System analysis in rotorcraft design: The past decade

Rapid advances in the technology of electronic digital computers and the need for an integrated synthesis approach in developing future rotorcraft programs has led to increased emphasis on system analysis techniques in rotorcraft design. The task in systems analysis is to deal with complex, interdependent, and conflicting requirements in a structured manner so rational and objective decisions can be made. Whether the results are wisdom or rubbish depends upon the validity and sometimes more importantly, the consistency of the inputs, the correctness of the analysis, and a sensible choice of measures of effectiveness to draw conclusions. In rotorcraft design this means combining design requirements, technology assessment, sensitivity analysis and reviews techniques currently in use by NASA and Army organizations in developing research programs and vehicle specifications for rotorcraft. These procedures span simple graphical approaches to comprehensive analysis on large mainframe computers. Examples of recent applications to military and civil missions are highlighted

Participant views on involvement in a trial of social recovery cognitive behaviour therapy

Background The PRODIGY trial (Prevention of long term social disability amongst young people with emerging psychological difficulties, ISRCTN47998710) is a pilot trial of social recovery cognitive behaviour therapy (SRCBT). Aims The PRODIGY qualitative substudy aimed to (a) explore individual experiences of participating in the pilot randomised, controlled trial (recruitment, randomisation, assessment) andinitial views of therapy, and (b) to explore perceived benefits of taking part in research v. ethical concerns and potential risks. Method Qualitative investigation using semi-structured interviews with thematic analysis. Results Analysis revealed participant experiences around the key themes of acceptability, disclosure, practicalities, altruism and engagement. Conclusions Participants in both trial arms perceived themselves as gaining benefits from being involved in the study, above and beyond the intervention. This has implications for the design of future research and services for this client group, highlighting the importance of being flexible and an individualised approach as key engagement tools

The assessment needs to go hand-in-hand with the debriefing: the importance of a structured coaching debriefing in understanding and applying a positive psychology strengths assessment

Objectives: Despite extensive empirical evidence supporting the use of strengths, minimal research has been conducted on the practical application of strengths tools. The objective of this study was to test the impact of a structured debriefing following completion of Realise2, an online strengths assessment, in relation to strengths application (Linley, Willars & Biswas-Diener, 2010). Design: The study utilised a qualitative design. Semi-structured interviews were employed and thematic analysis was used to identify themes representing the participant’s experience (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Method: The 20 participants were a mixture of middle and senior managers from a global travel organisation. All participants completed the Realise2 strengths assessment and a structured debriefing with a qualified coach. Following the debriefing, each participant completed a semi-structured interview to determine how the debriefing impacted their understanding and utilisation of the assessment findings. Results: The results show that the debriefing was associated with engendering action, enhancing selfefficacy and stimulating psychological development. Conclusions: The study found that all 20 participants benefited from having a structured debriefing after completing a strengths assessment. The debriefing led to a greater understanding and utilisation of the strengths assessment. This pairing has practical implications for those involved in strengths-based coaching and development. In addition, limitations of the study are discussed and areas for future research suggested

