Is the Quality of Numerical Subroutine Code Improving?

We begin by using a software metric tool to generate a number of software complexity measures and we investigate how these values may be used to determine subroutines which are likely to be of substandard quality. Following this we look at how these metric values have changed over the years. First we consider a number of freely available Fortran libraries (Eispack, Linpack and Lapack) which have been constructed by teams. In order to ensure a fair comparison we use a restructuring tool to transform original Fortran 66 code into Fortran 77. We then consider the Fortran codes from the Collected Algorithms from the ACM (CALGO) to see whether we can detect the same trends in software written by the general numerical community. Our measurements show that although the standard of code in the freely available libraries does appear to have improved over time these libraries still contain routines which are effectively unmaintainable and untestable. Applied to the CALGO codes the metrics indicate a very conservative approach to software engineering and there is no evidence of improvement, during the last twenty years, in the qualities under discussion

The lost chord

'The Lost Chord' was an experimental performance work, reconfiguring its mode of theatre, and relationship to media, according to the site of its presentation. It decontextualised and reassembled a range of materials, originating in the Victorian creative imagination, not usually experienced in a single performance event or in contemporary theatre. Uses of technology varied, depending on artistic considerations. Resources included 4 male singers, Edison cylinder, tape and original text by me, made in partnership with Opera North, (who hosted an earlier installation work of mine which pointed the way to this.) Grand Theatre, Leeds, Jan 2010 and Riverside Studios, London, Aug 2010 - 1 hr, 6 performances. The Lost Chord is the title of Arthur Sullivan's 1877 song depicting an erotic image of sublime connection through music (the organ) within a hymn-like soundworld. Its success was extended by its compatibility (in 3 min versions) with new cylinder recording technology. This was a jumping-off point for each set of performances, reflecting on the impact of technological change on late 19th-century creativity, enacting tensions between utopian and critical experiences of this. During performances, historic technologies in contemporary theatre modes evoked an atmosphere of exchange between past and present. Media were 'organs' channeling lost presences. The audience were presented with a formal dinner setting they were invited to join. The hosts spoke in emotionally intense fragments, caught in lost controversies and searches for departed loved ones, contesting their perceptions of the past and a technological future, through deconstructions of literary and musical texts by Bulwar-Lytton, Morris, Tennyson, Balfe, Sullivan and Anon

CFTP: a caching FTP server

By analyzing the log files generated by the UK National Web Cache and by a number of origin FTP sites we provide evidence that an FTP proxy cache with knowledge of local (national) mirror sites could significantly reduce the amount of data that needs to be transferred across already overused networks. We then describe the design and implementation of CFTP, a caching FTP server, and report on its usage over the first 10 months of its deployment. Finally we discuss a number of ways in which the software could be further enhanced to improve both its efficiency and its usability

Algorithm 830: Another Visit With Standard and Modified Givens Transformations and A Remark on Algorithm 539

First we report on a correction and improvement to the Level 1 Blas routine srotmg for computing the Modified Givens Transformation (MG). We then, in the light of the performance of the code on modern compiler/hardware combinations, reconsider the strategy of supplying separate routines to compute and apply the transformation. Finally, we show that the apparent savings in multiplies obtained by using MG rather than the Standard Givens Transformation (SG) do not always translate into reductions in execution time

The expected speed and impacts of vehicle automation in passenger and freight transport: a Dissensus Delphi study among UK professionals

Vehicle automation is one of the most researched topics in transport studies but much remains uncertain about the speed of adoption and potential impacts, including if and how it can contribute to greater environmental sustainability. This study adopts a Delphi approach to examine the speed with which 15% of new vehicles will be automated (SAE-3, SAE-4 or SAE-5) and what impacts automation may have on motility, mobility, resource use and externalities in both passenger and freight transport. Although challenges with recruitment mean that all findings must be caveated and seen as exploratory, the analysis demonstrates considerable dissensus regarding the expected speed and impacts of vehicle automation in both passenger and freight transport among the participants. For both aspects, a diversity of views remains once participants were informed about the expectations of other panellists. The range of views is organised around the axes of optimism and certainty about what may happen. Considerable differences between passenger and freight transport can be identified for potential impacts of vehicle automation but not for speed of adoption

