Evaluation of three tractor-guidance methods for parallel swathing at two field speeds

This study compared the accuracy (mean error and rms error) and precision (standard deviation of error) of three tractor-guidance methods (foam-marker, light-bar, and assisted-steering systems) at two field speeds (5.6 – and 11.5 km/h) for parallel swathing operations. Eighty-four replications of each combination of guidance method and field speed were conducted between 15 October and 22 December 2006 (504 total field passes). The foam-marker system was found to be significantly less accurate [larger mean error (p \u3c .0001) and had a larger rms error (p \u3c .0001)] than either the light-bar or the assisted-steering system. There was no significant difference in mean error (p = .6718) or rms error (p = .8841) by field speed. There was a significant interaction between guidance method and field speed for both mean error (p = .0009) and rms error (p = .003). Mean and rms errors for the foam-marker and the assisted-steering systems increased at higher field speed, while the mean and rms errors for the light-bar system decreased at higher speed. The assisted-steering system had a significantly lower (p = .0164) standard deviation of error (higher precision) than the foam-marker or the light-bar systems. There was no significant difference in the standard deviation of error by field speed (p = .6258) or by the interaction of guidance method and field speed (p = .2748)

Reformulation and Decomposition: Multitask learning approaches to Long Document Problems

Recent advances in Natural Language Processing (NLP) have led to success across a wide range of tasks including machine translation, summarization, and classification. Yet, the field still faces major challenges. This thesis addresses two key under-researched areas: the absence of general multitask learning capabilities, and the inability to scale to long, complex documents. Firstly, this thesis explores a form of multitasking where NLP tasks are reformulated as question answering problems. I examine existing models and measure their robustness to paraphrasing of their input. I contribute an annotated dataset which enables detailed analysis of model failures as well as evaluating methods for improving model robustness. Secondly, a set of long document tasks; MuLD, is introduced which forms a benchmark for evaluating the performance of models on large inputs with long-range dependencies. I show that this is a challenging task for baseline models. I then design an approach using task-decomposition to provide an interpretable solution which easily allows for multitask learning. I then explore how these themes of task reformulation for multitask learning, and task-decomposition for long inputs can be applied to other modalities. I show how visual modelling: a visual analogue of language modelling, can be used to predict missing frames from videos of simple physics simulations, and probe what knowledge about the physical world this induces in such models. Finally, I demonstrate how this task can be used to unite vision and NLP using the same framework, describing how task-reformulation and task-decomposition can be used for this purpose

Policymakers and the example of smoking to children: A qualitative study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The normality of smoking that children are exposed to is associated with increased risk of smoking uptake. To better understand policymaking that could address this issue, our aim was to identify and document the views of New Zealand policymakers regarding the example of smoking behaviour to children, and the policy responses they preferred.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>We analysed public documents for relevant statements, and conducted semi-structured anonymous interviews with 62 purposively selected policymakers. We identified views of New Zealand policymakers regarding: the example to children of adult smoking behaviour, and the policy responses they preferred.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In both public statements and anonymous interviews, policymakers demonstrated that they perceived a clear relationship between the example of smoking and children taking up smoking. However, they showed a general unwillingness to support further smokefree legislation in areas frequented by children. Rather, they preferred to educate adults about their impact as models for youth behaviour.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Health advocates in New Zealand and elsewhere may require more evidence of the effect of relevant legislation and of public support, and wider alliances, to significantly move policies specifically to reduce the example of smoking.</p

Auditing the accessibility of electronic resources.

yesThis paper describes a project undertaken by the University of Bradford library to assess systematically the accessibility of our electronic resources, and gives recommendations for others wishing to do the same with their collections. Since the 2001 Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA), academic libraries in the UK have had a legal duty to provide all students with information in a form accessible to them, an obligation strengthened by the 2010 Equality Act (c. 15) to include all kinds of impairments, not just visual. The change in information sources from print to electronic has raised further challenges to providing access to information for all library users. Electronic resources have the potential to address many of the accessibility needs of our readers, but concerns have been growing in the higher education sector that the way in which e-resources are delivered can make them less accessible

Applied Mechanics Dynamics

The present edition incorporates a number of revisions and additions which should improve its usefulness as a textbook without changing the basic organization or the general philosophy of presentation of the subject matter. The experience of the past few years at the California Institute of Technology and other schools indicates that the book has been useful to engineering students who wish to prepare for more advanced studies and applications of dynamics, and hence a new edition was felt to be justified. Among the additions and modifications the following may be mentioned to indicate the scope of the revision. The section on dimensional analysis has been rewritten and a brief treatment of the theory of models has been added. The section on impact problems has been revised, and a more extensive treatment of variable mass systems has been included. A more general discussion of the moment of momentum equations for systems of particles has been added, and the general momentum and energy equations for rigid bodies have been more completely developed. The discussion of rotation about a fixed point and gyroscopic motion has been expanded and somewhat more complex systems have been considered, including problems on the stability of rolling motion. The problem of longitudinal waves in an elastic bar is discussed, and a comparison is made between wave propagation techniques and vibration methods for such problems. The discussion of generalized coordinates and Lagrange's equations has been revised, and a general treatment of the problem of small oscillations of a conservative system has been added. The sections on the Calculus of Variations and Hamilton's Principle have been rewritten with some expansion. Over one hundred new problems have been added to increase the total number to some four hundred. All of the new problems have been thoroughly tested in classroom use. The number of illustrative examples has been increased and many of the original examples have been modified. As in the first edition, the main emphasis of the book is on particle and rigid-body dynamics, although some other aspects of the subject have been included to show how the methods of classical mechanics are applied to the various branches of engineering science. Some of these topics, such as fluid dynamics and the kinetics of gases, have been treated in a very brief fashion. Although the student will make a more complete analysis of these subjects in specialized courses, it is believed that the brief discussions will help him to acquire a broader view of the applied sciences. In all such instances care has been taken to use methods that can be extended later for more complete treatments, and the student has been informed of the limitations of the analyses. As a textbook the main emphasis has been on method and on development of fundamental principles. The problems form an essential part of the presentation, and important conclusions are sometimes given in problems and illustrative examples. The student should examine such problems and note the results, even if the details of the proofs are not carried through