Impact of peer review audit on occupational health report quality

Background: In a previous report, we described the implementation of a formal process for peer review of occupational health (OH) reports and a method of assessment of the outcomes of this process. The initial audit identified that 27% of OH reports required modifications. Aims: To assess formally, following implementation of this process, if changes in practice had occurred, i.e. whether fewer deficiencies were being identified in reports. Methods: We repeated a prospective internal audit of all peer reviewed OH reports between September and November 2011. We used an abbreviated assessment form, based on questions 4–8 and 10–12 of the modified SAIL (Sheffield Assessment Instrument for Letters), with four possible outcomes: no action, no changes made to report following discussion with author, changes made without discussion with author and changes made following discussion with author. Results: One hundred seventy-three reports by 10 clinicians were audited. The audit identified a 13% reduction in OH reports requiring modifications (from 27 to 14%) compared with the previous cycle. Where modifications were required, 8% of these were related to minor typographical, spelling and grammar errors and 6% were for more complex reasons. Implementation of this process also produced a reduction in clinical complaints about OH reports from customers, from three in the preceding year to none 2 years later. Conclusions: Peer review improved the standard of OH reports and was associated with a reduction in customer complaints about reports

Greening information management: final report

As the recent JISC report on ‘the ‘greening’ of ICT in education [1] highlights, the increasing reliance on ICT to underpin the business functions of higher education institutions has a heavy environmental impact, due mainly to the consumption of electricity to run computers and to cool data centres. While work is already under way to investigate how more energy efficient ICT can be introduced, to date there has been much less focus on the potential environmental benefits to be accrued from reducing the demand ‘at source’ through better data and information management. JISC thus commissioned the University of Strathclyde to undertake a study to gather evidence that establishes the efficacy of using information management options as components of Green ICT strategies within UK Higher Education environments, and to highlight existing practices which have the potential for wider replication

Boron-oxygen defect imaging in p-type Czochralski silicon

In this work, we demonstrate an accurate method for determining the effective boron-oxygen (BO) related defect density on Czochralski-grown silicon wafers using photoluminescence imaging. Furthermore, by combining a recently developed dopant density imaging technique and microscopic Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements of the local interstitial oxygen concentration [Oi ], the BO-related defect density, [Oi ], and the boron dopant density from the same wafer were determined, all with a spatial resolution of 160 μm. The results clearly confirm the established dependencies of the BO-related defect density on [Oi ] and the boron dopant density and demonstrate a powerful technique for studying this important defect.This work was supported by the Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowships program and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) fellowships program

On Determining Stess in Bolts Ultrasonically

Several factors affecting the ultrasonic determination of stress in bolts are examined which help to clarify existing problems with the interpretation of certain experiments. To begin with, the use of ultra sonic waves to determine stress inverts the results of experiments used to evaluate third-order elastic constants. Thus, the unambiguous determination of stress must be subject to the same conditions as the experimental measurement of higher-order moduli. For example, Thurston and Brugger\u27s expression for the transit time in terms of the natural velocity and the unstressed length provides an alternative to the usu. practice of relating the transit time to the stres·s dependent true velocity and the stress induced change in length. Using the natural velocity emphasizes the explicit stress dependence of the velocity and avoid the unnecessary corrections for changes in path length and density. Although temperature and dislocation mobility are closely controlled in third-order elastic constant determinations, these factors are rarely considered in ultrasonic stress measurements. It is shown that in steels a stress of ~10MPa (~1.5Ksi) is equivalent to a l°C change in temperature. The possible role of defects or temperature in the relaxation phenomena observed in ultrasonic stress determinations is also examined. The effects of constrained therm. stress and unloaded bolt length on the so-called stress-acoustic constant are presented. The correct functional form of the stress and strain dependence of the sound velocity is shown to be crucial to the problem of thermally modified bolt load. The effect of unloaded bolt length is considered for the cases where the nut is stationary during loading and where it is tightened to produce the load. Finally, the difficulties caused by longitudinal wave mode conversion upon reflection off the bolt sides are examined

Establishing the potential for using routine data on Incapacity Benefit to assess the local impact of policy initiatives

<i>Background</i>: Incapacity Benefit (IB) is the key contributory benefit for people who are incapable of work because of illness or disability. <i>Methods</i>: The aims were to establish the utility of routinely collected data for local evaluation and to provide a descriptive epidemiology of the IB population in Glasgow and Scotland for the period 2000–05 using data supplied by the Department for Work and Pensions. <i>Results</i>: Glasgow's IB population is large in absolute and relative terms but is now falling, mainly due to a decrease in on flow. Claimants, tend to be older, have a poor work history and suffer from mental health problems. The rate of decline has been greater in Glasgow than Scotland, although the rate of on flow is still higher. <i>Conclusions</i>: Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) data can be used locally to provide important insights into the dynamics of the IB population. However, to be truly useful, more work needs to be undertaken to combine the DWP data with other information

Reading data stored in the state of metastable defects in silicon using band-band photoluminescence: Proof of concept and physical limits to the data storage density

The state of bistable defects in crystalline silicon such as iron-boron pairs or the boron-oxygen defect can be changed at room temperature. In this letter, we experimentally demonstrate that the chemical state of a group of defects can be changed to represent a bit of information. The state can then be read without direct contact via the intensity of the emitted band-band photoluminescence signal of the group of defects, via their impact on the carrier lifetime. The theoretical limit of the information density is then computed. The information density is shown to be low for two-dimensional storage but significant for three-dimensional data storage. Finally, we compute the maximum storage capacity as a function of the lower limit of the photoluminescence detector sensitivity.This work has been supported by the Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowships program and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) fellowships program

The Influence of Formulation, Buffering, pH and Divalent Cations on the Activity of Endothall on Hydrilla.

Endothall has been used as an aquatic herbicide for more than 40 years and provides very effective weed control of many weeds. Early research regarding the mechanism-of-action of endothall contradicts the symptomology normally associated with the product. Recent studies suggest endothall is a respiratory toxin but the mechanism-of-action remains unknown. To further elucidate the activity of endothall, several endothall formulations were evaluated for their effects on ion leakage, oxygen consumption and photosynthetic oxygen evolution from hydrilla shoot tips. The influence of pH, buffering and divalent cations was also evaluated. (PDF contains 6 pages.