Better homes, better neighbourhoods

Abstract not availabl

Health effects of housing improvement: systematic review of intervention studies

OBJECTIVE: To review the evidence on the effects of interventions to improve housing on health. DESIGN: Systematic review of experimental and non-experimental housing intervention studies that measured quantitative health outcomes. DATA SOURCES: Studies dating from 1887, in any language or format, identified from clinical, social science, and grey literature databases, personal collections, expert consultation, and reference lists. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Socioeconomic change and health, illness, and social measures. RESULTS: 18 completed primary intervention studies were identified. 11 studies were prospective, of which six had control groups. Three of the seven retrospective studies used a control group. The interventions included rehousing, refurbishment, and energy efficiency measures. Many studies showed health gains after the intervention, but the small study populations and lack of controlling for confounders limit the generalisability of these findings. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of evidence linking housing and health may be attributable to pragmatic difficulties with housing studies as well as the political climate in the United Kingdom. A holistic approach is needed that recognises the multifactorial and complex nature of poor housing and deprivation. Large scale studies that investigate the wider social context of housing interventions are required. [References: 42

Sensitivity-analysis method for inverse simulation application

An important criticism of traditional methods of inverse simulation that are based on the Newton–Raphson algorithm is that they suffer from numerical problems. In this paper these problems are discussed and a new method based on sensitivity-analysis theory is developed and evaluated. The Jacobian matrix may be calculated by solving a sensitivity equation and this has advantages over the approximation methods that are usually applied when the derivatives of output variables with respect to inputs cannot be found analytically. The methodology also overcomes problems of input-output redundancy that arise in the traditional approaches to inverse simulation. The sensitivity- analysis approach makes full use of information within the time interval over which key quantities are compared, such as the difference between calculated values and the given ideal maneuver after each integration step. Applications to nonlinear HS125 aircraft and Lynx helicopter models show that, for this sensitivity-analysis method, more stable and accurate results are obtained than from use of the traditional Newton–Raphson approach

Feedback methods for inverse simulation of dynamic models for engineering systems applications

Inverse simulation is a form of inverse modelling in which computer simulation methods are used to find the time histories of input variables that, for a given model, match a set of required output responses. Conventional inverse simulation methods for dynamic models are computationally intensive and can present difficulties for high-speed applications. This paper includes a review of established methods of inverse simulation,giving some emphasis to iterative techniques that were first developed for aeronautical applications. It goes on to discuss the application of a different approach which is based on feedback principles. This feedback method is suitable for a wide range of linear and nonlinear dynamic models and involves two distinct stages. The first stage involves design of a feedback loop around the given simulation model and, in the second stage, that closed-loop system is used for inversion of the model. Issues of robustness within closed-loop systems used in inverse simulation are not significant as there are no plant uncertainties or external disturbances. Thus the process is simpler than that required for the development of a control system of equivalent complexity. Engineering applications of this feedback approach to inverse simulation are described through case studies that put particular emphasis on nonlinear and multi-input multi-output models

Network ST radar and related measurements at Pennsylvania State University

Mesoscale meteorological measurements, analysis and prediction are some of the principal areas of research in the Department of Meteorology at Penn State. In anticipation of a staged turn-on of the three systems during the Summer and Fall of 1984, the nonconstruction-related efforts have focused on the software development necessary to allow essentially immediate use of network data. A 16-bit microcomputer has been programmed to serve as the network controller, communications interface and, at least for real-time purposes, the operational display system. Insofar as possible we have in this task built upon our substantial accumulated experience in working with the processing and display of Doppler sodar system signals. Once the radar-derived wind and turbulence profiles are communicated to the various interconnected Departmental computers they become just one component of a comprehensive data base which can be applied to a diverse set of ongoing basic and operational research programs

On the Rate-dependent Plasticity Modelling of Unidirectional Fibre-reinforced Polymeric Matrix Composites

