Author: Committee on Remediation of Buried and Tank Wastes
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309522811
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 63
Book Description
The primary purpose of systems engineering is to organize information and knowledge to assist those who manage, direct, and control the planning, development, production, and operation of the systems necessary to accomplish a given mission. However, this purpose can be compromised or defeated if information production and organization becomes an end unto itself. Systems engineering was developed to help resolve the engineering problems that are encountered when attempting to develop and implement large and complex engineering projects. It depends upon integrated program planning and development, disciplined and consistent allocation and control of design and development requirements and functions, and systems analysis. The key thesis of this report is that proper application of systems analysis and systems engineering will improve the management of tank wastes at the Hanford Site significantly, thereby leading to reduced life cycle costs for remediation and more effective risk reduction. The committee recognizes that evidence for cost savings from application of systems engineering has not been demonstrated yet.
Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site
Author: Committee on Remediation of Buried and Tank Wastes
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309522811
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 63
Book Description
The primary purpose of systems engineering is to organize information and knowledge to assist those who manage, direct, and control the planning, development, production, and operation of the systems necessary to accomplish a given mission. However, this purpose can be compromised or defeated if information production and organization becomes an end unto itself. Systems engineering was developed to help resolve the engineering problems that are encountered when attempting to develop and implement large and complex engineering projects. It depends upon integrated program planning and development, disciplined and consistent allocation and control of design and development requirements and functions, and systems analysis. The key thesis of this report is that proper application of systems analysis and systems engineering will improve the management of tank wastes at the Hanford Site significantly, thereby leading to reduced life cycle costs for remediation and more effective risk reduction. The committee recognizes that evidence for cost savings from application of systems engineering has not been demonstrated yet.
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309522811
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 63
Book Description
The primary purpose of systems engineering is to organize information and knowledge to assist those who manage, direct, and control the planning, development, production, and operation of the systems necessary to accomplish a given mission. However, this purpose can be compromised or defeated if information production and organization becomes an end unto itself. Systems engineering was developed to help resolve the engineering problems that are encountered when attempting to develop and implement large and complex engineering projects. It depends upon integrated program planning and development, disciplined and consistent allocation and control of design and development requirements and functions, and systems analysis. The key thesis of this report is that proper application of systems analysis and systems engineering will improve the management of tank wastes at the Hanford Site significantly, thereby leading to reduced life cycle costs for remediation and more effective risk reduction. The committee recognizes that evidence for cost savings from application of systems engineering has not been demonstrated yet.
The Prevention and Treatment of Missing Data in Clinical Trials
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 030918651X
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 163
Book Description
Randomized clinical trials are the primary tool for evaluating new medical interventions. Randomization provides for a fair comparison between treatment and control groups, balancing out, on average, distributions of known and unknown factors among the participants. Unfortunately, these studies often lack a substantial percentage of data. This missing data reduces the benefit provided by the randomization and introduces potential biases in the comparison of the treatment groups. Missing data can arise for a variety of reasons, including the inability or unwillingness of participants to meet appointments for evaluation. And in some studies, some or all of data collection ceases when participants discontinue study treatment. Existing guidelines for the design and conduct of clinical trials, and the analysis of the resulting data, provide only limited advice on how to handle missing data. Thus, approaches to the analysis of data with an appreciable amount of missing values tend to be ad hoc and variable. The Prevention and Treatment of Missing Data in Clinical Trials concludes that a more principled approach to design and analysis in the presence of missing data is both needed and possible. Such an approach needs to focus on two critical elements: (1) careful design and conduct to limit the amount and impact of missing data and (2) analysis that makes full use of information on all randomized participants and is based on careful attention to the assumptions about the nature of the missing data underlying estimates of treatment effects. In addition to the highest priority recommendations, the book offers more detailed recommendations on the conduct of clinical trials and techniques for analysis of trial data.
