Flight Measurements of the Flying Qualities of a Lockheed P-80A Airplane (Army No. 44-85099) - Stalling Characteristics

This report contains the flight-test results of the stalling characteristics measured during the flying-qualities investigation of the Lockheed P-8OA airplane (Army No. 44-85099). The tests were conducted in straight and turning flight with and without wing-tip tanks. These tests showed satisfactory stalling characteristics and adequate stall warning for all configurations and conditions tested

Area-Suction Boundary-Layer Control as Applied to the Trailing-Edge Flaps of a 35 Degree Swept-Wing Airplane

A wind-tunnel investigation was made to determine the effects on the aerodynamic characteristics of a 35 degree swept-wing airplane of applying area-suction boundary-layer control to the trailing-edge flaps. Flight tests of a similar airplane were then conducted to determine the effect of boundary-layer control in the handling qualities and operation of the airplane, particularly during landing. The wind-tunnel and flight tests indicated that area suction applied to the trailing-edge flaps produced significant increases in flap lift increment. Although the flap boundary-layer control reduced the stall speed only slightly, a reduction in minimum comfortable approach speed of about 12 knots was obtained

Flight Measurements of the Effect of a Controllable Thrust Reverser on the Flight Characteristics of a Single-Engine Jet Airplane

A flight investigation was undertaken to determine the effect of a fully controllable thrust reverser on the flight characteristics of a single-engine jet airplane. Tests were made using a cylindrical target-type reverser actuated by a hydraulic cylinder through a "beep-type" cockpit control mounted at the base of the throttle. The thrust reverser was evaluated as an in-flight decelerating device, as a flight path control and airspeed control in landing approach, and as a braking device during the ground roll. Full deflection of the reverser for one reverser configuration resulted in a reverse thrust ratio of as much as 85 percent, which at maximum engine power corresponded to a reversed thrust of 5100 pounds. Use of the reverser in landing approach made possible a wide selection of approach angles, a large reduction in approach speed at steep approach angles, improved control of flight path angle, and more accuracy in hitting a given touchdown point. The use of the reverser as a speed brake at lower airspeeds was compromised by a longitudinal trim change. At the lower airspeeds and higher engine powers there was insufficient elevator power to overcome the nose-down trim change at full reverser deflection

An intelligent hot-desking model harnessing the power of occupancy sensing

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a model to harness occupancy sensing in a commercial hot-desking environment. Hot-desking is a method of office resource management designed to reduce the real estate costs of professional practices. However, the shortcoming is often in the suitability and appropriateness of allocated work environments. The Internet of Things could produce new data sets in the office at a resolution, speed and validity of which that they could be factored into desk-allocation, distributing seats based on appropriate noise levels, stay length, equipment requirements, previous presence and proximity to others working on the same project, among many others. Design/methodology/approach The study utilises primary data from a commercial office environment in Central London (numerical building system data and semi-structured interviews) to feed a discrete events simulator. To test the hypothesis, the authors look at the potential for intelligent hot-desking to use “work type” data to improve the distribution of individuals in the office, increasing productivity through the creation of positive “work type environments” – where those working on specific tasks perform better when grouped with others doing the same task. The simulation runs for a typical work day, and the authors compare the intelligent hot-desking arrangement to a base case. Findings The study shows that sensor data can be used for desk allocation in a hot-desking environment utilising activity-based working, with results that outweigh the costs of occupancy detection. The authors are not only able to optimise desk utilisation based on quality occupancy data but also demonstrate how overall productivity increases as individuals are allocated desks of their preference as much as possible among other enabling optimisations that can be applied. Moreover, the authors explore how an increase in occupancy data collection in the private sector could have key advantages for the business as an organization and the city as a whole. Research limitations/implications The research explores only one possible incarnation of intelligent hot-desking, and the authors presume that all data have already been collected, and while not insurmountable, they do not discuss the technical or cultural difficulties to this end. Furthermore, final examination of the productivity benefit – because of the difficulty in defining and measuring the concept – is exploratory rather than definitive. This research suggests that not only human-centric smart building research should be prioritised over energy or space-based themes but also large-scale private sector collection of occupancy data may be imminent, and its potential should be examined. Practical implications Findings strongly suggest that the hot-desking may cost more in lost productivity than it gains in reduced rental costs and as such many commercial offices should revaluate the transition, particularly with a view to facilitate intelligent hot-desking. Companies should begin to think strategically about the wider benefits of collecting occupancy data across their real estate portfolio, rather than reviewing use cases in silos. Finally, cities should consider scenarios of widespread collection of occupancy data in the private sector, examining the value these data have to city systems such as transport, and how the city might procure it for these ends. Social implications This paper raises positive and negative social concerns. The value in occupancy data suggested herein, bringing with it the implication it should be collected en mass, has a noted concern that this brings privacy concerns. As such, policy and regulation should heed that current standards should be reviewed to ensure they are sufficient to protect those in offices from being unfairly discriminated, spied or exploited through occupancy data. However, the improved use of occupancy data improving workplaces could indeed make them more enjoyable places to work, and have the potential to become a staple in company’s corporate social responsibility policies. Originality/value This paper fulfils an identified need for better understanding the specific uses of occupancy data in the smart building mantra. Several sources suggest the current research focus on energy and rental costs is misguided when the holistic cost of an office is considered, and concepts related to staff – although less understood – may have an order of magnitude bigger impact. This research supports this hypothesis through the example of intelligent hot-desking. The value of this paper lies in redirecting industry and research towards the considering occupancy data in smart building uses cases including – but not limited to– intelligent hot-desking. </jats:sec

