Development of MEMS based Electric Propulsion

In recent years, there has been a large increase in the number of small satellites being designed, built and launched. Due to resource constraints, these spacecraft have not generally included any propulsion capability, and this has severely limited mission capabilities and lifetime. To enhance their performances, next generation of small spacecraft will require extremely miniaturized, highly integrated propulsion systems capable to meet stringent mass, volume and power constraints. Two of the most promising technologies to achieve these goals are Electric Propulsion (EP) systems and Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS). The study identifies a wide variety of mission scenarios, satellites and EP technologies which could benefit from the use of MEMS leading to a selection of one propulsion technology that seems the most promising: the colloid thruster propulsion system. For this technology the requirements are identified and then a preliminary MEMS based EP system design is established. Modularity is very important to enable the same design to be used over and over again and critical subsystem units, such as the high voltage power and control electronics, have also to be developed for the integration in the modular concepts. Two basic design concepts have been investigated to cover the wide range of applications and missions scenario stated within this study and they are presented in this paper

Taskforce management overstromingen, deelrapport nafase

Dit deelrapport maakt deel uit van het Rapport van bevindingen van de Taskforce Management Overstromingen (TMO). De opdracht aan TMO omvat acht onderdelen. Dit deelrapport is het antwoord op één van die opdrachten: \u91het doen opstellen van een nazorgstrategie\u92. Tijdens de uitvoering van de opdracht is het begrip nazorg ingeruild voor nafase omdat de periode na een watersnoodramp niet alleen draait om (na)zorg, maar ook om herstel en wederopbouw. Waarom voor nafase is gekozen wordt later in dit deelrapport uitgebreider toegelicht. De nafase strategie is ingevuld met een focus op de regio. De strategie is vertaald naar handreikingen en aanbevelingen. Tevens is geprobeerd de aandacht voor de nafase niet te laten verdwijnen als TMO stopt. Daarvoor zijn borgingsadviezen opgesteld. De nafase van een ramp gaat velen aan. Nationaal is van meet af aan betrokken bij een regio-overstijgende overstroming. Daar ligt de regie, maar die nationale paraplu ontslaat de andere overheden niet van hun taak voorbereid te zijn op een ramp, inclusief de fase na een dijkdoorbraak. Zonder de hulp en inzet van veiligheidsregio\u92s, gemeenten en waterschappen kan Nederland niet het hoofd bieden aan overstromingen. Dit deelrapport is de weerslag van bevindingen door TMO. TMO hoopt met dit deelrapport een inspirerende bijdrage te leveren aan een betere voorbereiding op de gevolgen van grote calamiteiten in het algemeen en overstromingen in het bijzonder

Scholing en opleiding in Samen Beslissen: een inventarisatie.

Het rapport beschrijft het onderzoek naar aandacht voor samen beslissen in opleidingen en de resultaten hiervan. Het onderzoek kende drie fases: Fase 1: een brede documentenanalyse van opleidingsplannen en post-initieel onderwijsaanbod Fase 2: nadere analyse op een selectie aan opleidingen en scholingen Fase 3: aandacht voor een aantal good practices. Belangrijkste conclusies Er wordt in uiteenlopende mate aandacht besteed aan ‘samen beslissen’ in onderwijs, het proces dat zorgverlener en patiënt samen doorlopen in het behandeltraject. Dit geldt zowel voor initiële opleidingen als voor nascholingen en zowel voor artsen en medisch specialisten als voor verpleegkundigen (mbo/hbo) en verpleegkundig specialisten. Voor elke scholing of opleiding geldt wel dat het cruciaal is om draagvlak te hebben uit de praktijk voor het proces van samen beslissen, wil deze succesvol zijn. Dit blijkt uit onderzoek van het Nivel en onderzoeksbureau Regioplan. Het onderzoeksproject Het onderzoek is uitgevoerd in opdracht van V&VN in samenwerking met NFU, FMS, CZO en Patiëntenfederatie Nederland

The influence of government policies on the nurse practitioner and physician assistant workforce in the Netherlands, 2000–2022: a multimethod approach study

