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Improved system integration for integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) systems.

Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) systems are a promising technology for power generation. They include an air separation unit (ASU), a gasification system, and a gas turbine combined cycle power block, and feature competitive efficiency and lower emissions compared to conventional power generation technology. IGCC systems are not yet in widespread commercial use and opportunities remain to improve system feasibility via improved process integration. A process simulation model was developed for IGCC systems with alternative types of ASU and gas turbine integration. The model is applied to evaluate integration schemes involving nitrogen injection, air extraction, and combinations of both, as well as different ASU pressure levels. The optimal nitrogen injection only case in combination with an elevated pressure ASU had the highest efficiency and power output and approximately the lowest emissions per unit output of all cases considered, and thus is a recommended design option. The optimal combination of air extraction coupled with nitrogen injection had slightly worse efficiency, power output, and emissions than the optimal nitrogen injection only case. Air extraction alone typically produced lower efficiency, lower power output, and higher emissions than all other cases. The recommended nitrogen injection only case is estimated to provide annualized cost savings compared to a nonintegrated design. Process simulation modeling is shown to be a useful tool for evaluation and screening of technology options.

Gases↗

Expert systems integrated with information systems.

Amongst the users of the AIDA applications there is a rapidly growing interest in the use of expert systems, not as independent systems, but as logical extensions of their already existing information systems. In this paper a prototype system (IDEA) will be described that consists of a set of utilities for the construction of an expert system within the context of an AIDA application. Although IDEA does not excel in sophisticated knowledge representations nor in search strategies (the development of which was not our primary concern) it is able to demonstrate that the facilities provided by AIDA together with the IDEA facilities result in an expert system which is characterized by a high degree of integration with the already operational information system.

Artificial Intelligence↗

Identifying transcriptional regulatory sites in the human genome using an integrated system.

This work develops an integrated system which, after a set of genes are inputted, is able to predict transcriptional regulatory sites and to detect the co-occurrence of these regulatory sites. The system integrates several site detection methods such as known site matching, over-presented oligonucleotide detection and DNA motif discovery programs. User profiles and history pages enable users to trace the sequence analyses of these transcriptional regulatory sites. Two groups of co-regulated genes were used to test the proposed system. The results predicted by the proposed system consist of known site homologs and putative regulatory sites. By comparing these sites with previously published results, the proposed system is able to help biologists identify possible candidates for the regulatory sites from groups of co-regulated genes. The integrated system is now available at http://rgsminer. csie.ncu.edu.tw/.

Databases, Nucleic Acid↗

The difference between interfaced and integrated systems.

The definitions of an "integrated system" and an "interfaced system" are unclear. Consequently, purchasers and developers of systems are often unable to judge the degree to which a system is integrated. This paper presents definitions of integrated systems and interfaced systems, describes the differences between the two, and reviews resulting conclusions.

Computer Systems↗

Service systems integration and outcomes for mentally ill homeless persons in the ACCESS program. Access to Community Care and Effective Services and Supports.

OBJECTIVE: The authors evaluated the second of the two core questions around which the ACCESS (Access to Community Care and Effective Services and Supports) evaluation was designed: Does better integration of service systems improve the treatment outcomes of homeless persons with severe mental illness? METHODS: The ACCESS program provided technical support and about $250,000 a year for four years to nine sites to implement strategies to promote systems integration. These sites, along with nine comparison sites, also received funds to support outreach and assertive community treatment programs to assist 100 clients a year at each site. Outcome data were obtained at baseline and three and 12 months later from 7,055 clients across four annual cohorts at all sites. RESULTS: Clients at all sites demonstrated improvement in outcome measures. However, the clients at the experimental sites showed no greater improvement on measures of mental health or housing outcomes across the four cohorts than those at the comparison sites. More extensive implementation of systems integration strategies was unrelated to these outcomes. However, clients of sites that became more integrated, regardless of the degree of implementation or whether the sites were experimental sites or comparison sites, had progressively better housing outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions designed to increase the level of systems integration in the ACCESS demonstration did not result in better client outcomes.

Community Mental Health Services↗

Integrated systems reassess strategies.

Integrated health care delivery systems are reassessing their strategies and goals in light of recent experience. The latest data on HMOs suggests more are at least partially owned by integrated systems and hospitals and that integrated systems' hospitals are gaining market share, writes Donald E. L. Johnson.

Contract Services↗

Systems integration.