Three different approaches to plasticity are investigated to model the experimentally-observed non-linear behaviour of unidirectional fibre-reinforced polymeric matrix materials. The first and simplest approach consists on assuming independent one-dimensional rate-dependent plasticity on in-plane (12) and through-thickness longitudinal (13) shear components of the Cauchy stress tensor. The second, employs a 3D extension of the plane stress Hill'48 anisotropic plastic surface. The third and the last is formulated as a quadratic yield function inspired by Puck's fracture initiation criterion. It searches for a plastic localisation plane in which a certain combination of normal and shear stresses is maximum. Numerical simulations are conducted to analyse the off-axis compression behaviour of carbon fibre reinforced epoxy composite under varying loading rates. The afore-mentioned three different approaches are explored with an aim to predict the experimentally-observed non-linear response of such composites. The model parameters are determined using a deterministic inverse modelling strategy employing an iterative domain reduction optimisation technique. As far as the experiments are concerned, the quasi-static and medium rate tests were carried out in universal testing machines, while the experiments at high rate were conducted in a Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar system. The effectiveness in terms of accuracy and robustness of the three approaches are discussed

An epidemiological study of diabetes mellitus in dogs attending first opinion practice in the UK

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of canine diabetes mellitus (DM) in primary-care clinics in England, to identify risk factors associated with DM and to describe the survival of affected dogs. Cases of DM were identified within the electronic patient records of 89 small-animal practices. A nested case–control study identified risk factors for the diagnosis of DM using logistic regression models. Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyse variables associated with survival. Four-hundred and thirty-nine canine DM cases were identified, giving an apparent prevalence of 0.34% (95% CI 0.31% to 0.37%). Neutered males were at an increased risk of diabetes compared with entire males, whereas neutering was not associated with DM in females. When compared with crossbred dogs, Yorkshire terriers had increased odds, whereas German shepherd dogs and golden retrievers had lower odds of DM. Being classified as overweight and having a diagnosis of pancreatitis, hyperadrenocorticism or a urinary tract infection were positively associated with DM. Older dogs and those diagnosed with pancreatitis had a higher hazard of death, whereas insured and neutered dogs had a lower hazard. This study provides an objective assessment of canine DM using primary-care veterinary practice data and is a valuable benchmark against which future epidemiological trends in DM can be assessed and improvements in the management of DM in primary-care practice can be judged

Knowledge of Objective 'Oughts': Monotonicity and the New Miners Puzzle

In the classic Miners case, an agent subjectively ought to do what they know is objectively wrong. This case shows that the subjective and objective ‘oughts’ are somewhat independent. But there remains a powerful intuition that the guidance of objective ‘oughts’ is more authoritative—so long as we know what they tell us. We argue that this intuition must be given up in light of a monotonicity principle, which undercuts the rationale for saying that objective ‘oughts’ are an authoritative guide for agents and advisors

Mn L2,3_{2,3} edge resonant x-ray scattering in manganites: Influence of the magnetic state

We present an analysis of the dependence of the resonant orbital order and magnetic scattering spectra on the spin configuration. We consider an arbitrary spin direction with respect to the local crystal field axis, thus lowering significantly the local symmetry. To evaluate the atomic scattering in this case, we generalized the Hannon-Trammel formula and implemented it inside the framework of atomic multiplet calculations in a crystal field. For an illustration, we calculate the magnetic and orbital scattering in the CE phase of \lsmo in the cases when the spins are aligned with the crystal lattice vector ${\vec a}$ (or equivalently ${\vec b}$) and when they are rotated in the $ab$-plane by 45$^{\circ}$ with respect to this axis. Magnetic spectra differ for the two cases. For the orbital scattering, we show that for the former configuration there is a non negligible $\sigma \to \sigma'$ ($\pi \to \pi'$) scattering component, which vanishes in the 45$^\circ$ case, while the $\sigma \to \pi'$ ($\pi \to \sigma'$) components are similar in the two cases. From the consideration of two 90$^\circ$ spin canted structures, we conclude there is a significant dependence of the orbital scattering spectra on the spin arrangement. Recent experiments detected a sudden decrease of the orbital scattering intensity upon increasing the temperature above the N\' eel temperature in \lsmo. We discuss this behavior considering the effect of different types of misorientations of the spins on the orbital scattering spectrum.Comment: 8 figures. In the revised version, we added a note, a reference, and a few minor changes in Figure 1 and the text. Accepted in Physical Review