Computer-based Procedure Research Articles

A Comparison of Three Types of Computer-Based Procedures: An Experiment Using the Rancor Microworld Simulator

The nuclear power industry has historically used paper-based procedures, but a shift towards computer-based procedures (CBPs) has the potential to reduce human errors, alleviate mental workload, and improve work performance. Twenty-seven participants were randomly assigned to one of three CBP types using the Rancor Microworld Simulator, and each performed two different types of operational scenarios (startup and loss of feedwater). The three CBP types varied in levels of digitalization. It was hypothesized that there would be less favorable impressions of the most basic procedures, and that these would demonstrate lower usability than types with greater digitalization. Overall, our predictions were partially supported with some interesting caveats, specifically with some performance benefits for CBPs that provided indicators but not embedded controls. We discuss our findings in terms of optimal levels of digitalization/automation within nuclear operations and suggest pathways for future directions.

Rancor Computer-Based Procedures – A Framework For Task Level Human Performance Data Collection

To support new and novel concepts of operations for the anticipated wave of advanced nuclear reactor deployments, human factors and human reliability analysis researchers need to develop advanced simulationbased approaches. The lack of standardized HRA models and human performance data is not new and has outlasted numerous potential solutions. This paper presents a Rancor microworld simulation with computerbased procedures that serve as a framework to classify human behaviors without manual or subjective experimenter coding during scenarios. This method supports a detailed level of analysis at the task level. It is feasible for the collecting large sample sizes required to develop quantitative modelling elements that have historically challenged traditional full-scope simulator study approaches.

Levels of Digitization, Digitalization, and Automation for Advanced Reactors

Much has been written about levels of automation (LOA), but comparatively little has been written about levels of digitization (LODi) and levels of digitalization (LODa). Digitization is a digital representation of analog information and is typical of migration from analog to digital control systems, digitalization involves enhancing the functionality of digital information, and automation changes control from humans to machines. Each of these technology implementations has its own scales, and each forms a viable type of functionality that should be considered not as a continuum toward automation but rather as separate categories of solutions that meet the needs of advanced reactors. In this paper we develop separate LODi, LODa, and LOA scales and demonstrate how conflation of these technologies, using the example of computer-based procedures, can lead to confusion in the design process. With the race to develop advanced reactors, the surest metric of success and safety is proper consideration of the right technology requirements for different control systems.

The reliability/ validity of cognitive/emotional approaches to the evaluation of musical performance: Implications for competition juries

Procedures to evaluate the quality of musical performance, like psychological tests generally, vary in reliability and validity. How can both be optimised? The subjective world of jurors comprises input (sensations) and output (thoughts and emotions). Cognitive approaches to performance evaluation, in which different aspects are analytically considered and the results combined, are more reliable than emotional approaches, which are ultimately based on holistic ‘gut reactions’. However, emotional approaches may be more valid. Both depend on the serial order in which performances are presented to evaluators, suggesting a need for independent, computer-controlled procedures in which jurors evaluate performances in different random orders. Jurors can be influenced by performers’ appearance and movements, as well as knowledge about past performances, whether or not they believe they should be; additional blind evaluations (sound only) could help. Evaluations may depend primarily on specific features such as right-hand melodic phrasing in romantic piano music. It would be interesting to systematically track the emotional state of jurors during a competition in order to better understand the interaction between their thoughts and emotions. In general, traditional approaches to performance evaluation might be supplemented (not replaced) by psychologically inspired, computer-based procedures. A ‘superjury’ could compare evaluations from different methods or ‘subjuries’.

Automated geometric precise correction of medium remote sensing images based on ASTER global digital elevation model

Accurate and unified information from the increasingly remote sensing (RS) scenes is important for RS applications in multi-sectoral association services of natural resource management. However, these applications in mountain areas are limited by the challenging issues of random geometric distortions and erroneous spatial associations. The paper introduces digital elevation model (DEM) maps as a unified geographic reference to search and match homonymy ground points (HGPs). The proposed computer-based procedure was tested with Landsat TM, ETM and HJ-1B satellite images using ASTER global DEM in the Longitudinal Rang-gorge Valley Region of Southwest China. 1322, 3551 and 694 pairs of HGPs were identified and acquired the geometric accuracies with 43 m (TM), 14 m (ETM) and 123 m (HJ), respectively. The deviations are significantly reduced and the disjoint ground objects are matched. The study satisfies the application requirement of multispectral satellite imagery with less labour and time costs.

