Neuro-electronic technology in medicine and beyond

This dissertation looks at the technology and social issues involved with interfacing electronics directly to the human nervous system, in particular the methods for both reading and stimulating nerves. The development and use of cochlea implants is discussed, and is compared with recent developments in artificial vision. The final sections consider a future for non-medicinal applications of neuro-electronic technology. Social attitudes towards use for both medicinal and non-medicinal purposes are discussed, and the viability of use in the latter case assessed

Preliminary frameworks and models for telework maturity within organisations

This paper is a preliminary step to assess the feasibility of telework for any given organisation. We posit two qualitative frames of telework to define the additional, digital referential platforms that exist with regard to work today: abstraction and conceptualisation. To communicate research within this field we utilise a language taxonomy derived out of a review of the relevant literature. Furthermore, we propose a transformer model to serve as a means to i) interpret quantitative aspects of telework such as metrics and KPIs and ii) inform stakeholder decisions with regard to appropriate telework configurations for their respective company

Where has all the psychology gone? A critical review of evidence-based psychological practice in correctional settings

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) represents the gold standard for effective clinical psychological practice. In this review, we examine ways in which EBP tenets are being neglected by correctional psychologists worldwide. We examine three key aspects of EBP currently being neglected: (a) individualized and flexible client focus, (b) the therapeutic alliance, and (c) psychological expertise. We also highlight two highly related issues responsible for correctional psychologists' neglect of EBP. The first relates to policy makers' and correctional psychologists' overreliance on the Risk–Need–Responsivity Model to guide correctional practice. We argue that the narrow focus and implementation of this model has resulted in a severe identity problem for correctional psychologists that has severely exacerbated the dual relationship problem. That is, the tension psychologists experience as a result of engaging in psychological practice while also obliging the risk and security policies of correctional systems. The second issue concerns psychologists' response to the dual relationship problem. In short, psychology, as a discipline appears to have acquiesced to the dual-relationship problem. In our view, this constitutes a ‘crisis’ for the discipline of correctional psychology. We offer several recommendations for injecting EBP back into correctional psychology for the individual, psychology as a discipline, and correctional policy makers

South Carolina in a Globalized Economy: How We Got Here and Where We Go Next

International Relations/Trade,

The Theory of SNOM: A Novel Approach

In this paper we consider the application of electromagnetic theory to the analysis of the Scanning Near-field Optical Microscope (SNOM) in order to predict experimentally observable quantities such as the transmission or reflection coefficients for a particular tip-surface configuration. In particular we present the first application of a transfer matrix based calculation to this challenging problem by using an adaptive co-ordinate transformation to accurately model the shape of the SNOM tip. We also investigate the possibility of increasing the transmitted light through the SNOM tip by introducing a metal wire into the centre of the tip. This converts the tip into a co-axial cable. We show that, in principle, this can dramatically improve the transmission characteristics without having a detrimental effect on the resolution.Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures. To be published in the Journal of Modern Optic

An empirical model for protostellar collapse

We propose a new analytic model for the initial conditions of protostellar collapse in relatively isolated regions of star formation. The model is non-magnetic, and is based on a Plummer-like radial density profile as its initial condition. It fits: the observed density profiles of pre-stellar cores and Class 0 protostars; recent observations in pre-stellar cores of roughly constant contraction velocities over a wide range of radii; and the lifetimes and accretion rates derived for Class 0 and Class I protostars. However, the model is very simple, having in effect only 2 free parameters, and so should provide a useful framework for interpreting observations of pre-stellar cores and protostars, and for calculations of radiation transport and time-dependent chemistry. As an example, we model the pre-stellar core L1544.Comment: To appear in Astrophysical Journal, Jan 20th, 2001. 18 pages incl. 3 fig

SCUBA observations of the Horsehead Nebula - what did the horse swallow?

We present observations taken with SCUBA on the JCMT of the Horsehead Nebula in Orion (B33), at wavelengths of 450 and 850 \mum. We see bright emission from that part of the cloud associated with the photon-dominated region (PDR) at the `top' of the horse's head, which we label B33-SMM1. We characterise the physical parameters of the extended dust responsible for this emission, and find that B33-SMM1 contains a more dense core than was previously suspected. We compare the SCUBA data with data from the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) and find that the emission at 6.75-\mum is offset towards the west, indicating that the mid-infrared emission is tracing the PDR while the submillimetre emission comes from the molecular cloud core behind the PDR. We calculate the virial balance of this core and find that it is not gravitationally bound but is being confined by the external pressure from the HII region IC434, and that it will either be destroyed by the ionising radiation, or else may undergo triggered star formation. Furthermore we find evidence for a lozenge-shaped clump in the `throat' of the horse, which is not seen in emission at shorter wavelengths. We label this source B33-SMM2 and find that it is brighter at submillimetre wavelengths than B33-SMM1. SMM2 is seen in absorption in the 6.75-\mum ISO data, from which we obtain an independent estimate of the column density in excellent agreement with that calculated from the submillimetre emission. We calculate the stability of this core against collapse and find that it is in approximate gravitational virial equilibrium. This is consistent with it being a pre-existing core in B33, possibly pre-stellar in nature, but that it may also eventually undergo collapse under the effects of the HII region.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, accepted by MNRA