Changing caseloads: macro influences and micro composition

Welfare ; Public welfare

Eroding ribbon thermocouples: impulse response and transient heat flux analysis

We have investigated a particular type of fast-response surface thermocouple to determine if it is appropriate to use a one dimensional transient heat conduction model to derive the transient surface heat flux from the measurements of surface temperature. With these sensors, low thermal inertia thermocouple junctions are formed near the surface by abrasive wear. Using laser excitation, we obtained the impulse response of these commercially available devices. The response of particular sensors can vary if new junctions are created by abrasive wear. Furthermore, the response of these sensors was found to deviate substantially from the one dimensional model and varied from sensor to sensor. The impulse response was simulated with greater fidelity using a two dimensional finite element model, but three dimensional effects also appear to be significant. The impact of these variations on the derived heat flux is assessed for the case of measurements in an internal combustion engine. When the measured impulse response is used to derive the surface heat flux, the apparent reversal of heat flux during the expansion stroke does not occur

BREAKING BAD NEWS IN HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS: APPLICATION OF THE SPIKES PROTOCOL

Organizational downsizing has increased exponentially worldwide and is also affecting the healthcare industry. It is one thing to speak abstractly of the need to reduce costs and quite another to actually tell a worker the bad news that he or she has been laid off. This paper offers practical advice to healthcare managers on conducting unpleasant conversations with employees based on a widely used medical model—the SPIKES protocol. This strategy has been extensively employed by physicians and other health care professionals who frequently communicate negative information to patients and is offered as an approach that can be easily and effectively adapted by healthcare managers when they must tell a person they have been terminated. Although breaking the bad news of a cutback will never be easy, having a plan of action that entails sound business and medical advice and is also the necessary thing to do can help firms carefully manage and execute reorganizations for the well-being of the organization and the terminated worker

Offset Compound Gear Inline Two-Speed Drive

A two-speed transmission having an input shaft and an output shaft, the transmission being capable of transitioning between fixed ratios, the high-range ratio being direct 1:1 and the low-range ratio being about 2:1. The transmission is a simple lightweight, yet robust, configuration utilizing only two gear meshes, being comprised of an input gear, a cluster gear, and an output gear. The transmission is controlled with a clutch and a sprag and with the input and output shafts turning in the same direction

Report of the user requirements and web based access for eResearch workshops

The User Requirements and Web Based Access for eResearch Workshop, organized jointly by NeSC and NCeSS, was held on 19 May 2006. The aim was to identify lessons learned from e-Science projects that would contribute to our capacity to make Grid infrastructures and tools usable and accessible for diverse user communities. Its focus was on providing an opportunity for a pragmatic discussion between e-Science end users and tool builders in order to understand usability challenges, technological options, community-specific content and needs, and methodologies for design and development. We invited members of six UK e-Science projects and one US project, trying as far as possible to pair a user and developer from each project in order to discuss their contrasting perspectives and experiences. Three breakout group sessions covered the topics of user-developer relations, commodification, and functionality. There was also extensive post-meeting discussion, summarized here. Additional information on the workshop, including the agenda, participant list, and talk slides, can be found online at http://www.nesc.ac.uk/esi/events/685/ Reference: NeSC report UKeS-2006-07 available from http://www.nesc.ac.uk/technical_papers/UKeS-2006-07.pd

Offset Compound Gear Inline Two-Speed Drive

A two-speed transmission having an input shaft and an output shaft, the transmission being capable of transitioning between fixed ratios, the high-range ratio being direct 1:1 and the low-range ratio being about 2:1. The transmission is a simple lightweight, yet robust, configuration utilizing only two gear meshes, being comprised of an input gear, a cluster gear, and an output gear. The transmission is controlled with a clutch and a sprag and with the input and output shafts turning in the same direction

Concepts for Multi-Speed Rotorcraft Drive System - Status of Design and Testing at NASA GRC

In several studies and on-going developments for advanced rotorcraft, the need for variable/multi-speed capable rotors has been raised. Speed changes of up to 50 percent have been proposed for future rotorcraft to improve vehicle performance. A rotor speed change during operation not only requires a rotor that can perform effectively over the operating speed/load range, but also requires a propulsion system possessing these same capabilities. A study was completed investigating possible drive system arrangements that can accommodate up to a 50 percent speed change. Key drivers were identified from which simplicity and weight were judged as central. This paper presents the current status of two gear train concepts coupled with the first of two clutch types developed and tested thus far with focus on design lessons learned and areas requiring development. Also, a third concept is presented, a dual input planetary differential as leveraged from a simple planetary with fixed carrier