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 030918651X
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 163
Book Description
Randomized clinical trials are the primary tool for evaluating new medical interventions. Randomization provides for a fair comparison between treatment and control groups, balancing out, on average, distributions of known and unknown factors among the participants. Unfortunately, these studies often lack a substantial percentage of data. This missing data reduces the benefit provided by the randomization and introduces potential biases in the comparison of the treatment groups. Missing data can arise for a variety of reasons, including the inability or unwillingness of participants to meet appointments for evaluation. And in some studies, some or all of data collection ceases when participants discontinue study treatment. Existing guidelines for the design and conduct of clinical trials, and the analysis of the resulting data, provide only limited advice on how to handle missing data. Thus, approaches to the analysis of data with an appreciable amount of missing values tend to be ad hoc and variable. The Prevention and Treatment of Missing Data in Clinical Trials concludes that a more principled approach to design and analysis in the presence of missing data is both needed and possible. Such an approach needs to focus on two critical elements: (1) careful design and conduct to limit the amount and impact of missing data and (2) analysis that makes full use of information on all randomized participants and is based on careful attention to the assumptions about the nature of the missing data underlying estimates of treatment effects. In addition to the highest priority recommendations, the book offers more detailed recommendations on the conduct of clinical trials and techniques for analysis of trial data.
Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309171180
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 188
Book Description
Regulatory standards are already on the books at the the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address health risks posed by inhaling tiny particles from smoke, vehicle exhaust, and other sources. At the same time, Congress and EPA have initiated a multimillion dollar research effort to better understand the sources of these airborne particles, the levels of exposure to people, and the ways that these particles cause damage. To provide independent guidance to the EPA, Congress asked the National Research Council to study the relevant issues. The result is a series of four reports on the particulate-matter research program. The first two books offered a conceptual framework for a national research program, identified the 10 most critical research needs, and described the recommended timing and estimated costs of such research. This, the third volume, begins the task of assessing the progress made in implementing the research program. The National Research Council ultimately concludes that the ongoing program is appropriately addressing many of the key uncertainties. However, it also identifies a number of critical specific subjects that should be given greater attention. Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter focuses on the most current and planned research projects with an eye toward the fourth and final report, which will contain an updated assessment.
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309171180
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 188
Book Description
Regulatory standards are already on the books at the the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address health risks posed by inhaling tiny particles from smoke, vehicle exhaust, and other sources. At the same time, Congress and EPA have initiated a multimillion dollar research effort to better understand the sources of these airborne particles, the levels of exposure to people, and the ways that these particles cause damage. To provide independent guidance to the EPA, Congress asked the National Research Council to study the relevant issues. The result is a series of four reports on the particulate-matter research program. The first two books offered a conceptual framework for a national research program, identified the 10 most critical research needs, and described the recommended timing and estimated costs of such research. This, the third volume, begins the task of assessing the progress made in implementing the research program. The National Research Council ultimately concludes that the ongoing program is appropriately addressing many of the key uncertainties. However, it also identifies a number of critical specific subjects that should be given greater attention. Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter focuses on the most current and planned research projects with an eye toward the fourth and final report, which will contain an updated assessment.
Assessing Prevalence and Trends in Obesity
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309442745
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 301
Book Description
Obesity has come to the forefront of the American public health agenda. The increased attention has led to a growing interest in quantifying obesity prevalence and determining how the prevalence has changed over time. Estimates of obesity prevalence and trends are fundamental to understanding and describing the scope of issue. Policy makers, program planners, and other stakeholders at the national, state, and local levels are among those who search for estimates relevant to their population(s) of interest to inform their decision-making. The differences in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data have given rise to a body of evidence that is inconsistent and has created barriers to interpreting and applying published reports. As such, there is a need to provide guidance to those who seek to better understand and use estimates of obesity prevalence and trends. Assessing Prevalence and Trends in Obesity examines the approaches to data collection, analysis, and interpretation that have been used in recent reports on obesity prevalence and trends at the national, state, and local level, particularly among U.S. children, adolescents, and young adults. This report offers a framework for assessing studies on trends in obesity, principally among children and young adults, for policy making and program planning purposes, and recommends ways decision makers and others can move forward in assessing and interpreting reports on obesity trends.
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309442745
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 301
Book Description
Obesity has come to the forefront of the American public health agenda. The increased attention has led to a growing interest in quantifying obesity prevalence and determining how the prevalence has changed over time. Estimates of obesity prevalence and trends are fundamental to understanding and describing the scope of issue. Policy makers, program planners, and other stakeholders at the national, state, and local levels are among those who search for estimates relevant to their population(s) of interest to inform their decision-making. The differences in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data have given rise to a body of evidence that is inconsistent and has created barriers to interpreting and applying published reports. As such, there is a need to provide guidance to those who seek to better understand and use estimates of obesity prevalence and trends. Assessing Prevalence and Trends in Obesity examines the approaches to data collection, analysis, and interpretation that have been used in recent reports on obesity prevalence and trends at the national, state, and local level, particularly among U.S. children, adolescents, and young adults. This report offers a framework for assessing studies on trends in obesity, principally among children and young adults, for policy making and program planning purposes, and recommends ways decision makers and others can move forward in assessing and interpreting reports on obesity trends.
