Equal Comfort Research Articles

Features of museum excursions for blind and visually impaired people in Kazakhstan: innovative methods of adapting museum spaces

The author of the article addresses an important problem of modern society – creating equal opportunities for all citizens, including people with visual impairments. Inclusive tourism, which implies equal comfort for all travelers regardless of physical and mental disabilities, is gaining momentum all over the world. Museums as socio-cultural institutions that are a platform for the formation of public consciousness and the preservation of cultural heritage, are becoming an important object for tourists, including the blind and visually impaired. The work describes initiatives to ensure the accessibility and adaptation of museum space for blind and visually impaired visitors, including conducting excursions with tactile models, audio descriptions, audio guides, etc. Attention is paid to the peculiarities of conducting museum excursions for the visually impaired, taking into account the choice of location, route planning and the choice of those museums that already have the necessary environment for receiving inclusive visitors.

Electronic research consents for complex early-phase I-II clinical trials integrated with telemedicine visits compared with in-person encounters.

1514 Background: Based on our previous research with patient satisfaction for electronic consenting (95% of 940 respondents would recommend it another patient), we hypothesized that telemedicine (telemed) would be received as well as or better than in-person clinical research (CR) consent encounters for complex early-phase clinical trial (Phase I-II) and clinical genetic consent discussions by patients. Oncologist experiences to date have shown that telemed works well for uncomplicated clinical scenarios, but its performance alongside increased care complexity is less clear from the patient perspective. Methods: We conducted a one-time survey of adult patients having a telemed consent visit between 8/31/21 and 2/13/22 and an in-person clinic visit. Nine CR specific questions covered visit preference and empowerment across 6 high value consent agency domains. Results: 513 patients completed the survey and consented across 96 Clinical trials (CT), including genetic, therapeutic, diagnostic, and quality of life. Consent discussions were performed by 75 clinicians and 41 non-clinicians, with the majority (64%) for clinical genetic and Phase I-II CTs. Most patients (52%) preferred telemed over in-person clinic visits (19%) when all visit related factors (time, cost, convenience, quality of care, healthcare team interaction) were considered ( P<.05) (Table). Comparing their last in-person visit with telemed, patients reported feeling either less stressed/overwhelmed (16%) for their consent discussion or about the same (39%) using telemed, and 6% were more stressed ( P<.05). Patients expressed equal comfort taking agency-supported action across 6 domains regardless of consent setting. Conclusions: Electronic consenting via telemed is the preferred method for consent in complex early-phase clinical trials when all visit factors are considered and performs as well across 6 key agency domains when compared with in-person visits. Telemed does not contribute additional stress to consent appointments for most patients and performs well across complex clinical genetic and Phase I-II clinical trial discussions. Our findings suggest telemed and electronic consent should be offered as an option for patients throughout their treatment continuum. Beyond MSK, our data support a broader call for organizations to offer telemed platforms for CT discussions to increase overall patient satisfaction and potentially increase participation. [Table: see text]

