Synthesising and utilising complex evidence to inform policy in education and health.

Oslo, Norway, May 19 to 21, 200

On Holiday! Policy and provision for disabled children and their families

This summary describes some findings from the On Holiday! study, carried out by the Thomas Coram Research Unit between 2004 and 2006 and funded by DfES. The study investigated the experiences of disabled children and their families outside school time and especially during the school holidays. The study took an approach informed by a social model of disability, one which emphasises the social construction of disability, rather than impairment

A knowledge based system for valuing variations in civil engineering works: a user centred approach

There has been much evidence that valuing variations in construction projects can lead to conflicts and disputes leading to loss of time, efficiency, and productivity. One of the reasons for these conflicts and disputes concerns the subjectivity of the project stakeholders involved in the process. One way to minimise this is to capture and collate the knowledge and perceptions of the different parties involved in order to develop a robust mechanism for valuing variations. Focusing on the development of such a mechanism, the development of a Knowledge Based System (KBS) for valuing variations in civil engineering work is described. Evaluation of the KBS involved demonstration to practitioners in the construction industry to support the contents of the knowledge base and perceived usability and acceptance of the system. Results support the novelty, contents, usability, and acceptance of the system, and also identify further potential developments of the KBS

Horizontal flow fields observed in Hinode G-band images. I. Methods

Context: The interaction of plasma motions and magnetic fields is an important mechanism, which drives solar activity in all its facets. For example, photospheric flows are responsible for the advection of magnetic flux, the redistribution of flux during the decay of sunspots, and the built-up of magnetic shear in flaring active regions. Aims: Systematic studies based on G-band data from the Japanese Hinode mission provide the means to gather statistical properties of horizontal flow fields. This facilitates comparative studies of solar features, e.g., G-band bright points, magnetic knots, pores, and sunspots at various stages of evolution and in distinct magnetic environments, thus, enhancing our understanding of the dynamic Sun. Methods: We adapted Local Correlation Tracking (LCT) to measure horizontal flow fields based on G-band images obtained with the Solar Optical Telescope on board Hinode. In total about 200 time-series with a duration between 1-16 h and a cadence between 15-90 s were analyzed. Selecting both a high-cadence (dt = 15 s) and a long-duration (dT = 16 h) time-series enabled us to optimize and validate the LCT input parameters, hence, ensuring a robust, reliable, uniform, and accurate processing of a huge data volume. Results: The LCT algorithm produces best results for G-band images having a cadence of 60-90 s. If the cadence is lower, the velocity of slowly moving features will not be reliably detected. If the cadence is higher, the scene on the Sun will have evolved too much to bear any resemblance with the earlier situation. Consequently, in both instances horizontal proper motions are underestimated. The most reliable and yet detailed flow maps are produced using a Gaussian kernel with a size of 2560 km x 2560 km and a full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) of 1200 km (corresponding to the size of a typical granule) as sampling window.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Extinctions of aculeate pollinators in Britain and the role of large-scale agricultural changes

Pollinators are fundamental to maintaining both biodiversity and agricultural productivity, but habitat destruction, loss of flower resources, and increased use of pesticides are causing declines in their abundance and diversity. Using historical records we assessed the rate of extinction of bee and flower-visiting wasp species in Britain, from the mid 19th century to the present. The most rapid phase of extinction appears to be related to changes in agricultural policy and practice beginning in the 1920s, before the agricultural intensification prompted by the Second World War, often cited as the most important driver of biodiversity loss in Britain. Slowing of the extinction rate from the 1960s onwards may be due to prior loss of the most sensitive species and/or effective conservation programs