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• Analyses the governance of the UK's rapid transition to natural gas. • Applies contemporary theories of steering. • Identifies how actors responded and coordinated action. • Examines modes of steering followed by key actors and institutions. • Offers insights into the steering and the management of sociotechnical transitions. The article studies the steering strategies pursued during a major sociotechnical transition in the then state-owned British gas industry. We focus on the ten-year (1967–1977) national project to convert 35 million appliances to run on natural gas instead of manufactured gas. The article : a. addresses the issue of steering in the multi-faceted, complex process of conversion and identifies the context of and challenges faced by the natural gas conversion programme in the 1960s and how actors responded and coordinated action; b. Identifies modes of steering followed by key actors and institutions of the period; c. Identifies essential precursors for this successful steering, including: the recognition of the challenges the industry faced in the pre-transition years; an openness to experimentation, R&D and organizational and technical change; and harmonious relations with government. We argue that the steering approach needs to combine an emphasis on planning and institutional and regulatory innovation with aspects of the mundane governance approach. Our analysis shows, with reference to the UK's low-carbon gas transition, that while rapid, planned transitions are achievable, they may require complex, demanding forms of steering and governance that may prove hard to achieve in today's socioeconomic and political conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United Kingdom higher education environment, government may make efforts to encourage institutions to engage in governance structures to secure policy objectives through a steering approach. In this article connections between skills governance structures and the recent Higher Education Funding Council for England workforce development programme are examined in the context of the wider implementation of the Leitch Review of Skills in England. Using analysis of policy documents, submissions to a select committee inquiry, and a series of interviews undertaken at higher education institutions, limited co-ordination between skills governance and institutions is identified, which is likely to have been a consequence both of the open-ended approach taken by government to the implementation of this policy in higher education and the ineffectiveness of governance approaches as mechanisms for steering higher education institutions in the United Kingdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of the All-Electric Ship concept the Ministry of Defence (MoD) Defence Procurement Agency Future Business Group's Marine Engineering Development Programme (MEDP) has been investigating the Electrical Actuation of Hydrodynamic Control Surfaces (ELAHCS) Programme for the Royal Navy. The project is presently examining the replacement of traditional hydraulic actuation systems for fixed-fin ship stabilizers, steering gear, and hydroplane actuation with novel electric actuation methods. As part of this programme the project has developed a technical demonstrator – a fixed-fin stabilizer actuator – which was fitted to both stabilizers on an operational Type 23 Frigate as part of a System Demonstrator Programme (SDP). This demonstrator is providing system performance and environmental data and contributing to the wider understanding of hydrodynamic control surface requirements. It is also illustrating the potential benefits of this technology which are reduced lifecycle costs, simpler installation and maintenance, improved survivability, cleaner systems, elimination of high-energy fluidic systems, and hence the associated support and training and hazards. This paper describes the development of the ELAHCS Programme, the progress of the SDP to date, and additional future exploitation of this technology for ship and submarine applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driving is a classic example of visually guided behavior in which the eyes move before some other action. When approaching a bend in the road, a driver looks across to the inside of the curve before turning the steering wheel. Eye and steering movements are tightly linked, with the eyes leading, which allows the parts of the brain that move the eyes to assist the parts of the brain that control the hands on the wheel. We show here that this optimal relationship deteriorates with levels of breath alcohol well within the current UK legal limit for driving. The eyes move later, and coordination reduces. These changes lead to bad performance and can be detected by an automated in-car system, which warns the driver is no longer fit to drive.Neuropsychopharmacology (2008) 33, 849-858; doi:10.1038/sj.npp.1301458; published online 16 May 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: As a multibillion-dollar industry involving gambling and animals, fairness is essential to thoroughbred racing. This is referred to as racing integrity. Whilst there are comprehensive rules and regulations governing equipment and conduct, whip use is the most publicly visible enforcement of integrity in racing. As a tool for "encouragement", whip use is believed to give everyone a fair chance of winning, including owners, trainers, jockeys, horses and punters. As a tool for "steering", whip use is also believed to be essential for the safety of the horse and jockey. However, the impact of whip use on steering and safety has not been studied. In this article, we compare "whipping-free" races in Great Britain, where whips are held but not used with the more commonplace "whipping-permitted" races. Our analysis of stewards' reports for 126 races involving 1178 starters over three years found no statistically significant differences between stewards having anything to report, movement on course, interference on course, incidents related to jockey behaviour or race finishing times. Our findings, that whip use is not related to racing integrity, support the normalisation of "whipping-free" races, which we expect to improve horse welfare and social acceptance. The idea that whip use is critical to thoroughbred racing integrity is culturally entrenched but lacks empirical support. To test the longstanding beliefs that whip use aids steering, reduces interference, increases safety and improves finishing times, we conducted a mixed-method analysis of 126 race reports produced by official stewards of the British Horseracing Authority, representing 1178 jockeys and their horses. We compared reports from 67 "Hands and Heels" races, where whips are held but not used (whipping-free, WF), with 59 reports from case-matched races where whipping was permitted (whipping permitted, WP). Qualitative coding was used to identify and categorise units of analysis for statistical testing via logistic regression and linear mixed model regression. For both types of race, we explored stewards having anything to report at all, movement on course, interference on course, incidents related to jockey behaviour and finishing times. There were no statistically significant differences between WF and WP races for anything to report (OR: 3.06; CI: 0.74–14.73), movement on course (OR: 0.90; CI: 0.37–2.17), interference (OR: 0.90; CI: 0.37–2.17), jockey-related incidents (OR: 1.24; CI: 0.32–5.07), and race times (0.512 s, t = 1.459, p = 0.150). That is, we found no evidence that whip use improves steering, reduces interference, increases safety or improves finishing times. These findings suggest that the WF races do not compromise racing integrity. They also highlight the need for more effective ways to improve the steering of horses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]