Full-Scale Fatigue Testing of a Wind Turbine Blade in Flapwise Direction and Examining the Effect of Crack Propagation on the Blade Performance.

In this paper, the sensitivity of the structural integrity of wind turbine blades to debonding of the shear web from the spar cap was investigated. In this regard, modal analysis, static and fatigue testing were performed on a 45.7 m blade for three states of the blade: (i) as received blade (ii) when a crack of 200 mm was introduced between the web and the spar cap and (iii) when the crack was extended to 1000 mm. Calibration pull-tests for all three states of the blade were performed to obtain the strain-bending moment relationship of the blade according to the estimated target bending moment (BM) which the blade is expected to experience in its service life. The resultant data was used to apply appropriate load in the fatigue tests. The blade natural frequencies in flapwise and edgewise directions over a range of frequency domain were found by modal testing for all three states of the blade. The blade first natural frequency for each state was used for the flapwise fatigue tests. These were performed in accordance with technical specification IEC TS 61400-23. The fatigue results showed that, for a 200 mm crack between the web and spar cap at 9 m from the blade root, the crack did not propagate at 50% of the target BM up to 62,110 cycles. However, when the load was increased to 70% of target BM, some damages were detected on the pressure side of the blade. When the 200 mm crack was extended to 1000 mm, the crack began to propagate when the applied load exceeded 100% of target BM and the blade experienced delaminations, adhesive joint failure, compression failure and sandwich core failure.

Thrust joint manipulation curricula in first-professional physical therapy education: 2012 update.

STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive online observational survey. OBJECTIVES: To identify the extent of thrust joint manipulation (TJM) integration into first-professional physical therapy program curricula. BACKGROUND: The most recent survey of TJM curricula was published in 2004, with a wide variation in faculty responses noted. Since that time, faculty resources have been developed and TJM language in "A Normative Model of Physical Therapist Professional Education" from the American Physical Therapy Association has been updated, leaving the current status of TJM education in curricula unknown. METHODS: Faculty from 205 accredited physical therapy programs were invited to participate in an anonymous 35-item electronic survey during the summer of 2012. RESULTS: Seventy-two percent of programs responded to the survey, with 99% of programs teaching TJM and 97% of faculty believing TJM to be an entry-level skill. Cervical spine TJM is still being taught at a lower rate than techniques for other body regions. Faculty deemed 91% and 77% of students, respectively, at or above entry-level competency for implementing TJM in their clinical practice upon graduation. Most respondents indicated that increased utilization of TJM during clinical affiliations (78%) and lab hours (78%) would be beneficial to the student's knowledge/application of TJM. CONCLUSION: The utilization of TJM and faculty perceptions in first-professional physical therapy programs in the United States have evolved over the past decade. With TJM content more fully integrated into educational curricula, programs can now look to refine teaching strategies that enhance learning outcomes.

Heart smart: a multifaceted cardiovascular risk reduction program for grade school students.

Abstract Heart Smart Program is a health education intervention for grades kindergarten through six which encourages the acquisition and maintenance of health-enhancing behaviors. These include nutritious eating habits; physical fitness and exercise; saying "no" to cigarette smoking, alcohol, and drugs; and control of stress. Social Cognitive Theory is used to derive the necessary training concepts for children with reinforcement of these concepts occurring in six areas: the curriculum, school lunch, staff development, physical activity, environment, and parental support. The necessary training mechanisms provide mastery experiences, knowledge transfer, role modeling, and emotional and physiological feedback. The program incorporates the influence of the social environment on learning and builds support from parents, teachers and school staff.