephrine spillover rate, and interleukins. Physiological and behavioral changes such as galvanic skin response, heart rate variability, pupil size, and muscle and/or skin sympathetic nerve activity (microneurography) and cardiovascular parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure, and self-reported anxiety are also monitored to assess stress response. This present review describes these commonly employed methods to induce stress in humans along with stress assessment methods.

Manual of Scaling Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bond, Thomas H. (Technical Monitor); Anderson, David N.

2004-01-01

This manual reviews the derivation of the similitude relationships believed to be important to ice accretion and examines ice-accretion data to evaluate their importance. Both size scaling and test-condition scaling methods employing the resulting similarity parameters are described, and experimental icing tests performed to evaluate scaling methods are reviewed with results. The material included applies primarily to unprotected, unswept geometries, but some discussion of how to approach other situations is included as well. The studies given here and scaling methods considered are applicable only to Appendix-C icing conditions. Nearly all of the experimental results presented have been obtained in sea-level tunnels. Recommendations are given regarding which scaling methods to use for both size scaling and test-condition scaling, and icing test results are described to support those recommendations. Facility limitations and size-scaling restrictions are discussed. Finally, appendices summarize the air, water and ice properties used in NASA scaling studies, give expressions for each of the similarity parameters used and provide sample calculations for the size-scaling and test-condition scaling methods advocated.

Determinants of HIV testing and receipt of test results among adolescent girls in Nigeria: the role of assets and decision-making.

PubMed

Iwelunmor, Juliet; Blackstone, Sarah; Jennings, Larissa; Converse, Donaldson; Ehiri, John; Curley, Jami

2018-04-09

Purpose Many adolescent girls in Nigeria do not test for HIV despite being at high risk. While the influence of psychosocial factors on HIV testing has been examined, there is less evidence regarding the impact of assets and control of assets on HIV testing. This study investigated the protective effects of specific adolescent girls' assets on decision-making regarding HIV testing. Methods Cross-sectional data from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey was analyzed. The main outcome variables were self-reports of having been tested for HIV and knowledge of a place that offers HIV testing. Binary logistic regression was used with employment, education, wealth index, home ownership, land ownership and decision making as potential predictors. Demographic characteristics were controlled in the analysis. Results Age [odds ratio (OR = 1.49)], employment (OR = 3.38), education (OR = 3.16), wealth index (OR = 1.33) and decision making (OR = 3.16) were positively associated with HIV testing. Age (OR = 1.20), employment (OR = 1.33), education (OR = 1.38), wealth (OR = 1.64), land ownership (OR = 1.42), and decision making (OR = 1.26) were positively associated with knowledge of an HIV testing location. Conclusion Our findings suggest that assets play an important role with HIV testing decisions for adolescent girls. Further research to elucidate the specific asset-based needs of adolescent girls will be needed to enhance decisions surrounding uptake of HIV testing and receipt of test results in Nigeria.

The wood cylinder method of measuring forest inflammability

Treesearch

H. T. Gisborne

1933-01-01

The best test of the practicability of any new method or device is the actual trial by numerous users who are interested only in the end product, and who have no special interest in the means employed to reach that end. Such users are not inclined to give the new method the advantage of any doubts, and they are particularly critical of the method or device insofar as...

The Effects of Cognitive Conflict Management on Cognitive Development and Science Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Budiman, Zainol Badli; Halim, Lilia; Mohd Meerah, Subahan; Osman, Kamisah

2014-01-01

Three teaching methods were compared in this study, namely a Cognitive Conflict Management Module (CCM) that is infused into Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education (CASE), (Module A) CASE without CCM (Module B) and a conventional teaching method. This study employed a pre- and post-test quasi-experimental design using non-equivalent…

Evaluation of Short-Term Bioassays to Predict Functional Impairment. Selected Short-Term Renal Toxicity Tests.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-10-01

reported using the method of Gentzkow (1942), which involves conversion of urea to ammonia with urease and measurement of the ammonia by...Nesslerization. Methods employing urease are not well suited for automated analysis since an incubation time of about 20 minutes is required for the conversion of

Utility of Work Samples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muchinsky, Paul M.

1975-01-01

A work sample test can provide a high degree of content validity, and offers a practical method of screening job applicants in accordance with guidelines on employee selection procedures set forth by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (MW)

Molecular diffusion of stable water isotopes in polar firn as a proxy for past temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holme, Christian; Gkinis, Vasileios; Vinther, Bo M.

2018-03-01

Polar precipitation archived in ice caps contains information on past temperature conditions. Such information can be retrieved by measuring the water isotopic signals of δ18O and δD in ice cores. These signals have been attenuated during densification due to molecular diffusion in the firn column, where the magnitude of the diffusion is isotopologue specific and temperature dependent. By utilizing the differential diffusion signal, dual isotope measurements of δ18O and δD enable multiple temperature reconstruction techniques. This study assesses how well six different methods can be used to reconstruct past surface temperatures from the diffusion-based temperature proxies. Two of the methods are based on the single diffusion lengths of δ18O and δD , three of the methods employ the differential diffusion signal, while the last uses the ratio between the single diffusion lengths. All techniques are tested on synthetic data in order to evaluate their accuracy and precision. We perform a benchmark test to thirteen high resolution Holocene data sets from Greenland and Antarctica, which represent a broad range of mean annual surface temperatures and accumulation rates. Based on the benchmark test, we comment on the accuracy and precision of the methods. Both the benchmark test and the synthetic data test demonstrate that the most precise reconstructions are obtained when using the single isotope diffusion lengths, with precisions of approximately 1.0 °C . In the benchmark test, the single isotope diffusion lengths are also found to reconstruct consistent temperatures with a root-mean-square-deviation of 0.7 °C . The techniques employing the differential diffusion signals are more uncertain, where the most precise method has a precision of 1.9 °C . The diffusion length ratio method is the least precise with a precision of 13.7 °C . The absolute temperature estimates from this method are also shown to be highly sensitive to the choice of fractionation factor parameterization.

49 CFR 199.209 - Other requirements imposed by operators.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... conducts pre-employment alcohol testing must— (1) Conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first... same for the purpose of pre-employment alcohol testing (i.e., you must not test some covered employees and not others); (3) Conduct the pre-employment tests after making a contingent offer of employment or...

49 CFR 199.209 - Other requirements imposed by operators.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... conducts pre-employment alcohol testing must— (1) Conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first... same for the purpose of pre-employment alcohol testing (i.e., you must not test some covered employees and not others); (3) Conduct the pre-employment tests after making a contingent offer of employment or...

49 CFR 199.209 - Other requirements imposed by operators.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... conducts pre-employment alcohol testing must— (1) Conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first... same for the purpose of pre-employment alcohol testing (i.e., you must not test some covered employees and not others); (3) Conduct the pre-employment tests after making a contingent offer of employment or...

49 CFR 199.209 - Other requirements imposed by operators.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... conducts pre-employment alcohol testing must— (1) Conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first... same for the purpose of pre-employment alcohol testing (i.e., you must not test some covered employees and not others); (3) Conduct the pre-employment tests after making a contingent offer of employment or...

49 CFR 199.209 - Other requirements imposed by operators.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... conducts pre-employment alcohol testing must— (1) Conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first... same for the purpose of pre-employment alcohol testing (i.e., you must not test some covered employees and not others); (3) Conduct the pre-employment tests after making a contingent offer of employment or...

Laboratory test for ice adhesion strength using commercial instrumentation.

PubMed

Wang, Chenyu; Zhang, Wei; Siva, Adarsh; Tiea, Daniel; Wynne, Kenneth J

2014-01-21

A laboratory test method for evaluating ice adhesion has been developed employing a commercially available instrument normally used for dynamic mechanical analysis (TA RSA-III). This is the first laboratory ice adhesion test that does not require a custom-built apparatus. The upper grip range of ∼10 mm is an enabling feature that is essential for the test. The method involves removal of an ice cylinder from a polymer coating with a probe and the determination of peak removal force (Ps). To validate the test method, the strength of ice adhesion was determined for a prototypical glassy polymer, poly(methyl methacrylate). The distance of the probe from the PMMA surface has been identified as a critical variable for Ps. The new test provides a readily available platform for investigating fundamental surface characteristics affecting ice adhesion. In addition to the ice release test, PMMA coatings were characterized using DSC, DCA, and TM-AFM.

Giardia cyst destruction: effectiveness of six small-quantity water disinfection methods.

PubMed

Jarroll, E L; Bingham, A K; Meyer, E A

1980-01-01

None of the available chemical methods for disinfecting drinking water has ever been tested for its ability to destory Giardia cysts. We tested the ability of six such methods to act against Giardia, using excystation as the criterion of viability. Two water qualities (cloudy and clear) and two temperatures (3 and 20 degrees C) were tested. At 20 degrees C, using cloudy and clear water, all of the method proved completely effective. However, at 3 degrees C, in cloudy water one method ("saturated" iodine) was less than completely effective, and in clear water four methods (bleach, Globaline, tincture of iodine and "saturated" iodine) failed to destory all of the cysts. The failure of these methods appears to be related to either an insufficient halogen residual or contact time. This study underlines the importance of considering water temperature when employing halogen disinfection methods.

Strain Gauge Balance Uncertainty Analysis at NASA Langley: A Technical Review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tripp, John S.

1999-01-01

This paper describes a method to determine the uncertainties of measured forces and moments from multi-component force balances used in wind tunnel tests. A multivariate regression technique is first employed to estimate the uncertainties of the six balance sensitivities and 156 interaction coefficients derived from established balance calibration procedures. These uncertainties are then employed to calculate the uncertainties of force-moment values computed from observed balance output readings obtained during tests. Confidence and prediction intervals are obtained for each computed force and moment as functions of the actual measurands. Techniques are discussed for separate estimation of balance bias and precision uncertainties.

A low-cost touchscreen operant chamber using a Raspberry Pi™.

PubMed

O'Leary, James D; O'Leary, Olivia F; Cryan, John F; Nolan, Yvonne M

2018-03-08

The development of a touchscreen platform for rodent testing has allowed new methods for cognitive testing that have been back-translated from clinical assessment tools to preclinical animal models. This platform for cognitive assessment in animals is comparable to human neuropsychological tests such as those employed by the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery, and thus has several advantages compared to the standard maze apparatuses typically employed in rodent behavioral testing, such as the Morris water maze. These include improved translation of preclinical models, as well as high throughput and the automation of animal testing. However, these systems are relatively expensive, which can impede progress for researchers with limited resources. Here we describe a low-cost touchscreen operant chamber based on the single-board computer, Raspberry Pi TM , which is capable of performing tasks similar to those supported by current state-of-the-art systems. This system provides an affordable alternative for cognitive testing in a touchscreen operant paradigm for researchers with limited funding.

On the Use of Stagewise Regression in Random Balance Screening Experiments.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-05-01

each F-test at the same sig- nificance level, a . We tested for significance at the following eight a levels : .05, .40 (.05) . These same a levels were...observed significance levels associated with the SFT method agree closely with the various a levels employed. The observed sig- nificance levels...associated with the SR method, however, are significantly larger than the a levels that define the stopping rules. This problem is lWe stop at the stage where

An Analysis of Variance Approach for the Estimation of Response Time Distributions in Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Attali, Yigal

2010-01-01

Generalizability theory and analysis of variance methods are employed, together with the concept of objective time pressure, to estimate response time distributions and the degree of time pressure in timed tests. By estimating response time variance components due to person, item, and their interaction, and fixed effects due to item types and…

Network-Based Method for Identifying Co-Regeneration Genes in Bone, Dentin, Nerve and Vessel Tissues

PubMed Central

Pan, Hongying; Zhang, Yu-Hang; Feng, Kaiyan; Kong, XiangYin; Cai, Yu-Dong

2017-01-01

Bone and dental diseases are serious public health problems. Most current clinical treatments for these diseases can produce side effects. Regeneration is a promising therapy for bone and dental diseases, yielding natural tissue recovery with few side effects. Because soft tissues inside the bone and dentin are densely populated with nerves and vessels, the study of bone and dentin regeneration should also consider the co-regeneration of nerves and vessels. In this study, a network-based method to identify co-regeneration genes for bone, dentin, nerve and vessel was constructed based on an extensive network of protein–protein interactions. Three procedures were applied in the network-based method. The first procedure, searching, sought the shortest paths connecting regeneration genes of one tissue type with regeneration genes of other tissues, thereby extracting possible co-regeneration genes. The second procedure, testing, employed a permutation test to evaluate whether possible genes were false discoveries; these genes were excluded by the testing procedure. The last procedure, screening, employed two rules, the betweenness ratio rule and interaction score rule, to select the most essential genes. A total of seventeen genes were inferred by the method, which were deemed to contribute to co-regeneration of at least two tissues. All these seventeen genes were extensively discussed to validate the utility of the method. PMID:28974058

Network-Based Method for Identifying Co- Regeneration Genes in Bone, Dentin, Nerve and Vessel Tissues.

PubMed

Chen, Lei; Pan, Hongying; Zhang, Yu-Hang; Feng, Kaiyan; Kong, XiangYin; Huang, Tao; Cai, Yu-Dong

2017-10-02

Bone and dental diseases are serious public health problems. Most current clinical treatments for these diseases can produce side effects. Regeneration is a promising therapy for bone and dental diseases, yielding natural tissue recovery with few side effects. Because soft tissues inside the bone and dentin are densely populated with nerves and vessels, the study of bone and dentin regeneration should also consider the co-regeneration of nerves and vessels. In this study, a network-based method to identify co-regeneration genes for bone, dentin, nerve and vessel was constructed based on an extensive network of protein-protein interactions. Three procedures were applied in the network-based method. The first procedure, searching, sought the shortest paths connecting regeneration genes of one tissue type with regeneration genes of other tissues, thereby extracting possible co-regeneration genes. The second procedure, testing, employed a permutation test to evaluate whether possible genes were false discoveries; these genes were excluded by the testing procedure. The last procedure, screening, employed two rules, the betweenness ratio rule and interaction score rule, to select the most essential genes. A total of seventeen genes were inferred by the method, which were deemed to contribute to co-regeneration of at least two tissues. All these seventeen genes were extensively discussed to validate the utility of the method.

Visually testing the dynamic character of a blazed-angle adjustable grating by digital holographic microscopy.

PubMed

Qin, Chuan; Zhao, Jianlin; Di, Jianglei; Wang, Le; Yu, Yiting; Yuan, Weizheng

2009-02-10

We employed digital holographic microscopy to visually test microoptoelectromechanical systems (MOEMS). The sample is a blazed-angle adjustable grating. Considering the periodic structure of the sample, a local area unwrapping method based on a binary template was adopted to demodulate the fringes obtained by referring to a reference hologram. A series of holograms at different deformation states due to different drive voltages were captured to analyze the dynamic character of the MOEMS, and the uniformity of different microcantilever beams was also inspected. The results show this testing method is effective for a periodic structure.

Quantitative determination of dimethicone in commercial tablets and capsules by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and antifoaming activity test.

PubMed

Torrado, G; García-Arieta, A; de los Ríos, F; Menéndez, J C; Torrado, S

1999-03-01

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and antifoaming activity test have been employed for the quantitative analysis of dimethicone. Linearity, accuracy and precision are presented for both methods. These methods have been also used to compare different dimethicone-containing proprietary medicines. FTIR spectroscopy has shown to be adequate for quantitation of dimethicone in commercial tablets and capsules in order to comply with USP requirements. The antifoaming activity test is able to detect incompatibilities between dimethicone and other constituents. The presence of certain enzymes in some medicinal products increases the defoaming properties of these formulations.

Foreign Object Damage to Tires Operating in a Wartime Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-11-01

barriers were successfully overcome and the method of testing employed can now be confidently used for future test needs of this type. Data Analysis ...combined variable effects. Analysis consideration involved cut types, cut depths, number of cuts, cut/hit probabilities, tire failures, and aircraft...November 1988 with data reduction and analysis continuing into October 1989. All of the cutting tests reported in this report were conducted at the

Assessing the Unidimensionality of the School and College Ability Test (SCAT, Spanish Version) Using Non-Parametric Methods Based on Item Response Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Touron, Javier; Lizasoain, Luis; Joaristi, Luis

2012-01-01

The aim of this work is to analyze the dimensional structure of the Spanish version of the School and College Ability Test, employed in the process for the identification of students with high intellectual abilities. This test measures verbal and mathematical (or quantitative) abilities at three levels of difficulty: elementary (3rd, 4th, and 5th…

Highlight removal based on the regional-projection fringe projection method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Zhaoshuai; Wang, Zhao; Huang, Junhui; Xing, Chao; Gao, Jianmin

2018-04-01

In fringe projection profilometry, highlight usually causes the saturation and blooming in captured fringes and reduces the measurement accuracy. To solve the problem, a regional-projection fringe projection (RP-FP) method is proposed. Regional projection patterns (RP patterns) are projected onto the tested object surface to avoid the saturation and blooming. Then, an image inpainting technique is employed to reconstruct the missing phases in the captured RP patterns and a complete surface of the tested object is obtained. Experiments verified the effectiveness of the proposed method. The method can be widely used in industrial inspections and quality controlling in mechanical and manufacturing industries.

49 CFR 655.41 - Pre-employment drug testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... employee takes a pre-employment drug test administered under this part with a verified negative result. An...) When a covered employee or applicant has previously failed or refused a pre-employment drug test...-employment drug test administered under this part with a verified negative result. (c) If a pre-employment...

49 CFR 655.41 - Pre-employment drug testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... employee takes a pre-employment drug test administered under this part with a verified negative result. An...) When a covered employee or applicant has previously failed or refused a pre-employment drug test...-employment drug test administered under this part with a verified negative result. (c) If a pre-employment...

49 CFR 655.41 - Pre-employment drug testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... employee takes a pre-employment drug test administered under this part with a verified negative result. An...) When a covered employee or applicant has previously failed or refused a pre-employment drug test...-employment drug test administered under this part with a verified negative result. (c) If a pre-employment...

49 CFR 655.41 - Pre-employment drug testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... employee takes a pre-employment drug test administered under this part with a verified negative result. An...) When a covered employee or applicant has previously failed or refused a pre-employment drug test...-employment drug test administered under this part with a verified negative result. (c) If a pre-employment...

49 CFR 655.41 - Pre-employment drug testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... employee takes a pre-employment drug test administered under this part with a verified negative result. An...) When a covered employee or applicant has previously failed or refused a pre-employment drug test...-employment drug test administered under this part with a verified negative result. (c) If a pre-employment...

Simulation Analysis of Helicopter Ground Resonance Nonlinear Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Yan; Lu, Yu-hui; Ling, Ai-min

2017-07-01

In order to accurately predict the dynamic instability of helicopter ground resonance, a modeling and simulation method of helicopter ground resonance considering nonlinear dynamic characteristics of components (rotor lead-lag damper, landing gear wheel and absorber) is presented. The numerical integral method is used to calculate the transient responses of the body and rotor, simulating some disturbance. To obtain quantitative instabilities, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is conducted to estimate the modal frequencies, and the mobile rectangular window method is employed in the predictions of the modal damping in terms of the response time history. Simulation results show that ground resonance simulation test can exactly lead up the blade lead-lag regressing mode frequency, and the modal damping obtained according to attenuation curves are close to the test results. The simulation test results are in accordance with the actual accident situation, and prove the correctness of the simulation method. This analysis method used for ground resonance simulation test can give out the results according with real helicopter engineering tests.

A block iterative finite element algorithm for numerical solution of the steady-state, compressible Navier-Stokes equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooke, C. H.

1976-01-01

An iterative method for numerically solving the time independent Navier-Stokes equations for viscous compressible flows is presented. The method is based upon partial application of the Gauss-Seidel principle in block form to the systems of nonlinear algebraic equations which arise in construction of finite element (Galerkin) models approximating solutions of fluid dynamic problems. The C deg-cubic element on triangles is employed for function approximation. Computational results for a free shear flow at Re = 1,000 indicate significant achievement of economy in iterative convergence rate over finite element and finite difference models which employ the customary time dependent equations and asymptotic time marching procedure to steady solution. Numerical results are in excellent agreement with those obtained for the same test problem employing time marching finite element and finite difference solution techniques.

Monitoring of an antigen manufacturing process.

PubMed

Zavatti, Vanessa; Budman, Hector; Legge, Raymond; Tamer, Melih

2016-06-01

Fluorescence spectroscopy in combination with multivariate statistical methods was employed as a tool for monitoring the manufacturing process of pertactin (PRN), one of the virulence factors of Bordetella pertussis utilized in whopping cough vaccines. Fluorophores such as amino acids and co-enzymes were detected throughout the process. The fluorescence data collected at different stages of the fermentation and purification process were treated employing principal component analysis (PCA). Through PCA, it was feasible to identify sources of variability in PRN production. Then, partial least square (PLS) was employed to correlate the fluorescence spectra obtained from pure PRN samples and the final protein content measured by a Kjeldahl test from these samples. In view that a statistically significant correlation was found between fluorescence and PRN levels, this approach could be further used as a method to predict the final protein content.

Descriptive and inferential statistical methods used in burns research.

PubMed

Al-Benna, Sammy; Al-Ajam, Yazan; Way, Benjamin; Steinstraesser, Lars

2010-05-01

Burns research articles utilise a variety of descriptive and inferential methods to present and analyse data. The aim of this study was to determine the descriptive methods (e.g. mean, median, SD, range, etc.) and survey the use of inferential methods (statistical tests) used in articles in the journal Burns. This study defined its population as all original articles published in the journal Burns in 2007. Letters to the editor, brief reports, reviews, and case reports were excluded. Study characteristics, use of descriptive statistics and the number and types of statistical methods employed were evaluated. Of the 51 articles analysed, 11(22%) were randomised controlled trials, 18(35%) were cohort studies, 11(22%) were case control studies and 11(22%) were case series. The study design and objectives were defined in all articles. All articles made use of continuous and descriptive data. Inferential statistics were used in 49(96%) articles. Data dispersion was calculated by standard deviation in 30(59%). Standard error of the mean was quoted in 19(37%). The statistical software product was named in 33(65%). Of the 49 articles that used inferential statistics, the tests were named in 47(96%). The 6 most common tests used (Student's t-test (53%), analysis of variance/co-variance (33%), chi(2) test (27%), Wilcoxon & Mann-Whitney tests (22%), Fisher's exact test (12%)) accounted for the majority (72%) of statistical methods employed. A specified significance level was named in 43(88%) and the exact significance levels were reported in 28(57%). Descriptive analysis and basic statistical techniques account for most of the statistical tests reported. This information should prove useful in deciding which tests should be emphasised in educating burn care professionals. These results highlight the need for burn care professionals to have a sound understanding of basic statistics, which is crucial in interpreting and reporting data. Advice should be sought from professionals in the fields of biostatistics and epidemiology when using more advanced statistical techniques. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

The Clock’N Test as a Possible Measure of Emotions: Normative Data Collected on a Non-clinical Population

PubMed Central

Gros, Auriane; Manera, Valeria; Daumas, Anaïs; Guillemin, Sophie; Rouaud, Olivier; Martin, Martine Lemesle; Giroud, Maurice; Béjot, Yannick

2016-01-01

Objective: At present emotional experience and implicit emotion regulation (IER) abilities are mainly assessed though self-reports, which are subjected to several biases. The aim of the present studies was to validate the Clock’N test, a recently developed time estimation task employing emotional priming to assess implicitly emotional reactivity and IER. Methods: In Study 1, the Clock’N test was administered to 150 healthy participants with different age, laterality and gender, in order to ascertain whether these factors affected the test results. In phase 1 participant were asked to judge the duration of seven sounds. In phase 2, before judging the duration of the same sounds, participants were presented with short arousing video-clip used as emotional priming stimuli. Time warp was calculated as the difference in time estimation between phase 2 and phase 1, and used to assess how emotions affected subjective time estimations. In study 2, a representative sample was selected to provide normative scores to be employed to assess emotional reactivity (Score 1) and IER (Score 2), and to calculate statistical cutoffs, based on the 10th and 90th score distribution percentiles. Results: Converging with previous findings, the results of study 1 suggested that the Clock’N test can be employed to assess both emotional reactivity, as indexed by an initial time underestimation, and IER, as indexed by a progressive shift to time overestimation. No effects of gender, age and laterality were found. Conclusions: These results suggest that the Clock’N test is adapted to assess emotional reactivity and IER. After collection of data on the test discriminant and convergent validity, this test may be employed to assess deficits in these abilities in different clinical populations. PMID:26903825

SIMPLIFIED PRACTICAL TEST METHOD FOR PORTABLE DOSE METERS USING SEVERAL SEALED RADIOACTIVE SOURCES.

PubMed

Mikamoto, Takahiro; Yamada, Takahiro; Kurosawa, Tadahiro

2016-09-01

Sealed radioactive sources which have small activity were employed for the determination of response and tests for non-linearity and energy dependence of detector responses. Close source-to-detector geometry (at 0.3 m or less) was employed to practical tests for portable dose meters to accumulate statistically sufficient ionizing currents. Difference between response in the present experimentally studied field and in the reference field complied with ISO 4037 due to non-uniformity of radiation fluence at close geometry was corrected by use of Monte Carlo simulation. As a consequence, corrected results were consistent with the results obtained in the ISO 4037 reference field within their uncertainties. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Biological Dialogues: How to Teach Your Students to Learn Fluency in Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

May, S. Randolph; Cook, David L.; May, Marilyn K.

2013-01-01

Biology courses have thousands of words to learn in order to intelligently discuss the subject and take tests over the material. Biological fluency is an important goal for students, and practical methods based on constructivist pedagogies can be employed to promote it. We present a method in which pairs of students write dialogues from…

Machine Learning Methods for Attack Detection in the Smart Grid.

PubMed

Ozay, Mete; Esnaola, Inaki; Yarman Vural, Fatos Tunay; Kulkarni, Sanjeev R; Poor, H Vincent

2016-08-01

Attack detection problems in the smart grid are posed as statistical learning problems for different attack scenarios in which the measurements are observed in batch or online settings. In this approach, machine learning algorithms are used to classify measurements as being either secure or attacked. An attack detection framework is provided to exploit any available prior knowledge about the system and surmount constraints arising from the sparse structure of the problem in the proposed approach. Well-known batch and online learning algorithms (supervised and semisupervised) are employed with decision- and feature-level fusion to model the attack detection problem. The relationships between statistical and geometric properties of attack vectors employed in the attack scenarios and learning algorithms are analyzed to detect unobservable attacks using statistical learning methods. The proposed algorithms are examined on various IEEE test systems. Experimental analyses show that machine learning algorithms can detect attacks with performances higher than attack detection algorithms that employ state vector estimation methods in the proposed attack detection framework.

49 CFR 40.261 - What is a refusal to take an alcohol test, and what are the consequences?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... test (except a pre-employment test) within a reasonable time, as determined by the employer, consistent...)) for a pre-employment test is not deemed to have refused to test; (3) Fail to provide an adequate... the testing site before the testing process commences (see § 40.243(a)) for a pre-employment test is...

49 CFR 40.261 - What is a refusal to take an alcohol test, and what are the consequences?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... test (except a pre-employment test) within a reasonable time, as determined by the employer, consistent...)) for a pre-employment test is not deemed to have refused to test; (3) Fail to provide an adequate... the testing site before the testing process commences (see § 40.243(a)) for a pre-employment test is...

Evaluation of culture- and PCR-based detection methods for Escherichia coli O157:H7 in inoculated ground beeft.

PubMed

Arthur, Terrance M; Bosilevac, Joseph M; Nou, Xiangwu; Koohmaraie, Mohammad

2005-08-01

Currently, several beef processors employ test-and-hold systems for increased quality control of ground beef. In such programs, each lot of product must be tested and found negative for Escherichia coli O157:H7 prior to release of the product into commerce. Optimization of three testing attributes (detection time, specificity, and sensitivity) is critical to the success of such strategies. Because ground beef is a highly perishable product, the testing methodology used must be as rapid as possible. The test also must have a low false-positive result rate so product is not needlessly discarded. False-negative results cannot be tolerated because they would allow contaminated product to be released and potentially cause disease. In this study, two culture-based and three PCR-based methods for detecting E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef were compared for their abilities to meet the above criteria. Ground beef samples were individually spiked with five genetically distinct strains of E. coli O157: H7 at concentrations of 17 and 1.7 CFU/65 g and then subjected to the various testing methodologies. There was no difference (P > 0.05) in the abilities of the PCR-based methods to detect E. coli O157:H7 inoculated in ground beef at 1.7 CFU/65 g. The culture-based systems detected more positive samples than did the PCR-based systems, but the detection times (21 to 48 h) were at least 9 h longer than those for the PCR-based methods (7.5 to 12 h). Ground beef samples were also spiked with potentially cross-reactive strains. The PCR-based systems that employed an immunomagnetic separation step prior to detection produced fewer false-positive results.

Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification for Detection of Endogenous Sad1 Gene in Cotton: An Internal Control for Rapid Onsite GMO Testing.

PubMed

Singh, Monika; Bhoge, Rajesh K; Randhawa, Gurinderjit

2018-04-20

Background : Confirming the integrity of seed samples in powdered form is important priorto conducting a genetically modified organism (GMO) test. Rapid onsite methods may provide a technological solution to check for genetically modified (GM) events at ports of entry. In India, Bt cotton is the commercialized GM crop with four approved GM events; however, 59 GM events have been approved globally. GMO screening is required to test for authorized GM events. The identity and amplifiability of test samples could be ensured first by employing endogenous genes as an internal control. Objective : A rapid onsite detection method was developed for an endogenous reference gene, stearoyl acyl carrier protein desaturase ( Sad1 ) of cotton, employing visual and real-time loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). Methods : The assays were performed at a constant temperature of 63°C for 30 min for visual LAMP and 62ºC for 40 min for real-time LAMP. Positive amplification was visualized as a change in color from orange to green on addition of SYBR ® Green or detected as real-time amplification curves. Results : Specificity of LAMP assays was confirmed using a set of 10 samples. LOD for visual LAMP was up to 0.1%, detecting 40 target copies, and for real-time LAMP up to 0.05%, detecting 20 target copies. Conclusions : The developed methods could be utilized to confirm the integrity of seed powder prior to conducting a GMO test for specific GM events of cotton. Highlights : LAMP assays for the endogenous Sad1 gene of cotton have been developed to be used as an internal control for onsite GMO testing in cotton.

49 CFR 219.502 - Pre-employment alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CONTROL OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE Pre-Employment Tests § 219.502 Pre... must comply with the following requirements: (1) It must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before... the purpose of pre-employment alcohol testing (i.e., it must not test some covered employees and not...

49 CFR 219.502 - Pre-employment alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CONTROL OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE Pre-Employment Tests § 219.502 Pre... must comply with the following requirements: (1) It must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before... the purpose of pre-employment alcohol testing (i.e., it must not test some covered employees and not...

49 CFR 219.502 - Pre-employment alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CONTROL OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE Pre-Employment Tests § 219.502 Pre... must comply with the following requirements: (1) It must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before... the purpose of pre-employment alcohol testing (i.e., it must not test some covered employees and not...

49 CFR 219.502 - Pre-employment alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CONTROL OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE Pre-Employment Tests § 219.502 Pre... must comply with the following requirements: (1) It must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before... the purpose of pre-employment alcohol testing (i.e., it must not test some covered employees and not...

49 CFR 219.502 - Pre-employment alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CONTROL OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE Pre-Employment Tests § 219.502 Pre... must comply with the following requirements: (1) It must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before... the purpose of pre-employment alcohol testing (i.e., it must not test some covered employees and not...

Reaction formulation for radiation and scattering from plates, corner reflectors and dielectric-coated cylinders

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, N. N.

1974-01-01

The reaction concept is employed to formulate an integral equation for radiation and scattering from plates, corner reflectors, and dielectric-coated conducting cylinders. The surface-current density on the conducting surface is expanded with subsectional bases. The dielectric layer is modeled with polarization currents radiating in free space. Maxwell's equation and the boundary conditions are employed to express the polarization-current distribution in terms of the surface-current density on the conducting surface. By enforcing reaction tests with an array of electric test sources, the moment method is employed to reduce the integral equation to a matrix equation. Inversion of the matrix equation yields the current distribution, and the scattered field is then obtained by integrating the current distribution. The theory, computer program and numerical results are presented for radiation and scattering from plates, corner reflectors, and dielectric-coated conducting cylinders.

Application of the Bootstrap Statistical Method in Deriving Vibroacoustic Specifications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, William O.; Paez, Thomas L.

2006-01-01

This paper discusses the Bootstrap Method for specification of vibroacoustic test specifications. Vibroacoustic test specifications are necessary to properly accept or qualify a spacecraft and its components for the expected acoustic, random vibration and shock environments seen on an expendable launch vehicle. Traditionally, NASA and the U.S. Air Force have employed methods of Normal Tolerance Limits to derive these test levels based upon the amount of data available, and the probability and confidence levels desired. The Normal Tolerance Limit method contains inherent assumptions about the distribution of the data. The Bootstrap is a distribution-free statistical subsampling method which uses the measured data themselves to establish estimates of statistical measures of random sources. This is achieved through the computation of large numbers of Bootstrap replicates of a data measure of interest and the use of these replicates to derive test levels consistent with the probability and confidence desired. The comparison of the results of these two methods is illustrated via an example utilizing actual spacecraft vibroacoustic data.

Automatic Testing and Assessment of Neuroanatomy Using a Digital Brain Atlas: Method and Development of Computer- and Mobile-Based Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nowinski, Wieslaw L.; Thirunavuukarasuu, Arumugam; Ananthasubramaniam, Anand; Chua, Beng Choon; Qian, Guoyu; Nowinska, Natalia G.; Marchenko, Yevgen; Volkau, Ihar

2009-01-01

Preparation of tests and student's assessment by the instructor are time consuming. We address these two tasks in neuroanatomy education by employing a digital media application with a three-dimensional (3D), interactive, fully segmented, and labeled brain atlas. The anatomical and vascular models in the atlas are linked to "Terminologia…

Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills and Writing Skills through the Variation in Non-Traditional Writing Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinaga, Parlindungan; Feranie, Shelly

2017-01-01

The research aims to identify the impacts of embedding non-traditional writing tasks within the course of modern physics conducted to the students of Physics Education and Physics Study Programs. It employed a quasi-experimental method with the pretest-posttest control group design. The used instruments were tests on conceptual mastery, tests on…

The Effects of Using Concept Mapping for Improving Advanced Level Biology Students' Lower- and Higher-Order Cognitive Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bramwell-Lalor, Sharon; Rainford, Marcia

2014-01-01

This paper reports on teachers' use of concept mapping as an alternative assessment strategy in advanced level biology classes and its effects on students' cognitive skills on selected biology concepts. Using a mixed methods approach, the study employed a pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental design involving 156 students and 8 teachers from…

Study on optimization method of test conditions for fatigue crack detection using lock-in vibrothermography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Min, Qing-xu; Zhu, Jun-zhen; Feng, Fu-zhou; Xu, Chao; Sun, Ji-wei

2017-06-01

In this paper, the lock-in vibrothermography (LVT) is utilized for defect detection. Specifically, for a metal plate with an artificial fatigue crack, the temperature rise of the defective area is used for analyzing the influence of different test conditions, i.e. engagement force, excitation intensity, and modulated frequency. The multivariate nonlinear and logistic regression models are employed to estimate the POD (probability of detection) and POA (probability of alarm) of fatigue crack, respectively. The resulting optimal selection of test conditions is presented. The study aims to provide an optimized selection method of the test conditions in the vibrothermography system with the enhanced detection ability.