Designing a reading literacy curriculum for secondary school students in Egypt

The key contribution of this research is to produce a proposal for a reading literacy curriculum design (RLCD) for secondary school students (15-17 year-old) in Egypt. This proposal includes four major components: targets, assessment, instruction, and content. Two complementary dimensions are investigated: the theoretical analysis (the researcher’s perspective based upon analysis of reading literacy research) and the fieldwork (the empirical study using a questionnaire for teachers and supervisors and a semi-structured interview for other professionals). Those two dimensions are charted through seven chapters and introduction to and conclusion of these chapters. Following an introduction to the research problem, purposes, questions, structure, rationale, and parameters, the successive focus of these chapters is on: - Clarifying the Egyptian context in terms of education system, culture of learning, critical analysis of the actual reading situation and how all of these elements reveal the gap between 'what is' and 'what ought to be' in RLCD in the secondary school in Egypt (Chapter one);- Reading literacy theory: the concept of reading literacy, dimensions, and models and how these can be used a baseline for RLCD (Chapter two);- Theoretical analysis of reading literacy targets and assessment, the first two components of RLCD (Chapter three);- Theoretical analysis of reading literacy instruction and content, the other two components of RLCD (Chapter four);- Research methodology, where survey design was employed and mixed methods were used: a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. The major aim was to collect data to find out if the practitioners (i.e. secondary school teachers and supervisors) and other professionals (i.e. specialists in curriculum and instruction) in Egypt agree with the reading literacy research (chapter five);- Data analysis, where a descriptive statistical analysis was conducted for data provided by the questionnaire and a cross-sectional or code and retrieve analysis strategy was applied for data provided by the semi-structured interview. Results indicated that the practitioners' perceptions on the questionnaire and the professionals' answers in the semi-structured interview supported what was revealed by the theoretical analysis regarding RLCD. This suggests that the proposed RLCD is a practical proposition and it is timely to do it. It also raises the confidence in RLCD by triangulation of data by using the questionnaire for the practitioners and the semi-structured interview for other professionals and relating all of this to literature analysis (Chapter six);-Developing the proposal (RLCD): its scope, framework, and components: targets, assessment, instruction, and content. The researcher combines all sources of data: the theoretical analysis, the questionnaire data, and the semi-structured interview data (Chapter seven).The conclusion of the research is introduced. It presents a summary of the research and most importantly, it provides a summary of the contribution of the present research to reading literacy curriculum in theory and practice. Deriving from its results, some recommendations for practice and further research are made and a closing reflective epilogue on the research and the researcher is provided

Involvement, self-reported knowledge and ways in which clinicians learn about assessment in the clinical years of a medical curriculum

Background. Medical students in their clinical years are assessed by clinician educators (CEs) with different levels of involvement and responsibilities in the assessment process.Objective. To obtain a better understanding from CEs of their involvement in assessment activities in the clinical years of a medical degree programme, their self-reported knowledge of assessment and methods of learning about assessment. This study also explored the potential association between involvement in assessment activities, self-reported knowledge of assessment and employment profile.Methods. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among CEs involved in assessment of an undergraduate medical programme (years 4 - 6) at a South African university.Results. Fifty-four CEs were contacted and 30 responses (56%) were received. Assessment responsibilities included design of assessment instruments, participation in assessment activities and quality assurance of assessments. The top five assessment activities that CEs were involved in were conducting objective structured practical examinations (OSPEs)/objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), designing multiple-choice questions, being a clinical examiner, conducting portfolio-based oral examinations and marking written assessments. CEs (≥80%) reported having some knowledge of formative and summative assessment, and of validity and reliability. Fewer CEs reported knowledge of constructive alignment, standard setting, item analysis and blueprinting. CEs acquired knowledge of assessment predominantly through informal methods such as practical experience and informal discussion rather than through formal education processes such as attending courses.Conclusions. CEs participated extensively in assessment, but their knowledge with regard to assessment concepts varied

Design Limits in Regime-Switching Cases

This paper characterizes the derivation and the assessment of design limits in the case of a regime-switching economy. The object of the analysis on design limits is to derive the restrictions on how feedback rules, the Taylor-type rules typically used in monetary economics, affect the frequency fluctuations underlying the state variable of interest. We extend the analysis in a structured context of model uncertainty where the uncertainty is described by the presence of different potential models whose probability of occurrence and switching is given by a known and ergodic Markov Chain transition matrix. The presence of switching modifies the characteristics of design limits in two main aspects. First, when the optimal variance minimizing rule is chosen, frequency specific restrictions appear more or less stringent with the respect to the linear case depending on the probability of switching: the higher it is, the worst is the performance in terms of frequency-specific fluctuations. Second, contrary to the linear case, design limits are also affected by the policy rule so that their role switches from a constraint to an externality that the policymaker may want to take into account.Design Limits, Stabilization policy, Regime switching, Model Uncertainty

