Radio Images of 3C 58: Expansion and Motion of its Wisp

New 1.4 GHz VLA observations of the pulsar-powered supernova remnant 3C 58 have resulted in the highest-quality radio images of this object to date. The images show filamentary structure over the body of the nebula. The present observations were combined with earlier ones from 1984 and 1991 to investigate the variability of the radio emission on a variety of time-scales. No significant changes are seen over a 110 day interval. In particular, the upper limit on the apparent projected velocity of the wisp is 0.05c. The expansion rate of the radio nebula was determined between 1984 and 2004, and is 0.014+/-0.003%/year, corresponding to a velocity of 630+/-70 km/s along the major axis. If 3C 58 is the remnant of SN 1181, it must have been strongly decelerated, which is unlikely given the absence of emission from the supernova shell. Alternatively, the low expansion speed and a number of other arguments suggest that 3C 58 may be several thousand years old and not be the remnant of SN 1181.Comment: 12 pages; accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Effects of deposit-feeding bivalve (Macomona liliana) density on intertidal sediment stability

Effects of macrofaunal feeding and bioturbation on intertidal sediment stability (u*crit) were investigated by manipulating density (0-3 x ambient) of the facultative deposit-feeding wedge shell (Macomona liliana) on the Tuapiro sandflat in Tauranga Harbour, New Zealand. Sediment stability increased up to 200% with decreasing M. liliana density and this was correlated with greater sediment microalgal biomass and mucilage content. The change in stability occurred despite homogeneity of grain size amongst experimental treatments, highlighting the importance of macrofaunal-microbial relationships in determining estuarine sediment erodibility

An Introduction to Slice-Based Cohesion and Coupling Metrics

This report provides an overview of slice-based software metrics. It brings together information about the development of the metrics from Weiser’s original idea that program slices may be used in the measurement of program complexity, with alternative slice-based measures proposed by other researchers. In particular, it details two aspects of slice-based metric calculation not covered elsewhere in the literature: output variables and worked examples of the calculations. First, output variables are explained, their use explored and standard reference terms and usage proposed. Calculating slice-based metrics requires a clear understanding of ‘output variables’ because they form the basis for extracting the program slices on which the calculations depend. This report includes a survey of the variation in the definition of output variables used by different research groups and suggests standard terms of reference for these variables. Our study identifies four elements which are combined in the definition of output variables. These are the function return value, modified global variables, modified reference parameters and variables printed or otherwise output by the module. Second, slice-based metric calculations are explained with the aid of worked examples, to assist newcomers to the field. Step-by-step calculations of slice-based cohesion and coupling metrics based on the vertices output by the static analysis tool CodeSurfer (R) are presented and compared with line-based calculations

Identifying the challenges and facilitators of implementing a COPD care bundle.

BACKGROUND: Care bundles have been shown to improve outcomes, reduce hospital readmissions and reduce length of hospital stay; therefore increasing the speed of uptake and delivery of care bundles should be a priority in order to deliver more timely improvements and consistent high-quality care. Previous studies have detailed the difficulties of obtaining full compliance to bundle elements but few have described the underlying reasons for this. In order to improve future implementation this paper investigates the challenges encountered by clinical teams implementing a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) care bundle and describes actions taken to overcome these challenges. METHODS: An initial retrospective documentary analysis of data from seven clinical implementation teams was undertaken to review the challenges faced by the clinical teams. Three focus groups with healthcare professionals and managers explored solutions to these challenges developed during the project. RESULTS: Documentary analysis identified 28 challenges which directly impacted implementation of the COPD care bundle within five themes; staffing, infrastructure, process, use of improvement methodology and patient and public involvement. Focus groups revealed that the five most significant challenges for all groups were: staff too busy, staff shortages, lack of staff engagement, added workload of the bundle and patient coding issues. The participants shared facilitating factors used to overcome issues including: shifting perceptions to improve engagement, further education sessions to increase staff participation and gaining buy-in from managers through payment frameworks. CONCLUSIONS: Maximising the impact of a care bundle relies on its successful and timely implementation. Teams implementing the COPD care bundle encountered challenges that were common to all teams and sites. Understanding and learning from the challenges faced by previous endeavours and identifying the facilitators to overcoming these barriers provides an opportunity to mitigate issues that waste time and resources, and ensures that training can be tailored to the anticipated challenges