Open Source Software Architecture for Computer Based Procedure Systems

In the US and globally Advanced Reactors are being developed. These Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) will utilize modern engineering and simulation tools, as well as modern control systems. New plants are safer and more flexible than previous generations. New opportunities exist for how plants could manage and operate reactors. Specifically, future plants could utilize fleet management and reduced staffing to decrease operational expenses. Tools are needed to support the development of computer-based procedure systems for advanced reactors. Here we find inspiration from scientific open source software tools (Python, Jupyter Notebook, Jupytext, Jupyter Book, Rmarkdown, Rstudio, MarkDown, MyST, Sphinx, Git) for rapid prototyping and evaluation of computer based procedure systems to support the design and evaluation of novel concept of operations for new reactors, conducting engineering tests, validating and optimizing operations using machine learning.

Butein as a potential binder of human ACE2 receptor for interfering with SARS-CoV-2 entry: a computer-aided analysis.

Natural products have been included in our dietary supplements and have been shown to have numerous therapeutic properties. With the looming danger of many zoonotic agents and novel emerging pathogens mainly of viral origin, many researchers are launching various clinical trials, testing these compounds for their antiviral activity. The present work deals with some of the available natural compounds from the literature that have demonstrated activity in counteracting pathogen infections. Accordingly, we screened, using in silico methods, this subset of natural compounds for searching potential drug candidates able to interfere in the recognition of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein and its target human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) receptor, leading to the viral entry. Disrupting that recognition is crucial for slowing down the entrance of viral particles into host cells. The selected group of natural products was examined, and their interaction profiles against the host cell target protein ACE2 were studied at the atomic level. Based on different computer-based procedures including molecular docking, physicochemical property evaluation, and molecular dynamics, butein was identified as a potential hit molecule able to bind the hACE2 receptor. The results indicate that herbal compounds can be effective for providing possible therapeutics for treating and managing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection.Graphical abstract

A review on voice pathology: Taxonomy, diagnosis, medical procedures and detection techniques, open challenges, limitations, and recommendations for future directions

Abstract Speech is a primary means of human communication and one of the most basic features of human conduct. Voice is an important part of its subsystems. A speech disorder is a condition that affects the ability of a person to speak normally, which occasionally results in voice impairment with psychological and emotional consequences. Early detection of voice problems is a crucial factor. Computer-based procedures are less costly and easier to administer for such purposes than traditional methods. This study highlights the following issues: recent studies, methods of voice pathology detection, machine learning and deep learning (DL) methods used in data classification, main datasets utilized, and the role of Internet of things (IoT) systems employed in voice pathology diagnosis. Moreover, this study presents different applications, open challenges, and recommendations for future directions of IoT systems and artificial intelligence (AI) approaches in the voice pathology diagnosis. Finally, this study highlights some limitations of voice pathology datasets in comparison with the role of IoT in the healthcare sector, which shows the urgent need to provide efficient approaches and easy and ideal medical diagnostic procedures and treatments of disease identification for doctors and patients. This review covered voice pathology taxonomy, detection techniques, open challenges, limitations, and recommendations for future directions to provide a clear background for doctors and patients. Standard databases, including the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Saarbruecken Voice Database, and the Arabic Voice Pathology Database, were used in most articles reviewed in this article. The classes, features, and main purpose for voice pathology identification are also highlighted. This study focuses on the extraction of voice pathology features, especially speech analysis, extends feature vectors comprising static and dynamic features, and converts these extended feature vectors into solid vectors before passing them to the recognizer.

