NDE: An effective approach to improved reliability and safety. A technology survey

Technical abstracts are presented for about 100 significant documents relating to nondestructive testing of aircraft structures or related structural testing and the reliability of the more commonly used evaluation methods. Particular attention is directed toward acoustic emission; liquid penetrant; magnetic particle; ultrasonics; eddy current; and radiography. The introduction of the report includes an overview of the state-of-the-art represented in the documents that have been abstracted

Effectiveness of spacecraft testing programs

The need for testing under simulated mission operational conditions is discussed and the results of such tests are reviewed from the point of view of the user. A brief overview of the usal test sequences for high reliability long life spacecraft is presented and the effectiveness of the testing program is analyzed in terms of the defects which are discovered by such tests. The need for automation, innovative mechanical test procedures, and design for testability is discussed

Property-Based Testing - The ProTest Project

The ProTest project is an FP7 STREP on property based testing. The purpose of the project is to develop software engineering approaches to improve reliability of service-oriented networks; support fault-finding and diagnosis based on specified properties of the system. And to do so we will build automated tools that will generate and run tests, monitor execution at run-time, and log events for analysis. The Erlang / Open Telecom Platform has been chosen as our initial implementation vehicle due to its robustness and reliability within the telecoms sector. It is noted for its success in the ATM telecoms switches by Ericsson, one of the project partners, as well as for multiple other uses such as in facebook, yahoo etc. In this paper we provide an overview of the project goals, as well as detailing initial progress in developing property based testing techniques and tools for the concurrent functional programming language Erlang

Small Explorer Data System MIL-STD-1773 fiber optic bus

The MIL-STD-1773 Fiber Optic Data Bus as implemented in the GSFC Small Explorer Data System (SEDS) for the Small Explorer Program is described. It provides an overview of the SEDS MIL-STD-1773 bus components system design considerations, reliability figures, acceptance and qualification testing requirements, radiation requirements and tests, error handling considerations, and component heritage. The first mission using the bus will be launched in June of 1992

Paving the Roadway for Safety of Automated Vehicles: An Empirical Study on Testing Challenges

The technology in the area of automated vehicles is gaining speed and promises many advantages. However, with the recent introduction of conditionally automated driving, we have also seen accidents. Test protocols for both, conditionally automated (e.g., on highways) and automated vehicles do not exist yet and leave researchers and practitioners with different challenges. For instance, current test procedures do not suffice for fully automated vehicles, which are supposed to be completely in charge for the driving task and have no driver as a back up. This paper presents current challenges of testing the functionality and safety of automated vehicles derived from conducting focus groups and interviews with 26 participants from five countries having a background related to testing automotive safety-related topics.We provide an overview of the state-of-practice of testing active safety features as well as challenges that needs to be addressed in the future to ensure safety for automated vehicles. The major challenges identified through the interviews and focus groups, enriched by literature on this topic are related to 1) virtual testing and simulation, 2) safety, reliability, and quality, 3) sensors and sensor models, 4) required scenario complexity and amount of test cases, and 5) handover of responsibility between the driver and the vehicle.Comment: 8 page

Developments in Validity Research in Second Language Performance Testing

The present paper aims to provide a short historical overview of the theoretical developments in validity research in second language performance testing. A comparative description and critical evaluation of different views such as the “Trinitarian approach” versus the construct validity model; “uniform approach,” versus “unified approach” as well as alternative and critical approaches to validation in L2 performance testing are presented. These various theoretical approaches are introduced in terms of their definitions of the validity concept, their suggested requirements for the validity research, and their attitudes towards reliability and theory while making interpretations of test scores. The paper also focuses on the current problems with the applicability of these theoretical approaches, and discusses future directions in validity research.  Key words: Second language assessment, performance assessment, validity, reliability, validity researc

Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Population Health Concepts

Overview Study Designs Overview Epidemiology and Biostatistics Vocabulary Review Reliability, Variability, and Bias Diagnostic Testing and Measures of Association Population Health Evidence Based Medicine Interpreting and Evaluating Literature Clinical Decision Makin

The implications of a newly developed oral test in Business English: Are we heading in the right direction?

