Generating Options for Active Risk Control (GO-ARC): introducing a novel technique.

BACKGROUND: After investing significant amounts of time and money in conducting formal risk assessments, such as root cause analysis (RCA) or failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), healthcare workers are left to their own devices in generating high-quality risk control options. They often experience difficulty in doing so, and tend toward an overreliance on administrative controls (the weakest category in the hierarchy of risk controls). This has important implications for patient safety and the cost effectiveness of risk management operations. This paper describes a before and after pilot study of the Generating Options for Active Risk Control (GO-ARC) technique, a novel tool to improve the quality of the risk control options generation process. OUTCOME MEASURES: The quantity, quality (using the three-tiered hierarchy of risk controls), variety, and novelty of risk controls generated. RESULTS: Use of the GO-ARC technique was associated with improvement on all measures. CONCLUSIONS: While this pilot study has some notable limitations, it appears that the GO-ARC technique improved the risk control options generation process. Further research is needed to confirm this finding. It is also important to note that improved risk control options are a necessary, but not sufficient, step toward the implementation of more robust risk controls.

Modeling study on the flow, heat transfer and energy conversion characteristics of low-power arc-heated hydrogen/nitrogen thrusters

A modeling study is conducted to investigate the effect of hydrogen content in propellants on the plasma flow, heat transfer and energy conversion characteristics of low-power (kW class) arc-heated hydrogen/nitrogen thrusters (arcjets). 1:0 (pure hydrogen), 3:1 (to simulate decomposed ammonia), 2:1 (to simulate decomposed hydrazine) and 0:1 (pure nitrogen) hydrogen/nitrogen mixtures are chosen as the propellants. Both the gas flow region inside the thruster nozzle and the anode-nozzle wall are included in the computational domain in order to better treat the conjugate heat transfer between the gas flow region and the solid wall region. The axial variations of the enthalpy flux, kinetic energy flux, directed kinetic-energy flux, and momentum flux, all normalized to the mass flow rate of the propellant, are used to investigate the energy conversion process inside the thruster nozzle. The modeling results show that the values of the arc voltage, the gas axial-velocity at the thruster exit, and the specific impulse of the arcjet thruster all increase with increasing hydrogen content in the propellant, but the gas temperature at the nitrogen thruster exit is significantly higher than that for other three propellants. The flow, heat transfer, and energy conversion processes taking place in the thruster nozzle have some common features for all the four propellants. The propellant is heated mainly in the near-cathode and constrictor region, accompanied with a rapid increase of the enthalpy flux, and after achieving its maximum value, the enthalpy flux decreases appreciably due to the conversion of gas internal energy into its kinetic energy in the divergent segment of the thruster nozzle. The kinetic energy flux, directed kinetic energy flux and momentum flux also increase at first due to the arc heating and the thermodynamic expansion, assume their maximum inside the nozzle and then decrease gradually as the propellant flows toward the thruster exit. It is found that a large energy loss (31-52%) occurs in the thruster nozzle due to the heat transfer to the nozzle wall and too long nozzle is not necessary. Modeling results for the NASA 1-kW class arcjet thruster with hydrogen or decomposed hydrazine as the propellant are found to compare favorably with available experimental data.

Modeling study to compare the flow and heat transfer characteristics of low-power hydrogen, nitrogen and argon arc-heated thrusters

A modelling study is performed to compare the plasma °ow and heat transfer char- acteristics of low-power arc-heated thrusters (arcjets) for three di®erent propellants: hydrogen, nitrogen and argon. The all-speed SIMPLE algorithm is employed to solve the governing equa- tions, which take into account the e®ects of compressibility, Lorentz force and Joule heating, as well as the temperature- and pressure-dependence of the gas properties. The temperature, veloc- ity and Mach number distributions calculated within the thruster nozzle obtained with di®erent propellant gases are compared for the same thruster structure, dimensions, inlet-gas stagnant pressure and arc currents. The temperature distributions in the solid region of the anode-nozzle wall are also given. It is found that the °ow and energy conversion processes in the thruster nozzle show many similar features for all three propellants. For example, the propellant is heated mainly in the near-cathode and constrictor region, with the highest plasma temperature appear- ing near the cathode tip; the °ow transition from the subsonic to supersonic regime occurs within the constrictor region; the highest axial velocity appears inside the nozzle; and most of the input propellant °ows towards the thruster exit through the cooler gas region near the anode-nozzle wall. However, since the properties of hydrogen, nitrogen and argon, especially their molecular weights, speci¯c enthalpies and thermal conductivities, are di®erent, there are appreciable di®er- ences in arcjet performance. For example, compared to the other two propellants, the hydrogen arcjet thruster shows a higher plasma temperature in the arc region, and higher axial velocity but lower temperature at the thruster exit. Correspondingly, the hydrogen arcjet thruster has the highest speci¯c impulse and arc voltage for the same inlet stagnant pressure and arc current. The predictions of the modelling are compared favourably with available experimental results.

A fixed arc length direct current plasma torch for reduced pressure deposition of thin films

Because of its high energy density direct current(dc)thermal plasmas are widely accepted as a processing medium which facilitates high processing rates high fluxes of radical species the potential for smaller jnstallations a wide choice of reactants and high quench rates[1].A broad range of industrial processing methods have been developed based on dc plasma technology. However,nonstationary features limited new applications of dc plasma in advanced processing, where reliability£¬reproducibility and precise controllability are required£. These challenges call for better understanding of the arc and jet behavior over a wide range of generating parameters and a comprehensive control of every aspect of lhe plasma processing.

