Small Engine Component Technology (SECT) studies

A study was conducted to identify component technology requirements for small, expendable gas turbine engines that would result in substantial improvements in performance and cost by the year 2000. A subsonic, 2600 nautical mile (4815 km) strategic cruise missile mission was selected for study. A baseline (state-of-the-art) engine and missile configuration were defined to evaluate the advanced technology engines. Two advanced technology engines were configured and evaluated using advanced component efficiencies and ceramic composite materials; a 22:1 overall pressure ratio, 3.85 bypass ratio twin-spool turbofan; and an 8:1 overall pressure, 3.66 bypass ratio, single-spool recuperated turbofan with 0.85 recuperator effectiveness. Results of mission analysis indicated a reduction in fuel burn of 38 and 47 percent compared to the baseline engine when using the advanced turbofan and recuperated turbofan, respectively. While use of either advanced engine resulted in approximately a 25 percent reduction in missile size, the unit life cycle (LCC) cost reduction of 56 percent for the advanced turbofan relative to the baseline engine gave it a decisive advantage over the recuperated turbofan with 47 percent LCC reduction. An additional range improvement of 10 percent results when using a 56 percent loaded carbon slurry fuel with either engine. These results can be realized only if significant progress is attained in the fields of solid lubricated bearings, small aerodynamic component performance, composite ceramic materials and integration of slurry fuels. A technology plan outlining prospective programs in these fields is presented

Epistemic Abstainers, Epistemic Martyrs, and Epistemic Converts

An intuitive view regarding the epistemic significance of disagreement says that when epistemic peers disagree, they should suspend judgment. This abstemious view seems to embody a kind of detachment appropriate for rational beings; moreover, it seems to promote a kind of conciliatory inclination that makes for irenic and cooperative further discussion. Like many strategies for cooperation, however, the abstemious view creates opportunities for free-riding. In this essay, the authors argue that the believer who suspends judgment in the face of peer disagreement is vulnerable to a kind of manipulation on the part of more tenacious peers. The result is that the abstemious view can have the effect of encouraging dogmatism

The single market and competitiveness - the challenges for the Juncker team. CHALLENGE EUROPE Issue 22 - Challenges and new beginnings: Priorities for the EU's new leadership, September 2014

The announcement of the new European Commission is encouraging for single market supporters, especially in terms of how internal co-ordination and cross functional working will be organised. It is particularly significant that the responsibility for the single market in both goods and services is to be combined under one Commissioner portfolio. There is much to be gained from a combined focus, especially on enforcing the existing rules. A unified Consumer focus is also much welcomed. The European Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO), which I had the privilege to Chair over the last five years, was extremely critical of the fragmented approach to consumer policy and legislation adopted by the outgoing Commission. A strong consumer focus underpins a dynamic and well-functioning market place and encourages more competition

Necessary Courage: Iowa’s Underground Railroad in the Struggle against Slavery

Review of: Necessary Courage: Iowa’s Underground Railroad in the Struggle against Slavery, by Lowell J. Soike

The Big Bang Theory: Mad Geniuses and the Freak Show of Higher Education

This essay discusses the television comedy series The Big Bang Theory. Through lead characters including physicist Sheldon Cooper, the series portrays higher education as a metaphorical freak show, and academics as geeky mad genius freaks. Implications for constructions of disability in higher education are discussed, with recommendations for future research

A multi-level analysis using NAEP data : examining the relationships among mathematics coaches and specialists, student achievement, and disability status.

With the need to increase students’ mathematics performance and provide a more challenging mathematics curriculum, elementary schools have begun hiring mathematics coaches and specialists (MCSs). However, limited empirical research has been conducted to examine how the use of MCSs relates to student achievement. Using restricted-use data from the 2011 NAEP Mathematics Assessment, the current study examined the relationship between MCSs and the mathematics achievement of more than190,00 fourth-grade students in more than 7,400 schools nationwide. Additionally, the study examined whether that relationship differed for students with and without disabilities, a vital concern with the continued focus of equity in mathematics education. Lastly, the study examined the relationships between principal-reported time spent on the different NAEP-defined roles and responsibilities of MCSs and fourth-grade students’ mathematics achievement. Hierarchical linear modeling with adjustments for composite covariates and controls as well as sampling weights was used to explore each research question. Findings indicated a statistically significant positive relationship between whether elementary schools had full-time MCSs and fourth-grade students’ mathematics achievement overall as well as in five specific NAEP-defined mathematics content areas (i.e., number properties and operations; measurement; geometry; data analysis, statistics, and probability; and algebra). This significant relationship between MCSs and achievement did not hold true when schools utilized part-time MCSs. Additionally, results showed that being in a school with a MCS did not moderate the lower achievement that students with disabilities experienced. Significant relationships between principal-reported time spent on various NAEP-defined roles and responsibilities provided by full-time MCS and fourth-grade students’ mathematics achievement were noted, including relationships between achievement and MCSs providing assistance to both teachers and students. The results of this study provided an answer to the call for high-quality educational research by using a large-scale, nationally representative dataset along with advanced statistical analyses to provide methodologically rigorous, empirically-derived evidence of the relationships among elementary MCSs, fourth-grade students’ mathematics achievement, and students’ disability status. Findings are consistent with prior research, showing that full-time MCSs are a promising practice for increasing student performance. The researcher provides recommendations on the effective use of MCSs in schools and suggestions for extensions of the current study

Patient and public attitudes to and awareness of clinical practice guidelines : a systematic review with thematic and narrative syntheses

Article Accepted Date: 15 July 2014 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated. Acknowledgements The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 258583 (DECIDE project). The Health Services Research Unit, Aberdeen University, is funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health Directorates. The authors accept full responsibility for this paper and the views expressed in it are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Chief Scientist Office. NS receives funding through a Knowledge Translation Fellowship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. No funding bodies had a role in the manuscript. We would like to thank Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the University of Dundee for support, including access to literature. We would also like to thank Lorna Thompson (Healthcare Improvement Scotland), for her help with the protocol for this review.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The Bone and Sinew of the Land: America\u27s Forgotten Black Pioneers and the Struggle for Equality

Review of: The Bone and Sinew of the Land: America’s Forgotten Black Pioneers and the Struggle for Equality, by Anna-Lisa Cox