The Postpandemic Pedagogue

The Postpandemic Pedagogue Matthew Hoch (bio) VOICE PEDAGOGY The summer of 2021 marked the fifteenth anniversary of my participation in the NATS Intern Program. As I lived vicariously through this year's two classes of interns—through their various social media posts and Inter Nos articles—I could not help but reflect on my own experiences as an intern. Those ten days spent in Kansas City in June 2006 were a pivotal part of my formation as a teacher of singing. My master teacher was Don Simonson, who imparted a wealth of practical knowledge to us through our mentored teaching and lunchtime chats, drawn from his vast experience as a performer and university professor of singing. I observed and participated in classical vocal master classes and literature sessions, and there was one memorable presentation offered by the UMKC dean that was devoted to achieving tenure in higher education, since that is what many (if not most) of the interns aspired to do. I was headed into my first year as an assistant professor at Shorter College, so the timing was perfect for me. I left the program fulfilled, inspired, and ready to conquer the world. That summer marked the beginning of fifteen years of navigating academic trenches. After six years at a small teaching college, I moved to my current position at Auburn University, which is an R1, land-grant institution. I jumped through all the required hoops to achieve promotion and tenure, focusing primarily on peer reviewed articles, books, and conference presentations, because I was told repeatedly that those activities "carry the most weight" with the committees that would decide my fate. My voice teaching certainly seemed to be more than adequate, with my students regularly achieving success at NATS auditions, MTNA competitions, and through placement in good graduate programs. I received affirmation from my colleagues in the profession in addition to awards for my work. In short, I had perfected my academic routine, which essentially looked the same from year to year. And every August that routine began again. It was easy to feel like I had become very good at what I do. It did not seem to matter if my teaching had not changed very much in between 2009 and 2019—everything seemed to be working just fine. Then 2020 happened, and everything changed overnight. I struggled alongside my colleagues as we adapted to the new reality of online teaching. Our professional organizations cancelled conferences or converted them to online formats. My academic projects suddenly seemed trivial and irrelevant to the pedagogic world in which we were now living. For the first time in career, I felt wholly inadequate as a teacher and scholar. I did not know as much as I thought I did. [End Page 483] In my personal life and day to day interactions, people have begun to refer to events in their lives as "prepandemic" or "postpandemic." As a child, I remember my grandparents framing the timeline of their lives according to World War II, recalling their childhood and growing up "before the War" (with a capital "W"). I suspect the pandemic will occupy a similar station for all of us who have lived through it. In voice pedagogy, the past eighteen months have had significant implications for the future of our profession. The pandemic has hastened, exposed, clarified a variety of trends that already had been taking shape over the last two decades as we stood by, "both knowingly and unknowingly on the precipice of change."1 This editorial will attempt to summarize these emerging themes and their implications for the future of voice pedagogy. ONLINE TEACHING IS HERE TO STAY The most obvious tidal change in our profession is also perhaps the most significant. The postpandemic singing teacher will be expected to offer quality instruction both in person and online with equal comfort. While some singing teachers were ahead of this trend prior to the pandemic, many resisted the online teaching movement, and most singing teachers faced a steep learning curve beginning in March 2020. With varying levels of success, most of us adapted to this change, even if we had no other choice. A NATS membership survey conducted...

Balancing environmental impact, energy use and thermal comfort: Optimizing insulation levels for The Mobble with standard HVAC and personal comfort systems

The energy crisis in the 1970s led to increasingly stricter building codes, resulting in the currently required nearly zero-energy buildings. Nonetheless, the energy saving potential of further increasing insulation packages decreases as a result of the inverse correlation of thermal transmittance with insulation thickness. Therefore, a balance is required between the potential energy savings and the material impact using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This balance is studied for a demonstration building called ‘The Mobble’. For the LCA, the Ecoinvent database and impact assessment method ReCiPe H/A (2016) are used. For the potential energy savings dynamic energy simulations are run in Modelica/Dymola. To ensure equal comfort, thermal comfort is modelled using Human Thermal Module. An optimisation using the trade-off between material impact and operational energy by considering the optimal insulation thickness is executed on three levels: (1) building envelope (insulation, glazing type), (2) HVAC system efficiency (constant, demand based, personal comfort systems) and (3) electricity mix. This additionally enables to assess the robustness of imposing strict insulation requirements in e.g. building codes. The results show that even when extremely advanced demand based systems are adopted, the optimal insulation thickness ranges between 22 cm and 28 cm and is thus hardly affected, neither by user behaviour. However, the choice of energy mix does have a considerable impact on this optimal insulation thickness, and entails a shift in optimal insulation thickness from 20 cm - 30 cm–10 cm - 20 cm when a lower environmental impact for the electricity mix is considered (compared to the current Belgian electricity mix).

