A real parametric characterisation of ex-service compressor blade leading edges

In-service the degradation of compressor blade leading edges can have a disproportional effect on compressor efficiency. The high surface curvature in this region makes quantifying the surface finish of this sensitive and prominent region difficult. An automated technique that characterises the roughness of the leading edge in terms of areal parameters is presented. A set of ex-service blades of differing sizes are used to demonstrate the procedure. Improved characterisation of this blade region will allow engine companies to better understand where in-service deterioration has the greatest effect and inform them as to how they might minimise the effect. The present work shows that the leading edges of compressor blades exhibit a significantly higher characteristic surface roughness than other blade regions, and the spatial distribution of peaks in this characteristic roughness is detailed. In addition it is shown that peak wear and roughness are not uniformly correlated

Transfer of learning from simulation to clinical practice in pre-registration healthcare student education.

Simulation has become an established pedagogy for teaching clinical skills to healthcare professionals and has been incorporated into pre-registration curricula internationally. Simulation can often be used to replace clinical practice hours and it is projected that the use of simulation will rise as placement opportunities decline. Simulation is also both resource and cost-intensive. Therefore, it becomes incumbent on educators to demonstrate the effectiveness of simulation. The broad purpose of this thesis is to extend the healthcare education knowledge base around the transfer of clinical skills to clinical practice after simulation. Three studies were undertaken, each with their own discrete aims. Firstly, an integrative literature review, to identify what evidence exists to support transfer of learning following simulation activities to clinical practice. Secondly, an explanatory sequential mixed-methods study, to ascertain and explore nurse academics’ views on current practice in Scottish higher education institutions (HEIs) in relation to the use of simulation best-practice statements and staff development. Thirdly, a convergent mixed-methods feasibility study exploring the parameters of evaluating the transfer of learning respiratory assessment skills from simulation to clinical practice for healthcare students. The paradigm underpinning this work is pragmatism using an iterative mixed-methods approach, which was applied in the following way: 1) an integrative review on transfer of learning; 2) an explanatory sequential mixed-methods study incorporated an e-Delphi study followed by telephone interviews that were thematically analysed using a qualitative descriptive approach; 3) a convergent mixed-methods study design was adopted for the feasibility study, so that quantitative data from questionnaires and qualitative data from interviews could be integrated. The integrative review found that there is limited published evidence on the effectiveness of simulation transferring to clinical practice in both health care education generally and pre-registration nurse education specifically. The current evidence-base could be improved by improving methodological rigor and being transparent around the intervention of simulation. The explanatory sequential mixed-methods study found that differences in simulation practices across Scottish HEIs were reported; however, participants unanimously agreed that they would welcome the use of simulation best practice statements in the future. They also identified a need for staff development and leadership in simulation. Whilst there are challenges involved in conducting studies evaluating transfer of learning to practice, such as the length of time required, the feasibility study demonstrated that a larger study would be worthwhile and so parameters of a future main study were explored. In conclusion, this thesis developed some key recommendations for both research and educational practice. Research into the effectiveness of simulation to transfer skills to clinical practice could be enhanced by greater collaboration between HEIs, which would enable larger samples to be reached across multiple research sites. Adopting a quasi-experimental research design might avoid methodological limitations of previous simulation evaluation studies. If institutions collaborated, then tools to evaluate the transfer of skills after simulation to clinical practice could be validated. The intervention of simulation could be strengthened using best-practice statements, which would standardise future multi-site research. Recommendations for educational practice in Scottish HEIs include the following: stronger leadership for simulation to drive and promote change; development in simulation pedagogy for healthcare educators; the use of simulation best-practice statements to provide a framework for simulation educators to standardise, evaluate and improve simulation activities; the introduction of simulation champions intra-institution to mentor, guide and support simulation educators (this could include sharing of simulation resources nationally); Scottish Schools of Nursing are currently not able to consider simulation as a significant replacement for clinical hours

The proposed exceptions to copyright law offer greater flexibility to teaching and research activities

Changes are afoot for how copyright laws apply to higher education settings. Emily Goodhand provides clarification on the recently announced proposed exceptions to copyright law, which are widely welcomed by the user community for bringing copyright law in line with current HE practices. Teaching and research activities such as the use of print extracts, digital text-mining and distance-learning media sharing seek to benefit from copyright clarification and flexibility

Entangled lives: drug assemblages in Afghanistan's Badakhshan

This article, focussing on Badakhshan province in north-east Afghanistan, explores the lifeworld of drugs and their entangled connections with people, places and things. It follows the journeys of drugs from the farmers' fields, through their various stages of transportation, storage and transformation, until they arrive at the border with Tajikistan. The paper draws upon the notion of a 'drugs assemblage' - the interweaving of plants, institutions, actors, processes and resources through which drug journeys are managed and facilitated. Drugs are embedded in a web of social relations that connect farmers, labourers, shopkeepers, smugglers, brokers and border guards. Opium is central to the production of a Braudelian geography, fragmented yet connected, of trading routes, enclaves, choke points and border crossings. Drugs have played a role in transforming the 'disturbed' landscape of this remote borderland region, into a centre of innovation and improvisation, in which alienation and precarity co-exist alongside accumulation and the pursuit of 'freedom'

Local perspectives on humanitarian aid in Sri Lanka after the tsunami

Objectives: This case study examines the impact of humanitarian aid from the perspectives of local stakeholders in Sri Lanka following the tsunami disaster of December 2004. Study Design: Qualitative study using key-informant and focus group interviews. Methods: Key-informant and focus group interviews were conducted with tsunami survivors, community leaders, the local authorities and aid workers sampled purposively. Data collected was analysed using thematic analysis. Results: The study found that aid had aggravated social tensions and the lack of community engagement led to grievances. There was a perceived lack of transparency, beneficiary expectations were not always met and it was difficult to match aid to needs. Rapid participatory approaches to obtain beneficiary feedback in post disaster settings are possible but have limitations due to respondent bias. Conclusions: In order to mitigate adverse social impacts of their programmes, humanitarian aid agencies need to better understand the context in which aid is delivered. Beneficiary feedback is essential in disaster planning and response so that disaster response can be better matched to the needs of beneficiaries

Modeling Policy and Agricultural Decisions in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is responsible for the majority of the world's supply of poppy crops, which are often used to produce illegal narcotics like heroin. This paper presents an agent-based model that simulates policy scenarios to characterize how the production of poppy can be dampened and replaced with licit crops over time. The model is initialized with spatial data, including transportation network and satellite-derived land use data. Parameters representing national subsidies, insurgent influence, and trafficking blockades are varied to represent different conditions that might encourage or discourage poppy agriculture. Our model shows that boundary-level interventions, such as targeted trafficking blockades at border locations, are critical in reducing the attractiveness of growing this illicit crop. The principle of least effort implies that interventions decrease to a minimal non-regressive point, leading to the prediction that increases in insurgency or other changes are likely to lead to worsening conditions, and improvements require substantial jumps in intervention resources.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures; GeoJournal, 2012, 10.1007/s10708-012-9453-