Quality Assurance and Quality Control Processes for a Large-Scale Bicycle and Pedestrian Volume Data Program

2017 ◽  
Vol 2644 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristy N. Jackson ◽  
Sarah Worth O’Brien ◽  
Sarah E. Searcy ◽  
Shannon E. Warchol
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Quality Control ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Volume Data ◽  
Quality Of Data ◽  
The North ◽  
Hourly Data ◽  
Data Program

Phase 1 of North Carolina’s Non-Motorized Volume Data Program (NMVDP) was conducted in the North Carolina Department of Transportation Divisions 7 and 9 in the Triad–Piedmont region of North Carolina. Continuous count stations (CCSs) were installed to monitor bicyclist and pedestrian traffic at 12 locations and began collecting data in late 2014. These stations covered a mix of sites across different land uses, travel patterns, and volume groups. Sites performed automated detection of pedestrians on sidewalks, bicycles and pedestrians on shared-use paths, bicycles in bicycle lanes, bicycles on sidewalks, and bicycles in mixed traffic. This paper summarizes the programmatic elements developed and implemented to select, install, and ensure high data quality for the 12 CCSs. These elements include agency coordination, site selection, equipment procurement and setup, equipment validation, equipment maintenance, data handling, quality assurance and quality control checks, and data reporting and analysis. After piloting this program in one region, the research team identified several changes to test when the NMVDP was expanded to a new region of the state to improve the quality of data collected: conduct weekly inspections of the data and perform validation to promptly identify maintenance issues, investigate the development of hourly data checks to implement, use a simpler interquartile range check, and consider developing automation to check data.

Enhancements in Fracturing Fluid Engineering Reawakens a North Sea Giant

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asif Hoq ◽  
Yann Caline ◽  
Erik Jakobsen ◽  
Neil Wood ◽  
Rob Stolpman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
High Shear ◽  
Testing Procedures ◽  
Coiled Tubing ◽  
The North ◽  
Track Record ◽  
Enhanced Production ◽  
The North Sea

Abstract The Valhall field, operated by AkerBP, has been a major hub in the North Sea, on stream for thirty-eight years and recently passed one billion barrels of oil produced. The field requires stimulation for economical production. Mechanically strong formations are acid stimulated, while weaker formations require large tip-screenout design proppant fractures. Fracture deployment methods on Valhall have remained relatively unchanged since the nineties and are currently referred to as "conventional". Those consist in a sequence of placing a proppant frac, cleaning out the well with coiled tubing, opening a sleeve or shooting perforations, then coil pulling out of hole pumping the proppant frac. For the past few years, AkerBP and their service partners have worked on qualifying an adapted version of the annular coiled tubing fracturing practice for the offshore infrastructure - a first for the industry, which has been a strategic priority for the operator as it significantly reduces execution time and accelerates production. As with all technology trials, the implementation of this practice on Valhall had to begin on a learning curve through various forms of challenges. Whilst investigating the cause and frequency of premature screenouts during the initial implementation of annular fracturing, the team decided to challenge the conventional standards for fluid testing and quality control. Carefully engineered adjustments were made with regards to high shear testing conditions, temperature modelling, and mixing sequences, these did not only identify the root cause for the unexpected screenouts, but also helped create the current blueprint for engineering a robust fluid. Since the deployment of the redefined recipe, adjusted testing procedures and changes made to the stimulation vessel, there have not been any cases of fluid induced screenouts during the executions. The fewer types of additives now required for the recipe have lowered the cost of treatments and the lower gel loading leads to reduced damage in the fractures, thereby contributing to enhanced production over the lifetime of the wells. This paper describes the investigation, findings and the resulting changes made to the fluid formulation and quality control procedures to accommodate for high shear and dynamic wellbore temperature conditions. It discusses the rationale behind the "reality" testing model and, proves that significant value is created from investing time in thoroughly understanding fluid behaviour in the lab, prior to pumping it on large-scale capital-intensive operations. The study demonstrated that there is always value in innovating or challenging pre-conceived practices, and the learnings from this investigation significantly improved the track record for annular fracturing on Valhall, redefined fluid engineering for the North Sea and will inform future annular fracturing deployments on other offshore assets around the world.