Technical Guide for the Analysis of Microenterprise Financial Institutions

The purpose of this technical guide is to provide a standard format for the analysis of institutions that provide financial services to the microenterprise sector. The technical guide outlines the appropriate techniques and scope of analysis for evaluating and designing programs of support to specialized financial institutions. The analytical techniques presented in this guide are structured to facilitate the process of institutional analysis and project design represented in the diagram below. The analytical framework applied in this technical guide is comprised of two basic components. The first part of the analysis, described in chapters 1 through 5, is dedicated to deriving a series of quantitative performance indicators that measure the performance of the institution. The investigation begins with an analysis of financial performance in order to derive general indicators regarding the sustainability of the institution. Credit operations are then analyzed in order to identify sources of inefficiency. The investigation concludes with an assessment of the impact of the credit services on the institution's clients.Social Development, Financial Sector, Microbusinesses & Microfinance, Microenterprise Finance Institutions

Mathematics Curricula and Their Impact on Students\u27 Mathematic Achievement

There is a broad consensus across the political spectrum on the need for K-12 education reform. The Obama administration focused on early childhood programs, common standards, charter schools, and more effective teachers. As school districts align curriculum and teaching practices with common core standards, standards-based mathematics programs are replacing traditional curriculum. The purpose of this study was to examine different types of curricula used to teach mathematics and its impact on student academic achievement. This research study analyzed the results of the 2013 Fourth Grade Mathematics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Variables were developed from responses to school surveys that are part of this dataset. Variables used were the school reported use of curriculum in the classroom. The participants in this study consist of fourth grade mathematics students across the United States, including English Language Learners (Ells), both male and female, attending public and private schools. The research design of this study was a non- experimental cross-sectional explanatory design (Johnson, 2001) that used a multiple regression analysis to measure the relationship of the predictive variables (commercially designed math curriculum, math curriculum structured by teacher discretion, math curriculum structured by state standards, math curriculum structured by district standards) and the dependent variable of student achievement on the 2013 NAEP mathematics assessment in 4th grade. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between fourth grade, 2013 NAEP mathematics test scores and four different types of mathematics curricula. The selection of curriculum materials was an important undertaking. The significance of this study is to provide information concerning the effects of curricula on student mathematics achievement

The role of ENT surgeons in snoring assessment : some prospective preliminary evidence

Objectives: To determine (i) the prevalence of unsuspected upper aerodigestive tract disease in snorers, (ii) the diagnostic yield of routine flexible endoscopy and (iii) the relationship between symptoms of upper aerodigestive tract disease and examination findings in snorers. Design: Prospective analytical cohort study. Setting: Snoring clinic in Secondary Care Otolaryngologycentre. Participants: Ninety-three patients referred with disruptive snoring.Main outcome measures: A structured history ofupper aerodigestive tract symptoms was obtained byclinic interview. All patients underwent detailed ENTexamination. Univariate analysis was undertaken on data collected. Results: The prevalence of oropharyngeal and laryngealpathology in the cohort was 3%. No unsuspected upper aerodigestive tract pathology was found on routineflexible endoscopy. A history of Hard Nasal Symptoms was an accurate predictor of underlying nasal pathology. Conclusion: The authors propose that the detailed examination of snorers by ENT specialists is unnecessary in the absence of Hard Nasal Symptoms, hoarseness orpain. We propose that a system of triage based on patient history could help identify the minority of snorers who require specialist assessment

Studying changes in the practice of two teachers developing assessment for learning

This paper describes changes in the practice of two teachers, observed over an eighteen month period, who were participating in a study intended to support teachers in developing their use of assessment in support of learning. The design of the intervention allowed each teacher to choose for themselves which aspects of their practice to develop. Analysis of lesson observations, journal entries and interviews indicate that both teachers were keen to change their practice, but were concerned about the disruption to their established routines, and in particular about the potential for loss of control of their classes. Both teachers did effect significant changes in their classrooms, but these tended to be developments of existing preferred ways of working, rather than radical innovations. In conclusion, it is suggested that to be most effective, teacher professional development needs to be structured strongly enough to afford teacher growth, but flexible enough to allow different teachers to take their practice in different ways