Raw Test Data Research Articles

Guidelines for Alarm Limits and Trend Analysis

Abstract In 1999, CS96, In-Service Lubricant Testing and Condition Monitoring Services Industry Support, was formed to address the needs of monitoring in-service oils. The standards developed by this subcommittee provide equipment customers with a known basis for the quality of the data they are receiving [Improving Used Oil Analysis Standards: Recent Efforts of ASTM D02 Subcommittee CS96, Bryan Johnson, Practicing Oil Analysis, July–Aug 2006, pp 38–41]. However, test measurements have little meaning in a condition-monitoring program if they cannot be associated with a failure mechanism of the oil or the machine. Maximum reliability of in-service machine components and fluids requires that the condition-monitoringprogram provide timely indications of machinery and oil performance and remaining usable life. In order to address these critical aspects of condition monitoring, D02.96.4, Guidelines, initiated two task forces to develop Standard Guidelines to address Alarm Limits and Trends. Reliable alarm limits for fluid and equipment characteristics are required in order to properly interpret raw lubricant test data. However, these level alarms only state how much damage has occurred. In order to generate meaningful diagnostic and prognostic information on equipment and fluid condition, the rate of change must be trended. The predictive or forecasting nature of condition monitoring is based on trending, which determines the remaining useful life of the component and fluid. This paper presents an overview of practical alarm limit calculations using statistical analysis of equipment and fluid condition data and trend analysis of condition data in the dynamic equipment-operating environment. Various trending techniques and formulas will be presented with their associated benefits and limitations. These limit and trend calculations may be applied to all techniques that provide numerical test results and for all types of equipment (diesel, pumps, gas turbines, industrial turbines, hydraulics, etc.) whether large fleets or individual industrial machines.

The Use of the Normalization Data Reduction Technique for Measuring Upper Shelf Toughness Under Impact Loading Rates

Abstract The multiple-specimen method (low-blow or stop-block tests) is the conventional approach for measuring the upper shelf fracture toughness of steels under impact loading rates, using fatigue precracked Charpy (PCC) specimens tested with an instrumented pendulum machine. The method is fairly simple but requires a relatively large number of specimens. As an alternative, the single-specimen method denominated normalization data reduction (NDR) is based on the analysis of the instrumented force/displacement trace and does not need dedicated instrumentation for the measurement of crack extension during the test. In this study, the NDR technique was applied to low-blow tests performed at different temperatures on two reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels, 20MnMoNi55 and A553B Cl. 1. Analyses were performed after applying a double fitting approach to the raw test data, which allows selecting a limited set of force/displacement data which are representative of the whole instrumented trace. Results show that the NDR technique provides acceptable accuracy in terms of both ductile crack initiation and resistance to crack propagation (tearing modulus).

Implementation of the ITER Conductor Database

The procurement of the conductor for the ITER Toroidal Field (TF), Central Solenoid (CS), and Poloidal Field (PF) magnet systems will generate a significant amount of raw material and product test data that needs to be managed and analysed in a systematic fashion by the six responsible Domestic Agencies (DAs) and the ITER Organization (IO). To do this, ITER has developed and commissioned a conductor database, modeled after the successful CERN LHC conductor database, that can store, track, and analyse the voluminous data being generated during the production process. The database focuses on the business flow associated with superconducting strand, cabling, jacket sections, jacket assembly, jacketing, and full conductor unit length production. Within the database, individual suppliers can enter and track the performance of both raw materials and finished products, and also monitor the acceptance status of all products sent to their DA. Each DA is given a single portal through which they can manage the progress of each domestic supplier, track product performance results, enter verification test results, approve strand for delivery, and notify IO of production progress. The database can be used for long-term statistical process control of both raw material parameters and final product parameters (like I <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">c</sub> and I <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">hys</sub> ), and also utilizes a sophisticated security scheme to protect the confidentiality of suppliers' proprietary data. Additionally, the database can automatically highlight non-conforming products, and can manage the organization of the documentation for deviation requests and non-conformance reports. Technically, the database is an application of ICP (ITER Collaborative Platform). ICP is a software framework for implementing database-driven applications for the ITER project, and it provides a common web browser interface and data storage architecture developed in ASP.NET and MSSQL.