scholarly journals MinION Analysis and Reference Consortium: Phase 1 data release and analysis

F1000Research ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 1075 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camilla L.C. Ip ◽  
Matthew Loose ◽  
John R. Tyson ◽  
Mariateresa de Cesare ◽  
Bonnie L. Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Public Access ◽  
Quality Of Data ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Oxford Nanopore ◽  
Access Programme ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Consistency Rate

The advent of a miniaturized DNA sequencing device with a high-throughput contextual sequencing capability embodies the next generation of large scale sequencing tools. The MinION™ Access Programme (MAP) was initiated by Oxford Nanopore Technologies™ in April 2014, giving public access to their USB-attached miniature sequencing device. The MinION Analysis and Reference Consortium (MARC) was formed by a subset of MAP participants, with the aim of evaluating and providing standard protocols and reference data to the community. Envisaged as a multi-phased project, this study provides the global community with the Phase 1 data from MARC, where the reproducibility of the performance of the MinION was evaluated at multiple sites. Five laboratories on two continents generated data using a control strain of Escherichia coli K-12, preparing and sequencing samples according to a revised ONT protocol. Here, we provide the details of the protocol used, along with a preliminary analysis of the characteristics of typical runs including the consistency, rate, volume and quality of data produced. Further analysis of the Phase 1 data presented here, and additional experiments in Phase 2 of E. coli from MARC are already underway to identify ways to improve and enhance MinION performance.

scholarly journals Simulation and Projection of Circulations Associated with Atmospheric Rivers along the North American Northeast Coast

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (13) ◽  
pp. 5673-5695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huang-Hsiung Hsu ◽  
Ying-Ting Chen
Keyword(s):  
North American ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory ◽  
Pressure System ◽  
Atmospheric Rivers ◽  
The North ◽  
Basin Scale ◽  
Hourly Data ◽  
Northeast Coast

AbstractTorrential rainfall occurring along the North American northeast coast (NANC) in summer and autumn is accompanied by strong atmospheric rivers (ARs), which efficiently transport abundant moisture along a narrow-stretched path associated with a low pressure system. In this study, an autodetection method was used to identify ARs that reached the NANC, based on the 6-hourly data of the ERA-Interim reanalysis conducted by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, in summer and autumn from 1979 to 2016. Stronger ARs tended to occur in the eastern flank of a cyclonic anomaly that covered the entire North American east coast from Florida to Newfoundland, with a positive precipitation anomaly over the NANC. The cyclonic anomalies and precipitation in autumn were stronger but less frequent than those in summer. Cyclonic anomalies were parts of westward-tilting wavelike circulation perturbations moving into North America from the extratropical North Pacific and moving continuously eastward, reaching the east coast in approximately five days. The Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) High-Resolution Atmospheric Model (HiRAM), which realistically simulates the occurrence frequency and key characteristics of ARs in current climatic conditions, was used to project the AR activity and corresponding circulations in the future warmer climate under the representative concentration pathway 8.5 scenario. The HiRAM that was driven by sea surface temperature changes projected an overall increase in the occurrence of stronger ARs in both summer and autumn and the precipitation strength in autumn along the NANC by the end of the twenty-first century. This projected enhancement was contributed to by two processes—a smaller contribution was from the weakened basin-scale North Atlantic anticyclone but with higher moisture content, and a larger contribution was from the enhancement in anomalous circulation during AR events with integrated vapor transport exceeding the 75th percentile. These results suggest that the influence of strong ARs on the NANC may increase in the warmer future due to the combination of increased water vapor in the large-scale environment (thermodynamic effect) and enhanced anomalous circulations (dynamic effect). The AR-associated circulations in autumn were also projected to have a stronger tropical connection in the warmer future.

