Federal program expenditures for working-age people with disabilities: Research Report

Public assistance programs are important sources of support for working-age people with disabilities in the United States. Using a variety of information sources, the authors estimate that the federal government spent $226 billion in 2002 on working-age people with disabilities, including both cash and in-kind benefits. These expenditures account for about 2.2 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) and 11.3 percent of all federal outlays. States contributed an additional$50 billion under federal-state programs. The bulk of these expenditures provided income support and health care to working-age people with disabilities who were not employed or had very low earnings. The authors provide a detailed accounting of the expenditures and question whether the distribution of expenditures is properly aligned with the evolving disability paradigm

Test results from a dynamic model dynaflex rotor

A one-fifth scale dynamic model of the Sikorsky Dynaflex rotor was tested in hover and in forward flight conditions in a wind tunnel. The Dynaflex rotor features an advanced composite structure which flexes to provide a constant speed universal joint action. Testing concentrated on confirming that the stability and dynamic response of the rotor were satisfactory. Lift conditions of up to .11 Ct/sigma and advance ratios as high as .46 were reached. Vibratory loads were compared to those of articulated rotors. The Dynaflex rotor concept appears to be a practical concept from the standpoint of dynamic response and stability

Early quantitative evidence on the impact of the pathways to work pilots

Since October 2003 the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been piloting reforms in England, Scotland and Wales which provide greater support alongside greater obligations to encourage many new claimants of incapacity benefits to move into paid work. The Pathways to Work package of reforms includes: a series of usually mandatory workfocused interviews; programmes designed to boost claimants' prospects of being able to work; and increased financial incentives for individuals to enter paid employment. As part of a quantitative assessment of the impact of the programme, a telephone survey of those making an initial enquiry to Jobcentre Plus about claiming incapacity benefits was conducted in both pilot and comparison areas before and after the pilots were implemented. This report focuses on the differences in some early quantitative outcomes between Pathways and non-Pathways areas. Two empirical techniques are used to investigate the early impact of the pilots on employment, earnings, receipt of incapacity benefits, and a potential indicator of the extent to which individuals' health affects their everyday activities. The analysis was undertaken by researchers at the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the telephone interviews were undertaken by the National Centre for Social Research. All these findings are preliminary: more comprehensive analysis will be conducted in later stages of the evaluation. This report analyses outcomes at a time shortly after the pilots started. Further analysis of outcomes will assess Pathways to Work using survey and administrative data from a later cohort and will examine outcomes over a longer period of time

Understanding the changing social structural and corporate agency governance characteristics of (UK) Policing: towards a new relational policing matrix

Design/Methodology: - Two case studies (Mecronia and Andrad) were conducted following an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) methodology. Critical/relational sociological views of the interaction between non- human structure (Donati, 2007) and corporate agency (Archer, 1995) provided a lens for the analysis. In this manner, the changing social, structural and corporate agency characteristics in policing were brought into focus. In the same way, the feelings and reactions of individual police officers were explored in response to those changes. Analysis: - Using existing policing, management and critical/relational sociological texts and collected research data, a new conceptual relational policing matrix (RPM) is developed and is a major contribution of this work. I argue that NPM structures had a dehumanising effect on police organisations and were at odds with personal public service motivation (Perry and Wise 1990). I argue that the recent removal of numerical targets is greatly welcomed by the officers. Finally, I argue that ongoing austerity measures of successive UK Governments have left police officers feeling greatly overworked and over stressed due to an increasing imbalance between demand and resources. Originality/ Value: - The Relational Policing Matrix (RPM) is a new conceptual framework and using critical/relational sociological theory as a lens for the examination of policing structures and culture has not been attempted before. No one has described the changing governance characteristics in relation to the police from the perspective of serving police officers or analysed the impact of those changes on the police officers using a relational sociological lens. Therefore, through the analysis and use of the RPM the thesis is original and adds value to understanding of police, public-sector and organisational management

Performance culture in the UK police forces, a case study of Kent Police.

This dissertation is a case study of the management of performance in Kent Police. The method used was to conduct semi-structured interviews with a small number of serving members of Kent Police. The techniques used were based on an Interpretive Phenomenological Assessment pioneered by Jonathan A Smith, Paul Flowers and Michael Larkin. During the literature review many sources were used including current management journals, text books, government publications and websites

Regional and Racial Variation in Health Care Among Medicare Beneficiaries

Focuses on variations in healthcare delivery and outcomes among and within hospital service areas, in addition to racial and geographic disparities, as measured by five indicators. Discusses variations in spending and considers implications for reform

Disparities in Health and Health Care Among Medicare Beneficiaries

Compares disparities in treatments and health outcomes -- diabetes-related leg amputations, mammograms, diabetes management, primary care, and hospitalization rates -- by race/ethnicity and state or region

Correlations and fluctuations of a confined electron gas

The grand potential $\Omega$ and the response $R = - \partial \Omega /\partial x$ of a phase-coherent confined noninteracting electron gas depend sensitively on chemical potential $\mu$ or external parameter $x$. We compute their autocorrelation as a function of $\mu$, $x$ and temperature. The result is related to the short-time dynamics of the corresponding classical system, implying in general the absence of a universal regime. Chaotic, diffusive and integrable motions are investigated, and illustrated numerically. The autocorrelation of the persistent current of a disordered mesoscopic ring is also computed.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure, to appear in Phys. Rev.