TAIR: A transonic airfoil analysis computer code

The operation of the TAIR (Transonic AIRfoil) computer code, which uses a fast, fully implicit algorithm to solve the conservative full-potential equation for transonic flow fields about arbitrary airfoils, is described on two levels of sophistication: simplified operation and detailed operation. The program organization and theory are elaborated to simplify modification of TAIR for new applications. Examples with input and output are given for a wide range of cases, including incompressible, subcritical compressible, and transonic calculations

How prepared are UK medical graduates for practice? A rapid review of the literature 2009-2014.

OBJECTIVE: To understand how prepared UK medical graduates are for practice and the effectiveness of workplace transition interventions. DESIGN: A rapid review of the literature (registration #CRD42013005305). DATA SOURCES: Nine major databases (and key websites) were searched in two timeframes (July-September 2013; updated May-June 2014): CINAHL, Embase, Educational Resources Information Centre, Health Management Information Consortium, MEDLINE, MEDLINE in Process, PsycINFO, Scopus and Web of Knowledge. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES: Primary research or studies reporting UK medical graduates' preparedness between 2009 and 2014: manuscripts in English; all study types; participants who are final-year medical students, medical graduates, clinical educators, patients or NHS employers and all outcome measures. DATA EXTRACTION: At time 1, three researchers screened manuscripts (for duplicates, exclusion/inclusion criteria and quality). Remaining 81 manuscripts were coded. At time 2, one researcher repeated the process for 2013-2014 (adding six manuscripts). Data were analysed using a narrative synthesis and mapped against Tomorrow's Doctors (2009) graduate outcomes. RESULTS: Most studies comprised junior doctors' self-reports (65/87, 75%), few defined preparedness and a programmatic approach was lacking. Six themes were highlighted: individual skills/knowledge, interactional competence, systemic/technological competence, personal preparedness, demographic factors and transitional interventions. Graduates appear prepared for history taking, physical examinations and some clinical skills, but unprepared for other aspects, including prescribing, clinical reasoning/diagnoses, emergency management, multidisciplinary team-working, handover, error/safety incidents, understanding ethical/legal issues and ward environment familiarity. Shadowing and induction smooth transition into practice, but there is a paucity of evidence around assistantship efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Educational interventions are needed to address areas of unpreparedness (eg, multidisciplinary team-working, prescribing and clinical reasoning). Future research in areas we are unsure about should adopt a programmatic and rigorous approach, with clear definitions of preparedness, multiple stakeholder perspectives along with multisite and longitudinal research designs to achieve a joined-up, systematic, approach to understanding future educational requirements for junior doctors.This research was commissioned and funded by the General Medical Council who gave feedback on clarity and approved the manuscript for publicatio

Assessing the number of users who are excluded by domestic heating controls

This is the pre-print version of the Article. This Article is also referred to as: "Assessing the 'Design Exclusion' of Heating Controls at a Low-Cost, Low-Carbon Housing Development". - Copyright @ 2011 Taylor & FrancisSpace heating accounts for almost 60% of the energy delivered to housing which in turn accounts for nearly 27% of the total UK's carbon emissions. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of heating control design on the degree of ‘user exclusion’. This was calculated using the Design Exclusion Calculator, developed by the Engineering Design Centre at the University of Cambridge. To elucidate the capability requirements of the system, a detailed hierarchical task analysis was produced, due to the complexity of the overall task. The Exclusion Calculation found that the current design placed excessive demands upon the capabilities of at least 9.5% of the UK population over 16 years old, particularly in terms of ‘vision’, ‘thinking’ and ‘dexterity’ requirements. This increased to 20.7% for users over 60 years old. The method does not account for the level of numeracy and literacy and so the true exclusion may be higher. Usability testing was conducted to help validate the results which indicated that 66% of users at a low-carbon housing development could not programme their controls as desired. Therefore, more detailed analysis of the cognitive demands placed upon the users is required to understand where problems within the programming process occur. Further research focusing on this cognitive interaction will work towards a solution that may allow users to behave easily in a more sustainable manner

