Lightweight, low compression aircraft diesel engine

The feasibility of converting a spark ignition aircraft engine to the diesel cycle was investigated. Procedures necessary for converting a single cylinder GTS10-520 are described as well as a single cylinder diesel engine test program. The modification of the engine for the hot port cooling concept is discussed. A digital computer graphics simulation of a twin engine aircraft incorporating the diesel engine and Hot Fort concept is presented showing some potential gains in aircraft performance. Sample results of the computer program used in the simulation are included

An evaluation of strategies used by the Landscapes and Policy Hub to achieve interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research

The report presents an evaluation of the Landscapes and Policy Hub's approach to interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research. The hub was a national, four year, $15 million collaborative research program. The focus of the evaluation was for researchers to reflect on the effectiveness of strategies used by the hub to facilitate interdisciplinarity (where researchers from different disciplines work together to solve problems) and transdisciplinarity (where researchers from different disciplines work in partnership with research users to solve problems). The evaluation was commissioned in the final phase of the hub’s life in the interests of improving performance of future interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research. It was based on a number of strategies that had been implemented by the hub to encourage and facilitate interdisciplinary research occurring in partnership with research users. The aim of the evaluation was to improve performance of future interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research. Six recommendations are presented

Pediatric pacemaker infections: Twenty years of experience

AbstractObjective: We sought to evaluate possible predictors of early and late pacemaker infections in children. Methods: A review was performed of all pacemakers implanted in children at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia between 1982 and 2001. Infections were classified as superficial cellulitus, deep pacemaker pocket infection necessitating removal, or positive blood culture without an identifiable source. Results: A total of 385 pacemakers (224 epicardial and 161 endocardial) were implanted in 267 patients at 8.4 ± 6.2 years. All 2141 outpatient visits were reviewed (median follow-up, 29.4 months; range, 2-232 months). There were 30 (7.8%) pacemaker infections: 19 (4.9%) superficial infections; 9 (2.3%) pocket infections; and 2 (0.5%) isolated positive blood cultures. All superficial infections resolved with intravenous antibiotics. The median time from implantation to infection was 16 days (range, 2 days-5 years). Only 1 deep infection occurred after primary pacemaker implantation. Six patients with deep infections were pacemaker dependent and were successfully managed with intravenous antibiotics, followed by lead-generator removal and implantation of a new pacemaker in a remote location. In univariate analyses trisomy 21 (relative risk, 3.9; P <.01), pacemaker revisions (relative risk, 2.5; P <.01), and single-chamber devices (relative risk, 2.4; P <.05) were identified as predictors of infection. However, in multivariate analyses only trisomy 21 and pacemaker revisions were predictors. Conclusions: The incidences of superficial and deep pacemaker infections were 4.9% and 2.3%, respectively. Trisomy 21 and pacemaker revisions were significant risk factors in the development of infection after pacemaker implantation. For primary pacemaker implantation, the risk of infection requiring system removal is low (0.3%).J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2002;124:821-

Consolidation of pathology services in England: have savings been achieved?

Background: During the last decade, pathology services in England have undergone profound changes with an extensive consolidation of laboratories. This has been driven by some national reviews forecasting a national reduction of costs by £250–£500 million ($315–$630 million) a year as a result. The main aim of this paper is to describe the financial impact of such consolidation, with a specific focus on the forecasted savings. A secondary aim is to describe the development of private sector involvement in laboratory services in a traditionally publicly funded healthcare system and the development of pathology staff size. Methods: In the English scenario, the majority of hospitals and laboratories are publicly funded and a survey was sent as Freedom of Information request to all directors of pathology. A descriptive comparison of savings among consolidated and non-consolidated pathology services was made by using the pathology budgets in two different periods (2015 versus 2010), adjusted by inflation and increased activity. Results: The hub-and-spoke model has been implemented as part of the consolidation process of pathology services in England. Consolidated pathology networks have achieved higher savings compared to non-consolidated single laboratories. There has been an increased role of private providers and savings were achieved with negligible personnel redundancies. Conclusions: Consolidated units have on average achieved larger cost savings than non-consolidated units but further analysis with stronger research design is required to independently evaluate the impact of pathology consolidation on both savings and quality

Evaluation of mesofauna communities as soil quality indicators in a national-level monitoring programme

Mesofauna underpin many ecosystem functions in soils. However, mesofauna communities are often overlooked when discussing these functions on large scales. They have been proposed as bioindicators of soil quality and ecosystem health. This study aimed to evaluate differences amongst mesofauna communities, particularly Acari and Collembola, across multiple habitat and soil types, as well as organic matter levels, and their relationships with soil characteristics, on a national-scale. Soil cores were collected from 685 locations as part of a nationwide soil monitoring programme of Wales. Plant community composition, soil type, as well as physical and chemical variables, including pH, total C and N, were measured at these locations. Mesofauna were extracted from soil cores and identified using a Tullgren funnel technique. Acari were sorted to Order; Collembola were sorted according to Super-family. Abundances of mesofauna were consistently lowest in arable sites and highest in lowland woodlands, except for Mesostigmata. Differences between similar habitat types (e.g. Fertile and Infertile grasslands) were not detected using the national-level dataset and differences in mesofauna communities amongst soil types were unclear. Relationships between mesofauna groups and soil organic matter class, however, were much more informative. Oribatid abundances were lowest in mineral soils and correlated with all soil properties except moisture content. Collembola and Mesostigmata abundances were likely negatively influenced by increased moisture levels in upland peat habitats where their abundances were lowest. These groups also had low abundances in heathlands and this was reflected in low diversity values. Together, these findings show that this national-level soil survey can effectively identify differences in mesofauna community structure and correlations with soil properties. Identification of mesofauna at high taxonomic levels in national-level soil monitoring is encouraged to better understand the ecological context of changes in soil properties

Non-resonant Coherent Amplitude Transfer in Attosecond Four-Wave Mixing Spectroscopy

Attosecond four-wave mixing spectroscopy using an XUV pulse and two noncollinear near-infrared pulses is employed to measure Rydberg wavepacket dynamics resulting from extreme ultraviolet excitation of a 3s electron in atomic argon into a series of autoionizing 3s-1np Rydberg states around 29 eV. The emitted signals from individual Rydberg states exhibit oscillatory structure and persist well beyond the expected lifetimes of the emitting Rydberg states. These results reflect substantial contributions of longer-lived Rydberg states to the four wave mixing emission signals of each individually detected state. A wavepacket decomposition analysis reveals that coherent amplitude transfer occurs predominantly from photoexcited 3s-1(n+1)p states to the observed 3s-1np Rydberg states. The experimental observations are reproduced by time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation simulations using electronic structure and transition moment calculations. The theory highlights that coherent amplitude transfer is driven non-resonantly to the 3s-1np states by the near-infrared light through 3s-1(n+1)s and 3s-1(n-1)d dark states during the four-wave mixing process