Download or read book Systems Analysis and Systems Engineering in Environmental Remediation Programs at the Department of Energy Hanford Site written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1998-08-21 with total page 62 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Intelligence Analysis for Tomorrow written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2011-04-08 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The intelligence community (IC) plays an essential role in the national security of the United States. Decision makers rely on IC analyses and predictions to reduce uncertainty and to provide warnings about everything from international diplomatic relations to overseas conflicts. In today's complex and rapidly changing world, it is more important than ever that analytic products be accurate and timely. Recognizing that need, the IC has been actively seeking ways to improve its performance and expand its capabilities. In 2008, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) asked the National Research Council (NRC) to establish a committee to synthesize and assess evidence from the behavioral and social sciences relevant to analytic methods and their potential application for the U.S. intelligence community. In Intelligence Analysis for Tomorrow: Advances from the Behavioral and Social Sciences, the NRC offers the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) recommendations to address many of the IC's challenges. Intelligence Analysis for Tomorrow asserts that one of the most important things that the IC can learn from the behavioral and social sciences is how to characterize and evaluate its analytic assumptions, methods, technologies, and management practices. Behavioral and social scientific knowledge can help the IC to understand and improve all phases of the analytic cycle: how to recruit, select, train, and motivate analysts; how to master and deploy the most suitable analytic methods; how to organize the day-to-day work of analysts, as individuals and teams; and how to communicate with its customers. The report makes five broad recommendations which offer practical ways to apply the behavioral and social sciences, which will bring the IC substantial immediate and longer-term benefits with modest costs and minimal disruption.

Download or read book The Prevention and Treatment of Missing Data in Clinical Trials written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2010-12-21 with total page 163 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Statistical Models and Analysis in Auditing A Study of Statistical Models and Methods for Analyzing Nonstandard Mixtures of Distributions in Auditing written by Panel on Nonstandard Mixtures of Distributions and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1988-01-01 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Introduction to Numerical Analysis written by J. Stoer and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-03-09 with total page 674 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Valuing Health for Regulatory Cost Effectiveness Analysis written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2006-04-28 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Promoting human health and safety by reducing exposures to risks and harms through regulatory interventions is among the most important responsibilities of the government. Such efforts encompass a wide array of activities in many different contexts: improving air and water quality; safeguarding the food supply; reducing the risk of injury on the job, in transportation, and from consumer products; and minimizing exposure to toxic chemicals. Estimating the magnitude of the expected health and longevity benefits and reductions in mortality, morbidity, and injury risks helps policy makers decide whether particular interventions merit the expected costs associated with achieving these benefits and inform their choices among alternative strategies. Valuing Health for Regulatory Cost-Effectiveness Analysis provides useful recommendations for how to measure health-related quality of- life impacts for diverse public health, safety, and environmental regulations. Public decision makers, regulatory analysts, scholars, and students in the field will find this an essential review text. It will become a standard reference for all government agencies and those consultants and contractors who support the work of regulatory programs.

Download or read book Analyzing Information on Women Owned Small Businesses in Federal Contracting written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2005-03-28 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It has been clear for at least 50 years the disadvantages that small businesses face in competing for U.S. government contracts. The Small Business Act of 1953 created the Small Business Administration (SBA), an independent agency in the executive branch that counsels and assists specific types of small businesses including firms owned by minorities and other socially and economically disadvantaged individuals and firms owned by women. Women-owned small businesses, however, are underrepresented or substantially underrepresented in some industries. In 2002, the SBA Office of Federal Contract Assistance for Women Business Owners (CAWBO) organized a draft study containing a preliminary set of approximations of the representation of women-owned small businesses in federal prime contracts over $25,000 by industry. Because of the past legal challenges to race- and gender-conscious contracting programs at the federal and local levels, the SBA asked the Committee on National Statistics of the National Academies to conduct an independent review of relevant data and estimation methods prior to finalizing the CAWBO study. The Steering Committee on Women-Owned Small Businesses in Federal Contracting was created and charged with holding a workshop to discuss topics including the accuracy of data and methods to estimate the use of women-owned small businesses in federal contracting and the definition of "underrepresentation" and "substantial underrepresentation" in designating industries for which preferential contracting programs might be warranted. Analyzing Information on Women-Owned Small Businesses in Federal Contracting presents the committee's report as well as the recommendations that committees have made.

Download or read book Finite Element Analysis for Building Assessment written by Paulo B. Lourenço and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2022-05-24 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Forensic Analysis written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2004-04-26 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Taxmann s Analysis 50th GST Council Meeting Recommendations written by Taxmann and published by Taxmann Publications Private Limited. This book was released on 2023-07-16 with total page 42 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 50th GST Council meeting took place on 11th July 2023 in New Delhi. This meeting stands as a significant milestone, symbolizing the achievements of cooperative federalism and establishing a streamlined tax system known as the Good and Simple Tax (GST). During the meeting, the GST Council made significant decisions regarding longstanding issues aimed at enhancing transparency in the tax regime and facilitating business operations. Major decisions include: ‣ Taxability of online gaming, race courses and casinos ‣ Government’s stand on ISD vs Cross Charge mechanism ‣ Measures for streamlining compliances under GST ‣ Few Administrative changes ‣ Approval of GST Appellate Tribunal and its effective implementation In this article, the Taxmann Advisory & Research Team has provided a comprehensive analysis and simplified version of the recommendations and decisions.

