Evaluating SWICE-R (South West Information for Clinical Effectiveness - Rural). Final report for South West Workforce Development Confederations (Knowledge Resources Development Unit)

Yeoman, A., Durbin, J. & Urquhart, C. (2004). Evaluating SWICE-R (South West Information for Clinical Effectiveness - Rural). Final report for South West Workforce Development Confederations, (Knowledge Resources Development Unit). Aberystwyth: Department of Information Studies, University of Wales Aberystwyth. Sponsorship: South West WDCs (NHS)

Homecare and the informal information grapevine: implications for the electronic record in social care

Cooper, J. & Urquhart, C. (2008). Homecare and the informal information grapevine: implications for the electronic record in social care. Health Informatics Journal, 14(1), 59-69. Sponsorship: AHRC

Sentencing War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity under the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia

null RAE2008

OpenBU: Institutional Repository Procedures Manual

(adapted from the DSpace Procedures Manual developed by Kalamazoo College Digital Archive)

Perceptions, expectations, and informal supports influence exercise activity in frail older adults

This study aims to explore frail older adults’ perceptions of what influences their exercise behaviors. A qualitative descriptive design was used. Semi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted with 29 frail older adults. Thematic content analysis established the findings. Frail older adults perceive exercise as a by-product of other purposeful activities such as manual work or social activities. Progression into frailty appears to be associated with a decline in non-family support, changing traditional roles within family support networks, and lower baseline activity levels. Frail older adults perceive exercise as incidental to more purposeful activities rather than an endpoint in itself. Therefore, exercise programs concentrating on functional outcomes may be more relevant for this population. Strategies that educate and promote social support networks may also benefit frail older adults.

Regularized iterative and non-iterative procedures for object restoration from experimental data

A regularized algorithm for the recovery of band-limited signals from noisy data is described. The regularization is characterized by a single parameter. Iterative and non-iterative implementations of the algorithm are shown to have useful properties, the former offering the advantage of flexibility and the latter a potential for rapid data processing. Comparative results, using experimental data obtained in laser anemometry studies with a photon correlator, are presented both with and without regularization. © 1983 Taylor & Francis Ltd.

Regularized iterative and noniterative procedures for object restoration in the presence of noise :an error analysis

An analysis is carried out, using the prolate spheroidal wave functions, of certain regularized iterative and noniterative methods previously proposed for the achievement of object restoration (or, equivalently, spectral extrapolation) from noisy image data. The ill-posedness inherent in the problem is treated by means of a regularization parameter, and the analysis shows explicitly how the deleterious effects of the noise are then contained. The error in the object estimate is also assessed, and it is shown that the optimal choice for the regularization parameter depends on the signal-to-noise ratio. Numerical examples are used to demonstrate the performance of both unregularized and regularized procedures and also to show how, in the unregularized case, artefacts can be generated from pure noise. Finally, the relative error in the estimate is calculated as a function of the degree of superresolution demanded for reconstruction problems characterized by low space–bandwidth products.

Conocimiento aritmético informal puesto de manifiesto por una pareja de alumnos (6-7 años) sobre la invención y resolución de problemas

Se describe y analiza el desempeño de dos niños de educación primaria con edades comprendidas entre 6 y 7 años, en varias cuestiones y tareas sobre invención y resolución de problemas aritméticos verbales. Los resultados informan de su conocimiento informal sobre la idea de problema, los elementos que lo componen, el papel que juegan los números en un problema, y los factores que determinan que un problema sea difícil.

Uso de material fílmico para el aprendiza cooperativo informal en la clase matemáticas

Que la educación por sí misma es una actividad cooperativa, es una afirmación que hasta los propios estudiantes reconocen en sus mejores experiencias educativas en un marco pleno de cooperación, y con la guía adecuada. Como orientación para el desarrollo de actividades en el marco del aprendizaje cooperativo, la organización y esquematización de prescripciones, la identificación de los procesos de aprendizaje, con la correspondiente función de la enseñanza y la orientación para el docente, es que se propone interesar al alumno por el proceso y por los resultados. Para la etapa de aprestamiento como actividad inicial se pensó en una obra cinematográfica: La habitación de Fermat.

Discretisation procedures for multi-physics phenomena

Procedures are described for solving the equations governing a multi-physics process. Finite volume techniques are used to discretise, using the same unstructured mesh, the equations of fluid flow, heat transfer with solidification, and solid deformation. These discretised equations are then solved in an integrated manner. The computational mechanics environment, PHYSICA, which facilitates the building of multi-physics models, is described. Comparisons between model predictions and experimental data are presented for the casting of metal components.