Using Glycosylated Hemoglobin to Define the Metabolic Syndrome in United States Adults

OBJECTIVE- To compare the use of GHb and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) to define the metabolic syndrome (MetS). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS- Data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2006 were used. MetS was defined using the consensus criteria in 2009. Raised blood glucose was defined as either FPG ≥100 mg/dl (5.6 mmol/l) or GHb ≥5.7%. RESULTS- In 2003-2006, there was 91.3% agreement between GHb and FPG when either was used to define MetS. The agreement was good irrespective of age, sex, race/ethnicity, BMI, and diabetes status (≥87.4%). Similar results were found in 1999-2002. Among subjects without diabetes, only the use of GHb alone, but not FPG, resulted in significant association with cardiovascular diseases (odds ratio 1.45, P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS- Using GHb instead of FPG to define MetS is feasible. It also identifies individuals with increased cardiovascular risk. © 2010 by the American Diabetes Association.published_or_final_versionThe 5th International Symposium on Healthy Aging: Is Aging a Disease?, Hong Kong, 6-7 March, 2010. In Diabetes Care, 2010, v. 33 n. 8, p. 1856-185

Living arrangements and place of death of older people with cancer in England and Wales: a record linkage study

The main objectives of the study were to (1) see whether the household circumstances of people aged 50 years and over with cancer, and trends in these, differ from those of the rest of the population and (2) whether living arrangements and presence and health status of a primary coresident are associated with place of death among older people dying of cancer and those dying from other causes. The design included prospective record linkage study of people aged 50 years and over included in a 1% sample of the population of England and Wales (the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study). The main outcome measures comprised family and household type, and death at home. The household circumstances of older people with cancer were very similar to those of the rest of the population of the same age and both showed a large increase in living alone, and decrease in living with relatives, between 1981 and 1991. The primary coresident of cancer sufferers who did not live alone was in most cases a spouse, with much smaller proportions living with a child, sibling or other person. In all, 30% of spouse, and 23% of other, primary coresidents had a limiting long-term illness. Compared with people who lived alone in 1991, odds of a home death among those dying of cancer between 1991 and 1995 were highest for those who lived with a spouse who had no limiting long-term illness (odds ratio (OR) 2.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.15-2.97) and raised for those living with a spouse with a long-term illness (OR 2.14, CI 1.79-2.56) and those living with someone else who was free of long-term illness (OR 2.13, CI 1.69-2.68). Higher socioeconomic status, both individual and area, was positively associated with increased chance of a home death, while older age reduced the chance of dying at home. The changing living arrangements of older people have important implications for planning and provision of care and treatment for cancer sufferers

Evaluation of a co-delivered training package for community mental health professionals on service user- and carer-involved care planning

Background: There is limited evidence for the acceptability of training for mental health professionals on service user and carer involved care planning. Aim: To investigate the acceptability of a co-delivered, two-day training intervention on service user and carer involved care planning. Methods: Community mental health professionals were invited to complete the Training Acceptability Rating Scale post-training. Responses to the quantitative items were summarized using descriptive statistics (Miles, 2013), and qualitative responses were coded using content analysis (Weber, 1990). Results: Of 350 trainees, 310 completed the questionnaire. The trainees rated the training favourably (median overall TARS scores = 56/63; median ‘acceptability’ score = 34/36; median ‘perceived impact’ score = 22/27). There were six qualitative themes: the value of the co‐production model; time to reflect on practice; delivery preferences; comprehensiveness of content; need to consider organizational context; and emotional response. Discussion: The training was found to be acceptable and comprehensive with participants valuing the co-production model. Individual differences were apparent in terms of delivery preferences and emotional reactions. There may be a need to further address the organizational context of care planning in future training. Implications for practice: Mental health nurses should use co-production models of continuing professional development training that involve service users and carers as co-facilitators