Model metadata report for HS2 area 2 (Aylesbury to Newton Purcell)

This report describes the 3D geological model of HS2 (High Speed 2 rail link) Area 2 (Aylesbury to Newton Purcell), created by C. Cripps with support from S. Thorpe. The model was created as part of a set of nine geological models that cover the proposed HS2 rail route from the end of the HS2 London model to Birmingham and the West Coast Main Line near Lichfield. The models were funded from the NERC/BGS Science Budget to promote BGS modelling and geological interpretation services to this important infrastructure project and to test methodologies and procedures for creating geological models by multiple compilers. The report describes the model construction and purpose, with spatial limits and scale, sources of information, data processing, workflow, decisions, assumptions, rules and limitations, together with images of the model

Urban planning: storage and processing of geotechnical data

Planning the development of an urban area is a complex operation. In practice, and often intuitively, the required style of the ultimate development is reduced to a series of discrete but converging aims and the plan that is usually adopted attempts to achieve these aims at minimum cost. If only the geological factors which impinge on planning decisions are considered, a particular structure will cost the least to build in locations offering the most favourable ground conditions. A generally more economic venture will also result when the expected cost of building the structures in less geologically-favourable locations is allowed to influence the style of development during the planning process. Unfortunately, suitably precise geological and geotechnical information for conditioning the planning decision is seldom available at this early stage of urban development. Balanced against the cost of geological data collection are the concomitant savings which arise from a reduced risk of foundation failure. When the two, costs and savings, are equal, further testing and analysis become financially redundant. However, the benefit to the overall urban development costs brought about by performing site investigation can be prone to much uncertainty. In this thesis, a probabilistic method for the evaluation of the economic advantage likely to accrue from site investigation activity has been developed. As a demonstration of the application of this theoretical analysis, the actual site investigation for a settlement tank at Howdon sewage treatment works (near Newcastle-upon-Tyne) has been examined. During urban development, most geological and geotechnical data are collected immediately prior to the foundation design stage. In order that geotechnical data can be made available at the early stages of planning or for higher level probabilistic evaluation, a digital computation facility for the storage and processing of considerable quantities of data is necessary. In discussing the use of such a facility the thesis describes a suite of computer programmes called Geosys which have been written for the storage, retention, retrieval and presentation of geotechnical data obtained during site investigation studies

Future-proofing: Exploring the value of a therapeutic recreation positive psychology intervention for supporting youth experiencing mental health challenges

In Canada, suicide remains the second leading cause of death for individuals aged 15 to 24, exceeded only by unintentional injuries (accidents). In 2012, suicide accounted for 15% of deaths among youth aged 10-14 years, 29% among youth aged 15-19 years and 23% among young adults aged 20-24 (Statistics Canada, 2017). Recovery supports the development of a meaningful life (as described by the individual) that includes enhanced traits and practices that are specifically intended to maintain one’s level of satisfaction in everyday life, while supporting the management of recurring symptoms and/or changes in current life circumstances (Andresen, Oades, & Caputi, 2011; Kleiber, Hutchinson, & Williams, 2002; McCormick & Iwasaki, 2008; McCormick & Iwasaki, 2008; McCormick, 1999). This recovery-oriented project was a qualitative, interpretative phenomenological study guided by the evidenced-informed process as a framework for program design, implementation and evaluation. This project sought to critically explore mental health as it pertains to adolescents through the design, implementation and evaluation of a therapeutic recreation intervention designed for youth living in a residential treatment setting. This project provides evidence that the BYBS-Y program has the potential to support change with the participants. This project also demonstrates new learning and is an illustration of the potential connection between a strengths perspective and supporting essential tasks assigned to development and recovery. By implementing a three-phase process this research shows the value of feedback from both practitioners and clients, affirming that our greatest insights are always gained from those with lived experience. Finally, this project provides evidence for the contribution of TR services in the recovery process, suggesting that by focusing on the development of skills and capacities that are likely to generate emotion, highlight strengths, support choice and create opportunities for positive social connections, it is likely that youth can increase the resiliency necessary to buffer the effects of chronic symptoms and in turn begin to envision (and obtain) a life that includes, but is not defined by illness