How to Power the Energy–Water Nexus: Coupling Desalination and Hydrogen Energy Storage in Mini-Grids with Reversible Solid Oxide Cells

Sustainable Development Goals establish the main challenges humankind is called to tackle to assure equal comfort of living worldwide. Among these, the access to affordable renewable energy and clean water are overriding, especially in the context of developing economies. Reversible Solid Oxide Cells (rSOC) are a pivotal technology for their sector-coupling potential. This paper aims at studying the implementation of such a technology in new concept PV-hybrid energy storage mini-grids with close access to seawater. In such assets, rSOCs have a double useful effect: charge/discharge of the bulk energy storage combined with seawater desalination. Based on the outcomes of an experimental proof-of-concept on a single cell operated with salty water, the operation of the novel mini-grid is simulated throughout a solar year. Simulation results identify the fittest mini-grid configuration in order to achieve energy and environmental optimization, hence scoring a renewable penetration of more than 95%, marginal CO2 emissions (13 g/kWh), and almost complete coverage of load demand. Sector-coupling co-production rate (desalinated water versus electricity issued from the rSOC) is 0.29 L/kWh.

Preliminary Study of Perceived Vibration Quality for Human Hands

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">A large body of knowledge exists regarding the effects of vibration on human beings; however, the emphasis is generally on the damaging effects of vibration. Very little information has been published regarding the effect of vibration on perceived consumer product quality. The perceived loudness of a product is quantified using the Fletcher-Munson equal loudness curves, but the equivalent curves for perceived vibration amplitude as a function of amplitude and frequency are not readily available. This “vibration quality” information would be valuable in the design and evaluation of many consumer products, including automobiles. Vibration information is used in the automobile design process where targets for steering wheel, seat track, and pedal vibration are common. For this purpose, the vibration information is considered proprietary and is generally applicable to a narrow frequency range. In this investigation, work paralleling the original Fletcher-Munson study is presented. “Equal comfort curves” for vibration were measured and developed for hands grasping a handlebar. A paired-comparison test methodology was used to establish an equivalency of perceived vibration comfort for vibration in a wide range of vibration amplitudes over a wide range of frequencies. The results include preliminary equal comfort curves for hand vibration, preliminary minimum perceivable vibration curves, and recommendations for a test to provide more definitive results.</div></div>

Prevalence and Impact of Left-Handedness in Neurosurgery.

Approximately 10%-13% of the population is left-handed (LH), and certain professions have varied representation of LH individuals. LH surgeons must overcome unique difficulties owing to the right-handed (RH) operative environment. This study assesses prevalence and impact of left-handedness on training and operative experience of neurosurgeons. An e-mail survey was designed and sent to 5109 U.S. neurosurgeons and neurosurgical trainees. The survey was completed by 1482 responders (29.0% response rate). Of respondents, 252 (17.0%) reported being LH. LH neurosurgeons were more likely than RH neurosurgeons to report ambidexterity in the operating room (36.5% vs. 13.3%, P < 0.001). During neurosurgical training, 23.5% of RH trainers addressed LH-specific issues compared with 44.7% of LH trainers. LH trainers were more likely to describe LH trainees as having greater technical ability (18.9%). Most trainers reported equal comfort teaching LH and RH trainees. LH trainees reported difficulties with RH surgical tools (42.7%) and a tendency to alter handedness for surgery (62.7%). The impact of these areas lessens in LH attendings (27.8% and 39.9%, respectively). Most LH neurosurgeons denied specific training for left-handedness and access to LH-specific tools, and 24.0% of LH trainees reported feeling disadvantaged owing to their handedness. LH neurosurgeons may be overrepresented in neurosurgery, yet handedness is rarely addressed in neurosurgical training. Despite this, there is evidence of some degree of adaptation through training. There may be some benefit from recognizing differences in handedness in the operating room and attempting to give access for LH-specific mentorship during training.

