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Welsh Prisoners in English Jails
Get PDFThis paper presents the results of research into the experiences of prisoners from Wales incarcerated in England. The context for the research is first set and the relevance of language and identity in Wales are explored. The results of a research project conducted in 2005 with 181 prisoners from North Wales held in an English Jail is then presented. Their responses to a postal questionnaire exploring their perceptions about their treatment and their experiences are detailed. The paper highlights that a subset of Welsh prisoners- and primarily those who are Welsh speaking, problematise their incarceration in England. The reasons given for this are explored. The paper concludes with some observations about the implications of the research for penal practice with Welsh prisoners in England and Wales
Mending fences: reparation and the reorientation of young people in the secure estate
No full textThe paper is informed by the findings of mixed method study of the Duke of Edinburgh intervention at selected secure estate establishments in England and Wales, drawing on the findings of an Attitude to Offending instrument (CRIMEPICS11) and accounts of young people and secure estate staff. Young people’s CRME-PICS responses are examined through qualitative data from focus groups with young people and interviews with staff delivering the intervention. The findings highlight the importance study participants placed on development of interpersonal relationships between young people, and between them and others within and outwith the secure estate. The authors suggest that, notwithstanding constraints on delivering interventions in the secure estate, reparation activities can be achieved with incarcerated young people, which may assist young offenders’ short-term strategies in managing day to day incarceration and longterm strategies of re-integration, acceptance by the community, and improved life opportunities in the future. The authors argue that while reparation activities, which do not involve face to face contact with victims, are often presented as a poor relative of restorative justice ‘proper’, they are not only more realisable in custody, but offer potential to facilitate development of fundamental social interpersonal skills which underpin young people’s rehabilitation
Network on Chip Optimization Based on Surrogate Model Assisted Evolutionary Algorithms
Get PDFNetwork-on-Chip (NoC) design is attracting more and more attention nowadays, but there is a lack of design optimization method due to the computationally very expensive simulations of NoC. To address this problem, an algorithm, called NoC design optimization based on Gaussian process model assisted differential evolution (NDPAD), is presented. Using the surrogate model-aware evolutionary search (SMAS) framework with the tournament selection based constraint handling method, NDPAD can obtain satisfactory solutions using a limited number of expensive simulations. The evolutionary search strategies and training data selection methods are then investigated to handle integer design parameters in NoC design optimization problems. Comparison shows that comparable or even better design solutions can be obtained compared to standard EAs, and much less computation effort is needed
Metrology requirements for the serial production of ELT primary mirror segments
Get PDFThe manufacture of the next generation of large astronomical telescopes, the extremely large telescopes (ELT), requires the rapid manufacture of greater than 500 1.44m hexagonal segments for the primary mirror of each telescope. Both leading projects, the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) and the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT), have set highly demanding technical requirements for each fabricated segment. These technical requirements, when combined with the anticipated construction schedule for each telescope, suggest that more than one optical fabricator will be involved in the delivery of the primary mirror segments in order to meet the project schedule. For one supplier, the technical specification is challenging and requires highly consistent control of metrology in close coordination with the polishing technologies used in order to optimize production rates. For production using multiple suppliers, however the supply chain is structured, consistent control of metrology along the supply chain will be required. This requires a broader pattern of independent verification than is the case of a single supplier.
