Algebras of operations in K-theory

We describe explicitly the algebras of degree zero operations in connective and periodic p-local complex K-theory. Operations are written uniquely in terms of certain infinite linear combinations of Adams operations, and we give formulas for the product and coproduct structure maps. It is shown that these rings of operations are not Noetherian. Versions of the results are provided for the Adams summand and for real K-theory.Comment: 25 page

New K-Indices from South Atlantic Observatories : Port Stanley and Ascension Island

Port Stanley and Ascension Island magnetic observatories have been in continuous operation since the early 1990's. These remote South Atlantic locations provide much needed coverage in the global network of geomagnetic observatories and help to monitor the South Atlantic Anomaly. To enhance the production of longitude-sector planetary magnetic activity indices there is a requirement for local 3-hourly K-index values from Port Stanley (PST) observatory. We describe the process followed to establish an automated routine for the derivation of the indices and we assess the congruence of the indices to those available from other suitably located observatories. A similar procedure has been followed for Ascension Island observatory although this is not shown here

Market Review of the Welsh Organic Arable Sector, 2007

The supply situation for Welsh organic arable production Organic production in Wales has been developing steadily in the last five years, with particular emphasis on organic cattle and sheep production. This was despite over-supply conditions in some sectors, notably dairy, following the very rapid growth in 1999/2000. The area of organic arable production has tracked this increase albeit at a lower level. It is also a more complex situation than might be thought because of the different ways in which a cereal crop or mixture might be harvested. This sector is one of the least surveyed in the UK with the exception of the annual Scottish Organic Market Link Producer Survey carried out by SAC with SEERAD funding. Between the end of 2002 and end of 2005, the number of holdings increased by 12% to 688, and the certified land area increased by 29% to 71 thousand hectares, of which more than 90% is grassland. Growth in Wales has exceeded other parts of the UK, reaching 5% of agricultural land by end 2005. More rapid growth is projected for 2006 and possibly 2007. The arable area reported to Defra shows an increase over the period 2003 to 2005 (reported as end of January 2004 to end of January 2006) from 1958 ha to 2358 ha. This represents a 20% increase over the period at a time when organic grassland of all types increased by 34%. The UK position for the supply and demand of organic cereals is giving considerable cause for concern at the present particularly in the area of organic livestock feed. This has been brought about by marked increases in organic milk, pork, egg and poultry sales along with continuing expansion of the red meat sectors. This has led to a considerable imbalance that is likely to get worse over the coming years, something that will be amplified by changes in the standards with respect to non organic feed allowances. It is estimated that the UK is around 60% self sufficient in home produced feed grain – the shortfall is made up of imports from around the world and a number of factors are threatening the security of supply from many of the exporting countries. The calculations involved are subject to a number of crude assumptions and there is universal agreement that there is an urgent need for information and regularly updated statistics. Actual output of Welsh arable producers is extremely difficult to quantify precisely because it is not monitored with the regularity and at the level of detail of other sectors. Two sets of figures are available but they are difficult to compare because one relates to areas planted while the other is concerned with outputs. A producer survey was undertaken using a detailed telephone questionnaire. This was not a simple exercise as it proved difficult to obtain information from certification bodies. This meant that it was difficult to identify advance those producers that were growing arable crops. 209 producers out of a total of 502 livestock producers were contacted, responses received from 102 (a response rate of just under 50%) and 40 of these were arable producers. This cohort represented 913 ha of arable production or 29.5% of the total organic arable area in Wales. 39% of the arable crops grown by respondents were planted as mixtures (usually a cereal/protein mix), a notable difference from earlier surveys. Of the pure stands wheat comprised the largest area followed by barley, oats, triticale and beans in descending order. 50% of the crops surveyed were harvested as whole crop and 47% as grain with a total yield of 1,458 tonnes. In the year under survey the highest proportion of a single crop harvested as whole crop was wheat while oats constituted the largest harvested grain crop, results that were somewhat at odds with other work but are almost certainly a result of what was a hot, dry season with low silage yields. Only 455t of grain was actually marketed with barley accounting for the highest proportion and wheat the lowest. Yields as reported by the farmers contacted tended to be on the low side with respect to standard figures in the Organic Farm Management Handbook although oats were slightly better. Triticale was particularly poor at around 50% of standard yields. The same cohort of respondents reported reduced areas for the 2007 season, an overall reduction of 21% on 2006 figures, and an anticipated reduction in grain to be marketed (16%). Producers reported that poor producer prices are a disincentive to growing grain for the market, a somewhat surprising conclusion given the recent strong movements in organic cereal prices. Transport costs are a significant factor as the crop has to be moved out of Wales to grain merchants and/or feed mills. Extrapolation of the above figures is recognised as a risky and imperfect process but it does raise a number of questions of concern not least the existence of a decline when overall conversion and livestock numbers are increasing This was followed by a trade survey that contacted both the grain trade and compound feed producers. The responses were not all encompassing but covered 75% of the active traders in numerical terms. The responses indicated that very small quantities of grain are supplied into Wales for processing – most grain traded moved to other producers within Wales. The vast majority of feed is imported in the form of compound feed and on the basis of the responses received totalled some 13,600 tonnes for the 2006 season. Allowing for non responses it is estimated that the actual figure was around 16,000 tonnes – 11,000 t for ruminants and 5,000 t as poultry rations. Feed compounders are working on the basis of demand increasing by around 20% year on year, partly as a result of changes to the standards. It is estimated that the demand for poultry feed will increase to 9,000 t in 2009 while ruminant feed is predicted to increase to 19,000 t in 2009, a total of 28,000t. It is suggested that the cereal and protein crop requirements will be in the order of 50% of the total i.e. 14,000 t each. There is a very low level of protein production in Wales and this demand will almost certainly be fulfilled through the use of imported sources of soya. A SWOT analysis was undertaken that concluded that there are more weaknesses than strengths but that there are a number of opportunities for increases arable production not least the strengthening of prices across the board. The area of most concern and seen as a serious threat is the reported 21% decrease in plantings for the current season. Recommendations Despite the generally positive outlook from a demand perspective, there is a need to address some of the factors that might discourage producers from converting, including disruption to the Organic Farming Scheme, price levels that do not always reflect the costs of production, access to markets and a distinct lack of support for the sector. To address this, there is a need for: • better statistical data on current and future production levels and market shares and a wider appreciation of the need for improved levels of self sufficiency; • greater publicity should be given to events and trends in the wider organic cereal market to ensure that Welsh organic livestock producers have all the facts when planning for the future; • a series of events, articles and other media coverage and special attention should be given to these issues in the Organic Market Wales e-bulletin; • enhanced payments through the OFS through a mechanism that replaces the previous AAPS rate; • the new Farming Connect service to focus on the potential for home grown feed when working with organic livestock producers; • an increasing focus on education in order to signpost opportunities for young people; • an evaluation of the potential for the establishment of an organic feed compounding operation in Wales – this could reduce costs and also provide market opportunities for arable producers; • improved production systems, supported by effective research and development and knowledge transfer; • parallel improvements in variety and mixture choices – this may involve new introductions, a re-evaluation of varieties deemed to have been out-classed and the development of landraces; • a clear identification of suitable areas for organic arable production along with guidance on what crops to grow in the particular soil types and prevailing climate • improved integration of effort between organic sector businesses and the agencies that support the development of the Welsh horticultural and organic sectors; • improved linkages with the dairy, arable and red meat sectors to benefit from complementarity relationships between the sectors at production, market development and promotional levels

