The Metamorphosis of the Defense Industry

The downsizing of the United States defense industry in recent years had a multitude of effects on defense and defense-related manufacturers. Besides the inevitable loss of jobs, these firms essentially had to reinvent themselves in order to compete in the commercial sector more effectively. Moreover, the defense cutbacks also resulted in implications for the U.S. as a whole. These include questionable preparedness for armed conflict, as well as the potential loss of defense-related suppliers that could affect the ability to sustain armed conflict. These and other insights were gleaned from plant-level interviews and tours of several, small defense-related manufacturers

The Ascent to Manufacturing Competitiveness: Defense Firms vs. Non-Defense Firm

Facing rapidly changing markets and increasing competition, the competitive environment of the defense industry has undergone extensive restructuring, significantly more so than for the non-defense sector. This comprehensive survey of defense and non-defense firms offers insight into the defense industry\u27s journey into open competition, as well as insight into different strategic approaches to manufacturing competitiveness during this critical period. The data suggest that the surviving defense firms have strengthened, and that defense and non-defense manufacturers alike are responding competitively to the call of the global economy

Growth and development of country towns : the case of eastern Yorkshire c1700-1850

Although smaller urban communities accounted for as much as 50% of urban living throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries their importance is not proportionately represented in the considerable body of literature directed towards analysing towns and urban growth in this critical transitional period. This thesis attempts to go some way towards bridging this gap by focusing attention on the country towns of eastern Yorkshire. The study investigates the forces behind and the operation of the process of selectivity of growth in the urban system, placing particular emphasis on towns at the lower end of the size hierarchy.Part one of the thesis analyses the growth and development of the region's urban system in respect of selected demographic economic and social variables. During the period 1700 to 1850 the regional structure of urban settlement was subject to considerable fluctuation and change with distinct spatial variations occurring in both the timing and pattern of growth. This temporal analysis points to a growing complexity in regional urban structure and a variety of growth experiences affecting component towns. Chapter four thus proposes a typology of country towns based on growth experience. Four types - dynamic, expanding, stable and declining - are identified and the second part of the thesis analyses the characteristics of the first three types through a series of case studies based on six East Riding towns.The case studies suggest that different forces were operative both upon and within the individual growth types, leading to distinct structural and spatial manifestations. Dynamic centres were characterised by a well-developed location and nodal position, high levels of externality, considerable demographic expansion, a diversified economic structure and differentiated space. Similar processes and patterns of change were operative in expanding centres but their more tempered growth experience due to competition resulted in less marked structural and spatial change. Locational disadvantages were a major deterrent to the development of stable towns. Their demographic expansion was limited by high levels of mortality and outmigration, their economy did not diversify in any great measure and spatial differentiation at only the weakest level characterised these centres

Development of the Lymphoedema Genito-Urinary Cancer Questionnaire

The aim of this study was to develop a patient self-report tool to detect symptoms of genital and lower limb lymphoedema in male survivors of genitourinary cancer. The study incorporated the views of patients and subject specialists (lymphoedema and urology) in the design of a patient questionnaire based on the literature. Views on comprehensiveness, relevance of content, ease of understanding and perceived acceptability to patients were collated. The findings informed the development of the next iteration of the questionnaire. The overall view of participants was that the development and application of such a tool was of great clinical value and the Lymphoedema Genito- Urinary Cancer Questionnaire (LGUCQ) has significant potential for further development as a research tool to inform prevalence of this under-reported condition

The role of feedback in supporting trainees who underperform in clinical environments

IntroductionUnderperformance in clinical environments can be costly and emotional for all stakeholders. Feedback is an important pedagogical strategy for working with underperformance – both formal and informal strategies can make a difference. Feedback is a typical feature of remediation programs, and yet there is little consensus on how feedback should unfold in the context of underperformance.MethodsThis narrative review synthesises literature at the intersections of feedback and underperformance in clinical environments where service, learning and safety need to be considered. We do so with a critical eye towards generating insights for working with underperformance in the clinical environment.Synthesis and discussionThere are compounding and multi-level factors that contribute to underperformance and subsequent failure. This complexity overwrites simplistic notions of ‘earned’ failure through individual traits and deficit. Working with such complexity requires feedback that goes beyond educator input or ‘telling’. When we shift beyond feedback as input to process, we recognise that these processes are fundamentally relational, where trust and safety are necessary for trainees to share their weaknesses and doubts. Emotions are always present and they signal action. Feedback literacy might help us consider how to engage trainees with feedback so that they take an active (autonomous) role in developing their evaluative judgements. Finally, feedback cultures can be influential and take effort to shift if at all. A key mechanism running through all these considerations of feedback is enabling internal motivation, and creating conditions for trainees to feel relatedness, competence and autonomy. Broadening our perceptions of feedback, beyond telling, might help create environments for learning to flourish

Cognitive and disease-modifying effects of 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 inhibition in male Tg2576 mice, a model of Alzheimer's disease

Chronic exposure to elevated levels of glucocorticoids has been linked to age-related cognitive decline and may play a role in Alzheimer's disease. In the brain, 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) amplifies intracellular glucocorticoid levels. We show that short-term treatment of aged, cognitively impaired C57BL/6 mice with the potent and selective 11β-HSD1 inhibitor UE2316 improves memory, including after intracerebroventricular drug administration to the central nervous system alone. In the Tg2576 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, UE2316 treatment of mice aged 14 months for 4 weeks also decreased the number of β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques in the cerebral cortex, associated with a selective increase in local insulin-degrading enzyme (involved in Aβ breakdown and known to be glucocorticoid regulated). Chronic treatment of young Tg2576 mice with UE2316 for up to 13 months prevented cognitive decline but did not prevent Aβ plaque formation. We conclude that reducing glucocorticoid regeneration in the brain improves cognition independently of reduced Aβ plaque pathology and that 11β-HSD1 inhibitors have potential as cognitive enhancers in age-associated memory impairment and Alzheimer's dementia