Abstract: The Statistics Act 1975 requires that population censuses be conducted every five years in New Zealand. As with a (declining) number of other countries, censuses in New Zealand are based on the model of enumerator delivery and collection, although a small proportion is returned by mail. Support for the census remains high, with under-coverage, as measured in the Post-enumeration Survey, only 2.8 ± 0.3 percent in 2001. It is recognised that this high level of support is not something that can be taken for granted. New Zealand society is changing in many ways. Public attitudes in New Zealand and in…many other countries indicate a strong demand for choice and convenience when interacting with government. This has been an important driver in deciding to proceed with the provision of an online form for the 2006 Census. In developing the online census, a number of challenges were faced, from both business and technical perspectives. While the technical perspective is extremely important, this paper focuses primarily on the business requirements, exploring how these have been met. The learning gained through both the use of this technology and the impact on respondent behaviour will prove invaluable as both government and public expectations increase for the 2011 Census. It is therefore essential that Statistics New Zealand successfully implements the online census in 2006 and uses the knowledge gained to plan for a more efficient and effective 2011 Census, where real savings will be both expected and realised.
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Abstract: The topic of this discussion is the need for, and the issues involved in, the evaluation of CD-ROM products in the library user services environment. The number and range of CD-ROM databases available for end-user searching in libraries is proliferating. A wide range of products is available, including bibliographic databases, microcomputer software databases, dictionaries, and encyclopaedias. In the case of popular and widely used databases such as ERIC and MEDLINE, multiple versions are available from different suppliers, each offering different searching capabilities, hardware technical configurations, and file coverage options. CD-ROMs are expensive compared to their printed counterparts but they offer…quick and complex searching not available through printed means. Selection of the CD-ROM product which best meets the needs of the library and the user in a cost effective manner is essential; appropriate evaluation of potential acquisitions is of critical importance. The University of Melbourne Library has an extensive biomedical teaching and research function. As a result, MEDLINE is one of the Library's most heavily used online databases. Since 1985, the University Library has explored the use of a variety of CD-ROM products, an extension of the Library's online searching programme. Further services are likely to be introduced during the 1989 academic year with one of the versions of MEDLINE as a high priority. In-house evaluation of the four MEDLINE versions available in Australia commenced in December 1988. The evaluation aims to identify the product which will best meet the needs of the Library and its users. Discussion will cover the evaluation process, including the criteria adopted and the test methods utilized.
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Abstract: Modern manufacturing methods enable screw compressors to be constructed to very close tolerances where full 3-D numerical calculation of the heat and fluid flow through them is then required to obtain the maximum possible improvements in their design. An independent stand-alone interface program has been developed by the authors in order to generate a numerical grid for this purpose. The interface employs a procedure to produce rotor profiles and an analytical transfinite interpolation method with adaptive meshing to obtain a fully structured 3-D numerical mesh, which is directly transferable to a CFD code. This was required to overcome problems associated…with moving, stretching and sliding rotor domains and with robust calculations in domains with significantly different geometry ranges. Some changes had to be made within the solver functions both to enable calculations and to make them faster. These include a means to maintain constant pressures at the inlet and outlet ports and consideration of two-phase flow resulting from oil injection in the working chamber. Modifications implemented to the CFD procedure improved solutions in complex domains with strong pressure gradients. The pre-processor code and calculating method have been tested on a commercial CFD solver to obtain flow simulations and integral parameter calculations. The results of calculations on an oil injected screw compressor are presented in this paper and compared with experimental results.
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Abstract: Brain plasticity, also termed neuroplasticity, refers to the brain’s life-long ability to reorganize itself in response to various changes in the environment, experiences, and learning. The brain is a dynamic organ capable of responding to stimulating or depriving environments, activities, and circumstances from changes in gene expression, release of neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors, to cellular reorganization and reprogrammed functional connectivity. The rate of neuroplastic alteration varies across the lifespan, creating further challenges for understanding and manipulating these processes to benefit motor control, learning, memory, and neural remodeling after injury. Neuroplasticity-related research spans several decades, and hundreds of reviews have been…written and published since its inception. Here we present an overview of the empirical papers published between 2017 and 2023 that address the unique effects of exercise, plasticity-stimulating activities, and the depriving effect of social isolation on brain plasticity and behavior.
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Keywords: Neuronal plasticity, exercise, resistance training, social interaction
Abstract: Many have enthusiastically greeted the ability to search and view public records online as a great advance for transparency and accountability. Such ability, however, also creates value tensions with privacy and other important human values. In this paper, we report findings from a survey of 134 residents of the US Pacific Northwest on their awareness of and attitudes towards online access to political campaign records and real estate transaction histories, bringing to light some of the social implications of technological changes that increase ease of access to public records. We show that, while respondents often understood the reason behind making…these records public, considerable concern about the current accessibility of these records exists, along with a precautionary indication that such open access may reduce public participation for some individuals.
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Keywords: Public records, privacy, access, transparency, value tensions, value sensitive design, political campaign contributions, real estate records