Genitourinary Exam Skills Training Curriculum for Medical Students: A Follow-up Study of Comfort and Skill Utilization

We developed a genitourinary skills training (GUST) curriculum for incoming third year medical students (MS3) and performed a follow-up study of comfort with and utilization of these skills. GUST consisted of a didactic lecture followed by skills sessions including standardized patient testicular examination (TE) and digital rectal examination (DRE), male and female Foley catheter (MFC and FFC) placement training, suture-knot tying, and a faculty-directed small group learning session. Precourse and postcourse, and 6 and 18 months after the course, MS3 rated comfort with each skill (Likert scale 0-5), and quantified skill usage. Results were compared with 4th year students (MS4) who had not undergone GUST. Participants were 281 MS3 GUST students and 44 MS4. Post-GUST, mean comfort on a Likert scale (0=uncomfortable) increased for all four skills (88.2%-96.9% vs 8.3%-18.5%, P<0.0001). This was maintained at the 6-month and 18-month follow up time points (P<0.0001). At 18 months, MS3 trended toward higher comfort with TE compared with MS4 (74 vs 54%, P=0.068), while with the other skills, both groups showed equal comfort. MS4 learned exam skills from faculty and MFC and FFC from nurses on the wards. Eleven percent of MS4 were never formally taught TE or DRE. MS3 and MS4 performed TE and/or DRE on <8% of newly admitted patients. MS3 described improved comfort with the GU skills at all time points during follow-up. This was particularly important because both MS3 and MS4 reported using their skills infrequently during their clinical training years.

Modeling of under-floor heating systems: A compromise between accuracy and complexity

When compared to conventional convective heating systems, under-floor radiant heating systems are becoming very competitive in terms of energy savings. The major reason for this competitiveness is the ability of these radiant systems to directly heat the human body, thus achieving thermal comfort with lower inside air temperatures. However, the design of such systems is usually very complex and is strongly influenced by the prevailing weather conditions of the region under investigation. In this article, a new integrated model for under-floor heating systems is developed and validated with published data. The model provides a compromise between the accuracy and complexity of other models found in the literature; it is found to be reliable for energy simulations over extended periods of time (accuracy in the range of 4.8–7.1% for indoor air temperatures measurements), and the simulation rum time is considerably reduced when compared to computational fluid dynamics simulation software. The model is used to assess the feasibility of under-floor systems for typical living spaces under the weather conditions of Lebanon, where a comparison between under-floor systems and convective systems is performed under equal comfort levels and indoor air quality. The results indicate that the use of under-floor heating provides a 26% saving in the peak demand and a 30% reduction in energy consumption.

Dale Hample: Arguing: Exchanging Reasons Face to Face

Arguing: Exchanging Reasons Face to Face is a synthesis of an impressive volume of scholarly work in which Dale Hample explores arguing as a form of human communication that serves a variety of functions in the process of people’s relating to one another in different facets of their personal and social lives. This focus sets the volume apart from most books that in one way or another address claims we make and what qualifies them as defensible, questionable, or unacceptable. Also setting it apart from other treatments of the subject are the author’s command of the subject matter, equal comfort with both quantitative and qualitative research, and ability to explain often complex ideas coherently for readers not as sophisticated as he. To Professor Hample, arguing is a form of collaborative activity in which the parties mutually engage in giving reasons for both their positions on issues in dispute, as well as seemingly in need of resolution, and challenging those pertaining to positions that are oppositional. Sometimes the process works well, in the sense that those participating manage to resolve differences to their satisfaction even though in different senses (e.g., logical soundness and evidentiary foundation) the adjudication may leave much to be desired. In other instances, differences may remain unresolved. Hample’s concern is not so much with improving the process as it is with illuminating what is occurring at an interpersonal level whatever the disposition of the differences in point of view that precipitate people’s engagement in arguing in the first place. In this respect, he succeeds admirably. Readers who share the author’s intellectual curiosity about the phenomenon, moreover, should find themselves embarked on a fascinating excursion through a rich, albeit sometimes dense, body of pertinent information, to which Professor Hample has been one of the principal contributors, and insightful rendering of it. In Chapter 1, ‘‘Definition of Argument,’’ Professor Hample distinguishes argument as a purely

