Cracking of Bucket Lugs in Pelton Turbines a Corrosion Fatigue Phenomenon

In recent years the tendency to increased size of generating units has also led to the putting into service of Pelton turbines of increased size and power. Most of the Norwegian plants have used designs with buckets attached to the turbine disc with bolts, either three lug three bolt attachment of Norwegian design or two lug two bolt systems of foreign design. Recently, especially during the winter 1951-52 a number of fractures have occurred in buckets of very large units with two bolt type bucket attachment of foreign design. Following the adop-tion of more frequent and rigorous inspection a number of cracks have been discovered and the faulty buckets removes before serious damage occurred

Psychosocial difficulties, deprivation and cancer: three questionnaire studies involving 609 cancer patients

The aim of the study is to investigate associations between deprivation and self-reported social difficulties and psychological distress in cancer patients. A total of 304 men and 305 women (age range 18–88 years) with a range of cancer diagnoses and living in a socially diverse region (Carstairs and Morris index) completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Social Difficulties Inventory. Univariate analyses of variance revealed statistically significant differences in reported social difficulties between groups (F (67, 576)=2.4, P<0.0001) with stage of disease (F (5, 576)=7.6, P<0.0001), age (F (2, 576)=4.8, P=0.009) and to a lesser extent deprivation (F (1, 576)=4.0, P=0.048) making significant contributions. Significantly more social difficulties were reported by less affluent patients with locally recurrent disease or ‘survivors'. No other interactions were found. Significant differences in levels of reported psychological distress were found between groups (F (67, 575)=1.723, P=0.001) for stage of disease, sex and deprivation but no interactions observed. In conclusion, deprivation is associated with reported psychological distress and, to a lesser extent, social difficulties. Patients at particular risk cannot be identified with confidence by socio-demographic and clinical means supporting the recommendation from National Institute for Clinical Excellence for provision of psychosocial assessment for individual cancer patients

Ellipsometric measurements by use of photon pairs generated by spontaneous parametric down-conversion

We present a novel interferometric technique for performing ellipsometric measurements. This technique relies on the use of a non-classical optical source, namely, polarization-entangled twin photons generated by spontaneous parametric down-conversion from a nonlinear crystal, in conjunction with a coincidence-detection scheme. Ellipsometric measurements acquired with this scheme are absolute; i.e., they do not require source and detector calibration.Comment: 10 pages, accepted for publication in Optics Letter

Correction: Life and bladder cancer: protocol for a longitudinal and cross-sectional patient-reported outcomes study of Yorkshire (UK) patients

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. This article was previously published with an error in figures. The correct figures are below: Figure 1: Study data flow for the longitudinal study (workstream 2). NCRAS, National Cancer Registration and Analysis. (Figure Presented). Figure 2: Study data flow for the cross-sectional study (workstream 3). CRFs, case report forms; PHE, Public Health England; PIS, patient information sheet. (Figure Presented)

Promoviendo la justicia social a través del aprendizaje-servicio en la formación de maestros de Educación Infantil

As early childhood teacher education programs have begun to place greater emphasis on standards and accountability, there has been less focus on working with the community, and especially working on important social justice issues (Kroll, 2013). In this paper we argue that integrating service-learning and teacher education is a strategy for increasing awareness of social justice issues for young children, age three to grade three. Through the use of questionnaires and interviews to collect our data, we found that implementing a cascading service-learning model in teacher education programs has a positive transformative effect on Pre-Service Teachers. Additionally, we examined the effects of social justice service-learning projects on young children. The results from the data indicated that implementing a social justice service-learning project with these participants had a great impact or transformation on them.Como en los programas de formación del profesorado para la primera infancia han empezado a poner mayor énfasis en los estándares y la rendición de cuentas, se está haciendo menos hincapié en el trabajo con la comunidad, y especialmente en trabajos centrados en temas relevantes de justicia social (Kroll, 2013). En este artículo se argumenta que la integración del aprendizaje-servicio y la formación del profesorado es una estrategia para aumentar la conciencia sobre temas de justicia social con los niños pequeños, desde los tres años hasta tercer grado. A través del uso de cuestionarios y entrevistas para la recolección de datos, se encontró que la implementación de un modelo de aprendizaje-servicio en cascada en los programas de formación del profesorado tiene un efecto transformador positivo en profesores en formación. Además, se examinaron los efectos de los proyectos de aprendizaje-servicio de justicia social con niños pequeños. Los resultados de los datos indican que la implementación de un proyecto de aprendizaje-servicio de justicia social con estos participantes tiene un gran impacto o transformación en ellos.Os programas de formação do professorado para a primeira infância começaram a pôr maior ênfase nos padrões e a prestação de contas, dando-se menos ênfase ao trabalho com a comunidade, e especialmente em trabalhos centrados em temas relevantes de justiça social (Kroll, 2013). Neste artigo se argumenta que a integração do aprendizagem-serviço e a formação do professorado é uma estratégia para aumentar a consciência sobre temas de justiça social com as crianças pequenas, desde os três anos até o terceiro grau. Através do uso de questionário e entrevistas para a coleta de dados, encontrou-se que a implementação de um modelo de aprendizagem-serviço em cascata nos programas de formação de professores tem um efeito transformador positivo em professores em formação. Ademais, examinaramse os efeitos dos projetos de aprendizagem-serviço de justiça social com crianças pequenas. Os resultados dos dados indicam que a implantação de um projeto de aprendizagem-serviço de justiça social com estes participantes causa neles um grande impacto ou transformação

