An experimental study has been carried out to investigate the effects of buoyancy on smoldering of polyurethane foam. The experiments are conducted with a high void fraction flexible polyurethane foam as fuel and air as oxidizer, in a geometry that approximately produces a one dimensional smolder propagation. The potential effect of buoyancy in the process is analyzed by comparing upward and downward smolder propagation through a series of normal gravity and variable gravity experiments. Both opposed and forward mixed (free and forced) flow smolder configurations are studied. In opposed smolder the oxidizer flow opposes the direction of smolder propagation, and in forward smolder both move in the same direction. Variable gravity free flow tests are also conducted in an aircraft flying a parabolic trajectories that provides low gravity periods of up to 25 sec. Measurements are performed of the smolder reaction propagation velocity and temperature as a function of the location in the sample interior, the foam and air initial temperature, the direction of propagation and the air flow velocity. This information is used in conjunction with previously developed smolder theoretical models to determine the smolder controlling mechanisms and the effect of gravity. Three zones in the fuel sample with clearly defined smolder characteristics are identified. A zone close to the igniter where smolder is affected by the external heat, a zone at the end of the sample where smolder is affected by the environment, and a zone at the end of the sample where smolder is affected by the environment, and a zone, in the middle of the foam, that is free from external effects. This last zone is the most characteristic of one dimensional, self-supported smolder, and the one that is studied in greater detail. In mixed flow convection buoyancy induced flows together with the forced flow are the primary mechanism of oxidizer transport to the reaction zone, while diffusion has a secondary importance. In natural convection, downward smoldering is of the opposed type while upward smoldering resembles more the forward type. For opposed flow smoldering, both natural and forced, the smolder propagation velocity is found to increase with the oxidizer mass flux reaching the reaction zone. This result confirms predictions from previously developed theoretical models that the smolder velocity is proportional to the oxygen mass flow. The experimental data is correlated in terms of a non-dimensional smolder velocity derived from these models, the results show very good agreement between theory and experiments for strong smolder. To implement the models, an analysis of the gas flow field is developed where the effect of significantly different permeabilities between char and foam is been Extinction is observed for very low and for very high flow rates, which shows that smolder is controlled by a sensitive competition between oxygen supply and heat losses to and from the reaction zone. Under these conditions the models do not describe the experiments well. The forward flow smolder experiments show that forward smoldering is controlled not only by the competition between oxygen supply and heat losses to and from the reaction zone but also by the competition between pyrolysis and oxidation. For low flow velocities a regime resembling the opposed flow is observed. As the air flow velocity is increased, foam pyrolysis followed by char oxidation is the controlling smolder mechanism. For both these conditions the theoretical models describe the experiments well. Increasing the flow velocity further results in a smolder propagation velocity controlled by total fuel consumption, in downward burining. For upward burning transition to flaming is observed for very high air flow velocities. This last regime is not well predicted by the theoretical models. The results from the experiments in variable gravity environment conducted in the KC-135A and Leajet airplanes confirm the normal gravity observations that the competition between heat losses and oxidizer transport is the major mechanism controlling smolder. The absence of convective flow in low gravity results in higher temperature in the unburnt fuel and char due to smaller heat losses to the surroundings. However, the oxidizer transport to the reaction zone also decreases and as a result the temperature at the reaction zone decreases indicating a weakening of the eaction, The presence of pyrolytic reactions in foward smolder and their capability to inhibit smoldering complicates the above described smolder mechanisms.

