24,472 research outputs found
Public sector restructuring and regional development: the impact of compulsory competitive tendering in the UK
This paper contributes to the analysis of contemporary public sector restructuring in the UK through an evaluation of the impact of the introduction of compulsory competitive tendering (CCT) for the provision of local public services. Public services play an important stabilizing role in regional economic development but the introduction of CCT has undermined that role. Public service workers have suVered deteriorating levels of pay and conditions of service, and the capacity of local authorities to act to support local economic development has been reduced. Thus the introduction of CCT has undermined the contribution of local public services to the maintenance of interregional economic stability and to regional development
On the beneficial role of noise in resistive switching
We study the effect of external noise on resistive switching. Experimental
results on a manganite sample are presented showing that there is an optimal
noise amplitude that maximizes the contrast between high and low resistive
states. By means of numerical simulations, we study the causes underlying the
observed behavior. We find that experimental results can be related to general
characteristics of the equations governing the system dynamics.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
New electrical plethysmograph monitors cardiac output
Four-electrode impedance plethysmograph measures ventricular stroke volume of cardiac output of humans. The instrument is automatic, operates with only one recording channel, and minimizes patient discomfort
Recent advances in GaAs/Ge solar cells
By growing the GaAs cell on a Ge substrate, the advantages of GaAs cells can be retained and the higher mechanical strength of the Ge makes larger, thinner GaAs cells possible. To conform to immediate user requirements, GaAs growth conditions were modified to eliminate the additional PV output at GaAs/Ge interface. To demonstrate acceptable cell manufacturing technology, the major areas in cell manufacture were analyzed and developed, and efficiency combined. Also the cells were successfully assembled on current lightweight arrays. The main areas of effort are discussed
CC Sculptoris: A superhumping intermediate polar
We present high speed optical, spectroscopic and Swift X-ray observations
made during the dwarf nova superoutburst of CC Scl in November 2011. An orbital
period of 1.383 h and superhump period of 1.443 h were measured, but the
principal new finding is that CC Scl is a previously unrecognised intermediate
polar, with a white dwarf spin period of 389.49 s which is seen in both optical
and Swift X-ray light curves only during the outburst. In this it closely
resembles the old nova GK Per, but unlike the latter has one of the shortest
orbital periods among intermediate polars.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS; 11 pages, 19 figure
Experiment K-6-04. Trace element balance in rats during spaceflight
Exposure to microgravity causes alterations in the skeletal and mineral homeostatic systems. Little is known about the effects of flight in an older skeleton; limited data suggest that bone resorption is increased after 5 days but no data are available about other metabolic effects. The response of a more slowly-growing skeleton to microgravity may be different than that of a younger animal, similar to the different responses seen in adolescents and adult humans to immobilization. This experiment was designed to investigate changes occurring in skeletal and mineral homeostatis in these older rats flown for two weeks in space. We may expect that the two portions of the rat vertebra, the vertebral body and the posterior elements, will show different responses to spaceflight. The results of the analyses from this study confirm major differences between portions of the vertebra. The posterior bone is more highly mineralized, evidenced by increased concentration (per unit weight of bone) of calcium (5 percent), phosphorus (6 percent) and osteocalcin (37 percent), similar to the differences seen between proximal and mid humerus in previous studies. The major increase in osteocalcin content indicates the presence of mature, low-turnover bone. The difference between flight and control animals were minimal in these older, slower-growing rats. Mass of whole vertebrae increased 6.2 percent in synchronous rats compared to less than 2 percent in flight rats over the 16 days when compared to basal controls, suggesting a decreased rate of bone growth in flight. Compared to young rats in which vertebral mass increased over 40 percent in 10 days in controls and 20 percent in flight rats, this may be a clear indication that even in the older skeleton bone growth will slow in microgravity
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