Modeling location for pervasive environments

The representation of spaces, locations and the entities they contain is of great importance to location aware systems and pervasive computing scenarios. There has been an active research community in developing many diverse models of location, resulting in significant progress in the area. Various types of location model have evolved through experiment and experience however there still remains many challenges to be met by the research community. This paper aims to highlight previous trends in location modeling, discuss the research challenges ahead and to outline the initial design of a location model for the Strathclyde Context Infrastructure [?]

SpaceSemantics: an architecture for modeling environments

The notion of modeling location is fundamental to location awareness in ubiquitous computing environments. The investigation of models and the integration with the myriad of location sensing technologies makes for a challenging discipline. Despite notable development of location models, we believe that many challenges remain unresolved. Complexity and scalability, diverse environments coupled with various sensors and managing the privacy and security of sensitive information are open issues. In this paper we discuss our previous experience combining location sensing with mobile agents and how the lessons learnt have lead to the conception of SpaceSemantics, an open architecture for modeling environments

Integral control of port-Hamiltonian systems: non-passive outputs without coordinate transformation

In this paper we present a method for the addition of integral action to non-passive outputs of a class of port-Hamiltonian systems. The proposed integral controller is a dynamic extension, constructed from the open loop system, such that the closed loop preserves the port-Hamiltonian form. It is shown that the controller is able to reject the effects of both matched and unmatched disturbances, preserving the regulation of the non-passive outputs. Previous solutions to this problem have relied on a change of coordinates whereas the presented solution is developed using the original state vector and, therefore, retains its physical interpretation. In addition, the resulting closed loop dynamics have a natural interpretation as a Control by Interconnection scheme.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure

Question: where would you go to escape detection if you wanted to do something illegal on the Internet? Hint: shush!

The background to this paper is the introduction of public access IT facilities in public libraries. These facilities have seen recorded instances of misuse alongside weaknesses in checking identities of users and in explaining Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs) to users. The FRILLS (Forensic Readiness of Local Libraries in Scotland) project, funded by the Scottish Library and Information Council, attempted to survey the situation in Scottish public libraries and develop a forensic readiness logging regime for use in them. There is in depth discussion of the use of logging in public library computer facilitie

Blood flow-restricted exercise: Providing more bang for buck in trained athletes? [Editorial]

Blood flow-restricted exercise: Providing more bang for buck in trained athletes? [Editorial

The Experiences of Parents of Children Who Stutter and Their Involvement in Support Groups

Developmental stuttering is a communication disorder that typically begins between the ages of two and four and is usually preceded by a typical degree of fluency. While approximately 75% of children will not persist, the remaining are at increased risk of lifelong stuttering. Despite decades of research into the causes and implications of stuttering, it\u27s still a bit of an enigma. The effects of stuttering on caregivers of people who stutter (PWS) remains even more in the shadows. As compared to research regarding the caregiver experience in other disorders, research focusing on caregivers of PWS is startlingly sparse. Additionally, though many believe the same principles may be applied across disorders, the underlying experiences of caregivers of PWS are often fundamentally different. Factors that may contribute to the caregiver\u27s emotional distress include the stigma surrounding stuttering, outdated ideas that stuttering is caused by environmental factors, and a lack of knowledge of the disorder- with many communication professionals also feeling out of their depth regarding its treatment. Research is also lacking regarding protective factors for these caregivers. While the most frequent protective factor identified in other disorder research is social support, the first and most notable study done for parents who attend stuttering support groups was just completed in 2015 (Klein et al., 2015). While this study began to lay a solid foundation by investigating the experiences of parents of PWS and the impact of support groups, it did not provide detailed accounts or chronicle those experiences over time. The present study seeks to expand on this basis through the collection and analysis of in-depth narrative interviews with parents of children who stutter who have been active in support groups. What are the stories parents tell about their experiences having a child who stutters? What influence does a support group have in the development of these stories? It is our hope that engaging in rich discussions about the caregiver experience will not only improve our overall understanding of stuttering from multiple perspectives but will also push clinicians to actively involve the caregiver and subsequently built the most supportive environment for our clients

Evaluating the effectiveness of catchment-scale approaches in mitigating urban surface water flooding.

The argument for natural flood management in the UK has strengthened in recent years with increasing awareness of the potential benefits gained from upstream interventions (especially improvements in water quality, public amenities and biodiversity). This study aims to develop an understanding of another potential benefit-interventions promoting free discharge at downstream urban drainage outfalls by moderating water levels in receiving watercourses. A novel, coupled model (linking dynamic TOPMODEL, HEC-RAS and Infoworks ICM) is calibrated for the Asker catchment in Dorset, England. This predominantly rural watershed drains to the town of Bridport, frequently submerging a surface drainage outfall in a nearby housing estate. Two forms of upstream, catchment-scale intervention (hillslope tree planting and in-channel large woody debris) are modelled to understand their impacts on the functioning of the drainage network during both the calibration period and a range of design storms. The results indicate that interventions have the greatest positive impact during frequent events. For example, during a storm with a 10% annual exceedance probability (AEP), upstream NFM could reduce outfall inundation by up to 3.75 h and remove any surcharging of flow within the drainage system in Bridport. In more severe storms, the results suggest interventions could slightly prolong the time the outfall was submerged. However, by slowing the wider catchment's response during the 3.3% AEP storm, upstream interventions allow more water to escape the urban drainage system and reduce the maximum surface flooding extent within the housing estate by 35%. This article is part of the theme issue 'Urban flood resilience'.EPSRC for funding this research through the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Infrastructure and Built Environment (EPSRC grant reference number EP/L016095/1) and Urban Flood Resilience (EPSRC grant reference number EP/P004180/1)