BGS Sigma 2012 open source user guide

The British Geological Survey began developing digital field mapping systems in 1989. However, it was apparent that the commercially available hardware was not suitable at that time. In 2001, we revisited the topic under the System for Integrated Geoscience Mapping (SIGMA) programme. By 2003, BGS had developed a PDA (personal digital assistant) field system, which was superseded in 2005, when we began deploying a beta system on rugged Tablet PCs. The Tablet PC system, which we called BGS•SIGMAmobile was used by BGS in mapping projects across the UK as well as overseas. It first became available in Open Source form, in June 2009 via the BGS website, www.bgs.ac.uk, under an agreement which stipulates that updates and modifications must be supplied to BGS in order to stimulate further developments. In 2011/2012, BGS•SIGMAmobile was rewritten in .NET and combined with our office based mapping software BGS•SIGMAdesktop within ArcGIS 10.x to create BGS•SIGMA 2012. It is envisaged that future releases will be made available from the BGS website incorporating new modules, modifications and upgrades supplied by BGS and external users of the system. This document has been written to guide users through the installation and use of BGS•SIGMA 2012 (mobile and desktop), which is the third free release. We are happy to receive feedback and modifications emailed to [email protected]

A model for pediatric neurocognitive interventions: considering the role of development and maturation in rehabilitation planning.

PublishedJournal ArticleThe need for post-acute neurorehabilitation after childhood acquired brain injury is increasingly recognized but recent reviews highlight the limited evidence-base and lack of a neuropsychological treatment model. Evidence from different fields was reviewed to inform the development of a pediatric neurocognitive interventions (PNI) model. The review included literature from child neuropsychology, adult neuropsychology, cognitive neuroscience, learning disabilities, education, and mental health. The resulting PNI model provides a systematic approach to delivering and evaluating appropriate care while minimizing the obstacles to successful outcomes. The model emphasizes the role of development and cognitive maturation in the planning of rehabilitation. Areas that represent significant gaps in our knowledge are discussed and future research directions are suggested based on predictions generated by the proposed model

Transgressive coastal systems (1st part): barrier migration processes and geometric principles

Coastal processes during transgression have been explored through morpho-kinematic simulations using the Shoreface Translation Model (STM). Our STM experiments show that the landward migration of coastal system is controlled by the rate of sea level rise (SLR), the rate of sediment supply (Vs), the shelf slope (?), and the morphology of the coastal profile (M). Additionally, the geometric relationships between shoreface and plane of translation govern three kinematic modes of coastal barrier migration: (1) roll-over, (2) hybrid, (3) encroachment. Each mode exhibits differences along the coastal profile in relation to zones of erosion (cut) and redeposition (fill) and to the consequent sediment exchanges across the profile (from the cut to the fill). Each mode produces distinctive facies architectures and specific stratigraphic position of the shoreface-ravinement surface. Environmental conditions (rates of sea-level rise, sediment supply (±), barrier morphology) and kinematic modes both control stratal preservation. Transgressive roll-over, in particular, occurs on gently sloping shelves and involves erosion along the entire shoreface and landward sediment redeposition (by overwash and tidal inlet processes). Three different types of roll-over are possible depending on the conditions of sediment supply (Vs) to the coastal cell: neutral roll-over (Vs=0 m3), which produces no effect on the shelf; depositional roll-over (Vs >0) and erosional (Vs<0) roll-over, which modify the shelf through stratal preservation and erosion, respectively. These differences are quantified in simulations by tracking parameters that principally relate to the trajectory of a ‘neutral point’ (maximum depth of shoreface erosion). The shoreface-ravinement defines the trajectory in all the transgressions and in principle is preserved in the rock record, making it a much more useful tracking point than the shoreline trajectory analysed in other studies. Coastal migration in all kinematic modes includes state-dependent inertial effects, experimentally well evident when, after a perturbation, the drivers (SLR, Vs, ?, M) are maintained constant for a long interval of time. Kinematic inertia appears as progressive geometric self-adjustments of the barrier until it acquires a shape that is stable under prevailing conditions (constant drivers). At this stage (kinematic equilibrium), which is unlikely ever to be attained in nature, simulated transgressions finally evolve with processes and geological products that remain invariant. Kinematic inertia is likely to be an additional factor that governs the real transgressions under most circumstances

