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Manufacturing variability is an increasingly significant problem. Silicon devices that are designed to be identical will display widely ranging characteristics after manufacture. Power use, supported clock frequencies and lifespan may all vary considerably. This is of particular concern for embedded systems because of their extensive use of complex system‐on‐chip (SoC)‐based architectures. If this variability is not tolerated by the software, then manufacturing yields are reduced and devices are not used efficiently. This study discusses a novel approach to the integration of variability‐mitigation techniques that uses model‐driven engineering to explicitly consider variability as part of the development process. Developers can build systems that are much more resilient to variability effects, allowing systems to have higher yields, lower costs and greater reliability. The approach uses code generation and code transformation to simplify design‐space exploration and reduce time‐to‐market. The approach is illustrated with an example of audio processing on a complex multiprocessor SoC with simulated variability, and it is shown to be increasingly effective as system variability becomes more significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small regional communities are having widely different experiences of globalisation but many share dependent relations with corporations and governments. Those which are under threat are often finding themselves dependent on their own resources, including the leadership of local people. This article compares the interpretations of change and the experiences of local leaders in two geographically and historically diverse situations. It finds that despite such diversity, there are similarities of experience. It concludes with some consideration given to state policy regarding community leadership, tempering a view that leadership can provide solutions to regional decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

McGoldrick and Carter (2001) observe that interventions in a differentiation-based approach such as detriangling are often counterintuitive. In an attempt to understand the counterintuitive nature of a differentiation-based approach, I draw on Schnarch and others to reflect on the nature of paradox, integrity and differentiation. I discuss implications for work with a couple after violence, and I conclude that differentiation can be understood as a personal, social, or even master virtue. The paper moves backwards and forwards between a case example, and reflections on theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A unique collaborative, sociological study undertaken during 1995-7, explored the social construction of drought as a disaster, looking at farm families in two Australian states: Queensland (beef producers) and New South Wales (sheep/wheat producers). A decision was made to interview the women and men separately to test our hypothesis that there would be gender issues in any analysis of a disaster, but particularly one which has had so much long-term impact on individuals, families and communities, such as drought, Interviews were conducted with over 100 individuals male and female. We conclude that drought as a disaster is a gendered experience. The paper draws on the narratives of some women involved in the study to identify 'themes of difference' which confirm the necessity to maintain gender as a variable in all studies of the social impacts of disaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extension theory has moved towards conceptualizations which illuminate the power relationships inherent in extension practice. Consideration of power relationships raises questions about the interests of the parties involved and problems inherent in their conceptualization. Extension theory has not yet tackled these problems, leaving the ‘farmer first’ and ‘beyond farmer first’ approaches as well as earlier top-down models inadequate. This paper discusses the relationship between concepts of power and interests before raising some problems implied by interests. While interests are seen as essentially contestable and their assessment is seen as cultural construction, their analysis can be based on a pragmatic approach to human needs. A model which sees extension as a power relationship steers it towards outcomes which emphasize the enactment of power relations rather than behavioural objectives. The objective for extension becomes creation of a pluralistic arena in which the assessment of interests of all parties is challengeable and is challenged by all others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is an acquired disorder of the peripheral nervous system with a probable auto-immune pathogenesis. The nature of the responsible autoantigens is unclear in most patients. We used the Western immunoblot technique to seek antibodies to peripheral nerve protein antigens. Sera from eight of 32 (25%) CIDP patients, 12 of 37 (32%) Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) patients, zero of 30 (0%) chronic idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy patients and two of 39 (5%) healthy control subjects contained anti-peripheral nerve protein antibodies. The frequency of such antibodies was significantly greater in both CIDP (p = 0.04) and GBS (p = 0.003) patients than in normal control subjects. For CIDP patients, there were non-significant trends for antibodies to be more common in females and in those who responded to treatment with either intravenous immunoglobulin or plasma exchange. The commonest antibodies were directed against a band at 28 kDa, resembling that labelled by a monoclonal antibody against myelin protein zero (P0). Six CIDP and seven GBS patients' sera reacted with this band. These results support the view that antibodies to myelin proteins, and especially P0, are present in the serum of some patients with CIDP and GBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns have frequently been raised about equal opportunities in the short-listing and selection procedures used by clinical psychology training courses, although little evidence exists. The aim of the study is to identify factors predicting short-listing and selection to clinical psychology training courses. A prospective study of one national cohort of applicants to UK clinical psychology training (the 2000 entry cohort of 1538 applicants) was carried out. Application forms (n = 1538), references (n = 1538) and postal questionnaires (n = 396) were used to collect demographic, biographical, academic and work experience information. Relationships between these variables and short-listing or selection to training were examined using univariate odds ratios and effect sizes, and multivariate logistic regressions. Factors most strongly predictive of short-listing and selection were proxies for academic ability (post-16 education at school, degree class, involvement in postgraduate education, authoring publications), relevant educational qualifications (a degree eligible for registration into the BPS), relevant vocational experience (a greater number and range of psychology assistant posts), and positive ratings from academic and clinical psychologist experience-related referees. Short-listing and selection to clinical psychology training relies on proxy factors related to academic ability, education, vocational experience and ratings from referees. There is little evidence of direct discrimination, although certain subgroups of applicants may be disadvantaged in their opportunities to gain relevant academic qualifications and vocational experience. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]