Teaching ultrasonics using spreadsheets

Whenever an ultrasonic wave encounters a boundary between two media it is partially reflected and refracted, as any acoustic wave would be. Unlike light, the wave also undergoes mode conversion so that in the general case a single incident wave could produce two reflected waves and two refracted waves. The angles which define the path of the wave are determined by Snell’s law and are easily calculated. The relative amplitudes, on the other hand, require quite complicated formula when the angle of incidence is anything other than 0 degrees. This problem gets compounded when the angle of the incident wave goes beyond the first critical angle. At this point the angle of the refracted wave becomes imaginary and the equations to calculate the relative amplitudes become complex. This paper describes a tool that has been developed, using a spreadsheet, which performs the calculations for all incident angles. The user selects the media and the type of incident wave and the resulting waves are shown graphically as well as numerically. The tool was developed primarily as part of an undergraduate course on ultrasonic testing, but could be used more widely

Using photo elicitation to understand first-year student experiences: Student metaphors of life, university and learning

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Adolescent television viewing and belief in vampires

A total of 1133 13-15-year-old pupils in six secondary schools in South Wales were invited to complete questions concerning vampire belief and amount of television watching. The data demonstrate that belief in vampires was positively associated with higher levels of television watching

Meeting the four-hour deadline in an A&E department

This is the print version of the Article. The official published version can be obtained from the link below - Copyright @ 2011 EmeraldPurpose – Accident and emergency (A&E) departments experience a secondary peak in patient length of stay (LoS) at around four hours, caused by the coping strategies used to meet the operational standards imposed by government. The aim of this paper is to build a discrete-event simulation model that captures the coping strategies and more accurately reflects the processes that occur within an A&E department. Design/methodology/approach – A discrete-event simulation (DES) model was used to capture the A&E process at a UK hospital and record the LoS for each patient. Input data on 4,150 arrivals over three one-week periods and staffing levels was obtained from hospital records, while output data were compared with the corresponding records. Expert opinion was used to generate the pathways and model the decision-making processes. Findings – The authors were able to replicate accurately the LoS distribution for the hospital. The model was then applied to a second configuration that had been trialled there; again, the results also reflected the experiences of the hospital. Practical implications – This demonstrates that the coping strategies, such as re-prioritising patients based on current length of time in the department, employed in A&E departments have an impact on LoS of patients and therefore need to be considered when building predictive models if confidence in the results is to be justified. Originality/value – As far as the authors are aware this is the first time that these coping strategies have been included within a simulation model, and therefore the first time that the peak around the four hours has been analysed so accurately using a model

Book review: Robert McNamara's other war: the World Bank and international development by Patrick Allan Scharma

In Robert McNamara's Other War: The World Bank and International Development, Patrick Allan Scharma attends to the lesser-studied final act of McNamara's political career - his role as leader of the World Bank. This thoroughly researched book offers a detailed and memorable account of both McNamara and this vital moment in the history of global economic development, yet occasionally pulls its ..

Book review: charity sucks by Iqbal Wahhab

Are charities best placed to solve social problems and deliver welfare or might business do it better? This is the key argument of Iqbal Wahhab in his new ‘provocation’, Charity Sucks. While the controversial message of the book chimes with wider debates about the capacity for commerce to deliver prosperity, this unconvincing book fundamentally misunderstands the nature of donation and the relationship between capitalism and charity, writes John Picton

Book review: kids - child protection in Britain: the truth by Camila Batmanghelidjh with Tim Rayment

In Kids – Child Protection in Britain: The Truth, Camila Batmanghelidjh with Tim Rayment sets out a defence of Kids Company, the charity that she ran from 1996 until its dramatic and controversial closure in 2015. While the book underscores the organisation’s genuine impact upon the most vulnerable, due to both Batmanghelidjh’s passionate commitment as well as considerable governmental support, and offers valuable insight into the inner workings of a non-profit, John Picton is left dissatisfied by the simplistic engagement with the wider social and political context in which Kids Company operated

Book review: the right to buy? Selling off public and social housing by Alan Murie

Introduced under the Thatcher government, ‘Right to Buy’ has had a formative effect on housing in the UK for the past 35 years. In The Right to Buy? Selling Off Public and Social Housing, Alan Murie examines the policy’s long-standing and ongoing impact, and considers the implications of its more recent extension. While more explicit political analysis of the consequences of ‘Right to Buy’ would have bolstered the book’s arguments, John Picton welcomes this timely, detailed and important read

Book review: Robert McNamara's other war: the World Bank and international development by Patrick Allan Sharma

In Robert McNamara’s Other War: The World Bank and International Development, Patrick Allan Sharma attends to the lesser-studied final act of McNamara’s political career – his role as leader of the World Bank. This thoroughly researched book offers a detailed and memorable account of both McNamara and this vital moment in the history of global economic development, yet occasionally pulls its punches when it comes to fully grappling with this controversial figure’s political morality, writes John Picton. Robert McNamara’s Other War: The World Bank and International Development. Patrick Allan Sharma. University of Pennsylvania Press. 2017