Common Learning with Intertemporal Dependence

Consider two agents who learn the value of an unknown parameter by observing a sequence of private signals. Will the agents commonly learn the value of the parameter, i.e., will the true value of the parameter become approximate common-knowledge? If the signals are independent and identically distributed across time (but not necessarily across agents), the answer is yes (Cripps, Ely, Mailath, and Samuelson, 2008). This paper explores the implications of allowing the signals to be dependent over time. We present a counterexample showing that even extremely simple time dependence can preclude common learning, and present sufficient conditions for common learning.Common learning, common belief, private signals, private beliefs

Common Learning

Consider two agents who learn the value of an unknown parameter by observing a sequence of private signals. The signals are independent and identically distributed across time but not necessarily across agents. We show that that when each agent's signal space is finite, the agents will commonly learn its value, i.e., that the true value of the parameter will become approximate common-knowledge. In contrast, if the agents' observations come from a countably infinite signal space, then this contraction mapping property fails. We show by example that common learning can fail in this case.Common learning, common belief, private signals, private beliefs

Common Learning

Consider two agents who learn the value of an unknown parameter by observing a sequence of private signals. The signals are independent and identically distributed across time but not necessarily across agents. We show that that when each agent's signal space is finite, the agents will commonly learn its value, i.e., that the true value of the parameter will become approximate common-knowledge. In contrast, if the agents' observations come from a countably infinite signal space, then this contraction mapping property fails. We show by example that common learning can fail in this case.Common learning, Common belief, Private signals, Private beliefs

“Sounds good, but… what is it?” an introduction to outcome measurement from a music therapy perspective

“Sounds good, but… what is it?” This is a common reaction to outcome measurement by music therapy practitioners and researchers who are less familiar with its meanings and practices. Given the prevailing evidence-based practice movement, outcome measurement does ‘sound good’. Some practitioners and researchers, however, have a limited or unclear understanding of what outcome measurement includes; particularly with respect to outcome measures and related terminology around their use. Responding to the “what is it?” question, this article provides an introduction to such terminology. It explores what outcome measures are and outlines characteristics related to their forms, uses and selection criteria. While pointing to some debates regarding outcome measurement, including its philosophical underpinnings, this introduction seeks to offer a useful platform for a critical and contextual understanding of the potential use of outcome measures in music therapy

Maturity, physical ability, technical skill and coaches\u27 perception of semi-elite adolescent Australian footballers

Purpose: To confirm the effect of maturational differences on anthropometric and physical testing and explore the effect of maturation on technical skill and coaches’ perceptions of skill in adolescent Australian footballers. Methods: Athletes were recruited from a semi-elite under 16 competition (n = 94, age 15.7 ± 0.3 years) and completed anthropometric, physical, and technical skill tests. Coaches from each team provided subjective ratings of athletes’ technical skills. Maturation groups were derived from years from peak height velocity estimates, with classifications either later, average or earlier maturing. Results: Effect size comparisons revealed very large to moderate effects between groups for anthropometric measures and performance in sprint and jump tasks. Small to moderate effects were reported between groups for coaches’ perceptions of skill, with the earlier maturing group perceived to have better overall technical skills, marking and ball winning abilities. Small to trivial effects were reported for performance in the technical skill tests. Conclusions: Despite no differences in skill tests, earlier maturing athletes may be afforded significant selection and competition advantages due to advanced physical capacities and coaches’ perceptions of skill

Coaches\u27 perceptions of long-term potential are biased by maturational variation

Talent identification and development programs seek to recognise and promote athletes with long-term potential in a particular sport. Coaches involved in these programs are often required to make inclusions or exclusion decisions based on their perceptions of an athlete’s long-term potential. However, biological maturity can influence physical capabilities of adolescent athletes and may bias coaches’ perceptions of long-term potential. This study explored the relationship between coaches’ perceptions of long-term potential and variations in athlete’s biological maturity. Talented adolescent male Australian footballers from nine (n = 264) different teams were recruited to provide basic anthropometric information for estimates of biological maturity. Coaches from each team were recruited to provide a rating of their own player’s long-term potential. Coaches perceived late maturing athletes to have a significantly lower long-term potential than their average (χ2 = 9.42, p \u3c 0.01) and early (χ2 =  5.86, p = 0.04) maturing counterparts. Of the late maturing athletes, 72% were predicted to go no further than adolescent competition. No concurrent bias was evident between the average or early maturing athletes. The findings of this study demonstrate coaches perceptions of long-term potential can be biased by maturational variation in adolescent athletes. Such perceptual bias may impact on coaches selection decisions and result in talented but late maturing athletes missing selection into development pathways