scholarly journals A Proposal for Six Sigma Integration for Large-Scale Production of Penicillin G and Subsequent Conversion to 6-APA

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anirban Nandi ◽  
Sharadwata Pan ◽  
Ravichandra Potumarthi ◽  
Michael K. Danquah ◽  
Indira P. Sarethy
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Mass Production ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Penicillin G ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Large Scale Production ◽  
Subsequent Conversion ◽  
Six Sigma Methodology

Six Sigma methodology has been successfully applied to daily operations by several leading global private firms including GE and Motorola, to leverage their net profits. Comparatively, limited studies have been conducted to find out whether this highly successful methodology can be applied to research and development (R&D). In the current study, we have reviewed and proposed a process for a probable integration of Six Sigma methodology to large-scale production of Penicillin G and its subsequent conversion to 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA). It is anticipated that the important aspects of quality control and quality assurance will highly benefit from the integration of Six Sigma methodology in mass production of Penicillin G and/or its conversion to 6-APA.

Interviewer effects in multicultural, multinational and multiregional surveys

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 278-289
Author(s):  
Kristen Cibelli Hibben ◽  
Beth-Ellen Pennell ◽  
Lesli Scott
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Interviewer Effects ◽  
Continuous Quality ◽  
General Relevance ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
International Assessment ◽  
Cross National

Purpose At the invitation of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), this paper aims to examine advances in survey interviewer monitoring and make recommendations on minimizing the effect of interviewers on survey results. Design/methodology/approach The authors first provide an overview of the most recent literature on interviewer effects, quality assurance and quality control. Here, they draw upon recent publications such as the cross-cultural survey guidelines (www.ccsg.isr.umich.edu) and newly published or in-press material specifically addressing these issues in multicultural, multinational and multiregional (3MC) contexts. Findings The authors discuss trends and innovations in quality assurance and quality control in 3MC studies and draw upon examples from international surveys that are using cutting-edge and innovative approaches to monitor interviewer behavior and minimize interviewer effects. Originality/value With a view to continuous quality improvement, the authors conclude with concrete recommendations for PIAAC to consider for the next cycle. Many of the recommendations have general relevance for other large-scale cross-national surveys.

Geology of the Nemo Lakes belt, northern Valhalla Range, southeast British Columbia

1981 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 944-958 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randall R. Parrish
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Normal Fault ◽  
Columbia River ◽  
Ultramafic Rocks ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Metasedimentary Rocks ◽  
The North ◽  
Gneiss Complex

High-grade metasedimentary rocks, probably of both early Paleozoic and late Paleozoic – Triassic ages, underlie an area termed the Nemo Lakes belt between Slocan and Arrow Lakes in the northern Valhalla Range, southeastern British Columbia. The rocks have experienced two possibly related periods of major folding. Phase 1, accompanied and outlasted by metamorphism at P–T conditions of 5.0–6.8 kbar (500–680 MPa) and 630–680 °C, involved emplacement of ultramafic rocks, major faulting, and folding. Phase 2 involved large-scale inclined to upright folds which were dominantly south-verging, deforming the phase 1 fabric. Both phases probably occurred in the Middle to Late Jurassic, as part of the Columbian Orogeny.Rocks lithologically and structurally similar to those of the Nemo Lakes belt are found across the Rodd Creek fault near the Columbia River and extend the general continuity of the belt into the Shuswap metamorphic complex.Plutonic rocks, some of which bracket the movement on the Rodd Creek fault, the southern extension of the Columbia River fault zone, range in age from Middle Jurassic to EoceneIn the valley of Slocan Lake, a major normal fault is postulated on structural and metamorphic grounds and may be related to the north–south arching of the Valhalla gneiss complex. It is suggested that this arching and uplift, which followed phase 2 deformation, produced both the fault and a zone of cataclasis on the eastern side of the complex, and gave rise to its domal shape.

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