Sunday, December 29, 2019

Composite Materials in Aerospace

Weight is everything when it comes to heavier-than-air machines, and designers have striven continuously to improve lift to weight ratios since man first took to the air. Composite materials have played a major part in weight reduction, and today there are three main types in use: carbon fiber-, glass-, and aramid- reinforced epoxy.; there are others, such as boron-reinforced (itself a composite formed on a tungsten core). Since 1987, the use of composites in aerospace has doubled every five years, and new composites regularly appear. Uses Composites are versatile, used for both structural applications and components, in all aircraft and spacecraft, from hot air balloon gondolas and gliders to passenger airliners, fighter planes, and the Space Shuttle. Applications range from complete airplanes such as the Beech Starship to wing assemblies, helicopter rotor blades, propellers, seats, and instrument enclosures. The types have different mechanical properties and are used in different areas of aircraft construction. Carbon fiber, for example, has unique fatigue  behavior  and is brittle, as Rolls-Royce discovered in the 1960s when the innovative RB211 jet engine with carbon fiber compressor blades failed catastrophically due to bird strikes. Whereas an aluminum wing has a known metal fatigue lifetime, carbon fiber is much less predictable (but dramatically improving every day), but boron works well (such as in the wing of the Advanced Tactical Fighter). Aramid fibers (Kevlar is a well-known proprietary brand owned by DuPont) are widely used in honeycomb sheet form to construct very stiff, very light bulkhead, fuel tanks, and floors. They are also used in leading- and trailing-edge wing components. In an experimental program, Boeing successfully used 1,500 composite parts to replace 11,000 metal components in a helicopter. The use of composite-based components in place of metal as part of maintenance cycles is growing rapidly in commercial and leisure aviation. Overall, carbon fiber is the most widely used composite fiber in aerospace applications. Advantages We have already touched on a few, such as weight saving, but here is a full list: Weight reduction - savings in the range of 20%-50% are often quoted.It is easy to assemble complex components using automated layup machinery and rotational molding processes.Monocoque (single-shell) molded structures deliver higher strength at a much lower weight.Mechanical properties can be tailored by lay-up design, with tapering thicknesses of reinforcing cloth and cloth orientation.Thermal stability of composites means they dont expand/contract excessively with a change in temperature (for example a 90 °F runway to -67 °F at 35,000 feet in a matter of minutes).High impact resistance - Kevlar (aramid) armor shields planes, too - for example, reducing accidental damage to the engine pylons which carry engine controls and fuel lines.High damage tolerance improves accident survivability.Galvanic - electrical - corrosion problems which would occur when two dissimilar metals are in contact (particularly in humid marine environments) are avoided. (Here non-conductive fiberglass pla ys a role.)Combination fatigue/corrosion problems are virtually eliminated. Future Outlook With ever-increasing fuel costs and environmental lobbying, commercial flying is under sustained pressure to improve performance, and weight reduction is a key factor in the equation. Beyond the day-to-day operating costs, the aircraft maintenance programs can be simplified by component count reduction and corrosion reduction. The competitive nature of the aircraft construction business ensures that any opportunity to reduce operating costs is explored and exploited wherever possible. Competition exists in the military too, with continuous pressure to increase payload and range, flight performance characteristics, and survivability, not only of airplanes but of missiles, too. Composite technology continues to advance, and the advent of new types such as basalt and carbon nanotube forms is certain to accelerate and extend composite usage. When it comes to aerospace, composite materials are here to stay.