Bedaquiline is a medication recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of multidrug resistant tuberculosis. Due to its recent nature, there exists little information on the efficacy and safety of the drug. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to collect what data exist on bedaquiline and assess its efficacy and safety relative to currently recommended regimens, and some specific medications used in those regimens for treating both multidrug resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis. Nine studies were collected from databases and direct journal searches and pooled to make a sample size of 950 patients receiving a treatment regimen containing bedaquiline. Of these 950 patients on bedaquiline-containing regimens, a high percentage had culture conversion at six months (84.13%, 95% CI = 72.53% - 92.98%), treatment cure (71.86%, 95% CI = 60.94% - 81.60%), and treatment success (70.80%, 95% CI = 61.57% - 79.24%), and a low percentage discontinued bedaquiline (3.65%, 95% CI = 1.98% - 5.81%), or died (6.56%, 95% CI = 4.15% - 9.45%), despite a high number of XDR-TB and HIV co-infected patients. Adverse events due to bedaquiline (21.39%, 95% CI = 11.66% - 33.11%), total severe adverse events (26.50%, 95% CI = 6.98% - 52.86%), hepatotoxicity (14.37%, 95% CI = 2.56 – 33.47%), and QT prolongation percentages (10.37%, 95% CI = 3.19% - 21.01%) were high, but did not lead to bedaquiline discontinuation or death. The efficacy and relative safety of bedaquiline make it a viable option versus current alternative medications and, as part of a regimen, it is far more successful at treating multidrug-, and extensively drug-, resistant tuberculosis than conventional regimens. New treatment regimens only just being put into use, however, such as the Bangladesh regimen, still seem to be superior. More research, including randomized controlled trials, is required to identify how bedaquiline should be incorporated into making multidrug resistant tuberculosis treatment more effective and safe. / 2020-02-20T00:00:00Z

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Dans le contexte où le secteur automobile apparaît comme l’un des principaux émetteurs de gaz à effet de serre, des efforts doivent être apportés pour répondre à des normes antipollution de plus en plus contraignantes. L’objectif de la thèse est alors de développer un système qui aide le conducteur à adopter globalement une conduite plus économique, et qui plus est, écologique et sécuritaire. Notre approche se différencie des études et systèmes déjà existants par la stratégie utilisée. Celle-ci prend à la fois en compte les caractéristiques du véhicule, celles de l’infrastructure (pente, dévers, courbure) et surtout les contraintes sécuritaires que doit respecter le conducteur (limitation de vitesse légale, distance intervéhiculaire). Partant de ces informations, le problème d’optimisation de la consommation en carburant est formulé et résolu par la programmation dynamique. La stratégie de calcul en ligne est par la suite adoptée pour rendre le système adaptatif aux conditions de trafic. C’est ainsi que, sur la base de cette stratégie, le couplage entre le problème de sécurité routière et de réduction de consommation est réalisé. Des expérimentations de ce système informatif suggestif sur véhicule prototype montrent que le suivi des consignes, données par le système, est tout à fait réalisable par le conducteur. Ces essais confirment aussi le potentiel d’économie en carburant et l’amélioration de la sécurité grâce à notre système. En comparaison avec le style d’éco-conduite des conducteurs, l’économie en carburant en moyenne est de 7.5% et peut atteindre 12.9% et des réductions des dépassements de vitesse de 50% en moyenne et atteint près de 80% pour certains conducteurs. / In the context where the automobile sector represents one of the major greenhouse gas emitters, significant efforts should be made to answer the demand for increasingly restricted emissions standards. The object of this thesis is to develop a fuel-efficient support tool which helps the driver to adopt more economical, ecological and safe driving. our approach differs from studies in the literature by the introduction of a strong coupling of fuel optimization and safety maintaining problems. As inputs of the system, we use the vehicle states such as the vehicle and engine speeds, the gear used, the road geometry and information related to safety (inter-vehicle speed, traffic conditions, legal speed limit...). Optimisation algorithms compute in real-time a speed and gear profile for fuel economy and improvement of safety.. The experimental results of this informative and suggestive system show that instructions, given by the system, are quite feasible by the driver. These tests also confirm the potential for fuel economy and the safety