Methods of staining target chromosomal DNA employing high complexity nucleic acid probes

DOEpatents

Gray, Joe W.; Pinkel, Daniel; Kallioniemi, Ol'li-Pekka; Kallioniemi, Anne; Sakamoto, Masaru

2006-10-03

Methods and compositions for staining based upon nucleic acid sequence that employ nucleic acid probes are provided. Said methods produce staining patterns that can be tailored for specific cytogenetic analyses. Said probes are appropriate for in situ hybridization and stain both interphase and metaphase chromosomal material with reliable signals. The nucleic acid probes are typically of a complexity greater than 50 kb, the complexity depending upon the cytogenetic application. Methods and reagents are provided for the detection of genetic rearrangements. Probes and test kits are provided for use in detecting genetic rearrangements, particularly for use in tumor cytogenetics, in the detection of disease related loci, specifically cancer, such as chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), retinoblastoma, ovarian and uterine cancers, and for biological dosimetry. Methods and reagents are described for cytogenetic research, for the differentiation of cytogenetically similar but genetically different diseases, and for many prognostic and diagnostic applications.

DETECTORS AND EXPERIMENTAL METHODS: Heuristic approach for peak regions estimation in gamma-ray spectra measured by a NaI detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Meng-Hua; Liu, Liang-Gang; You, Zhong; Xu, Ao-Ao

2009-03-01

In this paper, a heuristic approach based on Slavic's peak searching method has been employed to estimate the width of peak regions for background removing. Synthetic and experimental data are used to test this method. With the estimated peak regions using the proposed method in the whole spectrum, we find it is simple and effective enough to be used together with the Statistics-sensitive Nonlinear Iterative Peak-Clipping method.

Influence of solid-liquid separation method parameters employed in soil leaching tests on apparent metal concentration.

PubMed

Imoto, Yukari; Yasutaka, Tetsuo; Someya, Masayuki; Higashino, Kazuo

2018-05-15

Soil leaching tests are commonly used to evaluate the leachability of hazardous materials, such as heavy metals, from the soil. Batch leaching tests often enhance soil colloidal mobility and may require solid-liquid separation procedures to remove excess soil particles. However, batch leaching test results depend on particles that can pass through a 0.45μm membrane filter and are influenced by test parameters such as centrifugal intensity and filtration volume per filter. To evaluate these parameters, we conducted batch leaching experiments using metal-contaminated soils and focused on the centrifugal intensity and filtration volume per filter used in solid-liquid separation methods currently employed in standard leaching tests. Our experiments showed that both centrifugal intensity and filtration volume per filter affected the reproducibility of batch leaching tests for some soil types. The results demonstrated that metal concentrations in the filtrates significantly differed according to the centrifugal intensity when it was 3000 g for 2h or less. Increased filtration volume per filter led to significant decreases in filtrate metal concentrations when filter cakes formed during filtration. Comparison of the filtration tests using 0.10 and 0.45μm membrane filters showed statistically significant differences in turbidity and metal concentration. These findings suggest that colloidal particles were not adequately removed from the extract and contributed substantially to the apparent metal concentrations in the leaching test of soil containing colloidal metals. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

49 CFR 382.107 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... (except a pre-employment test) within a reasonable time, as determined by the employer, consistent with...) of this title) a pre-employment test is not deemed to have refused to test; (3) Fail to provide a... testing process commences (see § 40.63(c) of this title) for a pre-employment test is not deemed to have...

49 CFR 382.107 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... (except a pre-employment test) within a reasonable time, as determined by the employer, consistent with...) of this title) a pre-employment test is not deemed to have refused to test; (3) Fail to provide a... testing process commences (see § 40.63(c) of this title) for a pre-employment test is not deemed to have...

49 CFR 382.107 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... (except a pre-employment test) within a reasonable time, as determined by the employer, consistent with...) of this title) a pre-employment test is not deemed to have refused to test; (3) Fail to provide a... testing process commences (see § 40.63(c) of this title) for a pre-employment test is not deemed to have...

14 CFR 120.109 - Types of drug testing required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...-sensitive function listed in § 120.105 unless the employer first conducts a pre-employment test and receives... conduct another pre-employment test and receive a verified negative drug test result before hiring or... pre-employment test required by paragraphs (a)(1) or (2) of this section and hiring or transferring...

14 CFR 120.109 - Types of drug testing required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...-sensitive function listed in § 120.105 unless the employer first conducts a pre-employment test and receives... conduct another pre-employment test and receive a verified negative drug test result before hiring or... pre-employment test required by paragraphs (a)(1) or (2) of this section and hiring or transferring...

14 CFR 120.109 - Types of drug testing required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...-sensitive function listed in § 120.105 unless the employer first conducts a pre-employment test and receives... conduct another pre-employment test and receive a verified negative drug test result before hiring or... pre-employment test required by paragraphs (a)(1) or (2) of this section and hiring or transferring...

14 CFR 120.109 - Types of drug testing required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...-sensitive function listed in § 120.105 unless the employer first conducts a pre-employment test and receives... conduct another pre-employment test and receive a verified negative drug test result before hiring or... pre-employment test required by paragraphs (a)(1) or (2) of this section and hiring or transferring...

14 CFR 120.109 - Types of drug testing required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...-sensitive function listed in § 120.105 unless the employer first conducts a pre-employment test and receives... conduct another pre-employment test and receive a verified negative drug test result before hiring or... pre-employment test required by paragraphs (a)(1) or (2) of this section and hiring or transferring...

The transmission/disequilibrium test and parental-genotype reconstruction: the reconstruction-combined transmission/ disequilibrium test.

PubMed Central

Knapp, M

1999-01-01

Spielman and Ewens recently proposed a method for testing a marker for linkage with a disease, which combines data from families with and without information on parental genotypes. For some families without parental-genotype information, it may be possible to reconstruct missing parental genotypes from the genotypes of their offspring. The treatment of such a reconstructed family as if parental genotypes have been typed, however, can introduce bias. In the present study, a new method is presented that employs parental-genotype reconstruction and corrects for the biases resulting from reconstruction. The results of an application of this method to a real data set and of a simulation study suggest that this approach may increase the power to detect linkage. PMID:10053021

Canadian Health Measures Survey pre-test: design, methods, results.

PubMed

Tremblay, Mark; Langlois, Renée; Bryan, Shirley; Esliger, Dale; Patterson, Julienne

2007-01-01

The Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) pre-test was conducted to provide information about the challenges and costs associated with administering a physical health measures survey in Canada. To achieve the specific objectives of the pre-test, protocols were developed and tested, and methods for household interviewing and clinic testing were designed and revised. The cost, logistics and suitability of using fixed sites for the CHMS were assessed. Although data collection, transfer and storage procedures are complex, the pre-test experience confirmed Statistics Canada's ability to conduct a direct health measures survey and the willingness of Canadians to participate in such a health survey. Many operational and logistical procedures worked well and, with minor modifications, are being employed in the main survey. Fixed sites were problematic, and survey costs were higher than expected.

Continuous improvement in the Industrial and Management Systems Engineering programme at Kuwait University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aldowaisan, Tariq; Allahverdi, Ali

2016-07-01

This paper describes the process employed by the Industrial and Management Systems Engineering programme at Kuwait University to continuously improve the programme. Using a continuous improvement framework, the paper demonstrates how various qualitative and quantitative analyses methods, such as hypothesis testing and control charts, have been applied to the results of four assessment tools and other data sources to improve performance. Important improvements include the need to reconsider two student outcomes as they were difficult to implement in courses. In addition, through benchmarking and the engagement of Alumni and Employers, key decisions were made to improve the curriculum and enhance employability.

Multiplex Identification of Microbes ▿ †

PubMed Central

Hyman, Richard W.; St.Onge, Robert P.; Allen, Edward A.; Miranda, Molly; Aparicio, Ana Maria; Fukushima, Marilyn; Davis, Ronald W.

2010-01-01

We have adapted molecular inversion probe technology to identify microbes in a highly multiplexed procedure. This procedure does not require growth of the microbes. Rather, the technology employs DNA homology twice: once for the molecular probe to hybridize to its homologous DNA and again for the 20-mer oligonucleotide barcode on the molecular probe to hybridize to a commercially available molecular barcode array. As proof of concept, we have designed, tested, and employed 192 molecular probes for 40 microbes. While these particular molecular probes are aimed at our interest in the microbes in the human vagina, this molecular probe method could be employed to identify the microbes in any ecological niche. PMID:20418427

Optimization of Microphone Locations for Acoustic Liner Impedance Eduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, M. G.; Watson, W. R.; June, J. C.

2015-01-01

Two impedance eduction methods are explored for use with data acquired in the NASA Langley Grazing Flow Impedance Tube. The first is an indirect method based on the convected Helmholtz equation, and the second is a direct method based on the Kumaresan and Tufts algorithm. Synthesized no-flow data, with random jitter to represent measurement error, are used to evaluate a number of possible microphone locations. Statistical approaches are used to evaluate the suitability of each set of microphone locations. Given the computational resources required, small sample statistics are employed for the indirect method. Since the direct method is much less computationally intensive, a Monte Carlo approach is employed to gather its statistics. A comparison of results achieved with full and reduced sets of microphone locations is used to determine which sets of microphone locations are acceptable. For the indirect method, each array that includes microphones in all three regions (upstream and downstream hard wall sections, and liner test section) provides acceptable results, even when as few as eight microphones are employed. The best arrays employ microphones well away from the leading and trailing edges of the liner. The direct method is constrained to use microphones opposite the liner. Although a number of arrays are acceptable, the optimum set employs 14 microphones positioned well away from the leading and trailing edges of the liner. The selected sets of microphone locations are also evaluated with data measured for ceramic tubular and perforate-over-honeycomb liners at three flow conditions (Mach 0.0, 0.3, and 0.5). They compare favorably with results attained using all 53 microphone locations. Although different optimum microphone locations are selected for the two impedance eduction methods, there is significant overlap. Thus, the union of these two microphone arrays is preferred, as it supports usage of both methods. This array contains 3 microphones in the upstream hard wall section, 14 microphones opposite the liner, and 3 microphones in the downstream hard wall section.

Valuing Eastern Visibility: A Field Test of the Contingent Valuation Method (1993)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The report describes the Eastern visibility survey design in detail, presents the implementation of and data obtained from the surveys, provides summary statistics on the overall response and discusses the econometric techniques employed to value benefits.

77 FR 33481 - Information Collection Activities: Subpart A, General; Submitted for Office of Management and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-06

... to assure that uniform methods are employed by lessees for load testing of cranes. Review welding plans, procedures, and records to ensure that welding is conducted in a safe and workmanlike manner by...

Method for characterizing the upset response of CMOS circuits using alpha-particle sensitive test circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buehler, Martin G. (Inventor); Nixon, Robert H. (Inventor); Soli, George A. (Inventor); Blaes, Brent R. (Inventor)

1995-01-01

A method for predicting the SEU susceptibility of a standard-cell D-latch using an alpha-particle sensitive SRAM, SPICE critical charge simulation results, and alpha-particle interaction physics. A technique utilizing test structures to quickly and inexpensively characterize the SEU sensitivity of standard cell latches intended for use in a space environment. This bench-level approach utilizes alpha particles to induce upsets in a low LET sensitive 4-k bit test SRAM. This SRAM consists of cells that employ an offset voltage to adjust their upset sensitivity and an enlarged sensitive drain junction to enhance the cell's upset rate.

Automatically generated acceptance test: A software reliability experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Protzel, Peter W.

1988-01-01

This study presents results of a software reliability experiment investigating the feasibility of a new error detection method. The method can be used as an acceptance test and is solely based on empirical data about the behavior of internal states of a program. The experimental design uses the existing environment of a multi-version experiment previously conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center, in which the launch interceptor problem is used as a model. This allows the controlled experimental investigation of versions with well-known single and multiple faults, and the availability of an oracle permits the determination of the error detection performance of the test. Fault interaction phenomena are observed that have an amplifying effect on the number of error occurrences. Preliminary results indicate that all faults examined so far are detected by the acceptance test. This shows promise for further investigations, and for the employment of this test method on other applications.

In-Flight System Identification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morelli, Eugene A.

1998-01-01

A method is proposed and studied whereby the system identification cycle consisting of experiment design and data analysis can be repeatedly implemented aboard a test aircraft in real time. This adaptive in-flight system identification scheme has many advantages, including increased flight test efficiency, adaptability to dynamic characteristics that are imperfectly known a priori, in-flight improvement of data quality through iterative input design, and immediate feedback of the quality of flight test results. The technique uses equation error in the frequency domain with a recursive Fourier transform for the real time data analysis, and simple design methods employing square wave input forms to design the test inputs in flight. Simulation examples are used to demonstrate that the technique produces increasingly accurate model parameter estimates resulting from sequentially designed and implemented flight test maneuvers. The method has reasonable computational requirements, and could be implemented aboard an aircraft in real time.

Chemistry, microscopy and smell: bloodstains and nineteenth-century legal medicine.

PubMed

Bertomeu-Sánchez, José Ramón

2015-01-01

This paper analyses the development of three methods for detecting bloodstains during the first half of the nineteenth-century in France. After dealing with the main problems in detecting bloodstains, the paper describes the chemical tests introduced in the mid-1820s. Then the first uses of the microscope in the detection of bloodstains around 1827 are discussed. The most controversial method is then examined, the smell test introduced by Jean-Pierre Barruel in 1829, and the debates which took place in French academies and learned societies during ensuing years are surveyed. Moving to the courtrooms a review is conducted of how the different methods were employed in criminal trials. By reviewing these cases, the main arguments against Barruel's test during the 1830s are explored as well as the changes making possible the return of the microscope to legal medicine around 1840. By reconstructing the history of these three methods, the paper reveals how the senses of smell and vision (colours and microscopic images) were employed in order to produce convincing evidence in both academies and courts. The paper questions two linear master narratives that are organized in terms of progress and decline: the development of forensic science as a result of continued technological progress; and the supposed decline of smell in the history of the senses, particularly in the realm of chemistry and medicine.

Does Performing Preplacement Workplace Hair Drug Testing Influence US Department of Transportation Random and Postaccident Urine Drug Test Positivity Rates?

PubMed

Price, James W

Does performing pre-employment hair drug testing subsequently affect the prevalence of positive random and postaccident urine drug tests? This cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of positive postaccident and random workplace urine drug tests for companies that perform pre-employment hair and urine drug testing to companies that only perform pre-employment urine drug testing. Fisher exact test of independence indicated no significant difference between pre-employment hair drug testing and overall US Department of Transportation random and postaccident urine drug test positivity rates. The analysis failed to reject the null hypothesis, suggesting that pre-employment hair drug testing had no effect upon random and postaccident urine drug test positivity rates.

Methods for estimating the labour force insured by the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board: 1990-2000.

PubMed

Smith, Peter M; Mustard, Cameron A; Payne, Jennifer I

2004-01-01

This paper presents a methodology for estimating the size and composition of the Ontario labour force eligible for coverage under the Ontario Workplace Safety & Insurance Act (WSIA). Using customized tabulations from Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey (LFS), we made adjustments for self-employment, unemployment, part-time employment and employment in specific industrial sectors excluded from insurance coverage under the WSIA. Each adjustment to the LFS reduced the estimates of the insured labour force relative to the total Ontario labour force. These estimates were then developed for major occupational and industrial groups stratified by gender. Additional estimates created to test assumptions used in the methodology produced similar results. The methods described in this paper advance those previously used to estimate the insured labour force, providing researchers with a useful tool to describe trends in the rate of injury across differing occupational, industrial and gender groups in Ontario.

46 CFR 16.203 - Employer, MRO, and SAP responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... and among employers and service agents concerning the implementation of DOT drug testing requirements... DOT agency drug testing regulations. Compliance with these provisions is a material term of all such... CHEMICAL TESTING Required Chemical Testing § 16.203 Employer, MRO, and SAP responsibilities. (a) Employers...

46 CFR 16.203 - Employer, MRO, and SAP responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... and among employers and service agents concerning the implementation of DOT drug testing requirements... DOT agency drug testing regulations. Compliance with these provisions is a material term of all such... CHEMICAL TESTING Required Chemical Testing § 16.203 Employer, MRO, and SAP responsibilities. (a) Employers...

46 CFR 16.203 - Employer, MRO, and SAP responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... and among employers and service agents concerning the implementation of DOT drug testing requirements... DOT agency drug testing regulations. Compliance with these provisions is a material term of all such... CHEMICAL TESTING Required Chemical Testing § 16.203 Employer, MRO, and SAP responsibilities. (a) Employers...

46 CFR 16.203 - Employer, MRO, and SAP responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... and among employers and service agents concerning the implementation of DOT drug testing requirements... DOT agency drug testing regulations. Compliance with these provisions is a material term of all such... CHEMICAL TESTING Required Chemical Testing § 16.203 Employer, MRO, and SAP responsibilities. (a) Employers...

46 CFR 16.203 - Employer, MRO, and SAP responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... and among employers and service agents concerning the implementation of DOT drug testing requirements... DOT agency drug testing regulations. Compliance with these provisions is a material term of all such... CHEMICAL TESTING Required Chemical Testing § 16.203 Employer, MRO, and SAP responsibilities. (a) Employers...

Employing Design and Development Research (DDR): Approaches in the Design and Development of Online Arabic Vocabulary Learning Games Prototype

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahrir, Muhammad Sabri; Alias, Nor Aziah; Ismail, Zawawi; Osman, Nurulhuda

2012-01-01

The design and development research, first proposed by Brown and Collins in the 1990s, is currently among the well-known methods in educational research to test theory and validate its practicality. The method is also known as developmental research, design research, design-based research, formative research and design-cased and possesses…

Tremor Detection Using Parametric and Non-Parametric Spectral Estimation Methods: A Comparison with Clinical Assessment

PubMed Central

Martinez Manzanera, Octavio; Elting, Jan Willem; van der Hoeven, Johannes H.; Maurits, Natasha M.

2016-01-01

In the clinic, tremor is diagnosed during a time-limited process in which patients are observed and the characteristics of tremor are visually assessed. For some tremor disorders, a more detailed analysis of these characteristics is needed. Accelerometry and electromyography can be used to obtain a better insight into tremor. Typically, routine clinical assessment of accelerometry and electromyography data involves visual inspection by clinicians and occasionally computational analysis to obtain objective characteristics of tremor. However, for some tremor disorders these characteristics may be different during daily activity. This variability in presentation between the clinic and daily life makes a differential diagnosis more difficult. A long-term recording of tremor by accelerometry and/or electromyography in the home environment could help to give a better insight into the tremor disorder. However, an evaluation of such recordings using routine clinical standards would take too much time. We evaluated a range of techniques that automatically detect tremor segments in accelerometer data, as accelerometer data is more easily obtained in the home environment than electromyography data. Time can be saved if clinicians only have to evaluate the tremor characteristics of segments that have been automatically detected in longer daily activity recordings. We tested four non-parametric methods and five parametric methods on clinical accelerometer data from 14 patients with different tremor disorders. The consensus between two clinicians regarding the presence or absence of tremor on 3943 segments of accelerometer data was employed as reference. The nine methods were tested against this reference to identify their optimal parameters. Non-parametric methods generally performed better than parametric methods on our dataset when optimal parameters were used. However, one parametric method, employing the high frequency content of the tremor bandwidth under consideration (High Freq) performed similarly to non-parametric methods, but had the highest recall values, suggesting that this method could be employed for automatic tremor detection. PMID:27258018

A Lift-Off-Tolerant Magnetic Flux Leakage Testing Method for Drill Pipes at Wellhead.

PubMed

Wu, Jianbo; Fang, Hui; Li, Long; Wang, Jie; Huang, Xiaoming; Kang, Yihua; Sun, Yanhua; Tang, Chaoqing

2017-01-21

To meet the great needs for MFL (magnetic flux leakage) inspection of drill pipes at wellheads, a lift-off-tolerant MFL testing method is proposed and investigated in this paper. Firstly, a Helmholtz coil magnetization method and the whole MFL testing scheme are proposed. Then, based on the magnetic field focusing effect of ferrite cores, a lift-off-tolerant MFL sensor is developed and tested. It shows high sensitivity at a lift-off distance of 5.0 mm. Further, the follow-up high repeatability MFL probing system is designed and manufactured, which was embedded with the developed sensors. It can track the swing movement of drill pipes and allow the pipe ends to pass smoothly. Finally, the developed system is employed in a drilling field for drill pipe inspection. Test results show that the proposed method can fulfill the requirements for drill pipe inspection at wellheads, which is of great importance in drill pipe safety.

A Lift-Off-Tolerant Magnetic Flux Leakage Testing Method for Drill Pipes at Wellhead

PubMed Central

Wu, Jianbo; Fang, Hui; Li, Long; Wang, Jie; Huang, Xiaoming; Kang, Yihua; Sun, Yanhua; Tang, Chaoqing

2017-01-01

To meet the great needs for MFL (magnetic flux leakage) inspection of drill pipes at wellheads, a lift-off-tolerant MFL testing method is proposed and investigated in this paper. Firstly, a Helmholtz coil magnetization method and the whole MFL testing scheme are proposed. Then, based on the magnetic field focusing effect of ferrite cores, a lift-off-tolerant MFL sensor is developed and tested. It shows high sensitivity at a lift-off distance of 5.0 mm. Further, the follow-up high repeatability MFL probing system is designed and manufactured, which was embedded with the developed sensors. It can track the swing movement of drill pipes and allow the pipe ends to pass smoothly. Finally, the developed system is employed in a drilling field for drill pipe inspection. Test results show that the proposed method can fulfill the requirements for drill pipe inspection at wellheads, which is of great importance in drill pipe safety. PMID:28117721

A study of visual and blood contamination on reprocessed endodontic files from general dental practice.

PubMed

Letters, S; Smith, A J; McHugh, S; Bagg, J

2005-10-22

This study examined methods used for reprocessing endodontic instruments in general dental practice and determined the degree of residual visual contamination and blood contamination on 250 reprocessed files collected from 25 general dental practices. A questionnaire was administered to 25 general dental practitioners to obtain information on the re-processing of used endodontic files. Ten files which had been used and reprocessed were also collected from each practice. These were examined visually under a dissecting light microscope for residual contamination and then tested for blood deposits using the Kastle-Meyer test. Nineteen of the 25 practices used stainless steel hand files. No practitioners used endodontic files as single use devices. Ninety-two per cent of the practitioners discarded and replaced files when they were bent or damaged. Several decontamination methods were reported. The two combinations employed most frequently were manual cleaning and autoclaving or manual cleaning, followed by ultrasonic cleaning and autoclaving. Of the 250 files, 75% showed some degree of visual contamination and seven percent tested positive for residual blood. Blood contaminated files were significantly more heavily contaminated when examined visually. Large variations were found in residual contamination of files collected from practices using the same methods of decontamination. While all practitioners re-used endodontic files, the variations in decontamination methods reported indicate a lack of clarity on best practice. This study demonstrates that endodontic files are not reliably decontaminated by methods currently employed in dental practice.

A Solution Adaptive Technique Using Tetrahedral Unstructured Grids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pirzadeh, Shahyar Z.

2000-01-01

An adaptive unstructured grid refinement technique has been developed and successfully applied to several three dimensional inviscid flow test cases. The method is based on a combination of surface mesh subdivision and local remeshing of the volume grid Simple functions of flow quantities are employed to detect dominant features of the flowfield The method is designed for modular coupling with various error/feature analyzers and flow solvers. Several steady-state, inviscid flow test cases are presented to demonstrate the applicability of the method for solving practical three-dimensional problems. In all cases, accurate solutions featuring complex, nonlinear flow phenomena such as shock waves and vortices have been generated automatically and efficiently.

Comparison of central axis and jet ring coolant supply for turbine disk cooling on a SSME-HPOTP model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Y. W.; Metzger, D. E.

1992-01-01

The test facility, test methods and results are presented for an experimental study modeling the cooling of turbine disks in the blade attachment regions with multiple impinging jets, in a configuration simulating the disk cooling method employed on the Space Shuttle Main Engine oxygen turbopump. The study's objective was to provide a comparison of detailed local convection heat transfer rates obtained for a single center-supply of disk coolant with those obtained with the present flight configuration where disk coolant is supplied through an array of 19 jets located near the disk outer radius. Specially constructed disk models were used in a program designed to evaluate possible benefits and identify any possible detrimental effects involved in employing an alternate disk cooling scheme. The study involved the design, construction and testing of two full scale rotating model disks, one plane and smooth for baseline testing and the second contoured to the present flight configuration, together with the corresponding plane and contoured stator disks. Local heat transfer rates are determined from the color display of encapsulated liquid crystals coated on the disk in conjunction with use of a computer vision system. The test program was composed of a wide variety of disk speeds, flowrates, and geometrical configurations, including testing for the effects of disk boltheads and gas ingestion from the gas path region radially outboard of the disk-cavity.

Sheet metals characterization using the virtual fields method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marek, Aleksander; Davis, Frances M.; Pierron, Fabrice

2018-05-01

In this work, a characterisation method involving a deep-notched specimen subjected to a tensile loading is introduced. This specimen leads to heterogeneous states of stress and strain, the latter being measured using a stereo DIC system (MatchID). This heterogeneity enables the identification of multiple material parameters in a single test. In order to identify material parameters from the DIC data, an inverse method called the Virtual Fields Method is employed. The method combined with recently developed sensitivity-based virtual fields allows to optimally locate areas in the test where information about each material parameter is encoded, improving accuracy of the identification over the traditional user-defined virtual fields. It is shown that a single test performed at 45° to the rolling direction is sufficient to obtain all anisotropic plastic parameters, thus reducing experimental effort involved in characterisation. The paper presents the methodology and some numerical validation.

14 CFR 120.217 - Tests required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Alcohol Testing Program Requirements § 120.217 Tests required. (a) Pre-employment alcohol testing. As an...: (1) You must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive... must not test some covered employees and not others). (3) You must conduct the pre-employment tests...

14 CFR 120.217 - Tests required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Alcohol Testing Program Requirements § 120.217 Tests required. (a) Pre-employment alcohol testing. As an...: (1) You must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive... must not test some covered employees and not others). (3) You must conduct the pre-employment tests...

14 CFR 120.217 - Tests required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Alcohol Testing Program Requirements § 120.217 Tests required. (a) Pre-employment alcohol testing. As an...: (1) You must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive... must not test some covered employees and not others). (3) You must conduct the pre-employment tests...

14 CFR 120.217 - Tests required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Alcohol Testing Program Requirements § 120.217 Tests required. (a) Pre-employment alcohol testing. As an...: (1) You must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive... must not test some covered employees and not others). (3) You must conduct the pre-employment tests...

14 CFR 120.217 - Tests required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Alcohol Testing Program Requirements § 120.217 Tests required. (a) Pre-employment alcohol testing. As an...: (1) You must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive... must not test some covered employees and not others). (3) You must conduct the pre-employment tests...

Improvement of Frequency Locking Algorithm for Atomic Frequency Standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Young-Ho; Kang, Hoonsoo; Heyong Lee, Soo; Eon Park, Sang; Lee, Jong Koo; Lee, Ho Seong; Kwon, Taeg Yong

2010-09-01

The authors describe a novel method of frequency locking algorithm for atomic frequency standards. The new algorithm for locking the microwave frequency to the Ramsey resonance is compared with the old one that had been employed in the cesium atomic beam frequency standards such as NIST-7 and KRISS-1. Numerical simulations for testing the performance of the algorithm show that the new method has a noise filtering performance superior to the old one by a factor of 1.2 for the flicker signal noise and 1.4 for random-walk signal noise. The new algorithm can readily be used to enhance the frequency stability for a digital servo employing the slow square wave frequency modulation.

2-D Fused Image Reconstruction approach for Microwave Tomography: a theoretical assessment using FDTD Model.

PubMed

Bindu, G; Semenov, S

2013-01-01

This paper describes an efficient two-dimensional fused image reconstruction approach for Microwave Tomography (MWT). Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) models were created for a viable MWT experimental system having the transceivers modelled using thin wire approximation with resistive voltage sources. Born Iterative and Distorted Born Iterative methods have been employed for image reconstruction with the extremity imaging being done using a differential imaging technique. The forward solver in the imaging algorithm employs the FDTD method of solving the time domain Maxwell's equations with the regularisation parameter computed using a stochastic approach. The algorithm is tested with 10% noise inclusion and successful image reconstruction has been shown implying its robustness.

Similarity based false-positive reduction for breast cancer using radiographic and pathologic imaging features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pai, Akshay; Samala, Ravi K.; Zhang, Jianying; Qian, Wei

2010-03-01

Mammography reading by radiologists and breast tissue image interpretation by pathologists often leads to high False Positive (FP) Rates. Similarly, current Computer Aided Diagnosis (CADx) methods tend to concentrate more on sensitivity, thus increasing the FP rates. A novel method is introduced here which employs similarity based method to decrease the FP rate in the diagnosis of microcalcifications. This method employs the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and the similarity metrics in order to achieve the proposed goal. The training and testing set is divided into generalized (Normal and Abnormal) and more specific (Abnormal, Normal, Benign) classes. The performance of this method as a standalone classification system is evaluated in both the cases (general and specific). In another approach the probability of each case belonging to a particular class is calculated. If the probabilities are too close to classify, the augmented CADx system can be instructed to have a detailed analysis of such cases. In case of normal cases with high probability, no further processing is necessary, thus reducing the computation time. Hence, this novel method can be employed in cascade with CADx to reduce the FP rate and also avoid unnecessary computational time. Using this methodology, a false positive rate of 8% and 11% is achieved for mammography and cellular images respectively.

Effectiveness of Mutual Learning Approach in the Academic Achievement of B.Ed Students in Learning Optional II English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arulselvi, Evangelin

2013-01-01

The present study aims at finding out the effectiveness of Mutual learning approach over the conventional method in learning English optional II among B.Ed students. The randomized pre-test, post test, control group and experimental group design was employed. The B.Ed students of the same college formed the control and experimental groups. Each…

The Implementation of Cooperative Learning Model "Number Heads Together" ("NHT") in Improving the Students' Ability in Reading Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maman, Mayong; Rajab, Andi Aryani

2016-01-01

The study aimed at describing the implementation of cooperative learning model of (NHT) at student of SMPN 2 Maros. The method used was a classroom action research in two cycles. Data were collected using the test for the quantitative and non-test for the qualitative by employing observation, field note, student's workbook, student's reflection…

Evaluation of Linking Methods for Placing Three-Parameter Logistic Item Parameter Estimates onto a One-Parameter Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karkee, Thakur B.; Wright, Karen R.

2004-01-01

Different item response theory (IRT) models may be employed for item calibration. Change of testing vendors, for example, may result in the adoption of a different model than that previously used with a testing program. To provide scale continuity and preserve cut score integrity, item parameter estimates from the new model must be linked to the…

Analyzing a Career. The Wisconsin Guide to Local Curriculum Improvement in Industrial Education, K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loeffler, Gordon

The intent of this field tested instructional package is to acquaint the student with a method of career analysis to enable him to determine whether a career is in harmony with his future employment goals. The package provides behavioral objectives, a student self-test, a basic information section, and a career analysis study to aid the student in…

Protocol vulnerability detection based on network traffic analysis and binary reverse engineering.

PubMed

Wen, Shameng; Meng, Qingkun; Feng, Chao; Tang, Chaojing

2017-01-01

Network protocol vulnerability detection plays an important role in many domains, including protocol security analysis, application security, and network intrusion detection. In this study, by analyzing the general fuzzing method of network protocols, we propose a novel approach that combines network traffic analysis with the binary reverse engineering method. For network traffic analysis, the block-based protocol description language is introduced to construct test scripts, while the binary reverse engineering method employs the genetic algorithm with a fitness function designed to focus on code coverage. This combination leads to a substantial improvement in fuzz testing for network protocols. We build a prototype system and use it to test several real-world network protocol implementations. The experimental results show that the proposed approach detects vulnerabilities more efficiently and effectively than general fuzzing methods such as SPIKE.

40 CFR 90.902 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... sale by itself or in a vehicle employed from year to year in the ordinary course of business for product development, production method assessment, and market promotion purposes. Testing exemption means an exemption granted under § 90.1004(b) for the purpose of research, investigations, studies...

Fluorescence And Alternative Methods In Urine Drug Testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, Naresh C.

1988-04-01

Drug abuse has become-one of the most compelling realities _ ot contemporary society. It has penetrated every segment ot our population: trom schools to sports and trom organized crime to board rooms . Drugs in tie w9rkplace allegedly cost government agencies and business millions ot dollars each year in increased absenteeism,. poor work performance, thefts,accidents andwastedtime. The President's Commission on Organized Crime and the federal government are in tavor ot urine drug testing. In fact many employers are now resorting to urine drug testing on current and prospective employees. This presep.tation discusses different laboratory methods used in urine drug.testing, including immunoassays, fluorescence polarization, thin layer chromatography, high pressure liquid chromatography, gas chromatography and gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Accelerated in-vitro release testing methods for extended-release parenteral dosage forms.

PubMed

Shen, Jie; Burgess, Diane J

2012-07-01

This review highlights current methods and strategies for accelerated in-vitro drug release testing of extended-release parenteral dosage forms such as polymeric microparticulate systems, lipid microparticulate systems, in-situ depot-forming systems and implants. Extended-release parenteral dosage forms are typically designed to maintain the effective drug concentration over periods of weeks, months or even years. Consequently, 'real-time' in-vitro release tests for these dosage forms are often run over a long time period. Accelerated in-vitro release methods can provide rapid evaluation and therefore are desirable for quality control purposes. To this end, different accelerated in-vitro release methods using United States Pharmacopeia (USP) apparatus have been developed. Different mechanisms of accelerating drug release from extended-release parenteral dosage forms, along with the accelerated in-vitro release testing methods currently employed are discussed. Accelerated in-vitro release testing methods with good discriminatory ability are critical for quality control of extended-release parenteral products. Methods that can be used in the development of in-vitro-in-vivo correlation (IVIVC) are desirable; however, for complex parenteral products this may not always be achievable. © 2012 The Authors. JPP © 2012 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Accelerated in vitro release testing methods for extended release parenteral dosage forms

PubMed Central

Shen, Jie; Burgess, Diane J.

2012-01-01

Objectives This review highlights current methods and strategies for accelerated in vitro drug release testing of extended release parenteral dosage forms such as polymeric microparticulate systems, lipid microparticulate systems, in situ depot-forming systems, and implants. Key findings Extended release parenteral dosage forms are typically designed to maintain the effective drug concentration over periods of weeks, months or even years. Consequently, “real-time” in vitro release tests for these dosage forms are often run over a long time period. Accelerated in vitro release methods can provide rapid evaluation and therefore are desirable for quality control purposes. To this end, different accelerated in vitro release methods using United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) apparatus have been developed. Different mechanisms of accelerating drug release from extended release parenteral dosage forms, along with the accelerated in vitro release testing methods currently employed are discussed. Conclusions Accelerated in vitro release testing methods with good discriminatory ability are critical for quality control of extended release parenteral products. Methods that can be used in the development of in vitro-in vivo correlation (IVIVC) are desirable, however for complex parenteral products this may not always be achievable. PMID:22686344

Preferred Materials and Methods Employed for Endodontic Treatment by Iranian General Practitioners

PubMed Central

Raoof, Maryam; Zeini, Negar; Haghani, Jahangir; Sadr, Saeedeh; Mohammadalizadeh, Sakineh

2015-01-01

Introduction: The aim of this study was to gather information on the materials and methods employed in root canal treatment (RCT) by general dental practitioners (GDPs) in Iran. Methods and Materials: A questionnaire was distributed among 450 dentists who attended the 53th Iranian Dental Association congress. Participants were asked to consider demographic variables and answer the questions regarding the materials and methods commonly used in RCT. Descriptive statistics were given as absolute frequencies and valid percentages. The chi-square test was used to investigate the influence of gender and the years of professional activity for the employed materials and techniques. Results: The response rate was 84.88%. The results showed that 61.5% of the participants did not perform pulp sensitivity tests prior to RCT. Less than half of the general dental practitioners (47.4%) said that they would trace a sinus tract before starting the treatment. Nearly 16% of practitioners preferred the rubber dam isolation method. Over 36% of the practitioners reported using formocresol for pulpotomy. The combined approach of working length (WL) radiographs and electronic apex locators was used by 35.2% of the practitioners. Most of the respondents used K-file hand instruments for canal preparation and the technique of choice was step-back (43.5%), while 40.1% of respondents used NiTi rotary files, mostly ProTaper and RaCe. The most widely used irrigant was normal saline (61.8%). Calcium hydroxide was the most commonly used inter appointment medicament (84.6%). The most popular obturation technique was cold lateral condensation (81.7%) with 51% using zinc oxide-eugenol-based sealers. Conclusions: The majority of Iranian GDPs who participated in the present survey do not comply with quality guidelines of endodontic treatment. PMID:25834595

Early Recovery of Salmonella from Food Using a 6-Hour Non-selective Pre-enrichment and Reformulation of Tetrathionate Broth.

