Standard Process Research Articles

A Study on Standard Process of Risk Management for Defense Systems Test Works

Today, risks created by uncertainty must be managed for successful project execution. From this perspective, applying a risk management process is very important for successful defense systems test works. This paper describes ‘the implentation of risk management process for test work’ carried out by DTERI’s process improvement activities. In this study, the concept of risk management process, and details of the risk management process are examined through PMBOK and ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288, CMMI. After that, we defined ‘Standard Process for Risk Management’ of defence systems test works. And, we describe ‘Risk Management Function’ of DTERI’s Project Management System(PMS) and the risk management process of DTERI. Finally, the effectiveness of the risk management standard process is verified through quantitative analysis.

Generative invertible quantum neural networks

Invertible Neural Networks (INN) have become established tools for the simulation and generation of highly complex data. We propose a quantum-gate algorithm for a Quantum Invertible Neural Network (QINN) and apply it to the LHC data of jet-associated production of a Z-boson that decays into leptons, a standard candle process for particle collider precision measurements. We compare the QINN’s performance for different loss functions and training scenarios. For this task, we find that a hybrid QINN matches the performance of a significantly larger purely classical INN in learning and generating complex data.

The changing technology trends in processing titaniferous magnetite

ABSTRACT Titaniferous magnetite deposits are a significant source of vanadium for use in high-strength steel alloying and other chemical applications as well as producing titanium slag for the chloride production of titanium pigment. Ore beneficiation is practised to generate an iron-based mineral concentrate containing much of the vanadium with low combined silica and alumina levels of less than 4%. If higher than 4% increased sodium salt is used in roasting lower vanadium recovery is achieved. Typical processing problems encountered are fine liberation size, potential over-grinding of the magnetite, and variable response to magnetic separation as a result of the weathering profile. Magnetic separation is the standard route to produce iron vanadium concentrates. Salt roasting to extract vanadium followed by water leaching has been the standard processing route for many years and this locks up the remaining titanium in a glass phase. The cost of suitable sodium salts, availability of capital and increasing energy costs and energy availability are critical factors in determining the viability of aspiring vanadium producers. In this paper, factors influencing the recovery of vanadium are reviewed and emerging processing trends are explored. The growing demand for vanadium electrolytes in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) now adds another value-added product, which can assist vanadium project economics.

High-performance microbolometers with metal-insulator-metal plasmonic absorbers in CMOS technology

The practical applications of microbolometers in CMOS technology face challenges since the thermometer layers in microbolometers are typically of low IR absorption coefficients. In this paper, we demonstrate the integration of IR metal-insulator-metal (MIM) plasmonic absorber on the CMOS resistive-type microbolometers to maximize the optical detectivity. The MIM absorbers utilize Al metals and SiO2 dielectric films in the standard CMOS process and the configuration is numerically simulated and analyzed to assess the effectiveness of high IR absorption through propagating surface plasmon (PSP) resonance and localized surface plasmon (LSP) resonance. Experimental results show that the microbolometer integrated with the MIM plasmonic absorber has a 64% improvement in detectivity (D*) compared to the one without MIM absorber in the 7-13 µm wavelength range. The detector yields a maximum D* of 2.46 × 109 cm Hz1/2/W at 9.5 µm optimally under a working current of 30 μA. This performance-enhanced microbolometer provides a pathway for achieving ultra-sensitive imaging using a simple, cost-effective manufacturing process.

Investigation of Sub-Bandgap Emission and Unexpected n-Type Behavior in Undoped Polycrystalline CdSexTe1-x.

Se alloying has enabled significantly higher carrier lifetimes and photocurrents in CdTe solar cells, but these benefits can be highly dependent on CdSexTe1-x processing. This work evaluates the optoelectronic, chemical, and electronic properties of thick (3µm) undoped CdSexTe1-x of uniform composition and varied processing conditions (CdSexTe1-x evaporation rate, CdCl2 anneal, Se content) chosen to reflect various standard device processing conditions. Sub-bandgap defect emission is observed, which increased as Se content increased and with "GrV-optimized CdCl2" (i.e., CdCl2 anneal conditions used for group-V-doped devices). Low carrier lifetime is found for GrV-optimized CdCl2, slow CdSexTe1-x deposition, and low-Se films. Interestingly, all films (including CdTe control) exhibited n-type behavior, where electron density increased with Se up to an estimated ≈1017cm-3. This behavior appears to originate during the CdCl2 anneal, possibly from Se diffusion leading to anion vacancy (e.g., VSe, VTe) and ClTe generation.