Transgressive coastal systems (2nd part): geometric principles of stratal preservation on gently sloping continental shelves

This study focuses on the causes and mechanisms of coastal-lithosome preservation during transgressions driven by roll-over processes of barrier migration. Using the Shoreface Translation Model, a large range of idealised coastal settings was simulated to identify the environmental conditions of stratal preservation. Preservation occurs within two broad categories of experimental conditions. The first category relates to transgressive phases evolving under relatively constant conditions in which stratal preservation takes place only if the coastal barrier experiences positive net sediment supplies. The resulting deposits show tabular geometries, have poorly differentiated internal architectures and tend to extend continuously with quite uniform thickness upslope across plain regions of the shelf. In the second category, by comparison, deposits are thicker and stratal preservation is more localised. Moreover preservation occurs as an adaptive morpho-kinematic response to environmental perturbations due to variations in: (1) the ratio of sediment supply (Vs) to accommodation generated by sea-level rise (SLR); (2) the substrate topography; (3) the morphology of the barrier profile. More specifically, changes of the ratio Vs /SLR, where SLR is an approximate surrogate for added accommodation space, directly promotes growth of the barrier (Vs /SLR >> 0) and its subsequent drowning (Vs /SLR?0). The topographic variations of the substrate may include minor irregularities as well as sudden changes in gradient that afford other types of preservation, such as local fills and residual littoral packages. Finally, barrier-profile changes inducing stratal preservation may include the reduction in barrier width and depth of surf base as well as the increment in shoreface concavity and shoreface length. Simplified methods are given for relating the geometry of preserved deposits to rates of sea-level rise and sediment supply over different shelf slopes, and for identifying the position of the shoreline at specific times. Holocene evolution of some coastal deposits from the Tuscan shelf (Italy) is presented in a morpho kinematic reconstruction to illustrate the geometric relationships for stratal preservation

The Generative Programs Framework

Recently there has been significant interest in using causal modelling techniques to understand the structure of physical theories. However, the notion of `causation' is limiting - insisting that a physical theory must involve causal structure already places significant constraints on the form that theory may take. Thus in this paper, we aim to set out a more general structural framework. We argue that any quantitative physical theory can be represented in the form of a generative program, i.e. a list of instructions showing how to generate the empirical data; the information-processing structure associated with this program can be represented by a directed acyclic graph (DAG). We suggest that these graphs can be interpreted as encoding relations of `ontological priority,' and that ontological priority is a suitable generalisation of causation which applies even to theories that don't have a natural causal structure. We discuss some applications of our framework to philosophical questions about realism, operationalism, free will, locality and fine-tuning.Comment: 42 pages, 15 figures, 19 pages of supplementary materia

The Academic Outcomes of Working Memory and Metacognitive Strategy Training in Children: A Double-Blind Randomised Controlled Trial

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via the DOI in this record.Working memory training has been shown to improve performance on untrained working memory tasks in typically developing children, at least when compared to nonadaptive training; however, there is little evidence that it improves academic outcomes. The lack of transfer to academic outcomes may be because children are only learning skills and strategies in a very narrow context, which they are unable to apply to other tasks. Metacognitive strategy interventions, which promote metacognitive awareness and teach children general strategies that can be used on a variety of tasks, may be a crucial missing link in this regard. In this double-blind randomised controlled trial, 95 typically developing children aged 9-14 years were allocated to three cognitive training programmes that were conducted daily after-school. One group received Cogmed working memory training, another group received concurrent Cogmed and metacognitive strategy training, and the control group received adaptive visual search training, which better controls for expectancy and motivation than non-adaptive training. Children were assessed on four working memory tasks, reading comprehension, and mathematical reasoning before, immediately after, and three months after training. Working memory training improved working memory and mathematical reasoning relative to the control group. The improvements in working memory were maintained three months later and these were significantly greater for the group that received metacognitive strategy training, compared to working memory training alone. Working memory training is a potentially effective educational intervention when provided in addition to school; however, future research will need to investigate ways to maintain academic improvements long-term and to optimise metacognitive strategy training to promote fartransfer.Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC

Mobile tools for Windows: user guide : report produced in the context of the Inventory Data Capture Tools Risk Global Component

The aim of this document is to provide guidelines for the use of the digital Windows Mobile Tools that have been designed and built to collect building inventory pre- and post-earthquake events. The guide instructs users how to install the software on a Windows device and provides step-by-step instructions for collecting and managing the data that has been collected. It is expected that the field staff are already experts in collecting building inventory, therefore this guide does not provides instructions how to recognise or understand building structural components. Appendices to this guide also include the following: A copy of the paper Forms that are used to collect data in the field if the digital Mobile Tools are unavailable The Photos-4-GEM Protocol that provides guidance for photography of structures in the context of the Inventory Data Capture Tools and the GEM Taxonomy

A Multiwell Electrochemical Biosensor for Real-Time Monitoring of the Behavioural Changes of Cells in Vitro

We report the development of a multiwell biosensor for detecting changes in the electrochemical open circuit potential (OCP) generated by viable human cells in vitro. The instrument features eight culture wells; each containing three gold sensors around a common silver/silver chloride reference electrode, prepared using screen-printed conductive inks. The potential applications of the device were demonstrated by monitoring rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts (RSF) and HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cells in response to chemical and biological treatments. This technology could provide an alternative to conventional end-point assays used in the fields of chemotherapy, toxicology and drug discovery

Behavioural activation written self-help to improve mood, wellbeing and quality of life in people with dementia supported by informal carers (PROMOTE): study protocol for a single-arm feasibility study.

Background: Increases in life expectancy have resulted in a global rise in dementia prevalence. Dementia is associated with poor wellbeing, low quality of life and increased incidence of mental health difficulties such as, low mood or depression. However, currently there is limited access to evidence-based psychological interventions for people with dementia experiencing low mood and poor wellbeing. Behavioural activation-based self-help, supported by informal carers and guided by mental health professionals, may represent an effective and acceptable solution. Methods/design: The present study is a Phase II (feasibility) single-arm trial informed by the MRC Complex Interventions Research Methods Framework. Up to fifty dementia participant/informal carer dyads will be recruited from a variety of settings including primary care, dementia-specific health settings, and community outreach. People living with dementia will receive behavioural activation based self-help and be supported by their informal carer who has received training in the skills required to support the self-help approach. In turn, during the use of the intervention the informal carer will be guided by mental health professionals to help them work through the materials and problem solve any difficulties. Consistent with the objectives of feasibility studies, outcomes relating to recruitment from different settings, employment of different recruitment methods, attrition, data collection procedures, clinical delivery and acceptability of the intervention will be examined. Clinical outcomes for people with dementia (symptoms of depression and quality of life) and informal carers (symptoms of depression and anxiety, carer burden and quality of life) will be measured pretreatment and at 3 months post-treatment allocation. Discussion: This study will examine the feasibility and acceptability of a novel behavioural activation-based self-help intervention designed to promote wellbeing and improve low mood in people living with dementia, alongside methodological and procedural uncertainties associated with research-related procedures. As determined by pre-specified progression criteria, if research procedures and the new intervention demonstrate feasibility and acceptability, results will then be used to inform the design of a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) to specifically examine remaining methodological uncertainties associated with recruitment into a randomised controlled design.This study is collaboratively funded by Cornwall Foundation Partnership Trust, South West Peninsula Academic Health Sciences Network and the University of Exeter