Dialysis vs conservative management decision aid: a study protocol

When patients' kidney function deteriorates to chronic kidney disease stage 5, services offer patients a choice for the next phase of their care. Renal replacement therapies may not have survival benefits, and conservative management may have less treatment burden for older patients with associated comorbidities or frailty. Anna E Winterbottom et al discuss the development of a patient decision aid

Critical review of leaflets about conservative management used in UK renal services

Background: Written information supplements nurse‐led education about treatment options. It is unclear if this information enhances patients’ reasoning about conservative management (CM) and renal replacement therapy decisions. Aim: This study describes a critical review of resources U.K. renal staff use when providing CM options to people with Established Kidney Disease (EKD) during usual pre‐dialysis education. Design: A survey using mixed methods identified and critically analysed leaflets about CM. Participants & measurements: All 72 renal units in the United Kingdom received an 11‐item questionnaire to elicit how CM education is delivered, satisfaction and/or needs with patient resources and staff training. Copies of leaflets were requested. A coding frame was utilised to produce a quality score for each leaflet. Results: Fifty‐four (75%) units participated. Patients discuss CM with a nephrologist (98%) or nurse (100%). Eighteen leaflets were reviewed, mean scores were 8.44 out of 12 (range 5–12, SD = 2.49) for information presentation; 3.50 out of 6 (range 0–6, SD = 1.58) for inclusion of information known to support shared decision‐making and 2.28 out of 6 (range 1–4, SD = 0.96) for presenting non‐biased information. Conclusions: Nurses preferred communicating via face‐to‐face contact with patients and/or families because of the emotional consequences and complexity of planning treatment for the next stage of a person's worsening kidney disease. Conversations were supplemented with written information; 66% of which were produced locally. Staff perceived a need for using leaflets, and spend time and resources developing them to support their services. However, no leaflets included the components needed to help people reason about conservative care and renal replacement therapy options during EKD education consultations

Decisional Needs of People From Minority Ethnic Groups Around Living Donor Kidney Transplantation: A UK Healthcare Professionals’ Perspective

Despite improved patient and clinical outcomes, living donor kidney transplantation is underutilized in the United Kingdom, particularly among minority ethnic groups, compared to deceased donor kidney transplantation. This may in part be due to the way in which kidney services present information about treatment options. With a focus on ethnicity, semi structured interviews captured the views of 19 kidney healthcare professionals from two renal centres in West Yorkshire, about the decisional needs and context within which people with advanced kidney disease make transplant decisions. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Themes were categorized into three groups: 1) Kidney healthcare professionals: language, cultural awareness, trusted personnel, and staff diversity, 2) Patient information resources: timing and setting of education and suitability of patient-facing information and, 3) People with advanced kidney disease: knowledge, risk perception, and cultural/religious beliefs. To our knowledge, this is the first study in the United Kingdom to investigate in depth, healthcare professionals’ views on living donor kidney transplantation decision making. Six recommendations for service improvement/delivery to support decision making around living donor kidney transplantation among minority ethnic groups are described

A lattice model for the line tension of a sessile drop

Within a semi--infinite thre--dimensional lattice gas model describing the coexistence of two phases on a substrate, we study, by cluster expansion techniques, the free energy (line tension) associated with the contact line between the two phases and the substrate. We show that this line tension, is given at low temperature by a convergent series whose leading term is negative, and equals 0 at zero temperature