Design and implementation of a simulator for a local area network utilizing an IBM PC/AT or compatible computer

The purpose of this project is to provide a fixture which may be used as a local area network for a course similar to the Small Systems Workshop course (EECC756) as taught in the spring of 1986. This fixture will provide the physical layer of the local area network. This network would be Ethernet like but use an RS-232C communication between the fixture and the nodes. In addition to simulating the ether the fixture would provide for on-line analysis of the packets being sent to provide feedback to the student as well as the professor. The IBM PC/AT type personal computer was selected as the host for the fixture since it is a basic unit which is available at the current time. In addition it provided an excellent base operating system. The software that was developed makes use of the direct system calls to the MS-DOS operating system whenever possible

Antimicrobials in animal agriculture: Parables and policy

In addition to the scientific, economic, regulatory and other policy factors that impact on antimicrobial decision-making in different jurisdictions around the world, there exist ethical, social and cultural bases for the contemporary use of these products in animal agriculture. Thus, the use of the word ‘parable’ to describe the contemporary moral stories that help to guide ethical antimicrobial use practices and broader policy decisions in animal agriculture is appropriate. Several of these stories reflect difficult decisions that arise from conflicting moral imperatives (i.e. both towards animal welfare and towards human health). Understanding the factors that combine to define the past and present paradigms of antimicrobial usage is crucial to mapping a path forward. There exist barriers, as well as opportunities, for advancing scenarios for reducing antimicrobial usage under a variety of voluntary, regulatory and legal policy frameworks. Any new approaches will ideally be structured to extend the use of present-day antimicrobials into the future, to provide novel alternatives for regulating any newly introduced antimicrobial products so as to maximize their useful life span and to ensure the optimal use of these products in animal agriculture to protect not only the health of animals and the interests of animal health/agriculture stakeholders, but also the human health and the interests of the public at large. A full range of policy approaches, which span the realm from strictly enforced regulations and laws to voluntary guidelines and compliance, should be explored with respect to their risks and benefits in a variety of worldwide settings and in full consideration of a range of stakeholder values

Relationship between heavy vehicle speed limit and fleet fuel consumption on minor roads

This paper investigates the traffic-related effects of a proposal to increase the speed limit from 40 mile/h to 50 mile/h, for heavy goods vehicles greater than 7.5 tonnes, on single carriageway roads. A ‘microscopic’ single carriageway traffic simulation is developed by combining the ‘enhanced intelligent driver model’ with a single carriageway gap-acceptance passing model. Fuel consumption estimates are made using engine characteristic maps and a ‘fuel optimal’ gear selection scheme, where vehicle trajectories from the traffic simulations are taken as input drive-cycles. Traffic congestion and fleet fuel consumption are specifically addressed, though implications regarding passing behaviour and traffic safety are also noted. Results indicate that the proposed 50 mile/h heavy goods vehicles speed limit would reduce traffic congestion by over 37% and increase fleet fuel consumption by approximately 0.5 L/100 km. The authors would like to thank Justin Bishop and Niall Martin of Cambridge University Engineering Department for providing valuable data. The authors would also like to thank Rachael Dillon of Freight Transport Association for suggesting the project. This work was supported in part by the Centre for Sustainable Road Freight (SRF) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through Grant Ref EP/K00915X/1. At the time of writing, the members of the SRF were: Coca-Cola Enterprises, Denby Transport, DHL, Freight Transport Association, Haldex Brake Products, Goodyear Tires, John Lewis/Waitrose, Laing O’Rourke, Optrak, SDC Trailers, Tesco, Volvo Trucks, Warburtons, Wincanton.This is the accepted manuscript for a paper published in the Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part C: Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science, DOI: 10.1177/0954406215573038

Expert clinicians' prototypes of an adolescent treatment: Common and unique factors among four treatment models

Objective: To investigate (1) whether expert clinicians within psychodynamic therapy (PDT), mentalization-based treatment (MBT), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) agree on the essential adolescent psychotherapy processes using the Adolescent Psychotherapy Q-Set (APQ); (2) whether these four session prototypes can be empirically distinguished; and (3) whether mentalization is a shared component in expert clinicians’ conceptualizations of these four treatment models. // Method: Thirty-nine raters with expertize in PDT, MBT, CBT, and IPT provided ratings of the 100 APQ items to characterize a prototypical session that adheres to the principles of their treatment model. A Q-factor analysis with varimax rotation was conducted. // Results: Expert clinicians reached a high level of agreement on their respective session prototypes, which loaded onto five independent factors. The PDT session prototype straddled two different factors, suggesting more variability in PDT expert clinicians’ understanding of PDT process for adolescents than in the views of the expert clinicians representing the other treatment models. Mentalization process was shared among all four session prototypes; however, the correlation between the CBT and IPT session prototypes remained significant after controlling for the MBT session prototype. // Conclusions: Researchers can now assess adherence to four adolescent treatments and identify change processes beyond these labels

