Fairness of channel access for non-time-critical traffic using the FDDI token ring protocol

The Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) is an ANSI draft proposed standard for a 100 megabit per second fiber optic token ring. FDDI supports two types of traffic, synchronous and asynchronous. Synchronous traffic is time critical traffic; stations are assigned guaranteed bandwidth to support their synchronous needs. Asynchronous traffic is lower priority and is sent only if time permits. It is proved analytically that the FDDI access protocol provides all stations on the ring with equal access to the channel to transmit asynchronous frames, regardless of the relative sizes of synchronous bandwidth allocations for individual stations. Analytic results are supported with data from simulation runs

The Housing and Support Needs of Older People with Visual Impairment

Visual impairment is one of the most prevalent anddisabling conditions among older people, and yet verylittle research has been conducted that could inform thedevelopment of appropriate public services. In order toaddress this deficiency, Thomas Pocklington Trust fundedresearch to examine the housing and support needs of 400visually impaired people aged over 55.The study found that:? There is little professional recognition, or offers of help andadvice for the anxiety, depression, and sense of profoundloss that people experience with late onset of visualimpairment.? Both blind and partially sighted people need timely andholistic assessment, rehabilitation, affordable equipment andregular review.? People with sight loss do not wish to leave their homes.Home is the epicentre of a mental map that assistsorientation and continuity following sight loss.? Social isolation and lack of human contact are majorproblems for people with sight loss.? People with sight loss have poor knowledge of supportgroups, community services and/or specialist housingoptions for older people with visual impairment. Visual impairment is one of the most prevalent anddisabling conditions among older people, and yet verylittle research has been conducted that could inform thedevelopment of appropriate public services. In order toaddress this deficiency, Thomas Pocklington Trust fundedresearch to examine the housing and support needs of 400visually impaired people aged over 55.The study found that:? There is little professional recognition, or offers of help andadvice for the anxiety, depression, and sense of profoundloss that people experience with late onset of visualimpairment.? Both blind and partially sighted people need timely andholistic assessment, rehabilitation, affordable equipment andregular review.? People with sight loss do not wish to leave their homes.Home is the epicentre of a mental map that assistsorientation and continuity following sight loss.? Social isolation and lack of human contact are majorproblems for people with sight loss.? People with sight loss have poor knowledge of supportgroups, community services and/or specialist housingoptions for older people with visual impairment

Red Rural, Blue Rural; Rural Does Not Always Equal Republican

In this fact sheet, authors Dante Scala and Kenneth Johnson examine voting data for nearly 9,000 rural residents to identify how voting patterns differ across rural areas comparing farm and recreational counties to those elsewhere in rural America. They also examine voting data from the 2008 and 2012 Presidential elections for each rural county. Scala and Johnson report that rural America is not the undifferentiated Republican bastion depicted by commentators. While Republican presidential candidates do best in rural counties dominated by farming, Democratic presidential candidates do well in rural counties dominated by recreation. In “battleground” states, these rural differences may impact tightly contested elections

Domino Waves

Motivated by a proposal of Daykin (Problem 71-19*, SIAM Review 13 (1971) 569), we study the wave that propagates along an infinite chain of dominoes and find the limiting speed of the wave in an extreme case.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

Meeting the needs of older peoplewith visual impairment: social care orsocial exclusion?

This paper is based on the research study ?Housing and supportneeds of older people with visual impairment ? experiences andchallenges? (Hanson et al, 2002).1The full findings of this study are reported in another occasionalpaper produced by Thomas Pocklington Trust.2 It is, however, usefulto state that this study found evidence that sight loss in later life hassignificant emotional consequences, often unacknowledged byprofessionals. It also showed how older people with visionimpairment often have their own coping strategies, but are less ablethan sighted peers to carry out certain daily tasks.The study suggested that professionals should offer sensitive andtimely support, in a more collaborative manner, and that serviceshave to be monitored and evaluated to avoid wide-ranging needsremaining unmet. In respect of the home environment, researchindicated that adequate and accessible domestic space in which todo housework safely, low vision equipment and the provision ofovernight accommodation for guests and carers was required.Most participants in the study wished to stay in their homes andneighbourhoods. When asked about possible alternative options,participants emphasised the importance of location and sufficientspace. If they were considering supported housing, they requiredfull information about how it addressed their particular needs.This paper focuses on whether older people with visual impairmentare vulnerable to social exclusion if their social care needs are unmet. In particular, this paper argues that:? Greater professional collaboration is required to improve eyeclinic and community support services.? Relevant staff should aim to provide timely and holisticassessments of need.? Older people with vision impairment have significant needs asregards home care support, access to information, psychologicalstress and social isolation.? Initiatives such as peer support groups and resource centres offeropportunities to tackle social exclusion arising from unmetneeds. This paper is based on the research study ?Housing and supportneeds of older people with visual impairment ? experiences andchallenges? (Hanson et al, 2002).1The full findings of this study are reported in another occasionalpaper produced by Thomas Pocklington Trust.2 It is, however, usefulto state that this study found evidence that sight loss in later life hassignificant emotional consequences, often unacknowledged byprofessionals. It also showed how older people with visionimpairment often have their own coping strategies, but are less ablethan sighted peers to carry out certain daily tasks.The study suggested that professionals should offer sensitive andtimely support, in a more collaborative manner, and that serviceshave to be monitored and evaluated to avoid wide-ranging needsremaining unmet. In respect of the home environment, researchindicated that adequate and accessible domestic space in which todo housework safely, low vision equipment and the provision ofovernight accommodation for guests and carers was required.Most participants in the study wished to stay in their homes andneighbourhoods. When asked about possible alternative options,participants emphasised the importance of location and sufficientspace. If they were considering supported housing, they requiredfull information about how it addressed their particular needs.This paper focuses on whether older people with visual impairmentare vulnerable to social exclusion if their social care needs are unmet. In particular, this paper argues that:? Greater professional collaboration is required to improve eyeclinic and community support services.? Relevant staff should aim to provide timely and holisticassessments of need.? Older people with vision impairment have significant needs asregards home care support, access to information, psychologicalstress and social isolation.? Initiatives such as peer support groups and resource centres offeropportunities to tackle social exclusion arising from unmetneeds

Beyond Urban Versus Rural:

In this brief, authors Dante Scala and Kenneth Johnson examine voting patterns over the last five presidential elections. They report that although rural voters and urban voters are often portrayed as polar opposites, their differences are best understood as a continuum, not a dichotomy. From the largest urban cores to the most remote rural counties, they found significant variations in voting. Hillary Clinton nearly matched Barack Obama’s 2012 performance in most urban areas. Clinton’s defeat was due, in part, to her failure to match the performance of recent Democratic Presidential nominees in less populated areas. Though many commentators argued that the faster population growth and growing diversity on the urban side of the rural–urban continuum would give Democrats a significant advantage in 2016, the election demonstrated that what happens at the rural end of the continuum remains important