This paper outlines the metrology requirements for a single supplier throughout all stages of the fabrication process. We identify and outline those areas where metrology accuracy and duration have a significant impact on production efficiency. We use the challenging ESO E-ELT technical specification as an example of our treatment, including actual process data. We further develop this model for the case of a supply chain consisting of multiple suppliers. Here, we emphasize the need to control metrology throughout the supply chain in order to optimize nett production efficiency
Aerospace composite cured by quickstep and autoclave processing techniques: Evaluation and comparison of reaction progress
Get PDFQuickstep is relatively a new technique for aerospace composite processing. Thermoset resins (prepregs) have been frequently designed by autoclave method requiring low ramp rate curing of 2–3 K min−1. However, ramp rate up to 15 K min−1 has been achieved via Quickstep processing. This technique allows alteration in chemo-rheology of resin system and so influences the reaction progress. In this attempt, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) were used to monitor the cure progress of 977-2A epoxy resin and carbon fiber reinforced composite. The curing reaction progress of 977-2A epoxy/carbon fiber was considered for the first time by comparing Quickstep processing and autoclave method. According to DSC results, the reaction progress in Quickstep technique was comparable to that of autoclave curing. Moreover, DMTA of Quickstep cured samples showed increase in glass transition temperature (Tg) due to increased cross-linking density at greater hold time (upper cure temperature). FTIR was used to monitor the conversion of representative functional groups versus applied Quickstep and autoclave curing steps. The structural analysis depicted that the Quickstep curing path for 977-2A resin was different than the autoclave curing; however the final cross-linked structure was similar to that of autoclave cured samples
Hydrogels: Methods of Preparation, Characterisation and Applications in Molecular and Environmental Bioengineering
No full textThis chapter reviews the preparation methods of hydrogels from hydrophilic polymers of synthetic and natural origin with emphasis on water soluble natural biopolymers (hydrocolloids). Recent advances in radiation cross-linking methods for the preparation of hydrogel are particularly addressed. Additionally, methods to characterise these hydrogels and their proposed applications are also reviewed
Meeting the needs of Welsh speaking young people in custody
No full textAbstract: This article explores issues of discrimination which may be experienced by Welsh speaking young people from Wales within the youth justice secure estate of England and Wales. The article provides a brief outline of the current use of the Welsh Language in Wales and explores the significance of being a territorially bound and historically situated linguistic group. Perceptions of members of a youth offending team (from an area with a high proportion of Welsh speakers) are used to illustrate some key issues affecting Welsh speaking young people sentenced to custody. The developmental and rehabilitative implications of the current situation for young Welsh speaking people and the institutional responses to their linguistic needs are explored. Concluding the discussion, the authors argue that either the current Youth Justice Board for England and Wales needs to engage more proactively with the bilingual context of Wales, or a new Youth Justice Board for Wales should be constituted. Such a Board, they suggest, would be specifically concerned and focused on Welsh issues and might therefore be more committed towards making equal opportunities a reality for Welsh speaking young people in custody
Audio Compression Exploiting Repetition (ACER): Challenges and Solutions
Get PDFThis paper presents issues relating to information and musical content dealt with as part of the development of an innovative audio compression system, designed to exploit repetition sequences in audio, and particularly, music. The paper briefly introduces and describes how musical content and structure within audio can be exploited to achieve compression. A new system to take advantage of these hypotheses is described. The paper introduces a new file format to deal with high-level data chunks and repetitive structuring. The practicalities of searching for large blocks of audio data are discussed and evidence provided of the high amounts of complexity involved in performing brute-force searches for self-similar matching. This high complexity is the subject of current work by the authors and research to date so far reveals that search time can be reduced by considering content analysis, this time to reduce complexity rather than data volume
Managerial perceptions of mentor, lecturer practitioner and link tutor roles
No full textEducating pre-registration nurses in clinical practice is a global issue. Within different countries problems exist in educating and supervising students in clinical practice and various models of clinical education are employed. In Wales, United Kingdom, this responsibility is divided between mentors, lecturer practitioners and link tutors. This paper reports on the third phase of a three-phase study in Wales to explore differences between mentors, lecturer practitioners and link tutors, and how they work together to assist students to integrate theory and practice. Four focus group interviews of National Health Service managers and Higher Education managers (n=22) were conducted. Qualitative content analysis revealed four themes: role characteristics and competencies, role differences, role conflict, and future options. The findings suggest a theory–practice continuum along which mentors, lecturer practitioners and link tutors occupy different positions. The article explores these different positions and offers suggestions for future role development
Internal consistency, reliability, and temporal stability of the oxford happiness questionnaire short-form: test-retest data over two weeks
No full textThe Oxford Happiness Questionnaire short-form (Hills & Argyle, 2002) is an 8-item measure of happiness. This study evaluated the internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability of the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire short-form among 55 Northern Irish undergraduate university students who completed the measure on two occasions separated by two weeks. Internal consistency of the measure was satisfactory at both Time 1 (alpha = .62) and Time 2 (alpha = .58). Stability across the two administrations was satisfactory (r = .69), and there was no significant change between Time 1 (M = 34.5, SD = 5.4) and Time 2 (M = 34.6, SD = 5.2). These data support the internal consistency reliability and short-term test-retest reliability of the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire short-form