A computer-based method for the accurate analysis of the trilobate spouts found in the cathedral of Amiternum

Abstract The traditional manual method of analysis of ceramic finds involves expert operators in long and routine activities whose results depend on their subjectivity, specialization, and professional experience. This implies that the analysis of sherds is carried out using few data affected by high uncertainty. These limitations are even more clear with fragments with small axially symmetric portions whose elements of the investigation are not axially symmetric, such as handles, spouts, decorations. In this way both the axis of symmetry of the original object and the reference planes and/or axes of the characteristic dimensions of the elements are identified with such approximations as to compromise subsequent analyses and comparisons. To overcome these limitations, in this paper a new computer-based procedure is proposed. As a case study, the analysis fragments of jugs/bowls with trilobed spouts found in the site of Amiternum, coming from 12th-13th century contexts are considered; their analysis is fundamental to analyze the site where they were found since there is no archival documentation about their use.

A UV–visible and conductometric studies on the analyses of valine and ninhydrin reaction in aqueous-surfactant solutions of dicationic geminis (n-s-n type)

The influence of surfactants (represent the respective length of alkyl and tail chain referred to as gemini) was investigated on rate constant (kψ) of valine (Val) and ninhydrin. Also, the effect of other experimental parameters that includes reactant’s concentration (Val and ninhydrin), pH and temperature was performed and examined. Via UV–visible method, the absorbance of different solutions was recorded at fixed time intermissions and kψ was estimated by employing a computer-based procedure. The values ofkψ obtained at varied concentrations of gemini n-s-n (n = 16; s = 4–6) surfactants show an infrequent behavior (plotted askψvs. [gemini]). In the plot, kψ data rises gently at surfactant concentration far smaller related to cmc-value (Segment I) and formerly attains virtually unaffected behavior (Segment II, up to 400 × 10-5 mol dm−3). To end, we perceive a quick variation in kψ beyond 400 × 10-5 mol dm−3 (Segment III). Dicationic geminis improve the study, excellently, at [n-s-n] slighter than cmc over monomeric CTAB. However, quantitative treatment of such results achieved in dicationic gemini surfactant solutions was made by an appropriate model of micellar activity recognized as pseudo phase. Critical micelle concentration (cmc) of dicationic geminis (n-s-n type) with reactants has been determined at two different temperatures 303 K and 353 K using conductometric analysis. A reasonable reaction mechanism concerning the present study is provided. Additionally, some other reaction factors (binding and rate constants) were evaluated and discussed.

Evaluating Strategies for Managing Anthropogenic Mortality on Marine Mammals: An R Implementation With the Package RLA

Bycatch, the undesirable and non-intentional catch of non-target species in marine fisheries, is one of the main causes of mortality of marine mammals worldwide. When quantitative conservation objectives and management goals are clearly defined, computer-based procedures can be used to explore likely population dynamics under different management scenarios and estimate the levels of anthropogenic removals, including bycatch, that marine mammal populations may withstand. Two control rules for setting removal limits are the Potential Biological Removal (PBR) established under the US Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Removals Limit Algorithm (RLA) inspired from the Catch Limit Algorithm (CLA) developed under the Revised Management Procedure of the International Whaling Commission. The PBR and RLA control rules were tested in a Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) framework. A key feature of PBR and RLA is to ensure conservation objectives are met in the face of the multiple uncertainties or biases that plague real-world data on marine mammals. We built a package named RLA in the R software to carry out MSE of control rules to set removal limits in marine mammal conservation. The package functionalities are illustrated by two case studies carried out under the auspices of the Oslo and Paris convention (OSPAR) (the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic) Marine Mammal Expert Group (OMMEG) in the context of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The first case study sought to tune the PBR control rule to the conservation objective of restoring, with a probability of 0.8, a cetacean population to 80% of carrying capacity after 100 years. The second case study sought to further develop a RLA to set removals limit on harbor porpoises in the North Sea with the same conservation objective as in the first case study. Estimation of the removals limit under the RLA control rule was carried out within the Bayesian paradigm. Outputs from the functions implemented in the package RLA allows the assessment of user-defined performance metrics, such as time to reach a given fraction of carrying capacity under a given level of removals compared to the time needed given no removals.