PubMed

Daquigan, Ninalynn; Grim, Christopher J; White, James R; Hanes, Darcy E; Jarvis, Karen G

2016-01-01

Culture based methods are commonly employed to detect pathogens in food and environmental samples. These methods are time consuming and complex, requiring multiple non-selective and selective enrichment broths, and usually take at least 1 week to recover and identify pathogens. Improving pathogen detection in foods is a primary goal for regulatory agencies and industry. Salmonella detection in food relies on a series of culture steps in broth formulations optimized to resuscitate Salmonella and reduce the abundance of competitive bacteria. Examples of non-selective pre-enrichment broths used to isolate Salmonella from food include Lactose, Universal Pre-enrichment, BPW, and Trypticase Soy broths. Tetrathionate (TT) and Rappaport-Vassiliadis (RV) broths are employed after a 24-h non-selective enrichment to select for Salmonella and hamper the growth of competitive bacteria. In this study, we tested a new formulation of TT broth that lacks brilliant green dye and has lower levels of TT . We employed this TT broth formulation in conjunction with a 6-h non-selective pre-enrichment period and determined that Salmonella recovery was possible one day earlier than standard food culture methods. We tested the shortened culture method in different non-selective enrichment broths, enumerated Salmonella in the non-selective enrichments, and used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to determine the proportional abundances of Salmonella in the TT and RV selective enrichments. Together these data revealed that a 6-h non-selective pre-enrichment reduces the levels of competitive bacteria inoculated into the selective TT and RV broths, enabling the recovery of Salmonella 1 day earlier than standard culture enrichment methods.

Niépce-Bell or Turing: how to test odour reproduction.

PubMed

Harel, David

2016-12-01

Decades before the existence of anything resembling an artificial intelligence system, Alan Turing raised the question of how to test whether machines can think, or, in modern terminology, whether a computer claimed to exhibit intelligence indeed does so. This paper raises the analogous issue for olfaction: how to test the validity of a system claimed to reproduce arbitrary odours artificially, in a way recognizable to humans. Although odour reproduction systems are still far from being viable, the question of how to test candidates thereof is claimed to be interesting and non-trivial, and a novel method is proposed. Despite the similarity between the two questions and their surfacing long before the tested systems exist, the present question cannot be answered adequately by a Turing-like method. Instead, our test is very different: it is conditional, requiring from the artificial no more than is required from the original, and it employs a novel method of immersion that takes advantage of the availability of easily recognizable reproduction methods for sight and sound, a la Nicéphore Niépce and Alexander Graham Bell. © 2016 The Authors.

Niépce–Bell or Turing: how to test odour reproduction

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Decades before the existence of anything resembling an artificial intelligence system, Alan Turing raised the question of how to test whether machines can think, or, in modern terminology, whether a computer claimed to exhibit intelligence indeed does so. This paper raises the analogous issue for olfaction: how to test the validity of a system claimed to reproduce arbitrary odours artificially, in a way recognizable to humans. Although odour reproduction systems are still far from being viable, the question of how to test candidates thereof is claimed to be interesting and non-trivial, and a novel method is proposed. Despite the similarity between the two questions and their surfacing long before the tested systems exist, the present question cannot be answered adequately by a Turing-like method. Instead, our test is very different: it is conditional, requiring from the artificial no more than is required from the original, and it employs a novel method of immersion that takes advantage of the availability of easily recognizable reproduction methods for sight and sound, a la Nicéphore Niépce and Alexander Graham Bell. PMID:28003527

Bayesian Tracking of Emerging Epidemics Using Ensemble Optimal Statistical Interpolation

PubMed Central

Cobb, Loren; Krishnamurthy, Ashok; Mandel, Jan; Beezley, Jonathan D.

2014-01-01

We present a preliminary test of the Ensemble Optimal Statistical Interpolation (EnOSI) method for the statistical tracking of an emerging epidemic, with a comparison to its popular relative for Bayesian data assimilation, the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF). The spatial data for this test was generated by a spatial susceptible-infectious-removed (S-I-R) epidemic model of an airborne infectious disease. Both tracking methods in this test employed Poisson rather than Gaussian noise, so as to handle epidemic data more accurately. The EnOSI and EnKF tracking methods worked well on the main body of the simulated spatial epidemic, but the EnOSI was able to detect and track a distant secondary focus of infection that the EnKF missed entirely. PMID:25113590

49 CFR 382.411 - Employer notifications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... the results of random, reasonable suspicion and post-accident tests for controlled substances... ALCOHOL USE AND TESTING Handling of Test Results, Records Retention, and Confidentiality § 382.411 Employer notifications. (a) An employer shall notify a driver of the results of a pre-employment controlled...

49 CFR 382.411 - Employer notifications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... the results of random, reasonable suspicion and post-accident tests for controlled substances... ALCOHOL USE AND TESTING Handling of Test Results, Records Retention, and Confidentiality § 382.411 Employer notifications. (a) An employer shall notify a driver of the results of a pre-employment controlled...

49 CFR 382.411 - Employer notifications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... the results of random, reasonable suspicion and post-accident tests for controlled substances... ALCOHOL USE AND TESTING Handling of Test Results, Records Retention, and Confidentiality § 382.411 Employer notifications. (a) An employer shall notify a driver of the results of a pre-employment controlled...

49 CFR 382.411 - Employer notifications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... the results of random, reasonable suspicion and post-accident tests for controlled substances... ALCOHOL USE AND TESTING Handling of Test Results, Records Retention, and Confidentiality § 382.411 Employer notifications. (a) An employer shall notify a driver of the results of a pre-employment controlled...

Libraries of Peptide Fragmentation Mass Spectra Database

National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

SRD 1C NIST Libraries of Peptide Fragmentation Mass Spectra Database (Web, free access)   The purpose of the library is to provide peptide reference data for laboratories employing mass spectrometry-based proteomics methods for protein analysis. Mass spectral libraries identify these compounds in a more sensitive and robust manner than alternative methods. These databases are freely available for testing and development of new applications.

Direct determination of chromium in infant formulas employing high-resolution continuum source electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry and solid sample analysis.

PubMed

Silva, Arlene S; Brandao, Geovani C; Matos, Geraldo D; Ferreira, Sergio L C

2015-11-01

The present work proposed an analytical method for the direct determination of chromium in infant formulas employing the high-resolution continuum source electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry combined with the solid sample analysis (SS-HR-CS ET AAS). Sample masses up to 2.0mg were directly weighted on a solid sampling platform and introduced into the graphite tube. In order to minimize the formation of carbonaceous residues and to improve the contact of the modifier solution with the solid sample, a volume of 10 µL of a solution containing 6% (v/v) H2O2, 20% (v/v) ethanol and 1% (v/v) HNO3 was added. The pyrolysis and atomization temperatures established were 1600 and 2400 °C, respectively, using magnesium as chemical modifier. The calibration technique was evaluated by comparing the slopes of calibration curves established using aqueous and solid standards. This test revealed that chromium can be determined employing the external calibration technique using aqueous standards. Under these conditions, the method developed allows the direct determination of chromium with limit of quantification of 11.5 ng g(-1), precision expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD) in the range of 4.0-17.9% (n=3) and a characteristic mass of 1.2 pg of chromium. The accuracy was confirmed by analysis of a certified reference material of tomato leaves furnished by National Institute of Standards and Technology. The method proposed was applied for the determination of chromium in five different infant formula samples. The chromium content found varied in the range of 33.9-58.1 ng g(-1) (n=3). These samples were also analyzed employing ICP-MS. A statistical test demonstrated that there is no significant difference between the results found by two methods. The chromium concentrations achieved are lower than the maximum limit permissible for chromium in foods by Brazilian Legislation. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

40 CFR 89.902 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... piece of equipment employed from year to year in the ordinary course of business for product development, production method assessment, and market promotion purposes. Testing exemption means an exemption which may be granted under § 89.1004(b) for the purpose of research investigations, studies, demonstrations or...

The Power of Aircraft Engines at Altitude

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ragazzi, Paolo

1939-01-01

The subject of the present paper is confined to the investigations and methods employed by the Fiat company in their studies on the altitude performance of an air-cooled engine of the production type. The experimental set-up as well as test engine data are provided.

Characterizing Preservice Teachers' Mathematical Understanding of Algebraic Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nillas, Leah A.

2010-01-01

Qualitative research methods were employed to investigate characterization of preservice teachers' mathematical understanding. Responses on test items involving algebraic relationships were analyzed using with-in case analysis (Miles and Huberman, 1994) and Pirie and Kieren's (1994) model of growth of mathematical understanding. Five elementary…

Design and landing dynamic analysis of reusable landing leg for a near-space manned capsule

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yue, Shuai; Nie, Hong; Zhang, Ming; Wei, Xiaohui; Gan, Shengyong

2018-06-01

To improve the landing performance of a near-space manned capsule under various landing conditions, a novel landing system is designed that employs double chamber and single chamber dampers in the primary and auxiliary struts, respectively. A dynamic model of the landing system is established, and the damper parameters are determined by employing the design method. A single-leg drop test with different initial pitch angles is then conducted to compare and validate the simulation model. Based on the validated simulation model, seven critical landing conditions regarding nine crucial landing responses are found by combining the radial basis function (RBF) surrogate model and adaptive simulated annealing (ASA) optimization method. Subsequently, the adaptability of the landing system under critical landing conditions is analyzed. The results show that the simulation effectively results match the test results, which validates the accuracy of the dynamic model. In addition, all of the crucial responses under their corresponding critical landing conditions satisfy the design specifications, demonstrating the feasibility of the landing system.

A simple randomisation procedure for validating discriminant analysis: a methodological note.

PubMed

Wastell, D G

1987-04-01

Because the goal of discriminant analysis (DA) is to optimise classification, it designedly exaggerates between-group differences. This bias complicates validation of DA. Jack-knifing has been used for validation but is inappropriate when stepwise selection (SWDA) is employed. A simple randomisation test is presented which is shown to give correct decisions for SWDA. The general superiority of randomisation tests over orthodox significance tests is discussed. Current work on non-parametric methods of estimating the error rates of prediction rules is briefly reviewed.

A new 3D reconstituted human corneal epithelium model as an alternative method for the eye irritation test.

PubMed

Jung, Kyoung-Mi; Lee, Su-Hyon; Ryu, Yang-Hwan; Jang, Won-Hee; Jung, Haeng-Sun; Han, Ju-Hee; Seok, Seung-Hyeok; Park, Jae-Hak; Son, Youngsook; Park, Young-Ho; Lim, Kyung-Min

2011-02-01

Many efforts are being made to develop new alternative in vitro test methods for the eye irritation test. Here we report a new reconstructed human corneal epithelial model (MCTT HCE model) prepared from primary-cultured human limbal epithelial cells as a new alternative in vitro eye irritation test method. In histological and immunohistochemical observation, MCTT HCE model displayed a morphology and biomarker expressions similar to intact human cornea. Moreover, the barrier function was well preserved as measured by high transepithelial electrical resistance, effective time-50 for Triton X-100, and corneal thickness. To employ the model as a new alternative method for eye irritation test, protocol refinement was performed and optimum assay condition was determined including treatment time, treatment volume, post-incubation time and rinsing method. Using the refined protocol, 25 reference chemicals with known eye irritation potentials were tested. With the viability cut-off value at 50%, chemicals were classified to irritant or non-irritant. When compared with GHS classification, the MCTT HCE model showed the accuracy of 88%, sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 77%. These results suggest that the MCTT HCE model might be useful as a new alternative eye irritation test method. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mapping the Human Toxome by Systems Toxicology

PubMed Central

Bouhifd, Mounir; Hogberg, Helena T.; Kleensang, Andre; Maertens, Alexandra; Zhao, Liang; Hartung, Thomas

2014-01-01

Toxicity testing typically involves studying adverse health outcomes in animals subjected to high doses of toxicants with subsequent extrapolation to expected human responses at lower doses. The low-throughput of current toxicity testing approaches (which are largely the same for industrial chemicals, pesticides and drugs) has led to a backlog of more than 80,000 chemicals to which human beings are potentially exposed whose potential toxicity remains largely unknown. Employing new testing strategies that employ the use of predictive, high-throughput cell-based assays (of human origin) to evaluate perturbations in key pathways, referred as pathways of toxicity, and to conduct targeted testing against those pathways, we can begin to greatly accelerate our ability to test the vast “storehouses” of chemical compounds using a rational, risk-based approach to chemical prioritization, and provide test results that are more predictive of human toxicity than current methods. The NIH Transformative Research Grant project Mapping the Human Toxome by Systems Toxicology aims at developing the tools for pathway mapping, annotation and validation as well as the respective knowledge base to share this information. PMID:24443875

Quantifying the advantages and disadvantages of pre-placement genetic screening

PubMed Central

Palmer, K; Poole, J; Rawbone, R; Coggon, D

2004-01-01

Background: Tests of genotype may enable workers at unusual risk of future ill-health to be identified. Using them to select for employment, however, entails gains and losses to employers and employees. Ensuring a fair balance between the rights and obligations of each group requires a value judgement, but the advantages and disadvantages to interested parties must first be quantified in a meaningful way. Method and Results: The purposes of pre-employment screening are reviewed, and several simple measures relevant to the separate interests of employers and job applicants proposed—number screened to prevent a single adverse outcome; number excluded to prevent a case; expected incidence of the adverse outcome in those excluded; and preventable fraction. The derivation of these measures is illustrated, and the factors that influence them (the prevalence of the prognostic trait, the relative risk that it carries for an adverse outcome, and the overall incidence of disease) are related algebraically and graphically, to aid judgement on the utility of screening under different circumstances. Conclusions: In sensitive areas such as genetic testing the onus should be on the employer to justify plans for pre-placement screening. Several quantitative measures can be used to inform the ethical and economic debate about screening and to evaluate alternative strategies for prevention. PMID:15090667

Career paths of 1988 and 1998 nurse graduates in Switzerland: nurses at work pilot study.

PubMed

Addor, V; Jeannin, A; Schwendimann, R; Roulet Jeanneret, F

2017-05-01

To investigate career paths and nurses' reasons to quit their job in Switzerland. Increasing the duration of employment is the most efficient measure to reduce the worldwide nursing shortage. The results of the pilot phase for the retrospective cohort nurses at work study are presented. In 2012, 1085 graduates' names of two test-cohorts (1988 and 1998) from 26 Swiss nursing schools were asked to complete a web-based questionnaire. A snowball method was applied to recruit their graduate mates, together with advertisements through employers, study partners and a press release. The overall participation rate was 26.5% (n = 287). The median duration of employment in nursing was 23 and 14 years, respectively, and 80% of the potential employment time was spent within nursing. Half of the respondents reported they had left a sector of care, or nursing altogether, at least once, for personal choices, work-family conflict, heavy schedules, high workload, underused skills, lack of participation in decision-making or unsupportive nursing management. Most Swiss-trained nurses were still employed in nursing 24 and 14 years after graduation, respectively, with a third having worked part-time periods. Provisional retention recommendations are provided, which will be tested in the full study with validated instruments. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A novel test method to determine the filter material service life of decentralized systems treating runoff from traffic areas.

PubMed

Huber, Maximilian; Welker, Antje; Dierschke, Martina; Drewes, Jörg E; Helmreich, Brigitte

2016-09-01

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the development and application of technical decentralized filter systems for the treatment of runoff from traffic areas. However, there are still many uncertainties regarding the service life and the performance of filter materials that are employed in decentralized treatment systems. These filter media are designed to prevent the transport of pollutants into the environment. A novel pilot-scale test method was developed to determine - within a few days - the service lives and long-term removal efficiencies for dissolved heavy metals in stormwater treatment systems. The proposed method consists of several steps including preloading the filter media in a pilot-scale model with copper and zinc by a load of n-1 years of the estimated service life (n). Subsequently, three representative rain events are simulated to evaluate the long-term performance by dissolved copper and zinc during the last year of application. The presented results, which verified the applicability of this method, were obtained for three filter channel systems and six filter shaft systems. The performance of the evaluated systems varied largely for both tested heavy metals and during all three simulated rain events. A validation of the pilot-scale assessment method with field measurements was also performed for two systems. Findings of this study suggest that this novel method does provide a standardized and accurate estimation of service intervals of decentralized treatment systems employing various filter materials. The method also provides regulatory authorities, designers, and operators with an objective basis for performance assessment and supports stormwater managers to make decisions for the installation of such decentralized treatment systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Verification of a non-hydrostatic dynamical core using horizontally spectral element vertically finite difference method: 2-D aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, S.-J.; Giraldo, F. X.; Kim, J.; Shin, S.

2014-06-01

The non-hydrostatic (NH) compressible Euler equations of dry atmosphere are solved in a simplified two dimensional (2-D) slice framework employing a spectral element method (SEM) for the horizontal discretization and a finite difference method (FDM) for the vertical discretization. The SEM uses high-order nodal basis functions associated with Lagrange polynomials based on Gauss-Lobatto-Legendre (GLL) quadrature points. The FDM employs a third-order upwind biased scheme for the vertical flux terms and a centered finite difference scheme for the vertical derivative terms and quadrature. The Euler equations used here are in a flux form based on the hydrostatic pressure vertical coordinate, which are the same as those used in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, but a hybrid sigma-pressure vertical coordinate is implemented in this model. We verified the model by conducting widely used standard benchmark tests: the inertia-gravity wave, rising thermal bubble, density current wave, and linear hydrostatic mountain wave. The results from those tests demonstrate that the horizontally spectral element vertically finite difference model is accurate and robust. By using the 2-D slice model, we effectively show that the combined spatial discretization method of the spectral element and finite difference method in the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, offers a viable method for the development of a NH dynamical core.

[The comparative assessment of the practical value of the currently employed methods for the recognition and species specificity of the blood].

PubMed

Grezina, N Iu; Suleĭmenova, G M

2011-01-01

The objective of the present study was to evaluate sensitivity and specificity of the HemDirect method on test-plates (Seratec) for detecting human hemoglobin (HHb). These characteristics were compared with those of other widely used methods designed for the detection of blood traces, viz. thin layer chromatography, hemotest, spectrofluorimetry, and identification of blood species specificity (by countercurrent immunoelectrophoresis in agar and on the acetate-cellulose film). It was shown that the HemDirect test is highly specific and far more sensitive than other techniques used for the same purpose in the practical work. It can be recommended as the method of choice for the detection of blood microtraces.

Reducing Sweeping Frequencies in Microwave NDT Employing Machine Learning Feature Selection

PubMed Central

Moomen, Abdelniser; Ali, Abdulbaset; Ramahi, Omar M.

2016-01-01

Nondestructive Testing (NDT) assessment of materials’ health condition is useful for classifying healthy from unhealthy structures or detecting flaws in metallic or dielectric structures. Performing structural health testing for coated/uncoated metallic or dielectric materials with the same testing equipment requires a testing method that can work on metallics and dielectrics such as microwave testing. Reducing complexity and expenses associated with current diagnostic practices of microwave NDT of structural health requires an effective and intelligent approach based on feature selection and classification techniques of machine learning. Current microwave NDT methods in general based on measuring variation in the S-matrix over the entire operating frequency ranges of the sensors. For instance, assessing the health of metallic structures using a microwave sensor depends on the reflection or/and transmission coefficient measurements as a function of the sweeping frequencies of the operating band. The aim of this work is reducing sweeping frequencies using machine learning feature selection techniques. By treating sweeping frequencies as features, the number of top important features can be identified, then only the most influential features (frequencies) are considered when building the microwave NDT equipment. The proposed method of reducing sweeping frequencies was validated experimentally using a waveguide sensor and a metallic plate with different cracks. Among the investigated feature selection techniques are information gain, gain ratio, relief, chi-squared. The effectiveness of the selected features were validated through performance evaluations of various classification models; namely, Nearest Neighbor, Neural Networks, Random Forest, and Support Vector Machine. Results showed good crack classification accuracy rates after employing feature selection algorithms. PMID:27104533

Harmonisation of microbial sampling and testing methods for distillate fuels

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

Hill, G.C.; Hill, E.C.

1995-05-01

Increased incidence of microbial infection in distillate fuels has led to a demand for organisations such as the Institute of Petroleum to propose standards for microbiological quality, based on numbers of viable microbial colony forming units. Variations in quality requirements, and in the spoilage significance of contaminating microbes plus a tendency for temporal and spatial changes in the distribution of microbes, makes such standards difficult to implement. The problem is compounded by a diversity in the procedures employed for sampling and testing for microbial contamination and in the interpretation of the data obtained. The following paper reviews these problems andmore » describes the efforts of The Institute of Petroleum Microbiology Fuels Group to address these issues and in particular to bring about harmonisation of sampling and testing methods. The benefits and drawbacks of available test methods, both laboratory based and on-site, are discussed.« less

Synthesis of active controls for flutter suppression on a flight research wing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abel, I.; Perry, B., III; Murrow, H. N.

1977-01-01

This paper describes some activities associated with the preliminary design of an active control system for flutter suppression capable of demonstrating a 20% increase in flutter velocity. Results from two control system synthesis techniques are given. One technique uses classical control theory, and the other uses an 'aerodynamic energy method' where control surface rates or displacements are minimized. Analytical methods used to synthesize the control systems and evaluate their performance are described. Some aspects of a program for flight testing the active control system are also given. This program, called DAST (Drones for Aerodynamics and Structural Testing), employs modified drone-type vehicles for flight assessments and validation testing.

Ares I Flight Control System Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Charles; Lee, Chong; Jackson, Mark; Whorton, Mark; West, mark; Brandon, Jay; Hall, Rob A.; Jang, Jimmy; Bedrossian, Naz; Compton, Jimmy;

Job Knowledge Test Design: A Cognitively-Oriented Approach

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-07-01

protocol analyses and related methods. We employed a plan-goal graph representation to capture the knowledge content and goal structure of the studied task...between job knowledge and hands-on performance from previous studies was .38. For the subset of Marines in this sample who had recently been examined...the job knowledge test provided similar results to conventional, total number correct scoring. Conclusion The evidence provided by this study supports

Job stability in skilled work and communication ability after moderate-severe traumatic brain injury

PubMed Central

Meulenbroek, Peter; Turkstra, Lyn S.

2016-01-01

Purpose Communication deficits may play a critical role in maintaining employment after traumatic brain injury (TBI), but links between specific communication deficits and employment outcomes have not been determined. This study identified communication measures that distinguished stably employed versus unstably employed adults with TBI. Methods Participants were 31 adults with moderate-severe TBI who were employed full-time for at least 12 consecutive months before injury in skilled jobs and had attempted return to skilled jobs after injury. Sixteen had achieved stable employment (SE) post-injury, defined as full-time employment for ≥12 consecutive months; and 15 had unstable (UE) employment. Participants completed a battery of communication tests identified in a prior qualitative study of communication skills required for skilled work. Results Measures of spoken language comprehension, verbal reasoning, social inference, reading, and politeness in spoken discourse significantly discriminated between SE and UE groups. Two nested models were completed and compared. The first model excluded discourse data because of missing data for two UE and one SE participant. This model revealed that measures of verbal reasoning speed (β = −0.18, p = 0.05) and social inference (β = 0.19, p = 0.05) were predictive independent of the overall model. The second model included discourse data and was a better overall predictor of group membership (Likelihood ratio test, Model 1: 3.824, Model 2: 2.865). Conclusion Communication measures were positively associated with stable employment in skilled jobs after TBI. Clinicians should include assessment of communication for adults attempting return to work after TBI, paying specific attention to social inference and speed of verbal reasoning skills. PMID:25958999

49 CFR 382.107 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... driver: (1) Fail to appear for any test (except a pre-employment test) within a reasonable time, as... testing process commences (see § 40.63(c) of this title) a pre-employment test is not deemed to have... pre-employment test is not deemed to have refused to test; (4) In the case of a directly observed or...

49 CFR 382.107 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... driver: (1) Fail to appear for any test (except a pre-employment test) within a reasonable time, as... testing process commences (see § 40.63(c) of this title) a pre-employment test is not deemed to have... pre-employment test is not deemed to have refused to test; (4) In the case of a directly observed or...

A robust nonparametric framework for reconstruction of stochastic differential equation models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajabzadeh, Yalda; Rezaie, Amir Hossein; Amindavar, Hamidreza

2016-05-01

In this paper, we employ a nonparametric framework to robustly estimate the functional forms of drift and diffusion terms from discrete stationary time series. The proposed method significantly improves the accuracy of the parameter estimation. In this framework, drift and diffusion coefficients are modeled through orthogonal Legendre polynomials. We employ the least squares regression approach along with the Euler-Maruyama approximation method to learn coefficients of stochastic model. Next, a numerical discrete construction of mean squared prediction error (MSPE) is established to calculate the order of Legendre polynomials in drift and diffusion terms. We show numerically that the new method is robust against the variation in sample size and sampling rate. The performance of our method in comparison with the kernel-based regression (KBR) method is demonstrated through simulation and real data. In case of real dataset, we test our method for discriminating healthy electroencephalogram (EEG) signals from epilepsy ones. We also demonstrate the efficiency of the method through prediction in the financial data. In both simulation and real data, our algorithm outperforms the KBR method.

Outcomes of home-based employment service programs for people with disabilities and their related factors--a preliminary study in Taiwan.

PubMed

Lin, Yi-Jiun; Huang, I-Chun; Wang, Yun-Tung

2014-01-01

The aim of this exploratory study is to gain an understanding of the outcomes of home-based employment service programs for people with disabilities and their related factors in Taiwan. This study used survey method to collect 132 questionnaires. Descriptive and two-variable statistics including chi-square (χ(2)), independent sample t-test and analysis of variance were employed. The results found that 36.5% of the subjects improved their employment status and 75.8% of them improved in employability. Educational level and and vocational categories including "web page production", "e-commerce", "internet marketing", "on-line store" and "website set-up and management" were significantly "positively" associated with either of the two outcome indicators - change of employment status and employability. This study is the first evidence-based study about the outcomes of home-based employment service programs and their related factors for people with disabilities in Taiwan. The outcomes of the home-based employment service programs for people with disabilities were presented. Implications for Rehabilitation Home-based rehabilitation for people with disabilities can be effective. A programme of this kind supports participants in improving or gaining employment status as well as developing employability skills. Further consideration should be given to developing cost-effective home-based programmes and evaluating their effectiveness.

From conditioning shampoo to nanomechanics and haptics of human hair.

PubMed

Wood, Claudia; Sugiharto, Albert Budiman; Max, Eva; Fery, Andreas

2011-01-01

Shampoo treatment and hair conditioning have a direct impact on our wellbeing via properties like combability and haptic perception of hair. Therefore, systematic investigations leading to quality improvement of hair care products are of major interest. The aim of our work is a better understanding of complex testing and the correlation with quantitative parameters. The motivation for the development of physical testing methods for hair feel relates to the fact that an ingredient supplier like BASF can only find new, so far not yet toxicologically approved chemistries for hair cosmetics, if an in-vitro method exists.In this work, the effects of different shampoo treatments with conditioning polymers are investigated. The employed physical test method, dry friction measurements and AFM observe friction phenomena on a macroscopic as well as on a nanoscale directly on hair. They are an approach to complement sensoric evaluation with an objective in-vitro method.

A new experimental method for the accelerated characterization of composite materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brinson, H. F.; Morris, D. H.; Yeow, Y. T.

1978-01-01

A method which permits the prediction of long-term properties of graphite/epoxy laminates on the basis of short-term (15 min) laboratory tests is described. Demonstration of delayed viscoelastic fracture in one laminate configuration, and data on the time and temperature response of a matrix-dominated unidirectional laminate contributed to a characterization of the viscoelastic process in the graphite/epoxy composites. Master curves from short-term tests of certain laminate configurations can be employed to generate long-term master curves. In addition, analytical predictions from short-term results can be used to predict long-term (25-hour) laminate properties.

A test for selection employing quantitative trait locus and mutation accumulation data.

PubMed

Rice, Daniel P; Townsend, Jeffrey P

2012-04-01

Evolutionary biologists attribute much of the phenotypic diversity observed in nature to the action of natural selection. However, for many phenotypic traits, especially quantitative phenotypic traits, it has been challenging to test for the historical action of selection. An important challenge for biologists studying quantitative traits, therefore, is to distinguish between traits that have evolved under the influence of strong selection and those that have evolved neutrally. Most existing tests for selection employ molecular data, but selection also leaves a mark on the genetic architecture underlying a trait. In particular, the distribution of quantitative trait locus (QTL) effect sizes and the distribution of mutational effects together provide information regarding the history of selection. Despite the increasing availability of QTL and mutation accumulation data, such data have not yet been effectively exploited for this purpose. We present a model of the evolution of QTL and employ it to formulate a test for historical selection. To provide a baseline for neutral evolution of the trait, we estimate the distribution of mutational effects from mutation accumulation experiments. We then apply a maximum-likelihood-based method of inference to estimate the range of selection strengths under which such a distribution of mutations could generate the observed QTL. Our test thus represents the first integration of population genetic theory and QTL data to measure the historical influence of selection.

Noninterference Systems Developed for Measuring and Monitoring Rotor Blade Vibrations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kurkov, Anatole P.

2003-01-01

In the noninterference measurement of blade vibrations, a laser light beam is transmitted to the rotor blade tips through a single optical fiber, and the reflected light from the blade tips is collected by a receiving fiber-optic bundle and conducted to a photodetector. Transmitting and receiving fibers are integrated in an optical probe that is enclosed in a metal tube which also houses a miniature lens that focuses light on the blade tips. Vibratory blade amplitudes can be deduced from the measurement of the instantaneous time of arrival of the blades and the knowledge of the rotor speed. The in-house noninterference blade-vibration measurement system was developed in response to requirements to monitor blade vibrations in several tests where conventional strain gauges could not be installed or where there was a need to back up strain gauges should critical gauges fail during the test. These types of measurements are also performed in the aircraft engine industry using proprietary in-house technology. Two methods of measurement were developed for vibrations that are synchronous with a rotor shaft. One method requires only one sensor; however, it is necessary to continuously record the data while the rotor is being swept through the resonance. In the other method, typically four sensors are employed and the vibratory amplitude is deduced from the data by performing a least square fit to a harmonic function. This method does not require continuous recording of data through the resonance and, therefore, is better suited for monitoring. The single-probe method was tested in the Carl facility at the Wright- Patterson Air Force Base, and the multiple-probe method was tested in NASA Glenn Research Center's Spin Rig facility, which uses permanent magnets to excite synchronous vibrations. Representative results from this test are illustrated in the bar chart. Nonsynchronous vibrations were measured online during testing of the Quiet High Speed Fan in Glenn s 9- by 15-Foot Low-Speed Wind Tunnel. Three sensors were employed, enabling a reconstruction of the vibratory patterns at the leading and trailing edges at the tip span, as well as a determination of vibratory amplitudes for every blade.

Structure and weights optimisation of a modified Elman network emotion classifier using hybrid computational intelligence algorithms: a comparative study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheikhan, Mansour; Abbasnezhad Arabi, Mahdi; Gharavian, Davood

2015-10-01

Artificial neural networks are efficient models in pattern recognition applications, but their performance is dependent on employing suitable structure and connection weights. This study used a hybrid method for obtaining the optimal weight set and architecture of a recurrent neural emotion classifier based on gravitational search algorithm (GSA) and its binary version (BGSA), respectively. By considering the features of speech signal that were related to prosody, voice quality, and spectrum, a rich feature set was constructed. To select more efficient features, a fast feature selection method was employed. The performance of the proposed hybrid GSA-BGSA method was compared with similar hybrid methods based on particle swarm optimisation (PSO) algorithm and its binary version, PSO and discrete firefly algorithm, and hybrid of error back-propagation and genetic algorithm that were used for optimisation. Experimental tests on Berlin emotional database demonstrated the superior performance of the proposed method using a lighter network structure.

Discrimination of Mirror-Image shapes by Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, G. Brian

1975-01-01

Conducted two experiments which employed discrimination learning methods to test predictions related to the difficulty of discrimination of lateral reversals and of inversions when shapes are presented: (1) successively, (2) simultaneously in lateral alignment, and (3) simultaneously in vertical alignment. Subjects were 6-year-old children. (SDH)

Pedagogical Considerations in Reading.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ediger, Marlow

This paper outlines various approaches to teaching reading. The first approach considered focuses on a teacher strictly following a textbook. The paper notes that textbooks which employ programmed reading help students progress at a slow but steady rate. It then discusses the hierarchical method of state mandated objectives and testing. Features…

A three-dimensional structured/unstructured hybrid Navier-Stokes method for turbine blade rows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsung, F.-L.; Loellbach, J.; Kwon, O.; Hah, C.

1994-01-01

A three-dimensional viscous structured/unstructured hybrid scheme has been developed for numerical computation of high Reynolds number turbomachinery flows. The procedure allows an efficient structured solver to be employed in the densely clustered, high aspect-ratio grid around the viscous regions near solid surfaces, while employing an unstructured solver elsewhere in the flow domain to add flexibility in mesh generation. Test results for an inviscid flow over an external transonic wing and a Navier-Stokes flow for an internal annular cascade are presented.

Individual Fit Testing of Hearing Protection Devices Based on Microphone in Real Ear.

PubMed

Biabani, Azam; Aliabadi, Mohsen; Golmohammadi, Rostam; Farhadian, Maryam

2017-12-01

Labeled noise reduction (NR) data presented by manufacturers are considered one of the main challenging issues for occupational experts in employing hearing protection devices (HPDs). This study aimed to determine the actual NR data of typical HPDs using the objective fit testing method with a microphone in real ear (MIRE) method. Five available commercially earmuff protectors were investigated in 30 workers exposed to reference noise source according to the standard method, ISO 11904-1. Personal attenuation rating (PAR) of the earmuffs was measured based on the MIRE method using a noise dosimeter (SVANTEK, model SV 102). The results showed that means of PAR of the earmuffs are from 49% to 86% of the nominal NR rating. The PAR values of earmuffs when a typical eyewear was worn differed statistically ( p < 0.05). It is revealed that a typical safety eyewear can reduce the mean of the PAR value by approximately 2.5 dB. The results also showed that measurements based on the MIRE method resulted in low variability. The variability in NR values between individuals, within individuals, and within earmuffs was not the statistically significant ( p > 0.05). This study could provide local individual fit data. Ergonomic aspects of the earmuffs and different levels of users experience and awareness can be considered the main factors affecting individual fitting compared with the laboratory condition for acquiring the labeled NR data. Based on the obtained fit testing results, the field application of MIRE can be employed for complementary studies in real workstations while workers perform their regular work duties.

Expanded test method for peptides >2 kDa employing immunoaffinity purification and LC-HRMS/MS.