Friday, December 20, 2019

The Patriarchal Welfare State, By Carole Pateman - 945 Words

One subject that lacked in the previous weeks’ readings is gender and its role in urban democracy. The authors gave women faint mentions. As a consequence of societal, political and financial exclusion, the status of women in municipal power dynamics is restricted and minimal. This week’s authors articulated a variety of limitations that prevent women from benefiting from power dynamics in American cities. Through class, theories of citizenship and race, they explain citizenship and its privileges as benefiting male dominance. This paper argues that patriarchal hegemony, along with issues of race/ethnicity and class, make up the root cause of oppression and isolation that women face in municipal democracy. In â€Å"The Patriarchal Welfare State,† Carole Pateman outlined her criticism of the modern welfare state, claiming the system as a perpetuation of male dominance. She referenced Hegel who thought, â€Å"women†¦are natural social exiles† adding wom en are made citizens though traditional means, through the family structure. Women gained societal recognition and citizenship as wives and mothers. On the other hand, men achieved their status, through class and employment, the latter of which women were excluded from, but now find themselves undertaking. Citizenship without independence is just a concept. In society, employees have economic stability (they hold a job), which gives them advanced status and a feeling of societal inclusion. This point makes sense. Employment givesShow MoreRelatedOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesphilosophical assumptions Hierarchy of science and organization theory Fatalism and optimism in the ‘new’ modernist organization Bell’s stages of societal development Fordism vs. post-fordism The incidence of part-time work in European Union member states Modernism versus postmodernism Affirmative versus sceptical postmodernism The changing condition of knowledge Pay and profits: Long run performance of FTSE 100 companies (2002 prices) Five core points of transformational leadership Ideas and perspectives:

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Application of Music Intervention-.com