Remark on Applied Statistics Algorithm AS057 Printing Multidimensional Tables

We provide a Fortran 77 version of the Applied Statistics Algorithm AS57 `Printing Multidimensional Tables'' originally appearing in the book `Applied Statistics Algorithms'' by P. Griffiths and I.D. Hill. We believe that the new code offers improvements both in readability and maintainability. [The file /pub/misc/statlib/apstat/as057.sh contains the Fortran 77 source code, example driver code, data and sample results as a Unix shar file. It is available via anonymous ftp from unix.hensa.ac.uk

Review of the evidence base in relation to early childhood approaches to support children in highly disadvantaged communities for the Children’s Ground Project

The Children’s Ground project aims to develop a place-based approach to support children and their families in highly disadvantaged communities. The project approach is informed by research and evidence, recognising the multiple and multi-level influences on children’s development and the need to support the role of communities in improving outcomes for children. The review of the evidence base, undertaken by the Centre for Community Child Health in collaboration with the Royal Children’s Hospital Education Institute, begins by outlining the changing social and environmental conditions and the influence of these changes on vulnerable children and families. The report then discusses actions undertaken to address these challenges and the reasons why these actions have failed. Next, key factors enabling optimal outcomes for children and contemporary Australian and international evidence-based interventions and approaches that support vulnerable children are examined. The review concludes by summarising the research on the financial and social costs of doing nothing to intervene and improve outcomes for children. In summary, the review endorses the development of a place-based approach with a number of key strategies that simultaneously address families’ immediate needs for support (the foreground factors) and the broader conditions under which families are raising young children (the background factors). The approach needs to promote wrap around, integrated services that are responsive to and driven by the community. Focus must also be given to how services are delivered rather than what is delivered. In order to implement the approach, it is critical that a robust governance structure or entity capable of coordinating and supporting the many stakeholders and services involved is established and a long-term financial and policy commitment is made. Key messages encapsulating broad themes from the literature, supported by concluding statements, have been developed to enable clear communication to a variety of audiences.&nbsp

Synthesis of qualitative research studies regarding the factors surrounding UK critical care trial infrastructure

© 2019 Author(s). Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJConducting clinical trials in critical care is integral to improving patient care. Unique practical and ethical considerations exist in this patient population that make patient recruitment challenging, including narrow recruitment timeframes and obtaining patient consent often in time-critical situations. Units currently vary significantly in their ability to recruit according to infrastructure and level of research activity. Aim : To identify variability in the research infrastructure of UK intensive care units (ICUs) and their ability to conduct research and recruit patients into clinical trials. Design: We evaluated factors related to intensive care patient enrolment into clinical trials in the UK. This consisted of a qualitative synthesis carried out with two datasets of in-depth interviews (distinct participants across the two datasets) conducted with 27 intensive care consultants (n=9), research nurses (n=17) and trial coordinators (n=1) from 27 units across the UK. Primary and secondary analysis of two datasets (one dataset had been analysed previously) was undertaken in the thematic analysis. Findings: The synthesis yielded an overarching core theme of Normalising Research, characterised by motivations for promoting research and fostering research-active cultures within resource constraints, with six themes under this to explain the factors influencing critical care research capacity: Organisational, Human, Study, Practical resources, Clinician, and Patient/family factors. There was a strong sense of integrating research in routine clinical practice, and recommendations are outlined. Conclusions: The central and transferable tenet of Normalising Research advocates the importance of developing a culture where research is inclusive alongside clinical practice in routine patient care and is requisite for all healthcare individuals from organisational to direct patient contact level.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Kleiner Wanderung - (12 mins) - a film response to string quartet by John Woolrich

A response to a string quartet by John Woolrich called Kleine Wanderung. Combines studies shot in Paris in 2017 with paintings made at Clockwork Studios, Camberwell in 2021. Paint on acrylic panels, on acetate roll pulled across an overhead projector and on photocopies of image showing performance in grounds of Versailles, 1660 Compositing Kleine Wanderung ('little ramble') is a title borrowed by the composer after writing the piece, from a miniature prose work by Robert Walser describing a walk in the countryside. Music performed by Benyounes Quartet, recorded by MJW, 202