Technical Briefing Research Articles

ICOLD 2023, Gothenburg Sweden: Turkish experience of the February 2023 seismic event

This technical briefing provides a summary of the findings and assessments presented by the DSI (State Hydraulic Works, Türkiye) team during the ICOLD 2023 meeting regarding the performance of embankment dams during the seismic events that occurred in February 2023. Two powerful earthquakes with moment magnitudes (Mw) initially estimated to be between 7.5 and 7.8 struck the eastern Anatolian Fault Line, impacting several embankment dams in the region. The seismic activity resulted in significant lateral displacements, settlements and cracks in the embankment dams structures. For the first earthquake, peak acceleration recorded at the nearest station (TK4614 – Pazarcik) was 2.21g, for the second earthquake, the peak acceleration recorded at the nearest station (TK4612 – Goksun) was 0.59g. The presentation at the conference, as reported here, provided valuable insights into the performance of the embankment dams during and after earthquakes.

Accelerating transformations for a just, sustainable future: 10 ‘Must Haves’

Non-technical summaryThere is increasing evidence of extreme events and irreversible damage occurring faster than expected. Despite inescapable evidence of intersecting crises facing the Earth system and numerous efforts and agreements, global society is not on track to achieve its sustainability objectives. The 10 ‘Must Haves’ initiative aims to identify the pathways of accelerated systemic transformations needed across the globe toward a sustainable and just future where all can thrive on a healthy planet. In this Intelligence Briefing, the authors lay out the rationale for the project, the proposed targets, and set the stage for forthcoming work on action.Technical summaryThis Intelligence Briefing recognizes the urgent need for global-scale transformations to overcome the crises facing humanity. The ‘10 Must Haves Initiative’, conceptualized by The Earth League and the participants of the Global Futures Conference, aims to provide a framework for accelerated transformations to bridge the gap between pledges and action related to global challenges to stay within planetary boundaries and ensure a safe and just future for all. Each ‘Must Have’ represents targets within which a forthcoming report outlines the specific ‘must-do’ actions, relevant actors and considerations for successful implementation. The authors put forth that we must have a limit of global warming as close to 1.5°C as possible by 2050; an immediate halt and reversal of the loss of nature's functions and diversity; just economies that operate within planetary boundaries; equitable access to resources needed for human well-being; governance transformations to stay within planetary boundaries; healthy, safe, and secure food for the global population; the reconnection of human well-being to planetary health; an ethical digital world providing for human security and, a resilient global society ready to respond to planetary crises.Social media summary10 ‘Must Haves’ toward thriving future 4 all: global contingency plan toward transformation of unsustainable trajectory.

Strengthening the Micro Teaching Role in the Development of Teacher Candidates Teaching Skills

This study aims to analyze the micro-teaching course at the Faculty of Tarbiya and Teacher Training (FTIK) IAIN Purwokerto. The laboratories department of FTIK carried out the program. Analyzing its implementation is essential because micro-teaching is a strategic activity to improve teacher competence. Micro teaching is widely associated with efforts to improve teacher skills in education, and thus great attention is required. The data source in this study is the micro-teaching manager and the study program head. It is from observations and interviews. The steps to analyze the data are reduction, data display, verification, and conclusions. The results showed that technical briefing by merging all study programs at the same time, overcrowded participants, unrepresentative speakers for each study program, irrelevant appointed supervisors with the study program, and micro-teaching schedules that coincide with the lectures schedules had the potential to cause the implementation of micro-teaching becomes less effective. It encourages the need to re-enforce the role of micro-teaching to be more effective in providing basic teaching skills for the teacher candidates. The lecture should manage every study program by coordinating with the laboratory. It aims to increase the effectiveness of micro-teaching. The briefing material needs to be supplemented by enrichment various learning strategies relevant to the study program. One lecturer with small classes carries out lectures according to the norms of micro-teaching classes, and the frequency of meetings is adjusted to the regular lecture schedule.