关于偶偶核的形变及对~(124)Te的ARC研究

本文展现了一个从实验谱提取核形变值的唯象方法，并用该方法提取了某些偶偶核的基态形变值。根据Bohr和Mottelson关于对关联对转动惯量的影响的近似考虑及转动惯量对于形变的依赖关系，从实验有效转动惯量提取了核的形度值，并与最近发现的两组理论计算值以及从电四极矩提取的形变数值作了系统比较，结果取得一致，同时表明Bohr和Mottelson关于对关联效应的近似考虑是合理的。本文并计算了一镧系区偶偶核和锕系区偶偶核的α带的形变值。本论文工作利用近年来发展起来的平均共振俘获（ARC）的核谱技术，对~(124)Te核作了探讨和研究。平均能量为24kev中子被~(123)Te靶核俘获后退激放出的γ初级射线，用电子对谱仪进行测量，获得ARC γ谱。通过对2kev、24kev ARC谱数据处理，获取了~(124)Te核2.6Mer下所有O~+、1~+、2~+能级，证明长期以来没确定的2~+态的2倍能量附近的0~+态不存在。在IBMI模型框架下对~(124)Te结构作了探讨，认为最近Robinson等人通过拟合实验谱的理论计算，得出~(124)Te是O（6）核的结论是不合理的。而认为~(124)Te核具有非谐振子能谱的特征，并初步提出~(124)Te可能是接近U（5）结构的核

GIS接受外部空间数据的初步探讨——兼论ARC/INFO~的数据接受方式

数据是地理信息系统 (GIS)应用的核心。现实世界的数据具有普遍的多样性 ,关于 GIS接受不同数据的研究已成为当前 GIS研究中的一个难点和热点。从常见空间数据类型的格式、GIS接受外部空间数据的方式以及 GIS接受外部空间数据中的数据精度、比例尺、坐标变换等几个方面 ,对外部空间数据处理系统的数据向 GIS转换的问题进行了探讨 ,同时以通用 GIS工具软件 ARC/INFO为例分析了其接受外部矢量空间数据的方式。

ARC/INFOR~接受Surfer图文数据的实现

数据是地理信息系统 (GIS)应用的核心。现实世界的数据具有普遍的多样性 ,关于 GIS接受不同数据的研究已成为当前 GIS研究中的一个难点和热点。本文根据通用 GIS工具软件 ARC/INFO接受外部空间数据的方式和图形分析软件 Surfer的数据格式特征 ,运用特定的处理方法实现了由 Surfer格式数据向 ARC/ INFO矢量格式数据 (Coverage)的转换 ,使 ARC/ INFO接受外部数据格式的范围拓宽 ,数据处理能力增强。

Tectonic geomorphology of the Ryukyu Trench-Arc-Backarc System: geological-geophysical exploration and mapping

OKINAWA TROUGH; BASIN

Propagators and ridge jumps in a back-arc basin, the West Philippine Basin

We explore the tectono-magmatic processes in the western West Philippine Basin, Philippine Sea Plate, using bathymetric data acquired in 2003 and 2004. The northwestern part of the basin formed through a series of northwestward propagating rifts. We identify at least five sequences of propagating rifts, probably triggered by mantle flow away from the mantle thermal anomaly that is responsible for the origin of the Benham and Urdenata plateaus. Gravitational forces caused by along-axis topographic gradient and a similar to 30 degrees ridge reorientation appear to also be driving the rift propagations. The along-axis mantle flow appears to be reduced and deflected along the Luzon-Okinawa fracture zone, because the spreading system remained stable west of this major fault zone. North-east of the Benham plateau, a left-lateral fracture zone has turned into a NE-SW-trending spreading axis. As a result, a microplate developed at the triple junction.

Serpentinization of peridotites from the southern Mariana forearc

A detailed petrologic and mineralogic study was carried out on serpentinized peridotites dredged from the southern landward slopes of the Mariana Trench, in order to reveal the serpentinization process of these unusual rocks and to identify the sole presence of the mineral lizardite. The constituent minerals of these southern Mariana forearc peridotites are olivine, amphibole and spinel, as well as serpentine, chlorite and talc. Compared with serpentinite seamounts, the serpentinized peridotites from the southern Mariana forearc are characterized by the absence of magnetite and brucite, and the common presence of talc; besides, the serpentine mineral variety is simplex, only lizardite. Combining mineral chemistry and mineral phase relationships, we conclude that (1) the absence of magnetite in the serpentinized peridotites is due to incomplete serpentinization, other than magnetite, the iron end-member in olivine forms Fe-rich brucite and Fe-rich serpentine; (2) brucite is not stable with high silica activity, reacting with later SiO2-rich fluid and then forming lizardite, leading to a lack of brucite in these serpentinized peridotites; (3) the occurrence of talc is the result of later SiO2-rich fluid reactions with lizardite; and (4) the reason for the sole occurrence of lizardite is that the temperature condition of our study area was not high enough for the formation of antigorite (which is stable at > 500 degrees C). Despite the broad overlap of lizardite and chrysotile in growth temperature, differences in the modes of occurrence of lizardite and chrysotile, such as the scarcity of H2O, low porosity and permeability, as well as the actual situation of initial serpentinization in the study area, result in the absolute prevalence of lizardite over chrysotile in the area. (C) 2009 National Natural Science Foundation of China and Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Limited and Science in China Press. All rights reserved.