Heat pipes for wing leading edges of hypersonic vehicles

Wing leading edge heat pipes were conceptually designed for three types of vehicle: an entry research vehicle, aero-space plane, and advanced shuttle. A full scale, internally instrumented sodium/Hastelloy X heat pipe was successfully designed and fabricated for the advanced shuttle application. The 69.4 inch long heat pipe reduces peak leading edge temperatures from 3500 F to 1800 F. It is internally instrumented with thermocouples and pressure transducers to measure sodium vapor qualities. Large thermal gradients and consequently large thermal stresses, which have the potential of limiting heat pipe life, were predicted to occur during startup. A test stand and test plan were developed for subsequent testing of this heat pipe. Heat pipe manufacturing technology was advanced during this program, including the development of an innovative technique for wick installation

Implementation of advanced practice nursing for orthopaedic patients in the emergency care context – A study protocol for outcome studies

Aim. To evaluate the implementation of advanced practice nursing in emergency care in Norway for patients with orthopedic injuries, including hip fractures. The outcomes relate to quality of care and patient trust. Design. A non-inferiority study comparing an advanced practice nursing care model with a standard (physician-led) care model. Methods. Data will be collected from patient records and through the Patient Trust Questionnaire, completed by patients. The data will be analysed by descriptive and inferential statistics. Funding for the research was granted in 2015 and the regional ethical committee approved the current study in February 2019. Discussion. In Norway and the other Nordic countries, advanced practice nursing is still in its infancy, especially in the emergency care context. This study will evaluate advanced practice nursing in this new context. Impact. The study will add to knowledge on the quality of care provided for orthopedic patients with minor orthopedic injuries or hip fractures as delivered by advanced practice nurses and physicians, respectively. It will also evaluate how well advanced practice nursing is accepted by patients in this new context

Implementation of advanced practice nursing for minor orthopedic injuries in the emergency care context – a non-inferiority study

Aims To evaluate the implementation of advanced practice nursing for patients with minor orthopedic injuries, including comparison of outcomes in relation to advanced practice nurse versus standard (physician-led) care models. Design A non-inferiority study was performed in an emergency department in Norway, where advanced practice nursing is in an initial stage of implementation. The non-inferiority design was chosen to test whether the new advanced practice nursing model does not compromise quality of care compared to the standard care model already in use. Methods Patients with minor orthopedic injuries were assessed and treated by either advanced practice nursing or standard (physician-led) care models. Participating patients were assigned to the professional available at presentation. In the nursing model, registered nurses worked at an advanced level/applied advanced practice nursing following in-house-training. Senior orthopedic specialists evaluated the diagnostic and treatment accuracy in both models. Data were collected in a tool developed for this study, from May to October, 2019. Results In total, 335 cases were included, of which 167 (49.9 %) were assessed and treated in the nursing model. Overall, correct diagnosis was found in 97.3 % (n = 326) of the cases, and correct treatment was found in 91.3 % (n = 306) of the cases. In comparison of missed diagnosis between advanced practice nurse and the standard (physician-led) care model showed inconclusive results (risk ratio: 0.29, 95% CI: 0.06-1.36). In comparison of treatment outcomes, the results showed that the advanced practice nursing model was non-inferior (risk ratio: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.21-0.97). Conclusion Advanced practice nursing care models can be used to diagnose and treat minor orthopedic injuries without compromising quality of care. Further implementation of the advanced practice nurse care model is encouraged

Electron-lattice relaxation, and soliton structures and their interactions in polyenes

Density matrix renormalisation group calculations of a suitably parametrised model of long polyenes (polyacetylene oligomers), which incorporates both long range Coulomb interactions and adiabatic lattice relaxation, are presented. The triplet and 2Ag states are found to have a 2-soliton and 4-soliton form, respectively, both with large relaxation energies. The 1Bu state forms an exciton-polaron and has a very small relaxation energy. The relaxed energy of the 2Ag state lies below that of the 1Bu state. The soliton/anti-soliton pairs are bound.Comment: RevTeX, 5 pages, 4 eps figures included using epsf. To appear in Physical Review Letters. Fig. 1 fixed u

The Lesser Antillean Iguana on St. Eustatius: 2012 status update and review of limiting factors

The endangered Lesser Antillean Iguana, Iguana delicatissima, is an emblematic species for the island of St. Eustatius and in Caribbean Netherlands it is only found on St. Eustatius. In this study we conducted an extensive population survey for the iguana and compared densities in different areas to densities documented most recently in 2004. Iguana encounter rates and densities in natural habitat were highest for the region where the northern hills abut onto the central plain. Island-wide, those areas provide the best combination of sun, shelter, food and potential for nesting sites. The population of the Lower Town sector, indicated in 2004 as the most dense and promising subpopulation, has all but disappeared. Island-wide, the residential estate subdivisions remains the second-most important area for the iguan