PubMed

Thomas, Andreas; Walpurgis, Katja; Tretzel, Laura; Brinkkötter, Paul; Fichant, Eric; Delahaut, Philippe; Schänzer, Wilhelm; Thevis, Mario

2015-01-01

Bioactive peptides with an approximate molecular mass of 2-12 kDa are of considerable relevance in sports drug testing. Such peptides have been used to manipulate several potential performance-enhancing processes in the athlete's body and include for example growth hormone releasing hormones (sermorelin, CJC-1293, CJC-1295, tesamorelin), synthetic/animal insulins (lispro, aspart, glulisine, glargine, detemir, degludec, bovine and porcine insulin), synthetic ACTH (synacthen), synthetic IGF-I (longR(3) -IGF-I) and mechano growth factors (human MGF, modified human MGF, 'full-length' MGF). A combined initial test method using one analytical procedure is a desirable tool in doping controls and related disciplines as requests for higher sample throughput with utmost comprehensiveness preferably at reduced costs are constantly issued. An approach modified from an earlier assay proved fit-for-purpose employing pre-concentration of all target analytes by means of ultrafiltration, immunoaffinity purification with coated paramagnetic beads, nano-ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) separation, and subsequent detection by means of high resolution tandem mass spectrometry. The method was shown to be applicable to blood and urine samples, which represent the most common doping control specimens. The method was validated considering the parameters specificity, recovery (11-69%), linearity, imprecision (<25%), limit of detection (5-100 pg in urine, 0.1-2 ng in plasma), and ion suppression. The analysis of administration study samples for insulin degludec, detemir, aspart, and synacthen provided the essential data for the proof-of-principle of the method. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

2-D Fused Image Reconstruction approach for Microwave Tomography: a theoretical assessment using FDTD Model

PubMed Central

Bindu, G.; Semenov, S.

2013-01-01

This paper describes an efficient two-dimensional fused image reconstruction approach for Microwave Tomography (MWT). Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) models were created for a viable MWT experimental system having the transceivers modelled using thin wire approximation with resistive voltage sources. Born Iterative and Distorted Born Iterative methods have been employed for image reconstruction with the extremity imaging being done using a differential imaging technique. The forward solver in the imaging algorithm employs the FDTD method of solving the time domain Maxwell’s equations with the regularisation parameter computed using a stochastic approach. The algorithm is tested with 10% noise inclusion and successful image reconstruction has been shown implying its robustness. PMID:24058889

Cell membrane antigen-antibody complex dissociation by the widely used glycine-HCL method: an unreliable procedure for studying antibody internalization.

PubMed

Tsaltas, G; Ford, C H

1993-02-01

Methods following the process of binding and internalization of antibodies to cell surface antigens have often employed low pH isoosmolar buffers in order to dissociate surface antigen-antibody complexes. One of the most widely used buffers is a 0.05 M glycine-HCL buffer pH 2.8. Since the efficacy of action of this buffer was critical to a series of internalization experiments employing monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) to carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) expressing cancer cell lines in this laboratory, we tested its performance in a number of different assays. Our results indicate that this buffer only partially dissociates antigen-antibody bonds and therefore can introduce major inaccuracies in internalization experiments.

Trends in study design and the statistical methods employed in a leading general medicine journal.

PubMed

Gosho, M; Sato, Y; Nagashima, K; Takahashi, S

2018-02-01

Study design and statistical methods have become core components of medical research, and the methodology has become more multifaceted and complicated over time. The study of the comprehensive details and current trends of study design and statistical methods is required to support the future implementation of well-planned clinical studies providing information about evidence-based medicine. Our purpose was to illustrate study design and statistical methods employed in recent medical literature. This was an extension study of Sato et al. (N Engl J Med 2017; 376: 1086-1087), which reviewed 238 articles published in 2015 in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and briefly summarized the statistical methods employed in NEJM. Using the same database, we performed a new investigation of the detailed trends in study design and individual statistical methods that were not reported in the Sato study. Due to the CONSORT statement, prespecification and justification of sample size are obligatory in planning intervention studies. Although standard survival methods (eg Kaplan-Meier estimator and Cox regression model) were most frequently applied, the Gray test and Fine-Gray proportional hazard model for considering competing risks were sometimes used for a more valid statistical inference. With respect to handling missing data, model-based methods, which are valid for missing-at-random data, were more frequently used than single imputation methods. These methods are not recommended as a primary analysis, but they have been applied in many clinical trials. Group sequential design with interim analyses was one of the standard designs, and novel design, such as adaptive dose selection and sample size re-estimation, was sometimes employed in NEJM. Model-based approaches for handling missing data should replace single imputation methods for primary analysis in the light of the information found in some publications. Use of adaptive design with interim analyses is increasing after the presentation of the FDA guidance for adaptive design. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The comparison the effect of training by means of simulation and oral method on midwives’ skill in management of shoulder dystocia

PubMed Central

Kordi, Masoumeh; Erfanian, Fatemeh; Fakari, Farzaneh Rashidi; Dastfan, Fatemeh; Nejad, Keivan Shariati

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Shoulder dystocia is one of the obstetric emergencies that are accompanied to serious risks for mother and fetus. It necessitates making the method of training of shoulder dystocia management more efficient, i.e., better management and giving services with higher quality. Thus, this study was carried out to compare the impact of training by simulation and oral technique on the skill of the employed midwives in obstetric clinics at Mashhad city (Iran) in shoulder dystocia management during 2012. METHODS: The current research is a double-group clinical trial that was conducted on 51 members of the employed midwives in the obstetric clinic at Mashhad city in 2012. The questionnaire of personal specification and awareness about shoulder dystocia and practical examination (objective-structured clinical examination) were employed as tools for data collection. The learners were divided into two groups by randomized allocation. Training was done by the presentation of lecture in the oral content group and a short movie was displayed at the end of it. The shoulder dystocia management technique was simulated in another group and through role-playing of instructor application of moulage (station) training was conducted. The period of the training course (4 h) and content of the educational workshop was identical for both groups. The practical examination was held for the learners before and immediately after training course. The given data were analyzed by means of statistical descriptive tests including Mann–Whitney U-test and Wilcoxon test via SPSS software (version 16). The significance level was considered as (P < 0.05) in all cases. RESULTS: The total mean score was significantly increased for the variable of shoulder dystocia management skill after intervention in both groups (P < 0.0001). Similarly, the results of Mann–Whitney U-test statistical tests indicated that total mean score for the variable of shoulder dystocia management skill after the intervention was significantly greater in simulation group than in an oral group (P = 0.040). CONCLUSION: Training in simulated delivery room by means of role-playing is an efficient method for training shoulder dystocia management skill, so it is recommended to use this program in the training of this skill. PMID:28616417

Generating Test Templates via Automated Theorem Proving

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kancherla, Mani Prasad

1997-01-01

Testing can be used during the software development process to maintain fidelity between evolving specifications, program designs, and code implementations. We use a form of specification-based testing that employs the use of an automated theorem prover to generate test templates. A similar approach was developed using a model checker on state-intensive systems. This method applies to systems with functional rather than state-based behaviors. This approach allows for the use of incomplete specifications to aid in generation of tests for potential failure cases. We illustrate the technique on the cannonical triangle testing problem and discuss its use on analysis of a spacecraft scheduling system.

Ties That Work: The Interaction between Group Assignment Method and a Culturally-Relevant Curriculum in the Context of Middle School Anti-Tobacco Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carolan, Brian V.; Unger, Jennifer B.; Johnson, C. Anderson; Valente, Thomas W.

2007-01-01

Peer-led programs that employ classroom-based group exercises have been shown to be the most effective in preventing adolescent tobacco use. In addition, health promotion programs that include cultural referents have also been shown to be advantageous. The purpose of this study was to test the interaction between the method by which leaders and…

Tracking and recognition face in videos with incremental local sparse representation model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chao; Wang, Yunhong; Zhang, Zhaoxiang

2013-10-01

This paper addresses the problem of tracking and recognizing faces via incremental local sparse representation. First a robust face tracking algorithm is proposed via employing local sparse appearance and covariance pooling method. In the following face recognition stage, with the employment of a novel template update strategy, which combines incremental subspace learning, our recognition algorithm adapts the template to appearance changes and reduces the influence of occlusion and illumination variation. This leads to a robust video-based face tracking and recognition with desirable performance. In the experiments, we test the quality of face recognition in real-world noisy videos on YouTube database, which includes 47 celebrities. Our proposed method produces a high face recognition rate at 95% of all videos. The proposed face tracking and recognition algorithms are also tested on a set of noisy videos under heavy occlusion and illumination variation. The tracking results on challenging benchmark videos demonstrate that the proposed tracking algorithm performs favorably against several state-of-the-art methods. In the case of the challenging dataset in which faces undergo occlusion and illumination variation, and tracking and recognition experiments under significant pose variation on the University of California, San Diego (Honda/UCSD) database, our proposed method also consistently demonstrates a high recognition rate.

Spectrometric microbiological analyzer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlager, Kenneth J.; Meissner, Ken E.

1996-04-01

Currently, there are four general approaches to microbiological analysis, i.e., the detection, identification and quantification of micro-organisms: (1) Traditional culturing and staining procedures, metabolic fermentations and visual morphological characteristics; (2) Immunological approaches employing microbe-specific antibodies; (3) Biotechnical techniques employing DNA probes and related genetic engineering methods; and (4) Physical measurement techniques based on the biophysical properties of micro-organisms. This paper describes an instrumentation development in the fourth of the above categories, physical measurement, that uses a combination of fluorometric and light scatter spectra to detect and identify micro-organisms at the species level. A major advantage of this approach is the rapid turnaround possible in medical diagnostic or water testing applications. Fluorometric spectra serve to define the biochemical characteristics of the microbe, and light scatter spectra the size and shape morphology. Together, the two spectra define a 'fingerprint' for each species of microbe for detection, identification and quantification purposes. A prototype instrument has been developed and tested under NASA sponsorship based on fluorometric spectra alone. This instrument demonstrated identification and quantification capabilities at the species level. The paper reports on test results using this instrument, and the benefits of employing a combination of fluorometric and light scatter spectra.

Hydrocarbon-fuel/combustion-chamber-liner materials compatibility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gage, Mark L.

1990-01-01

Results of material compatibility experiments using hydrocarbon fuels in contact with copper-based combustion chamber liner materials are presented. Mil-Spec RP-1, n- dodecane, propane, and methane fuels were tested in contact with OFHC, NASA-Z, and ZrCu coppers. Two distinct test methods were employed. Static tests, in which copper coupons were exposed to fuel for long durations at constant temperature and pressure, provided compatibility data in a precisely controlled environment. Dynamic tests, using the Aerojet Carbothermal Test Facility, provided fuel and copper compatibility data under realistic booster engine service conditions. Tests were conducted using very pure grades of each fuel and fuels to which a contaminant, e.g., ethylene or methyl mercaptan, was added to define the role played by fuel impurities. Conclusions are reached as to degradation mechanisms and effects, methods for the elimination of these mechanisms, selection of copper alloy combustion chamber liners, and hydrocarbon fuel purchase specifications.

49 CFR 40.191 - What is a refusal to take a DOT drug test, and what are the consequences?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., you have refused to take a drug test if you: (1) Fail to appear for any test (except a pre-employment... the testing site before the testing process commences (see § 40.63 (c)) for a pre-employment test is... pre-employment test is not deemed to have refused to test; (4) In the case of a directly observed or...

49 CFR 40.191 - What is a refusal to take a DOT drug test, and what are the consequences?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..., you have refused to take a drug test if you: (1) Fail to appear for any test (except a pre-employment... the testing site before the testing process commences (see § 40.63 (c)) for a pre-employment test is... pre-employment test is not deemed to have refused to test; (4) In the case of a directly observed or...

49 CFR 40.191 - What is a refusal to take a DOT drug test, and what are the consequences?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., you have refused to take a drug test if you: (1) Fail to appear for any test (except a pre-employment... the testing site before the testing process commences (see § 40.63 (c)) for a pre-employment test is... pre-employment test is not deemed to have refused to test; (4) In the case of a directly observed or...

14 CFR 120.111 - Administrative and other matters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAM Drug Testing Program Requirements § 120.111 Administrative and other matters. (a... for the employer must be produced at the employer's place of business. (c) Release of drug testing information. An employer shall release information regarding an employee's drug testing results, evaluation...

14 CFR 120.111 - Administrative and other matters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAM Drug Testing Program Requirements § 120.111 Administrative and other matters. (a... for the employer must be produced at the employer's place of business. (c) Release of drug testing information. An employer shall release information regarding an employee's drug testing results, evaluation...

14 CFR 120.111 - Administrative and other matters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAM Drug Testing Program Requirements § 120.111 Administrative and other matters. (a... for the employer must be produced at the employer's place of business. (c) Release of drug testing information. An employer shall release information regarding an employee's drug testing results, evaluation...

14 CFR 120.111 - Administrative and other matters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAM Drug Testing Program Requirements § 120.111 Administrative and other matters. (a... for the employer must be produced at the employer's place of business. (c) Release of drug testing information. An employer shall release information regarding an employee's drug testing results, evaluation...

14 CFR 120.111 - Administrative and other matters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAM Drug Testing Program Requirements § 120.111 Administrative and other matters. (a... for the employer must be produced at the employer's place of business. (c) Release of drug testing information. An employer shall release information regarding an employee's drug testing results, evaluation...

Improving validation methods for molecular diagnostics: application of Bland-Altman, Deming and simple linear regression analyses in assay comparison and evaluation for next-generation sequencing.

PubMed

Misyura, Maksym; Sukhai, Mahadeo A; Kulasignam, Vathany; Zhang, Tong; Kamel-Reid, Suzanne; Stockley, Tracy L

2018-02-01

A standard approach in test evaluation is to compare results of the assay in validation to results from previously validated methods. For quantitative molecular diagnostic assays, comparison of test values is often performed using simple linear regression and the coefficient of determination (R 2 ), using R 2 as the primary metric of assay agreement. However, the use of R 2 alone does not adequately quantify constant or proportional errors required for optimal test evaluation. More extensive statistical approaches, such as Bland-Altman and expanded interpretation of linear regression methods, can be used to more thoroughly compare data from quantitative molecular assays. We present the application of Bland-Altman and linear regression statistical methods to evaluate quantitative outputs from next-generation sequencing assays (NGS). NGS-derived data sets from assay validation experiments were used to demonstrate the utility of the statistical methods. Both Bland-Altman and linear regression were able to detect the presence and magnitude of constant and proportional error in quantitative values of NGS data. Deming linear regression was used in the context of assay comparison studies, while simple linear regression was used to analyse serial dilution data. Bland-Altman statistical approach was also adapted to quantify assay accuracy, including constant and proportional errors, and precision where theoretical and empirical values were known. The complementary application of the statistical methods described in this manuscript enables more extensive evaluation of performance characteristics of quantitative molecular assays, prior to implementation in the clinical molecular laboratory. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Integration of a supersonic unsteady aerodynamic code into the NASA FASTEX system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Appa, Kari; Smith, Michael J. C.

1987-01-01

A supersonic unsteady aerodynamic loads prediction method based on the constant pressure method was integrated into the NASA FASTEX system. The updated FASTEX code can be employed for aeroelastic analyses in subsonic and supersonic flow regimes. A brief description of the supersonic constant pressure panel method, as applied to lifting surfaces and body configurations, is followed by a documentation of updates required to incorporate this method in the FASTEX code. Test cases showing correlations of predicted pressure distributions, flutter solutions, and stability derivatives with available data are reported.

Flammability Indices for Refrigerants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kataoka, Osami

This paper introduces a new index to classify flammable refrigerants. A question on flammability indices that ASHRAE employs arose from combustion test results of R152a and ammonia. Conventional methods of not only ASHRAE but also ISO and Japanese High-pressure gas safety law to classify the flammability of refrigerants are evaluated to show why these methods conflict with the test results. The key finding of this paper is that the ratio of stoichiometric concentration to LFL concentration (R factor) represents the test results most precisely. In addition, it has excellent correlation with other flammability parameters such as flame speed and pressure rise coefficient. Classification according to this index gives reasonable flammability order of substances including ammonia, R152a and carbon monoxide. Theoretical background why this index gives good correlation is also discussed as well as the insufficient part of this method.

Scale of association: hierarchical linear models and the measurement of ecological systems

Treesearch

Sean M. McMahon; Jeffrey M. Diez

2007-01-01

A fundamental challenge to understanding patterns in ecological systems lies in employing methods that can analyse, test and draw inference from measured associations between variables across scales. Hierarchical linear models (HLM) use advanced estimation algorithms to measure regression relationships and variance-covariance parameters in hierarchically structured...

Testing Feeds for Salmonella.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Human salmonellosis outbreaks have been linked to contamination of animal feeds. Thus it is crucial to employ sensitive Salmonella detection methods for animal feeds. Based on a review of the literature, Salmonella sustains acid injury at about pH 4.0 to5.0. Low pH can also alter the metabolism of S...

A Method of Self-Evaluation for Counselor Education. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Donald G.

A pretest-posttest control group design was used to test the value of employing four psychotherapeutic interaction scales for self-evaluation. Self-evaluation of the counselor-offered conditions empathy, positive regard, genuineness and intensity of interpersonal contact during the live counseling sessions of 44 counselors were compared with the…

Continuous Improvement in the Industrial and Management Systems Engineering Programme at Kuwait University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aldowaisan, Tariq; Allahverdi, Ali

2016-01-01

This paper describes the process employed by the Industrial and Management Systems Engineering programme at Kuwait University to continuously improve the programme. Using a continuous improvement framework, the paper demonstrates how various qualitative and quantitative analyses methods, such as hypothesis testing and control charts, have been…

Variables Related to MDTA Trainee Employment Success in Minnesota.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pucel, David J.

To predict a person's use of his Manpower Development and Training Act (MDTA) training, this study attempted to supplement existing methods of evaluation, using personal descriptive data about trainees and General Aptitude Test Battery Scores. The sample under study included all students enrolled in ten MDTA projects, representing a geographical…

Combating pharmacist shortage through labor certification.

PubMed

Maswoswe, J J; Stewart, K R; Enigbokan, M; Egbunike, I; Jackson, D M

1994-06-01

Several solutions, ranging from increased technician duties to salary raises, automation, and increasing job satisfaction, have been presented in the literature as methods of assuaging the pharmacist shortage. Although a significant portion of pharmacy graduates from American pharmacy colleges are foreign nationals, no marketing strategies have been elucidated in the retention and recruitment of foreign nationals through labor certification. Labor certifications are generally approved by the Secretary of Labor if the following factors have been verified: 1) there are not sufficient United States workers who are able, willing, qualified, and available for employment; and 2) the employment of the foreign national will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of U.S. workers similarly employed. When properly understood, the labor certification process is a test of the job market where foreigners, by virtue of their skills and qualifications, attain certification which subsequently leads to permanent residency (green card). The objective of this report is to elucidate the tedious yet effective method of retaining American-educated foreign nationals through labor certification.

Lowering nursing injuries using post offer pre-employment testing.

PubMed

Faris, Jason

2008-01-01

Nursing injuries are alarmingly high in the healthcare system. The rate of injuries adds to the shortage of nurses that are already employed. Preventing nursing injuries has focused on utilizing patient handling equipment. This project used post offer pre employment testing to attempt to control the injuries of nurses in a healthcare facility. Injuries were significantly lower in the employment pool that was tested when compared the nursing staff that had not been tested. Five injuries were reported in the tested group, resulting in $1,778 spent on the injuries, whereas the non-tested group had 54 injuries totaling $26,208. The total return on investment by this program was $4,541,059. Post Offer Pre employment testing can be a cost effective way to decrease the amount of injuries with nursing staff.

Risk of tick-borne diseases in various categories of employment among forestry workers in eastern Poland.

PubMed

Cisak, Ewa; Zając, Violetta; Wójcik-Fatla, Angelina; Dutkiewicz, Jacek

2012-01-01

Among the zoonotic agents causing occupational diseases, those transmitted by ticks are very important, in particular the spirochetes Borrelia burgdorferi which are the common cause of occupational Lyme borreliosis in forestry and agricultural workers. The objective of this study was an evaluation of the exposure of forestry workers employed at individual workplaces to infection with tick-borne pathogens (especially Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes), based on epidemiological investigation and serologic tests. Epidemiological studies covered 111 forestry employees from eastern Poland employed in 4 randomly-selected forest inspectorates which replied to questions in the area of epidemiology and prophylaxis of diseases transmitted by ticks. Eighty-two forestry workers employed in one forest inspectorate were examined for the presence of specific anti-Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies. The correlation between individual items of the questionnaire was assessed by Spearman's test. Results of serological tests were assessed by Mann-Whitney test. Statistical analysis of the results indicated that the workers performing manual jobs in the forest are at the greatest risk of tick bite and contraction of tick-borne disease. They are aware of the risk, but use the improper method of removal of ticks with the fingers. Comparisons of the relationship between job category and the results of serologic study, expressed in BBU/ml, revealed that the serologic response was significantly greater in manual workers than in administrative workers (p=0.019). All other comparisons did not produce significant results. Therefore, providing a simple tweezer-like device to forest inspectorates seems to be an effective mean of protection against Lyme borreliosis and other tick-borne diseases.

Free jet feasibility study of a thermal acoustic shield concept for AST/VCE application: Single stream nozzles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Majjigi, R. K.; Brausch, J. F.; Janardan, B. A.; Balsa, T. F.; Knott, P. R.; Pickup, N.

1984-01-01

A technology base for the thermal acoustic shield concept as a noise suppression device for single stream exhaust nozzles was developed. Acoustic data for 314 test points for 9 scale model nozzle configurations were obtained. Five of these configurations employed an unsuppressed annular plug core jet and the remaining four nozzles employed a 32 chute suppressor core nozzle. Influence of simulated flight and selected geometric and aerodynamic flow variables on the acoustic behavior of the thermal acoustic shield was determined. Laser velocimeter and aerodynamic measurements were employed to yield valuable diagnostic information regarding the flow field characteristics of these nozzles. An existing theoretical aeroacoustic prediction method was modified to predict the acoustic characteristics of partial thermal acoustic shields.

The advancement of the built environment research through employment of structural equation modeling (SEM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wasilah, S.; Fahmyddin, T.

2018-03-01

The employment of structural equation modeling (SEM) in research has taken an increasing attention in among researchers in built environment. There is a gap to understand the attributes, application, and importance of this approach in data analysis in built environment study. This paper intends to provide fundamental comprehension of SEM method in data analysis, unveiling attributes, employment and significance and bestow cases to assess associations amongst variables and constructs. The study uses some main literature to grasp the essence of SEM regarding with built environment research. The better acknowledgment of this analytical tool may assist the researcher in the built environment to analyze data under complex research questions and to test multivariate models in a single study.

The relationship of age and place of delivery with postpartum contraception prior to discharge in Mexico: A retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Darney, Blair G; Sosa-Rubi, Sandra G; Servan-Mori, Edson; Rodriguez, Maria I; Walker, Dilys; Lozano, Rafael

2016-06-01

To test the association of age (adolescents vs. older women) and place of delivery with receipt of immediate postpartum contraception in Mexico. Retrospective cohort study, Mexico, nationally representative sample of women 12-39years old at last delivery. We used multivariable logistic regression to test the association of self-reported receipt of postpartum contraception prior to discharge with age and place of delivery (public, employment based, private, or out of facility). We included individual and household-level confounders and calculated relative and absolute multivariable estimates of association. Our analytic sample included 7022 women (population, N=9,881,470). Twenty percent of the population was 12-19years old at last birth, 55% aged 20-29 and 25% 30-39years old. Overall, 43% of women reported no postpartum contraceptive method. Age was not significantly associated with receipt of a method, controlling for covariates. Women delivering in public facilities had lower odds of receipt of a method (Odds Ratio=0.52; 95% Confidence Interval (CI)=0.40-0.68) compared with employment-based insurance facilities. We estimated 76% (95% CI=74-78%) of adolescents (12-19years) who deliver in employment-based insurance facilities leave with a method compared with 59% (95% CI=56-62%) who deliver in public facilities. Both adolescents and women ages 20-39 receive postpartum contraception, but nearly half of all women receive no method. Place of delivery is correlated with receipt of postpartum contraception, with lower rates in the public sector. Lessons learned from Mexico are relevant to other countries seeking to improve adolescent health through reducing unintended pregnancy. Adolescents receive postpartum contraception as often as older women in Mexico, but half of all women receive no method. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

49 CFR 40.23 - What actions do employers take after receiving verified test results?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...., random test, post-accident test) and DOT Agency (e.g., check DOT and FMCSA) as for the original... verified test results? 40.23 Section 40.23 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation... What actions do employers take after receiving verified test results? (a) As an employer who receives a...

49 CFR 40.23 - What actions do employers take after receiving verified test results?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...., random test, post-accident test) and DOT Agency (e.g., check DOT and FMCSA) as for the original... verified test results? 40.23 Section 40.23 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation... What actions do employers take after receiving verified test results? (a) As an employer who receives a...

49 CFR 40.23 - What actions do employers take after receiving verified test results?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...., random test, post-accident test) and DOT Agency (e.g., check DOT and FMCSA) as for the original... verified test results? 40.23 Section 40.23 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation... What actions do employers take after receiving verified test results? (a) As an employer who receives a...

Measurement of two-photon-absorption spectra through nonlinear fluorescence produced by a line-shaped excitation beam.

PubMed

Hasani, E; Parravicini, J; Tartara, L; Tomaselli, A; Tomassini, D

2018-05-01

We propose an innovative experimental approach to estimate the two-photon absorption (TPA) spectrum of a fluorescent material. Our method develops the standard indirect fluorescence-based method for the TPA measurement by employing a line-shaped excitation beam, generating a line-shaped fluorescence emission. Such a configuration, which requires a relatively high amount of optical power, permits to have a greatly increased fluorescence signal, thus avoiding the photon counterdetection devices usually used in these measurements, and allowing to employ detectors such as charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras. The method is finally tested on a fluorescent isothiocyanate sample, whose TPA spectrum, which is measured with the proposed technique, is compared with the TPA spectra reported in the literature, confirming the validity of our experimental approach. © 2018 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2018 Royal Microscopical Society.

Defect Detection in Arc-Welding Processes by Means of the Line-to-Continuum Method and Feature Selection.

PubMed

Garcia-Allende, P Beatriz; Mirapeix, Jesus; Conde, Olga M; Cobo, Adolfo; Lopez-Higuera, Jose M

2009-01-01

Plasma optical spectroscopy is widely employed in on-line welding diagnostics. The determination of the plasma electron temperature, which is typically selected as the output monitoring parameter, implies the identification of the atomic emission lines. As a consequence, additional processing stages are required with a direct impact on the real time performance of the technique. The line-to-continuum method is a feasible alternative spectroscopic approach and it is particularly interesting in terms of its computational efficiency. However, the monitoring signal highly depends on the chosen emission line. In this paper, a feature selection methodology is proposed to solve the uncertainty regarding the selection of the optimum spectral band, which allows the employment of the line-to-continuum method for on-line welding diagnostics. Field test results have been conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of the solution.

Simulation of hypersonic rarefied flows with the immersed-boundary method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruno, D.; De Palma, P.; de Tullio, M. D.

2011-05-01

This paper provides a validation of an immersed boundary method for computing hypersonic rarefied gas flows. The method is based on the solution of the Navier-Stokes equation and is validated versus numerical results obtained by the DSMC approach. The Navier-Stokes solver employs a flexible local grid refinement technique and is implemented on parallel machines using a domain-decomposition approach. Thanks to the efficient grid generation process, based on the ray-tracing technique, and the use of the METIS software, it is possible to obtain the partitioned grids to be assigned to each processor with a minimal effort by the user. This allows one to by-pass the expensive (in terms of time and human resources) classical generation process of a body fitted grid. First-order slip-velocity boundary conditions are employed and tested for taking into account rarefied gas effects.

Dissociative recombination by frame transformation to Siegert pseudostates: A comparison with a numerically solvable model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hvizdoš, Dávid; Váňa, Martin; Houfek, Karel; Greene, Chris H.; Rescigno, Thomas N.; McCurdy, C. William; Čurík, Roman

2018-02-01

We present a simple two-dimensional model of the indirect dissociative recombination process. The model has one electronic and one nuclear degree of freedom and it can be solved to high precision, without making any physically motivated approximations, by employing the exterior complex scaling method together with the finite-elements method and discrete variable representation. The approach is applied to solve a model for dissociative recombination of H2 + in the singlet ungerade channels, and the results serve as a benchmark to test validity of several physical approximations commonly used in the computational modeling of dissociative recombination for real molecular targets. The second, approximate, set of calculations employs a combination of multichannel quantum defect theory and frame transformation into a basis of Siegert pseudostates. The cross sections computed with the two methods are compared in detail for collision energies from 0 to 2 eV.

Microdisc gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate of organic material from rat otoconial complexes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, M. D.; Pote, K. G.; Rarey, K. E.; Verma, L. M.

1981-01-01

The gravity receptors of all vertebrates utilize a 'test mass' consisting of a complex arrangement of mineral and organic substance that lies over the sensory receptor areas. In most vertebrates, the mineral is a polymorph of calcium carbonate in the form of minute, single crystals called otoconia. An investigation is conducted to determine the number of proteins in otoconial complexes and their molecular weights. The investigation makes use of a microdisk gel electrophoresis method reported by Gainer (1971). The most important finding of the reported research is that analysis of the proteins of the organic material of the otoconial complexes is possible when sensitive microanalytical methods are employed. Further modification of the basic technique employed and the inclusion of other sensitive staining methods should mean that, in the future, protein separation by molecular weight will be possible in sample pools containing only two otoconial masses.

An identification method for damping ratio in rotor systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Weimin; Li, Qihang; Gao, Jinji; Yao, Jianfei; Allaire, Paul

2016-02-01

Centrifugal compressor testing with magnetic bearing excitations is the last step to assure the compressor rotordynamic stability in the designed operating conditions. To meet the challenges of stability evaluation, a new method combining the rational polynomials method (RPM) with the weighted instrumental variables (WIV) estimator to fit the directional frequency response function (dFRF) is presented. Numerical simulation results show that the method suggested in this paper can identify the damping ratio of the first forward and backward modes with high accuracy, even in a severe noise environment. Experimental tests were conducted to study the effect of different bearing configurations on the stability of rotor. Furthermore, two example centrifugal compressors (a nine-stage straight-through and a six-stage back-to-back) were employed to verify the feasibility of identification method in industrial configurations as well.

Polymeric Packaging for Fully Implantable Wireless Neural Microsensors

PubMed Central

Aceros, Juan; Yin, Ming; Borton, David A.; Patterson, William R.; Bull, Christopher; Nurmikko, Arto V.

2014-01-01

We present polymeric packaging methods used for subcutaneous, fully implantable, broadband, and wireless neurosensors. A new tool for accelerated testing and characterization of biocompatible polymeric packaging materials and processes is described along with specialized test units to simulate our fully implantable neurosensor components, materials and fabrication processes. A brief description of the implantable systems is presented along with their current encapsulation methods based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Results from in-vivo testing of multiple implanted neurosensors in swine and non-human primates are presented. Finally, a novel augmenting polymer thin film material to complement the currently employed PDMS is introduced. This thin layer coating material is based on the Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) process of Hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) and Oxygen (O2). PMID:23365999

Task-based data-acquisition optimization for sparse image reconstruction systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yujia; Lou, Yang; Kupinski, Matthew A.; Anastasio, Mark A.

2017-03-01

Conventional wisdom dictates that imaging hardware should be optimized by use of an ideal observer (IO) that exploits full statistical knowledge of the class of objects to be imaged, without consideration of the reconstruction method to be employed. However, accurate and tractable models of the complete object statistics are often difficult to determine in practice. Moreover, in imaging systems that employ compressive sensing concepts, imaging hardware and (sparse) image reconstruction are innately coupled technologies. We have previously proposed a sparsity-driven ideal observer (SDIO) that can be employed to optimize hardware by use of a stochastic object model that describes object sparsity. The SDIO and sparse reconstruction method can therefore be "matched" in the sense that they both utilize the same statistical information regarding the class of objects to be imaged. To efficiently compute SDIO performance, the posterior distribution is estimated by use of computational tools developed recently for variational Bayesian inference. Subsequently, the SDIO test statistic can be computed semi-analytically. The advantages of employing the SDIO instead of a Hotelling observer are systematically demonstrated in case studies in which magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data acquisition schemes are optimized for signal detection tasks.

A new ultrasonic method for measuring minute motion activities of rats.

PubMed

Young, C W; Young, M S; Li, Y C; Lin, M T

1996-12-01

A new ultrasonic method is presented for measuring the minute motion activities of rats. A pair of low-cost 40 kHz ultrasonic transducers are used to transmit ultrasound toward a rat and receive the ultrasound reflected from the rat. The relative motion of the rat modulates the phase difference between the transmitted and received ultrasound signals. An 8-bit digital phase meter was designed to record the phase difference signal which was used to reconstruct the relative motion waveform of the rat in an 8751 single-chip microcomputer. The reconstructed data are then sent to a PC-AT microcomputer for further processing. This method employs a spectrum analysis for the reconstructed data and can measure three minute motion activities including locomotor activity (LMA), tremor and myoclonia. Finally, the method has been tested with real animal experiments. The main advantages of this new method are that it is non-invasive, non-contact, low cost and high precision. This new method could also be profitably employed for other behavioral studies and offer potential for research in basic medicine.

Capabilities of electrodynamic shakers when used for mechanical shock testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keegan, W. B.

1973-01-01

The results of a research task to investigate the capabilities of electrodynamic vibrators (shakers) to perform mechanical shock tests are presented. The simulation method employed was that of developing a transient whose shock response spectrum matched the desired shock response spectrum. Areas investigated included the maximum amplitude capabilities of the shaker systems, the ability to control the shape of the resultant shock response spectrum, the response levels induced at frequencies outside the controlled bandwidth, and the nonlinearities in structural response induced by a change in test level.

Creep of Sylramic-iBN Fiber Tows at Elevated Temperature in Air and in Silicic Acid-Saturated Steam

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

elements, R type control thermocouples and a 90-mm (3.5-in.) hot zone; reproduced from Armani [15] All tests employed an alumina susceptor (ceramic...Furnace Leff (500) = 39.9mm T = 500°C, Steam 45 4.1.2 Strain Measurement In this work tensile creep tests were performed using a dead-weight... strain and the strain rate of the specimen in the hot test section. These methods are briefly recapitulated here. Extension of the fiber tow

Military applications and examples of near-surface seismic surface wave methods (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

sloan, S.; Stevens, R.

2013-12-01

Although not always widely known or publicized, the military uses a variety of geophysical methods for a wide range of applications--some that are already common practice in the industry while others are truly novel. Some of those applications include unexploded ordnance detection, general site characterization, anomaly detection, countering improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and security monitoring, to name a few. Techniques used may include, but are not limited to, ground penetrating radar, seismic, electrical, gravity, and electromagnetic methods. Seismic methods employed include surface wave analysis, refraction tomography, and high-resolution reflection methods. Although the military employs geophysical methods, that does not necessarily mean that those methods enable or support combat operations--often times they are being used for humanitarian applications within the military's area of operations to support local populations. The work presented here will focus on the applied use of seismic surface wave methods, including multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) and backscattered surface waves, often in conjunction with other methods such as refraction tomography or body-wave diffraction analysis. Multiple field examples will be shown, including explosives testing, tunnel detection, pre-construction site characterization, and cavity detection.

Facilities and Methods Used in Full-scale Airplane Crash-fire Investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Black, Dugald O.

1952-01-01

The facilities and the techniques employed in the conduct of full scale airplane crash-fire studies currently being conducted at the NACA Lewis laboratory are discussed herein. This investigation is part of a comprehensive study of the airplane crash-fire problem. The crash configuration chosen, the general physical layout of the crash site, the test methods, the instrumentation, the data-recording systems, and the post-crash examination procedure are described

49 CFR 40.15 - May an employer use a service agent to meet DOT drug and alcohol testing requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Transportation PROCEDURES FOR TRANSPORTATION WORKPLACE DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAMS Employer Responsibilities § 40.15 May an employer use a service agent to meet DOT drug and alcohol testing requirements? (a... 49 Transportation 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false May an employer use a service agent to meet DOT...