Issue resolution at a large aerospace manufacturer

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division; and, (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; in conjunction with the Leaders for Global Operations Program at MIT, 2013.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 39-40).UTC Aerospace Systems has a wide variety of problem solving tools driven by their Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) program. One tool that is frequently used to resolve and capture customer escapes is the 8D methodology. It is an eight-step process designed to identify, correct, and eliminate recurring problems and is useful in providing a feedback mechanism between the customers and suppliers. Its goal is to establish a permanent corrective action and focuses on the origin of the problem by determining its root causes. The objective of the project is to fully understand the cost benefit of implementing the 8D methodology. The initial investigation of the 8D process uncovered that some defects recorded using the 8D tool are omitted in metrics reporting, leading to poor issue resolution and limited feedback between customers and suppliers. Because the tool requires additional steps that were not required in previous problem solving techniques at UTC Aerospace Systems, it is both more cost and time intensive. To avoid wasteful spending, it is therefore important that the tool be applied only when necessary. A study was performed to identify situations when the 8D tool is used improperly. Two situations were identified: (1) when an 8D investigation is performed unnecessarily and (2) when the 8D investigation is not performed in a situation when it should be. In the first situation, the unnecessary implementation of the 8D tool results in wasted effort within the organization. In the second situation, the missed opportunity to implement the tool has the potential to allow future occurrences of the same defect that may have otherwise been avoided. Preventing a defect from occurring in the future is often achieved by redesigning a part to eliminate a systemic issue. It is therefore important to use the 8D tool in order to identify systemic issues more quickly and thereby reduce future repair costs. The costs associated with these two situations are further quantified in the project.by Sarah Clarke.M.B.A.S.M