Measuring deliberate reflection in residents: validation and psychometric properties of a measurement tool

PURPOSE: Reflective capacity is the ability to understand critical analysis of knowledge and experience to achieve deeper meaning. In medicine, there is little provision for post-graduate medical education to teach deliberate reflection. The feasibility, scoring characteristics, reliability, validation, and adaptability of a modified previously validated instrument was examined for its usefulness assessing reflective capacity in residents as a step toward developing interventions for improvement. METHODS: Third-year residents and fellows from four anesthesia training programs were administered a slightly modified version of the Reflection Evaluation for Learners\u27 Enhanced Competencies Tool (REFLECT) in a prospective, observational study at the end of the 2019 academic year. Six written vignettes of imperfect anesthesia situations were created. Subjects recorded their perspectives on two randomly assigned vignettes. Responses were scored using a 5-element rubric; average scores were analyzed for psychometric properties. An independent self-report assessment method, the Cognitive Behavior Survey: Residency Level (rCBS) was used to examine construct validity. Internal consistency (ICR, Cronbach\u27s alpha) and interrater reliability (weighted kappa) were examined. Pearson correlations were used between the two measures of reflective capacity. RESULTS: 46/136 invited subjects completed 2/6 randomly assigned vignettes. Interrater agreement was high (k = 0.85). The overall average REFLECT score was 1.8 (1-4 scale) with good distribution across the range of scores. ICR for both the REFLECT score (mean 1.8, sd 0.5; α = 0.92) and the reflection scale of the rCBS (mean 4.5, sd 1.1; α = 0.94) were excellent. There was a significant correlation between REFLECT score and the rCBS reflection scale (r = .44, p \u3c 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates feasibility, reliability, and sufficiently robust psychometric properties of a modified REFLECT rubric to assess graduate medical trainees\u27 reflective capacity and established construct/convergent validity to an independent measure. The instrument has the potential to assess the effectiveness of interventions intended to improve reflective capacity

The multiple sclerosis risk sharing scheme monitoring study - early results and lessons for the future

