Occupation, mental illness and medium security: A study of occupational engagement in two forensic regional secure units

Research investigating occupational experience among people with mental illness has highlighted their difficulties in selecting, organising, valuing, enjoying and competently performing occupations. Although occupational therapy literature consistently identifies environmental factors as key in facilitating successful and valued engagement, few authors have studied the implications of detention in secure mental health settings for this population. This study investigated the occupational experiences of five people with schizophrenia in two forensic regional secure units. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies were used, with semi-structured interviews adding depth and subjectivity to Occupational Questionnaire (Smith et al 1986) responses. The quantitative data were analysed using non-parametric analysis, with content analysis applied to the qualitative data. Time-use was characterised predominantly by engagement in passive leisure and rest occupations. This reflects the findings of both inpatient and community-based studies elsewhere and suggests that mental illness is a common factor influencing time-use. The participants chose occupations based on expectations of enjoyment and success, and associations with independence and normality. Significant correlations were found between perceived competence, value and enjoyment (p<0.01), and the participants were more likely to enjoy self-chosen occupations (p<0.05). Forensic occupational therapists must use evidence to optimise resources and deliver interventions that facilitate choice and autonomy and reflect individual needs. Further research with larger samples and longitudinal methodologies will facilitate generalisation and establish temporal perspective

Improved decision support for engine-in-the-loop experimental design optimization

Experimental optimization with hardware in the loop is a common procedure in engineering and has been the subject of intense development, particularly when it is applied to relatively complex combinatorial systems that are not completely understood, or where accurate modelling is not possible owing to the dimensions of the search space. A common source of difficulty arises because of the level of noise associated with experimental measurements, a combination of limited instrument precision, and extraneous factors. When a series of experiments is conducted to search for a combination of input parameters that results in a minimum or maximum response, under the imposition of noise, the underlying shape of the function being optimized can become very difficult to discern or even lost. A common methodology to support experimental search for optimal or suboptimal values is to use one of the many gradient descent methods. However, even sophisticated and proven methodologies, such as simulated annealing, can be significantly challenged in the presence of noise, since approximating the gradient at any point becomes highly unreliable. Often, experiments are accepted as a result of random noise which should be rejected, and vice versa. This is also true for other sampling techniques, including tabu and evolutionary algorithms. After the general introduction, this paper is divided into two main sections (sections 2 and 3), which are followed by the conclusion. Section 2 introduces a decision support methodology based upon response surfaces, which supplements experimental management based on a variable neighbourhood search and is shown to be highly effective in directing experiments in the presence of a significant signal-to-noise ratio and complex combinatorial functions. The methodology is developed on a three-dimensional surface with multiple local minima, a large basin of attraction, and a high signal-to-noise ratio. In section 2, the methodology is applied to an automotive combinatorial search in the laboratory, on a real-time engine-in-the-loop application. In this application, it is desired to find the maximum power output of an experimental single-cylinder spark ignition engine operating under a quasi-constant-volume operating regime. Under this regime, the piston is slowed at top dead centre to achieve combustion in close to constant volume conditions. As part of the further development of the engine to incorporate a linear generator to investigate free-piston operation, it is necessary to perform a series of experiments with combinatorial parameters. The objective is to identify the maximum power point in the least number of experiments in order to minimize costs. This test programme provides peak power data in order to achieve optimal electrical machine design. The decision support methodology is combined with standard optimization and search methods – namely gradient descent and simulated annealing – in order to study the reductions possible in experimental iterations. It is shown that the decision support methodology significantly reduces the number of experiments necessary to find the maximum power solution and thus offers a potentially significant cost saving to hardware-in-the-loop experi- mentation

Apparatus and method for generating large mass flow of high temperature air at hypersonic speeds