A novel application of artificial neural network for wind speed estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Da; Wang, Jianzhou

2017-05-01

Providing accurate multi-steps wind speed estimation models has increasing significance, because of the important technical and economic impacts of wind speed on power grid security and environment benefits. In this study, the combined strategies for wind speed forecasting are proposed based on an intelligent data processing system using artificial neural network (ANN). Generalized regression neural network and Elman neural network are employed to form two hybrid models. The approach employs one of ANN to model the samples achieving data denoising and assimilation and apply the other to predict wind speed using the pre-processed samples. The proposed method is demonstrated in terms of the predicting improvements of the hybrid models compared with single ANN and the typical forecasting method. To give sufficient cases for the study, four observation sites with monthly average wind speed of four given years in Western China were used to test the models. Multiple evaluation methods demonstrated that the proposed method provides a promising alternative technique in monthly average wind speed estimation.

49 CFR 219.501 - Pre-employment drug testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CONTROL OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE Pre-Employment Tests § 219.501 Pre... 49 Transportation 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Pre-employment drug testing. 219.501 Section 219... covered service, unless the employee has been administered a test for drugs with a result that did not...

49 CFR 219.501 - Pre-employment drug testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CONTROL OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE Pre-Employment Tests § 219.501 Pre... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Pre-employment drug testing. 219.501 Section 219... covered service, unless the employee has been administered a test for drugs with a result that did not...

49 CFR 219.501 - Pre-employment drug testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CONTROL OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE Pre-Employment Tests § 219.501 Pre... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Pre-employment drug testing. 219.501 Section 219... covered service, unless the employee has been administered a test for drugs with a result that did not...

49 CFR 219.501 - Pre-employment drug testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CONTROL OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE Pre-Employment Tests § 219.501 Pre... 49 Transportation 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Pre-employment drug testing. 219.501 Section 219... covered service, unless the employee has been administered a test for drugs with a result that did not...

49 CFR 219.501 - Pre-employment drug testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CONTROL OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE Pre-Employment Tests § 219.501 Pre... 49 Transportation 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Pre-employment drug testing. 219.501 Section 219... covered service, unless the employee has been administered a test for drugs with a result that did not...

Method and apparatus for transfer function simulator for testing complex systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kavaya, M. J. (Inventor)

1985-01-01

A method and apparatus for testing the operation of a complex stabilization circuit in a closed loop system is presented. The method is comprised of a programmed analog or digital computing system for implementing the transfer function of a load thereby providing a predictable load. The digital computing system employs a table stored in a microprocessor in which precomputed values of the load transfer function are stored for values of input signal from the stabilization circuit over the range of interest. This technique may be used not only for isolating faults in the stabilization circuit, but also for analyzing a fault in a faulty load by so varying parameters of the computing system as to simulate operation of the actual load with the fault.

Autonomous Scanning Probe Microscopy in Situ Tip Conditioning through Machine Learning.

PubMed

Rashidi, Mohammad; Wolkow, Robert A

2018-05-23

Atomic-scale characterization and manipulation with scanning probe microscopy rely upon the use of an atomically sharp probe. Here we present automated methods based on machine learning to automatically detect and recondition the quality of the probe of a scanning tunneling microscope. As a model system, we employ these techniques on the technologically relevant hydrogen-terminated silicon surface, training the network to recognize abnormalities in the appearance of surface dangling bonds. Of the machine learning methods tested, a convolutional neural network yielded the greatest accuracy, achieving a positive identification of degraded tips in 97% of the test cases. By using multiple points of comparison and majority voting, the accuracy of the method is improved beyond 99%.

[Microbiology--laboratory examinations for bacterias].

PubMed

Hen, Renjun; Imafuku, Yuji; Yoshida, Hiroshi

2002-11-01

As it has been required to identify pathogenic microbes in shorter times, simple and rapid methods have been developed and used. Here, we summarized the present situation of rapid diagnostic testing in clinical microbiology in Japan, and also presented our results on PBP2' detection. The rapid test kits available in Japan for E. coli, Helicobacter pylori, Salmonella, Streptococcus and Staphylococcus aureus were described. Rapid examination methods are based mainly on immunologic reactions, which included slide agglutination using latex particle, immunochromatography and ELISA. Times required for the identification are 10 to 15 minutes. Moreover, rapid test kits employing PCR are also marketed. Further, we evaluated MRSA-LA "Seiken" which is a rapid detection kit for PBP2' produced by MRSA. The test was shown to be highly sensitive and specific. For the rapid identification of pathogenic microbes, simple and rapid test kits described here will be used more in clinical diagnosis.

A tomographic test of cosmological principle using the JLA compilation of type Ia supernovae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Zhe; Lin, Hai-Nan; Sang, Yu; Wang, Sai

2018-05-01

We test the cosmological principle by fitting a dipolar modulation of distance modulus and searching for an evolution of this modulation with respect to cosmological redshift. Based on a redshift tomographic method, we divide the Joint Light-curve Analysis compilation of supernovae of type Ia into different redshift bins, and employ a Markov-Chain Monte-Carlo method to infer the anisotropic amplitude and direction in each redshift bin. However, we do not find any significant deviations from the cosmological principle, and the anisotropic amplitude is stringently constrained to be less than a few thousandths at 95% confidence level.

Biodegradability Evaluation of Polymers by ISO 14855-2

PubMed Central

Funabashi, Masahiro; Ninomiya, Fumi; Kunioka, Masao

2009-01-01

Biodegradabilities of polymers and their composites in a controlled compost were described. Polycaprolactone (PCL) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) were employed as biodegradable polymers. Biodegradabilities of PCL and PLA samples in a controlled compost were measured using a Microbial Oxidative Degradation Analyzer (MODA) according to ISO 14855-2. Sample preparation method for biodegradation test according to ISO/DIS 10210 was also described. Effects of sizes and shapes of samples on biodegradability were studied. Reproducibility of biodegradation test of ISO 14855-2 by MODA was confirmed. Validity of sample preparation method for polymer pellets, polymer film, and polymer products of ISO/DIS 10210 for ISO 14855-2 was confirmed. PMID:20111676

Boundary layer control for airships

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pake, F. A.; Pipitone, S. J.

1975-01-01

An investigation is summarized of the aerodynamic principle of boundary layer control for nonrigid LTA craft. The project included a wind tunnel test on a BLC body of revolution at zero angle of attack. Theoretical analysis is shown to be in excellent agreement with the test data. Methods are evolved for predicting the boundary layer development on a body of revolution and the suction pumping and propulsive power requirements. These methods are used to predict the performance characteristics of a full-scale airship. The analysis indicates that propulsive power reductions of 15 to 25 percent and endurance improvements of 20 to 40 percent may be realized in employing boundary-layer control to nonrigid airships.

Iterative procedures for space shuttle main engine performance models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santi, L. Michael

1989-01-01

Performance models of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) contain iterative strategies for determining approximate solutions to nonlinear equations reflecting fundamental mass, energy, and pressure balances within engine flow systems. Both univariate and multivariate Newton-Raphson algorithms are employed in the current version of the engine Test Information Program (TIP). Computational efficiency and reliability of these procedures is examined. A modified trust region form of the multivariate Newton-Raphson method is implemented and shown to be superior for off nominal engine performance predictions. A heuristic form of Broyden's Rank One method is also tested and favorable results based on this algorithm are presented.

Preparation of well-defined erythromycin imprinted non-woven fabrics via radiation-induced RAFT-mediated grafting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Söylemez, Meshude Akbulut; Barsbay, Murat; Güven, Olgun

2018-01-01

Radiation-induced RAFT polymerization technique was applied to synthesize well-defined molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) of erythromycin (ERY). Methacrylic acid (MAA) was grafted onto porous polyethylene (PE)/polypropylene (PP) nonwoven fabrics, under γ-irradiation by employing 2-pheny-2-propyl benzodithioate as the RAFT agent and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the crosslinker. MAA/erythromycin ratios of 2/1, 4/1, 6/1 were tested to optimize the synthesis of MIPs. The highest binding capacity was encountered at a MAA/ERY ratio of 4/1. Non-imprinted polymers (NIPs) were also synthesized in the absence of ERY. The MIPs synthesized by RAFT method presented a better binding capacity compared to those prepared by conventional method where no RAFT agent was employed.

Radiometric characterization of hyperspectral imagers using multispectral sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCorkel, Joel; Thome, Kurt; Leisso, Nathan; Anderson, Nikolaus; Czapla-Myers, Jeff

2009-08-01

The Remote Sensing Group (RSG) at the University of Arizona has a long history of using ground-based test sites for the calibration of airborne and satellite based sensors. Often, ground-truth measurements at these tests sites are not always successful due to weather and funding availability. Therefore, RSG has also employed automated ground instrument approaches and cross-calibration methods to verify the radiometric calibration of a sensor. The goal in the cross-calibration method is to transfer the calibration of a well-known sensor to that of a different sensor. This work studies the feasibility of determining the radiometric calibration of a hyperspectral imager using multispectral imagery. The work relies on the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) as a reference for the hyperspectral sensor Hyperion. Test sites used for comparisons are Railroad Valley in Nevada and a portion of the Libyan Desert in North Africa. Hyperion bands are compared to MODIS by band averaging Hyperion's high spectral resolution data with the relative spectral response of MODIS. The results compare cross-calibration scenarios that differ in image acquisition coincidence, test site used for the calibration, and reference sensor. Cross-calibration results are presented that show agreement between the use of coincident and non-coincident image pairs within 2% in most bands as well as similar agreement between results that employ the different MODIS sensors as a reference.

Photoacoustic sensor for VOCs: first step towards a lung cancer breath test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolff, Marcus; Groninga, Hinrich G.; Dressler, Matthias; Harde, Hermann

2005-08-01

Development of new optical sensor technologies has a major impact on the progression of diagnostic methods. Specifically, the optical analysis of breath is an extraordinarily promising technique. Spectroscopic sensors for the non-invasive 13C-breath tests (the Urea Breath Test for detection of Helicobacter pylori is most prominent) are meanwhile well established. However, recent research and development go beyond gastroenterological applications. Sensitive and selective detection of certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in a patient's breath, could enable the diagnosis of diseases that are very difficult to diagnose with contemporary techniques. For instance, an appropriate VOC biomarker for early-stage bronchial carcinoma (lung cancer) is n-butane (C4H10). We present a new optical detection scheme for VOCs that employs an especially compact and simple set-up based on photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS). This method makes use of the transformation of absorbed modulated radiation into a sound wave. Employing a wavelength-modulated distributed feedback (DFB) diode laser and taking advantage of acoustical resonances of the sample cell, we performed very sensitive and selective measurements on butane. A detection limit for butane in air in the ppb range was achieved. In subsequent research the sensitivity will be successively improved to match the requirements of the medical application. Upon optimization, our photoacoustic sensor has the potential to enable future breath tests for early-stage lung cancer diagnostics.

Genetic testing in the workplace: the employer's coin toss.

PubMed

French, Samantha

2002-09-05

A toss of the coin by the modern-day employer reveals two options regarding genetic testing in the workplace. The employer may choose to take advantage of increasingly precise, available, and affordable genetic testing in order to ascertain the genetic characteristics--and deficiencies--of its employees. This outcome exposes the employer to a vast array of potential litigation and liability relating to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fourth Amendment, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and state legislation designed to protect genetic privacy. Alternatively, the employer may neglect to indulge in this trend of genetic testing and may face liability for employer negligence, violations of federal legislation such as OSHA regulations, and increased costs associated with insuring the health of genetically endangered employees. In the rapidly developing universe of genetic intelligence, the employer is faced with a staggering dilemma.

Survey of South African fruit juices using a fast screening HILIC-MS method.

PubMed

Stander, Marietjie A; Kühn, Wernich; Hiten, Nicholas F

2013-01-01

Adulteration of fruit juices--by the addition of sugar or other less expensive fruit juices as well as preservatives, artificial sweeteners and colours--was tested for by using a developed screening method. The method employs hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS) using electrospray ionisation in the negative mode and ultraviolet light detection. Different fruit juices can be differentiated by the content of marker compounds like sorbitol, certain phenolic molecules and their saccharide profile. This method was used to test 46 fruit juice samples from the retail market as well as 12 control samples. The study focused on the main types of fruit juices consumed on the South African market including apple, orange, grape and blends of these juices with other fruits like mango, pear and guava. Overall, the 46 samples tested mostly agreed with label claims. One grape juice sample was adulterated, probably with apple juice. Natamycin above the legal limits was found in two samples. In addition, two samples contained natamycin and one sample benzoate without it being indicated on the label. The method is well suited as a quick screening method for fruit juice adulteration and if used routinely would reduce fruit juice adulteration without the cost of the current array of tests needed for authenticity testing.

Diagnostic Performance of a Molecular Test versus Clinician Assessment of Vaginitis

PubMed Central

Gaydos, Charlotte A.; Nyirjesy, Paul; Paradis, Sonia; Kodsi, Salma; Cooper, Charles K.

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Vaginitis is a common complaint, diagnosed either empirically or using Amsel's criteria and wet mount microscopy. This study sought to determine characteristics of an investigational test (a molecular test for vaginitis), compared to reference, for detection of bacterial vaginosis, Candida spp., and Trichomonas vaginalis. Vaginal specimens from a cross-sectional study were obtained from 1,740 women (≥18 years old), with vaginitis symptoms, during routine clinic visits (across 10 sites in the United States). Specimens were analyzed using a commercial PCR/fluorogenic probe-based investigational test that detects bacterial vaginosis, Candida spp., and Trichomonas vaginalis. Clinician diagnosis and in-clinic testing (Amsel's test, potassium hydroxide preparation, and wet mount) were also employed to detect the three vaginitis causes. All testing methods were compared to the respective reference methods (Nugent Gram stain for bacterial vaginosis, detection of the Candida gene its2, and Trichomonas vaginalis culture). The investigational test, clinician diagnosis, and in-clinic testing were compared to reference methods for bacterial vaginosis, Candida spp., and Trichomonas vaginalis. The investigational test resulted in significantly higher sensitivity and negative predictive value than clinician diagnosis or in-clinic testing. In addition, the investigational test showed a statistically higher overall percent agreement with each of the three reference methods than did clinician diagnosis or in-clinic testing. The investigational test showed significantly higher sensitivity for detecting vaginitis, involving more than one cause, than did clinician diagnosis. Taken together, these results suggest that a molecular investigational test can facilitate accurate detection of vaginitis. PMID:29643195

Pseudomonas screening assay

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Margalit, Ruth (Inventor)

1993-01-01

A method for the detection of Pseudomonas bacteria is described where an Azurin-specific antibody is employed for detecting the presence of Azurin in a test sample. The detection of the presence of Azurin in the sample is a conclusive indicator of the presence of the Pseudomonas bacteria since the Azurin protein is a specific marker for this bacterial strain.

A Language without Borders: English Slang and Bulgarian Learners of English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charkova, Krassimira D.

2007-01-01

This study investigated the acquisition of English slang in a foreign language context. The participants were 101 Bulgarian learners of English, 58 high school students, and 43 university students. The instrument included knowledge tests of English slang terms and questions about attitudes, sources, reasons, and methods employed in learning…

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

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

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

The Effect of Online College Attendance on Job Obtainment through Social Connections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taggart, Gabel

2017-01-01

Attending college online has implications for students' ability to make social connections and eventually obtain jobs by means of social capital. Previous academic work has tested employer callback rates to fictitious resumes treated by indications of either online or face-to-face college attendance but such methods overlook the networking aspect…

Group Comparisons in the Presence of Missing Data Using Latent Variable Modeling Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raykov, Tenko; Marcoulides, George A.

2010-01-01

A latent variable modeling approach for examining population similarities and differences in observed variable relationship and mean indexes in incomplete data sets is discussed. The method is based on the full information maximum likelihood procedure of model fitting and parameter estimation. The procedure can be employed to test group identities…

A Cross-Linguistic Study of the Acquisition of Clitic and Pronoun Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Varlokosta, Spyridoula; Belletti, Adriana; Costa, João; Friedmann, Naama; Gavarró, Anna; Grohmann, Kleanthes K.; Guasti, Maria Teresa; Tuller, Laurice; Lobo, Maria; Andelkovic, Darinka; Argemí, Núria; Avram, Larisa; Berends, Sanne; Brunetto, Valentina; Delage, Hélène; Ezeizabarrena, María-José; Fattal, Iris; Haman, Ewa; van Hout, Angeliek; de López, Kristine Jensen; Katsos, Napoleon; Kologranic, Lana; Krstic, Nadezda; Kraljevic, Jelena Kuvac; Miekisz, Aneta; Nerantzini, Michaela; Queraltó, Clara; Radic, Zeljana; Ruiz, Sílvia; Sauerland, Uli; Sevcenco, Anca; Smoczynska, Magdalena; Theodorou, Eleni; van der Lely, Heather; Veenstra, Alma; Weston, John; Yachini, Maya; Yatsushiro, Kazuko

2016-01-01

This study develops a single elicitation method to test the acquisition of third-person pronominal objects in 5-year-olds for 16 languages. This methodology allows us to compare the acquisition of pronominals in languages that lack object clitics ("pronoun languages") with languages that employ clitics in the relevant context…

More rapid edgewise crush test methods

Treesearch

Thomas J. Urbanik; Arthur H. Catlin; Davide R. Friedman; Richard C. Lund

1993-01-01

The use of paraffin wax to reinforce the loading edges of corrugated fiberboard edge-crush specimens requires that the specimens be reconditioned after waxing. The traditional practice employing a 24-h reconditioning period is a conservative approach based on the moisture response rate of corrugated containers. An interlaboratory study was conducted to determine the...

Psychometric Properties of the HOME Inventory Using Rasch Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glad, Johan; Kottorp, Anders; Jergeby, Ulla; Gustafsson, Carina; Sonnander, Karin

2014-01-01

Objectives: The aim of this pilot study was to explore psychometric properties of two versions of the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment Inventory in a Swedish social service sample. Method: Social workers employed at 22 Swedish child protections agencies participated in the data collection. Both classic test theory approaches and…

How and Why of User Studies: RLG's RedLightGreen as a Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Proffitt, Merrilee

2006-01-01

This article documents a lifecycle approach to employing user-centered design, covering both qualitative and quantitative data gathering methods in support of using this approach for product design, usability testing, and market research. The author provides specific case studies of usability studies, focus groups, interviews, ethnographic…

Stability of Amphotericin B in Fungal Culture Media

PubMed Central

Cheung, S. C.; Medoff, G.; Schlessinger, D.; Kobayashi, G. S.

1975-01-01

We have found that amphotericin B is unstable in two commonly employed fungal culture media. This instability leads to inaccuracies in determining the actual level of susceptibility of slow-growing strains that require prolonged incubation for growth. To help compensate for this problem, we have described two rapid methods of susceptibility testing. PMID:1103723

Modifiable Prostate Cancer Risk Reduction and Early Detection Behaviors in Black Men

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Odedina, Folakemi T.; Scrivens, John J., Jr.; Larose-Pierre, Margareth; Emanuel, Frank; Adams, Angela Denise; Dagne, Getachew A.; Pressey, Shannon Alexis; Odedina, Oladapo

2011-01-01

Objective: To explore the personal factors related to modifiable prostate cancer risk-reduction and detection behaviors among black men. Methods: Three thousand four hundred thirty (3430) black men were surveyed and structural equation modeling employed to test study hypotheses. Results: Modifiable prostate cancer risk-reduction behavior was found…

Teaching in the Shadow: Operators of Small Shadow Education Institutions in Japan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dierkes, Julian

2010-01-01

The shadow education sector plays a centrally important role in the Japanese education system. Advocates of Japanese shadow education institutions, or "juku", claim that the pedagogy employed in these schools leads to superior results compared to teaching methods used in conventional schools. The lack of value-added testing of juku…

Contribution to the rheological testing of pharmaceutical semisolids.

PubMed

Siska, B; Snejdrova, E; Machac, I; Dolecek, P; Martiska, J

2018-01-22

Rheological behaviour of pharmaceutical semisolid preparations significantly affects manufacturing process, administration, stability, homogeneity of incorporated drug, accuracy of dosing, adhesion in the place of application, drug release, and resulting therapeutic effect of the product. We performed test of consistency by penetrometry, rotational, oscillation and creep tests, and squeeze and tack tests of model samples to introduce methods suitable for characterization and comparison of semisolids in practice. Penetrometry is a simple method allowing sorting the semisolids to low and high stress-resistant materials but deficient for rheological characterization of semisolids. Value of yield stress, generally considered to be appropriate feature of semisolids, is significantly influenced by the method of testing and the way of evaluation. The hysteresis loops of model semisolids revealed incomplete thixotropy, therefore, three-step thixotropy test was employed. Semisolids showed nonlinear response in the creep phase of tests and partial recovery of structure by storing energy in the recovery phase. Squeeze and tack tests seem to be convenient ways for comparison of semisolids. Our study can contribute to a better understanding of different flow behaviour of semisolids given by different physicochemical properties of excipients and can bring useful approaches to evaluation and comparison of semisolids in practice.

Taking care of suicidal patients with new technologies and reaching-out means in the post-discharge period

PubMed Central

Falcone, Giulia; Nardella, Adele; Lamis, Dorian A; Erbuto, Denise; Girardi, Paolo; Pompili, Maurizio

2017-01-01

Suicide is a global public health problem with over one million people dying by suicide each year worldwide. Research efforts have focused on developing and testing novel suicide prevention strategies employing recent technological advances. In order to provide a review regarding the role of new technologies (e.g., postcards/letters, text messages, crisis cards, telephone contacts, online interventions) in suicide prevention, we searched PubMed, ScienceDirect, ResearchGate, and Crisis to identify all papers in English from 1977 to 2016. Our results indicated that brief contact interventions show promise in reducing the number of episodes of repeated self-harm and/or suicide attempts following discharge from the Emergency Department or psychiatric units. Innovative methods of contact (e.g., text messages) are easily implemented by clinicians and received by patients in the period of post discharge and have been shown to be beneficial. However, more research employing randomized clinical trials investigating the potential benefits of these novel suicide prevention methods is warranted. Future researchers should continue improving and testing new technologies in the prevention of suicide. PMID:29043154

Computation of turbulent boundary layers employing the defect wall-function method. M.S. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Douglas L.

1994-01-01

In order to decrease overall computational time requirements of spatially-marching parabolized Navier-Stokes finite-difference computer code when applied to turbulent fluid flow, a wall-function methodology, originally proposed by R. Barnwell, was implemented. This numerical effort increases computational speed and calculates reasonably accurate wall shear stress spatial distributions and boundary-layer profiles. Since the wall shear stress is analytically determined from the wall-function model, the computational grid near the wall is not required to spatially resolve the laminar-viscous sublayer. Consequently, a substantially increased computational integration step size is achieved resulting in a considerable decrease in net computational time. This wall-function technique is demonstrated for adiabatic flat plate test cases from Mach 2 to Mach 8. These test cases are analytically verified employing: (1) Eckert reference method solutions, (2) experimental turbulent boundary-layer data of Mabey, and (3) finite-difference computational code solutions with fully resolved laminar-viscous sublayers. Additionally, results have been obtained for two pressure-gradient cases: (1) an adiabatic expansion corner and (2) an adiabatic compression corner.

Application of optical interferometric techniques for non-destructive evaluation of novel "green" composite materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pagliarulo, Vito; Russo, Pietro; Bianco, Vittorio; Ferraro, Pietro; Simeoli, Giorgio; Cimino, Francesca; Ruggiero, Berardo

2018-04-01

Nowadays the use of advanced composite materials in aeronautics, both civil and military, in automotive and in sport applications, citing some, is well established. The characteristics of composite materials in terms of weight, fatigue resistance and corrosion resistance make them competitive with respect to conventional ones. On the other side, the fabrication process of the most employed composites reinforced by carbon fibers or glass fibers, needs of complex steps that not always are environmental complaisant. Moreover, such fibers are not themselves "green". For these reasons, in the last decades, the use of natural reinforcing fibers has gained an increasing attention allowing the development of new materials with the same advantages of composite systems but respecting the environment. Furthermore, such materials for their structural complexity are not always compatible with the use of standard non-destructive evaluation as the ultrasounds methods. In this work the efficiency of the employment of optical interferometric techniques as nondestructive evaluation methods in full field modality is proved on novel "green" composite materials. In particular, Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry has been tested on different kinds of specimens after flexural tests.

An Adaptive Unstructured Grid Method by Grid Subdivision, Local Remeshing, and Grid Movement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pirzadeh, Shahyar Z.

1999-01-01

An unstructured grid adaptation technique has been developed and successfully applied to several three dimensional inviscid flow test cases. The approach is based on a combination of grid subdivision, local remeshing, and grid movement. For solution adaptive grids, the surface triangulation is locally refined by grid subdivision, and the tetrahedral grid in the field is partially remeshed at locations of dominant flow features. A grid redistribution strategy is employed for geometric adaptation of volume grids to moving or deforming surfaces. The method is automatic and fast and is designed for modular coupling with different solvers. Several steady state test cases with different inviscid flow features were tested for grid/solution adaptation. In all cases, the dominant flow features, such as shocks and vortices, were accurately and efficiently predicted with the present approach. A new and robust method of moving tetrahedral "viscous" grids is also presented and demonstrated on a three-dimensional example.

CONORBIT: constrained optimization by radial basis function interpolation in trust regions

DOE PAGES

Regis, Rommel G.; Wild, Stefan M.

2016-09-26

Here, this paper presents CONORBIT (CONstrained Optimization by Radial Basis function Interpolation in Trust regions), a derivative-free algorithm for constrained black-box optimization where the objective and constraint functions are computationally expensive. CONORBIT employs a trust-region framework that uses interpolating radial basis function (RBF) models for the objective and constraint functions, and is an extension of the ORBIT algorithm. It uses a small margin for the RBF constraint models to facilitate the generation of feasible iterates, and extensive numerical tests confirm that such a margin is helpful in improving performance. CONORBIT is compared with other algorithms on 27 test problems, amore » chemical process optimization problem, and an automotive application. Numerical results show that CONORBIT performs better than COBYLA, a sequential penalty derivative-free method, an augmented Lagrangian method, a direct search method, and another RBF-based algorithm on the test problems and on the automotive application.« less

Appraisal of within- and between-laboratory reproducibility of non-radioisotopic local lymph node assay using flow cytometry, LLNA:BrdU-FCM: comparison of OECD TG429 performance standard and statistical evaluation.

PubMed

Yang, Hyeri; Na, Jihye; Jang, Won-Hee; Jung, Mi-Sook; Jeon, Jun-Young; Heo, Yong; Yeo, Kyung-Wook; Jo, Ji-Hoon; Lim, Kyung-Min; Bae, SeungJin

2015-05-05

Mouse local lymph node assay (LLNA, OECD TG429) is an alternative test replacing conventional guinea pig tests (OECD TG406) for the skin sensitization test but the use of a radioisotopic agent, (3)H-thymidine, deters its active dissemination. New non-radioisotopic LLNA, LLNA:BrdU-FCM employs a non-radioisotopic analog, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) and flow cytometry. For an analogous method, OECD TG429 performance standard (PS) advises that two reference compounds be tested repeatedly and ECt(threshold) values obtained must fall within acceptable ranges to prove within- and between-laboratory reproducibility. However, this criteria is somewhat arbitrary and sample size of ECt is less than 5, raising concerns about insufficient reliability. Here, we explored various statistical methods to evaluate the reproducibility of LLNA:BrdU-FCM with stimulation index (SI), the raw data for ECt calculation, produced from 3 laboratories. Descriptive statistics along with graphical representation of SI was presented. For inferential statistics, parametric and non-parametric methods were applied to test the reproducibility of SI of a concurrent positive control and the robustness of results were investigated. Descriptive statistics and graphical representation of SI alone could illustrate the within- and between-laboratory reproducibility. Inferential statistics employing parametric and nonparametric methods drew similar conclusion. While all labs passed within- and between-laboratory reproducibility criteria given by OECD TG429 PS based on ECt values, statistical evaluation based on SI values showed that only two labs succeeded in achieving within-laboratory reproducibility. For those two labs that satisfied the within-lab reproducibility, between-laboratory reproducibility could be also attained based on inferential as well as descriptive statistics. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Statistical analysis of water-quality data containing multiple detection limits II: S-language software for nonparametric distribution modeling and hypothesis testing

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, L.; Helsel, D.

2007-01-01

Analysis of low concentrations of trace contaminants in environmental media often results in left-censored data that are below some limit of analytical precision. Interpretation of values becomes complicated when there are multiple detection limits in the data-perhaps as a result of changing analytical precision over time. Parametric and semi-parametric methods, such as maximum likelihood estimation and robust regression on order statistics, can be employed to model distributions of multiply censored data and provide estimates of summary statistics. However, these methods are based on assumptions about the underlying distribution of data. Nonparametric methods provide an alternative that does not require such assumptions. A standard nonparametric method for estimating summary statistics of multiply-censored data is the Kaplan-Meier (K-M) method. This method has seen widespread usage in the medical sciences within a general framework termed "survival analysis" where it is employed with right-censored time-to-failure data. However, K-M methods are equally valid for the left-censored data common in the geosciences. Our S-language software provides an analytical framework based on K-M methods that is tailored to the needs of the earth and environmental sciences community. This includes routines for the generation of empirical cumulative distribution functions, prediction or exceedance probabilities, and related confidence limits computation. Additionally, our software contains K-M-based routines for nonparametric hypothesis testing among an unlimited number of grouping variables. A primary characteristic of K-M methods is that they do not perform extrapolation and interpolation. Thus, these routines cannot be used to model statistics beyond the observed data range or when linear interpolation is desired. For such applications, the aforementioned parametric and semi-parametric methods must be used.

Transonic flight flutter tests of a control surface utilizing an impedance response technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mirowitz, L. I.

1975-01-01

Transonic flight flutter tests of the XF3H-1 Demon Airplane were conducted utilizing a frequency response technique in which the oscillating rudder provides the means of system excitation. These tests were conducted as a result of a rudder flutter incident in the transonic speed range. The technique employed is presented including a brief theoretical development of basic concepts. Test data obtained during the flight are included and the method of interpretation of these data is indicated. This method is based on an impedance matching technique. It is shown that an artificial stabilizing device, such as a damper, may be incorporated in the system for test purposes without complicating the interpretation of the test results of the normal configuration. Data are presented which define the margin of stability introduced to the originally unstable rudder by design changes which involve higher control system stiffness and external damper. It is concluded that this technique of flight flutter testing is a feasible means of obtaining flutter stability information in flight.

Standard methods for open hole tension testing of textile composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Portanova, M. A.; Masters, J. E.

1995-01-01

Sizing effects have been investigated by comparing the open hole failure strengths of each of the four different braided architectures as a function of specimen thickness, hole diameter, and the ratio of specimen width to hole diameter. The data used to make these comparisons was primarily generated by Boeing. Direct comparisons of Boeing's results were made with experiments conducted at West Virginia University whenever possible. Indirect comparisons were made with test results for other 2-D braids and 3-D weaves tested by Boeing and Lockheed. In general, failure strength was found to decrease with increasing plate thickness, increase with decreasing hole size, and decreasing with decreasing width to diameter ratio. The interpretation of the sensitive to each of these geometrical parameters was complicated by scatter in the test data. For open hole tension testing of textile composites, the use of standard testing practices employed by industry, such as ASTM D5766 - Standard Test Method for Open Hole Tensile Strength of Polymer Matrix Composite Laminates should provide adequate results for material comparisons studies.

49 CFR Appendix A to Part 219 - Schedule of Civil Penalties

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...,000 Subpart F—Pre-Employment Tests 219.501Pre-employment tests: (a) Failure to perform pre-employment... required program $5,000 $7,500 219.11General conditions for chemical tests: (b)(1) Employee unlawfully....23Railroad policies: (a) Failure to provide written notice of FRA test 1,000 4,000 (b) Failure to provide...

49 CFR Appendix A to Part 219 - Schedule of Civil Penalties

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...,000 Subpart F—Pre-Employment Tests 219.501Pre-employment tests: (a) Failure to perform pre-employment... required program $5,000 $7,500 219.11General conditions for chemical tests: (b)(1) Employee unlawfully....23Railroad policies: (a) Failure to provide written notice of FRA test 1,000 4,000 (b) Failure to provide...

49 CFR Appendix A to Part 219 - Schedule of Civil Penalties

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...,000 Subpart F—Pre-Employment Tests 219.501Pre-employment tests: (a) Failure to perform pre-employment... required program $5,000 $7,500 219.11General conditions for chemical tests: (b)(1) Employee unlawfully....23Railroad policies: (a) Failure to provide written notice of FRA test 1,000 4,000 (b) Failure to provide...

49 CFR Appendix A to Part 219 - Schedule of Civil Penalties

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...,000 Subpart F—Pre-Employment Tests 219.501Pre-employment tests: (a) Failure to perform pre-employment... required program $5,000 $7,500 219.11General conditions for chemical tests: (b)(1) Employee unlawfully....23Railroad policies: (a) Failure to provide written notice of FRA test 1,000 4,000 (b) Failure to provide...

49 CFR Appendix A to Part 219 - Schedule of Civil Penalties

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...,000 Subpart F—Pre-Employment Tests 219.501Pre-employment tests: (a) Failure to perform pre-employment... required program $5,000 $7,500 219.11General conditions for chemical tests: (b)(1) Employee unlawfully....23Railroad policies: (a) Failure to provide written notice of FRA test 1,000 4,000 (b) Failure to provide...

Ion Imprinted Polymer for Preconcentration and Determination of Ultra-Trace Cadmium, Employing Flow Injection Analysis with Thermo Spray Flame Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry.

PubMed

do Lago, Ayla Campos; Marchioni, Camila; Mendes, Tássia Venga; Wisniewski, Célio; Fadini, Pedro Sergio; Luccas, Pedro Orival

2016-11-01

This work proposes a preconcentration method using an ion imprinted polymer (IIP) for determination of cadmium, in several samples, employing a mini-column filled with the polymer coupled into a flow injection analysis system with detection by thermospray flame furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (FIA-TS-FF-AAS). The polymer was synthesized via bulk using methacrylic acid and vinylimidazole as a functional monomer. For the FIA system initial assessment, the variables: pH, eluent concentration and buffer concentration were studied, employing a 23 full factorial design. To obtain the optimum values for each significant variable, a Doehlert matrix was employed. After the optimization conditions as: pH 5.8, eluent (HNO3) concentration of 0.48 mol L -1 and buffer concentration of 0.01 mol L -1 , were adopted. The proposed method showed a linear response in the range of 0.081-10.0 μg L -1 , limits detection and quantification of 0.024 and 0.081 μg L -1 , respectively; preconcentration factor of 165, consumptive index of 0.06 mL, concentration efficiency 132 min -1 , and frequency of readings equal to 26 readings h -1 The accuracy was checked by analysis of certified reference materials for trace metals and recovery tests. The obtained results were in agreement with 95% confidence level (t-test). The method was adequate to apply in samples of: jewelry (earrings) (2.38 ± 0.28 μg kg -1 ), black tea (1.09 ± 0.15 μg kg -1 ), green tea (3.85 ± 0.13 μg kg -1 ), cigarette tobacco (38.27 ± 0.22 μg kg -1 ), and hair (0.35 ± 0.02 μg kg -1 ). © The Author(s) 2016.

[Near infrared analysis of blending homogeneity of Chinese medicine formula particles based on moving window F test method].