Abstract Background Many countries are looking for ways to increase nurse practitioner (NP) and physician assistant/associate (PA) deployment. Countries are seeking to tackle the pressing issues of increasing healthcare demand, healthcare costs, and medical doctor shortages. This article provides insights into the potential impact of various policy measures on NP/PA workforce development in the Netherlands. Methods We applied a multimethod approach study using three methods: 1) a review of government policies, 2) surveys on NP/PA workforce characteristics, and 3) surveys on intake in NP/PA training programs. Results Until 2012, the annual intake into NP and PA training programs was comparable to the number of subsidized training places. In 2012, a 131% increase in intake coincided with extending the legal scope of practice of NPs and PAs and substantially increasing subsidized NP/PA training places. However, in 2013, the intake of NP and PA trainees decreased by 23% and 24%, respectively. The intake decreased in hospitals, (nursing) home care, and mental healthcare, coinciding with fiscal austerity in these sectors. We found that other policies, such as legal acknowledgment, reimbursement, and funding platforms and research, do not consistently coincide with NP/PA training and employment trends. The ratios of NPs and PAs to medical doctors increased substantially in all healthcare sectors from 3.5 and 1.0 per 100 full-time equivalents in medical doctors in 2012 to 11.0 and 3.9 in 2022, respectively. For NPs, the ratios vary between 2.5 per 100 full-time equivalents in medical doctors in primary care and 41.9 in mental healthcare. PA-medical doctor ratios range from 1.6 per 100 full-time equivalents in medical doctors in primary care to 5.8 in hospital care. Conclusions This study reveals that specific policies coincided with NP and PA workforce growth. Sudden and severe fiscal austerity coincided with declining NP/PA training intake. Furthermore, governmental training subsidies coincided and were likely associated with NP/PA workforce growth. Other policy measures did not consistently coincide with trends in intake in NP/PA training or employment. The role of extending the scope of practice remains to be determined. The skill mix is shifting toward an increasing share of medical care provided by NPs and PAs in all healthcare sectors

Development of a high-performance low-cost PPU for an electrospray colloid electric propulsion system for small satellite applications

The current state-of-art Electric Propulsion (EP) systems can provide impressive system performance but are associated with both significant volume requirements and high direct cost. These technologies have not been shown to be capable of being effectively scaled down in size, whilst retaining system performance. As a result, such technologies are not an established solution for nano- and micro satellites, which represent a rapidly increasing share of the market due to the advent of large constellations. Recognizing that the overall cost of an EP system is largely driven by the cost of the Power Processing Unit (PPU), a tailored low power, low cost and high performance PPU was designed targeting the CubeSat Market. By studying the periphery and interfaces, a straight-forward architecture was devised, containing 4 high voltage generators and 12 high voltage switches, all controlled by a microcontroller. The architecture is suited to drive two colloid thruster heads at opposite polarity, omitting the need of a neutralizer to keep the charge balance. The PPU is powered from a 5V and 12V power bus and communicates via I C. The PPU is designed using low cost COTS (Commercial Of The Shelf) components, which were selected for high efficiency and high accuracy. To achieve high voltage accuracy, 4 calibrated, fine-tune regulation loops are implemented. The high voltage switch needed in this architecture requires a breakdown voltage of > 6 kV and needs to carry 3mA of current. Transistors for such a switch with breakdown voltages in the range of 6 kV are not available on the market. SystematIC is developing a high voltage stackable integrated circuit to provide a solution for the 6kV switch and enable implementation of the PPU architecture. During the bread board model testing we have verified that the maximum output power of a PPU with a volume of ¼ CubeSat cube is 20W. At full load the electrical efficiency of the overall PPU system is estimated to be about 80%. For an output power of 6W the overall efficiency drops to 66%. The high voltage fine-tune regulation can set the output voltage with an accuracy of 3 kV ± 5V. The high voltage switches have been verified to have a > 6 kV breakdown voltage and properly conduct 1 mA of current without significant voltage drop across the drain source voltage. Our thruster technology opens the door for small CubeSats to fly new and exciting missions.