Adapting structuration theory to understand the role of reflexivity: Problematization, clinical audit and information systems

This paper is an exploratory account of the further development and application of a hybrid framework, StructurANTion, that is based on Structuration Theory and Actor Network Theory (ANT). The use of social theories in general and their use in information systems (IS) research in particular is explored leading to the use of the framework to examine the concept of what are termed humanchine networks in the context of clinical audit, within a healthcare Primary Care Trust (PCT). A particular focus is on the manner in which information systems-based reflexivity contributes to both entrenching a networks’ structurated order as well as contributing to its emancipatory change. The case study compares clinic-centric and patientcentric audit and seeks to further extend the understanding of the role of information and information systems within structurated humanchine activity systems. Conclusions indicate that the use of more socially informed IS methods and approaches can incorporate more emancipatory ideals and lead to greater adoption and usage of more relevant and useful clinical information systems and practices

Machines and machinations: The integrated care record service in the UK national health service

This paper examines the use of Actor Network Theory (ANT) as a lens to get a better understanding of the implementation of the Integrated Care Record Service (ICRS) in the UK National Health Service (NHS). Actor Network Theory has been deployed in various environments to achieve a better understanding of the roles of not only the humans but also the artifacts that constitute, in this case, healthcare networks of services and organisations. The theory is used as a means of supporting real world interventions, providing a richer understanding of complexities involved and thereby helps management to make better decisions. This study also explores Latour’s concept of machines as machinations, whose role is to translate other actors into the network. We propose ICRS as a fruitful empirical context for the use of ANT to support decision making for actors in health care provision. Actor Network Theory (ANT) is well-suited for use in the socio-technical evaluation of IS into the ICRS project because this approach treats human and non-human actors symmetrically. This approach facilitates a more thorough examination of the ways in which information technology is enabled or restricted in social processes

Physical mechanism for a kinetic energy driven zero-bias anomaly in the Anderson-Hubbard model

The combined effects of strong disorder, strong correlations and hopping in the Anderson-Hubbard model have been shown to produce a zero bias anomaly which has an energy scale proportional to the hopping and minimal dependence on interaction strength, disorder strength and doping. Disorder-induced suppression of the density of states for a purely local interaction is inconsistent with both the Efros-Shklovskii Coulomb gap and the Altshuler-Aronov anomaly, and moreover the energy scale of this anomaly is inconsistent with the standard energy scales of both weak and strong coupling pictures. We demonstrate that a density of states anomaly with similar features arises in an ensemble of two-site systems, and we argue that the energy scale t emerges in strongly correlated systems with disorder due to the mixing of lower and upper Hubbard orbitals on neighboring sites.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; new version includes minor changes to figures and text to increase clarit

Temperature dependence of the zero-bias anomaly in the Anderson-Hubbard model: Insights from an ensemble of two-site systems

Motivated by experiments on doped transition metal oxides, this paper considers the interplay of interactions, disorder, kinetic energy and temperature in a simple system. An ensemble of two-site Anderson-Hubbard model systems has already been shown to display a zero-bias anomaly which shares features with that found in the two-dimensional Anderson-Hubbard model. Here the temperature dependence of the density of states of this ensemble is examined. In the atomic limit, there is no zero-bias anomaly at zero temperature, but one develops at small nonzero temperatures. With hopping, small temperatures augment the zero-temperature kinetic-energy-driven zero-bias anomaly, while at larger temperatures the anomaly is filled in.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures; submitted to SCES 2010 conference proceeding

Contributions to workload of rotational optical transformations

An investigation of visuomotor adaptation to optical rotation and optical inversion was conducted. Experiment 1 examined the visuomotor adaptability of subjects to an optically rotating visual world with a univariate repeated measures design. Experiment 1A tested one major prediction of a model of adaptation put forth by Welch who predicted that the aversive drive state that triggers adaptation would be habituated to fairly rapidly. Experiment 2 was conducted to investigate the role of motor activity in adaptation to optical rotation. Specifically, this experiment contrasted the reafference hypothesis and the proprioceptive change hypothesis. Experiment 3 examined the role of cognition, error-corrective feedback, and proprioceptive and/or reafferent feedback in visuomotor adaptation to optical inversion. Implications for research and implications for practice were suggested for all experiments