A Validation Framework for Brain Tumor Segmentation

We introduce a validation framework for the segmentation of brain tumors from magnetic resonance (MR) images. A novel unsupervised semiautomatic brain tumor segmentation algorithm is also presented. The proposed framework consists of 1) T1-weighted MR images of patients with brain tumors, 2) segmentation of brain tumors performed by four independent experts, 3) segmentation of brain tumors generated by a semiautomatic algorithm, and 4) a software tool that estimates the performance of segmentation algorithms. We demonstrate the validation of the novel segmentation algorithm within the proposed framework. We show its performance and compare it with existent segmentation. The image datasets and software are available at http://www.brain-tumor-repository.org/. We present an Internet resource that provides access to MR brain tumor image data and segmentation that can be openly used by the research community. Its purpose is to encourage the development and evaluation of segmentation methods by providing raw test and image data, human expert segmentation results, and methods for comparing segmentation results.

The Ethical and Clinical Practice of Disclosing Raw Test Data: Addressing the Ongoing Debate

Neuropsychologists are prone to having raw test data requested by colleagues, clients, and attorneys. Although questions of when and to whom neuropsychologists should release raw test data have been debated for years, uncertainty about how to address requests for raw test data persists. Although contradictions within and between ethical and legal guidelines exist, general bioethical principles, most ethical and professional guidelines, and federal copyright law support the responsibility of practitioners to maintain the security of neuropsychological tests, including raw test data. Neuropsychologists are best served by taking a proactive approach regarding the manner in which requests for raw test data are addressed. The purpose of this article is to provide the information necessary to make informed decisions regarding the release of raw test data; however, each neuropsychologist must ultimately choose to pursue a course of action that is simply ethically acceptable or one that is ethically preferable.

Revisiting the Need for Reform in the Disclosure of Tests and Raw Test Data to the Courts: The 2002 APA Ethics Code Has Not Solved Our Dilemma

ABSTRACT Lees-Haley and Courtney (2000) published an article on the state of psychologists ' practices with respect to the disclosure of tests and raw test data and called for reforms created by a joint committee of the American Bar Association and the American Psychological Association (APA). It was posited that psychologists' unwillingness to provide raw data to the courts was resulting in damage to their professional reputations, undermining their credibility as professional scientists acting in good faith, and ultimately contrary to the best interests of consumers. Since that time, the APA has promulgated a new set of ethical guidelines that speak to these issues in different language. This article serves to renew our recommendation for reform concerning the release of raw data to the courts consistent with the 2002 Ethics Code.

Three-dimensional large-strain tensile deformation of neat and calcium carbonate-filled high-density polyethylene

The large-strain tensile deformation of high-density polyethylene and high-density polyethylene filled with two volume fractions ( f) of calcium carbonate particles is studied via an optical method. Digital image correlation is used to determine the local displacement gradients and full-field displacements during uniaxial tension tests on specimens of rectangular cross-section. A novel technique measures simultaneously, with a single camera, the deformation in all three dimensions. Full-field strain contours, macroscopic true stress-true strain behavior, and local volumetric strains are reduced from the raw test data. The true stress-true strain data shows an increase in modulus, but a decrease in yield stress and subsequent strain hardening, with increasing f. These results are strong evidence of particle debonding and are corroborated by an increase in volumetric strain with increasing f.