Exposure to whole body vibration has been identified as a risk factor for the development of low back problems and exposure to frequent vertical impacts has been identified as a risk factor for both acute and chronic back injury. While there have been many prior studies into human response to both vibration and impacts, these studies have only examined them in isolation from one another, i.e. only sinusoidal vibration or impacts with no concurrent vibration. This does not reflect the environments in which occupational exposures take place and limits our ability to generalize these findings to the real world. The first obstacle in examining the interaction between vibration and impacts is the lack of any quantitative definition of what constitutes an impact within a vibrating environment. To take the first steps toward creating this quantitative definition of an impact, we examined acceleration, posture, and erector spinae electromyography (EMG) data from farm vehicle operators as they completed routine farm tasks. We created several novel impact detection methods based upon our current understanding of human muscle response to impacts that analyze acceleration data and return the locations in the data at which an impact is believed to have occurred. These novel impact detection methods are the Thump, Womp, and Wiggle Methods. We compared their relative successes in predicting a substantial change in EMG activity immediately following an identified impact to that of a method that randomly selected points in the data, as determined by a novel locally-normalized muscle response evaluation method. We then created a series of generalized linear mixed models that included posture and subject-specific data to compare how the odds ratios between the quartiles of each predictor align with we would expect these predictors to affect the likelihood of an impact to trigger a muscle response. We found that none of our novel impact detection methods predicted muscle response at an appreciably different rate than the random method. However, when posture and subject-specific predictors are introduced into generalized linear mixed models, we see statistical significance in how increases in the chest and lumbar angles affect the likelihood of a muscle response in impacts identified by the Thump Method (p<0.001). We also see statistical significance in how increases in the magnitude of the impact metric in impacts identified by the Wiggle Method increase the likelihood of an observed muscle response being observed (p<0.05). We believe that the Thump and Wiggle Methods of impact identification described within this thesis together provide a foundation for the development of an ideal impact identification method for future studies into impacts within vibrating environments.

La presente tesis busca diseñar un sistema de gestión con datos reales, tomados de encuestas realizadas a hoteles de lima metropolitana, el enfoque fue puesto en las medianas y pequeñas empresas (MYPES) cuyo potencial de crecimiento es alto, dentro de este desarrollo se propone el sistema de gestión haciendo uso de herramientas de gestión en la ingeniería industrial. El sistema de gestión es basado en las normas OHSAS 18001, así como la legislación peruana Ley 29783 _ Ley de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo, buscando, de esta forma, minimizar cualquier riesgo y/o penalidad que pueda sufrir la empresa, maximizando su tiempo de vida, este sistema también busca la interacción con los demás procesos existentes en los hoteles. / This thesis seeks to development a management system using real data, taken from surveys conducted in metropolitan Lima hotels, the focus was placed on medium and small companies whose growth potential is high, within this development is proposed the management system use of management tools in industrial engineering. The management system is based on standards. OHSAS 18001, as well as the Peruvian company Law 29783 _ Occupational Health and Safety Law, looking, in this way, to minimize any risk and/or penalty that the company may suffer, maximizing its life time, this system also seeks interaction with other existing processes in hotels. / Tesis

Research suggests that individuals who perceive their work as a calling (a deep passion and meaningfulness associated with a certain domain) experience a variety of positive outcomes such as occupational identification, career decidedness, and job satisfaction. Utilizing the tenets of Social Exchange Theory and the Job Demands Resources Model, I proposed that individuals with greater calling toward their occupation will report higher safety motivation and safety compliance. However, under conditions of high workload this relationship would be attenuated. Further, by the same rationale, individuals with lower calling will report lower safety outcomes, yet I proposed that this relationship is mitigated under conditions of high supervisor support. The study was conducted with a sample of 183 participants collected across three forests within the United States Forest Service. Although the hypotheses in the study were not supported, this study provides theoretical groundwork elucidating the link between calling and the examined outcome - safety. This, in turn, will aid in the development of a number of potential research avenues for safety scholars, with many practical implications. Further, an examination of calling with other collected variables within this industry provides avenues for future research in the calling domain. The investigation of moderators may help to explain the conflicting results found in the calling literature. Finally, this study furthers our understanding of safety, workload, and supervisor support within a "helping field."