Dedicated Breast CT: Initial Clinical Experience

To prospectively and intraindividually compare dedicated breast computed tomographic (CT) images with screen-film mammograms. All patient studies were performed according to protocols approved by the institutional review board and Radiation Use Committee; informed consent was obtained. A breast CT scanner prototype was used to individually scan uncompressed breasts in 10 healthy volunteers (mean age, 52.1 years) and 69 women with Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System category 4 and 5 lesions (mean age, 54.4 years). In women with lesions, breast CT images were compared with screen-film mammograms by an experienced mammographer and ranked with a continuous scale of 1-10 (score 1, excellent lesion visualization with CT and poor visualization with mammography; score 5.5, equal visualization with both modalities; and score 10, poor visualization with CT and excellent visualization with mammography). A Wilcoxon signed rank procedure was used to test the null hypothesis that ratings were symmetric at about a score of 5.5 for the entire group and for distinguishing microcalcifications versus masses and other findings and benign versus malignant lesions and for effect of breast density on lesion visualization. Women were asked to compare their comfort during CT with that during mammography on a continuous scale of 1-10. With a Wilcoxon signed rank procedure, the null hypothesis that comfort ratings were symmetric about a score of 5.5 (equal comfort with CT and mammography) was tested. Overall, CT was equal to mammography for visualization of breast lesions. Breast CT was significantly better than mammography for visualization of masses (P = .002); mammography outperformed CT for visualization of microcalcifications (P = .006). No significant differences between CT and mammography were seen among benign versus malignant lesions or for effect of breast density on lesion visualization. Subjects found CT significantly more comfortable than mammography (P < .001). Some technical challenges remain, but breast CT is promising and may have potential clinical applications.

Surveying the 17th century

Several surveys of Baroque music have appeared on our shelves in recent years: David Schulenburg's Music of the Baroque (New York, 2001), George Buelow's A history of Baroque music (Bloomington, IN, 2004) and John Walter Hill's Baroque music (New York, 2005). Few books, however, have concentrated specifically on that extraordinarily varied century of music between the deaths of Palestrina and Lasso and the appearance of Rameau, Bach and Handel. The New Oxford History of Music divides up the century between The age of humanism, 1540–1630 and Opera and church music, 1630–1750, while Lorenzo Bianconi's Music in the 17th century (Cambridge, 1987; originally published as Il Seicento in 1982) offers an important but at the same time imbalanced overview of music in the period. The present volume is the fifth instalment in the ambitious Cambridge History of Music series, a series of reference books inaugurated in 1998. Much of the success of a multi-authored volume such as this depends in large measure on the skill of its editor or, in this case, editors—Tim Carter and John Butt. Published conference proceedings, Festschriften and collections of essays by multiple authors are highly variable in quality, and often the whole is less than the sum of its parts. This is not necessarily the failing of the authors: scholars who contribute to such collections must write in a vacuum much of the time, they may not know the editor, their co-contributors, or even who the targeted reader is meant to be. Carter and Butt, however, have done a superb job of making the 14 chapters of this volume a coherent and important history of 17th-century music and its cultural contexts. The 12 contributing authors, all experts in their fields, evidently abide by carefully drawn guidelines. They seem to understand clearly what role their individual contributions will play in the volume, and the cross-references between chapters similarly suggest an awareness of the roles played by others. The writing is at a very high level, and only occasionally do authors vary in their expectations of the intended reader and what he or she should know. Even the way in which the volume is assembled allows the reader to follow a natural sequence from cover to cover, starting with Carter's consideration of general style in ‘Renaissance, mannerisms, Baroque’ and Butt's interrogation of ‘The 17th-century musical work’, through to Gregory Barnett's study of ‘Form and gesture: canzona, sonata and concerto’. At the same time, because chapters are thematically self-contained rather than linked chronologically, the reader can with equal comfort start at the beginning of any chapter without having to backtrack or to pursue an argument into the following chapter. Each chapter ends with a bibliography of sources, predominantly in English, which gives the book even broader appeal as a reference work and encouragement for further exploration. The book itself concludes with three appendices—‘Chronology’, ‘Places and institutions’ and ‘Personalia’—assembled by Stephen Rose.