PubMed

Yang, Chan; Xu, Bing; Zhang, Zhi-Qiang; Wang, Xin; Shi, Xin-Yuan; Fu, Jing; Qiao, Yan-Jiang

2016-10-01

Blending uniformity is essential to ensure the homogeneity of Chinese medicine formula particles within each batch. This study was based on the blending process of ebony spray dried powder and dextrin(the proportion of dextrin was 10%),in which the analysis of near infrared (NIR) diffuse reflectance spectra was collected from six different sampling points in combination with moving window F test method in order to assess the blending uniformity of the blending process.The method was validated by the changes of citric acid content determined by the HPLC. The results of moving window F test method showed that the ebony spray dried powder and dextrin was homogeneous during 200-300 r and was segregated during 300-400 r. An advantage of this method is that the threshold value is defined statistically, not empirically and thus does not suffer from threshold ambiguities in common with the moving block standard deviatiun (MBSD). And this method could be employed to monitor other blending process of Chinese medicine powders on line. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Development and validation of a discriminating in vitro dissolution method for a poorly soluble drug, olmesartan medoxomil: comparison between commercial tablets.

PubMed

Bajerski, Lisiane; Rossi, Rochele Cassanta; Dias, Carolina Lupi; Bergold, Ana Maria; Fröehlich, Pedro Eduardo

2010-06-01

A dissolution test for tablets containing 40 mg of olmesartan medoxomil (OLM) was developed and validated using both LC-UV and UV methods. After evaluation of the sink condition, dissolution medium, and stability of the drug, the method was validated using USP apparatus 2, 50 rpm rotation speed, and 900 ml of deaerated H(2)O + 0.5% sodium lauryl sulfate (w/v) at pH 6.8 (adjusted with 18% phosphoric acid) as the dissolution medium. The model-independent method using difference factor (f(1)) and similarity factor (f(2)), model-dependent method, and dissolution efficiency were employed to compare dissolution profiles. The kinetic parameters of drug release were also investigated. The obtained results provided adequate dissolution profiles. The developed dissolution test was validated according to international guidelines. Since there is no monograph for this drug in tablets, the dissolution method presented here can be used as a quality control test for OLM in this dosage form, especially in a batch to batch evaluation.

System and Method for Modeling the Flow Performance Features of an Object

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jorgensen, Charles (Inventor); Ross, James (Inventor)

1997-01-01

The method and apparatus includes a neural network for generating a model of an object in a wind tunnel from performance data on the object. The network is trained from test input signals (e.g., leading edge flap position, trailing edge flap position, angle of attack, and other geometric configurations, and power settings) and test output signals (e.g., lift, drag, pitching moment, or other performance features). In one embodiment, the neural network training method employs a modified Levenberg-Marquardt optimization technique. The model can be generated 'real time' as wind tunnel testing proceeds. Once trained, the model is used to estimate performance features associated with the aircraft given geometric configuration and/or power setting input. The invention can also be applied in other similar static flow modeling applications in aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, fluid dynamics, and other such disciplines. For example, the static testing of cars, sails, and foils, propellers, keels, rudders, turbines, fins, and the like, in a wind tunnel, water trough, or other flowing medium.

Modifications to the Patient Rule-Induction Method that utilize non-additive combinations of genetic and environmental effects to define partitions that predict ischemic heart disease.

PubMed

Dyson, Greg; Frikke-Schmidt, Ruth; Nordestgaard, Børge G; Tybjaerg-Hansen, Anne; Sing, Charles F

2009-05-01

This article extends the Patient Rule-Induction Method (PRIM) for modeling cumulative incidence of disease developed by Dyson et al. (Genet Epidemiol 31:515-527) to include the simultaneous consideration of non-additive combinations of predictor variables, a significance test of each combination, an adjustment for multiple testing and a confidence interval for the estimate of the cumulative incidence of disease in each partition. We employ the partitioning algorithm component of the Combinatorial Partitioning Method to construct combinations of predictors, permutation testing to assess the significance of each combination, theoretical arguments for incorporating a multiple testing adjustment and bootstrap resampling to produce the confidence intervals. An illustration of this revised PRIM utilizing a sample of 2,258 European male participants from the Copenhagen City Heart Study is presented that assesses the utility of genetic variants in predicting the presence of ischemic heart disease beyond the established risk factors.

Modifications to the Patient Rule-Induction Method that utilize non-additive combinations of genetic and environmental effects to define partitions that predict ischemic heart disease

PubMed Central

Dyson, Greg; Frikke-Schmidt, Ruth; Nordestgaard, Børge G.; Tybjærg-Hansen, Anne; Sing, Charles F.

2009-01-01

This paper extends the Patient Rule-Induction Method (PRIM) for modeling cumulative incidence of disease developed by Dyson et al. (2007) to include the simultaneous consideration of non-additive combinations of predictor variables, a significance test of each combination, an adjustment for multiple testing and a confidence interval for the estimate of the cumulative incidence of disease in each partition. We employ the partitioning algorithm component of the Combinatorial Partitioning Method (CPM) to construct combinations of predictors, permutation testing to assess the significance of each combination, theoretical arguments for incorporating a multiple testing adjustment and bootstrap resampling to produce the confidence intervals. An illustration of this revised PRIM utilizing a sample of 2258 European male participants from the Copenhagen City Heart Study is presented that assesses the utility of genetic variants in predicting the presence of ischemic heart disease beyond the established risk factors. PMID:19025787

Characterizing Facesheet/Core Disbonding in Honeycomb Core Sandwich Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinker, Martin; Ratcliffe, James G.; Adams, Daniel O.; Krueger, Ronald

2013-01-01

Results are presented from an experimental investigation into facesheet core disbonding in carbon fiber reinforced plastic/Nomex honeycomb sandwich structures using a Single Cantilever Beam test. Specimens with three, six and twelve-ply facesheets were tested. Specimens with different honeycomb cores consisting of four different cell sizes were also tested, in addition to specimens with three different widths. Three different data reduction methods were employed for computing apparent fracture toughness values from the test data, namely an area method, a compliance calibration technique and a modified beam theory method. The compliance calibration and modified beam theory approaches yielded comparable apparent fracture toughness values, which were generally lower than those computed using the area method. Disbonding in the three-ply facesheet specimens took place at the facesheet/core interface and yielded the lowest apparent fracture toughness values. Disbonding in the six and twelve-ply facesheet specimens took place within the core, near to the facesheet/core interface. Specimen width was not found to have a significant effect on apparent fracture toughness. The amount of scatter in the apparent fracture toughness data was found to increase with honeycomb core cell size.

Valid statistical inference methods for a case-control study with missing data.

PubMed

Tian, Guo-Liang; Zhang, Chi; Jiang, Xuejun

2018-04-01

The main objective of this paper is to derive the valid sampling distribution of the observed counts in a case-control study with missing data under the assumption of missing at random by employing the conditional sampling method and the mechanism augmentation method. The proposed sampling distribution, called the case-control sampling distribution, can be used to calculate the standard errors of the maximum likelihood estimates of parameters via the Fisher information matrix and to generate independent samples for constructing small-sample bootstrap confidence intervals. Theoretical comparisons of the new case-control sampling distribution with two existing sampling distributions exhibit a large difference. Simulations are conducted to investigate the influence of the three different sampling distributions on statistical inferences. One finding is that the conclusion by the Wald test for testing independency under the two existing sampling distributions could be completely different (even contradictory) from the Wald test for testing the equality of the success probabilities in control/case groups under the proposed distribution. A real cervical cancer data set is used to illustrate the proposed statistical methods.

Performance Assessment of Internal Quality Control (IQC) Products in Blood Transfusion Compatibility Testing in China

PubMed Central

Li, Jing-Jing; Gao, Qi; Liu, Zhi-Dong; Kang, Qiong-Hua; Hou, Yi-Jun; Zhang, Luo-Chuan; Hu, Xiao-Mei; Li, Jie; Zhang, Juan

2015-01-01

Internal quality control (IQC) is a critical component of laboratory quality management, and IQC products can determine the reliability of testing results. In China, given the fact that most blood transfusion compatibility laboratories do not employ IQC products or do so minimally, there is a lack of uniform and standardized IQC methods. To explore the reliability of IQC products and methods, we studied 697 results from IQC samples in our laboratory from 2012 to 2014. The results showed that the sensitivity and specificity of the IQCs in anti-B testing were 100% and 99.7%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the IQCs in forward blood typing, anti-A testing, irregular antibody screening, and cross-matching were all 100%. The reliability analysis indicated that 97% of anti-B testing results were at a 99% confidence level, and 99.9% of forward blood typing, anti-A testing, irregular antibody screening, and cross-matching results were at a 99% confidence level. Therefore, our IQC products and methods are highly sensitive, specific, and reliable. Our study paves the way for the establishment of a uniform and standardized IQC method for pre-transfusion compatibility testing in China and other parts of the world. PMID:26488582

Confidence intervals for single-case effect size measures based on randomization test inversion.

PubMed

Michiels, Bart; Heyvaert, Mieke; Meulders, Ann; Onghena, Patrick

2017-02-01

In the current paper, we present a method to construct nonparametric confidence intervals (CIs) for single-case effect size measures in the context of various single-case designs. We use the relationship between a two-sided statistical hypothesis test at significance level α and a 100 (1 - α) % two-sided CI to construct CIs for any effect size measure θ that contain all point null hypothesis θ values that cannot be rejected by the hypothesis test at significance level α. This method of hypothesis test inversion (HTI) can be employed using a randomization test as the statistical hypothesis test in order to construct a nonparametric CI for θ. We will refer to this procedure as randomization test inversion (RTI). We illustrate RTI in a situation in which θ is the unstandardized and the standardized difference in means between two treatments in a completely randomized single-case design. Additionally, we demonstrate how RTI can be extended to other types of single-case designs. Finally, we discuss a few challenges for RTI as well as possibilities when using the method with other effect size measures, such as rank-based nonoverlap indices. Supplementary to this paper, we provide easy-to-use R code, which allows the user to construct nonparametric CIs according to the proposed method.

Pyrogen detection methods: Comparison of bovine whole blood assay (bWBA) and monocyte activation test (MAT)

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Pyrogen detection is of utmost importance in pharmaceutical industry, laboratories and health care institutions. As an alternative to the animal-consuming rabbit pyrogen test or Limulus amoebocyte lysate test, the monocyte activation test was introduced as a gold standard method in the European Pharmacopoeia. However, the monocyte activation test has not gained wide acceptance in practice. Methods We stimulated bovine whole blood with different endotoxin preparations (lipopolysaccharide E.coli 0127:B8 and 0113:H10), as well as the non-endotoxin pyrogens peptidoglycan and lipoteichoic acid. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) served as read out. Results Employing PGE2 as read out enabled detection limits of 0.04 EU/ml for lipopolysaccharide 0127:B8, 0.25 EU/ml for lipopolysaccharide 0113:H10 and 10 μg/ml of lipoteichoic acid as well as peptidoglycan. To evaluate the bWBA test system as a possible alternative to the MAT we performed a peer-to-peer comparison of the two methods and confirmed similar sensitivities. Conclusions In conclusion, the bovine whole blood assay (bWBA) reproducibly enabled sensitive detection of endotoxin and non-endotoxin pyrogens and may thus become a viable alternative for pyrogen testing. PMID:25209100

Use of HPLC/UPLC-spectrophotometry for detection of formazan in in vitro Reconstructed human Tissue (RhT)-based test methods employing the MTT-reduction assay to expand their applicability to strongly coloured test chemicals.

PubMed

Alépée, N; Barroso, J; De Smedt, A; De Wever, B; Hibatallah, J; Klaric, M; Mewes, K R; Millet, M; Pfannenbecker, U; Tailhardat, M; Templier, M; McNamee, P

2015-06-01

A number of in vitro test methods using Reconstructed human Tissues (RhT) are regulatory accepted for evaluation of skin corrosion/irritation. In such methods, test chemical corrosion/irritation potential is determined by measuring tissue viability using the photometric MTT-reduction assay. A known limitation of this assay is possible interference of strongly coloured test chemicals with measurement of formazan by absorbance (OD). To address this, Cosmetics Europe evaluated use of HPLC/UPLC-spectrophotometry as an alternative formazan measurement system. Using the approach recommended by the FDA guidance for validation of bio-analytical methods, three independent laboratories established and qualified their HPLC/UPLC-spectrophotometry systems to reproducibly measure formazan from tissue extracts. Up to 26 chemicals were then tested in RhT test systems for eye/skin irritation and skin corrosion. Results support that: (1) HPLC/UPLC-spectrophotometry formazan measurement is highly reproducible; (2) formazan measurement by HPLC/UPLC-spectrophotometry and OD gave almost identical tissue viabilities for test chemicals not exhibiting colour interference nor direct MTT reduction; (3) independent of the test system used, HPLC/UPLC-spectrophotometry can measure formazan for strongly coloured test chemicals when this is not possible by absorbance only. It is therefore recommended that HPLC/UPLC-spectrophotometry to measure formazan be included in the procedures of in vitro RhT-based test methods, irrespective of the test system used and the toxicity endpoint evaluated to extend the applicability of these test methods to strongly coloured chemicals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

45 CFR 1624.6 - Employment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... may not use employment tests or criteria that discriminate against persons with disabilities, and shall ensure that employment tests are adapted for use by persons who have disabilities that impair sensory, manual, or speaking skills. (g) A legal services program may not conduct a pre-employment medical...

Regional frequency analysis of extreme rainfalls using partial L moments method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zakaria, Zahrahtul Amani; Shabri, Ani

2013-07-01

An approach based on regional frequency analysis using L moments and LH moments are revisited in this study. Subsequently, an alternative regional frequency analysis using the partial L moments (PL moments) method is employed, and a new relationship for homogeneity analysis is developed. The results were then compared with those obtained using the method of L moments and LH moments of order two. The Selangor catchment, consisting of 37 sites and located on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, is chosen as a case study. PL moments for the generalized extreme value (GEV), generalized logistic (GLO), and generalized Pareto distributions were derived and used to develop the regional frequency analysis procedure. PL moment ratio diagram and Z test were employed in determining the best-fit distribution. Comparison between the three approaches showed that GLO and GEV distributions were identified as the suitable distributions for representing the statistical properties of extreme rainfall in Selangor. Monte Carlo simulation used for performance evaluation shows that the method of PL moments would outperform L and LH moments methods for estimation of large return period events.

High order filtering methods for approximating hyperbolic systems of conservation laws

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lafon, F.; Osher, S.

1991-01-01

The essentially nonoscillatory (ENO) schemes, while potentially useful in the computation of discontinuous solutions of hyperbolic conservation-law systems, are computationally costly relative to simple central-difference methods. A filtering technique is presented which employs central differencing of arbitrarily high-order accuracy except where a local test detects the presence of spurious oscillations and calls upon the full ENO apparatus to remove them. A factor-of-three speedup is thus obtained over the full-ENO method for a wide range of problems, with high-order accuracy in regions of smooth flow.

Assessment techniques for a learning-centered curriculum: evaluation design for adventures in supercomputing

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

Helland, B.; Summers, B.G.

1996-09-01

As the classroom paradigm shifts from being teacher-centered to being learner-centered, student assessments are evolving from typical paper and pencil testing to other methods of evaluation. Students should be probed for understanding, reasoning, and critical thinking abilities rather than their ability to return memorized facts. The assessment of the Department of Energy`s pilot program, Adventures in Supercomputing (AiS), offers one example of assessment techniques developed for learner-centered curricula. This assessment has employed a variety of methods to collect student data. Methods of assessment used were traditional testing, performance testing, interviews, short questionnaires via email, and student presentations of projects. Themore » data obtained from these sources have been analyzed by a professional assessment team at the Center for Children and Technology. The results have been used to improve the AiS curriculum and establish the quality of the overall AiS program. This paper will discuss the various methods of assessment used and the results.« less

Thickness measurement by two-sided step-heating thermal imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaoli; Tao, Ning; Sun, J. G.; Zhang, Cunlin; Zhao, Yuejin

2018-01-01

Infrared thermal imaging is a promising nondestructive technique for thickness prediction. However, it is usually thought to be only appropriate for testing the thickness of thin objects or near-surface structures. In this study, we present a new two-sided step-heating thermal imaging method which employed a low-cost portable halogen lamp as the heating source and verified it with two stainless steel step wedges with thicknesses ranging from 5 mm to 24 mm. We first derived the one-dimensional step-heating thermography theory with the consideration of warm-up time of the lamp, and then applied the nonlinear regression method to fit the experimental data by the derived function to determine the thickness. After evaluating the reliability and accuracy of the experimental results, we concluded that this method is capable of testing thick objects. In addition, we provided the criterions for both the required data length and the applicable thickness range of the testing material. It is evident that this method will broaden the thermal imaging application for thickness measurement.

14 CFR 120.207 - Other requirements imposed by employers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... AND ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAM Alcohol Testing Program Requirements § 120.207 Other requirements imposed by employers. Except as expressly provided in these alcohol testing requirements, nothing in this subpart shall be construed to affect the authority of employers, or the rights of employees, with respect...

14 CFR 120.207 - Other requirements imposed by employers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... AND ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAM Alcohol Testing Program Requirements § 120.207 Other requirements imposed by employers. Except as expressly provided in these alcohol testing requirements, nothing in this subpart shall be construed to affect the authority of employers, or the rights of employees, with respect...

14 CFR 120.207 - Other requirements imposed by employers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... AND ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAM Alcohol Testing Program Requirements § 120.207 Other requirements imposed by employers. Except as expressly provided in these alcohol testing requirements, nothing in this subpart shall be construed to affect the authority of employers, or the rights of employees, with respect...

14 CFR 120.207 - Other requirements imposed by employers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... AND ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAM Alcohol Testing Program Requirements § 120.207 Other requirements imposed by employers. Except as expressly provided in these alcohol testing requirements, nothing in this subpart shall be construed to affect the authority of employers, or the rights of employees, with respect...

14 CFR 120.207 - Other requirements imposed by employers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... AND ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAM Alcohol Testing Program Requirements § 120.207 Other requirements imposed by employers. Except as expressly provided in these alcohol testing requirements, nothing in this subpart shall be construed to affect the authority of employers, or the rights of employees, with respect...

An Interactive Image Segmentation Method in Hand Gesture Recognition

PubMed Central

Chen, Disi; Li, Gongfa; Sun, Ying; Kong, Jianyi; Jiang, Guozhang; Tang, Heng; Ju, Zhaojie; Yu, Hui; Liu, Honghai

2017-01-01

In order to improve the recognition rate of hand gestures a new interactive image segmentation method for hand gesture recognition is presented, and popular methods, e.g., Graph cut, Random walker, Interactive image segmentation using geodesic star convexity, are studied in this article. The Gaussian Mixture Model was employed for image modelling and the iteration of Expectation Maximum algorithm learns the parameters of Gaussian Mixture Model. We apply a Gibbs random field to the image segmentation and minimize the Gibbs Energy using Min-cut theorem to find the optimal segmentation. The segmentation result of our method is tested on an image dataset and compared with other methods by estimating the region accuracy and boundary accuracy. Finally five kinds of hand gestures in different backgrounds are tested on our experimental platform, and the sparse representation algorithm is used, proving that the segmentation of hand gesture images helps to improve the recognition accuracy. PMID:28134818

Field and laboratory determination of a poly(vinyl/vinylidene chloride) additive in brick mortar.

PubMed

Law, S L; Newman, J H; Ptak, F L

1990-02-01

A polymerized vinyl/vinylidene chloride additive, used in brick mortar during the 60s and 70s, is detected at the building site by the field method, which employs a commercially available chloride test strip. The field test results can then be verified by the laboratory methods. In one method, total chlorine in the mortar is determined by an oxygen-bomb method and the additive chloride is determined by difference after water-soluble chlorides have been determined on a separate sample. In the second method, the polymerized additive is extracted directly from the mortar with tetrahydrofuran (THF). The difference in weight before and after extraction of the additive gives the weight of additive in the mortar. Evaporation of the THF from the extract leaves a thin film of the polymer, which gives an infrared "fingerprint" spectrum characteristic of the additive polymer.

Ergonomic Evaluation of Dental Professionals as Determined by Rapid Entire Body Assessment Method in 2014

PubMed Central

Jahanimoghadam, Fatemeh; Horri, Azadeh; Hasheminejad, Naimeh; Hashemi Nejad, Naser; Baneshi, Mohammad Reza

2018-01-01

Statement of the Problem: In dentistry, incorrect working posture is the most important cause of musculoskeletal disorders. Purpose: The aim of this research was to evaluate the work postures of general dentists and specialists using rapid entire body assessment (REBA) method. Materials and Method: In this cross-sectional study, work postures were assessed in 90 dentists by employing REBA method. Stratified sampling method was used. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA), Independent t-test and Pearson’s correlation test in SPSS 19. Results: The results showed that work postures of 90% of dentists were at moderate- to high-risk levels. Among the specialists, periodontists, pedodontists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons had the worst body postures. Conclusion: In general, dentists’ working postures need improvement and consequently, a more comprehensive ergonomic training and promotion is required in dentistry curriculum at Universities. PMID:29854890

Evaluation of shrinkage and cracking in concrete of ring test by acoustic emission method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Takeshi; Hashimoto, Chikanori

2015-03-01

Drying shrinkage of concrete is one of the typical problems related to reduce durability and defilation of concrete structures. Lime stone, expansive additive and low-heat Portland cement are used to reduce drying shrinkage in Japan. Drying shrinkage is commonly evaluated by methods of measurement for length change of mortar and concrete. In these methods, there is detected strain due to drying shrinkage of free body, although visible cracking does not occur. In this study, the ring test was employed to detect strain and age cracking of concrete. The acoustic emission (AE) method was adopted to detect micro cracking due to shrinkage. It was recognized that in concrete using lime stone, expansive additive and low-heat Portland cement are effective to decrease drying shrinkage and visible cracking. Micro cracking due to shrinkage of this concrete was detected and evaluated by the AE method.

Application of stabilization/solidification technology on oil refinery sludge contaminated by heavy metals.

PubMed

Karamalidis, Athanasios K; Voudrias, Evangelos A

2004-01-01

The oily sludge produced by petroleum refineries is classified as a solid hazardous waste, according to European regulations. The objective of this work was to investigate whether stabilization/solidification can be used as a management method for the oily sludge. The sludge samples used originated from a petroleum-storing tank and a centrifuge unit of two Greek refineries. The experiments were designed to study the leachability of the heavy metals Pb, Cr, Cd, Ni, and Cu, which are contained in the sludge, using the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP). Despite the fact that the metals were immobilized in a cement-based environment in the presence of organic load, leaching tests have shown a low metal leachability, less than 5%. Acid Neutralizing Capacity (ANC) tests were employed in order to estimate the acid resistance of the stabilized/solidified waste. In addition to ANC, a sequential TCLP test was employed in order to understand how the pH affects the leachability of Ni from the stabilized/solidified specimen.

Intragastric inulin as a measure of mucosal damage caused by aspirin

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

Wittmers, L.E. Jr.; Anderson, L.A.; Fall, M.M.

In an attempt to find a method of gastric mucosal damage assessment that yields consistent results, the experiments presented here employed the measurement of the movement of inulin out of the gastric contents into the stomach wall and vascular compartment as an estimate of mucosal damage. Anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats were functionally nephrectomized and were administered a control or test solution containing 3H-inulin. The test solutions contained one of three doses of aspirin. Blood samples were taken at 15-min intervals over a 90-min exposure period. The stomach was removed from the animal and full-thickness tissue samples taken for measurement ofmore » 3H-inulin content. When the gastric mucosa was exposed to the test agents, there was a significantly greater accumulation of inulin in the body and antrum as well as in the plasma when compared to controls. We conclude that intragastric inulin can be employed to estimate gastric mucosal damage.« less

Method of Testing and Predicting Failures of Electronic Mechanical Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iverson, David L.; Patterson-Hine, Frances A.

1996-01-01

A method employing a knowledge base of human expertise comprising a reliability model analysis implemented for diagnostic routines is disclosed. The reliability analysis comprises digraph models that determine target events created by hardware failures human actions, and other factors affecting the system operation. The reliability analysis contains a wealth of human expertise information that is used to build automatic diagnostic routines and which provides a knowledge base that can be used to solve other artificial intelligence problems.

BRCA mutation carrier detection. A model-based cost-effectiveness analysis comparing the traditional family history approach and the testing of all patients with breast cancer

PubMed Central

Norum, Jan; Grindedal, Eli Marie; Heramb, Cecilie; Karsrud, Inga; Ariansen, Sarah Louise; Undlien, Dag Erik; Schlichting, Ellen; Mæhle, Lovise

2018-01-01

Background Identification of BRCA mutation carriers among patients with breast cancer (BC) involves costs and gains. Testing has been performed according to international guidelines, focusing on family history (FH) of breast and/or ovarian cancer. An alternative is testing all patients with BC employing sequencing of the BRCA genes and Multiplex Ligation Probe Amplification (MLPA). Patients and methods A model-based cost-effectiveness analysis, employing data from Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål (OUH-U) and a decision tree, was done. The societal and the healthcare perspectives were focused and a lifetime perspective employed. The comparators were the traditional FH approach used as standard of care at OUH-U in 2013 and the intervention (testing all patients with BC) performed in 2014 and 2015 at the same hospital. During the latter period, 535 patients with BC were offered BRCA testing with sequencing and MLPA. National 2014 data on mortality rates and costs were implemented, a 3% discount rate used and the costing year was 2015. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated in euros (€) per life-year gained (LYG). Results The net healthcare cost (healthcare perspective) was €40 503/LYG. Including all resource use (societal perspective), the cost was €5669/LYG. The univariate sensitivity analysis documented the unit cost of the BRCA test and the number of LYGs the prominent parameters affecting the result. Diagnostic BRCA testing of all patients with BC was superior to the FH approach and cost-effective within the frequently used thresholds (healthcare perspective) in Norway (€60 000–€80 000/LYG). PMID:29682331

MODE IDENTIFICATION OF AN ARCH DAM BY A DYNAMIC AIR-GUN TEST.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Liu, Hsi-Ping; Fedock, Joseph J.; Fletcher, Jon B.

1986-01-01

Thirteen natural frequencies of a concrete arch dam (Monticello Dam near Sacramento, California) have been identified by using a dynamic testing method which employs an air gun firing in the reservoir as the excitation source. These vibrations modes are determined from the peak responses in the Fourier amplitude spectra of the free-vibration data recorded at three crest locations using three-component geophones. Comparisons of the first five natural frequencies with results obtained by forced vibration tests using rotating mass shakers show good agreement. The next eight higher-frequency modes, not previously identified, are determined from data of the present tests.

Processing of 3-Dimensional Flash Lidar Terrain Images Generated From an Airborne Platform

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bulyshev, Alexander; Pierrottet, Diego; Amzajerdian, Farzin; Busch, George; Vanek, Michael; Reisse, Robert

2009-01-01

Data from the first Flight Test of the NASA Langley Flash Lidar system have been processed. Results of the analyses are presented and discussed. A digital elevation map of the test site is derived from the data, and is compared with the actual topography. The set of algorithms employed, starting from the initial data sorting, and continuing through to the final digital map classification is described. The accuracy, precision, and the spatial and angular resolution of the method are discussed.

EPA SPF Insulation Research Update | Science Inventory | US ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This is a non-technical (no data) presentation that is intended to inform ACC/CPI about our intended approach to full-scale emissions testing that includes the application of spray foam in an environmental chamber. The presentation describes the approach to emissions characterization, types of measurement systems to be employed, and expected outcomes from the planned tests. Purpose of this presentation is to update industry stakeholders (American Chemistry Council, Center for Polyurethanes) on status of the spray polyurethane foam insulation emissions methods development task.

Olodaterol and vilanterol detection in sport drug testing.

PubMed

Chundela, Zdenek; Große, Joachim

2015-01-01

The possibility of the detection of olodaterol and vilanterol, two novel β2 -agonists, in human urine for the purpose of sport drug testing was investigated. Compounds of interest were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) employing methods commonly used in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratories. For both substances, the respective parent compound was found to be a suitable target analyte for monitoring therapeutic dose administration. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Evaluation of Thermoelectric Performance and Durability of Functionalized Skutterudite Legs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skomedal, Gunstein; Kristiansen, Nils R.; Sottong, Reinhard; Middleton, Hugh

2017-04-01

Thermoelectric generators are a promising technology for waste heat recovery. As new materials and devices enter a market penetration stage, it is of interest to employ fast and efficient measurement methods to evaluate the long-term stability of thermoelectric materials in combination with metallization and coating (functionalized thermoelectric legs). We have investigated a method for measuring several thermoelectric legs simultaneously. The legs are put under a common temperature gradient, and the electrical characteristics of each leg are measured individually during thermal cycling. Using this method, one can test different types of metallization and coating applied to skutterudite thermoelectric legs and look at the relative changes over time. Postcharacterization of these initial tests with skutterudite legs using a potential Seebeck microprobe and an electron microscope showed that oxidation and interlayer diffusion are the main reasons for the gradual increase in internal resistance and the decrease in open-circuit voltage. Although we only tested skutterudite material in this work, the method is fully capable of testing all kinds of material, metallization, and coating. It is thus a promising method for studying the relationship between failure modes and mechanisms of functionalized thermoelectric legs.

Pseudospectral method for gravitational wave collapse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilditch, David; Weyhausen, Andreas; Brügmann, Bernd

2016-03-01

We present a new pseudospectral code, bamps, for numerical relativity written with the evolution of collapsing gravitational waves in mind. We employ the first-order generalized harmonic gauge formulation. The relevant theory is reviewed, and the numerical method is critically examined and specialized for the task at hand. In particular, we investigate formulation parameters—gauge- and constraint-preserving boundary conditions well suited to nonvanishing gauge source functions. Different types of axisymmetric twist-free moment-of-time-symmetry gravitational wave initial data are discussed. A treatment of the axisymmetric apparent horizon condition is presented with careful attention to regularity on axis. Our apparent horizon finder is then evaluated in a number of test cases. Moving on to evolutions, we investigate modifications to the generalized harmonic gauge constraint damping scheme to improve conservation in the strong-field regime. We demonstrate strong-scaling of our pseudospectral penalty code. We employ the Cartoon method to efficiently evolve axisymmetric data in our 3 +1 -dimensional code. We perform test evolutions of the Schwarzschild spacetime perturbed by gravitational waves and by gauge pulses, both to demonstrate the use of our black-hole excision scheme and for comparison with earlier results. Finally, numerical evolutions of supercritical Brill waves are presented to demonstrate durability of the excision scheme for the dynamical formation of a black hole.

Determination of Foton M-2 satellite attitude motion by the data of microacceleration measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beuselinck, T.; van Bavinchove, C.; Sazonov, V. V.; Chebukov, S. Yu.

2009-12-01

The results of reconstruction of uncontrolled attitude motion of the Foton M-2 satellite using measurements with the accelerometer TAS-3 are presented. The attitude motion of this satellite has been previously determined by the measurement data of the Earth’s magnetic field and the angular velocity. The TAS-3 data for this purpose are used for the first time. These data contain a well-pronounced additional component which made impossible their direct employment for the reconstruction of the attitude motion and whose origin was unknown several years ago. Later it has become known that the additional component is caused by the influence of the Earth’s magnetic field. The disclosure of this fact allowed us to take into account a necessary correction in processing of TAS-3 data and to use them for the reconstruction of the attitude motion of Foton M-2. Here, a modified method of processing TAS-3 data is described, as well as results of its testing and employing. The testing consisted in the direct comparison of the motion reconstructed by the new method with the motion constructed by the magnetic measurements. The new method allowed us to find the actual motion of Foton M-2 in the period June 9, 2005-June 14, 2005, when no magnetic measurements were carried out.

The relationship between ground reaction force in sit-to-stand movement and lower extremity function in community-dwelling Japanese older adults using long-term care insurance services

PubMed Central

Shen, Shaoshuai; Abe, Takumi; Tsuji, Taishi; Fujii, Keisuke; Ma, Jingyu; Okura, Tomohiro

2017-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate which of the four chair-rising methods has low-load and the highest success rate, and whether the GRF parameters in that method are useful for measuring lower extremity function among physically frail Japanese older adults. [Subjects and Methods] Fifty-two individuals participated in this study. The participants voluntarily attempted four types of Sit-to-stand test (one variation without and three variations with the use of their arms). The following parameters were measured: peak reaction force (F/w), two force development rate parameters (RFD1.25/w, RFD8.75/w) and two time-related parameters (T1, T2). Three additional commonly employed clinical tests (One-leg balance with eyes open, Timed up and go and 5-meter walk test) were also conducted. [Results] “Hands on a chair” chair-rising method produced the highest success rate among the four methods. All parameters were highly reliable between testing occasions. T2 showed strongly significant associations with Timed up and go and 5-meter walk test in males. RFD8.75/w showed significant associations with Timed up and go and 5-meter walk test in females. [Conclusion] Ground reaction force parameters in the Sit-to-stand test are a reliable and useful method for assessment of lower extremity function in physically frail Japanese older adults. PMID:28931988

Analytical study of electrophoretic characterization of kidney cells. [conducted during the Apollo Soyuz Test Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knox, R. J.

1978-01-01

Embryonic kidney cells were studied as a follow-up to the MA-011 Electrophoresis Technology Experiment which was conducted during the Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP). The postflight analysis of the performance of the ASTP zone electrophoresis experiment involving embryonic kidney cells is reported. The feasibility of producing standard particles for electrophoresis was also studied. This work was undertaken in response to a need for standardization of methods for producing, calibrating, and storing electrophoretic particle standards which could be employed in performance tests of various types of electrophoresis equipment. Promising procedures were tested for their suitability in the production of standard test particles from red blood cells.

A study of correlations between crude oil spot and futures markets: A rolling sample test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Li; Wan, Jieqiu

2011-10-01

In this article, we investigate the asymmetries of exceedance correlations and cross-correlations between West Texas Intermediate (WTI) spot and futures markets. First, employing the test statistic proposed by Hong et al. [Asymmetries in stock returns: statistical tests and economic evaluation, Review of Financial Studies 20 (2007) 1547-1581], we find that the exceedance correlations were overall symmetric. However, the results from rolling windows show that some occasional events could induce the significant asymmetries of the exceedance correlations. Second, employing the test statistic proposed by Podobnik et al. [Quantifying cross-correlations using local and global detrending approaches, European Physics Journal B 71 (2009) 243-250], we find that the cross-correlations were significant even for large lagged orders. Using the detrended cross-correlation analysis proposed by Podobnik and Stanley [Detrended cross-correlation analysis: a new method for analyzing two nonstationary time series, Physics Review Letters 100 (2008) 084102], we find that the cross-correlations were weakly persistent and were stronger between spot and futures contract with larger maturity. Our results from rolling sample test also show the apparent effects of the exogenous events. Additionally, we have some relevant discussions on the obtained evidence.

Gene selection for microarray cancer classification using a new evolutionary method employing artificial intelligence concepts.

PubMed

Dashtban, M; Balafar, Mohammadali

2017-03-01

Gene selection is a demanding task for microarray data analysis. The diverse complexity of different cancers makes this issue still challenging. In this study, a novel evolutionary method based on genetic algorithms and artificial intelligence is proposed to identify predictive genes for cancer classification. A filter method was first applied to reduce the dimensionality of feature space followed by employing an integer-coded genetic algorithm with dynamic-length genotype, intelligent parameter settings, and modified operators. The algorithmic behaviors including convergence trends, mutation and crossover rate changes, and running time were studied, conceptually discussed, and shown to be coherent with literature findings. Two well-known filter methods, Laplacian and Fisher score, were examined considering similarities, the quality of selected genes, and their influences on the evolutionary approach. Several statistical tests concerning choice of classifier, choice of dataset, and choice of filter method were performed, and they revealed some significant differences between the performance of different classifiers and filter methods over datasets. The proposed method was benchmarked upon five popular high-dimensional cancer datasets; for each, top explored genes were reported. Comparing the experimental results with several state-of-the-art methods revealed that the proposed method outperforms previous methods in DLBCL dataset. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

14 CFR 1251.202 - Employment criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... HANDICAP Employment Practices § 1251.202 Employment criteria. (a) A recipient may not make use of any employment test or other selection criterion that screens out or tends to screen out handicapped persons or any class of handicapped persons unless: (1) The test score or other selection criterion, as used by...

