Distributed Audience Lists

This document describes a technique for storing and retrieving audience lists in a distributed manner by using a blockchain. Script executed by a user device can generate a pair of public and private keys for a user. The user can sign a message containing the public key and other information using the private key and upload the message to a blockchain corresponding to an audience list. A data processing system can search the blockchain for the public key and utilizing the information in the audience list maintained using the blockchain to better serve the user

From Rhodesia to Zimbabwe via Oxford and London : a study of the career of Dambudzo Marechera

[From the introduction] : In my first chapter I will offer a review of Marechera's reputation and the critical reception given to his work, both during his life and since his death. In Chapter Two I Will outline the major theoretical  issues raised by Marechera's work: Art versus psychological catharsis; the artist-as-communal-spokesman versus the artist-as-Romantic-individualist; nationalism versus literary universalism. Chapters Three, Four, Five and Six will then consider in sequence, the work produced in Oxford, in London and in Harare, tracing the   writer's physical and psychological deterioration through his evolving prose style. Each of these chapters will also focus on a major relevant critical issue. Thus Chapter Three will examine The House of Hunger, written following Marechera's arrival in Oxford, in the context of 'culture clash', 'the African heritage' and Postcolonialism which so preoccupied its original reviewers. Chapter Four will examine Black Sunlight and The Black Insider,  written while the author was destitute in London, in terms of Jung's 'neurosis or art' debate. Chapter Five will examine Mindblast and Chapter Six will examine Scrapiron Blues, both containing material written after  Marecheras' return to Harare, making reference to the historical and socio-political context of post-colonial Zimbabwe and to the writer's unsuccessful attempts to establish a role with the nation builders. I will conclude in Chapter Seven by discussing Marechera's place within the Zimbabwean literary canon, the current relevance and influence of his work and the implications this holds for the future of Zimbabwean writing

Switching and generation of ultrashort pulses using all-fibre devices

Serial and parallel interconnection of photonic devices is integral to the construction of any all-optical data processing system. This thesis presents results from a series of experiments centering on the use of the nonlinear-optical loop mirror (NOLM) switch in architectures for the manipulation and generation of ultrashort pulses. Detailed analysis of soliton switching in a single NOLM and cascade of two NOLM's is performed, centering on primary limitations to device operation, effect of cascading on amplitude response, and impact of switching on the characteristics of incident pulses. By using relatively long input pulses, device failure due to stimulated Raman generation is postponed to demonstrate multiple-peaked switching for the first time. It is found that while cascading leads to a sharpening of the overall switching characteristic, pulse spectral and temporal integrity is not significantly degraded, and emerging pulses retain their essential soliton character. In addition, by including an asymmetrically placed in-fibre Bragg reflector as a wavelength selective loss element in the basic NOLM configuration, both soliton self-switching and dual-wavelength control-pulse switching are spectrally quantised. Results are presented from a novel dual-wavelength laser configuration generating pulse trains with an ultra-low rms inter-pulse-stream timing jitter level of 630fs enabling application in ultrafast switching environments at data rates as high as 130GBits/s. In addition, the fibre NOLM is included in architectures for all-optical memory, demonstrating storage and logical inversion of a 0.5kByte random data sequence; and ultrafast phase-locking of a gain-switched distributed feedback laser at 1.062GHz, the fourteenth harmonic of the system baseband frequency. The stringent requirements for environmental robustness of these architectures highlight the primary weaknesses of the NOLM in its fibre form and recommendations to overcome its inherent drawbacks are presented

Strongyloidiasis in personnel of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI)

Objective: to investigate the first reported cases of strongyloidiasis in the Solomon Islands, and to establish whether this disease poses a risk to personnel of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI). Design, setting and participants: Retrospective review of the pathology database of the RAMSI Medical Facility in Honiara, Solomon Islands, for the period 1 July 2006 – 30 September 2007. Main outcome measures: number and clinical features of confirmed cases of Strongyloides stercoralis infestation, as diagnosed by serological tests or faecal microscopy. Results: fourteen confirmed cases of strongyloidiasis in previously healthy RAMSI participants were identified. Of 13 patients with notes available, symptoms documented at presentation included epigastric pain (10 patients), diarrhoea (7) and urticaria (4). Clinical disease in all patients responded to oral antihelminthic therapy (albendazole or ivermectin). Conclusions: Strongyloidiasis is endemic in the Solomon Islands and a risk for RAMSI personnel. Australian medical professionals should be aware of this potentially fatal and lifelong infestation, particularly the importance of an occupation history, appropriate diagnostic tests, effective treatment and adequate follow-up to document cure. We recommend implementation of a postdeployment screening program for strongyloidiasis