Download or read book Do Analysts Herd written by Narasimhan Jegadeesh and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper develops and implements a new test to investigate whether sell-side analysts herd around the consensus when they make stock recommendations. Our empirical results support the herding hypothesis. Stock price reactions following recommendation revisions are stronger when the new recommendation is away from the consensus than when it is closer to it, indicating that the market recognizes analysts' tendency to herd. We find that analysts from larger brokerages and analysts following stocks with smaller dispersion across recommendations are more likely to herd.

Download or read book Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2001-06-13 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Cost Effectiveness in Health and Medicine written by Peter J. Neumann and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 537 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: CEAs (cost-effectiveness analyses) are used by decision makers in the health sector to make enlightened evaluations and this book provides an in depth look at how to evaluate the evaluator. The book is aimed specifically at Public health specialists.

Download or read book Advanced Technology for Human Support in Space written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1997-08-02 with total page 151 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Advanced Technology for Human Support in Space was written in response to a request from NASA's Office of Life and Microgravity Sciences and Applications (OLMSA) to evaluate its Advanced Human Support Technology Program. This report reviews the four major areas of the program: advanced life support (ALS), environmental monitoring and control (EMC), extravehicular activities (EVA), and space human factors (SHF). The focus of this program is on long-term technology development applicable to future human long-duration space missions, such as for a hypothetical new mission to the Moon or Mars.

Download or read book Forecasting Demand and Supply of Doctoral Scientists and Engineers written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2000-07-31 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report is the summary of a workshop conducted by the National Research Council in order to learn from both forecast makers and forecast users about improvements that can be made in understanding the markets for doctoral scientists and engineers. The workshop commissioned papers examined (1) the history and problems with models of demand and supply for scientists and engineers, (2) objectives and approaches to forecasting models, (3) margins of adjustment that have been neglected in models, especially substitution and quality, (4) the presentation of uncertainty, and (5) whether these forecasts of supply and demand are worthwhile, given all their shortcomings. The focus of the report was to provide guidance to the NSF and to scholars in this area on how models and the forecasts derived from them might be improved, and what role NSF should play in their improvement. In addition, the report examined issues of reporting forecasts to policymakers.

Download or read book A First Course in Real Analysis written by Sterling K. Berberian and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-09-10 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mathematics is the music of science, and real analysis is the Bach of mathematics. There are many other foolish things I could say about the subject of this book, but the foregoing will give the reader an idea of where my heart lies. The present book was written to support a first course in real analysis, normally taken after a year of elementary calculus. Real analysis is, roughly speaking, the modern setting for Calculus, "real" alluding to the field of real numbers that underlies it all. At center stage are functions, defined and taking values in sets of real numbers or in sets (the plane, 3-space, etc.) readily derived from the real numbers; a first course in real analysis traditionally places the emphasis on real-valued functions defined on sets of real numbers. The agenda for the course: (1) start with the axioms for the field ofreal numbers, (2) build, in one semester and with appropriate rigor, the foun dations of calculus (including the "Fundamental Theorem"), and, along the way, (3) develop those skills and attitudes that enable us to continue learning mathematics on our own. Three decades of experience with the exercise have not diminished my astonishment that it can be done.

Download or read book Assessment of the Results of External Independent Reviews for U S Department of Energy Projects written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2007-04-10 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Peer review is an essential component of engineering practice and other scientific and technical undertakings. Peer reviews are conducted to ensure that activities are technically adequate, competently performed, and properly documented; to validate assumptions, calculations, and extrapolations; and to assess alternative interpretations, methodologies, acceptance criteria, and other aspects of the work products and the documentation that support them. Effective peer reviews are conducted in an environment of mutual respect, recognizing the contributions of all participants. Their primary objective is to help the project team achieve its goals. Reviews also contribute to quality assurance, risk management, and overall improvement of the management process. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) conducts different types of peer reviews at the different stages of a project, including reviews to assess risks and other factors related to design, safety, cost estimates, value engineering, and project management. Independent project reviews (IPRs) are conducted by federal staff not directly affiliated with the project or program and management and operations (M&O) contractors. External independent reviews (EIRs) are overseen by the Office of Engineering and Construction Management and conducted by contractors external to the department. EIRs are the primary focus of this report. However, the committee found that, in many cases, IPRs are explicitly used as preparation for or as preliminary reviews prior to EIRs. Thus, because IPRs are integral to the review process in DOE, they are also discussed because they might have an effect on EIRs. In October 2000, DOE issued Order 413.3, Program and Project Management for the Acquisition of Capital Assets (DOE, 2000). The order established a series of five critical decisions (CDs), or major milestones, that require senior management review and approval to ensure that a project satisfies applicable mission, design, security, and safety requirements: approve mission need, approve alternative selection and cost range, approve performance baseline, approve start of construction, and approve start of operations or project closeout. Assessment of the Results of External Independent Reviews for U. S. Department of Energy Projects summarizes the results.