An experimental investigation of the large-strain tensile behavior of neat and rubber-toughened polycarbonate

The large-strain tensile behavior of polycarbonate and polycarbonate filled with several volume fractions ( f) of rubber particles is studied via an optical technique. Digital image correlation is used to determine, in two dimensions, the local displacement gradients and full-field displacements during a uniaxial tension test. Full-field strain contours, macroscopic true stress–strain behavior, and local volumetric strain are reduced from the raw test data. Full-field strain contours exhibit a decreasing degree of localization with increasing f. The true stress–strain results show a decrease in modulus, yield stress, post-yield strain softening, and subsequent strain hardening with increasing f. The volumetric strain decreases with increasing f as well. In the case of the neat polymer, comparisons are made to a three-dimensional finite element simulation.

Release of Test Data Under the 2002 Ethics Codeand the HIPAA Privacy Rule: A Raw Deal or Just a Half-Baked Idea?

Until quite recently, many psychologists believed themselves ethically bound to fall on their swords before releasing raw test data to anyone but another qualified professional. Under the American Psychological Association Ethics Code (2002), consistent with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 Privacy Rule of 2002 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2002), test materials may still be protected, but documents containing participants' responses are ordinarily subject to disclosure. Although many may lament the cost to test security, the virtues of secrecy regarding testing are often exaggerated and its vices underestimated. Several measures, including appropriate informed consent, sensitive and detailed test feedback, offers of suitable alternatives to raw test data, copyright notices, and the use of protective orders and supervised inspection in forensic matters can still be used to maintain a reasonable degree of test security.

The End of the World As We Know It (and I Feel Fine): Comment on Erard

We review Erard's (this issue) article. We laud him for the measured tone and carefully reasoned position that is taken. Although his main point that The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the new American Psychological Association (APA) Ethics Code (2002) need not be seen as disasters for the practice of assessment, we pose several problems with his analysis. In particular, we argue that although his point that test security is not airtight at present is well taken, nonetheless, it is important to set the bar as high as possible to limit breaches in security. Although Erard is correct that more complex instruments may withstand attempts to manipulate the results, many smaller or more focused instruments may be irrevocably damaged. Furthermore, the release of raw test data can have a deleterious effect in the clinical arena, especially in instances in which it could be subject to misinterpretation and misuse. Finally, we criticize the APA for subjugating the interests of the profession to political expediency.

Development of the Euro fracture toughness dataset

Ten European laboratories have generated the Euro fracture toughness dataset in order to provide an experimental data base sufficiently large to study specimen size and temperature effects on cleavage fracture toughness in the ductile-to-brittle fracture transition regime. The Euro fracture toughness dataset quantifies the fracture behaviour of the quenched and tempered pressure vessel steel DIN 22NiMoCr37. This material is frequently used in nuclear power plants. About 800 fracture toughness tests were performed using compact tension specimens with a size range from 1/2T to 4T. In the lower shelf temperature regime, no significant specimen size effects on cleavage fracture toughness scatter was observed. At higher temperatures, the lower tails of the toughness scatter bands are not significantly effected by the specimen size but with decreasing specimen size the toughness scatter increases due to the fact that the upper part of the scatter band is extended. The presence of a specimen size effect on fracture toughness scatter coincides with the appearance of single cleavage initiation sites at the fracture surface. At the lower shelf temperature both, cleavage initiation sites and size effects are not observed whereas at higher test temperatures both phenomena are present. The specimen size effect trends and the corresponding fracture surface morphology support a weakest-link type cleavage fracture mechanism in the ductile-to-brittle transition regime. A unique correlation between the amount of ductile tearing and cleavage fracture toughness was observed for the steel investigated. This result offers the possibility to determine cleavage fracture toughness from post-test fracture surface examinations. Due to the large number of tests and the wide range of testing conditions, the Euro fracture toughness dataset gives a comprehensive insight into specimen size effects and temperature effects on ductile-to-brittle transition fracture. The Euro fracture toughness dataset includes a large set of raw test data such as load versus load line displacement curves and raw tensile test data for deriving stress–strain curves. The Dataset can be downloaded from the internet via the address ftp://ftp.gkss.de/pub/eurodataset.