Background: Risk sharing schemes represent an innovative and important approach to the problems of rationing and achieving cost-effectiveness in high cost or controversial health interventions. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of risk sharing schemes, looking at long term clinical outcomes, to determine the price at which high cost treatments would be acceptable to the NHS. Methods: This case study of the first NHS risk sharing scheme, a long term prospective cohort study of beta interferon and glatiramer acetate in multiple sclerosis ( MS) patients in 71 specialist MS centres in UK NHS hospitals, recruited adults with relapsing forms of MS, meeting Association of British Neurologists (ABN) criteria for disease modifying therapy. Outcome measures were: success of recruitment and follow up over the first three years, analysis of baseline and initial follow up data and the prospect of estimating the long term cost-effectiveness of these treatments. Results: Centres consented 5560 patients. Of the 4240 patients who had been in the study for a least one year, annual review data were available for 3730 (88.0%). Of the patients who had been in the study for at least two years and three years, subsequent annual review data were available for 2055 (78.5%) and 265 (71.8%) patients respectively. Baseline characteristics and a small but statistically significant progression of disease were similar to those reported in previous pivotal studies. Conclusion: Successful recruitment, follow up and early data analysis suggest that risk sharing schemes should be able to deliver their objectives. However, important issues of analysis, and political and commercial conflicts of interest still need to be addressed

Pediatric And Adult Lung Transplantation For Cystic Fibrosis

AbstractObjective: This paper was undertaken to review the experience at our institution with bilateral sequential lung transplantation for cystic fibrosis.Methods: Since 1989, 103 bilateral sequential lung transplants for cystic fibrosis have been performed (46 pediatric, 48 adult, 9 redo); the mean age was 21 ± 10 years. Cardiopulmonary bypass was used in all but one pediatric (age <18) transplant, and in 15% of adults.Results: Hospital mortality was 4.9%, with 80% of early deaths related to infection. Bronchial anastomotic complications occurred with equal frequency in the pediatric and the adult populations (7.3%). One- and 3-year actuarial survival are 84% and 61%, respectively (no significant difference between pediatric and adult age groups; average follow-up 2.1 ± 1.6 years). Mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second increased from 25% ± 9% before transplantation to 79% ± 35% 1 year after transplantation. Acute rejection occurred 1.7 times per patient-year, with most episodes taking place within the first 6 months after transplantation. The need for treatment of lower respiratory tract infections occurred 1.2 times per patient in the first year after transplantation. Actuarial freedom from bronchiolitis obliterans was 63% at 2 years and 43% at 3 years. Redo transplantation was performed only in the pediatric population and was associated with an early mortality of 33%. Eight living donor transplants (four primary transplants, four redo transplants) were performed with an early survival of 87.5%.Conclusion: Patients with end-stage cystic fibrosis can undergo bilateral lung transplantation with morbidity and mortality comparable to that seen in pulmonary transplantation for other disease entities. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1998;115:404-14

Stability of Scalar Fields in Warped Extra Dimensions

This work sets up a general theoretical framework to study stability of models with a warped extra dimension where N scalar fields couple minimally to gravity. Our analysis encompasses Randall-Sundrum models with branes and bulk scalars, and general domain-wall models. We derive the Schrodinger equation governing the spin-0 spectrum of perturbations of such a system. This result is specialized to potentials generated using fake supergravity, and we show that models without branes are free of tachyonic modes. Turning to the existence of zero modes, we prove a criterion which relates the number of normalizable zero modes to the parities of the scalar fields. Constructions with definite parity and only odd scalars are shown to be free of zero modes and are hence perturbatively stable. We give two explicit examples of domain-wall models with a soft wall, one which admits a zero mode and one which does not. The latter is an example of a model that stabilizes a compact extra dimension using only bulk scalars and does not require dynamical branes.Comment: 25 pages, 2 figures; v2: minor changes to text, references added, matches published versio

The challenge of the identification of a new mineral species: example "Pezzottaite"

In 2002, a new gem mineral of commercial importance was discovered. In accordance with the need for all new mineral discoveries to be scientifically characterized (see Nickel and Grice, 1998), the gemological community anxiously awaited the results of tests to positively identify the new mineral (Hawthorne et al., 2003, Hawthorne et al., submitted and Laurs et al., 2003). This period of analysis brought into play the question: Exactly what procedures are necessary for the positive characterization of a new mineral