The paper presents a view of systems integration, from an ergonomics/human factors perspective, emphasising the process of systems integration as is carried out by humans. The first section discusses some of the fundamental issues in systems integration, such as the significance of systems boundaries, systems lifecycle and systems entropy, issues arising from complexity, the implications of systems immortality, and so on. The next section outlines various generic processes for executing systems integration, to act as guides for practitioners. These address both the design of the system to be integrated and the preparation of the wider system in which the integration will occur. Then the next section outlines some of the human-specific issues that would need to be addressed in such processes; for example, indeterminacy and incompleteness, the prediction of human reliability, workload issues, extended situation awareness, and knowledge lifecycle management. For all of these, suggestions and further readings are proposed. Finally, the conclusions section reiterates in condensed form the major issues arising from the above.

Algorithms↗

A new site-specific integration system for mycobacteria.

Site-specific integration into the mycobacterial chromosome can produce stable transformants useful for understanding pathogenesis. However, gene expression can be problematic at certain sites of integration. We have used the Streptomyces phiC31 integration system to integrate vector DNA into Mycobacterium smegmatis, M. bovis BCG, and M. tuberculosis through site-specific recombination. A single dominant insertion site was found in M. smegmatis, as previously reported. Three different insertion sites were found in M. bovis BCG. In M. smegmatis, integrated vectors appear to be far more stable than episomal plasmids during unselected passage in vitro, although excision products are detectable. Plasmids based on the phiC31 integration system could make useful tools for the study of mycobacterial genetics.

BCG Vaccine↗

Enhanced secretion of human nerve growth factor from Saccharomyces cerevisiae using an advanced delta-integration system.

We have designed an advanced delta-integration system (integration of genes into the delta-sequence of yeast retrotransposon Ty) and used it for secretion of human nerve growth factor (hNGF) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The expression and secretion of hNGF was directed by the PGK promoter and MF alpha 1 prepro-signal. Using two selectable markers (URA3 and leu2-d), haploid yeast strains were constructed with approximately 20 copies of a delta-integrated hNGF expression cassette on four chromosomes. The strain secreted hNGF at levels 3-4 fold higher than a 2 micron-based plasmid. Northern and Western analyses revealed that the oversecretion was caused by an increased amount of mRNA. We also detected an unusual processing of the MF alpha 1 prepro-hNGF fusion protein that required the pep4 mutation. Application of this system for industrial purposes is discussed.

Biotechnology↗

Development of an integral system test for image-guided radiotherapy.

An integral system test was developed to determine the precision and accuracy of an image-guided radiotherapy system involving an x-ray volumetric imaging device mounted onto the gantry of a medical linear accelerator. The test was designed to interrogate the system components as a whole without deconstructing the individual sources of error. The integral system test was based on the imaging of an unambiguous stationary object in the treatment position and so took no account of patient related errors. An array of micromosfets interspersed within slices of a tissue equivalent phantom was developed as an imaging test object. It has previously been demonstrated that micromosfets have a very small active volume, are clearly visible on CT images, and produce no significant artifacts. In addition, the active volume of the micromosfets can be accurately inferred radiographically via the use of x-ray volumetric imaging. X-ray volumetric imaging was performed with the object in the treatment position, then reconstructed and transferred to a treatment planning system. With the phantom remaining undisturbed in the treatment position a series of treatment fields were designed to produce a series of fields with the leaf edge sweeping across active volume of the micromosfets. The fields were delivered with a micro-MLC to dosimetrically verify the position of the mosfets and compare with dose values produced by the treatment planning system. It was demonstrated that the systematic gantry flex could be accounted for by the imaging and delivery systems. For the delivery system small changes in leaf positions of the micro-MLC were required to account for gantry flex. The position of the micromosfets determined by the 50% dose position was on average (0.15+/-0.13) mm away from the position determined radiographically for the x and y axes, and (1.0+/-0.14) mm for the z axis. This implies that a margin of approximately 0.2 mm in the axial plane and 1.0 mm in the superior-inferior plane would be required at the delineation stage to ensure coverage of a tumor volume to account purely for imprecision in the image-guided radiotherapy system. The integral system test demonstrated that the image-guided radiotherapy system is capable, in the absence of patient motion, of imaging an object in the treatment position and delivering dose to that object with submillimeter accuracy.

Equipment Design↗

Conceptualizing and measuring integration: findings from the health systems integration study.

Given the pressures for health care reform, interest in the concept of integrated or organized delivery systems as a means to offer more coordinated cost-effective care is growing. This article has two primary objectives: (1) to clarify the different types of integration associated with the notion of an organized delivery system, and (2) to share the results from an ongoing study of 12 organized delivery systems. The findings indicate a moderate level of integration overall, particularly in the areas of culture, financial planning, and strategic planning. The study found that corporate staff respondents perceive their systems to be more integrated and effective than do operating unit managers, and that some functional integration areas are positively associated with both physician-system and clinical integration that, in turn, are positively related to each other. Overall, perceived integration was found to be positively associated with perceived effectiveness.

