Your Lips Are No Man\u27s Land But Mine

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MAST Propellant and Delivery System Design Methods

A Mars Aerospace Taxi (MAST) concept and propellant storage and delivery case study is undergoing investigation by NASA's Element Design and Architectural Impact (EDAI) design and analysis forum. The MAST lander concept envisions landing with its ascent propellant storage tanks empty and supplying these reusable Mars landers with propellant that is generated and transferred while on the Mars surface. The report provides an overview of the data derived from modeling between different methods of propellant line routing (or "lining") and differentiate the resulting design and operations complexity of fluid and gaseous paths based on a given set of fluid sources and destinations. The EDAI team desires a rough-order-magnitude algorithm for estimating the lining characteristics (i.e., the plumbing mass and complexity) associated different numbers of vehicle propellant sources and destinations. This paper explored the feasibility of preparing a mathematically sound algorithm for this purpose, and offers a method for the EDAI team to implement

Ethnic differences in parental experiences during the first six months after PICU discharge in Singapore: a qualitative study

IntroductionLiterature on parental experiences after childhood critical illness has limited representation from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Parents from global ethnic majority groups have reported worst psychological outcomes and required more social support after childhood critical illness.AimTo explore the experiences of Chinese, Malay, and Indian parents in the first six months after Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) discharge of their child in Singapore.MethodsSequential semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted to collect data from a convenience sample of 28 parents at one month (n = 28) and at six months (n = 22) after their child's discharge from a multidisciplinary PICU. Framework Analysis was adopted as the qualitative analysis strategy. The PICS-p framework was applied a priori in the Framework Analysis.FindingsThree interdependent domains and seven themes framed the 28 accounts in which ethnically diverse parents reported psychological stressors (PICS-p: emotional health), support received (PICS-p: social health) and practical challenges (transitional health) in the first six months after childhood critical illness. In the emotional health domain, parents were affected by different stressors and had different priorities over their child's survivorship. Only Indian parents reported experiences of stress symptoms, at six months post discharge. Malay parents sought solace from their religion more than Chinese and Indian parents. In the social health domain, parents reported various sources and degree of support received. Familial supports were strong across all groups, while community support was more prominent in Malay as compared to Chinese and Indian parents. A third domain, transitional health, was introduced to capture the difficulties parents faced during the transition from PICU survival to home. Parents from non-Chinese families were more likely to report financial challenges and more involvement of spouses after discharge. Complementary medicine or commercial health products were utilized by Chinese and Malay families.ConclusionThese findings reveal preferred strategies that parents from a global ethnic employ to address the emotional, social and transitional health impacts of their child's critical illness. Future care delivery may consider tailored care plans, communication strategies, and emotional support in PICUs that address the unique ethnic needs of parents during the critical six-months post their child's illness.</jats:sec

Using meta‐ethnography to develop a conceptual model of peer‐assisted learning of nursing students in clinical practice

Aim: The study presents the findings of a meta-ethnographic study, developing a conceptual model for peer-assisted learning for undergraduate nurses in clinical practice. Design: Qualitative meta-ethnography. Methods: Meta-ethnography was used to synthesize the findings of two ethnographic studies and a qualitative review related to the influence of peer-assisted learning on student nurses in clinical practice. Results: Four key themes were identified underpinned by six sub-themes: (a) “Social” whereby “connecting with peers” is an important part in peer-assisted learning. (b) “Enabling” peers through “collaborative support for advice and guidance” and “reducing anxiety/increasing confidence.” (c) “Organizational” aspects in peer-assisted learning in “establishing structure and navigating practice” and “establishing the role of the PAL.” (d) “Learning” as a product of developing knowledge and skills through “sharing of practice experience” and “enhancing knowledge of care.” The conceptual model presents a structure outlining elements required for developing effective knowledge and skills through peer-assisted learning

Vibrational Relaxation and Redistribution Dynamics in Ruthenium(II) Polypyridyl-Based Charge-Transfer Excited States: A Combined Ultrafast Electronic and Infrared Absorption Study