Statistical Models and Analysis in Auditing: A Study of Statistical Models and Methods for Analyzing Nonstandard Mixtures of Distributions in Auditing
Author: Panel on Nonstandard Mixtures of Distributions
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 104
Book Description
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 104
Book Description
Real Analysis
Author: Brian S. Thomson
Publisher: ClassicalRealAnalysis.com
ISBN: 1434844129
Category : Functions of real variables
Languages : en
Pages : 661
Book Description
This is the second edition of a graduate level real analysis textbook formerly published by Prentice Hall (Pearson) in 1997. This edition contains both volumes. Volumes one and two can also be purchased separately in smaller, more convenient sizes.
Publisher: ClassicalRealAnalysis.com
ISBN: 1434844129
Category : Functions of real variables
Languages : en
Pages : 661
Book Description
This is the second edition of a graduate level real analysis textbook formerly published by Prentice Hall (Pearson) in 1997. This edition contains both volumes. Volumes one and two can also be purchased separately in smaller, more convenient sizes.
Understanding and Evaluating Research
Author: Sue L. T. McGregor
Publisher: SAGE Publications
ISBN: 1506350976
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 880
Book Description
Understanding and Evaluating Research: A Critical Guide shows students how to be critical consumers of research and to appreciate the power of methodology as it shapes the research question, the use of theory in the study, the methods used, and how the outcomes are reported. The book starts with what it means to be a critical and uncritical reader of research, followed by a detailed chapter on methodology, and then proceeds to a discussion of each component of a research article as it is informed by the methodology. The book encourages readers to select an article from their discipline, learning along the way how to assess each component of the article and come to a judgment of its rigor or quality as a scholarly report.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
ISBN: 1506350976
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 880
Book Description
Understanding and Evaluating Research: A Critical Guide shows students how to be critical consumers of research and to appreciate the power of methodology as it shapes the research question, the use of theory in the study, the methods used, and how the outcomes are reported. The book starts with what it means to be a critical and uncritical reader of research, followed by a detailed chapter on methodology, and then proceeds to a discussion of each component of a research article as it is informed by the methodology. The book encourages readers to select an article from their discipline, learning along the way how to assess each component of the article and come to a judgment of its rigor or quality as a scholarly report.
Introduction to Numerical Analysis
Author: J. Stoer
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1475722729
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 674
Book Description
On the occasion of this new edition, the text was enlarged by several new sections. Two sections on B-splines and their computation were added to the chapter on spline functions: Due to their special properties, their flexibility, and the availability of well-tested programs for their computation, B-splines play an important role in many applications. Also, the authors followed suggestions by many readers to supplement the chapter on elimination methods with a section dealing with the solution of large sparse systems of linear equations. Even though such systems are usually solved by iterative methods, the realm of elimination methods has been widely extended due to powerful techniques for handling sparse matrices. We will explain some of these techniques in connection with the Cholesky algorithm for solving positive definite linear systems. The chapter on eigenvalue problems was enlarged by a section on the Lanczos algorithm; the sections on the LR and QR algorithm were rewritten and now contain a description of implicit shift techniques. In order to some extent take into account the progress in the area of ordinary differential equations, a new section on implicit differential equa tions and differential-algebraic systems was added, and the section on stiff differential equations was updated by describing further methods to solve such equations.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1475722729
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 674
Book Description
On the occasion of this new edition, the text was enlarged by several new sections. Two sections on B-splines and their computation were added to the chapter on spline functions: Due to their special properties, their flexibility, and the availability of well-tested programs for their computation, B-splines play an important role in many applications. Also, the authors followed suggestions by many readers to supplement the chapter on elimination methods with a section dealing with the solution of large sparse systems of linear equations. Even though such systems are usually solved by iterative methods, the realm of elimination methods has been widely extended due to powerful techniques for handling sparse matrices. We will explain some of these techniques in connection with the Cholesky algorithm for solving positive definite linear systems. The chapter on eigenvalue problems was enlarged by a section on the Lanczos algorithm; the sections on the LR and QR algorithm were rewritten and now contain a description of implicit shift techniques. In order to some extent take into account the progress in the area of ordinary differential equations, a new section on implicit differential equa tions and differential-algebraic systems was added, and the section on stiff differential equations was updated by describing further methods to solve such equations.