Enriching Carbon: Surplus Value Creation and Capture on the Voluntary Carbon Markets

AbstractThis article examines the creation and capture of surplus value in the voluntary carbon markets to show the importance of narratives and networks in justifying price. Rather than a push towards commensurability in carbon markets, it points to the emergence of profitable business models based on the enrichment of credits. Enrichment focuses not on processes of standardisation associated with commodity production, but on the creation of difference, uniqueness, and provenance. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and the marketing of a REDD+ project in San Martín, Peru, the article argues that the creation of surplus value in the voluntary market lies chiefly in the ability of vendors to create, manage, and sell narratives. A focus on the enrichment of carbon‐as‐an‐asset thus shows that narratives and networks go beyond performativity but are central to value construction, privileging certain actors and forms of labour and highlighting emerging forms of exploitation in green markets.

In-depth Correlation Power Analysis Attacks on a Hardware Implementation of CRYSTALS-Dilithium

During the standardisation process of post-quantum cryptography, NIST encourages research on side-channel analysis for candidate schemes. As the recommended lattice signature scheme, CRYSTALS-Dilithium, when implemented on hardware, has seen limited research on side-channel analysis, and current attacks are incomplete or requires a substantial quantity of traces. Therefore, we conducted a more complete analysis to investigate the leakage of an FPGA implementation of CRYSTALS-Dilithium using the Correlation Power Analysis (CPA) method, where with a minimum of 70,000 traces partial private key coefficients can be recovered. Furthermore, we optimise the attack by extracting Point-of-Interests using known information due to parallelism (named CPA-PoI) and by iteratively utilising parallel leakages (named CPA-ITR). Our experimental results show that CPA-PoI reduces the number of traces by up to 16.67%, CPA-ITR by up to 25%, and both increase the number of recovered key coefficients by up to 55.17% and 93.10% using the same number of traces. They outperfom the CPA method. As a result, it suggests that the FPGA implementation of CRYSTALS-Dilithium is more vulnerable than thought before to side-channel analysis.

Development of an electrochemical biosensor with TiN nano-electrode arrays for IL-6 detection

In this study, we developed a novel electrochemical biosensor for detecting IL-6 that uses a nano-electrode array (NEA) fabricated via standard CMOS processing. Miniaturizing the electrodes to the nanoscale and arranging them in an array to form an NEA facilitated the creation of a higher electric field magnitude, compared to that available via the use of microelectrodes, that could be used to improve biosensor sensitivity. Additionally, the array configuration of the NEA aided in providing sufficient reaction sites. Each nano-electrode in the NEA was cylindrically shaped, with a radius of 0.1 µm, and a top layer formed by TiN physical vapor deposition. Each NEA biosensor was divided into four independent banks, with each bank including a set of WE, CE and RE. These banks were capable of independently inputting and outputting electrical signals. This design allowed the NEA biosensor to undergo selective modification by CV input. In this study, we discuss and address material and contamination issues associated with CMOS-produced NEAs and their uses as biosensors. To ameliorate these issues, we stored materials and products in a nitrogen-controlled cabinet and conducted pretreatment cleaning on the electrodes. Both steps had a noticeable impact on the cleanliness of the electrode surfaces. These optimized conditions resulted in a remarkable 96.6 % reduction in Rct. The NEA surface was functionalized by electrochemically grafting diazonium salts subsequently immobilized with anti-IL-6 antibodies via EDC/NHS chemistry. The resulting NEA biosensor demonstrated sufficient sensitivity to rapidly distinguish inflammatory conditions and disease severity. This showcases the potential for using NEA devices mass-produced via standard CMOS processing as electrodes for biosensors.

Data mining for predictive analysis in gynecology: a focus on cervical health

Currently, data mining based on the application of detection of important patterns that allow making decisions according to cervical cancer is a problem that affects women from the age of 24 years and older. For this purpose, the Rapid Miner Studio tool was used for data analysis according to age. To perform this analysis, the knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) methodology was used according to the stages that this methodology follows, such as data selection, data preparation, data mining and evaluation and interpretation. On the other hand, the comparison of methodologies such as the standard intersectoral process for data mining (Crips-dm), KDD and sample, explore, modify, model, evaluate (Semma) is shown, which is separated by dimensions and in each dimension both methodologies are compared. In that sense, a graph was created comparing algorithmic models such as naive Bayes, decision tree, and rule induction. It is concluded that the most outstanding result was -1.424 located in cluster 4 in the attribute result date.

