UBP Open Books

The Design and Construction of Deadlock-Free Concurrent Systems

Jeremy Malcolm Randolph Martin — 2024-04-18

It is a difficult task to produce software that is guaranteed never to fail, but it is a vital goal for which to strive in many real-life situations. The problem is especially complex in the field of parallel programming, where there are extra things that can go wrong. A particularly serious problem is deadlock. Here, we consider how to construct systems that are guaranteed deadlock-free by design.

Design rules, old and new, that eliminate deadlock are catalogued and their theoretical foundation illuminated. Then the development of a software engineering tool is described, which proves deadlock freedom by verifying adherence to these methods. The use of this tool is illustrated with several case studies.

The thesis concludes with a discussion of related issues of parallel program reliability

How Pytheas the Greek Discovered Iron-Age Britain, Stonehenge and Thule, c. 325BC

Terence Meaden — 2024-02-12

Pytheas of Massalia—a Greek scientific adventurer of the fourth century BC—was the first literate explorer to meet British countryfolk and write of their customs, crafts, food and farming practices. He explored parts of Britain including Kent, Stonehenge and the Cornish tin mines, then sailed to Scotland, Shetland, Iceland and the amber coasts of Denmark. His was a truly ambitious voyage, extremely risky for mariners in the boats of the time, especially in stormy conditions and near-Arctic drift ice.

Consequences arising from Pytheas’ inspection of Stonehenge are far-reaching because as a learned Greek he understood its purpose and, in the assessment of the present author, validly identified it as a Temple to the Sun. Temples implicitly accommodate and safeguard in their inner sanctum one or more icons to the divine. Befittingly, the present author had previously noted a significant, hitherto-unrecognized, carefully-carved phallic icon (a fallen bluestone) in the middle of the monument, and in this volume makes it public knowledge.

Moreover, Pytheas describes the Stonehenge priesthood in enough detail as to indicate that the monument was still in use when he was there. Purposeful, exciting, audacious, this was a sensational exploit on sea and land. The 58 illustrations help to express the points under study, and allow readers to appreciate the mood of ocean and countryside that Pytheas encountered.

Grow and Evolve Your Business

Jonathan Reuvid — 2022-10-17

As 2022 progresses, the legacy of the Covid pandemic coupled with the after-effects of Brexit on trade and supply chains and rising energy costs have compounded business leaders' problems. Any 'new normal' is not yet within our grasp. Established businesses, start-ups or early-stage companies will need resilience and flexibility in recalibrating their offerings or completely reconfiguring their business plans. In all cases, innovation and flair are key.

In Grow and Evolve Your Business contributors look at these problems from two directions. Part One focuses on the development of entrepreneurial skills and tools for growth generation and includes a dissertation on the severe risks to cybersecurity daily afflicting all growing businesses.

Part Two reminds us of management fundamentals and the threats that can trip us up and ambush corporate growth. New business owners and managers need to take this advice on board and managers of established businesses are invited to take the time to revisit current practice. The book offers directions through which companies can ‘build back better.’

Seeking the Person at the Center of Medicine

Juan Mezzich — 2022-05-16

It has become clear that reductionist models of health care are unsustainable in both economic and humanistic terms. There is a pressing need, therefore, articulated increasingly by patients themselves, to move away from impersonal, fragmented and decontextualized systems of healthcare towards personalized, integrated and contextualised models of clinical practice within a humanistic framework of care that recognizes the importance of applying science in a manner which respects the patient as a whole person and takes full account of his values, preferences, aspirations stories, cultural context, fears, worries and hopes and which thus recognizes and responds to his emotional, social and spiritual necessities in addition to his physical needs.

The Educational Program for Person-centered Care aims to achieve this. It is divided into three discrete but interrelated sections. The first section of four papers includes the conceptualization and measurement in person centered medicine and embraces the relevance of the social determinants of health and people centered public health. The second group of articles moves on to the practical aspects of patient-physician communication and the importance of a comprehensive diagnosis. The third section emphasizes the importance of shared decision making with key examples and inter-professional collaboration. The program is a living document and will be revised with the help of those who study and apply a person-centered approach to their own practice.

Start-Up Wise

Jonathan Reuvid — 2022-05-03

'The perfect concise guide to creating your own company from scratch: brilliant' Graham Richards

There is much to consider when starting a business. Knowing what to do first, whether you have a concept that works for you, what resources to access and how to get started can be overwhelming and seemingly-complicated.

Start-Up Wise is a comprehensive, all-in-one-place guide providing everything you need to know for your journey, outlining seven key steps on how to start, manage and develop your business:

Generating, developing and confirming your business ideas

Correct legal structure and brand identity

Realistic business plan

Financial and tax obligations

Funding options

Cost and time-effective business systems

Building and growing your business for the future

It is important to understand why you are starting a business and then to focus on ideas and steps that will build your ideal growing and successful business. Start-Up Wise has compiled all of the key information in one guide to help you achieve this.

Jonathan Reuvid is a former economist for French oil company Total and later Director of European Operations of the manufacturing subsidiaries of a Fortune 500 multinational before engaging in joint ventures and start-ups in China. He is an experienced business writer having authored and edited over 80 business books.

Be Cyber Secure

Jonathan Reuvid — 2022-04-29

This important edition focuses on the human factor in training, cautionary tales of breaches that occurred through human error, while also identifying storytelling as an effective tool in cyber eduction.

Topics include:

Addressing management issues

Approaches to cyber defence

Innovative tools for threat response

Recruiting management

GDPR