Forensic Analysis
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309090792
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 227
Book Description
Since the 1960s, testimony by representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in thousands of criminal cases has relied on evidence from Compositional Analysis of Bullet Lead (CABL), a forensic technique that compares the elemental composition of bullets found at a crime scene to the elemental composition of bullets found in a suspect's possession. Different from ballistics techniques that compare striations on the barrel of a gun to those on a recovered bullet, CABL is used when no gun is recovered or when bullets are too small or mangled to observe striations. Forensic Analysis: Weighing Bullet Lead Evidence assesses the scientific validity of CABL, finding that the FBI should use a different statistical analysis for the technique and that, given variations in bullet manufacturing processes, expert witnesses should make clear the very limited conclusions that CABL results can support. The report also recommends that the FBI take additional measures to ensure the validity of CABL results, which include improving documentation, publishing details, and improving on training and oversight.
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309090792
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 227
Book Description
Since the 1960s, testimony by representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in thousands of criminal cases has relied on evidence from Compositional Analysis of Bullet Lead (CABL), a forensic technique that compares the elemental composition of bullets found at a crime scene to the elemental composition of bullets found in a suspect's possession. Different from ballistics techniques that compare striations on the barrel of a gun to those on a recovered bullet, CABL is used when no gun is recovered or when bullets are too small or mangled to observe striations. Forensic Analysis: Weighing Bullet Lead Evidence assesses the scientific validity of CABL, finding that the FBI should use a different statistical analysis for the technique and that, given variations in bullet manufacturing processes, expert witnesses should make clear the very limited conclusions that CABL results can support. The report also recommends that the FBI take additional measures to ensure the validity of CABL results, which include improving documentation, publishing details, and improving on training and oversight.
Finite Element Analysis for Building Assessment
Author: Paulo B. Lourenço
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000563146
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Book Description
Existing structures represent a heterogeneous category in the global built environment as often characterized by the presence of archaic materials, damage and disconnections, uncommon construction techniques and subsequent interventions throughout the building history. In this scenario, the common linear elastic analysis approach adopted for new buildings is incapable of an accurate estimation of structural capacity, leading to overconservative results, invasive structural strengthening, added intervention costs, excessive interference to building users and possible losses in terms of aesthetics or heritage values. For a rational and sustainable use of the resources, this book deals with advanced numerical simulations, adopting a practical approach to introduce the fundamentals of Finite Element Method, nonlinear solution procedures and constitutive material models. Recommended material properties for masonry, timber, reinforced concrete, iron and steel are discussed according to experimental evidence, building standards and codes of practice. The examples examined throughout the book and in the conclusive chapter support the analyst’s decision-making process toward a safe and efficient use of finite element analysis. Written primarily for practicing engineers, the book is of value to students in engineering and technical architecture with solid knowledge in the field of continuum mechanics and structural design.
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000563146
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Book Description
Existing structures represent a heterogeneous category in the global built environment as often characterized by the presence of archaic materials, damage and disconnections, uncommon construction techniques and subsequent interventions throughout the building history. In this scenario, the common linear elastic analysis approach adopted for new buildings is incapable of an accurate estimation of structural capacity, leading to overconservative results, invasive structural strengthening, added intervention costs, excessive interference to building users and possible losses in terms of aesthetics or heritage values. For a rational and sustainable use of the resources, this book deals with advanced numerical simulations, adopting a practical approach to introduce the fundamentals of Finite Element Method, nonlinear solution procedures and constitutive material models. Recommended material properties for masonry, timber, reinforced concrete, iron and steel are discussed according to experimental evidence, building standards and codes of practice. The examples examined throughout the book and in the conclusive chapter support the analyst’s decision-making process toward a safe and efficient use of finite element analysis. Written primarily for practicing engineers, the book is of value to students in engineering and technical architecture with solid knowledge in the field of continuum mechanics and structural design.