Developing a manual clinical trials screening process in a diverse southern gynecologic oncology practice in the Deep South.

e23209 Background: At this time, there is no standard clinical trial screening process or definition that has been adopted within Gynecologic Oncology. In our low resource, highly diverse Gynecologic Oncology patient population, we sought to create an equitable, adaptable, manual screening process that better reflected our patient population. Our objective is to describe our clinical trial screening process and our success in improving trial enrollment and a matched trial portfolio. Methods: An IRB-approved, QI project was implemented in July 2022 to evaluate trial access for Gyn Onc patients. First, screenable events were defined as: the start of one’s first scheduled visit, bi-monthly tumor boards, weekly pre-op meetings, and by keeping track of on a shared Epic list. Potential patients were those with a screenable event: new patients or diagnoses, regimen changes, progressions, and recurrences. Events were categorized into screen positive or screened no trial available. Screen positives were further categorized as screen fail, screen positive, enrollment failure, or enrolled. Data about patients was collected via weekly research team meetings. Monthly meetings occurred to review progress. This data was compared to trials available, number of patients with trail available, and those that enrolled. Reasons for enrollment fails were tracked to improve access and anticipate barriers. Results: Overall demographic data of patients was collected. The average age of participants was 60.67 years (SD = 13.45), and the average distance to a treatment center was 59.27 miles (SD = 137.43). Other demographics are presented in Table 1. For each month, the percentages of “screen no trial available (SNTA)” events and patients who screened positive and did enroll on trial were recorded. Over time, SNTA rates stayed stable, but enrollment increased. Patient preference accounted for 32.8% of enrollment fails (n = 42), pre-existing symptoms/conditions accounted for 23.4% (n = 30), and distance/location accounted for 21.1% (n = 27). During a time of high employee turnover in the summer months of 2023, there was a rise in enrollment fails due to staffing (n = 6, 4.7%). Conclusions: Through a collaborative quality initiative, we describe an effective process of clearly defining and tracking our patient population and ‘screenable events’ for which all patients are screened and offered trial participation if eligible. We show that we improved understanding of the patient population, built a clinical trial portfolio better matched to population served, exceeded national averages for enrolling patients on trials, and are moving toward improved number eligible over time. [Table: see text]

Objective acuity measures for infusion therapy staffing: A predictive model approach—Phase I.

e13553 Background: Acuity is a measure of the complexity of patient care and an estimate of nursing workload. The use of acuity tools is shown to improve care standards, nurse satisfaction and productivity. Existing acuity tools have barriers to adoption, including increased nursing workload, estimate variations among different nurses and clinical care settings, and poor understanding of validity of acuity measures. We aim to build a predictive model for prospectively determining acuity levels and staffing requirements in infusion therapy to address these gaps. This project will be implemented with a phased approach. Here we describe Phase I, to establish a standard measure and documentation process for acuity, then collect and analyze a large data set to quantify the relationship of acuity scores to selected patient characteristics. Methods: A US Oncology Network nursing committee developed evidence-based guidelines for acuity measurement and documentation in August 2023. Nine sites from four independent, community oncology practices were selected to perform acuity rating and documentation using the developed guidelines. Multiple training sessions on the guidelines were conducted with nurses from selected sites. Nurses documented acuity scores (level 1~6) and start time for patients’ infusion visits in the EHR 8/30/2023 – 11/30/2023. Acuity documentation rates were calculated and provided to each site weekly to gain feedback and engagement. Acuity scores were extracted from the electronic health record using natural language processing. Structured data on potential predictors including patient demographics, performance status, lab, and treatment-related information were also collected. Results: A total of 14,610 infusion room visits (5,139 distinct patients) with documented acuity scores were reported. The acuity documentation rate from each site was consistent by week and ranged 60 – 96%. Table reports prevalence of select features by acuity score. Conclusions: An operational workflow was successfully implemented to collect and analyze acuity scores and relevant features. Features of interest include chemotherapy Cycle 1 Day 1, five or more drugs and highly emetogenic treatment. In Phase II, the collected acuity scores and clinical features will be used to build a predictive model to objectively estimate acuity. Phase III will focus on the deployment of the predictive model to oncology practices. [Table: see text]

Design standardisation and seismic protection of SMRs through modular metafoundations