Open Space – a collaborative process for facilitating Tourism IT partnerships

The success of IT projects depends on the success of the partnerships on which they are based. However past research by the author has identified a significant rate of failure in these partnerships, predominantly due to an overly technical mindset, leading to the question: “how do we ensure that, as technological solutions are implemented within tourism, due consideration is given to human-centred issues?” The tourism partnership literature is explored for additional insights revealing that issues connected with power, participation and normative positions play a major role. The method, Open Space, is investigated for its ability to engage stakeholders in free and open debate. This paper reports on a one-day Open Space event sponsored by two major intermediaries in the UK travel industry who wanted to consult their business partners. Both the running of the event and its results reveal how Open Space has the potential to address some of the weaknesses associated with tourism partnerships

The potential of geospatial technology for monitoring peatland environments

There have been significant advances in the spectral and spatial resolution of data collected from spaceborne, airborne and terrestrial based geospatial technologies over the past 20 years. In sensitive peatland ecosystems, the non-intrusive application of these technologies offers great potential to improve vegetation monitoring and topographical mapping. This paper discusses the potential of geospatial technologies for monitoring vegetation, mapping natural erosion features and assessing artificial drainage with reference to two peatland sites in England. Earth Observation (EO) data can now provide colour imagery with spatial resolution comparable to conventional aerial photography. Enhanced spectral resolution of spaceborne sensors has also increased the accuracy of automated image classification for bog vegetation and EO data may challenge the relevance of conventional aerial photography in landscape-scale assessment. Ultra-high resolution data achievable from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) technologies are providing unprecedented levels of detail from remote sensing. UAV imagery now provides the possibility of identifying individual plants which greatly increases a researcher’s ability to map vegetation from aerial imagery. UAV derived elevation data, combined with the capability of TLS, provide enhanced resolution of gully and artificial drain morphology compared to airborne LiDAR and allow a new approach for quantifying erosion. These technologies provide opportunities to extend traditional surveys over far larger areas than was previously possible and can assist both in targeting areas for future restoration and in monitoring of subsequent change. Traditional survey methods will however maintain an important role in assessing many aspects of peatlands, as they not only provide information to verify remotely sensed data, but are currently the only method that can ‘see’ underneath peatland vegetation

Bulletin No. 9: Scoping the potential uses of systems thinking in developing policy on illicit drugs

While a great variety of systems approaches have been developed, they all have some common characteristics: a recognition of the need to deal with complex issues by looking at the ‘bigger picture’; the evaluation of multiple policy options prior to (and often during and after) implementation; and exploring interconnections and potential consequences to identify and minimise unwanted ‘side-effects’ of policy. While this focus of systems thinking on dealing with complexity has been found to be useful in many other policy contexts, such as policing and sustainable cities, systems approaches have been used less frequently in policy making on illicit drugs. However, given that this area of policy can be highly complex, characterised by tensions between stakeholder groups and requiring difficult balances to be struck between enforcement, prevention and treatment, it seems worthwhile to explore what added value systems approaches can offer, and what barriers to their use might be encountered. This DPMP project was designed to scope the potential uses of systems thinking for developing policy on illicit drugs

Monograph No. 13: Scoping the potential uses of systems thinking in developing policy on illcit drugs

This monograph (No. 13) summarises pilot work to scope the potential uses of systems thinking for developing illicit drug policy. Systems approaches have the potential to offer much to drug policy analysis through their use of participatory methods, capacity to deal with multiple simultaneous policy options, and appreciation of the complexity, interconnectedness and dynamic feedback loops associated with policy decisions. The monograph outlines six systems approaches used by the New Zealand team in exploring illicit drug policy. The results of in-depth interviews with five experienced policy makers and a demonstration project around a policy issue are described. The potential utility of systems approaches in illicit drug policy are demonstrated

Origin and significance of 'dispersed facies' basal ice: Svínafellsjökull, Iceland

Dispersed facies basal ice - massive (i.e. structureless) ice with dispersed debris aggregates - is present at the margins of many glaciers and, as a product of internal glacial processes, has the potential to provide important information about the mechanisms of glacier flow and the nature of the subglacial environment. The origin of dispersed facies is poorly understood, with several hypotheses having been advanced for its formation, and there is disagreement as to whether it is largely a sedimentary or a tectonic feature. We test these established hypotheses at the temperate glacier Svfnafellsjokull, Iceland, and find that none fully account for dispersed facies characteristics at this location. Instead, dispersed facies physical, sedimentological and stable-isotope (5180, 8D) characteristics favour a predominantly tectonic origin that we suggest comprises the regelation and straininduced metamorphism of debris-rich basal ice that has been entrained into an englacial position by tectonic processes operating at the base of an icefall. Further thickening of the resultant dispersed facies may also occur tectonically as a result of ice flow against the reverse bed slope of a terminal overdeepening. Lack of efficient subglacial drainage in the region of the overdeepening may limit basal melting and thus favour basal ice preservation, including the preservation of dispersed facies. Despite the relatively low sediment content of dispersed facies (~1.6% by volume), its thickness (up to 25 m) and ubiquity at Svfnafellsjokull results in a significant contribution to annual sediment discharge (1635-3270 m3 a"1) that is ~6.5 times that contributed by debris-rich stratified facies basal ice