In the United States of America today, there are concerns regarding the appropriate functioning of the police service and a lack of effective police accountability. African Americans have often been victims of unprofessional police conduct; however, their views have rarely been found adequately represented in the literature on the subject. The purpose of this case study was to fill this identified gap in the academic literature. A conceptual framework composed of the afrocentric, environmental contingency, and conflict theories was used to guide and inform this inquiry. The main research question focused on discovering which form of police oversight is seen as the most trusted, respected, and fair method of ensuring police accountability from an African American perspective in a mid-western U.S. city. Data were collected through review of pertinent documents, and through interviews and observation of 8 purposefully selected members of the African American community in the city. All data were inductively coded and then subjected to thematic analysis.The key finding of this study revealed that the most trusted, respected, and fair method of ensuring police accountability within the local African American community is a process that is not controlled only by the police. Participants consistently noted that it was their belief that an outside person, board, committee, or agency should evaluate cases of unprofessional police conduct, when appropriate. The findings of this study resulted in recommendations to the police leadership that may provide increased understanding, give a voice to this community, assist in devising good public policy, and benefit all citizens of the region.

Attention to quality outcomes, cost reduction, value-based purchasing, and improved initiatives for hospital-acquired conditions (HACs), as well as labor utilization savings, provide a foundation for hospitals to achieve safety and quality outcomes. Falls resulting in fractures, joint dislocation, or other physical injuries are considered HACs and can produce unexpected consequences such as an increase in costs related to an increased length of stay. The CareView Communications system, a fall prevention management program that uses video surveillance technology, offers a strategy to prevent patient falls by customizing patient rounding, conducting fall risk assessments, and generating reports. Guided by Donabedian's framework, this project evaluated the effectiveness of implementation of CareView video monitoring to decrease falls, avoid falls with injury, and reduce use of the patient safety technician on the hospital's telemetry and neurological unit. One year of preimplementation fall data were compared to 1 year of postimplementation data to measure the video monitoring (VM) system effectiveness in fall reduction. Although there was a reduction in the number of falls on the neurological (4.08 to 3.24/1,000 patient days) and the telemetry (2.92 to 1.96.1,000 patient days) units, the results were not statistically significant. The results of this project could contribute to positive social change by helping to determine the effectiveness of the CareView system in reducing falls and identifying strategies for implementing the use of the VM system to reduce patient falls and enhance patient safety.

Work zones present a risk to drivers and to personnel constructing the roadway. In 2005 work zones accounted for 2.5% of fatalities nationwide, 3.5% for the state of Utah. The goal of this research is to make work zones safer by quantifying the risk that they present to drivers. The approach of this research has been to review part 6 of the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and compare the differences from the 2003 and 2009 editions, conduct field studies of Utah work zones, and develop a tool for measuring risk in work zones. In the 2009 MUTCD an effort is made to provide additional safety measures to disabled pedestrians. Also, guidelines are set for the use of new technology for work zones, flagger procedures, and incident management. Research was done to ascertain what several states are doing to promote safety around work zones. The states that are highlighted in this report are Arkansas, North Carolina, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Minnesota, and Virginia. These methods include integration of a Smart Work Zone system, late lane merge, investigation of higher quality traffic control devices, and application of other technologies to make drivers aware of work zone conditions. Discussion about the various technologies available and their effects on traffic found through research is also provided in this thesis. Research for safety and safety regulations continues. An audit process developed at Utah State University and the Illinois Institute of Technology was used to conduct an evaluation of work zones in Utah. The audit was instrumental in evaluating the measures being used on highway and interstate roads work sites. The results and observations of this research were utilized to make standards concerning conditions of signs and delineation devices. Also observations were used to determine risk factors pertaining to a work zone. These factors were implemented in a spreadsheet that served as an analysis tool for quantification of risk in a work zone. Eleven projects in highways and arterials were audited and analyzed with the analysis tool developed. The risk scores attained from this tool range in value, and though the values may not be an exact value of the present risk, the tool still proved to be effective as an estimation device for auditors and contractors alike. The tool also proved efficient in quickly identifying the areas of concern in the work zone, and giving an estimate on the impact that improvements will have on the safety of workers and drivers. For the 11 work zones audited, the recommendations were enforcement of speed limit, improvement of signs in the work zone, and use of positive protection, among others.