Question: Conduct a Critical Literature Review to identify research gap regarding a significant public health problem, and present the findings of this review. Answer: Proposal topic Application of music intervention for the treatment of Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among 14-17 year aged children in Australia. Background Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder, primary found in children, characterised by inattention and impulsivity or hyperactivity that interferes with their development and functioning. It was initially known as Hyper Kinetic Disorder. The most common characteristic features of HKD were overactivity, restlessness, distractibility and short attention span while completing a particular task Cahill et al., 2012. ADHD was specifically characterised by the DSM-R criteria during the late 1980s and considered hyperactivity as the most consistent feature (Polanczyk et al., 2014). ADHD can be categorised into three types that are mentioned below: Predominantly inattentive type Combined type Predominantly hyperactivity and impulsive type The common symptoms of ADHD create subsequent difficulties for children to learn, socialise, maintain interpersonal relationships and manage behaviour. Disagreements exist regarding the number of people who are affected. Globally, ADHD is reported to be present among 4.6 million children, belonging to the age group of 4-17 years (Efron, Davies Sciberras, 2013). It is thought to be prevalent among 6.8% children in the Australian community (Al-Yagon et al., 2013). Furthermore, data from the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing suggest an 11% prevalence of ADHD among adolescents in Australia. Approximately 0.5% children belonging to that age group had been prescribed stimulant medications during 2006-2007, for treatment of the disorder (Whitely, 2012). Repeated manifestation of aggressive behaviour reduces self-esteem, increases chances of academic failure and school dropouts among such children. Recent studies provide evidences that suggest the effectiveness of music therapy in increasing attention, focus, strengthening of social skills and reducing hyperactivity among ADHD children (Moffitt et al., 2015). Recent data suggests that volume and musical distractions exhibit enhancing effects on development of cognitive skills among those children (Smith et al., 2013). The studies suggest that music therapy leads to an increase in the dopamine levels of the brain owing to shared networks with essential cognitive processes (Jang et al., 2013). This results in enhancement of attention, memory, and executive functioning. Therefore, it can be deduced that music therapy affects the physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual and aesthetical aspects of a person and helps in improving their mental health. Goal of the project The purpose of the grant proposal is to support children and adolescents with ADHD, who face behavioural and mental issues at home settings or schools that impacts their self-confidence and learning capabilities. The proposal intends to increase attention, improve cognitive skills and reduce hypersensitivity with the use of musical therapy among children aged 4-17 years, suffering from ADHD in Australia. Literature review This review of literature will discuss about the prevalence, cause and symptoms of ADHD along with the effectiveness of the proposed intervention to reduce the symptoms and bring about positive behavioural changes among children. Numerous studies have been conducted on ADHD in order to understand the effects of music on the cognitive performance of hyperactive children. Several randomised controlled trials have found music therapy to be an effective intervention for ADHD. An RCT recruited 235 children of whom 114 were subjected to music therapy and 121 formed the control group. An analysis of the Complier Average Causal Effect estimation method (CACE), showed promising effects among the sample in regards to rate of reading correct words per minute, phonological awareness and secondary outcomes (Cogo-Moreira et al., 2013). Another study randomly assigned 29 children, aged 4 years to visual art and music classes and determined the effects of music education on development of cognitive skills. A partial replication attempt that compared no-treatment control to groups where music training had been conducted showed no significant improvements in cognitive skills (Mehr et al., 2013). The positive effects of music therapy on social interaction improvements were supported by another study that recruited 23 children with severe cognitive disabilities of whom, 12 children received family-centered music therapy. An improvement in social interaction was observed among the children who were subjected to the therapy. However, there was lack of improvement in general social responsiveness or language skills (Thompson, McFerran, Gold, 2014). Another systematic review also investigated the impact of musical experiences on the neural structures associated with emotional regulation and found that activation patterns in the brain when subjects listened to preferred and familiar music (Moore, 2013). Thus, it can be stated that several evidences exist that confirms the effectiveness of musical intervention. This forms the basis of the grant proposal. Research gaps The research conducted by Cogo-Moreira et al., (2013) used a randomized control trial to evaluate the effectiveness of music intervention on development of cognitive skills among ADHD children. However, the research gaps are associated with the fact that some children who formed the sample population had been enrolled in music sessions from early childhood. Therefore, the effects of cognitive improvement could not be contributed to the intervention. The research conducted by Mehr et al., (2013) had gaps in the observation of cognitive benefits due to music classes that had been conducted for a longer period of time. The absence of general IQ measure and the lack of direct effect assessment were other gaps associated with the study. The most important limitation of the study conducted by Thompson, McFerran, Gold, (2014) was a small sample size and utilization of parent-report assessments. The parents were non-blinded, which could have resulted in biased outcomes. The lack of specific information on the type of music intervention included in the systematic review was a major research gap. Other gaps lie in the inclusion criteria and use of western music as the stimulus (Moore, 2013). Therefore, further investigation is required to assess the effects of music intervention on improvement of cognitive skills and behavior among children with ADHD. Target population The target population that this grant proposal will aim to serve is children aged 4-17 years who attend school in the Australian Capital Territory (Canberra). There are more than 50,000 children belonging to that age group. All children who have been diagnosed with ADHD (according to the DSM-IV criteria) will be considered as eligible participants for the program (Fayyad et al., 2017). Around 50 participants will be selected across 10 schools from the region. Strategies used to select a funding source The funding source was selected by researching online sources. Key search terms included children, ADHD, funding, disability research, and mental health grants for children. