Modelling Extreme Wave Overtopping at Aberystwyth Promenade

The work presents a methodology to assess the coastal impacts during a storm event which caused significant damage along the promenade at Aberystwyth, Wales on the 3 January 2014. Overtopping was analysed in detail for a section of promenade by downscaling offshore wave conditions to force a surf zone hydrodynamic model, NEWRANS. Overtopping discharges are computed and were in qualitative agreement with published discharges for the level of damage observed along the promenade. Peak storm conditions were observed to arrive just before and during high tide at Aberystwyth, which in addition to a storm surge and wave-setup, contributed to the damage observed. A high frequency of overtopping occurs during peak high tide, with overtopping also occurring in the hour leading up to and following high tide. Finally, comparisons to design methods for the estimation of overtopping discharge were made. Current empirical formulae underestimated the peak overtopping event at high tide. The methodology applied is generic and applicable to any location

Enhancing education activities for health care trainees and professionals using audience response systems: a systematic review

Introduction: This review examines the effect of incorporating clickers within practice-based education sessions on educational outcomes of health care trainees and professionals. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted on primary research studies published up until August 2014. Studies were identified by database searching (Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsychInfo), citation searching, and reference list checking. Studies were restricted to those evaluating the use of clickers as part of the provision of postgraduate education or continuing education programs and were evaluated according to Kirkpatrick's four levels of training evaluation (reaction, learning, behavior, and results). Results: Seventeen studies met the eligibility criteria. Twelve studies assessed learner and/or speaker reactions, with feedback overwhelmingly positive in all studies. Reported learner benefits included increased attentiveness, engagement, and enjoyment of presentations. Speakers reported that using clickers engaged the audience and assisted in assessing audience comprehension. Eight studies assessed learning outcomes. Higher level evidence obtained from four randomized studies demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge with the use of clickers compared with traditional didactic presentations, but no differences when clickers were compared with an interactive lecture with integrated questions. No studies adequately assessed higher level educational outcomes (behavior and results). Conclusion: Although the use of clickers improves learning environment and learner satisfaction, the limited high-quality data for improvements in learning and behavior outcomes make it uncertain whether the acceptance and implementation of clickers within routine practice-based education programs are warranted at this stage.Luke E. Grzeskowiak, Alice E. Thomas, Josephine To, Adam J. Phillips, Emily Reev

The structure of the Silurian rocks of the Malvern and Abberley Hills, Worcestershire

This thesis is an account of the structure of the Silurian rocks lying to the vest of the Malvern and Abberley Hills, but it has been impossible to confine interests to the Silurian rocks alone, since many of the answers to the structures lie within the neighbouring formations. Therefore, this thesis also concerns itself, in a lesser degree, with other associated problems. The area described lies between Great Witley in the north and Hereford Beacon in the south, a distance of 16 3/4 miles, and occupies the Ordnance Survey 6 inch maps: Worcestershire Sheet XX. S.E. Worcestershire Sheet XXXII S.W. “ “ “ XXVII N.E. “ “ “ XXXIX N.E “ “ “ XXVII S.E. “ “ “ XXXIX S.E, “ “ “ XXXII N.E. “ “ “ XLVI N.E. “ “ “ XXXII S.E. “ “ “ XLVI S.E. The thesis is in three parts. Part I is the text, Part II includes sketch maps, sections, diagrams and photographs illustrating Part I and the last part contains geological maps on the scale 6 inches to 1 mile. Part I is written in two sections, the first deals with the stratigraphy of the area and the second, the main part of the thesis, is concerned with the structure and the structural history of this district. Abbreviations and symbols used on the maps and sections are those found in the "Standard Legend, Geological Department* of The Shell Petroleum Company Limited

Scaling behaviour near jamming in random sequential adsorption

For the random Sequential adsorption model, we introduce the ‘availability’ as a new variable corresponding to the number of available locations in which an adsorbate can be accommodated. We investigate the relation of the availability to the coverage of the adsorbent surface over time. Power law scaling between the two is obtained both through numerical simulations and analytical techniques for both one- and two- dimensional random sequential adsorption, as well as in the case of competitive random sequential adsorption in one dimension

Known-groups validity of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) in adolescents and young adults with special healthcare needs

To examine known-groups validity of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) Short Forms (SFs) for adolescents and young adults with special health care needs (SHCN) using data collected from the PROMIS Linking Study

An item-level response shift study on the change of health state with the rating of asthma-specific quality of life: a report from the PROMIS® Pediatric Asthma Study

To examine item-level response shift associated with the change in asthma-related health state (i.e., change in asthma control status and global rating of change (GRC) in breathing problems)

Responsiveness to Change in PROMIS

AbstractObjectiveTo compare the responsiveness to change of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) asthma impact, pain interference, fatigue, depressive symptoms, mobility, and peer relationship scales to a legacy scale, the Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ).MethodsTwo hundred and twenty-nine child-parent dyads from public insurance programs were enrolled. PROMIS pediatric short forms (SFs) and the PAQLQ were used to measure health-related quality of life across four time points (T1–T4) over 2 years. The Asthma Control and Communication Instrument was used to measure the change in asthma control, and the Global Rating of Change (GRC) Index for breathing problems and overall health was used to measure the change in health status. Responsiveness was tested by comparing the changes in health-related quality of life with the changes in asthma control and health status over time using t tests, generalized estimating equations, and relative validity approaches. Magnitudes of the responsiveness between the Pediatric PROMIS and PAQLQ were assessed through statistical significance, Cohen's d effect size (ES), and standardized response mean (SRM).ResultsThe PROMIS asthma impact scale and all PAQLQ scales exhibited significant responsiveness (p'sConclusionsThe PROMIS asthma impact SF indicated similar responsiveness to the PAQLQ scales. Due to its brevity and responsiveness, the PROMIS asthma impact SF is useful for clinical practice or research

Continuum Surface Energy from a Lattice Model

We investigate connections between the continuum and atomistic descriptions of deformable crystals, using certain interesting results from number theory. The energy of a deformed crystal is calculated in the context of a lattice model with general binary interactions in two dimensions. A new bond counting approach is used, which reduces the problem to the lattice point problem of number theory. The main contribution is an explicit formula for the surface energy density as a function of the deformation gradient and boundary normal. The result is valid for a large class of domains, including faceted (polygonal) shapes and regions with piecewise smooth boundaries.Comment: V. 1: 10 pages, no fig's. V 2: 23 pages, no figures. Misprints corrected. Section 3 added, (new results). Intro expanded, refs added.V 3: 26 pages. Abstract changed. Section 2 split into 2. Section (4) added material. V 4, 28 pages, Intro rewritten. Changes in Sec.5 (presentation only). Refs added.V 5,intro changed V.6 address reviewer's comment

Longitudinal associations among asthma control, sleep problems, and health-related quality of life in children with asthma: a report from the PROMIS® Pediatric Asthma Study

Few studies have investigated the complex relationship among asthma control, sleep problems, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among children with asthma. This study aimed to test the longitudinal effect of asthma control status on asthma-specific HRQOL through the mechanism of nighttime sleep quality and daytime sleepiness