Output envelope adjustment for an environmental fuzzy logic controller

A two-level fuzzy logic controller for use in air-conditioning systems is outlined in this paper. At the first level a simplified controller is produced from expert knowledge and envelope adjustment is introduced, while the second level provides a means for adapting this controller to different working spaces. The mechanism for adaption is easily implemented and can be used in real time. A series of simulations is presented to illustrate the proposed schema.

Evidence-based psychological therapies: from bench to bedside

Patients with mental health difficulties do not always receive appropriate and recommended psychological treatment for their difficulties, and clinicians are not always appropriately trained to deliver them. This paper considers why this might be the case and provides an overview of the Charlie Waller Institute, a not-for-profit organisation funded by the NHS, University of Reading, and the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust. The Institute seeks to address this problem by training clinicians in wide variety of evidence-based therapies and assessing the impact of this training on clinician knowledge and skill.

Spin-up and adjustment of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and global pycnocline

A theory is presented for the adjustment of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) and global pycnocline to a sudden and sustained change in wind forcing. The adjustment timescale is controlled by the mesoscale eddy diffusivity across the ACC, the mean width of the ACC, the surface area of the ocean basins to the north, and deep water formation in the North Atlantic. In particular, northern sinking may have the potential to shorten the timescale and reduce its sensitivity to Southern Ocean eddies, but the relative importance of northern sinking and Southern Ocean eddies cannot be determined precisely, largely due to limitations in the parameterization of northern sinking. Although it is clear that the main processes that control the adjustment timescale are those which counteract the deepening of the global pycnocline, the theory also suggests that the timescale can be subtly modified by wind forcing over the ACC and global diapycnal mixing. Results from calculations with a reduced-gravity model compare well with the theory. The multidecadal-centennial adjustment timescale implies that long observational time series will be required to detect dynamic change in the ACC due to anthropogenic forcing. The potential role of Southern Ocean mesoscale eddy activity in determining both the equilibrium state of the ACC and the timescale over which it adjusts suggests that the response to anthropogenic forcing may be different in coupled ocean-atmosphere climate models that parameterize and resolve mesoscale eddies.

Therapygenetics: the 5HTTLPR and response to psychological therapy

Although pharmacogenetic research thrives,1 genetic determinants of response to purely psychotherapeutic treatments remain unexplored. In a sample of children undergoing cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for an anxiety disorder, we tested whether treatment response is associated with the serotonin transporter gene promoter region (5HTTLPR), previously shown to moderate environmental influences on depression.