14 CFR 1251.202 - Employment criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... HANDICAP Employment Practices § 1251.202 Employment criteria. (a) A recipient may not make use of any employment test or other selection criterion that screens out or tends to screen out handicapped persons or any class of handicapped persons unless: (1) The test score or other selection criterion, as used by...

14 CFR 1251.202 - Employment criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... HANDICAP Employment Practices § 1251.202 Employment criteria. (a) A recipient may not make use of any employment test or other selection criterion that screens out or tends to screen out handicapped persons or any class of handicapped persons unless: (1) The test score or other selection criterion, as used by...

14 CFR 1251.202 - Employment criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... HANDICAP Employment Practices § 1251.202 Employment criteria. (a) A recipient may not make use of any employment test or other selection criterion that screens out or tends to screen out handicapped persons or any class of handicapped persons unless: (1) The test score or other selection criterion, as used by...

14 CFR § 1251.202 - Employment criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... OF HANDICAP Employment Practices § 1251.202 Employment criteria. (a) A recipient may not make use of any employment test or other selection criterion that screens out or tends to screen out handicapped persons or any class of handicapped persons unless: (1) The test score or other selection criterion, as...

The association between chronological age, age at injury and employment: Is there a mediating effect of secondary health conditions?

PubMed

Marti, A; Boes, S; Lay, V; Escorpizo, R; Reuben Escorpizo, P T; Trezzini, B

2016-03-01

Cross-sectional observational study with data from the 2012 community-based survey of the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort Study. To examine the relationships between chronological age, age at injury, secondary health conditions (SHCs) and paid employment. Community setting in Switzerland. A total of 1159 individuals of working age (16-63 years for women and 64 years for men) with traumatic or non-traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) were included in the study. Direct and indirect (via SHCs) effects of chronological age and age at injury on paid employment were tested using a decomposition method for logistic regression models. Both chronological age groups (age 35-49 and 50-63/64 years) and the group with age at injury beyond 40 years showed negative direct effects on employment status. A partial indirect effect (mediation) via chronic pain was found in the group with the highest chronological age (>50 years). Furthermore, pressure ulcer, pain and urinary tract infection were negatively related with employment in both models, that is, chronological age and employment and age at injury and employment. Being older and having a higher age at injury directly affects whether an individual is employed. Pain is mediating the relation between chronological age and employment. Furthermore, pressure ulcer, chronic pain and urinary tract infection directly reduce the likelihood to be employed and, therefore, represent important intervention targets in efforts to maintain or engage in employment of individuals with SCI.

Immunity to human cytomegalovirus measured and compared by complement fixation, indirect fluorescent-antibody, indirect hemagglutination, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

PubMed Central

Brandt, J A; Kettering, J D; Lewis, J E

1984-01-01

The complement fixation test is currently the test employed most frequently to determine the presence of antibody to human cytomegalovirus. Several other techniques have been adapted for this purpose. A comparison of cytomegalovirus antibody titers was made between the complement fixation test, a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, an indirect immunofluorescent technique, and a modified indirect hemagglutination test. Forty-three serum samples were tested for antibodies by each of the above procedures. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent, immunofluorescent, and indirect hemagglutination assays were in close agreement on all samples tested; the titers obtained with these methods were all equal to or greater than the complement fixation titer for 38 of the 41 samples (92.6%). Two samples were anticomplementary in the complement fixation test but gave readable results in the other tests. The complement fixation test was the least sensitive of the procedures examined. The commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system was the most practical method and offered the highest degree of sensitivity in detecting antibodies to cytomegalovirus. PMID:6321544

Substructure hybrid testing of reinforced concrete shear wall structure using a domain overlapping technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yu; Pan, Peng; Gong, Runhua; Wang, Tao; Xue, Weichen

2017-10-01

An online hybrid test was carried out on a 40-story 120-m high concrete shear wall structure. The structure was divided into two substructures whereby a physical model of the bottom three stories was tested in the laboratory and the upper 37 stories were simulated numerically using ABAQUS. An overlapping domain method was employed for the bottom three stories to ensure the validity of the boundary conditions of the superstructure. Mixed control was adopted in the test. Displacement control was used to apply the horizontal displacement, while two controlled force actuators were applied to simulate the overturning moment, which is very large and cannot be ignored in the substructure hybrid test of high-rise buildings. A series of tests with earthquake sources of sequentially increasing intensities were carried out. The test results indicate that the proposed hybrid test method is a solution to reproduce the seismic response of high-rise concrete shear wall buildings. The seismic performance of the tested precast high-rise building satisfies the requirements of the Chinese seismic design code.

In-Situ Quantification of Microbial Processes Controlling Methane Emissions From Rice Plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schroth, M. H.; Cho, R.; Zeyer, J. A.

2011-12-01

Methane is an important greenhouse gas contributing to global warming. Among other sources, rice (paddy) soils represent a major nonpoint source of biogenic methane. In flooded paddy soils methane is produced under anaerobic conditions. Conversely, methanotrophic microorganisms oxidize methane to carbon dioxide in the root zone of rice plants, thus reducing overall methane emissions to the atmosphere. We present a novel combination of methods to quantify methanogenesis and methane oxidation in paddy soils and to link methane turnover to net emissions of rice plants. To quantify methane turnover in the presence of high methane background concentrations, small-scale push-pull tests (PPTs) were conducted in paddy soils using stable isotope-labeled substrates. Deuterated acetate and 13-C bicarbonate were employed to discern and quantify acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis, while 13-C methane was employed to quantify methane oxidation. During 2.5 hr-long PPTs, 140 mL of a test solution containing labeled substrates and nonreactive tracers (Ar, Br-) was injected into paddy soils of potted rice plants. After a short rest period, 480 mL of test solution/pore water mixture was extracted from the same location. Methane turnover was then computed from extraction-phase breakthrough curves of substrates and/or products, and nonreactive tracers. To link methane turnover to net emissions, methane emissions from paddy soils and rice plants were individually determined immediately preceding PPTs using static flux chambers. We will present results of a series of experiments conducted in four different potted rice plants. Preliminary results indicate substantial variability in methane turnover and net emission between different rice plants. The employed combination of methods appears to provide a robust means to quantitatively link methane turnover in paddy soils to net emissions from rice plants.

A statistical investigation of z test and ROC curve on seismo-ionospheric anomalies in TEC associated earthquakes in Taiwan during 1999-2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shih, A. L.; Liu, J. Y. G.

2015-12-01

A median-based method and a z test are employed to find characteristics of seismo-ionospheric precursor (SIP) of the total electron content (TEC) in global ionosphere map (GIM) associated with 129 M≥5.5 earthquakes in Taiwan during 1999-2014. Results show that both negative and positive anomalies in the GIM TEC with the statistical significance of the z test appear few days before the earthquakes. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve is further applied to see whether the SIPs exist in Taiwan.

49 CFR 219.505 - Refusals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... TRANSPORTATION CONTROL OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE Pre-Employment Tests § 219.505 Refusals. An applicant who has refused to submit to pre-employment testing under this section may not be employed in covered service...

49 CFR 219.505 - Refusals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... TRANSPORTATION CONTROL OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE Pre-Employment Tests § 219.505 Refusals. An applicant who has refused to submit to pre-employment testing under this section may not be employed in covered service...

49 CFR 219.505 - Refusals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... TRANSPORTATION CONTROL OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE Pre-Employment Tests § 219.505 Refusals. An applicant who has refused to submit to pre-employment testing under this section may not be employed in covered service...

49 CFR 219.505 - Refusals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... TRANSPORTATION CONTROL OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE Pre-Employment Tests § 219.505 Refusals. An applicant who has refused to submit to pre-employment testing under this section may not be employed in covered service...

49 CFR 219.505 - Refusals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... TRANSPORTATION CONTROL OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE Pre-Employment Tests § 219.505 Refusals. An applicant who has refused to submit to pre-employment testing under this section may not be employed in covered service...

Correlation of two bioadhesion assays: the everted sac technique and the CAHN microbalance.

PubMed

Santos, C A; Jacob, J S; Hertzog, B A; Freedman, B D; Press, D L; Harnpicharnchai, P; Mathiowitz, E

1999-08-27

This contribution correlates two in vitro methods utilized to determine bioadhesion. One method, the everted intestinal sac technique, is a passive test for bioadhesion involving several polymer microspheres and a section of everted intestinal tissue. The other method, the CAHN microbalance, employs a CAHN dynamic contact angle analyzer with modified software to record the tensile forces measured as a single polymer microsphere is pulled from intestinal tissue. This study demonstrates that CAHN and everted sac experiments yield similar results when used to quantify the bioadhesive nature of polymer microsphere systems. A polymer showing high adhesion in one method also demonstrates high bioadhesion in the other method; polymers that exhibit high fracture strength and tensile work measurements with the CAHN microbalance also yield high binding percentages with the everted sac method. The polymers tested and reported here are poly(caprolactone) and different copolymer ratios of poly(fumaric-co-sebacic anhydride). The results of this correlation demonstrate that each method alone is a valuable indicator of bioadhesion.

A Classroom Demonstration of Garlic Extract and Conventional Antibiotics' Antimicrobial Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ekunsanmi, Toye J.

2005-01-01

The Kirby-Bauer method is regularly used to test bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics, and is often employed in the classroom for teaching this concept. In this exercise, additional materials and instructions were given to students for the preparation of garlic extract and loading on blank BBL paper discs. They were further instructed to test…

Study on the University Students' Self-Expressive Tendency in Mongolia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jagdag, Davaa; Dembereldorj, Zoljargal

2017-01-01

The study aimed to explore Mongolian students' tendency of self-expression and a conduct of self-study at one university of Mongolia. It employed quantitative research method to explore the relationship between self-expression and self-study and examined them in terms of age, gender, years of study and field of study. The chi-squared test found…

75 FR 54357 - BOEMRE Information Collection Activity: 1010-0114, Subpart A-General, Revision of a Collection...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-07

... to assure that uniform methods are employed by lessees for load testing of cranes. Review welding plans, procedures, and records to ensure that welding is conducted in a safe and workmanlike manner by... hearing due to cancellation of lease. Performance Standards 109(a); 110 Submit welding, burning, 2 54...

The Role of Relevance in Future Teachers' Utility Value and Interest toward Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kale, Ugur; Akcaoglu, Mete

2018-01-01

Seeing the relevance of tasks for future use is important for developing value and interest in them. We employed a pre- and post-test quasi-experimental design using a mixed-methods approach to examine if reflecting on the relevance of technology to future teaching practices influences elementary and secondary preservice teachers' utility value…

Continuing Education for Electrical Power Technicians. Final Report, June 1976-December 1978.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tinnell, Richard W., Ed.

The objective of this project was to develop and test a method of offering technical education to individuals employed in the electrical power industry. Representatives from industry were invited to an advisory council meeting where attention was focused on the needs of the industry. This information was used to define an extensive curriculum, and…

Learning Auditory Discrimination with Computer-Assisted Instruction: A Comparison of Two Different Performance Objectives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinhaus, Kurt A.

A 12-week study of two groups of 14 college freshmen music majors was conducted to determine which group demonstrated greater achievement in learning auditory discrimination using computer-assisted instruction (CAI). The method employed was a pre-/post-test experimental design using subjects randomly assigned to a control group or an experimental…

Rate My Stake: Interpretation of Ordinal Stake Ratings

Treesearch

Patricia Lebow; Grant Kirker

2014-01-01

Ordinal rating systems are commonly employed to evaluate biodeterioration of wood exposed outdoors over long periods of time. The purpose of these ratings is to compare the durability of test systems to nondurable wood products or known durable wood products. There are many reasons why these systems have evolved as the chosen method of evaluation, including having an...

The Association of Social Work Boards' Licensure Examinations: A Review of Reliability and Validity Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marson, Stephen M.; DeAngelis, Donna; Mittal, Nisha

2010-01-01

Objectives: The purpose of this article is to create transparency for the psychometric methods employed for the development of the Association of Social Work Boards' (ASWB) exams. Results: The article includes an assessment of the macro (political) and micro (statistical) environments of testing social work competence. The seven-step process used…

A Longitudinal Study of Preservice Elementary Teachers' Personal and Science Teaching Efficacy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ginns, Ian S.; Watters, James J.

This paper reports the results of a longitudinal study into the personal and science teaching efficacy of a group of preservice elementary teachers. Quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed in the study. Using a pretest and a post-test one group research design, quantitative data were obtained from the administration of a…

Parental Socio-Economic Status as Correlate of Child Labour in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elegbeleye, O. S.; Olasupo, M. O.

2012-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between parental socio-economic status and child labour practices in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The study employed survey method to gather data from 200 parents which constituted the study population. Pearson Product Moment Correlation and t-test statistics were used for the data analyses. The outcome of the study…

Output testing of small-arms primers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bement, Laurence J.; Doris, Thomas A.; Schimmel, Morry L.

1991-01-01

The performance of two standard primers for initiating small-caliber ammunition are compared to that of a primer for initiating aircraft escape-system components. Three testing methods are employed including: (1) firing the primer to measure total energy delivered; (2) monitoring output in terms of gaseous product-mass flow rate and pressure as a function of time; and (3) firing the primer onto ignition material to study gas pressure produced during ignition and burning as a function of time. The results of the test demonstrate differences in the ignitability factors of the standard primers and time peak pressures of less than 100 microseconds. One unexpected result is that two percussion primers (the FA-41 and the M42C1) developed for different applications have the same ignitability. The ignitability test method is shown to yield the most useful data and can be used to specify percussion primers and optimize their performance.

A VaR Algorithm for Warrants Portfolio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Jun; Ni, Liyun; Wang, Xiangrong; Chen, Weizhong

Based on Gamma Vega-Cornish Fish methodology, this paper propose the algorithm for calculating VaR via adjusting the quantile under the given confidence level using the four moments (e.g. mean, variance, skewness and kurtosis) of the warrants portfolio return and estimating the variance of portfolio by EWMA methodology. Meanwhile, the proposed algorithm considers the attenuation of the effect of history return on portfolio return of future days. Empirical study shows that, comparing with Gamma-Cornish Fish method and standard normal method, the VaR calculated by Gamma Vega-Cornish Fish can improve the effectiveness of forecasting the portfolio risk by virture of considering the Gamma risk and the Vega risk of the warrants. The significance test is conducted on the calculation results by employing two-tailed test developed by Kupiec. Test results show that the calculated VaRs of the warrants portfolio all pass the significance test under the significance level of 5%.

Microwave and Millimeter Wave Imaging Using Synthetic Aperture Focusing and Holographical Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Case, Joseph Tobias

2005-01-01

Microwave and millimeter wave nondestructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) methods have shown great potential for determining material composition in composite structures, determining material thickness or debond thickness between two layers, and determining the location and size of flaws, defects, and anomalies. The same testing methods have also shown great potential to produce relatively high-resolution images of voids inside Spray On Foam Insulation (SOFI) test panels using real focused methods employing lens antennas. An alternative to real focusing methods are synthetic focusing methods. The essence of synthetic focusing is to match the phase of the scattered signal to measured points spaced regularly on a plane. Many variations of synthetic focusing methods have already been developed for radars, ultrasonic testing applications, and microwave concealed weapon detection. Two synthetic focusing methods were investigated; namely, a) frequency-domain synthetic aperture focusing technique (FDSAFT), and b) wide-band microwave holography. These methods were applied towards materials whose defects were of low dielectric contrast like air void in SOFI. It is important to note that this investigation used relatively low frequencies from 8.2 GHz to 26.5 GHz that are not conducive for direct imaging of the SOFI. The ultimate goal of this work has been to demonstrate the capability of these methods before they are applied to much higher frequencies such as the millimeter wave frequency spectrum (e.g., 30-300 GHz).

Antimicrobial drug residues in milk and meat: causes, concerns, prevalence, regulations, tests, and test performance.

PubMed

Mitchell, J M; Griffiths, M W; McEwen, S A; McNab, W B; Yee, A J

1998-06-01

This paper presents a historical review of antimicrobial use in food animals, the causes of residues in meat and milk, the types of residues found, their regulation in Canada, tests used for their detection, and test performance parameters, with an emphasis on immunoassay techniques. The development of residue detection methods began shortly after the introduction of antimicrobials to food animal production in the late 1940s. From initial technical concerns expressed by the dairy industry to the present public health and international trade implications, there has been an ongoing need for reliable, sensitive, and economical methods for the detection of antimicrobial residues in food animal products such as milk and meat. Initially there were microbial growth inhibition tests, followed by more sensitive and specific methods based on receptor binding, immunochemical, and chromatographic principle. An understanding of basic test performance parameters and their implications is essential when choosing an analytical strategy for residue testing. While each test format has its own attributes, none test will meet all the required analytical needs. Therefore the use of a tiered or integrated system employing assays designated for screening and confirmation is necessary to ensure that foods containing violative residues are not introduced into the food chain.

A study of education and KSAOs on career entry for product engineers: What employers really want

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thornburgh, James

The purpose of the study was to investigate the ways that employers of product engineers evaluate potential employees' job readiness, and which theories related to the education-work transaction are supported by practice. This study used a mixed methods approach and consisted of a state-wide survey (N=106) and local interviews (N=8). The results of the research indicate that attributes of both the Theory of Individual Differences and Credentialing Theory are present in the hiring practices of product engineers. Consistent with the Theory of Individual Differences, employers indicate they look for evidence of various job-related Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other attributes (KSAOs) and they indicate they are willing to hire applicants who have less than a bachelor's degree. Consistent with Credentialing Theory, employers advertise a formal education minimum which represents only one way that individuals may learn to be an engineer. This study also confirmed prior research that most employers use primarily non-evidence based predictors to evaluate applicants. The primary initial screening predictors were experience, GPA, and major, while the primary finalist selection predictors were unstructured interviews, and applications, followed by structured interviews, job knowledge tests, and work sample test. Contrary to previous findings, this study did not find any major differences between what HR professionals, engineering managers, or other manager look for in terms of qualifications or what predictors they use when evaluating applicants for product engineer positions.

Benefits and costs of HIV testing.

PubMed

Bloom, D E; Glied, S

1991-06-28

The benefits and costs of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing in employment settings are examined from two points of view: that of private employers whose profitability may be affected by their testing policies and that of public policy-makers who may affect social welfare through their design of regulations related to HIV testing. The results reveal that HIV testing is clearly not cost-beneficial for most firms, although the benefits of HIV testing may outweigh the costs for some large firms that offer generous fringe-benefit packages and that recruit workers from populations in which the prevalence of HIV infection is high. The analysis also indicates that the testing decisions of unregulated employers are not likely to yield socially optimal economic outcomes and that existing state and federal legislation related to HIV testing in employment settings has been motivated primarily by concerns over social equity.

Gene features selection for three-class disease classification via multiple orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis and S-plot using microarray data.

PubMed

Yang, Mingxing; Li, Xiumin; Li, Zhibin; Ou, Zhimin; Liu, Ming; Liu, Suhuan; Li, Xuejun; Yang, Shuyu

2013-01-01

DNA microarray analysis is characterized by obtaining a large number of gene variables from a small number of observations. Cluster analysis is widely used to analyze DNA microarray data to make classification and diagnosis of disease. Because there are so many irrelevant and insignificant genes in a dataset, a feature selection approach must be employed in data analysis. The performance of cluster analysis of this high-throughput data depends on whether the feature selection approach chooses the most relevant genes associated with disease classes. Here we proposed a new method using multiple Orthogonal Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis (mOPLS-DA) models and S-plots to select the most relevant genes to conduct three-class disease classification and prediction. We tested our method using Golub's leukemia microarray data. For three classes with subtypes, we proposed hierarchical orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) models and S-plots to select features for two main classes and their subtypes. For three classes in parallel, we employed three OPLS-DA models and S-plots to choose marker genes for each class. The power of feature selection to classify and predict three-class disease was evaluated using cluster analysis. Further, the general performance of our method was tested using four public datasets and compared with those of four other feature selection methods. The results revealed that our method effectively selected the most relevant features for disease classification and prediction, and its performance was better than that of the other methods.

Changes in Ultrasonic Velocity from Fluid Substitution, Calculated with Laboratory Methods, Digital Rock Physics, and Biot Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldfarb, E. J.; Ikeda, K.; Tisato, N.

2017-12-01

Seismic and ultrasonic velocities of rocks are function of several variables including fluid saturation and type. Understanding the effect of each variable on elastic waves can be valuable when using seismic methods for subsurface modeling. Fluid type and saturation are of specific interest to volcanology, water, and hydrocarbon exploration. Laboratory testing is often employed to understand the effects of fluids on elastic waves. However, laboratory testing is expensive and time consuming. It normally requires cutting rare samples into regular shapes. Fluid injection can also destroy specimens as removing the fluid after testing can prove difficult. Another option is theoretical modeling, which can be used to predict the effect of fluids on elastic properties, but it is often inaccurate. Alternatively, digital rock physics (DRP) can be used to investigate the effect of fluid substitution. DRP has the benefit of being non invasive, as it does not require regular sample shapes or fluid injection. Here, we compare the three methods for dry and saturated Berea sandstone to test the reliability of DRP. First, ultrasonic velocities were obtained from laboratory testing. Second, for comparison, we used a purely theoretical approach - i.e., Hashin-Shtrikman and Biot theory - to estimate the wave speeds at dry and wet conditions. Third, we used DRP. The dry sample was scanned with micro Computed Tomography (µCT), and a three dimensional (3D) array was recorded. We employed a segmentation-less method to convert each 3D array value to density, porosity, elastic moduli, and wave speeds. Wave propagation was simulated numerically at similar frequency as the laboratory. To simulate fluid substitution, we numerically substituted air values for water and repeated the simulation. The results from DRP yielded similar velocities to the laboratory, and accurately predicted the velocity change from fluid substitution. Theoretical modeling could not accurately predict velocity, and under-predicted the velocity change from fluid substitution. The mathematical approach proved to be a poor comparison for the laboratory measurement. DRP proved to be effective, and could be used in future with drill cuttings, perhaps to limit the use of expensive cores. DRP could also limit the requirement for physically testing fluid substitution.

A discussion of current issues and concepts in the practice of skull-photo/craniofacial superimposition.

PubMed

Gordon, G M; Steyn, M

2016-05-01

A recent review paper on cranio-facial superimposition (CFS) stated that "there have been specific conceptual variances" from the original methods used in the practice of skull-photo superimposition, leading to poor results as far as accuracy is concerned. It was argued that the deviations in the practice of the technique have resulted in the reduced accuracies (for both failure to include and failure to exclude) that are noted in several recent studies. This paper aims to present the results from recent research to highlight the advancement of skull-photo/cranio-facial superimposition, and to discuss some of the issues raised regarding deviations from original techniques. The evolving methodology of CFS is clarified in context with the advancement of technology, forensic science and specifically within the field of forensic anthropology. Developments in the skull-photo/cranio-facial superimposition techniques have largely focused on testing reliability and accuracy objectively. Techniques now being employed by forensic anthropologists must conform to rigorous scientific testing and methodologies. Skull-photo/cranio-facial superimposition is constantly undergoing accuracy and repeatability testing which is in line with the principles of the scientific method and additionally allows for advancement in the field. Much of the research has indicated that CFS is useful in exclusion which is consistent with the concept of Popperian falsifiability - a hypothesis and experimental design which is falsifiable. As the hypothesis is disproved or falsified, another evolves to replace it and explain the new observations. Current and future studies employing different methods to test the accuracy and reliability of skull-photo/cranio-facial superimposition will enable researchers to establish the contribution the technique can have for identification purposes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic Performance of a Molecular Test versus Clinician Assessment of Vaginitis.

PubMed

Schwebke, Jane R; Gaydos, Charlotte A; Nyirjesy, Paul; Paradis, Sonia; Kodsi, Salma; Cooper, Charles K

2018-06-01

Vaginitis is a common complaint, diagnosed either empirically or using Amsel's criteria and wet mount microscopy. This study sought to determine characteristics of an investigational test (a molecular test for vaginitis), compared to reference, for detection of bacterial vaginosis, Candida spp., and Trichomonas vaginalis Vaginal specimens from a cross-sectional study were obtained from 1,740 women (≥18 years old), with vaginitis symptoms, during routine clinic visits (across 10 sites in the United States). Specimens were analyzed using a commercial PCR/fluorogenic probe-based investigational test that detects bacterial vaginosis, Candida spp., and Trichomonas vaginalis Clinician diagnosis and in-clinic testing (Amsel's test, potassium hydroxide preparation, and wet mount) were also employed to detect the three vaginitis causes. All testing methods were compared to the respective reference methods (Nugent Gram stain for bacterial vaginosis, detection of the Candida gene its2 , and Trichomonas vaginalis culture). The investigational test, clinician diagnosis, and in-clinic testing were compared to reference methods for bacterial vaginosis, Candida spp., and Trichomonas vaginalis The investigational test resulted in significantly higher sensitivity and negative predictive value than clinician diagnosis or in-clinic testing. In addition, the investigational test showed a statistically higher overall percent agreement with each of the three reference methods than did clinician diagnosis or in-clinic testing. The investigational test showed significantly higher sensitivity for detecting vaginitis, involving more than one cause, than did clinician diagnosis. Taken together, these results suggest that a molecular investigational test can facilitate accurate detection of vaginitis. Copyright © 2018 Schwebke et al.

Advanced Hybrid Modeling of Hall Thruster Plumes

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-16

Hall thruster operated in the Large Vacuum Test Facility at the University of Michigan. The approach utilizes the direct simulation Monte Carlo method and the Particle-in-Cell method to simulate the collision and plasma dynamics of xenon neutrals and ions. The electrons are modeled as a fluid using conservation equations. A second code is employed to model discharge chamber behavior to provide improved input conditions at the thruster exit for the plume simulation. Simulation accuracy is assessed using experimental data previously

Detection of an enzootic plague focus by serological methods

PubMed Central

Cavanaugh, D. C.; Thorpe, B. D.; Bushman, J. B.; Nicholes, P. S.; Rust, J. H.

1965-01-01

Complement-fixation and haemagglutination tests, utilizing a highly purified, specific Fraction 1 antigen of Pasteurella pestis, have been employed to detect specific plague antibody in the sera of rodents resident in a sylvatic plague focus. The data show that while the isolation of P. pestis is seasonal and rather rare, antibodies can be detected for long periods of time and with great frequency in rodents surviving infection. The authors recommend that serological methods be incorporated into epidemiological surveys and control programmes involving rodent plague. PMID:14310906

DETECTION OF AN ENZOOTIC PLAGUE FOCUS BY SEROLOGICAL METHODS.

PubMed

CAVANAUGH, D C; THORPE, B D; BUSHMAN, J B; NICHOLES, P S; RUST, J H

1965-01-01

Complement-fixation and haemagglutination tests, utilizing a highly purified, specific Fraction 1 antigen of Pasteurella pestis, have been employed to detect specific plague antibody in the sera of rodents resident in a sylvatic plague focus. The data show that while the isolation of P. pestis is seasonal and rather rare, antibodies can be detected for long periods of time and with great frequency in rodents surviving infection. The authors recommend that serological methods be incorporated into epidemiological surveys and control programmes involving rodent plague.

Preemployment physical evaluation.

PubMed

Jackson, A S

1994-01-01

There is a growing trend toward using preemployment tests to select employees for physically demanding jobs. Women are, in increasing numbers, entering physically demanding occupations that were traditionally dominated by men. Under current Federal employment law, it is illegal to disqualify an employee for a job because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, and with the recent passage of the American Disabilities Act (ADA), handicap. Because of gender differences in strength, body composition, and VO2max, preemployment tests for physically demanding jobs tend to screen out more females than males. Employers are using preemployment tests not only to enhance worker productivity, but also to minimize the threat of litigation for discriminatory hiring practices and to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries. The primary ergonomic methods used in industry to reduce the risk of back injuries are preemployment testing and job redesign. When a test results in adverse impact, the validity of the test must be established. Validity in this context means that the test represents or predicts the applicant's capacity to perform the job. Criterion-related, content, and construct validation studies are the means used to establish validity. The validity of preemployment hiring practices for physically demanding jobs has been decided in the courts. The most common reason for ruling an employment practice invalid is the failure to show that the test measured important job behaviors. Much of this litigation has involved height and weight requirements for public safety jobs. The courts have generally ruled that using height and weight standards as a criteria for employment is illegal because they were not job related. If fitness tests comprise part or all of the preemployment test, it is essential to demonstrate that the fitness component is related to job performance. Although there are many factors to consider when establishing a cut score, there is a growing trend toward establishing the cut score on the basis of the job's physical demands, defined by VO2max and strength. This literature is limited because most validation studies are not published. They more typically take the form of a technical report to the governmental agency or company that funded the project. There are published preemployment validation studies for outdoor telephone craft jobs involving pole-climbing tasks; firefighters; highway patrol officers; steel workers; underground coal miners; chemical plant workers; electrical transmission lineworkers; and various military jobs.

Diagnostic Accuracy Assessment of Sensititre and Agar Disk Diffusion for Determining Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Bovine Clinical Mastitis Pathogens▿

PubMed Central

Saini, V.; Riekerink, R. G. M. Olde; McClure, J. T.; Barkema, H. W.

2011-01-01

Determining the accuracy and precision of a measuring instrument is pertinent in antimicrobial susceptibility testing. This study was conducted to predict the diagnostic accuracy of the Sensititre MIC mastitis panel (Sensititre) and agar disk diffusion (ADD) method with reference to the manual broth microdilution test method for antimicrobial resistance profiling of Escherichia coli (n = 156), Staphylococcus aureus (n = 154), streptococcal (n = 116), and enterococcal (n = 31) bovine clinical mastitis isolates. The activities of ampicillin, ceftiofur, cephalothin, erythromycin, oxacillin, penicillin, the penicillin-novobiocin combination, pirlimycin, and tetracycline were tested against the isolates. Diagnostic accuracy was determined by estimating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve; intertest essential and categorical agreements were determined as well. Sensititre and the ADD method demonstrated moderate to highly accurate (71 to 99%) and moderate to perfect (71 to 100%) predictive accuracies for 74 and 76% of the isolate-antimicrobial MIC combinations, respectively. However, the diagnostic accuracy was low for S. aureus-ceftiofur/oxacillin combinations and other streptococcus-ampicillin combinations by either testing method. Essential agreement between Sensititre automatic MIC readings and MIC readings obtained by the broth microdilution test method was 87%. Essential agreement between Sensititre automatic and manual MIC reading methods was 97%. Furthermore, the ADD test method and Sensititre MIC method exhibited 92 and 91% categorical agreement (sensitive, intermediate, resistant) of results, respectively, compared with the reference method. However, both methods demonstrated lower agreement for E. coli-ampicillin/cephalothin combinations than for Gram-positive isolates. In conclusion, the Sensititre and ADD methods had moderate to high diagnostic accuracy and very good essential and categorical agreement for most udder pathogen-antimicrobial combinations and can be readily employed in veterinary diagnostic laboratories. PMID:21270215

Testing a single regression coefficient in high dimensional linear models

PubMed Central

Zhong, Ping-Shou; Li, Runze; Wang, Hansheng; Tsai, Chih-Ling

2017-01-01

In linear regression models with high dimensional data, the classical z-test (or t-test) for testing the significance of each single regression coefficient is no longer applicable. This is mainly because the number of covariates exceeds the sample size. In this paper, we propose a simple and novel alternative by introducing the Correlated Predictors Screening (CPS) method to control for predictors that are highly correlated with the target covariate. Accordingly, the classical ordinary least squares approach can be employed to estimate the regression coefficient associated with the target covariate. In addition, we demonstrate that the resulting estimator is consistent and asymptotically normal even if the random errors are heteroscedastic. This enables us to apply the z-test to assess the significance of each covariate. Based on the p-value obtained from testing the significance of each covariate, we further conduct multiple hypothesis testing by controlling the false discovery rate at the nominal level. Then, we show that the multiple hypothesis testing achieves consistent model selection. Simulation studies and empirical examples are presented to illustrate the finite sample performance and the usefulness of the proposed method, respectively. PMID:28663668

Testing a single regression coefficient in high dimensional linear models.

PubMed

Lan, Wei; Zhong, Ping-Shou; Li, Runze; Wang, Hansheng; Tsai, Chih-Ling

2016-11-01

In linear regression models with high dimensional data, the classical z -test (or t -test) for testing the significance of each single regression coefficient is no longer applicable. This is mainly because the number of covariates exceeds the sample size. In this paper, we propose a simple and novel alternative by introducing the Correlated Predictors Screening (CPS) method to control for predictors that are highly correlated with the target covariate. Accordingly, the classical ordinary least squares approach can be employed to estimate the regression coefficient associated with the target covariate. In addition, we demonstrate that the resulting estimator is consistent and asymptotically normal even if the random errors are heteroscedastic. This enables us to apply the z -test to assess the significance of each covariate. Based on the p -value obtained from testing the significance of each covariate, we further conduct multiple hypothesis testing by controlling the false discovery rate at the nominal level. Then, we show that the multiple hypothesis testing achieves consistent model selection. Simulation studies and empirical examples are presented to illustrate the finite sample performance and the usefulness of the proposed method, respectively.

Use of bioassays for testing soils and/or sediments contaminated by mining activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pérez-Sirvent, C.; Martínez-Sánchez, M. J.; García-Lorenzo, M. L.; Molina, J.

2009-04-01

Ecotoxicity tests measure the bioavailability of the contaminants and the effects of the chemically not measured toxic compounds on the members of the soil community. Therefore, ecotoxicological testing may be a useful approach for assessing the toxicity as a complement to chemical analysis. They are solid phase tests based on terrestrial methods and tests performed on water extracts using aquatic test protocols. The extent and degree of heavy metal contamination around mines may vary depending on geochemical characteristics, the mineralization of tailings, physico-chemical conditions and the processes used to extract metals. Portman Bay was subject to mining from the time of the Roman Empire to 1991 when the activity ceased. Since 1957, the wastes from mining operations were discharged directly into the sea. These wastes mainly consisted of clay, quartz, siderite, magnetite, remains of sphalerite, pyrite and galena and residues of the chemical reagents used in floatation. In our study two methods of environmental toxicological tests were compared and applied to sediments of the Portman Bay (SE, Spain): the standardized toxicological test based on inhibition of luminescence employing Microtox

A digital image method of spot tests for determination of copper in sugar cane spirits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pessoa, Kenia Dias; Suarez, Willian Toito; dos Reis, Marina Ferreira; de Oliveira Krambeck Franco, Mathews; Moreira, Renata Pereira Lopes; dos Santos, Vagner Bezerra

2017-10-01

In this work the development and validation of analytical methodology for determination of copper in sugarcane spirit samples is carried out. The digital image based (DIB) method was applied along with spot test from the colorimetric reaction employing the RGB color model. For the determination of copper concentration, it was used the cuprizone - a bidentate organic reagent - which forms with copper a blue chelate in an alkaline medium. A linear calibration curve over the concentration range from 0.75 to 5.00 mg L- 1 (r2 = 0.9988) was obtained and limits of detection and quantification of 0.078 mg L- 1 and 0.26 mg L- 1 were acquired, respectively. For the accuracy studies, recovery percentages ranged from 98 to 104% were obtained. The comparison of cooper concentration results in sugar cane spirits using the DIB method and Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry as reference method showed no significant differences between both methods, which were performed using the paired t-test in 95% of confidence level. Thus, the spot test method associated with DIB allows the use of devices as digital cameras and smartphones to evaluate colorimetric reaction with low waste generation, practicality, quickness, accuracy, precision, high portability and low-cost.