Dynamic fluid–structure interaction using finite volume unstructured mesh procedures

A three-dimensional finite volume, unstructured mesh (FV-UM) method for dynamic fluid–structure interaction (DFSI) is described. Fluid structure interaction, as applied to flexible structures, has wide application in diverse areas such as flutter in aircraft, wind response of buildings, flows in elastic pipes and blood vessels. It involves the coupling of fluid flow and structural mechanics, two fields that are conventionally modelled using two dissimilar methods, thus a single comprehensive computational model of both phenomena is a considerable challenge. Until recently work in this area focused on one phenomenon and represented the behaviour of the other more simply. More recently, strategies for solving the full coupling between the fluid and solid mechanics behaviour have been developed. A key contribution has been made by Farhat et al. [Int. J. Numer. Meth. Fluids 21 (1995) 807] employing FV-UM methods for solving the Euler flow equations and a conventional finite element method for the elastic solid mechanics and the spring based mesh procedure of Batina [AIAA paper 0115, 1989] for mesh movement. In this paper, we describe an approach which broadly exploits the three field strategy described by Farhat for fluid flow, structural dynamics and mesh movement but, in the context of DFSI, contains a number of novel features: • a single mesh covering the entire domain, • a Navier–Stokes flow, • a single FV-UM discretisation approach for both the flow and solid mechanics procedures, • an implicit predictor–corrector version of the Newmark algorithm, • a single code embedding the whole strategy.

Dynamic fluid-structure interactions using finite volume unstructured mesh procedures

A three-dimensional finite volume, unstructured mesh (FV-UM) method for dynamic fluid–structure interaction (DFSI) is described. Fluid structure interaction, as applied to flexible structures, has wide application in diverse areas such as flutter in aircraft, wind response of buildings, flows in elastic pipes and blood vessels. It involves the coupling of fluid flow and structural mechanics, two fields that are conventionally modelled using two dissimilar methods, thus a single comprehensive computational model of both phenomena is a considerable challenge. Until recently work in this area focused on one phenomenon and represented the behaviour of the other more simply. More recently, strategies for solving the full coupling between the fluid and solid mechanics behaviour have been developed. A key contribution has been made by Farhat et al. [Int. J. Numer. Meth. Fluids 21 (1995) 807] employing FV-UM methods for solving the Euler flow equations and a conventional finite element method for the elastic solid mechanics and the spring based mesh procedure of Batina [AIAA paper 0115, 1989] for mesh movement. In this paper, we describe an approach which broadly exploits the three field strategy described by Farhat for fluid flow, structural dynamics and mesh movement but, in the context of DFSI, contains a number of novel features: a single mesh covering the entire domain, a Navier–Stokes flow, a single FV-UM discretisation approach for both the flow and solid mechanics procedures, an implicit predictor–corrector version of the Newmark algorithm, a single code embedding the whole strategy.

Dynamic fluid-structure interaction using finite volume unstructured mesh procedures

A three dimensional finite volume, unstructured mesh method for dynamic fluid-structure interation is described. The broad approach is conventional in that the fluid and structure are solved sequentially. The pressure and viscous stresses from the flow algorithm provide load conditions for the solid algorithm, whilst at the fluid structure interface the deformed structure provides boundary condition from the structure to the fluid. The structure algorithm also provides the necessary mesh adaptation for the flow field, the effect of which is accounted for in the flow algorithm. The procedures described in this work have several novel features, namely: * a single mesh covering the entire domain. * a Navier Stokes flow. * a single FV-UM discretisation approach for both the flow and solid mechanics procedures. * an implicit predictor-corrector version of the Newmark algorithm. * a single code embedding the whole strategy. The procedure is illustrated for a three dimensional loaded cantilever in fluid flow.

Analysing the evacuation procedures employed on a Thames passenger boat using the maritimeEXODUS evacuation model

On the 19 June 2001, a Thames passenger/tour boat underwent several evacuation trials. This work was conducted in order to collect data for the validation of marine-based computer models. The trials involved 111 participants who were distributed throughout the vessel. The boat had two decks and two points of exit from the lower deck placed on either side of the craft, forward and aft. The boat had a twin set of staircases towards the rear of the craft, just forward of the rear exits. maritimeEXODUS was used to simulate the full-scale evacuation trials conducted. The simulation times generated were compared against the original results and categorised according to the exit point availability. The predictions closely approximate the original results, differing by an average of 6.6% across the comparisons, with numerous qualitative similarities between the predictions and experimental results. The maritimeEXODUS evacuation model was then used to examine the evacuation procedure currently employed on the vessel. This was found to have potential to produce long evacuation times. maritimeEXODUS was used to suggest modifications to the mustering procedures. These theoretical results suggest that it is possible to significantly reduce evacuation times.