Subcritical reactivity measurements on fuel storage arrays in the DIMPLE reactor

Imperial Users onl

An improvement strategy for the defects and rework management process within an SME: An action research

Irish construction reported strong growth towards the end of 2013, after years of industry recession. Following a property led economic collapse which started in 2007 construction output fell by circa eighty percent. Many construction companies went out of business; those remaining are strongly focused on their bottom line and increasing efficiency to ensure survival. Defects and rework, common in construction, are both wasteful and a cost that can be avoided, thus presenting an obvious target for improvement. A regional SME main contractor collaborated on a project to improve the efficiency of their current processes for the identification, management and elimination of defects and rework in their supply chain. An action research strategy was employed on several field projects, to investigate the problems faced by the company in this area and to develop an improvement plan. Action research involves a five stage problem solving cycle (1) problem diagnosing; (2) action planning; (3) action taking; (4) evaluation of results; (5) specification of learning. Action planning elements emerging from the cycle (at stage 2) are presented here. They are very wide ranging and include; process standardisation; sign off procedures; use of ICT as a collaborative platform; freeware information repository; cost modelling; benchmarks for improvement; planning workshops; root cause analysis of defects and subsequent development of learning materials. Preliminary results indicate a sophisticated understanding of the defects and rework process across the supply-chain, but a general lack of forum and opportunity to contribute to improvement. The results indicate a wide diversity of abilities and resources in SMEs, including human, capital and technological, meaning one size fits all solutions to efficiency improvements are difficult to attain. Prescriptions thus need to be both simple to implement and flexible. The results here offer detailed reflective insight into best practice in designing improvement plans of this natur

I am not beholden to anyone…I consider myself to be an officer of the court: a comparison of the intermediary role in England and Wales and Northern Ireland

Intermediaries were first introduced by the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act (1999) to facilitate communication between individuals with communication needs and the criminal justice system. Yet, despite increased academic attention into this new criminal justice actor, the content of the role remains unclear. Findings from 31 interviews with intermediaries in England and Wales and Northern Ireland as well as judges in Northern Ireland indicate that two distinct systems of intermediaries have emerged between the jurisdictions. The picture is complicated by an inequality in intermediary provision between witnesses and defendants. In England and Wales, the statutory intermediary scheme covers only witnesses whereas the ‘unitary’ system in Northern Ireland covers both witnesses and defendants. Drawing on the data collected, this article highlights key themes which underpin differences in intermediary practice and suggests that lessons can be learned in how we conceptualise the role and its work

Poem Beginning with a Line by Traherne / At Arrowhead / Antimasque for Antonio

Poetry

Judicial Power—The Inherent Power of the Courts to Compel Funding for Their Own Needs—In re Juvenile Director, 87 Wn. 2d 232, 552 P.2d 163 (1976)

In 1975, the superior court of Lincoln County, Washington, proposed that the salary of its director of juvenile services be raised by $125 per month.\u27 The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners rejected the increase and refused to honor the subsequent order to pay it. At the show cause hearing before the Lincoln County superior court, the trial judge held that because the superior court had authority to appoint the director, it also had the inherent power to agree with him on compensation. Consequently, R.C.W. § 13.04.040, granting to the board the power to determine the director\u27s salary, was held to be an unconstitutional infringement on the court\u27s power to appoint. On appeal by the board of county commissioners, the Washington Supreme Court did not agree that the statute was unconstitutional. The court, however, did agree unanimously with the general proposition that, under certain circumstances, the judiciary is empowered to set salaries of court personnel under the doctrine of inherent powers. Five of the eight members of the court who participated in the decision declared that this power should be used only when the court could show by clear, cogent, and convincing proof that the salary increase was reasonably necessary. Because that standard had not been met by the Lincoln County superior court, the decision was reversed

Quantifying bacterial transfer from patients to staff during burns dressing and bed changes : implications for infection control

Routine nursing activities such as dressing/bed changes increase bacterial dispersal from burns patients, potentially contaminating healthcare workers (HCW) carrying out these tasks. HCW thus become vectors for transmission of nosocomial infection between patients. The suspected relationship between %total body surface area (%TBSA) of burn and levels of bacterial release has never been fully established. Bacterial contamination of HCW was assessed by contact plate samples (n = 20) from initially sterile gowns worn by the HCW during burns patient dressing/bed changes. Analysis of 24 gowns was undertaken and examined for relationships between %TBSA, time taken for activity, and contamination received by the HCW. Relationships between size of burn and levels of HCW contamination, and time taken for the dressing/bed change and levels of HCW contamination were best described by exponential models. Burn size correlated more strongly (R2 = 0.82, p < 0.001) than time taken (R2 = 0.52, p < 0.001), with levels of contamination received by the HCW. Contamination doubled with every 6–9% TBSA increase in burn size. Burn size was used to create a model to predict bacterial contamination received by a HCW carrying out bed/dressing changes. This may help with the creation of burn-specific guidelines on protective clothing worn by HCW caring for burns patients