Prediction of Frequency for Simulation of Asphalt Mix Fatigue Tests Using MARS and ANN

PubMed Central

Fakhri, Mansour

2014-01-01

Fatigue life of asphalt mixes in laboratory tests is commonly determined by applying a sinusoidal or haversine waveform with specific frequency. The pavement structure and loading conditions affect the shape and the frequency of tensile response pulses at the bottom of asphalt layer. This paper introduces two methods for predicting the loading frequency in laboratory asphalt fatigue tests for better simulation of field conditions. Five thousand (5000) four-layered pavement sections were analyzed and stress and strain response pulses in both longitudinal and transverse directions was determined. After fitting the haversine function to the response pulses by the concept of equal-energy pulse, the effective length of the response pulses were determined. Two methods including Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) methods were then employed to predict the effective length (i.e., frequency) of tensile stress and strain pulses in longitudinal and transverse directions based on haversine waveform. It is indicated that, under controlled stress and strain modes, both methods (MARS and ANN) are capable of predicting the frequency of loading in HMA fatigue tests with very good accuracy. The accuracy of ANN method is, however, more than MARS method. It is furthermore shown that the results of the present study can be generalized to sinusoidal waveform by a simple equation. PMID:24688400

Prediction of frequency for simulation of asphalt mix fatigue tests using MARS and ANN.

PubMed

Ghanizadeh, Ali Reza; Fakhri, Mansour

2014-01-01

Fatigue life of asphalt mixes in laboratory tests is commonly determined by applying a sinusoidal or haversine waveform with specific frequency. The pavement structure and loading conditions affect the shape and the frequency of tensile response pulses at the bottom of asphalt layer. This paper introduces two methods for predicting the loading frequency in laboratory asphalt fatigue tests for better simulation of field conditions. Five thousand (5000) four-layered pavement sections were analyzed and stress and strain response pulses in both longitudinal and transverse directions was determined. After fitting the haversine function to the response pulses by the concept of equal-energy pulse, the effective length of the response pulses were determined. Two methods including Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) methods were then employed to predict the effective length (i.e., frequency) of tensile stress and strain pulses in longitudinal and transverse directions based on haversine waveform. It is indicated that, under controlled stress and strain modes, both methods (MARS and ANN) are capable of predicting the frequency of loading in HMA fatigue tests with very good accuracy. The accuracy of ANN method is, however, more than MARS method. It is furthermore shown that the results of the present study can be generalized to sinusoidal waveform by a simple equation.

Delivering safe and effective test-result communication, management and follow-up: a mixed-methods study protocol.

PubMed

Dahm, Maria R; Georgiou, Andrew; Westbrook, Johanna I; Greenfield, David; Horvath, Andrea R; Wakefield, Denis; Li, Ling; Hillman, Ken; Bolton, Patrick; Brown, Anthony; Jones, Graham; Herkes, Robert; Lindeman, Robert; Legg, Michael; Makeham, Meredith; Moses, Daniel; Badmus, Dauda; Campbell, Craig; Hardie, Rae-Anne; Li, Julie; McCaughey, Euan; Sezgin, Gorkem; Thomas, Judith; Wabe, Nasir

2018-02-15

The failure to follow-up pathology and medical imaging test results poses patient-safety risks which threaten the effectiveness, quality and safety of patient care. The objective of this project is to: (1) improve the effectiveness and safety of test-result management through the establishment of clear governance processes of communication, responsibility and accountability; (2) harness health information technology (IT) to inform and monitor test-result management; (3) enhance the contribution of consumers to the establishment of safe and effective test-result management systems. This convergent mixed-methods project triangulates three multistage studies at seven adult hospitals and one paediatric hospital in Australia.Study 1 adopts qualitative research approaches including semistructured interviews, focus groups and ethnographic observations to gain a better understanding of test-result communication and management practices in hospitals, and to identify patient-safety risks which require quality-improvement interventions.Study 2 analyses linked sets of routinely collected healthcare data to examine critical test-result thresholds and test-result notification processes. A controlled before-and-after study across three emergency departments will measure the impact of interventions (including the use of IT) developed to improve the safety and quality of test-result communication and management processes.Study 3 adopts a consumer-driven approach, including semistructured interviews, and the convening of consumer-reference groups and community forums. The qualitative data will identify mechanisms to enhance the role of consumers in test-management governance processes, and inform the direction of the research and the interpretation of findings. Ethical approval has been granted by the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District Human Research Ethics Committee and Macquarie University. Findings will be disseminated in academic, industry and consumer journals, newsletters and conferences. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

49 CFR 40.27 - May an employer require an employee to sign a consent or release in connection with the DOT drug...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... TESTING PROGRAMS Employer Responsibilities § 40.27 May an employer require an employee to sign a consent or release in connection with the DOT drug and alcohol testing program? No, as an employer, you must... 49 Transportation 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false May an employer require an employee to sign a...

Transient modeling/analysis of hyperbolic heat conduction problems employing mixed implicit-explicit alpha method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tamma, Kumar K.; D'Costa, Joseph F.

1991-01-01

This paper describes the evaluation of mixed implicit-explicit finite element formulations for hyperbolic heat conduction problems involving non-Fourier effects. In particular, mixed implicit-explicit formulations employing the alpha method proposed by Hughes et al. (1987, 1990) are described for the numerical simulation of hyperbolic heat conduction models, which involves time-dependent relaxation effects. Existing analytical approaches for modeling/analysis of such models involve complex mathematical formulations for obtaining closed-form solutions, while in certain numerical formulations the difficulties include severe oscillatory solution behavior (which often disguises the true response) in the vicinity of the thermal disturbances, which propagate with finite velocities. In view of these factors, the alpha method is evaluated to assess the control of the amount of numerical dissipation for predicting the transient propagating thermal disturbances. Numerical test models are presented, and pertinent conclusions are drawn for the mixed-time integration simulation of hyperbolic heat conduction models involving non-Fourier effects.

Entropy-based artificial viscosity stabilization for non-equilibrium Grey Radiation-Hydrodynamics

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

Delchini, Marc O., E-mail: delchinm@email.tamu.edu; Ragusa, Jean C., E-mail: jean.ragusa@tamu.edu; Morel, Jim, E-mail: jim.morel@tamu.edu

2015-09-01

The entropy viscosity method is extended to the non-equilibrium Grey Radiation-Hydrodynamic equations. The method employs a viscous regularization to stabilize the numerical solution. The artificial viscosity coefficient is modulated by the entropy production and peaks at shock locations. The added dissipative terms are consistent with the entropy minimum principle. A new functional form of the entropy residual, suitable for the Radiation-Hydrodynamic equations, is derived. We demonstrate that the viscous regularization preserves the equilibrium diffusion limit. The equations are discretized with a standard Continuous Galerkin Finite Element Method and a fully implicit temporal integrator within the MOOSE multiphysics framework. The methodmore » of manufactured solutions is employed to demonstrate second-order accuracy in both the equilibrium diffusion and streaming limits. Several typical 1-D radiation-hydrodynamic test cases with shocks (from Mach 1.05 to Mach 50) are presented to establish the ability of the technique to capture and resolve shocks.« less

Generation and coherent detection of QPSK signal using a novel method of digital signal processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yuan; Hu, Bingliang; He, Zhen-An; Xie, Wenjia; Gao, Xiaohui

2018-02-01

We demonstrate an optical quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) signal transmitter and an optical receiver for demodulating optical QPSK signal with homodyne detection and digital signal processing (DSP). DSP on the homodyne detection scheme is employed without locking the phase of the local oscillator (LO). In this paper, we present an extracting one-dimensional array of down-sampling method for reducing unwanted samples of constellation diagram measurement. Such a novel scheme embodies the following major advantages over the other conventional optical QPSK signal detection methods. First, this homodyne detection scheme does not need strict requirement on LO in comparison with linear optical sampling, such as having a flat spectral density and phase over the spectral support of the source under test. Second, the LabVIEW software is directly used for recovering the QPSK signal constellation without employing complex DSP circuit. Third, this scheme is applicable to multilevel modulation formats such as M-ary PSK and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) or higher speed signals by making minor changes.

29 CFR 780.721 - Employment in the particular workweek as test of exemption.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT Employment by Small Country Elevators Within Area of Production; Exemption... Employment in the particular workweek as test of exemption. The period for determining whether the “area of...

Theoretical and numerical investigations towards a new geoid model for the Mediterranean Sea - The GEOMED2 project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barzaghi, Riccardo; Vergos, Georgios S.; Albertella, Alberta; Carrion, Daniela; Cazzaniga, Noemi; Tziavos, Ilias N.; Grigoriadis, Vassilios N.; Natsiopoulos, Dimitrios A.; Bruinsma, Sean; Bonvalot, Sylvain; Lequentrec-Lalancette, Marie-Françoise; Bonnefond, Pascal; Knudsen, Per; Andersen, Ole; Simav, Mehmet; Yildiz, Hasan; Basic, Tomislav; Gil, Antonio J.

2016-04-01

The unique features of the Mediterranean Sea, with its large gravity variations, complex circulation, and geodynamic peculiarities have always constituted this semi-enclosed sea area as a unique geodetic, geodynamics and ocean laboratory. The main scope of the GEOMED 2 project is the collection of all available gravity, topography/bathymetry and satellite altimetry data in order to improve the representation of the marine geoid and estimate the Mean Dynamic sea surface Topography (MDT) and the circulation with higher accuracy and resolution. Within GEOMED2, the data employed are land and marine gravity data, GOCE/GRACE based Global Geopotential Models and a combination after proper validation of MISTRAL, HOMONIM and SRTM/bathymetry terrain models. In this work we present the results achieved for an inner test region spanning the Adriatic Sea area, bounded between 36o < φ < 48o and 10o < λ < 22o. Within this test region, the available terrain/bathymetry models have been evaluated in terms of their contribution to geoid modeling, the processing methodologies have been tested in terms of the provided geoid accuracy and finally some preliminary results on the MDT determination have been compiled. The aforementioned will server as the guide for the Mediterranean-wide marine geoid estimation. The processing methodology was based on the well-known remove-compute-restore method following both stochastic and spectral methods. Classic least-squares collocation (LSC) with errors has been employed, along with fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based techniques, the Least-Squares Modification of Stokes' Formula (KTH) method and windowed LSC. All methods have been evaluated against in-situ collocated GPS/Levelling geoid heights, using EGM2008 as a reference, in order to conclude on the one(s) to be used for the basin-wide geoid evaluation.

Experiments and Dynamic Finite Element Analysis of a Wire-Rope Rockfall Protective Fence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tran, Phuc Van; Maegawa, Koji; Fukada, Saiji

2013-09-01

The imperative need to protect structures in mountainous areas against rockfall has led to the development of various protection methods. This study introduces a new type of rockfall protection fence made of posts, wire ropes, wire netting and energy absorbers. The performance of this rock fence was verified in both experiments and dynamic finite element analysis. In collision tests, a reinforced-concrete block rolled down a natural slope and struck the rock fence at the end of the slope. A specialized system of measuring instruments was employed to accurately measure the acceleration of the block without cable connection. In particular, the performance of two energy absorbers, which contribute also to preventing wire ropes from breaking, was investigated to determine the best energy absorber. In numerical simulation, a commercial finite element code having explicit dynamic capabilities was employed to create models of the two full-scale tests. To facilitate simulation, certain simplifying assumptions for mechanical data of each individual component of the rock fence and geometrical data of the model were adopted. Good agreement between numerical simulation and experimental data validated the numerical simulation. Furthermore, the results of numerical simulation helped highlight limitations of the testing method. The results of numerical simulation thus provide a deeper understanding of the structural behavior of individual components of the rock fence during rockfall impact. More importantly, numerical simulations can be used not only as supplements to or substitutes for full-scale tests but also in parametric study and design.

Standardization of shape memory alloy test methods toward certification of aerospace applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartl, D. J.; Mabe, J. H.; Benafan, O.; Coda, A.; Conduit, B.; Padan, R.; Van Doren, B.

2015-08-01

The response of shape memory alloy (SMA) components employed as actuators has enabled a number of adaptable aero-structural solutions. However, there are currently no industry or government-accepted standardized test methods for SMA materials when used as actuators and their transition to commercialization and production has been hindered. This brief fast track communication introduces to the community a recently initiated collaborative and pre-competitive SMA specification and standardization effort that is expected to deliver the first ever regulatory agency-accepted material specification and test standards for SMA as employed as actuators for commercial and military aviation applications. In the first phase of this effort, described herein, the team is working to review past efforts and deliver a set of agreed-upon properties to be included in future material certification specifications as well as the associated experiments needed to obtain them in a consistent manner. Essential for the success of this project is the participation and input from a number of organizations and individuals, including engineers and designers working in materials and processing development, application design, SMA component fabrication, and testing at the material, component, and system level. Going forward, strong consensus among this diverse body of participants and the SMA research community at large is needed to advance standardization concepts for universal adoption by the greater aerospace community and especially regulatory bodies. It is expected that the development and release of public standards will be done in collaboration with an established standards development organization.

29 CFR 801.21 - Adverse employment action under security service and controlled substance exemptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... current employee or prospective employee based solely on the analysis of a polygraph test chart or the refusal to take a polygraph test. (b) Analysis of a polygraph test chart or refusal to take a polygraph..., job performance, etc. may be used as a basis for employment decisions. Employment decisions based on...

Effectiveness of a Constructivist Approach to Science Instruction for Prospective Elementary Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Ling L.; Gabel, Dorothy L.

2005-08-01

This study examines the effectiveness of a new constructivist curriculum model (Powerful Ideas in Physical Science) in improving prospective teachers’ understanding of science concepts, in fostering a learning environment supporting conceptual understanding, and in promoting positive attitudes toward learning and teaching science and chemistry in particular. A non-equivalent pretest post-test control-group design was employed. Analysis of covariance and repeated-measures analyses of variance were performed to analyze the scores on concept tests and attitude surveys. Data from videotaped observations of laboratory sessions and interviews of prospective teachers were analyzed by employing a naturalistic inquiry method to provide insights into the process of science learning and teaching for the teacher trainees. The interpretations were made based on the findings that could be corroborated by both methodologies. Conclusions and limitations of the present study as well as recommendations for future implementation of constructivist science curriculum in general are also included.

A sealed capsule system for biological and liquid shock-recovery experiments.

PubMed

Leighs, James A; Appleby-Thomas, Gareth J; Stennett, Chris; Hameed, Amer; Wilgeroth, James M; Hazell, Paul J

2012-11-01

This paper presents an experimental method designed to one-dimensionally shock load and subsequently recover liquid samples. Resultant loading profiles have been interrogated via hydrocode simulation as the nature of the target did not allow for direct application of the diagnostics typically employed in shock physics (e.g., manganin stress gauges or Heterodyne velocimeter (Het-V)). The target setup has been experimentally tested using aluminium flyer plates accelerated by a 50-mm bore single-stage gas-gun reaching projectile impact velocities of up to ~500 ms(-1) (corresponding to peak pressures of up to ca. 4 GPa being experienced by fluid samples). Recovered capsules survived well showing only minor signs of damage. Modelled gauge traces have been validated through the use of a (slightly modified) experiment in which a Het-V facing the rear of the inner capsule was employed. In these tests, good correlation between simulated and experimental traces was observed.

A sealed capsule system for biological and liquid shock-recovery experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leighs, James A.; Appleby-Thomas, Gareth J.; Stennett, Chris; Hameed, Amer; Wilgeroth, James M.; Hazell, Paul J.

2012-11-01

This paper presents an experimental method designed to one-dimensionally shock load and subsequently recover liquid samples. Resultant loading profiles have been interrogated via hydrocode simulation as the nature of the target did not allow for direct application of the diagnostics typically employed in shock physics (e.g., manganin stress gauges or Heterodyne velocimeter (Het-V)). The target setup has been experimentally tested using aluminium flyer plates accelerated by a 50-mm bore single-stage gas-gun reaching projectile impact velocities of up to ˜500 ms-1 (corresponding to peak pressures of up to ca. 4 GPa being experienced by fluid samples). Recovered capsules survived well showing only minor signs of damage. Modelled gauge traces have been validated through the use of a (slightly modified) experiment in which a Het-V facing the rear of the inner capsule was employed. In these tests, good correlation between simulated and experimental traces was observed.

Type of insurance and use of preventive health services among older adults in Mexico

PubMed Central

Rivera-Hernandez, Maricruz; Galarraga, Omar

2016-01-01

Objectives The main purpose of this paper was to assess the differences between Seguro Popular (SP) and employer-based health insurance in the use of preventive services, including screening tests for diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, cervical cancer and prostate cancer among older adults at more than a decade of health care reform in Mexico. Methods Logistic regression models were used with data from the Mexican Health and Nutrition Survey 2012. Results After adjusting for other factors influencing preventive service utilization, SP enrollees were more likely to use screening tests for diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension and cervical cancer than the uninsured; however, those in employment-based and private insurances had higher odds of using preventive care for most of these services, except Pap smears. Discussion Despite all the evidence that suggests that Seguro Popular has increased access to health insurance for the poor, inequalities in healthcare access still exist in Mexico. PMID:25804897

Fully Bayesian tests of neutrality using genealogical summary statistics.

PubMed

Drummond, Alexei J; Suchard, Marc A

2008-10-31

Many data summary statistics have been developed to detect departures from neutral expectations of evolutionary models. However questions about the neutrality of the evolution of genetic loci within natural populations remain difficult to assess. One critical cause of this difficulty is that most methods for testing neutrality make simplifying assumptions simultaneously about the mutational model and the population size model. Consequentially, rejecting the null hypothesis of neutrality under these methods could result from violations of either or both assumptions, making interpretation troublesome. Here we harness posterior predictive simulation to exploit summary statistics of both the data and model parameters to test the goodness-of-fit of standard models of evolution. We apply the method to test the selective neutrality of molecular evolution in non-recombining gene genealogies and we demonstrate the utility of our method on four real data sets, identifying significant departures of neutrality in human influenza A virus, even after controlling for variation in population size. Importantly, by employing a full model-based Bayesian analysis, our method separates the effects of demography from the effects of selection. The method also allows multiple summary statistics to be used in concert, thus potentially increasing sensitivity. Furthermore, our method remains useful in situations where analytical expectations and variances of summary statistics are not available. This aspect has great potential for the analysis of temporally spaced data, an expanding area previously ignored for limited availability of theory and methods.

A comparison of Q-factor estimation methods for marine seismic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwon, J.; Ha, J.; Shin, S.; Chung, W.; Lim, C.; Lee, D.

2016-12-01

The seismic imaging technique draws information from inside the earth using seismic reflection and transmission data. This technique is an important method in geophysical exploration. Also, it has been employed widely as a means of locating oil and gas reservoirs because it offers information on geological media. There is much recent and active research into seismic attenuation and how it determines the quality of seismic imaging. Seismic attenuation is determined by various geological characteristics, through the absorption or scattering that occurs when the seismic wave passes through a geological medium. The seismic attenuation can be defined using an attenuation coefficient and represented as a non-dimensional variable known as the Q-factor. Q-factor is a unique characteristic of a geological medium. It is a very important material property for oil and gas resource development. Q-factor can be used to infer other characteristics of a medium, such as porosity, permeability and viscosity, and can directly indicate the presence of hydrocarbons to identify oil and gas bearing areas from the seismic data. There are various ways to estimate Q-factor in three different domains. In the time domain, pulse amplitude decay, pulse rising time, and pulse broadening are representative. Logarithm spectral ratio (LSR), centroid frequency shift (CFS), and peak frequency shift (PFS) are used in the frequency domain. In the time-frequency domain, Wavelet's Envelope Peak Instantaneous Frequency (WEPIF) is most frequently employed. In this study, we estimated and analyzed the Q-factor through the numerical model test and used 4 methods: the LSR, CFS, PFS, and WEPIF. Before we applied these 4 methods to observed data, we experimented with the numerical model test. The numerical model test data is derived from Norsar-2D, which is the basis of the ray-tracing algorithm, and we used reflection and normal incidence surveys to calculate Q-factor according to the array of sources and receivers. After the numerical model test, we chose the most accurate of the 4 methods by comparing Q-factor through reflection and normal incidence surveys. We applied the method to the observed data and proved its accuracy.

Microwave-assisted digestion using nitric acid for heavy metals and sulfated ash testing in active pharmaceutical ingredients.

PubMed

Pluhácek, T; Hanzal, J; Hendrych, J; Milde, D

2016-04-01

The monitoring of inorganic impurities in active pharmaceutical ingredients plays a crucial role in the quality control of the pharmaceutical production. The heavy metals and residue on ignition/sulfated ash methods employing microwave-assisted digestion with concentrated nitric acid have been demonstrated as alternatives to inappropriate compendial methods recommended in United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) and European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.). The recoveries using the heavy metals method ranged between 89% and 122% for nearly all USP and Ph. Eur. restricted elements as well as the recoveries of sodium sulfate spikes were around 100% in all tested matrices. The proposed microwave-assisted digestion method allowed simultaneous decomposition of 15 different active pharmaceutical ingredients with sample weigh up to 1 g. The heavy metals and sulfated ash procedures were successfully applied to the determination of heavy metals and residue on ignition/sulfated ash content in mycophenolate mofetil, nicergoline and silymarin.

Automated detection of age-related macular degeneration in OCT images using multiple instance learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Weiwei; Liu, Xiaoming; Yang, Zhou

2017-07-01

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a kind of macular disease which mostly occurs in old people，and it may cause decreased vision or even lead to permanent blindness. Drusen is an important clinical indicator for AMD which can help doctor diagnose disease and decide the strategy of treatment. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is widely used in the diagnosis of ophthalmic diseases, include AMD. In this paper, we propose a classification method based on Multiple Instance Learning (MIL) to detect AMD. Drusen can exist in a few slices of OCT images, and MIL is utilized in our method. We divided the method into two phases: training phase and testing phase. We train the initial features and clustered to create a codebook, and employ the trained classifier in the test set. Experiment results show that our method achieved high accuracy and effectiveness.

Drugs in the Workplace: Legal Developments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scholick, Gary P.

1989-01-01

An update on legal aspects of drug testing in the workplace looks at pre-employment screening, reasonable suspicion testing, routine testing in periodic physical examinations, random testing, and unionized employers. Practical guidelines are given for minimizing obtrusiveness, confirmatory tests, laboratory selection, notification of policy,…

Adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system-based power estimation method for CMOS VLSI circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vellingiri, Govindaraj; Jayabalan, Ramesh

2018-03-01

Recent advancements in very large scale integration (VLSI) technologies have made it feasible to integrate millions of transistors on a single chip. This greatly increases the circuit complexity and hence there is a growing need for less-tedious and low-cost power estimation techniques. The proposed work employs Back-Propagation Neural Network (BPNN) and Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), which are capable of estimating the power precisely for the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) VLSI circuits, without requiring any knowledge on circuit structure and interconnections. The ANFIS to power estimation application is relatively new. Power estimation using ANFIS is carried out by creating initial FIS modes using hybrid optimisation and back-propagation (BP) techniques employing constant and linear methods. It is inferred that ANFIS with the hybrid optimisation technique employing the linear method produces better results in terms of testing error that varies from 0% to 0.86% when compared to BPNN as it takes the initial fuzzy model and tunes it by means of a hybrid technique combining gradient descent BP and mean least-squares optimisation algorithms. ANFIS is the best suited for power estimation application with a low RMSE of 0.0002075 and a high coefficient of determination (R) of 0.99961.

Rapid analysis of caffeine in various coffee samples employing direct analysis in real-time ionization-high-resolution mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Danhelova, Hana; Hradecky, Jaromir; Prinosilova, Sarka; Cajka, Tomas; Riddellova, Katerina; Vaclavik, Lukas; Hajslova, Jana

2012-07-01

The development and use of a fast method employing a direct analysis in real time (DART) ion source coupled to high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) for the quantitative analysis of caffeine in various coffee samples has been demonstrated in this study. A simple sample extraction procedure employing hot water was followed by direct, high-throughput (<1 min per run) examination of the extracts spread on a glass rod under optimized conditions of ambient mass spectrometry, without any prior chromatographic separation. For quantification of caffeine using DART-TOFMS, an external calibration was used. Isotopically labeled caffeine was used to compensate for the variations of the ion intensities of caffeine signal. Recoveries of the DART-TOFMS method were 97% for instant coffee at the spiking levels of 20 and 60 mg/g, respectively, while for roasted ground coffee, the obtained values were 106% and 107% at the spiking levels of 10 and 30 mg/g, respectively. The repeatability of the whole analytical procedure (expressed as relative standard deviation, RSD, %) was <5% for all tested spiking levels and matrices. Since the linearity range of the method was relatively narrow (two orders of magnitude), an optimization of sample dilution prior the DART-TOFMS measurement to avoid saturation of the detector was needed.

An evaluation of the performance and suitability of R × C methods for ecological inference with known true values.

PubMed

Plescia, Carolina; De Sio, Lorenzo

2018-01-01

Ecological inference refers to the study of individuals using aggregate data and it is used in an impressive number of studies; it is well known, however, that the study of individuals using group data suffers from an ecological fallacy problem (Robinson in Am Sociol Rev 15:351-357, 1950). This paper evaluates the accuracy of two recent methods, the Rosen et al. (Stat Neerl 55:134-156, 2001) and the Greiner and Quinn (J R Stat Soc Ser A (Statistics in Society) 172:67-81, 2009) and the long-standing Goodman's (Am Sociol Rev 18:663-664, 1953; Am J Sociol 64:610-625, 1959) method designed to estimate all cells of R × C tables simultaneously by employing exclusively aggregate data. To conduct these tests we leverage on extensive electoral data for which the true quantities of interest are known. In particular, we focus on examining the extent to which the confidence intervals provided by the three methods contain the true values. The paper also provides important guidelines regarding the appropriate contexts for employing these models.

Robust activation method for negative electron affinity photocathodes

DOEpatents

Mulhollan, Gregory A [Dripping Springs, TX; Bierman, John C [Austin, TX

2011-09-13

A method by which photocathodes(201), single crystal, amorphous, or otherwise ordered, can be surface modified to a robust state of lowered and in best cases negative, electron affinity has been discovered. Conventional methods employ the use of Cs(203) and an oxidizing agent(207), typically carried by diatomic oxygen or by more complex molecules, for example nitrogen trifluoride, to achieve a lowered electron affinity(404). In the improved activation method, a second alkali, other than Cs(205), is introduced onto the surface during the activation process, either by co-deposition, yo-yo, or sporadic or intermittent application. Best effect for GaAs photocathodes has been found through the use of Li(402) as the second alkali, though nearly the same effect can be found by employing Na(406). Suitable photocathodes are those which are grown, cut from boules, implanted, rolled, deposited or otherwise fabricated in a fashion and shape desired for test or manufacture independently supported or atop a support structure or within a framework or otherwise affixed or suspended in the place and position required for use.

Micromechanical Study of Metals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Velikov, P. A.; Stchapov, N. P.; Lorenz, W. F.

1945-01-01

The Institut Scientifique Experimental des Transports at Moscow established toward the end of 1925 had since its inception included in its program the study of the mechanism of plastic deformation and the problems associated with it with reference to the materials of the means of transport. Before the program thus determined upon could be carried out, it was necessary to adopt a method of research, or, more exactly, a system of such methods. Because of the modest equipment of the laboratory of the recently established institute, the choice of any particular method was determined not only by the advantages it offered but also by the resources available. As a result of a series of studies and investigations, a method was determined upon which in this paper will be denoted as the micromechanical method. The underlying basis of this method is already known. As will be seen from the description that follows, the micromechanical method is merely a combination of the micrographic study of plastic deformations with mechanical tests on small specimens. It is a well-known fact that a number of investigators have largely employed and still are employing these two procedures and have thereby obtained good results. The authors of the present paper have found it useful to combine the two methods, by making the two studies simultaneously on the sane specimen.

46 CFR 16.205 - Implementation of chemical testing programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Implementation of chemical testing programs. 16.205... CHEMICAL TESTING Required Chemical Testing § 16.205 Implementation of chemical testing programs. (a) When a...) Upon written request of an employer, Commandant (CG-545) will review the employer's chemical testing...

46 CFR 16.205 - Implementation of chemical testing programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Implementation of chemical testing programs. 16.205... CHEMICAL TESTING Required Chemical Testing § 16.205 Implementation of chemical testing programs. (a) When a...) Upon written request of an employer, Commandant (CG-545) will review the employer's chemical testing...

46 CFR 16.205 - Implementation of chemical testing programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Implementation of chemical testing programs. 16.205... CHEMICAL TESTING Required Chemical Testing § 16.205 Implementation of chemical testing programs. (a) When a...) Upon written request of an employer, Commandant (CG-INV) will review the employer's chemical testing...

46 CFR 16.205 - Implementation of chemical testing programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Implementation of chemical testing programs. 16.205... CHEMICAL TESTING Required Chemical Testing § 16.205 Implementation of chemical testing programs. (a) When a...) Upon written request of an employer, Commandant (CG-INV) will review the employer's chemical testing...

46 CFR 16.205 - Implementation of chemical testing programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Implementation of chemical testing programs. 16.205... CHEMICAL TESTING Required Chemical Testing § 16.205 Implementation of chemical testing programs. (a) When a...) Upon written request of an employer, Commandant (CG-INV) will review the employer's chemical testing...

Effects of child long-term illness on maternal employment: longitudinal findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Pearce, Anna; Whitehead, Margaret; Law, Catherine

2017-01-01

Background: Maternal employment has increased in European countries, but levels of employment are lower among mothers whose children have a limiting long-term illness or disability. However, we do not know whether having a child with a limiting illness prevents take-up or maintenance of paid employment or whether ‘common causes’, such as lack of qualifications or maternal disability lead to both maternal unemployment and childhood illness. Longitudinal data have the potential to distinguish between these. Methods: We analyzed four waves (3, 5, 7 and 11 years) of the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) to examine the relationship between childhood limiting illness and maternal employment, unadjusted and adjusted for covariates. Multinomial regression models were used to test the association between child illness and trajectories of maternal employment. Fixed effects models assessed whether a new report of a child illness increased the odds of a mother exiting employment. Results: At every wave, maternal employment was more likely if the child did not have a limiting illness. After adjustment for covariates, childhood illness was associated with risks of continuous non-employment (adjusted Relative Risk Ratio = 1.46 [Confidence Interval: 1.21, 1.76]) or disrupted employment (aRRR = 1.26 [CI: 1.06, 1.49]), compared with entering or maintaining employment. If a child developed a limiting long-term illness, the likelihood of their mother exiting employment increased (adjusted Odds Ratio = 1.27 [CI: 1.05, 1.54]). Conclusions: ‘Common causes’ did not fully account for the association between child illness and maternal employment. Having a child with a limiting illness potentially reduces maternal employment opportunities. PMID:28177497

Estimation of inhalation flow profile using audio-based methods to assess inhaler medication adherence.

PubMed

Taylor, Terence E; Lacalle Muls, Helena; Costello, Richard W; Reilly, Richard B

2018-01-01

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients are required to inhale forcefully and deeply to receive medication when using a dry powder inhaler (DPI). There is a clinical need to objectively monitor the inhalation flow profile of DPIs in order to remotely monitor patient inhalation technique. Audio-based methods have been previously employed to accurately estimate flow parameters such as the peak inspiratory flow rate of inhalations, however, these methods required multiple calibration inhalation audio recordings. In this study, an audio-based method is presented that accurately estimates inhalation flow profile using only one calibration inhalation audio recording. Twenty healthy participants were asked to perform 15 inhalations through a placebo Ellipta™ DPI at a range of inspiratory flow rates. Inhalation flow signals were recorded using a pneumotachograph spirometer while inhalation audio signals were recorded simultaneously using the Inhaler Compliance Assessment device attached to the inhaler. The acoustic (amplitude) envelope was estimated from each inhalation audio signal. Using only one recording, linear and power law regression models were employed to determine which model best described the relationship between the inhalation acoustic envelope and flow signal. Each model was then employed to estimate the flow signals of the remaining 14 inhalation audio recordings. This process repeated until each of the 15 recordings were employed to calibrate single models while testing on the remaining 14 recordings. It was observed that power law models generated the highest average flow estimation accuracy across all participants (90.89±0.9% for power law models and 76.63±2.38% for linear models). The method also generated sufficient accuracy in estimating inhalation parameters such as peak inspiratory flow rate and inspiratory capacity within the presence of noise. Estimating inhaler inhalation flow profiles using audio based methods may be clinically beneficial for inhaler technique training and the remote monitoring of patient adherence.

Estimation of inhalation flow profile using audio-based methods to assess inhaler medication adherence

PubMed Central

Lacalle Muls, Helena; Costello, Richard W.; Reilly, Richard B.

2018-01-01

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients are required to inhale forcefully and deeply to receive medication when using a dry powder inhaler (DPI). There is a clinical need to objectively monitor the inhalation flow profile of DPIs in order to remotely monitor patient inhalation technique. Audio-based methods have been previously employed to accurately estimate flow parameters such as the peak inspiratory flow rate of inhalations, however, these methods required multiple calibration inhalation audio recordings. In this study, an audio-based method is presented that accurately estimates inhalation flow profile using only one calibration inhalation audio recording. Twenty healthy participants were asked to perform 15 inhalations through a placebo Ellipta™ DPI at a range of inspiratory flow rates. Inhalation flow signals were recorded using a pneumotachograph spirometer while inhalation audio signals were recorded simultaneously using the Inhaler Compliance Assessment device attached to the inhaler. The acoustic (amplitude) envelope was estimated from each inhalation audio signal. Using only one recording, linear and power law regression models were employed to determine which model best described the relationship between the inhalation acoustic envelope and flow signal. Each model was then employed to estimate the flow signals of the remaining 14 inhalation audio recordings. This process repeated until each of the 15 recordings were employed to calibrate single models while testing on the remaining 14 recordings. It was observed that power law models generated the highest average flow estimation accuracy across all participants (90.89±0.9% for power law models and 76.63±2.38% for linear models). The method also generated sufficient accuracy in estimating inhalation parameters such as peak inspiratory flow rate and inspiratory capacity within the presence of noise. Estimating inhaler inhalation flow profiles using audio based methods may be clinically beneficial for inhaler technique training and the remote monitoring of patient adherence. PMID:29346430

Improved Linear Algebra Methods for Redshift Computation from Limited Spectrum Data - II

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foster, Leslie; Waagen, Alex; Aijaz, Nabella; Hurley, Michael; Luis, Apolo; Rinsky, Joel; Satyavolu, Chandrika; Gazis, Paul; Srivastava, Ashok; Way, Michael

2008-01-01

Given photometric broadband measurements of a galaxy, Gaussian processes may be used with a training set to solve the regression problem of approximating the redshift of this galaxy. However, in practice solving the traditional Gaussian processes equation is too slow and requires too much memory. We employed several methods to avoid this difficulty using algebraic manipulation and low-rank approximation, and were able to quickly approximate the redshifts in our testing data within 17 percent of the known true values using limited computational resources. The accuracy of one method, the V Formulation, is comparable to the accuracy of the best methods currently used for this problem.

A flux monitoring method for easy and accurate flow rate measurement in pressure-driven flows.

PubMed

Siria, Alessandro; Biance, Anne-Laure; Ybert, Christophe; Bocquet, Lydéric

2012-03-07

We propose a low-cost and versatile method to measure flow rate in microfluidic channels under pressure-driven flows, thereby providing a simple characterization of the hydrodynamic permeability of the system. The technique is inspired by the current monitoring method usually employed to characterize electro-osmotic flows, and makes use of the measurement of the time-dependent electric resistance inside the channel associated with a moving salt front. We have successfully tested the method in a micrometer-size channel, as well as in a complex microfluidic channel with a varying cross-section, demonstrating its ability in detecting internal shape variations.