Masticatory function and neurosensory disturbance after mandibular correction by bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy: a comparison between miniplate and bicortical screw rigid internal fixation

Bilateral sagittal split osteotomy is commonly used to treat mandibular prognathism. Several fixation methods for bony segments have been described. The present study compared masticatory function and neurosensory recovery patterns after mandibular correction between two methods of rigid fixation, bicortical screw ( n = 38) and monocortical miniplate ( n = 32). Patients who had undergone bilateral sagittal split osteotomy for Class III malocclusion were reviewed, and masticatory function and neurosensory recovery were studied with the appropriate indicators at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Minimal differences were seen between groups at 1-year postoperatively, and although patients treated with miniplate fixation tended to recover faster, with regard to masticatory function and neurosensory disturbance, than those treated with screw fixation, no significant differences were identified. As the two methods seem to provide equal comfort and reliability, the choice should be made by the individual surgeon.

Acceptance and rejection: Cost-effectiveness and the working nephrologist

While many nephrologists have developed a sophisticated approach to appraising clinical trials, an equal comfort in critiquing cost-effectiveness literature is often lagging. Readers can wonder how new results compare to those from other cost-effectiveness trials, and whether they should accept a new intervention as cost-effective or reject it as too costly for the benefit it produces. Critical readers should first judge whether the authors have made the correct trade-off between complexity and generalizability when selecting a study perspective, and should examine the method of linkage between costs and effectiveness. The most popular method is the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), which has limitations that have led some authors to prefer the net monetary benefit (NMB), where confidence intervals are more easily determined and which can more readily be used in regression analyses. Interpretation of the ICER and NMB require the choice of a cost-effectiveness ceiling, representing the maximum that society would be willing to pay for an incremental health benefit, and the development of a decision rule based on this maximum. Comparing cost-effectiveness studies from different disciplines requires the use of "universal" effectiveness measures, such as the quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). An understanding of study perspective, the relative strengths of different cost-effectiveness measures, the methods for measuring uncertainty in these estimates, and how to select and use cost-effectiveness ceiling ratios will help the critical reader to determine if a new intervention should be accepted or rejected.

Perceptions of help given to healthy older mothers by adult daughters: ways of initiating help and types of help given.

Older mother-adult daughter dyads (N = 43) addressed two issues pertaining to the ways in which help is initiated (offered, requested, and imposed help) and type of help given (instrumental help, advice, and emotional support) a) mothers' reasoning about these aspects of help, and b) daughters' understanding of mothers' feelings. Both groups noted that mothers were most comfortable with offered help; however, mothers indicated equal comfort with requested or imposed help, while daughters felt mothers were more comfortable with requested help than imposed help. Mothers and daughters both felt that mothers were less comfortable receiving additional instrumental help or advice than emotional support. Reasons given for mothers' feelings indicated that mothers saw both positive and negative elements in the help given by their adult daughters. Overall, daughters demonstrated a good understanding of mothers' feelings about the helping relationship.

Employee‐led development: another piece of left luggage?

The article explores the growth of EDAP‐style employee led development (ELD) schemes in the 1990s and critically appraises the arguments offered in their support. The dominant claims for ELD sit with equal comfort in the discourse of trade unionists promoting “bargaining for skills”, and managerialists promoting populist notions of the “learning company”. However, the article draws on recent research which suggests that ELD is better understood as a marginal addition to the effort‐reward bargain; a “fringe benefit”, a “way of giving something back” in a period characterised by an intensification of effort, upheaval and uncertainty. Its contribution, therefore, to the emergence of sustainable human resource development is minimal – at least in conventional terms. Through the exposition of two case studies a reformulated argument is offered which seeks to place ELD in a framework of theory and practice which is both more durable and liberating. The article concludes that the ability to make and act upon an informed and rational interpretation of one’s interests, as an individual, or as a member of a collective within the workplace, must surely be premised on the development of an ongoing educational process; a process toward which a reformulated notion of ELD may well contribute.

