Dissociation phenomena in electron-beam sustained carbon dioxide lasers

A number of applications are emerging requiring efficient, long pulse, long-life sealed CO2 lasers. Examples include the proposed NASA and ESA wind lidars. Electron-beam sustained discharge devices are strong contenders. Unlike self-sustained discharges, e-beam sustenance readily provides efficient performance from large volume discharges and offers pulse lengths well in excess of the microsecond or so generally associated with self-sustained devices. In the case of the e-beam sustained laser, since the plasma is externally maintained and operated at electric field strengths less than that associated with the glow to arc transition, the discharges can be run even in the presence of strongly attacking species such as O2. Build up of large levels of attacking contaminants is nevertheless undesirable as their presence reduces the current drawn by the plasma and thus the pumping rate to the upper laser level. The impedance rise leads to a mismatch of the pulse forming network with a consequent loss of control over energy deposition, operating E/N, and gain. Clearly CO2 dissociation rates, the influence of dissociation products on the discharge and gain, and tolerance of the discharge to these products need to be determined. This information can then be used to assess co-oxidation catalyst requirements for sealed operation

Using simulation games in the marketing curriculum.

While a substantial amount of research has been conducted into the use of simulation games in business and marketing education, little of this has focused on the student experience. In this project we undertake a comparative analysis of student experiences of the use of the same marketing simulation („The Marketing Game!‟) at two universities in the UK. The overall purpose of the study is to understand better how students perceive and respond to simulation games, in order to make more effective use of simulations in the curriculum. The design of the study enables us to analyse the comparative responses of different categories of students (different demographic categories, and other categories thought to be relevant including prior educational qualifications and work experience), thus providing advice to marketing educators on the likely responses to simulation games of different groups of students within a diverse student body

Student experiences of the use of a marketing simulation game.

While a substantial amount of research has been conducted into the use of simulation games in business and marketing education, little of this has focused on the student experience. In this project we conducted a survey of student experiences of the use of a marketing simulation (‘The Marketing Game!’) at two universities in the UK. The respondents to the survey questionnaire were final year marketing students who had recently completed a module in marketing strategy on which ‘The Marketing Game!’ was used. The overall purpose of the study is to understand better how students perceive and respond to simulation games, in order to make more effective use of simulations in the curriculum. The design of the study enables us to analyse the comparative responses of different categories of students (different demographic categories, and other categories thought to be relevant including prior educational qualifications and work experience), thus providing advice to marketing educators on the likely responses to simulation games of different groups of students within a diverse student body

Arctic marine climate of the early nineteenth century

The climate of the early nineteenth century is likely to have been significantly cooler than that of today, as it was a period of low solar activity (the Dalton minimum) and followed a series of large volcanic eruptions. Proxy reconstructions of the temperature of the period do not agree well on the size of the temperature change, so other observational records from the period are particularly valuable. Weather observations have been extracted from the reports of the noted whaling captain William Scoresby Jr., and from the records of a series of Royal Navy expeditions to the Arctic, preserved in the UK National Archives. They demonstrate that marine climate in 1810 - 1825 was marked by consistently cold summers, with abundant sea-ice. But although the period was significantly colder than the modern average, there was considerable variability: in the Greenland Sea the summers following the Tambora eruption (1816 and 1817) were noticeably warmer, and had less sea-ice coverage, than the years immediately preceding them; and the sea-ice coverage in Lancaster Sound in 1819 and 1820 was low even by modern standards. © 2010 Author(s)

Costing for sustainable outcomes in urban water systems - a guidebook

Research Report 3

Sludge removal enterprises in Indonesia: Factors affecting entrepreneurial success

© IWA Publishing 2018. Faecal sludge removal is critical for the long-term functionality of on-site sanitation facilities and sustained sanitation outcomes. Private enterprises are important players in providing sludge removal services in Indonesia and other countries where government does not do so. However, the extent to which sludge removal entrepreneurs can fulfil this role depends on the viability, or success, of their enterprises. This paper investigates factors linked to the success of sludge removal enterprises in Indonesia, including traits of the entrepreneurs, characteristics of the enterprises and contextual challenges. These factors and levels of success were examined from data collected from structured interviews with 24 sludge removal enterprises across six cities in Indonesia. This research found that higher levels of success were significantly associated with entrepreneurs that had previous work experience of any kind, made higher upfront investments and did not involve their family members in the management of the enterprise. Participants most frequently identified high costs of capital, high levels of competition and insufficient time to spend on the enterprise as challenges to success. These findings provide important evidence for how civil society organisations and governments in Indonesia and elsewhere may best provide a conducive enabling environment for enterprise roles in sludge removal

Why does the adverse effect of inappropriate MRI for LBP vary by geographic location? An exploratory analysis

BACKGROUND: Early magnetic resonance imaging (eMRI) for nonspecific low back pain (LBP) not adherent to clinical guidelines is linked with prolonged work disability. Although the prevalence of eMRI for occupational LBP varies substantially among states, it is unknown whether the risk of prolonged disability associated with eMRI varies according to individual and area-level characteristics. The aim was to explore whether the known risk of increased length of disability (LOD) associated with eMRI scanning not adherent to guidelines for occupational LBP varies according to patient and area-level characteristics, and the potential reasons for any observed variations. METHODS: A retrospective cohort of 59,360 LBP cases from 49 states, filed between 2002 and 2008, and examined LOD as the outcome. LBP cases with at least 1 day of work disability were identified by reviewing indemnity service records and medical bills using a comprehensive list of codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition (ICD-9) indicating LBP or nonspecific back pain, excluding medically complicated cases. RESULTS: We found significant between-state variations in the negative impact of eMRI on LOD ranging from 3.4 days in Tennessee to 14.8 days in New Hampshire. Higher negative impact of eMRI on LOD was mainly associated with female gender, state workers\u27 compensation (WC) policy not limiting initial treating provider choice, higher state orthopedic surgeon density, and lower state MRI facility density. CONCLUSION: State WC policies regulating selection of healthcare provider and structural factors affecting quality of medical care modify the impact of eMRI not adherent to guidelines. Targeted healthcare and work disability prevention interventions may improve work disability outcomes in patients with occupational LBP

Assessing the level of spatial homogeneity of the agronomic Indian monsoon onset

Over monsoon regions, such as the Indian subcontinent, the local onset of persistent rainfall is a crucial event in the annual climate for agricultural planning. Recent work suggested that local onset dates are spatially coherent to a practical level over West Africa; a similar assessment is undertaken here for the Indian subcontinent. Areas of coherent onset, defined as local onset regions or LORs, exist over the studied region. These LORs are significant up to the 95% confidence interval and are primarily clustered around the Arabian Sea (adjacent to and extending over the Western Ghats), the Monsoon Trough (north central India), and the Bay of Bengal. These LORs capture regions where synoptic scale controls of onset may be present and identifiable. In other regions, the absence of LORs is indicative of regions where local and stochastic factors may dominate onset. A potential link between sea surface temperature anomalies and LOR variability is presented. Finally, Kerala, which is often used as a representative onset location, is not contained within an LOR suggesting that variability here may not be representative of wider onset variability