Rectangular Hierarchical Cartograms for Socio-Economic Data

We present rectangular hierarchical cartograms for mapping socio-economic data. These density-normalising cartograms size spatial units by population, increasing the ease with which data for densely populated areas can be visually resolved compared to more conventional cartographic projections. Their hierarchical nature enables the study of spatial granularity in spatial hierarchies, hierarchical categorical data and multivariate data through false hierarchies. They are space-filling representations that make efficient use of space and their rectangular nature (which aims to be as square as possible) improves the ability to compare the sizes (therefore population) of geographical units. We demonstrate these cartograms by mapping the Office for National Statistics Output Area Classification (OAC) by unit postcode (1.52 million in Great Britain) through the postcode hierarchy, using these to explore spatial variation. We provide rich and detailed spatial summaries of socio-economic characteristics of population as types of treemap, exploring the effects of reconfiguring them to study spatial and non-spatial aspects of the OAC classification

Remote profiling of lake ice thickness using a short pulse radar system aboard a C-47 aircraft

Design and operation of short pulse radar systems for use in ice thickness measurement are described. Two ice profiling systems were tested, an S system which used either random noise or continous wave modulation at 2.8 GHz and a less powerful C band system which operated at 6.0 GHz and did not have random noise modulation. Flight altitudes of 4,000 feet were used, but the S band system was usable at 7,000 feet allowing flights in poor weather conditions. A minimum ice thickness of four inches is required for measurement, while the thickest ice measured was 36 inches. System accuracy is plus or minus one inch

Opening access to administrative data for evaluating public services: the case of the Justice Data Lab

As government administrative data sets are increasingly made available for new (non-administrative) purposes, there is a need to improve access to such resources for voluntary and community organizations, social enterprises and private businesses for statistical analysis and evaluation purposes. The Justice Data Lab set up by the Ministry of Justice in the UK presents an innovative case of how administrative data can be linked to other data held by organizations delivering public services. The establishment of a unit within a secure setting holding evaluation and statistical expertise has enabled providers of programmes aimed at reducing re-offending to obtain evidence on how the impact of their interventions differs from that of a matched comparison group. This article explores the development of the Justice Data Lab, the methodological and other challenges faced, and the experiences of user organizations. The article draws out implications for future development of Data Labs and the use of administrative data for the evaluation of public services

On the Geroch-Traschen class of metrics

We compare two approaches to semi-Riemannian metrics of low regularity. The maximally 'reasonable' distributional setting of Geroch and Traschen is shown to be consistently contained in the more general setting of nonlinear distributional geometry in the sense of Colombea

Community rotorcraft air transportation benefits and opportunities

Information about rotorcraft that will assist community planners in assessing and planning for the use of rotorcraft transportation in their communities is provided. Information useful to helicopter researchers, manufacturers, and operators concerning helicopter opportunities and benefits is also given. Three primary topics are discussed: the current status and future projections of rotorcraft technology, and the comparison of that technology with other transportation vehicles; the community benefits of promising rotorcraft transportation opportunities; and the integration and interfacing considerations between rotorcraft and other transportation vehicles. Helicopter applications in a number of business and public service fields are examined in various geographical settings

Aharonov-Bohm-like effect for light propagating in nematics with disclinations

Using a geometric approach for the propagation of light in anisotropic media, we investigate what effect the director field of disclinations may have on the polarization state of light. Parallel transport around the defect, of the spinor describing the polarization, indicates the acquisition of a topological phase, in analogy with the Aharonov-Bohm effect.Comment: 6 pages, to appear in Europhysics Letter

Giant and reversible extrinsic magnetocaloric effects in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 films due to strain

Large thermal changes driven by a magnetic field have been proposed for environmentally friendly energy efficient refrigeration, but only a few materials which suffer hysteresis show these giant magnetocaloric effects. Here we create giant and reversible extrinsic magnetocaloric effects in epitaxial films of the ferromagnetic manganite La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 using strain mediated feedback from BaTiO3 substrates near a first-order structural phase transition. Our findings should inspire the discovery of giant magnetocaloric effects in a wide range of magnetic materials, and the parallel development of nanostructured bulk samples for practical applications.Comment: 32 pages, 1 Table, 5 figures, supplementary informatio

