National Musical Education

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Wanted: A Composer for the Organ

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Automated Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (ATES) mapping – local validation and optimization in western Canada

The Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (ATES) is a system for classifying mountainous terrain based on the degree of exposure to avalanche hazard. The intent of ATES is to improve backcountry recreationist's ability to make informed risk management decisions by simplifying their terrain analysis. Access to ATES has been largely limited to manually generated maps in high-use areas due to the cost and time to generate ATES maps. Automated ATES (AutoATES) is a chain of geospatial models which provides a path towards developing ATES maps on large spatial scales for relatively minimal cost compared to manual maps. This research validates and localizes AutoATES using two ATES benchmark maps which are based on independent ATES maps from three field experts. We compare the performance of AutoATES in two study areas with unique snow climate and terrain characteristics: Connaught Creek in Glacier National Park, British Columbia, Canada, and Bow Summit in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. Our results show that AutoATES aligns with the ATES benchmark maps in 74.5 % of the Connaught Creek study area and 84.4 % of the Bow Summit study area. This is comparable to independently developed manual ATES maps which on average align with the ATES benchmark maps in 76.1 % of Connaught Creek and 84.8 % of Bow Summit. We also compare a variety of DEM types (lidar, stereo photogrammetry, Canadian National Topographic Database) and resolutions (5–26 m) in Connaught Creek to investigate how input data type affects AutoATES performance. Overall, we find that DEM resolution and type are not strong indicators of accuracy for AutoATES, with a map accuracy of 74.5 % ± 1 % for all DEMs. This research demonstrates the efficacy of AutoATES compared to expert manual ATES mapping methods and provides a platform for large-scale development of ATES maps to assist backcountry recreationists in making more informed avalanche risk management decisions.</p

The agricultural mobile finance revolution

Emerging innovations in mobile finance are revolutionising the agricultural value chain, and in the process they are creating alternative ways of making payments to farmers, giving them greater access to a range of financial services and reducing or eliminating supply chain credit risk

Вивчення кварк-глюонної плазми хіггсового механізму порушення електрослабкої симетрії

Вже багато років наукове оточення всього світу хвилює питання звідки бере свій початок стандартна теорія походження матерії

Conceptualisations of children’s wellbeing at school: the contribution of recognition theory

A large study in Australian schools aimed to elucidate understandings of ‘wellbeing’ and of factors in school life that contribute to it. Students and teachers understood wellbeing primarily, and holistically, in terms of interpersonal relationships, in contrast to policy documents which mainly focused on ‘problem areas’ such as mental health. The study also drew on recognition theory as developed by the social philosopher Axel Honneth. Results indicate that recognition theory may be useful in understanding wellbeing in schools, and that empirical research in schools may give rise to further questions regarding theory

Assessing seal performance and parameter sensitivity with a full-shaft model

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a planned geologic repository for permanent disposal of transuranic waste generated by US government defense programs. Located near Carlsbad in southeastern New Mexico, the facility`s disposal regions are mined from the bedded salt of the Salado Formation at a depth of approximately 652 m. Four shafts service the operational needs of the facility for air intake, exhaust, waste handling and salt handling. These shafts range in diameter from 3.5 to 6.1 m and extend from the ground surface to the repository. During repository closure, following an operational life of approximately 50 years, these shafts will be sealed in accordance with an acceptable design. Under contract to the US Department of Energy (DOE), the Repository Isolation Systems Department (RISD) of Sandia National Laboratories has developed a design for the WIPP shaft sealing system. This design has been reviewed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of the 1996 WIPP Compliance Certification Application (CCA). An effective shaft sealing system for the WIPP will limit liquid and gas flows, and permanently prevent the migration of radiological or other hazardous constituents through the sealed shafts from repository to accessible environment. Because of these performance objectives, a significant effort has been directed toward evaluation of the seal design. Whereas RISD (1996) provides a comprehensive discussion, this paper focuses on only one aspect of the evaluation effort, namely a full shaft, fluid flow model

Women's need for information before attending genetic counselling for familial breast or ovarian cancer: a questionnaire, interview, and observational study

OBJECTIVES: To describe women's information needs prior to genetic counselling for familial breast or ovarian cancer. DESIGN: Prospective study including semistructured telephone interviews before genetic counselling, observations of consultations, completion of postal questionnaires, and face-to face interviews within two months of counselling. SUBJECTS: 46 women attending genetic counselling for familial breast or ovarian cancer. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Subjects' understanding of process and content of genetic counselling before attending and attitudes about their preparation for the counselling session. RESULTS: Although all women interviewed before the clinic expected to discuss their risk of developing cancer and risk management options, there was evidence of a lack of knowledge about the process and content of genetic counselling, 17 (37%) women said they did not know what else would happen. Most women interviewed after counselling viewed it positively, but 26 (65%) felt they had been inadequately prepared and 11 (28%) felt that their lack of preparation meant that they could not be given an accurate estimation of their risk of cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Some women felt that they did not obtain optimum benefit from genetic counselling because they were inadequately prepared for it. We suggest that cancer family history clinics should provide women with written information about the process and content of genetic counselling before their clinic attendance