Influence of higher-order harmonics on the saturation of the tearing mode

The nonlinear saturation of the tearing mode is revisited in slab geometry by taking into account higher-order harmonics in the outer solution. The general formalism for tackling this problem in the case of a vanishing current gradient at the resonant surface is derived. It is shown that, although the higher-order harmonics lead to corrections in the final saturation equation, they are of higher order in the perturbation parameter, which provides a formal proof that the standard one-harmonic approach is asymptotically correct.Comment: Accepted to Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusio

Dynamics of a particle confined in a two-dimensional dilating and deforming domain

Some recent results concerning a particle confined in a one-dimensional box with moving walls are briefly reviewed. By exploiting the same techniques used for the 1D problem, we investigate the behavior of a quantum particle confined in a two-dimensional box (a 2D billiard) whose walls are moving, by recasting the relevant mathematical problem with moving boundaries in the form of a problem with fixed boundaries and time-dependent Hamiltonian. Changes of the shape of the box are shown to be important, as it clearly emerges from the comparison between the "pantographic", case (same shape of the box through all the process) and the case with deformation.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figure

Effect of current corrugations on the stability of the tearing mode

The generation of zonal magnetic fields in laboratory fusion plasmas is predicted by theoretical and numerical models and was recently observed experimentally. It is shown that the modification of the current density gradient associated with such corrugations can significantly affect the stability of the tearing mode. A simple scaling law is derived that predicts the impact of small stationary current corrugations on the stability parameter $\Delta'$. The described destabilization mechanism can provide an explanation for the trigger of the Neoclassical Tearing Mode (NTM) in plasmas without significant MHD activity.Comment: Accepted to Physics of Plasma

Thinking Beyond the Affordable Care Act

Health care leaders are currently focused on implementing the many aspects of the Affordable Care Act. Although these initiatives are necessary, they are not sufficient to succeed strategi­cally in the healthcare reform environment. Success occurs with an organizational strategy that focuses on new processes and services that meet the healthcare and financial needs of the customer while disrupt­ing the status quo. Three strategic principles are recommended that can be used in helping organizations address disruptions or create their own. These three principles are: test a new business model against the needs of our customers; pilot test one or two new ideas to disrupt or counter disruption; look across disciplines for ideas and encouragement. Change management is far more difficult to enact than is communicated in books, lectures, and case studies. However, in this high-pressure healthcare environment, it is becoming imperative for managers to find a path to participate in positive disruptive solutions, or risk becoming victims of other organizations solutions

Finding the Path to Innovation – Part 2

Industry leaders have been put on the defensive in their need to address mounting financial and operational concerns. In a previous, companion paper, it was suggested that healthcare managers need to balance financial challenges with innovative programming that enhances their strategic mix to find new ways to counter the disruption from the ACA. This paper illustrates a practical example of the applications of this innovation model which touches on three activities: (1) aligning the organization’s purpose with its markets, (2) piloting ideas, and (3) learning from a variety of stakeholders in and outside of the traditional healthcare domain. United HealthGroup (UHG) has developed a new program in the area of health literacy (Just Plain Clear) that illustrates these principles. Based on the organization’s mission of “helping people live healthier lives” it was clear that there was a need to more effectively communicate with their customers. As part of their effort to pilot ideas UHG developed a tool to analyze documents to determine the reading levels needed to understand the documents used by their customers and how to modify then for easier reading. They then decided that a glossary of medical terms in English and Spanish would be a good way to begin addressing health literacy issues among its customers. Learning from stakeholders the UHG staff consulted with the Institute of Medicine; America’s Health Insurance Plans; medical schools at Northwestern University, Boston University, and the University of Missouri; the RAND Corporation; and the Center for Plain Language. In addition, UHG staff reviewed more than 800 journal articles on health literacy. In 2014, the Just Plain Clear website had 22,600 visitors and its use continues to grow. UHG considers this pilot program a success

Onset of interchange instability in a coupled core–SOL plasma

The dynamics at the edge of fusion confinement devices is driven by interchange instabilities and involves the motion of plasma across two regions—the “core region” and the scrape-off layer (SOL)—distinguished by whether field lines are, respectively, closed or connected to the wall. Motivated by this phenomenon, we present an extensive linear stability analysis of a two-layer plasma model encompassing the coupled interactions between the region with closed field lines and the SOL. We focus on the effect of varying the particle diffusivity and ion viscosity, revealing the significant variation in the spatial structure of the critical modes. In addition, we have investigated the dependence of the stability threshold on the ratio of the width of the region with closed field lines to that of the SOL; this dependence is strong when the ratio is sufficiently small, but becomes insignificant once the ratio is of order unity

An exploratory study of market strategy configurations in for-profit health care clinics

Organizations are configurations of variables that support each other to achieve customer satisfaction. Based on Treacy and Wiersema (1995), we predicted the emergence of two configurations, one supporting a product leadership stance and one predicting the customer intimate approach from a set of 73 for profit health care clinics. In addition, we predicted the emergence of a configuration where scores on most variables were near the mean for each variable. Using cluster analysis and discriminant function analysis, we identified three configurations: one a master of two strategy, one stuck-in-the middle, and one showing scores well below the mean on most variables. The implications for organization design and manager actions in the health care industry are discussed

The equifinality of success in the operational excellence market discipline

Differentiation in positioning or operations is an impo1iant element is creating and sustaining a competitive advantage. Firm should understand the boundaries and constraints associated with strategic differentiation. This paper examines how successful firms with similar strategies can differentiate through workforce practices. Management paths to success can vary, given an understanding the various imperatives under which business leaders work

Strategic focus/core assets relational analysis: Aligning the firm for competitive advantage

Firms continually seek a competitive advantage in their markets in order to generate the cash necessary to survive. Our assumption is that firms do so by strongly aligning their strategic focus with their core assets. Like other management advice, this is easier said than done. In this paper we are looking to determine how firms align their strategic focus and core assets. We have found that firms that do sustain a competitive advantage are tightly aligned. On the other hand, firms that are loosely aligned are the ones that struggle the most and are generally without the means to overcome that struggle