If Parliament wants to be trusted, it must trust the people

Parliamentary and constitutional reform remains the main focus of most efforts to improve government and make our democracy fit for the 21st Century. But while these efforts are important and have made a positive difference in the past, they are not on their own sufficient. To become a truly representative and relevant institution, Parliament must engage directly with citizens more, and think seriously about a genuine devolution of power says Simon Burall

Analysis of Product Range and Proposal of Product Innovations

Diplomová práce se zabývá analýzou sortimentu největšího výrobce stínící techniky v České republice, společnosti SERVIS CLIMAX, a.s. Cílem práce je zjistit postavení výrobkových řad vzhledem k trhu, podniku, konkurenci a životnímu cyklu výrobku. K tomu je využito metod sortimentní analýzy BCG, Hoferovy matice, SWOT analýzy a analýzy konkurence. Analýzy jsou poté vyhodnoceny a na zjištěnou problematiku jsou navrhnuta možná řešení.The subject of the diploma thesis are analysis of product range of the largest manufacturer of shading systems in Czech Republic, company SERVIS CLIMAX, a.s. The aim of the diploma thesis is to determine the position of the product lines in relation to the market, the company, the competition and the life cycle of the product. For this purpose, BCG assortment analysis method, Hofer matrix, SWOT analysis and competition analysis are used. Analyzes are then evaluated and possible solutions are suggested.345 - Katedra mechanické technologievýborn

Just public algorithms: Mapping public engagement with the use of algorithms in UK public services

This paper proposes and models a novel approach to public engagement with the use of algorithms in public services. Algorithms pose significant risks which need to be anticipated and mitigated through democratic governance, including public engagement. We argue that as the challenge of creating responsible algorithms within a dynamic innovation system is one that will never definitively be accomplished – and as public engagement is not singular or pre-given but is always constructed through performance and in relation to other processes and events – public engagement with algorithms needs to be conducted and conceptualised as relational, systemic, and ongoing. We use a systemic mapping approach to map and analyse 77 cases of public engagement with the use of algorithms in public services in the UK 2013–2020 and synthesise the potential benefits and risks of these approaches articulated across the cases. The mapping shows there was already a diversity of public engagement on this topic in the UK by 2020, involving a wide range of different policy areas, framings of the problem, affordances of algorithms, publics, and formats of public engagement. While many of the cases anticipate benefits from the adoption of these technologies, they also raise a range of concerns which mirror much of the critical literature and highlight how algorithmic approaches may sometimes foreclose alternative options for policy delivery. The paper concludes by considering how this approach could be adopted on an ongoing basis to ensure the responsible governance of algorithms in public services, through a ‘public engagement observatory’

Monitoring and Managing the Production Process in a Machinery Company

Import 23/08/2017Bakalářská práce se zaměřuje na aplikaci inovativního způsobu řešení skladového hospodářství s využitím moderních technologií. V úvodu byla provedena analýza záznamu skladových zásob a dále pak skladu samotného. Na základě stanovené analýzy byly definovány potřebné úkony k zavedení moderní technologie do dílčího skladu pohonů. Jedná se především o zavedení čárových kódů do využívaného informačního systému a aplikace identifikačních kódů na jednotlivé položky kompletů pohonů. Dalším bodem návrhu řešení je pokrytí skladu pohonů WiFi signálem pro komfortní využití moderní technologie. Poslední krok byl zaměřen na výběr vhodné techniky pro evidenci skladových zásob, tedy výběrem PDA zařízení, ke kterému bylo využito metody vícekriteriálního rozhodování.Bachelor thesis focuses on the application of an innovative approach to improve a warehouse management while using modern technologies. In the introduction, there was conducted an analysis of the record of inventories and also of the actual stock. Based on the set analysis, there were defined the necessary steps on implication modern technologies into the sub-stock of engines. In particular, it involves the implementation of barcodes into the information system and the implementation of identification codes on individual items of engine sets. Another point of suggested solutions for the engine stock is installation of WiFi modules for convenient use of the modern technology. The last step was directed towards a selection of appropriate technology for record keeping of inventory, therefore to choose a PDA device, which could be used multi-criteria decision-making.345 - Katedra mechanické technologievýborn

Agriculture 4.0: broadening responsible innovation in an era of smart farming

Agriculture is undergoing a technology revolution supported by policy-makers around the world. While smart technologies will play an important role in achieving enhanced productivity and greater eco-efficiency, critics have suggested that a consideration of social impacts is being side-lined. Research illustrates that some agricultural practitioners are concerned about using certain technologies. Indeed, some studies argue that agricultural societies may be changed, or ?re-scripted?, in undesirable ways, and there is precedent to suggest that wider society may be concerned about radical new technologies. We therefore encourage policy-makers, funders, technology companies, and researchers to consider the views of both farming communities and wider society. In agriculture, the concept of responsible innovation has not been widely considered, although two recent papers have made useful suggestions. We build on these interventions by arguing that key dimensions of responsible innovation - anticipation, inclusion, reflexivity, and responsiveness - should be applied to this fourth agricultural revolution. We argue, however, that ideas in responsible innovation should be further developed in order to make them relevant and robust for emergent agri-tech, and further that frameworks should be tested in practice to see if they can actively shape innovation trajectories. In making suggestions on how to construct a more comprehensive framework for responsible innovation in agriculture, we call for: (i) a more systemic approach that maps and attends to the wider ecology of innovations associated with this fourth agricultural revolution; (ii) a broadening of notions of ?inclusion? in responsible innovation to account better for diverse and already existing spaces of participation in agri-tech, and (iii) greater testing of frameworks in practice to see if they are capable of influencing the innovation process