This paper investigates the seismic protection of the Nuward™ small modular reactor (SMR) building, focusing on design loading and beyond design basis earthquake (bDBE) conditions. The study aims to achieve two primary objectives: i) to enhance seismic mitigation of a SMR building under bDBE conditions, through the use of the innovative modular single-layer (SLM) and multi-layer (MLM) metafoundations (MFs); ii) to effectively standardise and harmonise SMR building designs in locations prone to beyond design basis conditions. To accomplish these goals and demonstrate the protective capabilities of the MFs, the study employs non-linear time-history analyses (NLTHAs) for both DBE and bDBE conditions. Along these lines, a reduced-order model was developed from a refined finite element (FE) model of the SMR building using the Craig-Bampton mode synthesis technique. Then, finite locally resonant modular MFs were designed and analysed using NLTHAs. Specifically, physics-based ground motion models (GMMs) were used to generate and select seismic triplets that mimicked DBE and bDBE scenarios for NLTHAs. Successively to achieve improved seismic performance, the optimization of the MFs was pursued by targeting the optimal number of columns, resonator parameters, and unit cell dimensions. Additionally, the deployment of inerters was considered, to significantly reduce the size of the MFs and enable their application in multiple layers for ultra-low frequency attenuation. The overall findings suggest that modular MFs meet seismic protection requirements, and positively contribute to the standardization process of SMR buildings, even in areas characterized by beyond-design seismic conditions.

The Industrial Fermentation Process and Clostridium Species Used to Produce Biobutanol

The fermentation route for producing biobutanol from renewable plant biomass was used extensively during the last century. The key factors affecting performance in the standard batch industrial fermentation process are highlighted. Four species of Clostridium were utilized for the industrial production of solvents, and although they share many features in common, they also exhibit significant differences. The salient features of the existing industrial species and strains are reviewed. These include their suitability for the type of process and fermentation substrate used. The strains are also assessed with respect to their potential for future applications.

A 65-nm duty-cycle corrector achieving 10% to 90% duty-correction range with [formula omitted]0.86% duty-cycle error

This brief introduces a dual-loop analog duty-cycle corrector (DCC) designed to enhance the in-band phase noise performance of phase-locked loops (PLLs) by achieving precise duty cycle correction over a wide input duty cycle range. The proposed DCC incorporates a duty-cycle adjustor (DCA) within each loop, working in conjunction with a low-pass filter (LPF) and a duty-control amplifier to regulate the feedback control voltage. The feedback control voltage within each loop fine-tunes the timing delay of input pulse, ensuring that the output duty cycle of each loop is adjusted to 50%. Consequently, the proposed DCC demonstrates an expanded duty correction range. The proposed DCC was fabricated in a 65-nm standard CMOS process with an active area of 0.078 mm2. Measurement results validate the efficiency of the proposed DCC in correcting a wide range of input duty cycles (i.e., 10% to 90%) to an output duty cycle of 50% with a maximum duty cycle error of <0.86% for an input clock frequency ranging from 1 MHz to 100 MHz. To further showcase its effectiveness, the duty-corrected clock was supplied to a commercially available PLL (ADF4351). This demonstrated a noteworthy reduction of approximately 19 dB in reference spurs and a 10 dBc/Hz in the in-band phase noise.

Contribution of salting on the safety assurance of artisanal “Bagaces” cheese, a Mesoamerican firm dry-salted unripe cheese

The efficacy of salting to ensure the safety of “Bagaces” cheese was assessed. Six producers with different processing practices were visited to develop a standard processing protocol for “Bagaces” cheese making. The effect of two different salting methods (brine or dry direct salting) and two cheese geometries (block or cubes) were assessed on product pH, water activity (Aw) and salt content. Both cheese geometry and salting method significantly influence the salting kinetics (p = 0.0027 and p = 0.0187, respectively), yet based on the physicochemical properties measured and its influence on pathogens growth based on previous studies, salting may not guarantee the safety of the final product as a critical measure of control since the growth of reference pathogens is likely to occur. Therefore, milk pasteurization, refrigeration during cheese storage and distribution, and strict application of good manufacturing practices are required for the safety assurance of this artisanal Mesoamerican cheese.

Tuning Electrode Work Function and Surface Energy for Solution Shearing High-Performance Organic Field-Effect Transistors.

A bottom-contact organic field-effect transistor (OFET) is easily adaptable to the standard lithography process because the contact electrodes are deposited before the organic semiconductor (OSC). However, the low surface energy of bare electrodes limits utilizing solution-processed single-crystal OSCs. Additionally, the bare electrode usually leads to a significant charge injection barrier, owing to its relatively low work function (WF). Here, we simultaneously improved the surface energy and WF of gold electrodes by conducting oxygen plasma treatment to achieve high-performance OFET based on solution-processed organic single crystals. We cultivated a thin layer of gold oxide on Au electrodes to increase the WF by ∼0.7 eV. The surface energy of Au electrodes was enhanced to the same as AlOx dielectric surface, enabling the seamless growth of large-area C8-BTBT (2,7-dioctyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene) organic single-crystal thin films via solution shearing. This technique facilitates the production of high-performance OFETs with the highest carrier mobility of 6.7 cm2 V-1 s-1 and sharp switching characterized by a subthreshold swing of 63.6 mV dec-1. The bottom-contact OFETs exhibited a lower contact resistance of 1.19 kΩ cm than its F4-TCNQ-doped top-contact control device. This method offers a straightforward and effective strategy for producing high-quality single-crystal OFETs, which are potentially suitable for commercial applications.