Modelling the effects of space weather at the Earth’s surface : a UK geoelectric field model

Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GIC), which can flow in technological systems such as power transmission grids, are a consequence of the geoelectric field induced at the surface of the Earth during geomagnetic storms. This poster describes the development of a new 3D 'Thin-Sheet' geoelectric field model which covers the whole of the UK and includes the influence of the surrounding shelf seas. The model can be used to compute the response of the geoelectric field to geomagnetic storms. In conjunction with a power grid model this enables us to estimate GIC flow in power networks. As an example, we consider the major geomagnetic storm of October 2003. It is envisaged that the model will form one component of a near real time GIC warning package which is currently being developed by the British Geological Survey (BGS) in conjunction with Scottish Power Plc. The magnetic field associated with the induced geoelectric field is easily calculated. Thus, the electric field model may also be of interest to those studying the effect of internal (induced) geomagnetic field signals on the total measured geomagnetic field

VICTIMS AND VILLAINS: SUBJECT POSITIONING IN DISCURSIVE RECONSTRUCTIONS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT

This thesis is a feminist informed, discursive research project. Three studies are presented, each designed to explore reconstructions of sexual harassment incidents. The first and second studies were based upon a corpus of interview data, generated specifically for the research project. The author interviewed six women and encouraged detailed discussion about sexual harassment. The third study was conducted utilising media data. The data includes an initial allegation and description of an incident of sexual harassment, in the form of a magazine article, and a collection of published responses written by journalists, academics and members of the public. The data were analysed utilising a 'hybrid' discursive approach that combined the frameworks of conversation analysis and critical discourse analysis to deconstruct both the interactional and ideological components of the discourse. This thesis makes several distinctive contributions to existing literature. Firstly, whilst hybrid analysis has been advocated by others, it has rarely been applied and therefore this project contributes an example of its application. Secondly, the project offers as its focus a deconstruction of subject positions and the function they serve in the allocation of responsibility and accountability of sexual harassment. This is unique in the field. Thirdly, to feminist action and women's emancipation, the project contributes a knowledge and understanding of women's oppressive and constrained experiences. Through knowledge of oppression women's emancipation can be more easily achieved

Bode Well: Menswear Meets Antique Textiles

Bode Well: Menswear meets Antique Textiles discusses the work of New York-based Menswear Fashion Designer, Emily Adams Bode who works sustainably with antique textiles. Actively concerned with ethics and traceability her namesake American label - Bode comments on heritage and legacy with its use of antique and/or deadstock textiles. By sourcing these textiles a network of exchanges takes place and the fabrics, often stained or damaged and destined for landfill, are recycled to offer new leases of life to continue in a new and unique form. Deadstock textiles that were previously abandoned are fully utilised to create unique items that change perceptions of materials and material culture. Promoted in this article is a behavioural change in consumerism where the ‘quick fix’ is no longer the object of desire but instead the classic and timeless are valued. Since writing the Bode article, Emily Adams Bode has won the first ever Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation (February 2020). A strand of the International Woolmark Company and centred around merino wool, the prize money of 100,000 Australian dollars was in recognition of her talent and forward-thinking approach. For Bode the environmental and social impact are firmly in the designers’ mindset

The discrete module category for the ring of K-theory operations

We study the category of discrete modules over the ring of degree zero stable operations in p-local complex K-theory. We show that the p-local K-homology of any space or spectrum is such a module, and that this category is isomorphic to a category defined by Bousfield and used in his work on the K-local stable homotopy category (Amer. J. Math., 1985). We also provide an alternative characterisation of discrete modules as locally finitely generated modules.Comment: 19 page

Rewind-Play-Fast Forward

This book-chapter examines the works of Ainsley Hillard (UK), Christy Matson (USA), Jane Harris (UK), Barbara Layne (Canada), Janis Jefferies (UK) and Nancy Tilbury (UK) as they as framed by future-facing paradigms of textiles and technologies seeking to incorporate sound and interaction into otherwise visual registers. The writing is subdivided into sections on ephemerality, temporality, transitoriness and fast-forwarding to reflect the future-oriented aesthetic. This book accompanied an exhibition of the same name that I curated at Mykolas Žilinskas Art Gallery, Kaunas, Lithuania (the city’s main gallery). This exhibition comprised five installed works to showcase audio/visual textiles which use new materials and technologies