Unraveling the basic biology and clinical significance of the chlamydial plasmid

New evidence indicates that the conserved plasmid shared among Chlamydial species may be key for understanding and vaccinating against these pathogenic bacteria

Comparative evaluation of direct plating and most probable number for enumeration of low levels of Listeria monocytogenes in naturally contaminated ice cream products

AbstractA precise and accurate method for enumeration of low level of Listeria monocytogenes in foods is critical to a variety of studies. In this study, paired comparison of most probable number (MPN) and direct plating enumeration of L. monocytogenes was conducted on a total of 1730 outbreak-associated ice cream samples that were naturally contaminated with low level of L. monocytogenes. MPN was performed on all 1730 samples. Direct plating was performed on all samples using the RAPID'L.mono (RLM) agar (1600 samples) and agar Listeria Ottaviani and Agosti (ALOA; 130 samples). Probabilistic analysis with Bayesian inference model was used to compare paired direct plating and MPN estimates of L. monocytogenes in ice cream samples because assumptions implicit in ordinary least squares (OLS) linear regression analyses were not met for such a comparison. The probabilistic analysis revealed good agreement between the MPN and direct plating estimates, and this agreement showed that the MPN schemes and direct plating schemes using ALOA or RLM evaluated in the present study were suitable for enumerating low levels of L. monocytogenes in these ice cream samples. The statistical analysis further revealed that OLS linear regression analyses of direct plating and MPN data did introduce bias that incorrectly characterized systematic differences between estimates from the two methods

A longitudinal study to examine the influence of farming practices and environmental factors on pathogen prevalence using structural equation modeling

The contamination of fresh produce with foodborne pathogens has been an on-going concern with outbreaks linked to these commodities. Evaluation of farm practices, such as use of manure, irrigation water source, and other factors that could influence pathogen prevalence in the farming environment could lead to improved mitigation strategies to reduce the potential for contamination events. Soil, water, manure, and compost were sampled from farms in Ohio and Georgia to identify the prevalence of Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes (Lm), Campylobacter, and Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), as well as Arcobacter, an emerging human pathogen. This study investigated agricultural practices to determine which influenced pathogen prevalence, i.e., the percent positive samples. These efforts identified a low prevalence of Salmonella, STEC, and Campylobacter in soil and water (< 10%), preventing statistical modeling of these pathogens. However, Lm and Arcobacter were found in soil (13 and 7%, respectively), manure (49 and 32%, respectively), and water samples (18 and 39%, respectively) at a comparatively higher prevalence, suggesting different dynamics are involved in their survival in the farm environment. Lm and Arcobacter prevalence data, soil chemical characteristics, as well as farm practices and weather, were analyzed using structural equation modeling to identify which factors play a role, directly or indirectly, on the prevalence of these pathogens. These analyses identified an association between pathogen prevalence and weather, as well as biological soil amendments of animal origin. Increasing air temperature increased Arcobacter and decreased Lm. Lm prevalence was found to be inversely correlated with the use of surface water for irrigation, despite a high Lm prevalence in surface water suggesting other factors may play a role. Furthermore, Lm prevalence increased when the microbiome’s Simpson’s Diversity Index decreased, which occurred as soil fertility increased, leading to an indirect positive effect for soil fertility on Lm prevalence. These results suggest that pathogen, environment, and farm management practices, in addition to produce commodities, all need to be considered when developing mitigation strategies. The prevalence of Arcobacter and Lm versus the other pathogens suggests that multiple mitigation strategies may need to be employed to control these pathogens

Sociotechnical agendas: reviewing future directions for energy and climate research

The field of science and technology studies (STS) has introduced and developed a “sociotechnical” perspective that has been taken up by many disciplines and areas of inquiry. The aims and objectives of this study are threefold: to interrogate which sociotechnical concepts or tools from STS are useful at better understanding energy-related social science, to reflect on prominent themes and topics within those approaches, and to identify current research gaps and directions for the future. To do so, the study builds on a companion project, a systematic analysis of 262 articles published from 2009 to mid-2019 that categorized and reviewed sociotechnical perspectives in energy social science. It identifies future research directions by employing the method of “co-creation” based on the reflections of sixteen prominent researchers in the field in late 2019 and early 2020. Drawing from this co-created synthesis, this study first identifies three main areas of sociotechnical perspectives in energy research (sociotechnical systems, policy, and expertise and publics) with 15 topics and 39 subareas. The study then identifies five main themes for the future development of sociotechnical perspectives in energy research: conditions of systematic change; embedded agency; justice, power, identity and politics; imaginaries and discourses; and public engagement and governance. It also points to the recognized need for pluralism and parallax: for research to show greater attention to demographic and geographical diversity; to stronger research designs; to greater theoretical triangulation; and to more transdisciplinary approaches

NHS democracy: some ideas

The NHS has an annual budget which exceeds that of some democratic countries, but its oversight and accountability mechanisms are outdated and insufficient. Here, Simon Burall and Anthony Zacharzewski make the case for a new focus on involvement and participation, which could help the NHS to overcome a set of daunting long-term challenges