Linguistic Reflection in Java

Reflective systems allow their own structures to be altered from within. Here we are concerned with a style of reflection, called linguistic reflection, which is the ability of a running program to generate new program fragments and to integrate these into its own execution. In particular we describe how this kind of reflection may be provided in the compiler-based, strongly typed object-oriented programming language Java. The advantages of the programming technique include attaining high levels of genericity and accommodating system evolution. These advantages are illustrated by an example taken from persistent programming which shows how linguistic reflection allows functionality (program code) to be generated on demand (Just-In-Time) from a generic specification and integrated into the evolving running program. The technique is evaluated against alternative implementation approaches with respect to efficiency, safety and ease of use.Comment: 25 pages. Source code for examples at http://www-ppg.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/Java/ReflectionExample/ Dynamic compilation package at http://www-ppg.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/Java/DynamicCompilation

Evolving database systems : a persistent view

Submitted to POS7 This work was supported in St Andrews by EPSRC Grant GR/J67611 "Delivering the Benefits of Persistence"Orthogonal persistence ensures that information will exist for as long as it is useful, for which it must have the ability to evolve with the growing needs of the application systems that use it. This may involve evolution of the data, meta-data, programs and applications, as well as the users' perception of what the information models. The need for evolution has been well recognised in the traditional (data processing) database community and the cost of failing to evolve can be gauged by the resources being invested in interfacing with legacy systems. Zdonik has identified new classes of application, such as scientific, financial and hypermedia, that require new approaches to evolution. These applications are characterised by their need to store large amounts of data whose structure must evolve as it is discovered by the applications that use it. This requires that the data be mapped dynamically to an evolving schema. Here, we discuss the problems of evolution in these new classes of application within an orthogonally persistent environment and outline some approaches to these problems.Postprin

Naming Game on Adaptive Weighted Networks

We examine a naming game on an adaptive weighted network. A weight of connection for a given pair of agents depends on their communication success rate and determines the probability with which the agents communicate. In some cases, depending on the parameters of the model, the preference toward successfully communicating agents is basically negligible and the model behaves similarly to the naming game on a complete graph. In particular, it quickly reaches a single-language state, albeit some details of the dynamics are different from the complete-graph version. In some other cases, the preference toward successfully communicating agents becomes much more relevant and the model gets trapped in a multi-language regime. In this case gradual coarsening and extinction of languages lead to the emergence of a dominant language, albeit with some other languages still being present. A comparison of distribution of languages in our model and in the human population is discussed.Comment: 22 pages, accepted in Artificial Lif

Problem-oriented policing in England and Wales: barriers and facilitators

Evidence shows that the application of problem-oriented policing can be effective in reducing a wide range of crime and public safety issues, but that the approach is challenging to implement and sustain. This article examines police perceptions and experiences regarding organisational barriers to and facilitators of the implementation and delivery of problem-oriented policing. Drawing on surveys of (n = 4141) and interviews with (n = 86) police personnel from 19 police forces in England and Wales, we identify five key barriers and facilitators to problem-oriented policing: leadership and governance, capacity, organisational structures and infrastructure, partnership working and organisational culture. These factors provide important indicators for what police organisations need to do, or need to avoid, if they are to successfully embed and deliver problem-oriented policing. The article generates critical information about the processes that drive change in police organisations and offers recommendations for police managers who may wish to implement or develop problem-oriented policing. The paper also proposes a research agenda aimed at addressing evidence gaps in our understanding of the implementation and sustenance of problem-oriented policing

Molecular hydrogen jets and outflows in the Serpens south filamentary cloud

We aimed to map the jets and outflows from the Serpens South star forming region and find an empirical relationship between the magnetic field and outflow orientation. Near-infrared H2 v=1-0 S(1) 2.122{\mu}m -line imaging of the \sim 30'-long filamentary shaped Serpens South star forming region was carried out. K s broadband imaging of the same region was used for continuum subraction. Candidate driving sources of the mapped jets/outflows are identified from the list of known protostars and young stars in this region, which was derived from studies using recent Spitzer and Herschel telescope observations. 14 Molecular Hydrogen emission-line objects(MHOs) are identified using our continuum-subtracted images. They are found to constitute ten individual flows. Out of these, nine flows are located in the lower-half(southern) part of the Serpens South filament, and one flow is located at the northern tip of the filament. Four flows are driven by well-identified Class 0 protostars, while the remaining six flows are driven by candidate protostars mostly in the Class I stage, based on the Spitzer and Herschel observations. The orientation of the outflows is systematically perpendicular to the direction of the near-infrared polarization vector, recently published in the literature. No significant correlation was observed between the orientation of the flows and the axis of the filamentary cloud.Comment: Accepted by A&A for publication. 7 pages, 5 figure

Love, rights and solidarity: studying children's participation using Honneth's theory of recognition

Recent attempts to theorize children’s participation have drawn on a wide range of ideas, concepts and models from political and social theory. The aim of this article is to explore the specific usefulness of Honneth’s theory of a ‘struggle for recognition’ in thinking about this area of practice. The article identifies what is distinctive about Honneth’s theory of recognition, and how it differs from other theories of recognition. It then considers the relevance of Honneth’s conceptual framework to the social position of children, including those who may be involved in a variety of ‘participatory’ activities. It looks at how useful Honneth’s ideas are in direct engagement with young people’s praxis, drawing on ethnographic research with members of a children and young people’s forum. The article concludes by reflecting on the implications of this theoretical approach and the further questions which it opens up for theories of participation and of adult–child relations more generally

Swift heavy ion irradiation of GaSb: from ion tracks to nano-porous networks

Ion track formation, amorphisation, and the formation of porosity in crystalline GaSb induced by 185 MeV $^{197}$Au swift heavy ion irradiation is investigated as a function of fluence and irradiation angle relative to the surface normal. RBS/C and SAXS reveal an ion track radius between 3 nm and 5 nm. The observed pore morphology and saturation swelling of GaSb films shows a strong irradiation angle dependence. Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy show that the ion tracks act as a source of strain in the material leading to macroscopic plastic flow at high fluences and off normal irradiation. The results are consistent with the ion hammering model for glasses. Furthermore, wide angle X-ray scattering reveals the formation of nano crystallites inside otherwise amorphous GaSb after the onset of porosity

Models and experimental results from the wide aperture Nb-Ti magnets for the LHC upgrade

MQXC is a Nb-Ti quadrupole designed to meet the accelerator quality requirements needed for the phase-1 LHC upgrade, now superseded by the high luminosity upgrade foreseen in 2021. The 2-m-long model magnet was tested at room temperature and 1.9 K. The technology developed for this magnet is relevant for other magnets currently under development for the high-luminosity upgrade, namely D1 (at KEK) and the large aperture twin quadrupole Q4 (at CEA). In this paper we present MQXC test results, some of the specialized heat extraction features, spot heaters, temperature sensor mounting and voltage tap development for the special open cable insulation. We look at some problem solving with noisy signals, give an overview of electrical testing, look at how we calculate the coil resistance during at quench and show that the heaters are not working We describe the quench signals and its timing, the development of the quench heaters and give an explanation of an Excel quench calculation and its comparison including the good agreement with the MQXC test results. We propose an improvement to the magnet circuit design to reduce voltage to ground values by factor 2. The program is then used to predict quench Hot-Spot and Voltages values for the D1 dipole and the Q4 quadrupole.Comment: 8 pages, Contribution to WAMSDO 2013: Workshop on Accelerator Magnet, Superconductor, Design and Optimization; 15 - 16 Jan 2013, CERN, Geneva, Switzerlan