The Effect of Air Velocity on Thermal Comfort

Experiment 1 investigated oscillating vs fixed fans. Eight males were exposed to seven conditions in each of three temperatures (25.6, 27.8, and 30 C (78, 82, 86 F); all at 50% rh). The seven conditions were: still air, velocity of 0.4, 0.8 and 1.2 m/s from a fixed fan, and mean velocity of 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 m/s from an oscillating fan. For equal comfort, for every increase of mean air velocity of 0.1 m/s (between 0.4 and 1.2 m/s), environmental temperature can be increased by .27 C for the oscillating fan and by 0.40 C for the fixed fan. At the same mean velocity, oscillating fans are voted more comfortable than fixed fans. Experiment 2 investigated the effect of a small directional axial-flow desk fan on comfort at 26.1 C (79 F). The 16 females tested fan off vs a 1.5 m/s flow on all six combinations of: torso vs face impact of air stream, and impact from straight ahead, 30° to the right, and 60° to the right. Angle was not significant. The use of the fan was equivalent to a decrease of air temperature of 0.63 C (i.e., 0.1 m/s = 0.042 C). Thus the personal desk fan can be used as a “fine tuner” in an acceptable environment. Those wearing glasses preferred air on the face, those wearing contacts preferred the torso; those wearing neither were divided. Thus fan placement should be left to the individual.

Potential of turboprop powerplants for fuel conservation

The turboprop propulsion system may offer the air transportation industry one of the most significant means of achieving reduced operating costs through large reductions in fuel consumption. The prop-fan high speed propeller concept allows the superior propulsive efficiency exhibited by the turboprop to be extended to cruise speeds compatible with current turbofan aircraft. Comparison of a prop-fan and a turbofan powered aircraft, each designed on an equal technology, equal mission and equal comfort basis is used to illustrate the prop-fan benefits. Accountability for the differences in the installation requirements of each propulsion system is included. The significant fuel and cost improvements shown for the prop-fan aircraft call for an extensive research program to verify the performance of this propulsion concept and to provide a data base that will allow incorporation in future aircraft.

Subjective equivalence of sinusoidal and random whole-body vibration

An experiment conducted to compare the discomfort produced by whole-body sinusoidal vibration with that produced by one-third-, one-, and three-octave vibration spectra is described. Seated subjects were required to adjust the level of a variable test vibration such that it produced a degree of discomfort similar to that caused by a 10-Hz sinusoidal vertical whole-body vibration at 0.75 m/sec2 rms. The test stimuli were nine sinusoidal vibrations (at 3.15, 4.00, 5.00, 6.30, 8.00, 10.00, 12.50, 16.00, and 20 Hz); nine one- third-octave bands of random vibration centered at the above frequencies, three single-octave bands (centered at 4.00, 8.00, and 16.00 Hz) and a three-octave band (centered at 8.00 Hz). The results obtained by this method indicate that the mean equivalent discomfort produced by all the random motions employed in the experiment may be predicted by weighting the vibration spectra with a filter network. A suitable filter response is that determined from a contour of equal comfort for sinusoidal or one-third-octave random vibration. Subject Classification: [43]65.70.

A critical assessment of studies relating whole-body vibration to passenger comfort.

This paper critically reviews the major work which has been carried out over the past 40 years to investigate the relationship between whole-body vibration and comfort. Although a fair amount of work has been completed in this area, this review demonstrates that the majority is unacceptable from most practical standpoints although some concordance exists. Finally, the paper shows that attempts which have been made to draw the field together (including an International Standard) to produce curves of equal comfort have not significantly increased our knowledge of how people react to whole-body vibration.