Milton Keynes - preliminary estimates of regional traffic flows in 1981

The Milton Keynes Development Corporation and their planning consultants have asked the College Transport Group to investigate the scale of likely regional traffic flows into and out of Milton Keynes. At this stage the emphasis is on providing information for the preparation of a Master Plan for the city itself, rather than detailed traffic estimates for planning transport systems in the surrounding region. Population estimates for 1981 have been obtained from County Councils for areas within a 20 mile radius of the new city, and the proportions attracted to Milton Keynes for work and shopping assessed using gravity model techniques. Separate estimates have been made of work journeys from the city to regional employment and to London. Possible upper and lower limits to these forecasts are included to account for many uncertainties in the absolute and relative growth of population, employment and shopping opportunities in the city itself and in the surrounding region. The results are presented as traffic flews into and out of octant sectors around the city. Flows to the east are greater than to the west with work trip flows of the order of 2,500 person trips each way in the most heavily loaded sectors. A 1981 city population of 150,000 is likely to produce at least 1,500 daily commuters to London using the fast rail service, with an additional 200 commuters from the region using Milton Keynes railway station

New Insight on Galaxy Formation and Evolution from Keck Spectroscopy of the Hawaii Deep Fields

We present the results of spectroscopic studies with the LRIS spectrograph on Keck of two of the Hawaii deep survey fields. The 393 objects observed cover an area of 26.2 square arcmin and constitute a nearly complete sample down to K = 20, I = 23, and B = 24.5. The rest-frame K-band luminosity function and its evolution with redshift are described. Comparisons are made with other optically selected (B and I) samples in the literature, and the corresponding rest-frame B-band luminosity function evolution is presented. The B-band counts near B = 24 are shown to be a mixture of normal galaxies at modest redshifts and galaxies undergoing rapid star formation, which have a wide range of masses and which are spread over the redshift interval from z = 0.2 to beyond z = 1.7. The luminosity functions, number counts, and color distributions at optical and IR wavelengths are discussed in terms of a consistent picture of the star-forming history of the galaxy sample. [OII] emission-line diagnostics or rest-frame ultra-violet--infrared color information are used in combination with rest-frame absolute K magnitudes to construct a ``fundamental plane'' in which the evolution of the global star-formation rate with redshift can be shown, and we find that the maximum rest-frame K luminosity of galaxies undergoing rapid star formation has been declining smoothly with decreasing redshift from a value near L* at z > 1. This smooth decrease in the characteristic luminosity of galaxies dominated by star formation can simultaneously account for the high B-band galaxy counts at faint magnitudes and the redshift distribution at z < 1 in both the B- and K-selected samples. Finally, the overall K-band light density evolution is discussed as a tracer of the baryonic mass in stars and compared with the rate of star formation.Comment: 38 pages plus 2 tables, 28 Postscript figures, Figure 1 (finding charts) and Figure 2 (sample spectra) available at http://galileo.ifa.hawaii.edu/~cowie/insight.html . To be published in Astronomical Journal (9/96

Peer mentorship and positive effects on student mentor and mentee retention and academic success

This study examined how the introduction of peer mentorship in an undergraduate health and social welfare programme at a large northern university affected student learning. Using an ethnographic case study approach, the study draws upon data collected from a small group of mentors and their mentees over a period of one academic year using interviews, reflective journals, assessment and course evaluation data. Analysis of the data collected identified a number of key findings: peer mentorship improves assessment performance for both mentee and mentor; reduces stress and anxiety, enhances participation and engagement in the academic community, and adds value to student outcomes

Ethical ecosurveillance: Mitigating the potential impacts on humans of widespread environmental monitoring

Ecosurveillance has proliferated in recent years, generating vast amounts of data on the natural environment. Ecosurveillance also has significant potential impacts on humans; therefore, researchers and policymakers need new conceptual tools to anticipate and mitigate any negative effects. Surveillance studies is an interdisciplinary field in the social sciences, providing a number of insights and practical lessons for predicting and managing the complex impacts (positive and negative, intended and unintended) of surveillance tools and practices. We draw on surveillance studies literature to propose two tools to guide designers and practitioners of ecosurveillance—a ‘red flag checklist’ to anticipate potential problems, and a ‘considerations guide’ to inform design decisions across a wide range of ecosurveillance systems. These tools will help ensure that the coming era of ecosurveillance is guided by responsible and ethical practices towards wildlife and humans alike, while also realizing the potential of these technologies for improving environmental outcomes.publishedVersio

Non-invasive assessment of positive affective state using infra-red thermography in rats

The infra-red thermography equipment and software were funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, UK, grant number BB/K002775/1.With recent increased focus on positive welfare in animal welfare science, there is demand for objective positive welfare indicators. It is unclear whether changes in body surface temperature can be used to non-invasively identify and quantify positive states in mammals. We recorded continuous measurements of tail surface temperature using infra-red thermography (IRT) and concurrent behavioural observations in male and female Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus). If tail surface temperature can differentiate between positive and negative experiences, we expect a qualitatively different response compared to negative experiences. Three groups of rats were presented with increasing magnitudes of food rewards (neutral/none, one and three rewards). The rats were placed in an arena to which they were habituated and filmed for 30 s before and 30 min after exposure to different rewards. Tail temperature initially decreased from the pre-reward baseline and subsequently returned towards baseline temperature. The overall pattern of the change was the same as for rats subjected to negative stimuli in previous studies. Nevertheless, dynamic changes in tail temperature, specifically the rate of recovery and the behavioural response (exploration), differed between neutral and rewarded rats but failed to distinguish reward magnitude. Sex differences were found in both thermal and behavioural responses, unrelated to reward magnitudes. Female rats exhibited a greater initial response with a slower recovery than male rats, emphasising the value of using of both sexes in animal welfare research. This study improves our understanding of the effects of positive emotions induced by food reward on peripheral body temperature and behaviour.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Length-Based Assessment of an Artisanal Albulid Fishery in the South Pacific: a Data-Limited Approach for Management and Conservation

Data-limited fisheries assessment methods have great potential to help inform small island communi