Improved Management of the Existing Stock - The Case of Poland

This paper traces the changes which have occurred in housing provision and management in Poland during the period of transition to the market system. It suggests that the changes that have occurred have been greatly influenced by the environment within which the reforms have taken place. It claims that changes in housing management are restricted by historic attitudes yet have proceeded due to financial constraints imposed as part of the government's policy for restructuring the economy in the early 1990s. At the same time these restrictions have worked against the developmentof the housing market and investment in the existing housing stock. While the planned programmaticand legislative tasks in the reform of Polish housing are concluded, there is still a need for major shifts in the attitudes of consumers and providers to effect these changes.     

3D modeling and motion parallax for improved videoconferencing

Computational Visual Media - We consider a face-to-face videoconferencing system that uses a Kinect camera at each end of the link for 3D modeling and an ordinary 2D display for output. The Kinect...     

Molecular Mechanisms Underlying TDP-43 Pathology in Cellular and Animal Models of ALS and FTLD

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) are neurodegenerative disorders that exist on a disease spectrum due to pathological, clinical and genetic overlap. In up to 97% of ALS cases and ~50% of FTLD cases, the primary pathological protein observed in affected tissues is TDP-43, which is hyperphosphorylated, ubiquitinated and cleaved. The TDP-43 is observed in aggregates that are abnormally located in the cytoplasm. The pathogenicity of TDP-43 cytoplasmic aggregates may be linked with both a loss of nuclear function and a gain of toxic functions. The cellular processes involved in ALS and FTLD disease pathogenesis include changes to RNA splicing, abnormal stress granules, mitochondrial dysfunction, impairments to axonal transport and autophagy, abnormal neuromuscular junctions, endoplasmic reticulum stress and the subsequent induction of the unfolded protein response. Here, we review and discuss the evidence for alterations to these processes that have been reported in cellular and animal models of TDP-43 proteinopathy.     

The TPTP Problem Library and Associated Infrastructure

This paper describes the First-Order Form (FOF) and Clause Normal Form (CNF) parts of the TPTP problem library, and the associated infrastructure. TPTP v3.5.0 was the last release containing only FOF and CNF problems, and thus serves as the exemplar. This paper summarizes the history and development of the TPTP, describes the structure and contents of the TPTP, and gives an overview of TPTP related projects and tools.     

Adaptive quadtree simulation of shallow flows with wet-dry fronts over complex topography

Many natural terrains have complicated surface topography. The simulation of steep-fronted flows that occur after heavy rainfall flash floods or as inundation from dyke breaches is usually based on the non-linear shallow water equations in hyperbolic conservation form. Particular challenges to numerical modellers are posed by the need to balance correctly the flux gradient and source terms in Godunov-type finite volume shock-capturing schemes and by the moving wet-dry boundary as the flood rises or falls. This paper presents a Godunov-type shallow flow solver on adaptive quadtree grids aimed at simulating flood flows as they travel over natural terrain. By choosing the stage and discharge as dependent variables in the hyperbolic non-linear shallow water equations, a new deviatoric formulation is derived that mathematically balances the flux gradient and source terms in cases where there are wet-dry fronts. The new formulation is more general in application than previous a priori approaches. Three benchmark tests are used to validate the solver, and include steady flow over a submerged hump, flow disturbances propagating over an elliptical-shaped hump, and free surface sloshing motions in a vessel with a parabolic bed. The model is also used to simulate the propagation of a flood due to a dam break over an initially dry floodplain containing three humps.     

Experience with user-centred requirements engineering

This paper describes the application of human–computer interaction (HCI) principles and methods to requirements engineering in a case study development of a visualisation tool, ADVISES, to support epidemiological research. The development approach consisted of scenario-based design and analysis of the users’ tasks and mental model of the domain. Prototyping and storyboarding techniques were used to explore design options with users as well as specifying functionality for two versions of the software to meet the needs of novice and expert users. Application of HCI functional allocation heuristics to guide system requirements decisions is explained. An evaluation of the prototype was carried out to assess the extent to which the expert model would support public health professionals in their analysis activities. The results of the design exploration requirements analysis study are reported. The implications of scenario-based design exploration, functional allocation and software architecture are discussed.