Analysis of interaction between glutamic acid and ninhydrin in the presence of acetate buffer solvent: Impact of gemini (twin-headed) surfactants

This study analyses the impact of twin-headed gemini surfactants on the interaction between glutamic acid (Glu) and a ninhydrin (Nin) in an acetate buffer. Analyses were observed using a UV–vis spectrophotometer and values of absorbance were recorded at fixed time intermissions. The impact of parameters such as pH, temperature, [Glu], and [Nin] was examined on reaction in gemini surfactants. Using a conductometric technique, electrical conductivities of pure geminis and their mixed systems were noted. Using these data, thus, cmc values of pure geminis and their mixed system were measured. By varying different parameters, the rate constant ( k ψ -value) was evaluated on finishing each kinetic run using a computer-based procedure. The study showed that twin-headed gemini surfactants demonstrated an excellent impact on the titled reaction over the aqueous system although 16–4–16 catalyzed the study more among geminis and followed the abilities to catalyze at each concentration as 16–4–16 > 16–5–16 > 16–6–16. Our goal was to assess the impact of varied gemini surfactants on rate constant and thus, a pseudo-phase model for micellar activity was applied. A low positive value of Δ H # with a large negative Δ S # was obtained in geminis than for aqueous solutions. A probable reaction mechanism is discussed. Study of Glu with Nin in water and geminis.

Effects of Automation for Emergency Operating Procedures on Human Performance in a Nuclear Power Plant.

The digitization of the control systems in the main control room of a nuclear power plant has changed the operators’ role in coping with accidents and has thus brought about new human factor problems. This article focuses on the procedures that are used for guiding the emergency operating procedures in a nuclear power plant, and experimentally investigates the effects of the digitization of procedures on operators’ mental workload and situation awareness. In these experiments, the procedures at three different levels of automation, namely, paper-based procedures (PBPs), electronic procedures (EPs), and computer-based procedures (CBPs), are used as the independent variables. According to the experimental results, using these procedures at a high level of automation enables the operator to exhibit favorable operational performance with a decreased mental workload; however, the operator’s situation awareness (SA) is decreased. The research results presented here can provide a reference level for optimally setting the level of automation of the emergency operating procedures in a nuclear power plant and provide support for the optimization of a corresponding HRA (Human Reliability Analysis) model.

Study of metal-amino acid [Cr(III)-Trp]2+ complex and ninhydrin reaction: role of gemini micellar solution on rate constant

In this article, the study of metal-amino acid complex and ninhydrin reaction was examined in gemini micellar solution using a UV-visible spectrophotometric measurement. The role of varying amounts of gemini micellar systems on rate constant of the study was investigated. Initially, rate constant (k ψ) enhances, below cmc and levelling-off areas are, then, noticed up to 400 × 10−5 mol dm−3. Later, gemini offers a third region of fast enhancement k ψ above 400 × 10−5 mol dm−3. Gemini surfactant series provided more efficient implications on the study than pure water and their monomeric traditional surfactant system. The values of rate constant, k ψ, were determined under a set of different experimental reaction situations with the help of a computer-based procedure. Such unfamiliar behaviour developed by gemini micellar solutions was treated by pseudo-phase model of micellar activity. An electrical conductometric measurement was employed to measure critical micellar concentration (cmc) of pure gemini micellar solutions and mixed systems. Several activation parameters were also determined by Eyring’s equation and different constants. Data obtained confirmed that lower values of activation enthalpy (ΔH #) with large negative activation entropy (ΔS #) were attained in gemini than aqueous. A plausible reaction mechanism of the study has been discussed and proposed.

Empirical Study of Shared Situation Awareness between Active and Passive Group-view Displays

The purpose of this study is to develop an active group-view display and evaluate the effectiveness of the prototype to cope with team errors in terms of shared situation awareness. The results of this research provide effective countermeasures that can be used to cope with team errors from the perspective of team communication and contextual situation sharing. To develop the active group-view display, we first investigated hazardous factors that could cause team error based on the team error process; we determined countermeasures to cope with these hazardous factors, validated the countermeasures by scenario-based analysis, developed an active group-view display that adds the function of interaction among operators in nuclear facilities and, finally, validated the effectiveness of the active display in terms of team situational awareness. Based on the team error process, we determined hazardous factors for team error that may occur in the process of using the group-view display. To prevent these hazardous factors, brainstorming with experienced operators is used to establish four countermeasures and three barriers against team error. A laser writing device with the function of pointing and marking information through gestures to the group-view display is proposed. An effectiveness test of team communication and decision making using the active group-view display device is performed using SACRI. The results of the test show a significant difference between active and passive displays. This study suggests that an improved interface using an active group-view display device can be utilized as a countermeasure against team errors. In order to cope with human errors that may occur in a digital control room, it is necessary to prepare countermeasures through systematic analysis of various interfaces such as computer-based procedures, digitalized alarm indicators, and mimic-based displays in nuclear power plants.