Artificial intelligence for multi-mission planetary operations

A brief introduction is given to an automated system called the Spacecraft Health Automated Reasoning Prototype (SHARP). SHARP is designed to demonstrate automated health and status analysis for multi-mission spacecraft and ground data systems operations. The SHARP system combines conventional computer science methodologies with artificial intelligence techniques to produce an effective method for detecting and analyzing potential spacecraft and ground systems problems. The system performs real-time analysis of spacecraft and other related telemetry, and is also capable of examining data in historical context. Telecommunications link analysis of the Voyager II spacecraft is the initial focus for evaluation of the prototype in a real-time operations setting during the Voyager spacecraft encounter with Neptune in August, 1989. The preliminary results of the SHARP project and plans for future application of the technology are discussed

A management architecture for active networks

In this paper we present an architecture for network and applications management, which is based on the Active Networks paradigm and shows the advantages of network programmability. The stimulus to develop this architecture arises from an actual need to manage a cluster of active nodes, where it is often required to redeploy network assets and modify nodes connectivity. In our architecture, a remote front-end of the managing entity allows the operator to design new network topologies, to check the status of the nodes and to configure them. Moreover, the proposed framework allows to explore an active network, to monitor the active applications, to query each node and to install programmable traps. In order to take advantage of the Active Networks technology, we introduce active SNMP-like MIBs and agents, which are dynamic and programmable. The programmable management agents make tracing distributed applications a feasible task. We propose a general framework that can inter-operate with any active execution environment. In this framework, both the manager and the monitor front-ends communicate with an active node (the Active Network Access Point) through the XML language. A gateway service performs the translation of the queries from XML to an active packet language and injects the code in the network. We demonstrate the implementation of an active network gateway for PLAN (Packet Language for Active Networks) in a forty active nodes testbed. Finally, we discuss an application of the active management architecture to detect the causes of network failures by tracing network events in time

A Framework for Developing Educational Psychologists’ Consultation Practice

Consultation is one of the five key functions of educational psychologists’ (EPs’) practice, and yet the profession’s understanding of its practical and psychological complexity has resulted in a lack of clarity and consensus around its definition and application. The current systematic literature review sought to consider how EPs are using consultation within their current practice to support children and young people. Ten papers were included in the final synthesis, following strict inclusion/exclusion criteria and reported using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Papers were assessed for consultation quality, regardless of methodological design, using a consultation analysis framework developed from National Association of School Psychology (NASP) guidelines, with key descriptive and evaluative information reported. The NASP consultation framework provided a clear outline of strengths and weaknesses within current practice and offers a practical and accessible model for supporting consultative EP practice. Implications for practice emerge, alongside a consideration of the limitations of the review and future directions for research

The Economics of a Centralized Judiciary: Uniformity, Forum Shopping and the Federal Circuit

In 1982, the US Congress established the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) as the sole appellate court for patent cases. Ostensibly, this court was created to eliminate inconsistencies in the application and interpretation of patent law across federal courts, and thereby mitigate the incentives of patentees and alleged infringers to "forum shop" for a preferred venue. We perform the first econometric study of the extent of non-uniformity and forum shopping in the pre-CAFC era and of the CAFC's impact on these phenomena. We find that in patentee-plaintiff cases the pre-CAFC era was indeed characterized by significant non-uniformity in patent validity rates across circuits and by forum shopping on the basis of validity rates. We find weak evidence that the CAFC has increased uniformity of validity rates and strong evidence that forum shopping on the basis of validity rates ceased several years prior to the CAFC's establishment. In patentee-defendant cases, we find that validity rates are lower on average, but do not find either significant non-uniformity of validity rates across circuits or significant forum shopping.