The paper presents an overview of the testing and assessment standardization process at the Language Centre of Masaryk University. It exemplifies the process by analysing a two-year development of the C1 Business English oral test administered to students at the Faculty of Economics and Administration (FEA), which resulted in the formation of a completely new testing procedure. The transition from the original teacher–student interview format to a monological discourse and a peer-to-peer discussion, with the roles of the interlocutor and rater split between two teachers using analytic rating scales to evaluate performance, is described, along with its implications on the validity and reliability of assessment. Students’ perception of the test importance is also examined. The second part deals with the analysis of a questionnaire on feedback collected from students taking the test in Spring 2014. The preliminary look into the merit of the efforts exerted indicates a noticeable enhancement in quality, reliability, validity and prestige of the oral test.

The implications of a newly developed oral test in Business English: Are we heading in the right direction?

The paper presents an overview of the testing and assessment standardization process at the Language Centre of Masaryk University. It exemplifies the process by analysing a two-year development of the C1 Business English oral test administered to students at the Faculty of Economics and Administration (FEA), which resulted in the formation of a completely new testing procedure. The transition from the original teacher–student interview format to a monological discourse and a peer-to-peer discussion, with the roles of the interlocutor and rater split between two teachers using analytic rating scales to evaluate performance, is described, along with its implications on the validity and reliability of assessment. Students’ perception of the test importance is also examined. The second part deals with the analysis of a questionnaire on feedback collected from students taking the test in Spring 2014. The preliminary look into the merit of the efforts exerted indicates a noticeable enhancement in quality, reliability, validity and prestige of the oral test.Příspěvek představí proces standardizace hodnocení jazykových kompetencí studentů Masarykovy univerzity, konkrétně vývoj ústní části zkoušky obchodní angličtiny na úrovni C1 na Ekonomicko-správní fakultě. Druhá část analyzuje dotazník pro zpětnou vazbu, vyplněný studenty, kteří zkoušku absolvovali na jaře 2014. Předběžné hodnocení celé této snahy naznačuje, že se jedná o posun směrem k vyšší kvalitě, spolehlivosti, validitě i prestiži ústní části zkoušky.The paper presents an overview of the testing and assessment standardization process at the Language Centre of Masaryk University. It exemplifies the process by analysing a two-year development of the C1 Business English oral test administered to students at the Faculty of Economics and Administration (FEA), which resulted in the formation of a completely new testing procedure. The transition from the original teacher–student interview format to a monological discourse and a peer-to-peer discussion, with the roles of the interlocutor and rater split between two teachers using analytic rating scales to evaluate performance, is described, along with its implications on the validity and reliability of assessment. Students’ perception of the test importance is also examined. The second part deals with the analysis of a questionnaire on feedback collected from students taking the test in Spring 2014. The preliminary look into the merit of the efforts exerted indicates a noticeable enhancement in quality, reliability, validity and prestige of the oral test

The value of automated follicle volume measurements in IVF/ICSI

Background/Aims: The objective of this literature study is to investigate the place of recent software technology sonography-based automated volume count (SonoAVC) for the automatic measurement of follicular volumes in IVF/ICSI. Its advantages and disadvantages and potential future developments are evaluated. Methods: A total of 74 articles were read via a PubMed literature study.The literature study included 53 articles, 32 of which for the systematic review. Results: The SonoAVC software shows excellent accuracy. Comparing the technology with the “golden standard” two-dimensional (2D) manual follicle measurements, SonoAVC leads to a significantly lower intra- and inter-observer variability. However, there is no significant difference in clinical outcome (pregnancy rate).We noted a significant advantage in the time gained, both for doctor and patient. By storing the images, the technology offers the possibility of including a quality control and continuous training and further standardization of follicular monitoring can be expected. Ovarian reserve testing by measuring the antral follicle count with SonoAVC is highly reliable. Conclusion: This overview of previously published literature shows how SonoAVC offers advantages for clinical practice, without losing any accuracy or reliability. Doctors should be motivated to the general use of follicular volumes instead of follicular diameters