Let to Birmingham: 2016 case study report

Social Lettings Agencies (SLAs) have been described succinctly by Shelter Scotland (Evans, 2015) as agencies that “help people access the PRS who are homeless or on low-incomes”. SLA is a general term applied to schemes that secure access to decent, affordable private rental accommodation for households in need and on low incomes who would previously have been likely to access social housing. The growth of SLAs has been a consequence of the falling supply of social housing, growth in the private rented sector, expansion of ‘housing options’ approaches since the Homelessness Act 2002 and discharge of homeless duties in the private rented sector since the Localism Act 2011. The West Midlands Housing Officers Group has supported this project by the Housing and Communities Research Group at the University of Birmingham to explore the current and potential future role of SLAs in the region. Its relevance to current policy has increased considerably since the time of its commissioning. This report covers the ‘second wave’ of research on Let to Birmingham undertaken in Autumn 2016. It supplements our earlier report in Autumn 2015 which covered the background to the establishment of Let to Birmingham in January 2014 as a social lettings agency by Birmingham City Council in partnership with Omega Lettings (now a division of Mears) and the first 18 months of its operation (Mullins, Joseph and Nechita 2015)

Social Lettings Agencies in the West Midlands

Social Lettings Agencies (SLAs) have been described succinctly by Shelter Scotland (Evans, 2015) as agencies that ‘help people access the PRS who are homeless or on low-incomes”. SLA is a general term applied to schemes that secure access to decent, affordable private rental accommodation for households in need and on low incomes who would previously have been likely to access social housing. The growth of SLAs has been a consequence of the falling supply of social housing, growth in the private rented sector, expansion of ‘housing options’ approaches since the Homelessness Act 2002 and discharge of homeless duties in the private rented sector since the Localism Act 2011. The West Midlands Housing Officers Group has supported this project by the Housing and Communities Research Group at the University of Birmingham to explore the current and potential future role of SLAs in the region. Its relevance to current policy has increased considerably since the time of its commissioning. Changing market conditions and in particular the growing gap between social housing supply and demand and rising homelessness have led to increasing policy support for SLAs in England. In 2015 the right leaning Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) recommended the Government to ‘greatly expand the role of social lettings agencies across the country’ (Winterburn, 2015 p.3). Key aims of SLAs were considered by CSJ as being ‘to minimise risk to landlords so they are willing to let to benefit claimants (ibid p.61) ’ and to provide a measure of support for tenancy sustainability ‘typically SLAs will have support workers who regularly check in on the vulnerable’ (ibid p.62). By 2017 Theresa May’s Conservative Government as part of its plan to ‘fix our broken housing market’ wanted to ‘consider whether SLAs can be an effective tool for securing more housing for people who would otherwise struggle – providing security for landlords and support for tenants to help strengthen and sustain tenancies’ (DCLG 2017, p.66) . This parallels developments in other countries with an insufficient supply of social housing such as Belgium, Ireland and Hungary where the idea of SLAs has been more prevalent than in England to date (De Decker, 2002, Laylor, 2014, Hegedus et al 2014). The project brief set out the purpose of the project to explore the scope for SLAs to address the needs of low income households seeking decent, secure and affordable rented homes in the Midlands. This would include an in-depth study of Let to Birmingham SLA, case studies of other SLAs in the region and peer learning events to share experience and ideas about properties, people and process and in what respects PRS could become the ‘new social housing’ (in terms of security, affordability and quality issues)

Predictive Value of Ankle Fracture for Osteoporosis at the Fracture Liaison Service Is Dependent on Gender and May Be Related to Alcohol Use

Osteoporosis, characterised by a reduction in bone mass, is a common musculoskeletal condition, with diet and lifestyle factors including heavy alcohol consumption now recognised to exacerbate bone loss. Fracture Liaison Services (FLS), which screen patients over 50 years who have suffered a low trauma fracture, are considered vital in the early diagnosis of osteoporosis. Although FLS has made significant contributions in preventing secondary fractures, there remains variation in patient case finding between services. Therefore, we aimed to assess the value of an ankle or wrist fracture in the diagnosis of osteoporosis taking into consideration the patient’s history of alcohol consumption. Data on 500 consecutive patients observed by the FLS with either ankle or wrist fractures was surveyed. Data on gender, bone mineral density (BMD) measured by T-score, and history of heavy alcohol consumption (>28 units/week) was collected. Osteoporosis was defined as a T-score below −2.5 at any site. Logistic regression models, adjusting for age and body mass index, investigated associations between fracture type and diagnosis of osteoporosis. Data was available in 499 patients (114 M, 385 F) with 313 presenting with a wrist fracture whilst 186 presented with an ankle fracture. Some 6.8% (n = 34) of patients were deemed heavy alcohol consumers and over a quarter (n = 128) were considered osteoporotic. Males (n = 19) who were heavy alcohol consumers had a significantly lower hip and spine BMD (Both p = 0.01) when compared to those who were not. Males with an ankle fracture who were not heavy alcohol consumers also had a significantly lower risk of presenting with osteoporosis (OR 0.12, 95% CI: 0.03–0.59, p = 0.01). No significant differences in BMD were observed amongst females who were heavy alcohol consumers and those who were not. Additionally, no significant associations were noted between fracture type and presentation of osteoporosis in females. Assessment of alcohol consumption should be included when considering the value of ankle fractures for predicting osteoporosis in males. Future research using comprehensive assessments of alcohol consumption is warranted to confirm these findings. Focus should be placed on developing a standardised approach for assessing alcohol consumption which can be utilised across all FLS