801 research outputs found

    Organizational Design for Spill Containment in Deepwater Drilling Operations in the Gulf of Mexico: Assessment of the Marine Well Containment Company (MWCC)

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    The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010 led to the deaths of 11 workers, a six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling in the Gulf, and nearly three months of massive engineering and logistics efforts to stop the spill. The series of failures before the well was finally capped and the spill contained revealed an inability to deal effectively with a well in deepwater and ultradeepwater. Ensuring that containment capabilities are adequate for drilling operations at these depths is therefore a salient challenge for government and industry. In this paper we assess the Marine Well Containment Company (MWCC), a consortium aimed at designing and building a system capable of containing future deepwater spills in the Gulf. We also consider alternatives for long-term readiness for deepwater spill containment. We focus on the roles of liability and regulation as determinants of readiness and the adequacy of incentives for technological innovation in oil spill containment technology to keep pace with advances in deepwater drilling capability. Liability and regulation can significantly influence the strength of these incentives. In addition, we discuss appropriate governance structure as a major determinant of the effectiveness of MWCC.oil spill, containment, industry R&D, liability, regulation, governance, innovation

    Psychometric Properties of Standardized Patient and Faculty Rater\u27s Evaluations of Pre-Licensure Nursing Student Competencies

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    The use of simulation as a teaching modality has been rooted in the military, aviation, space, and engineering for centuries (Bradley, 2006). Clinical simulation allows for training of healthcare providers that might be too costly, risky, or hazardous in the clinical setting (Bradley, 2006). A variety of simulation modalities are used including virtual learning, task trainers, mannequins, and standardized patients (SPs). External demands for improved accountability of clinical performance is requiring nursing educators to reevaluate methods of teaching and how we measure nursing competence (Nehring & Lashley, 2010). Standardized patients have been used in medical school curricula to teach and evaluate clinical competence of medical students for decades (Boulet, 2008). Even though SP programs are used and well-researched in medical schools, the majority of nursing schools have adopted high-fidelity mannequin simulation programs (Sanford, 2010). Standardized patients contribute to increased realism by exposing students to a real patient with opportunities to practice compassionate and empathetic communication skills and receive feedback on how to fine-tune their bedside manner. The capacity to provide compassionate care is the heart and soul of nursing practice as identified by American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the National League of Nursing (Rhodes, Morris, & Lazenby, 2011). SP reliability and validity are well established within medical education, reporting 88-92% agreement on checklists between SPs and faculty. Competency checklists in pre- licensure registered nursing curricula have not been accompanied with equally rigorous psychometric evaluation thus it is unclear whether SP utility in nursing is equivalent to medical education. This study examines the inter-rater reliability and percent agreement of standardized patients and faculty checklist scores when evaluating pre-licensure nursing students. Data analysis of SP and faculty scores found significant agreement (94%-98%) as seen in medical education decades ago. Low internal consistency measures and moderate kappa scores suggest additional research is needed working with multi-site, large sample sizes using the same methodology, cases, and checklists. Nursing programs primarily using mannequins have not been able to realize the potential of using SPs, not only in the evaluation of competence, but also in laying the foundation of practicing and reflecting on humanistic care

    Can Power from Space Compete?

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    Satellite solar power (SSP) has been suggested as an alternative to terrestrial energy resources for electricity generation. In this study, we consider the market for electricity from the present to 2020, roughly the year when many experts expect SSP to be technically achievable. We identify several key challenges for SSP in competing with conventional electricity generation in developed and developing countries, discuss the role of market and economic analysis as technical development of SSP continues during the coming years, and suggest future research directions to improve understanding of the potential economic viability of SSP.

    Identifying experiences of supportive care of children and young people affected by kidney failure: a qualitative systematic review.

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    Children and young people affected by kidney failure experience complexities in their care. Little is known about the unique needs of this young patient population group living with a long-term condition. A meta-aggregation of all qualitative studies was conducted to identify experiences of supportive care among children and young people living with kidney failure. A systematic review of qualitative studies was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute meta-aggregation method. This review has been reported according to the PRISMA statement guidelines. Six electronic databases (CINAHL, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Proquest, PsycINFO, and Scopus) were comprehensively searched by an expert systematic review librarian using keywords and subject headings, from inception to September 2022. All studies were accessed using a predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Methodological quality assessment and data extraction performed. Qualitative findings accompanied by illustrative quotes from included studies were extracted and grouped into categories which created the overall synthesised findings. A total of 34 studies were included in this review representing a total of 613 children and young people affected by kidney failure. There was a total of 190 findings which created 13 categories representing experiences of supportive care. The meta-aggregation developed five synthesised findings namely: 'physical needs', 'information and technology', 'treatment and healthcare', 'social needs' and 'psychological impacts'. This systematic review identified that children and young people affected by kidney failure can experience a range of unmet supportive care needs in routine clinical services. Kidney failure impacted children and young people's self-identify, social and peer networks, introduced daily practical needs because of inherent physical and psychological burden due to the failure and associated treatments. Despite improvements in the medical management of kidney failure in children and young people, further attention is needed to optimise supported self-management in this young patient group
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