The Efficiency of Gravitational Bremsstrahlung Production in the Collision of Two Schwarzschild Black Holes

We examine the efficiency of gravitational bremsstrahlung production in the process of head-on collision of two boosted Schwarzschild black holes. We constructed initial data for the characteristic initial value problem in Robinson-Trautman spacetimes, that represent two instantaneously stationary Schwarzschild black holes in motion towards each other with the same velocity. The Robinson-Trautman equation was integrated for these initial data using a numerical code based on the Galerkin method. The final resulting configuration is a boosted black hole with Bondi mass greater than the sum of the individual mass of each initial black hole. Two relevant aspects of the process are presented. The first relates the efficiency $\Delta$ of the energy extraction by gravitational wave emission to the mass of the final black hole. This relation is fitted by a distribution function of non-extensive thermostatistics with entropic parameter $q \simeq 1/2$; the result extends and validates analysis based on the linearized theory of gravitational wave emission. The second is a typical bremsstrahlung angular pattern in the early period of emission at the wave zone, a consequence of the deceleration of the black holes as they coalesce; this pattern evolves to a quadrupole form for later times.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Int. J. Modern Phys. D (2008

Communication training and its effects on carer and care-receiver outcomes in dementia settings: A systematic review

Aims and Objectives: To review communication interventions that aim to improve regular care interactions between people with dementia and their carers in various settings; and to examine the impact of such interventions on both carer and care-receiver outcomes.Background: Effective communication is imperative to ensure quality of care for people living with dementia. Due to neurodegenerative changes, people with dementia encounter ongoing and progressive difficulties in both understanding and expressing themselves. This in turn creates challenges for carers, which highlights the need for equipping them with necessary communication skills to respond to the specific communication needs of people with dementia.Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.Method: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, ProQuest and PsycINFO databases were searched for eligible interventions with any date of the publication. Hand searching was also conducted through reviewing the reference lists of relevant articles. The screening and selection of studies were based on the inclusion/exclusion criteria for eligibility and the methodological quality assessment checklist. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted on comparable quantitative data. The review is reported following the PRISMA reporting guidelines.Results: Seventeen studies were included in the final review, including 12 randomised controlled trials (RCTs), three nonrandomised controlled trials (NRCTs) and two controlled before-after interventions. The intervention designs, settings and outcome measures were varied. The findings suggest that the communication training had a positive impact on both carer and care-receiver outcomes, albeit to different degrees. The intervention effects were found to be strongest on carer communication skills and knowledge.Conclusion: There is solid evidence for the positive impact of communication training on the skills and knowledge of carers. More research is needed regarding the effects of such educational interventions on carer physio-psychological outcomes and care-receiver neuropsychiatric symptoms. It is important to establish best practices in training design, develop validated outcome measures and adopt consistent reporting approaches.Relevance to Clinical Practice: The increasing global prevalence of people with dementia manifests across clinical and community contexts. The profound impact of dementia on communication and associated care raises the imperative for enhanced health worker and carer communication skills to meet the needs of this particular client group. The findings of this review indicate that educational interventions incorporating face-to-face and diverse instructional delivery methods in dementia communication showed positive outcomes for communication skills in all carer groups and warrant inclusion as strategies in dementia training

Some peculiarities of motion of neutral and charged test particles in the field of a spherically symmetric charged object in General Relativity

We propose the method of investigation of radial motions for charged and neutral test particles in the Reissner-Nordstr\"{o}m field by means of mass potential. In this context we analyze special features of interaction of charges and their motions in General Relativity and construct the radial motion classification. For test particles and a central source with charges $q$ and $Q$, respectively, the conditions of attraction (when $qQ>0$) and repulsion (when $qQ<0$) are obtained. The conditions of motionless test particle states with respect to the central source are investigated and, in addition, stability conditions for such static equilibrium states are found. It is shown that stable states are possible only for the bound states of weakly charged particles in the field of a naked singularity. Frequencies of small oscillations of test particles near their equilibrium positions are also found.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figure