Glastir Monitoring & Evaluation Programme. First year annual report

The Welsh Government has commissioned a comprehensive new ecosystem monitoring and evaluation programme to monitor the effects of Glastir, its new land management scheme, and to monitor progress towards a range of international biodiversity and environmental targets. A random sample of 1 km squares stratified by landcover types will be used both to monitor change at a national level in the wider countryside and to provide a backdrop against which intervention measures are assessed using a second sample of 1 km squares located in areas eligible for enhanced payments for advanced interventions. Modelling in the first year has forecast change based on current understanding, whilst a rolling national monitoring programme based on an ecosystem approach will provide an evidence-base for on-going, adaptive development of the scheme by Welsh Government. To our knowledge, this will constitute the largest and most in-depth ecosystem monitoring and evaluation programme of any member state of the European Union

Great Expectations: The Growing Divide between Students and Social Work Educators

This article examines and reflects upon initial findings from a longitudinal study evaluating the experiences and views of students on professional social work programmes across four higher education institutes in the North West of England, on the BA and the MA routes. The paper focuses on one aspect of this study; the students' experience of assessment. In particular it examines how students experienced the process of learning, assessment, support and feedback, which was found to be in part shaped by previous educational experiences. The range of assessment methods previously experienced by students was diverse, some of which were more helpful than others in preparing them for their professional training. Lack of foundation subject knowledge presented a challenge to students on both courses, in particular for MA students who were being assessed at ‘M’ level. Unmet expectations of both the amount and type of support created anxiety, frustration and even anger for some. The ‘search for certainty’ led to anxiety amongst many first year students who believed that academics could facilitate the assessment process by providing ‘the answer’. This exploration of assessment reveals, we believe, a growing divide in the expectations of social work students and their educators

New boundary conditions for the West Antarctic ice sheet: subglacial topography beneath Pine Island Glacier

Predictions about future changes in the Amundsen Sea sector of the West Antarctic ice sheet (WAIS) have been hampered by poorly known subglacial topography. Extensive airborne survey has allowed us to derive improved subglacial topography for the Pine Island Glacier basin. The trunk of this glacier lies in a narrow, 250-km long, 500-m deep sub-glacial trough, suggesting a long-lived and constrained ice stream. Two tributaries lie in similar troughs, others lie in less defined, shallower troughs. The lower basin of the glacier is surrounded by bedrock, which, after deglaciation and isostatic rebound, could rise above sea level. This feature would impede ice-sheet collapse initiated near the grounding line of this glacier, and prevent its progress into the deepest portions of WAIS. The inland-slope of the bed beneath the trunk of the glacier, however, confirms potential instability of the lower basin, containing sufficient ice to raise global sea by ∼24 cm

Semantic Network Monitoring and Control over Heterogeneous Network Models and Protocols

To accommodate the proliferation of heterogeneous network models and protocols we propose the use of semantic technologies to enable an abstract treatment of networks. Network adapters are employed to lift network specific data into a semantic representation that is grounded in an upper level “NetCore” ontology. Semantic reasoning integrates the disparate network models and protocols into a common RDF-based data model that network applications can be written against without requiring intimate knowledge of the various low level-network details. The system permits the automatic discovery of new devices, the monitoring of device state and the invocation of device actions in a generic fashion that works across network types, including non-telecommunication networks such as social networks. A prototype system called SNoMAC is described that employs the proposed approach operating over UPnP, TR-069 and SIXTH network models and protocols. A major benefit of this approach is that the addition of new models/protocols requires relatively little effort and merely involves the development of a new network adapter based on an ontology grounded in NetCore

Semantic network management for next‐generation networks

To accommodate the proliferation of heterogeneous network models and protocols, the use of semantic technologies to enable an abstract treatment of networks is proposed. Network adapters are employed to lift network specific data into a semantic representation. Semantic reasoning integrates the disparate network models and protocols into a common data model by making intelligent inferences from low‐level network and device details. Automatic discovery of new devices, monitoring of device state, and invocation of device actions in a generic fashion that is agnostic of network types is enabled. A prototype system called SNoMAC is described that employs the proposed approach operating over UPnP, TR‐069, and heterogeneous sensors. These sensors are integrated by means of a sensor middleware named SIXTH that augments the capabilities of SNoMAC to allow for intelligent management and configuration of a wide variety of sensor devices. A major benefit of this approach is that the addition of new models, protocols, or sensor types merely involves the development of a new network adapter based on an ontology. Additionally, the semantic representation of the network and associated data allows for a variety of client interfaces to facilitate human input to the management and monitoring of the system

INFluence of Revascularization Attempts on Clinical Outcomes of Mechanical Thrombectomy Patients and its Economic BURDEN

Background Emerging evidence suggests that clinical and economic benefits of treatment with mechanical thrombectomy vary by level of reperfusion achieved, and the number of passes required to achieve revascularization. This study aimed to investigate the INFluence of revascularization Attempts on Clinical outcomes of mechanical Thrombectomy and the economic BURDEN (INFACT BURDEN) in Ireland using single center real‐world data from the Irish National Thrombectomy Service database. Methods Primary clinical outcomes were reperfusion (modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2b‐3 or 2) among patients treated with 1–3 passes compared with ≥4 passes. Multivariable generalized linear models examined the association between number of passes with outcomes, with adjustment for covariates that may affect outcomes (eg, age, pre‐procedure modified Rankin Scale, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score, occlusion site, time from symptom onset to groin puncture). A 90‐day decision‐tree and Markov model with a 5‐year time horizon evaluated the cost‐effectiveness of mechanical thrombectomy from the Irish public healthcare payer perspective. Results Eight hundred twenty three patients met the inclusion criteria. Compared with patients in the ≥4 passes group, patients in the 1–3 passes group achieved a significantly higher rate of successful reperfusion (94% versus 78%, odds ratio [OR], 4.7; P<0.001) and a higher rate of functional independence (49% versus 33%, OR, 2.0; P<0.001). Patients in the 1–3 passes group had a shorter time from onset to reperfusion, lower incidence of procedural complications, including distal emboli into non‐involved territory and intra‐procedure rupture, as well as lower 90‐day mortality. The cost‐effectiveness analysis demonstrated that patients successfully revascularized in 1–3 passes had 0.19 additional QALYs and lower costs (€3328; $3800) such that 1–3 passes was dominant compared with ≥4 passes over a 5‐year time horizon. Conclusion This study illustrates that the number of passes has a significant effect on both clinical outcomes and health care costs

Semantic network management for next-generation networks

To accommodate the proliferation of heterogeneous network models and protocols, the use of semantic technologies to enable an abstract treatment of networks is proposed. Network adapters are employed to lift network specific data into a semantic representation. Semantic reasoning integrates the disparate network models and protocols into a common data model by making intelligent inferences from low-level network and device details. Automatic discovery of new devices, monitoring of device state, and invocation of device actions in a generic fashion that is agnostic of network types is enabled. A prototype system called SNoMAC is described that employs the proposed approach operating over UPnP, TR-069, and heterogeneous sensors. These sensors are integrated by means of a sensor middleware named SIXTH that augments the capabilities of SNoMAC to allow for intelligent management and configuration of a wide variety of sensor devices. A major benefit of this approach is that the addition of new models, protocols, or sensor types merely involves the development of a new network adapter based on an ontology. Additionally, the semantic representation of the network and associated data allows for a variety of client interfaces to facilitate human input to the management and monitoring of the system.Science Foundation IrelandIndustrial Development Authority of Irelan