Engineering topics

Zia, Sidra

Publications and source records attributed to Zia, Sidra.

4 records

DOE OSTI2022

Alternative Technologies Meta Study Report

Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) was tasked to conduct a meta-study to assess peer-reviewed published, in-vivo murine, radiation biology studies that utilize X-ray irradiators. The study is intended to support a more general effort to facilitate the adoption of X-ray technologies to identify best practices that can be implemented by potential adopters, or those who are still unfamiliar with X-ray technology. The meta-study identified over 450 published papers in the last four years (September 2017 through August 2021). The review builds upon the more extensive meta-study published by the Draeger Report (June 2019) and facilitates a more recent assessment of methodological practices in the use of X-ray irradiators.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

DOE OSTI2022

Alternative Technologies Adopters Outreach Survey Report

Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), in collaboration with Ioanna Iliopulos and Christopher Boyd (independent contractors), conducted quantitative and qualitative surveys to document views and opinions of scientists and researchers with firsthand experience operating x-ray devices for a wide range of research applications. The goal of the study was to fill critical information gaps and identify misconceptions widely held among the research community regarding the transition from Cesium-137 irradiators to x-ray devices. The survey instrument focused on three distinct yet interrelated areas that impact users' experience: operational impacts, including infrastructure needs, workflow, personnel management, and training, and regulatory compliance; research design and investigation impacts, including calibration, dosimetry, continuity of previous studies, development of new research agendas, and the outcomes for both; and funding impacts, specifically how grant sources and opportunities have responded to the transition.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2022

Safeguards Knowledge Repository Users' Manual

This document provides instructions for the use of the Safeguards Knowledge Repository (SKR). SKR was developed through a multi-laboratory collaboration funded by the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration's Office of International Nuclear Safeguards (NA-241).

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL P↗

DOE OSTI2021

Enhancing the Useability of the IAEA's Physical Model: An Analysis of User Feedback

This study presents the results of Physical Model user interviews conducted with 12 people who have International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards experience. The goal of this report is to provide additional context for policy makers when prioritizing the needs of the IAEA regarding support for enhancements to the Physical Model. The interviews covered the general usability of the Physical Model, its effectiveness as a technical reference, and the scope and utility of the Physical Model's indicators and content. The key conclusions from these interviews are as follows: 1) The Physical Model is difficult to find and not well advertised. 2) The Physical Model can be difficult to use due to its format, which makes searching for information difficult, and lack of visual content. Therefore, the Physical Model should be supported in multiple formats (print, PDF, web) to maximize its usability for different stakeholders. 3) The scope of the Physical Model's content and indicators is likely sufficient, and translating indicators into other languages is unlikely to be worth the effort. 4) Despite its inefficiencies and other issues, the Physical Model in its current form is a vital (albeit under-utilized) resource for key stakeholders. 5) Despite its broad use case the Physical Model is not a catch-all tool and force-fitting the Physical Model into functions for which it has not been designed for would likely diminish its value. 6) It can be difficult to disentangle challenges related to the Physical Model and its usability from broader challenges at the Agency, such as general issues with communication and coordination. Based on these conclusions and considering the results of past studies on the Physical Model funded by NA-241, the analysis team developed a list of recommendations and associated actions for IAEA consideration. These recommendations are prioritized based on the assessed level of difficulty for the IAEA to implement a recommendation, emphasizing low hanging fruit then building to more ambitious changes to the Physical Model's format and content.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