Software computer-based applications

In reviewing software developed in association with nuclear science and technology programs, or directed to the solution of research and engineering problems in the nuclear field, one is struck with the pervasiveness of these efforts. The software discussion up to this point has been concerned with developments which are generally regarded as systems software, as opposed to applications. The final section of this software review takes a look at selected computer-based applications. The intent is not to describe software developed for the solution of specific reactor physics, nuclear science and... 

Although each of the commercially available computer-based vibration monitoring systems has unique features and formats, the information contained in this chapter is applicable to all of the systems. However, the manual provided by the vendor should be used in conjunction with this chapter to ensure proper use of the microprocessor-based data collection analyzer and the computer-based software. 

A survey of computer use in university courses has been carried out by Miles and Francis 149). Due to poor response rate of a Web-based questionnaire, the findings were skewed toward those faculty members who were using computers in their course. The most widely used application among the respondents was the spreadsheet, while the use of molecular modeling, and symbolic mathematics software lagged behind. The authors recommended that teachers should develop more computer-based activities, exploit fully the Web resources, and transfer effectively technical skills. They also provided a list of relevant Web sites, but in the time elapsed since that publication, the currently available Web material must be greatly enhanced, both in terms of number of materials available and in terms of quality of content. 

Although not yet available, it is likely that Web-based performance testing systems will become available in the near future. Web-based systems will permit selected tasks to be presented on computers equipped with appropriate Web browser software. Hardware requirements include Internet access and appropriate memory and software to support Web-based applications. Depending on the design of the Web-based system, it is could be possible to tailor the specific tasks presented for the performance testing system from a menu of options. Alternatively, testing systems consisting of a standardized array of tasks can also be chosen. As such, the start-up costs of Web-based systems should be lower than with personal or handheld computer systems. Subject identification, date, and time can be recorded at the start of a test, and data from multiple subjects and test occasions can be stored in a central file for easy access to the data. 

Uhe Protein Data Bank is described fully in F. C. Bernstein, T. F. Koetzle, G. J. B. Williams, E. F. Meyer, Jr., M. D. Brice, J. R. Rodgers, O. Kennard, T. Shimanouchi, and M. Tasume, The Protein Data Bank A computer-based archival file for macromolecular structures, J. Mol. Biol. 112, 535-542, 1977, and E. E. Abola, F. C. Bernstein, S. H. Bryant, T. F. Koetzle, and J. Weng, "Protein Data Bank," in F. H. Allen, F. Bergerhoff, and R. Sievers, eds., Crystallographic Database—Information Content, Software Systems, Scientific Applications, Data Commission of the International Union of Crystallography, Bonn-Cambridge-Chester, 1987, pp. 107-132. 

Many early PBPK modeling efforts were based on the Simusolv software, and support for this seems not readily available at the present time. More recently the ACSL and Berkeley Madonna (University of California, Berkley, CA) have become more widely used. In addition to these computer software packages, Haddad et al. [35] demonstrated the application of a spreadsheet program to support a PBPK model, and Trent University (Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, updated 2003) made available a spreadsheet program to run PBPK models. Further there are several computer-assisted applications, several as freeware, to perform pharmacokinetic analyses and interpret in vitro enzyme kinetic data (see Chapter 3). 

Contributions that are relevant to our work can be identified in various research areas. The direct, fine-grained process support relates to approaches from the areas of computer-based process support and tool integration. For experience-based reuse, research results about traceability and reuse support infrastructures from the disciplines of software and chemical engineering are applicable. 

A document called "The Engineers Responsibility for Computer Based Decisions" (17a), published by the Institution of Chemical Engineers, recommends triple redundancy - with voting - for software in "critical" applications. 

At the outset it was clear that the development of a computer-based instrument and the use of a surrogate compound (tracer) would make the method much more complex than the traditional approach. Thus, the study has extended over several years, involving both laboratory and field tests. Appropriate fluorescent tracers were first screened, and their chemical and environmental characteristics studied. Simultaneously, the video image processing system was designed and tested. Software was then developed to run the system, and evaluation and quantification procedures established. Finally, the system was taken into the field to study applicators conducting routine spraying operations. 

The assessment and qualification of software for computer based systems important to safety requires (as e g. in lEC 60880) a set of detailed documents according to the development steps of the software life cycle. For pre-developed software the amount of documentation available and its detail will not be sufficient in most cases. On the other hand, the pre-developed software may have been operating in many applications, and it should be possible to evaluate this operating experience to demonstrate dependability. 

This invaluable resource provides a crucial introduction to mathematical methods for engineering and helps in choosing a suitable software package for computer-based algebraic applications. 

It is clear that there has previously been no accepted standard approach to solid/liquid equipment selection. With the now widespread availability of personal computers, however, the development of computer software is an ideal way to solve the problem of equipment selection. While rule-based expert systems appeared to provide the optimum solution at first, it became apparent to some researchers that inherent restrictions would prevent their widespread application. Thus, interactive personal computer software, partly based on an expert system approach, was developed to corrrmercial standards (i.e. p -SELECT, Tarleton and Wakeman, 1991 see also Wakeman and Tarletorr, 1991a) and further adapted for incorporation within FDS (Filter Design Software, 2005). The philosophies, charts, tables and knowledge used are described in the remainder of this section. 

AppHcation stations. These separate computers run appHcation software such as databases, spreadsheets, financial software, and simulation software via on OPC interface. OPC is an acronym for object finking and embedding for process control, a software architecture based on standard interfaces. These stations can be used for e-mail and as webservers, for remote diagnosis, configuration, and even for operation of devices that have an IP (Internet protocol) address. Applications stations can communicate with the main database contained in on-fine mass storage systems. 

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