When Forecasting Mutually Supportive Matches Will Be Practically Impossible.

Forecasting which dyads will develop mutually supportive relationships is an important applied and basic research question. Applying psychometric theory to the design of forecasting studies shows that agreement between dyad members about their relationship (relational reciprocity) sets an upper limit for forecasting accuracy by determining the reliability of measurement. To test this, we estimated relational reciprocity in Study 1. Participants in seven samples (six student and one military; N = 504; Ndyads = 766) rated each other on support-related constructs in round-robin designs. Relational reciprocity was very low, undermining reliability. Formulas from psychometric theory predicted that forecasting supportive dyads would be practically impossible. To test this, we had participants in Study 2 complete a measure for matching dyads derived from recent theory. As predicted, supportive matches could not be forecast with acceptable precision. Theoretically, this falsifies some predictions of recent social-support theory. Practically, it remains unclear how to translate basic social-support research into effective interventions.

Inspection of Aircraft Wing Panels Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

In large civil aircraft manufacturing, a time-consuming post-production process is the non-destructive inspection of wing panels. This work aims to address this challenge and improve the defects' detection by performing automated aerial inspection using a small off-the-shelf multirotor. The UAV is equipped with a wide field-of-view camera and an ultraviolet torch for implementing non-invasive imaging inspection. In particular, the UAV is programmed to perform the complete mission and stream video, in real-time, to the ground control station where the defects' detection algorithm is executed. The proposed platform was mathematically modelled in MATLAB/SIMULINK in order to assess the behaviour of the system using a path following method during the aircraft wing inspection. In addition, two defect detection algorithms were implemented and tested on a dataset containing images obtained during inspection at Airbus facilities. The results show that for the current dataset the proposed methods can identify all the images containing defects.

Survive or thrive? Becoming a successful value-based enterprise.

Health systems should examine their current value competencies, assess their potential viability in a value-based environment, and prepare to redesign care delivery as needed. To flourish, value-based enterprises should be optimally integrated, scaled, rationalized, informed, and responsive. The process of becoming a value-based enterprise begins with assessing organizational readiness across five domains.

Call of the riled: addressing the financial impact of ED call coverage.

Healthcare financial managers can use several strategies to avoid paying call stipends to every specialist group on the call panel: Set a budget in advance-and stick to it. Involve the medical staff. Understand your market. Include performance standards. Revisit your hospital's call coverage program annually.

Collaborating with hospitals: what radiologists need to know.

Less than a decade after fears about managed care drove medical students away from subspecialty training, the health care industry faces a deepening shortage of radiologists. Radiologists feel the shortage through busier days, longer hours, and recruitment difficulties. The shortage places many hospitals in a precarious position because diagnostic imaging is both a clinical necessity and a strong financial performer. However, radiology groups are prospering by redefining their relationship with hospitals and developing collaborative strategies.