Comparative evaluation of augmented reality-based assistance for procedural tasks: a simulated control room study

ABSTRACT This research explores the design, implementation, and evaluation of a prototype augmented reality application that assists operators in performing procedural tasks in control room settings. Our prototype uses a tablet display to supplement an operator’s natural view of existing control panel elements with sequences of interactive visual and attention guiding cues. An experiment, conducted using a nuclear power plant simulator, examined university students completing both standard and emergency operating procedures. The augmented reality condition was compared against two other conditions – a paper-based procedure condition using paper manuals and a computer-based procedure condition using digital procedures presented on a desktop display. The results demonstrated that the augmented reality -based procedure system had benefits in terms of reduced mental workload in comparison to the other two conditions. Regarding task completion time, accuracy, and situation awareness, the augmented reality condition had no significant difference when compared against the computer-based procedure condition but performed better than the paper-based procedure condition. It was also found that the augmented reality condition resulted in fewer intra-team inquiry communication exchanges in comparison to both paper-based and computer-based conditions. The augmented reality condition, however, yielded poorer memory retention score when assessed against the other two conditions.

Automatic classification of human facial features based on their appearance.

Classification or typology systems used to categorize different human body parts have existed for many years. Nevertheless, there are very few taxonomies of facial features. Ergonomics, forensic anthropology, crime prevention or new human-machine interaction systems and online activities, like e-commerce, e-learning, games, dating or social networks, are fields in which classifications of facial features are useful, for example, to create digital interlocutors that optimize the interactions between human and machines. However, classifying isolated facial features is difficult for human observers. Previous works reported low inter-observer and intra-observer agreement in the evaluation of facial features. This work presents a computer-based procedure to automatically classify facial features based on their global appearance. This procedure deals with the difficulties associated with classifying features using judgements from human observers, and facilitates the development of taxonomies of facial features. Taxonomies obtained through this procedure are presented for eyes, mouths and noses.

Functional Information of System Components Influenced by Counteractions on Computer-Based Procedure

In an emergency condition of nuclear power plant, operators have to mitigate the accident in order to remove the decay heat and to prevent the release of radioactive material to the environment following the emergency operating procedures (EOPs). The action of operators on a component, for example, changing the parameter level of a component, which is described in a procedure step, will impact other components of the plant and the plant behavior. Nowadays, the advanced main control rooms have been equipped with the computer-based procedures (CBPs) which provide some features and benefits which are not available in paper-based procedures. However, most of CBPs do not provide information of the impact of the counteractions on each procedure step (components influenced and future plant behavior) although it is useful for operators to understand the purpose of the procedure steps before making decisions and taking the actions. This paper discusses the functional information and the method to generate the information using multilevel flow modeling (MFM) model of operator actions on some procedure steps of a simplified EOP of pressurized water reactor (PWR) plant, as an example.

Surgery guided by mixed reality: presentation of a proof of concept

Surgical innovation aims to improve both patient outcome and safety. Among many others, computer-based solutions such as 3-D anatomical reconstruction and computer-based procedures planning have sh...

Luminosity Correction Using Statistical Features on Retinal Images

Retinal fundus image is important for the ophthalmologist to identify and detect many vision-related diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension. From an acquisition process, retinal images often have low gray level contrast and low dynamic range. This problem may seriously affect the diagnostic process and its outcome, especially if an automatic computer-based procedure is used to derive diagnostic parameters. In this paper, a new proposed method based on statistical information such as mean and standard deviation was studied. The combination of local and global technique was successful to detect the luminosity region. Then, a simple correction intensity equation was proposed in order to replace the problem intensity. The results of the numerical simulation (SNR = 2.347 and GCF = 4.581) indicate that the proposed method effective to enhance the luminosity region. Implications of the results and future research directions are also presented. Keywords: Detection, Luminosity, Retinal, Statistical.