Analytical Model for Prediction of Fatigue Life of Asphalt Concrete, Including Size Effect

A local energy criterion is applied to the problem of a quasi-static extension of a subcritical crack embedded in a viscoelastic-plastic matrix. It extends the Griffith fracture criterion to include fatigue. The derived expression for the fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) governs the subcritical crack growth to the point of gross instability. It utilizes only the material properties of the dense graded asphalt concrete mixes (DGAC), which are the dynamic modulus in bending, the flexural tensile strength, the fracture toughness and the normalized creep compliance function. The derived expression uses a new concept by Kharlab (1990) for the size effect by combining both the infinite and finite stresses at a crack tip in the mechanics of fracture. Published fatigue data for a large number of asphalt concrete mixes is used to validate the new analytical expression for the FCGR. The raw test data extracted from Majidzadeh et al. (1976) include dynamic modulus, indirect tensile strength, fracture toughness, creep and fatigue life of asphalt concrete beams consisting of 54 asphalt concrete mixtures, with three types of asphalt cement, numerous additives, five asphalt contents, and three filler asphalt ratios. The interaction of creep and fatigue is introduced through the viscoelastic correspondence principle. This facilitates the effects of accelerated testing on asphalt concrete mixes. The visual agreement between the model predictions of the fatigue lives of DGAC mixes and the published experiment data is good.

Neuropsychological dysfunctions in siblings discordant for schizophrenia

Although cognitive impairments are well recognized in patients with schizophrenia, it is unclear which impairments are due to a genetic predisposition and which are caused by secondary disease effects or phenotype. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible relationship between genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia and cognitive functioning. Three groups of subjects were compared: 14 patients with schizophrenia, 15 healthy siblings and 32 healthy control subjects. All subjects were tested neuropsychologically. The raw test data were rescaled to standard equivalents ( z-scores). Subjects’ z scores on tests assessing the same cognitive domain were clustered and analyzed. Differences in cognitive functioning were found in the domains of abstraction, attention, executive functioning, spatial memory, and sensory-motor functioning. The schizophrenic probands were impaired on all these five domains whereas the healthy probands showed impairments on executive functioning and partially on sensory-motor functioning. Furthermore, for spatial memory the significant finding could mainly be attributed to impaired functioning in the patients, but not healthy siblings or control subjects, whereas for executive functioning patients and healthy siblings seemed equally impaired as compared to control subjects. The planning time of the Tower of London (TOL) and the initiation time of the Motor Planning Task (MPT) were used for measures of executive functioning, while the ‘time to move of the Motor Planning Task’ was used as measures of sensory motor functioning. These results suggest that the cognitive abnormalities in schizophrenia that may be related to genotype are represented in the domain of executive functioning and to some extent in the domain of sensory-motor functioning.

Reply to the Commentary on “Disclosure of Tests and Raw Test Data to the Courts”

Although we respond to the concerns raised by thereviewers, the most important point to recognize is thateveryone involved in this discussion agrees on the needfor a multidisciplinary panel to develop policies and pro-cedures for handling tests and raw test data. No one hasargued that the current system is satisfactory, and no onehasidentifiedflawsinourbasicreasoningorthefactsuponwhich our arguments and recommendation are based.A fundamental similarity between the reviewers ofour article “Disclosure of Tests and Raw Test Data to theCourts” is their desire to maintain psychological test se-curity. This appears to stem from a pattern of fears thatattorneys will unscrupulously make copies of our tests ortest data and begin distributing them to their clients whoare to be psychologically examined. Additionally, the re-viewers again raise concern regarding attorneys misusingthe data. We respond to these concerns as follows:1. These are important concerns. However, the sug-gestion that psychologists’ withholding raw data inlitigated cases will significantly diminish availabil-ity of test information for attorneys is an unrealisticproposal. Attorneys and nearly anyone else can ob-taincopiesofpsychologicalandneuropsychologicalinstruments without psychologists. Moreover, con-trary to the claims of some individuals, members ofother professions other than psychology routinelypurchasepsychologicaltestsfromalmostallthema-jor psychological test publishers. This is a well-documented and incontrovertible fact, not a grayarea or judgment call. For any reader who doubtsthis last statement, references are abundant: Referto the test qualifications forms in the backs of the

Disclosure of tests and raw test data to the courts: a need for reform.