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was selected as the funding option owing to the fact that its mission was congruent with the purpose of the research proposal (Ndis.gov.au, 2017). Although, the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs(FaHCSIA) initially controlled funding of research studies for disabled children, it is now controlled by the Department of Social Services (DSS). Funding is required in order to ensure effective functioning of the operations. Locating proper funding is a tedious task. Therefore, it was essential to have a well-defined idea about the research proposal. Program summary After selection of the prospective participants from 10 schools, they will be randomly divided into 2 groups, each containing 25 students. The students in the focus group as well as the control group will attend a 1 hour academic session, conducted by the teacher. The focus group will be subjected to music and videos as distracters or interventions. On the other hand, there will be no distraction in the control group. The children and staff will get adapted to the program in the first week. The music and video sessions will be introduced in the second week and will be continued through the remaining weeks of the program. The General Radio Sound Level Meter will be utilized to make the teacher turn on the video or the music when the children will be instructed to begin their class work. The distracter will be turned off at the end of the work period. The study will be conducted throughout by using behavioral intervention strategies. The program will encompass several aspects such as, point systems with response coast components and rewards, social reinforcement, classroom rules, time out, contingency privileges, and home-based regular report programs. The participants in the control group will not be subjected to any musical intervention therapy and they will continue the prescribed medications for ADHD throughout the study. The academic performance and behavioral patterns will be assessed based on the same test that will be employed in the focus group. This will help the research to ascertain the effectiveness of music therapy on cognitive skill development of ADHD patients. Evaluation The research process will be based on a survey and the participants (focus and control group) will be made to fill up the survey questionnaires thrice during the entire duration of the research. The initial survey will be conducted before commencing the intervention in order to evaluate the initial cognitive skills and behavioral ability of the participants. They will be made to respond to the questions in between the intervention in order to evaluate the short-term effects of music and video therapy on their cognitive development. A final survey questionnaire will be distributed at the end of the research that will assist in analyzing the attention paying skills, cognitive functions, general intelligence and behavioral improvements among the participants. The evaluation will also consider feedbacks form the teachers who used the intervention strategy and that of the parents of the respective participants. On comparing the feedback with other cohorts, changes will be accordingly made in the presentation. Time frame The research will be carried out over a time period of 8 weeks. The surveys will be conducted during the first, fourth and eight week of the intervention program. Outcomes The proposal aims to measure the following outcomes: Is music therapy associated with low impulsivity among children with ADHD? Does music intervention improve classroom behaviour? Does music intervention improve class performance? Sustainability This is a short term project as it will be conducted for a period of 8 weeks during which the effectiveness of music therapy on cognitive skill improvement among ADHD children will be evaluated. This project will be sustainable as a positive research outcome will help in implementing music therapy as an effective intervention to improve the quality of life of ADHD patients (Hahn Khnen, 2013). Thus, it would greatly benefit the mentally disabled children. Collaboration with the Department of Social Services and the schools will help to continue outreach and informational services for Australian children suffering from hyperactivity disorder. Proposed budget range and categories Personnel Amount ($) Non-personnel Amount ($) Program Director 8640 Office supplies 700 Social worker (Behavioural therapist) 6720 Office equipments 1500 Administrative Assistant 4320 Gas reimbursement costs 600 Teachers (4) 19200 Training 1000 Independent evaluators 1000 Miscellaneous 1000 Total cost 39880 4800 Overall expense $44680 The program director, a part-time employee will be paid $90 per hour, for 8 weeks (12 hours per week). He will hold a graduate certificate in social work and will have minimum 5 years of experience in the field. He will implement the daily management and operations of the research program. The behavioural therapist will be a full-time social worker who will have experience in working with children who suffer from ADHD. He will help in the presentations and feedback evaluations, and will be paid $70 per hour. The administrative assistant will help to conduct the screenings, telephonic interviews, surveys, and data entry (Chen, Lin Zhou, 2013). Each of the 4 teachers, who will implement the therapy on the selected students, will be paid $50 per hour for 8 weeks. Office supplies would include pens, papers, notebooks, paper clips, folders, tape and markers. The budget for office equipment will be fixed for laptops, projectors and copy machines. Gas mileage reimbursements will help the social workers to reach the different schools in order to conduct the interventions. Miscellaneous costs would include unexpected expenses such as, snacks, shipping, postage, and presentation materials during the 8 week period. The total costs would approximately be around $44680. Therefore, the budget would be approximately fixed at $49000. Lessons learned The initial step was writing the grant proposal to identify the needs of the target population. This was done by consulting with the teachers, students and their parents. An online search helped to identify the funding agencies available in the community. The literature review further helped to determine the effects of music therapy, which was the proposed intervention. Challenges The initial challenge was identifying the social need and developing a program to address the need. Challenges were faced in searching for funding organisations and locating them. In addition, developing an economically fair budget was difficult. Implications for social work This grant proposal will benefit the wellbeing of the community and will enhance the quality of life among children suffering from ADHD. This will eventually work towards facilitating changes once the funding gets approved by the agency (Larkin, Felitti Anda, 2014). It is essential to identify the indicators of ADHD and develop early intervention strategies that facilitate positive outcomes among the children. 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