A methodology for full-system power modeling in heterogeneous data centers

The need for energy-awareness in current data centers has encouraged the use of power modeling to estimate their power consumption. However, existing models present noticeable limitations, which make them application-dependent, platform-dependent, inaccurate, or computationally complex. In this paper, we propose a platform-and application-agnostic methodology for full-system power modeling in heterogeneous data centers that overcomes those limitations. It derives a single model per platform, which works with high accuracy for heterogeneous applications with different patterns of resource usage and energy consumption, by systematically selecting a minimum set of resource usage indicators and extracting complex relations among them that capture the impact on energy consumption of all the resources in the system. We demonstrate our methodology by generating power models for heterogeneous platforms with very different power consumption profiles. Our validation experiments with real Cloud applications show that such models provide high accuracy (around 5% of average estimation error).This work is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under contract TIN2015-65316-P, by the Gener- alitat de Catalunya under contract 2014-SGR-1051, and by the European Commission under FP7-SMARTCITIES-2013 contract 608679 (RenewIT) and FP7-ICT-2013-10 contracts 610874 (AS- CETiC) and 610456 (EuroServer).Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Multi-user indoor optical wireless communication system channel control using a genetic algorithm

A genetic algorithm controlled multispot transmitter is demonstrated that is capable of optimising the received power distribution for randomly aligned single element receivers in multiple fully diffuse optical wireless communications systems with multiple mobile users. Using a genetic algorithm to control the intensity of individual diffusion spots, system deployment environment changes, user movement and user alignment can be compensating for, with negligible impact on the bandwidth and root mean square delay spread. It is shown that the dynamic range, referenced against the peak received power, can be reduced up to 27% for empty environments and up to 26% when the users are moving. Furthermore, the effect of user movement, that can perturb the channel up to 8%, can be reduced to within 5% of the optimised case. Compared to alternative bespoke designs that are capable of mitigating optical wireless channel drawbacks, this method provides the possibility of cost-effectiveness for mass-produced receivers in applications where end-user friendliness and mobility are paramount

Developing theory-informed interventions to implement evidence into practice: a systematic approach using the Theoretical Domains Framework

Background: There is little systematic operational guidance about how best to develop complex interventions to reduce the gap between practice and evidence. This article is one in a series of articles documenting the development and use of the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to advance the science of implementation research. Methods: The intervention was developed considering three main components: theory, evidence, and practical issues. We used a four-step approach, consisting of guiding questions, to direct the choice of the most appropriate components of an implementation intervention: Who needs to do what, differently? Using a theoretical framework, which barriers and enablers need to be addressed? Which intervention components (behaviour change techniques and mode(s) of delivery) could overcome the modifiable barriers and enhance the enablers? And how can behaviour change be measured and understood? Results: A complex implementation intervention was designed that aimed to improve acute low back pain management in primary care. We used the TDF to identify the barriers and enablers to the uptake of evidence into practice and to guide the choice of intervention components. These components were then combined into a cohesive intervention. The intervention was delivered via two facilitated interactive small group workshops. We also produced a DVD to distribute to all participants in the intervention group. We chose outcome measures in order to assess the mediating mechanisms of behaviour change. Conclusions: We have illustrated a four-step systematic method for developing an intervention designed to change clinical practice based on a theoretical framework. The method of development provides a systematic framework that could be used by others developing complex implementation interventions. While this framework should be iteratively adjusted and refined to suit other contexts and settings, we believe that the four-step process should be maintained as the primary framework to guide researchers through a comprehensive intervention development process