Psychologists' current practices with respect to the disclosure of tests and raw test data to courts are damaging their reputations as scientists, undermining their credibility as honest professionals acting in good faith, and contrary to the best interests of consumers. The profession is conducting itself in a contradictory fashion that deserves reform. There is need for an interdisciplinary panel drawn from the American Psychological Association and American Bar Association to develop reasonable procedures for disclosure of tests and test data in legal proceedings. These procedures should be developed with input from experienced psychological expert witnesses, attorneys, and judges from a variety of state and federal jurisdictions, diverse geographical areas, and different types of legal proceedings. This expert panel should also address the issue of attorney coaching of clients in preparation for assessment by psychologists.

Commentary: Disclosure of Tests and Raw Test Data to the Courts

Commentary: Disclosure of Tests and Raw Test Data to the Courts

Commentary on “Disclosure of Tests and Raw Test Data to the Courts” By Paul Lees-Haley and John Courtney

Commentary on “Disclosure of Tests and Raw Test Data to the Courts” By Paul Lees-Haley and John Courtney

PATSy: a multimedia distributed web-base resource for aphasiologists in research and education

This paper describes PATSy, a distributed, multimedia system designed to be a repository of patient cases and their test data. PATSy will initially consist of adult aphasia cases, though it can eventually accommodate test data from a variety of neurological and non-neurological adult and child cases. The genetic aspects of PATSy also allow it to accept test data from various disciplines. Authorized users will have passwords to allow them to access PATSy via the internet. The development of PATSy addresses several challenges in research and education. These include archiving data from rare and unusual cases, limiting loss of data, improving opportunities for data re-utilization by other researchers, and forging more direct and transparent links between research and education. Users will have access to raw test data of patients reported by researchers. Above all, the structure and design of PATSy is highly suited to case-based learning, though other methods of teaching are also accommodated.

Automated Facts Generation From Raw Data:: A Perspective From The ANDES Project

One of the problems in developing ANDES, an expert system for diagnosis of the US Air Force phased-array satellite ground station antenna system at the Antenna Repair Facility of McClellan Air Force Base, is how to automatically generate useful facts from raw antenna test data so as to facilitate the diagnostic process. In this paper, we discuss a statistic model for the raw test data and verify that the model is valid. Based on the model, algorithms are then developed that can automatically generate diagnostic facts from the raw data for the antenna diagnosis process. Our experience indicates that statistic models are useful in automating the knowledge acquisition process and that domain specific information is needed in defining automation algorithms.

Further development of the Heavy Ion Cross section for single event UPset: model (HICUP)

HICUP models the angular dependent heavy ion upset cross section. It pulls together many of the parameters and concepts used to characterize the Single Event Upset (SEU) phenomena, unifying them in a single cohesive model. HICUP is based on a Rectangular Parallelepiped (RPP) geometry for the sensitive volume and the Weibull density function for the upset threshold energy. Excellent agreement is obtained between the model and heavy ion test data. HICUP is used to derive the correct scaling laws for transforming angular cross section data to normal incidence, reconciling two previously proposed inverse cosine scaling corrections. The angle-integrated HICUP model, I-HICUP, is used in Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) upset rate calculations with results nearly identical to the Space Radiation code. Letaw has produced an automated SEU parameter fitting routine based on HICUP and the /spl chi//sup 2/ method. It ferrets out the best-fit critical SEU parameters embedded within the raw angular test data, including charge collection depth and funnel length. His method couples directly to the upset rate calculation in a self-consistent manner eliminating the need to arbitrarily assume a device depth. Results of this new procedure are presented.