Ultrafast time-resolved electronic and infrared absorption measurements have been carried out on a series of Ru­(II) polypyridyl complexes in an effort to delineate the dynamics of vibrational relaxation in this class of charge transfer chromophores. Time-dependent density functional theory calculations performed on compounds of the form [Ru­(CN-Me-bpy)x(bpy)3‑x]2+ (x = 1–3 for compounds 1–3, respectively, where CN-Me-bpy is 4,4′-dicyano-5,5′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine and bpy is 2,2′-bipyridine) reveal features in their charge-transfer absorption envelopes that allow for selective excitation of the Ru­(II)–(CN-Me-bpy) moiety, the lowest-energy MLCT state(s) in each compound of the series. Changes in band shape and amplitude of the time-resolved differential electronic absorption data are ascribed to vibrational cooling in the CN-Me-bpy-localized 3MLCT state with a time constant of 8 ± 3 ps in all three compounds. This conclusion was corroborated by picosecond time-resolved infrared absorption measurements; sharpening of the CN stretch in the 3MLCT excited state was observed with a time constant of 3.0 ± 1.5 ps in all three members of the series. Electronic absorption data acquired at higher temporal resolution revealed spectral modulation over the first 2 ps occurring with a time constant of τ = 170 ± 50 fs, in compound 1; corresponding effects are significantly attenuated in compound 2 and virtually absent in compound 3. We assign this feature to intramolecular vibrational redistribution (IVR) within the 3MLCT state and represents a rare example of this process being identified from time-resolved electronic absorption data for this important class of chromophores

Working precarious careers trajectories: tracing neoliberal discourses in younger workers’ narratives

© 2019, © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. The aim of this article is to explore how, in the context of the post Global Financial Crisis (GFC), some Italian younger workers in a specific geographical region in Italy recount their work trajectories. Drawing on narrative interviews with ten participants (aged between 24 and 30) as part of a research project carried out in the Autonomous region of Aosta Valley in Italy, the article traces discourses closely associated with neoliberalism–the discourses of the entrepreneurial self, employability and self-responsibilisation–through which subjects’ work experiences take shape. Moreover, the analysis highlights how locality, one’s personal relation with the geographical territory, makes more complex the younger people’s negotiations in crafting themselves vis-à-vis precarious employment opportunities and wider socio-economic dynamics in respect of precarious employment opportunities

An exploration of peer-assisted learning in undergraduate nursing students in paediatric clinical settings: An ethnographic study

Background: Peer-assisted leaning relates to the acquisition of knowledge and skills through shared learning of matched equals. The concept has been explored within the field of nurse education across a range of learning environments, but its impact in practice is still relatively unknown. This paper reports on findings when observing paediatric undergraduate nursing students who engage in PAL within the clinical practice setting. Objectives: The aim of this paper is to report the findings of a study undertaken to explore peer-assisted learning in undergraduate nursing students, studying children's health, in the clinical practice setting. Design: A qualitative ethnographic study using non-participant observations. Settings: A range of inpatient paediatric clinical settings across two teaching hospitals. Participants: First, second and third year paediatric student nurses enrolled on a Bachelor of Nursing Programme. Methods: Non-participant observations were used to observe a range of interactions between the participants when engaging in peer-assisted learning within the same clinical area. A total of 67 h of raw data collected across all observations was analysed using framework analysis to draw together key themes. Results: Of the 20 identified students across two hospitals, 17 agreed to take part in the study. Findings were aggregated into three key themes; 1. Peers as facilitators to develop learning when engaging in peer-assisted learning, 2. Working together to develop clinical practice and deliver care, 3. Positive support and interaction from peers to enhance networking and develop working structure. Conclusions: Peer-assisted learning in undergraduate children's nursing students stimulates students in becoming engaged in their learning experiences in clinical practice and enhance collaborative support within the working environment. The benefits of peer-assisted learning in current clinical practice settings can be challenging. Therefore, education and practice need to be aware of the benefits and their contribution towards future strategies and models of learning

Impact of the Nursing and Midwifery Council Future Nurse Standards on children's nursing: A critical discussion

Edge et al explore the current concerns and ongoing debate around the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Future Nurse: Standards of proficiency for registered nurses (2018). This article looks at the impact of the standards on changes to pre-registration children's nursing education, exploring the impact on ensuring students are equipped with the right knowledge and skills to meet children, young people and their families' needs. Central to the discussion is the importance of hearing the voice of children and young people, and families are considered central to the ongoing discussion that is integral in shaping our future nursing workforce

Children's age influences their use of biological and mechanical questions towards a humanoid

Complex autonomous interactions, biomimetic appearances, and responsive behaviours are increasingly seen in social robots. These features, by design or otherwise, may substantially influence young children’s beliefs of a robot’s animacy. Young children are believed to hold naive theories of animacy, and can miscategorise objects as living agents with intentions; however, this develops with age to a biological understanding. Prior research indicates that children frequently categorise a responsive humanoid as being a hybrid of person and machine; although, with age, children tend towards classifying the humanoid as being more machine-like. Our current research explores this phenomenon, using an unobtrusive method: recording childrens conversational interaction with the humanoid and classifying indications of animacy beliefs in childrens questions asked. Our results indicate that established findings are not an artefact of prior research methods: young children tend to converse with the humanoid as if it is more animate than older children do