Effect of polymer crosslinking to the failure behavior of thermoplastic composite remelting interface: Molecular dynamics simulation and experimental verification

AbstractThe forming interface is the weak link of thermoplastic composite complex structures. To explore the effect of polymer crosslinking on the failure behavior of thermoplastic composite remelting interface using “Preforming + Remelting bonding” process, the all‐atom models of different types of interfaces were established, and a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was conducted on the uniaxial tensile failure process of the remelting interface. The failure behavior of the remelting interface with different preforming processes was tested to verify the correctness of MD simulation, and the influencing mechanism of polymer crosslinking reactions in the preforming stage to the remelting interface properties was clarified. The results showed that the yield stress of the uncrosslinked interface reaches 283.2 MPa and 16.0% and 50.6% higher than that of the unilateral and bilateral crosslinked interfaces respectively. The polymer crosslinking reaction during the preforming stage will reduce the interlaminar bonding performance. The interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of the uncrosslinked interface is 87.46 MPa and 7.21% and 27.36% higher than that of the unilateral and bilateral crosslinked interface respectively, and only 3.95% lower than that of the non‐remelting sample formed by standard process. This research provides a new approach for predicting and analyzing the effect of polymer crosslinking on remelting interface properties of thermoplastic composite using “Preforming + Remelting bonding” process.Highlights The failure behavior of different thermoplastic composite remelting interfaces was studied. MD simulation was conducted on the uniaxial tensile failure process of the remelting interface. The influencing mechanism of polymer crosslinking reactions in the preforming stage to the remelting interface properties was clarified. It is effective to explore the failure mechanism of thermoplastic remelting interface by MD simulation.

Halal food sustainable traceability framework for the meat processing industry

Purpose This study aims to propose a framework for Halal Food Sustainable Traceability, with the purpose of investigating the implementation of traceability and sustainability within organizations operating in the halal food industry as well as exploring the impact of these practices on organizational performance. This study examines the meat processing sector in Indonesia, focusing on medium to large-scale industrial operations. The rationale for this investigation stems from Indonesia’s substantial potential in the competitive worldwide halal food industry. Design/methodology/approach The research framework has been developed by an extensive review of relevant literature, with a specific emphasis on the cycle of the halal food sustainable traceability framework. This cycle encompasses four key stages, including the roles played by authorities, the process of standardization, the implementation phase and the importance of collaboration. The study analyses and validates data using partial least square-structural equation modeling and empirically tests the theoretical framework using 109 Indonesian halal food industry data. Findings The research identifies potential obstacles and difficulties that may arise during different phases of the halal food sustainable traceability framework. Concerns regarding authority, standardization, implementation and collaboration are among these. In addition, strategies for overcoming these obstacles are deliberated upon, including knowledge sharing, transparency, ongoing reporting and strategic collaboration. Originality/value The present study introduces a Halal Sustainable Traceability Framework that incorporates the principles of halal, traceability, sustainability and their effects on organizational performance. This study offers significant perspectives on the difficulties and resolutions pertaining to the traceability and sustainability of halal food in Indonesia.

Method of Calculating the Operational Reliability of Standard Process Systems

Method of Calculating the Operational Reliability of Standard Process Systems

A Programmable Ambient Light Sensor with Dark Current Compensation and Wide Dynamic Range.

Ambient light sensors are becoming increasingly popular due to their effectiveness in extending the battery life of portable electronic devices. However, conventional ambient light sensors are large in area and small in dynamic range, and they do not take into account the effects caused due to a dark current. To address the above problems, a programmable ambient light sensor with dark current compensation and a wide dynamic range is proposed in this paper. The proposed ambient light sensor exhibits a low current power consumption of only 7.7 µA in dark environments, and it operates across a wide voltage range (2-5 V) and temperature range (-40-80 °C). It senses ambient light and provides an output current proportional to the ambient light intensity, with built-in dark current compensation to effectively suppress the effects of a dark current. It provides a wide dynamic range over the entire operating temperature range with three selectable output-current gain modes. The proposed ambient light sensor was designed and fabricated using a 0.18 µm standard CMOS process, and the effective area of the chip is 663 µm × 652 µm. The effectiveness of the circuit was verified through testing, making it highly suitable for portable electronic products and fluorescent fiber-optic temperature sensors.