Implementation of the Adiwiyata School Program in the Implementation of Environment-Based Curriculum

The objective of this study is to describe the Adiwiyata School's implementation program for an environment-based curriculum. This is a qualitative study that takes a phenomenological approach. The context of this study is that two high schools in Balangan Regency got honors for managing adiwiyata schools. Besides principal, deputy principal, head of the school Adiwiyata team, tachers, parents, and students are the main informant to get more full information using snowball sampling techniques. Techniques for gathering data included in-depth interviews, participant observation, and documentation. The data was triangulated using technical triangulation and peer briefing triangulation to ensure its veracity. Then, the data was analyzed by using an interactive analysis model Huberman 2006 consisting of data collection, data display, data reduction and verification/ conclusion. The results of the study indicate that the implementation of the Adiwiyata school program in implementing an environment-based curriculum through protection activities and environmental management in two schools through the determination of policies that have been contained in the school's vision, mission and goals which are compiled in the curriculum document and have been budgeted, the curriculum structure already contains compulsory subjects, local content, self-development, educators already have competence expected.

Optimizing care of visually impaired people in the Emergency Care Units (UPA) – a technical briefing applying Lean concept

Lean principles have been largely used with excellent results in the automotive business and in many other different areas of human knowledge such as health care. The objective of this work is to evaluate the application of lean principles and methods as assistive technology for the optimization of care of visually impaired people in the Emergency Care Units (24h -UPA). To explore this issue, it is proposed an empirical analysis of the environmental performance in one chosen UPA, installing a sensory guidance system and other auxiliary devices following ABNT standards. The idea is to reduce the waste of waiting time of these patients and make this UPA a “state of art” in accessibility for people with visual impairment and used as a “pilot Unit” for innovations evaluation and results comparison with other UPA. Two indicators “Length of Stay” and “Door to Dock” during the service of these patients will be closely monitoring (a kind of fast track service), also aiming the accessibility and inclusion of these individuals, improving their self-esteem and quality of life.

Around 5,000 courses of molnupiravir dispensed in England in first month of use

More than 5,400 packs of the oral antiviral molnupiravir for the treatment of COVID-19 were dispensed in England in the first month it was provided, according to figures released by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The data was published in a therapeutics technical briefing by the UKHSA on 21 January 2022, which also included […]

Priorities for the COVID-19 pandemic at the start of 2021: statement of the Lancet COVID-19 Commission

Priorities for the COVID-19 pandemic at the start of 2021: statement of the Lancet COVID-19 Commission

Risk Analysis and Control Strategies for the Assembly of Major Structure Module in AP1000 Nuclear Power Project

Modular construction is used as the main construction technique in AP1000 nuclear power construction project. The technique can reduce installation workload in nuclear island, reduce cross operation relative to the traditional construction method, and shorten the construction period. While in the assembly process of large structure modules, there are frequent high risky operations including lifting, scaffolding, intensive welding & cutting, and so on. Accidents can be triggered and project schedule could be delayed if the control for the construction process is not sufficient. In this paper, the CA01 module assembly is taken to study as an example. The potential risks during the construction process of CA01 module are analyzed through Job Hazard Analysis, then the technical and management measures are put forward, which include construction scheme review & approval, safety and technical briefing, personnel training, special tradesman management, management system of mechanical equipment, work permit management on high risk work, construction housekeeping.

IS MINIMALLY INVASIVE CABG TEACHABLE?