High temperature, high mass air flow and a high Reynolds number test air flow in the Mach number 8-10 regime of adequate test flow duration is attained by pressurizing a ceramic-lined storage tank with air to a pressure of about 100 to 200 atmospheres. The air is heated to temperatures of 7,000 to 8,000 R prior to introduction into the tank by passing the air over an electric arc heater means. The air cools to 5,500 to 6,000 R while in the tank. A decomposable gas such as nitrous oxide or a combustible gas such as propane is injected into the tank after pressurization and the heated pressurized air in the tank is rapidly released through a Mach number 8-10 nozzle. The injected gas medium upon contact with the heated pressurized air effects an exothermic reaction which maintains the pressure and temperature of the pressurized air during the rapid release

160keV 26Al-AMS with a single-stage accelerator mass spectrometer

Proof-of-principle 26Al-AMS analysis is achieved with a single-stage accelerator mass spectrometer (SSAMS) utilising very low ion energy. The SSAMS operates by discriminating against atomic isobar interference in a negative ion source and suppressing molecules with thick gas stripper. Resulting 1+ ions counting is with a surface barrier detector. The NEC designed SSAMS for 14C analysis is a popular model accelerator mass spectrometer and the developed further capability might be a significant addition to established 26Al-AMS capacity. Measurements at these energies should also be sufficient for alternative 26Al positive-ion mass spectrometry (PIMS)

From Shop floor to top floor. An exploratory study of sustainable progression in the retial sector: the case of Morrisons

There has been increasing political and media attention given to the issue of social mobility in recent times. The interest has been sparked by research which suggests that social mobility may have stalled or even declined in the UK during the post-war period. Various factors have been identified as inhibiting social mobility including early years experiences in the home and at school, education and health along with area based influences. Employment and labour market experiences are also key factors contributing to social mobility with the importance of ‘getting a job’ and ‘sustainable progression’ increasingly recognised as an important means of improving social mobility. There now appears consensus that occupational mobility and career development is a key factor in overcoming social mobility, and the extent to which organisations develop pathways and support careers is a critical element in pursuing social mobility. This exploratory study has been commissioned by Morrisons to investigate the factors which impact on progression in the workplace and the effect of these on the social mobility of research participants. The study adopts the framework of ‘career development’ as a construct to explore sustainable progression, drawing on the employment and labour market experiences of employees at Morrisons who, having started on the ‘shop floor’ have progressed to senior management levels in the company. The study is based on their ‘life stories’ to identify the key factors associated with a successful career at Morrisons

Earth Observations Division version of the Laboratory for Applications of Remote Sensing system (EOD-LARSYS) user guide for the IBM 370/148. Volume 2: User's reference manual

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Retail Dairy Prices Fluctuate with the Farm Value of Milk

Farm milk prices in the United States fluctuated throughout the 2000-2009 decade. Dairy farmers, industry pundits, and policymakers all reacted with much alarm. One point of concern has been the response of retail prices to farm price volatility. This study investigates farm-to-retail price transmission for two major dairy products – whole milk and Cheddar cheese – in the 2000s. Results show that price shocks at the farm gate were transmitted asymmetrically to retail. However, in order to best identify the nature of the transmission process, it is important to fit alternative model specifications.dairy prices, error correction models, price transmission, Demand and Price Analysis,

Retail Dairy Prices Fluctuate with the Farm Value of Milk

Farm milk prices tend to be volatile. Dairy farmers, industry pundits, and policymakers further tend to react to price volatility with alarm. One point of concern is the response of retail prices. This study investigates farm-to-retail price transmission in the 2000s for whole milk and cheddar cheese. Results show that price shocks at the farm gate are transmitted with delay and asymmetry to retail. Differences in the nature of price transmission for whole milk and cheddar cheese prices are also identified.asymmetric price transmission, cointegration, dairy prices, error correction models, Demand and Price Analysis, Livestock Production/Industries,

Earth Observations Division version of the Laboratory for Applications of Remote Sensing system (EOD-LARSYS) user guide for the IBM 370/148. Volume 1: System overview

There are no author-identified significant results in this report