Administrative Personnel↗

Functional requirements for IT support for nursing information systems integrated in electronic healthcare record systems (EHCRS).

This paper focuses on the functional requirements that support the activities performed by healthcare professionals, i.e. functions performed in the healthcare enterprise which result in requirements for IT support. The emphasis is on IT support for nursing activities as a part of general IT support for the whole care process realized through EHCRS. We argue that a standard for functionality (including user interface and functions supporting information security) would benefit manufacturers by giving them a well-defined target to aim for and give purchasers and users of EHCRS a foundation on which to base their specifications. Quality would be enhanced by ensuring that all EHCRS contained a standard core functionality and were compliant with basic structural requirements. To get a comprehensive list of requirements to ensure that EHCRS with IT support for nursing activities serve as an aid to the process of care it is essential that nurses get directly involved in the process of defining the requirements. In this paper we also give some examples of requirements that are candidates for standardisation.

Confidentiality↗

Providing rehabilitation integrated systems using existing rehabilitation technology.

Achieving appropriate integration of control of multiple assistance devices for an individual is currently limited by available integrated systems. An overview of the provision process for Rehabilitation Integrated Systems (RIS) is presented which stresses the need for detailed assessment of the individual's abilities and requirements. A software system is described which integrates existing assistive applications on a PC in an attempt to provide a flexible RIS which can be tailored more precisely to an individual. This has required the use of both DOS and Windows applications and highlighted problems due to limitations of existing RISs, despite user requirements being taken fully into account. While Windows offers the opportunity to remove some compatibility problems, it is concluded that interfacing standards for both software and hardware are necessary to overcome the problems this approach engenders. For individuals who have to use 'intrinsically slow' user interfaces, it is identified that (i) the availability of quantitative comparisons of efficiency of selection methods and (ii) increased choice of selection methods is important.

Biomedical Engineering↗

The integrated system's view.

Truly integrated systems in public sector settings have been few, and most of us are operating in uncharted waters. However, we can embark on this new effort with some eagerness and confidence that collaboration will contribute significantly to the care of our mutual patients.

Health Maintenance Organizations↗

Rationale for a model of human systems integration: the need of a theoretical framework.

Human systems integration (HSI) involves augmented human design with the objectives of augmenting human capabilities and improving human performance using behavioral technologies. The fundamental matter of human systems integration and augmented human design is the organization and the nature of interactions that couple physiological systems, humans- and engineered systems, artifacts. By this definition, augmented human consists of interactive artefacts linked to physiological systems. This paper focuses on the rationale of a HSI model based on specific experiments (comparison of dynamical sensorimotor integration and motor performances in real and virtual environments) that confirm the hypothesis of functional interaction in the framework of Chauvet's mathematical theory of integrative physiology (MTIP). Epistemological constraints for HSI and the role of MTIP are briefly discussed in this context.

Adult↗

Service delivery and community: social capital, service systems integration, and outcomes among homeless persons with severe mental illness.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the influence of features of community social environment and service system integration on service use, housing, and clinical outcomes among homeless people with serious mental illness. STUDY SETTING: A one-year observational outcome study was conducted of homeless people with serious mental illness at 18 sites. DATA SOURCES: Measures of community social environment (e.g., social capital) were based on local surveys and voting records. Housing affordability was assessed with housing survey data. Service system integration was assessed through interviews with key informants at each site to document interorganizational transactions. Standardized clinical measures were used to assess clinical and housing outcomes in face-to-face interviews. RESEARCH DESIGN: Structural equation modeling was used to determine the relationship between (1) characteristics of the social environment (social capital, housing affordability); (2) the level of integration of the service system for persons who are homeless in each community; (3) access to and use of services by individual clients; and (4) successful exit from homelessness or clinical improvement. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Social capital was associated with greater service systems integration, which was associated in turn with greater access to assistance from a public housing agency and to a greater probability of exiting from homelessness at 12 months. Housing affordability also predicted exit from homelessness. Neither environmental factors nor systems integration predicted outcomes for psychiatric problems, substance abuse, employment, physical health, or income support. CONCLUSION: Community social capital and service system integration are related through a series of direct and indirect pathways with better housing outcomes but not with superior clinical outcomes for homeless people with mental illness. Implications for designing improved service systems are discussed.

Case Management↗