Minimally Invasive CABG (MICS CABG), performed through a small left thoracotomy, is associated with excellent feasibility and outcomes, high graft patency rates and, when compared to conventional CABG, faster recovery, less transfusions, and lower infection rates. However, it is an advanced technique limited to expert centres; consequently, questions have been raised regarding diffusability. We looked at the outcomes of teaching MICS CABG, including procedural adoption numbers. We retrospectively examined a MICS CABG peer-to-peer (P2P) teaching program, with encounters from 2006 to 2014. At each P2P session, a surgeon-learner with an anesthesiologist, physician assistant, and/or nurse visited an established MICS CABG institution. Each encounter consisted of a didactic lecture, technical briefing, scrubbed surgical attire in-field case observation, and debriefing. Data were collected from institutional records and from Medtronic (Minneapolis, MN, USA). Frequencies were compared by using a Fisher’s exact test, and learning curves by cumulative summation Methods. From 2005 to January 2014, 192 MICS CABG cases were performed as a P2P in North America. In Canada, our training centre performed P2P training in 31 of 276 MICS CABG cases (12%). Amongst these P2P MICS CABG operations, the median number of grafts was 3, and there was 1 (3%) conversion and 1 (3%) reopening, versus 9 (4%) conversions and 5 (2%) reopenings in the remainder 245 (non-P2P) operations (P=0.9). No wound infection occurred after P2P operations. External proctorship of 10 cases at 5 new centres resulted in independent adoption of MICS CABG in all instances. A femoro-femoral on-pump technique for multivessel MICS CABG was associated with lack of a significant learning curve (P=0.7), and no peripheral arterial or venous complications. In the United States, the number of trainers and trainees peaked in 2009, with 9 trainers and 120 trainees (P=0.01 vs. other years). MICS CABG numbers in the USA increased from less than 100 in 2005 to more than 3,100 in 2013 (P<0.001). Data from India, Australia, and China were unavailable, but in Japan, annual MICS CABG adoption increased from 0 to 97 cases since initiating training in 2012. Teaching MICS CABG is feasible and safe, and has been temporally associated with increased adoption of this advanced technique. External proctorship at new centres may increase their likelihood of establishing an independent program. A femoral pump-assistance strategy is not associated with complications, avoids a significant learning curve, and may facilitate the adoption of MICS CABG.

Offline: WHO offers a new future for sustainable development

WHO has made its definitive statement about the future it envisions for the post-2015 era of sustainable development. At a standing-room only technical briefing during last week's World Health Assembly, WHO's Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, launched the agency's much anticipated position. Dr Chan emphasises at every possible opportunity that WHO is a member-state organisation and can act only at the request of those member states. This loyalty to intergovernmental decision-making, underlining WHO's role as a technical secretariat, has, not surprisingly, made Dr Chan popular among countries. But her preference for WHO to follow rather than lead has frustrated many advocates, not least those who would like to see WHO speak up for citizens, not their often indifferent or corrupt governments. But last week, Dr Chan changed her strategy. What is her vision and is she right?

WACKER HOLDS OWN IN CHEMICAL WORLD

A PERSON ATTENDING WACKER-Chemie's annual press conference in Munich last month could be excused for mistaking Wacker for a publicly traded firm. The company's 2004 financial results presentation mirrored that of public German firms like BASF, Degussa, and Bayer. Wacker distributed a detailed annual report, and its chief executive officer made a lengthy presentation, after which he patiently answered questions from reporters. But Wacker is in fact a private company owned 51% by the Wacker family and 49% by the Hoechst unit of Sanofi-Aventis. It was founded in 1914 by Alexander Wacker and today is headed by his greatgrandson, Peter-Alexander Wacker. Many private firms relish their anonymity and give out little information about their financial condition. Wacker has a different philosophy According to Peter-Alexander Wacker, the company holds an annual press conference—and often a subsequent technical briefing—because it desires the public exposure that the press can provide. This exposure isn't ...

Training Soviet managers at Sunbridge Park

Describes the training of senior managers from the Soviet Lada automobile plant in a UK management centre. Notes the need for intensive cultural and technical briefing and familiarisation sessions prior to the two‐week course. Explains the content as being built around team building and most of the subjects were new to the Russians. Concludes that the programme was of benefit to the participants who believe increased productivity would result.

Building energy and management systems – A technical briefing

Outlines the history and functions of BEMS – Building energy and management systems and is intended as a briefing note to those not directly involved with the application of building controls, but who work with those who are. It details the technical aspects of the system, and discusses both schemes for future development and the system′s relevance to structural engineers.

Technical talks: They're not as hard as you think

Preparation for a technical briefing should begin with a decision about the reaction desired from the audience, followed by a determination of the scope — breadth and depth — of the subject which can-be covered. Only a few main points should be included and these should be worked into the introduction and the conclusion as well as the body of the talk.