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A questionnaire‐based survey was conducted to establish the current market requirements for lamb and those likely in the future. Two questionnaires were produced and sent to the largest lamb abattoirs and retailers in the UK. Current markets generally require a carcass of weight 16‐21kg, conformation E‐R and fat score 2 or 3L. The forecast for future requirements was not clear, but some respondents expressed a desire to narrow the specification ranges given and also to increasingly use carcasses heavier than 21kg to supply bone‐less lamb. A two market scenario, one for medium sized lambs to supply bone‐in cuts and the other for heavier, lean carcasses to supply the boneless lamb, may develop in the long term. The results of this study form a useful basis on which to decide on suitable objectives for genetic improvement programs for sheep breeds, which can be used to help lamb producers meet the requirements of current and likely future markets.

The general procedure of thermal optimisation in the sand casting process is addressed. Various aspects of design including the size and position of feeders and chills are discussed and practical approaches are presented to search for optimum design configurations. An algorithm is also presented for finding the optimum size, position and number of chills in a sand casting process. The presence of the chill(s) in the casting configuration is simulated using a one‐dimensional heat conduction model and proper inter‐facial heat transfer coefficients. The method is efficient as all computations are carried out on the same grid and there is no need for re‐meshing due to re‐sizing or re‐positioning of the chills. A finite element thermal analysis module is linked to a commercial optimisation tool to search for the optimum set of design variables and a computationally efficient sensitivity analysis method is introduced. Three sand casting test cases are solved to validate and demonstrate the optimisation procedure and these show its use to determine the optimum size, location and number of feeders and chills on a section through a casting.

This paper aims to assess control parameter setup and its effect on computational cost and performance of deterministic procedures for multi-objective design optimization of expensive simulation models of antenna structures.

A deterministic algorithm for cost-efficient multi-objective optimization of antenna structures has been assessed. The algorithm constructs a patch connecting extreme Pareto-optimal designs (obtained by means of separate single-objective optimization runs). Its performance (both cost- and quality-wise) depends on the dimensions of the so-called patch, an elementary region being relocated in the course of the optimization process. The cost/performance trade-offs are studied using two examples of ultra-wideband antenna structures and the optimization results are compared to draw conclusions concerning the algorithm robustness and determine the most advantageous control parameter setups.

The obtained results indicate that the investigated algorithm is very robust, i.e. its performance is weakly dependent on the control parameters setup. At the same time, it is found that the most suitable setups are those that ensure low computational cost, specifically non-uniform ones generated on the basis of sensitivity analysis.

The study provides recommendations for control parameter setup of deterministic multi-objective optimization procedure for computationally efficient design of antenna structures. This is the first study of this kind for this particular design procedure, which confirms its robustness and determines the most suitable arrangement of the control parameters. Consequently, the presented results permit full automation of the surrogate-assisted multi-objective antenna optimization process while ensuring its lowest possible computational cost.

The work is the first comprehensive validation of the sequential domain patching algorithm under various scenarios of its control parameter setup. The considered design procedure along with the recommended parameter arrangement is a robust and computationally efficient tool for fully automated multi-objective optimization of expensive simulation models of contemporary antenna structures.

The study of group dynamics was central to the field of organization development at its inception. More recently, there has been a move away from considering irrational and unconscious dynamics in organizational life and more attention focused on rational and observable behavior that can be measured and quantified. We introduce the tool, Beneath the Surface of the Burke-Litwin Model, that invites consideration of how the overt behavior of individuals, groups, and entire systems is linked to covert dynamics. This more comprehensive view of organizational life provides scholar-practitioners with a systemic perspective, a view of covert dynamics by organizational level, and support for the ongoing development of one’s capacity for using self-as-instrument when engaged in organization development and organization change efforts.

This chapter seeks to investigate the ways individualistic versus collectivistic values moderate neural responses to social exclusion among African American and White respondents. The author hypothesized that the vmPFC – a key brain region for emotion regulation – would correspond to collectivistic value moderation and the dlPFC – the cognitive control center of the brain – would be associated with individualistic value moderation.

This study used a virtual ball tossing game (Cyberball), where 17 African American and 11 White participants were excluded or included with ball tosses, while inside an fMRI scanner. Before the start of each round the participants were primed with individualism, collectivism or a comparison condition.

Results showed that (1) African Americans showed stronger neural responses to exclusion and (2) offered support for the hypothesis that the dlPFC showed greater activation in African Americans (compared to Whites) when they were primed with individualism values during exclusion. There was no support for the collectivism hypothesis.

Research limitations included a relatively small sample size (N = 28), a comparison of only two racial groups and that the partners in the game were virtual (pre-programmed by the experimenter).

This research offers an empirical framework for sociologists seeking to apply social theories into neurological studies.

Identifying effective coping strategies for historically oppressed racial groups.

The chapter is original for demonstrating the moderating effects of values on neural responses to exclusion for the first time and by offering a novel neurosociological framework.

Culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) families of children with developmental disabilities (DD) often face more significant challenges in obtaining services than families of typical children. It is critical for these families to build and improve their family resilience at the early stage when their children are newly diagnosed with disabilities. This paper explores how to integrate family resilience theory into daily Parent to Parent support to strengthen family resilience for CLD families of children with disabilities to better prepare them for future challenges, crises, and uncertainties. Using a case study design that includes interviews and surveys, we recruited CLD parents of children newly diagnosed with disabilities and provided adapted services to these parents for about three months. This paper explores the adapted Parent to Parent practices and outcomes from the perspectives of cultural brokers who offer the adapted daily support. Findings highlighted the promising outcomes of the adapted support model for CLD families of children with disabilities and identified challenges during the support process. Further research is needed to confirm the findings.

This chapter focuses on the impact of national economic conditions and voters’ attitudes on the positioning of European national political parties with regard to the European Union (EU). We provide an empirical analysis based on data gathered through the Chapel Hill Expert Survey (CHES) covering parties from 14 European countries observed over the 1999–2010 time span. We perform a regression analysis where the dependent variable measures the position of political parties vis-à-vis EU integration and explanatory variables include a number of measures of national economic conditions, features of the national political and institutional framework and voters’ Euroscepticism. Fixed effect, ordered logit and fractional logit estimates provide the following main results. Compared with other parties, non-mainstream political parties and those acting in established economies are more prone to mirror citizens’ Eurosceptic sentiments. National economic conditions such as inflation as well as gross domestic product (GDP) growth affect mainstream party support for the EU. Smaller and ideologically extreme parties are, on average, less supportive of European integration.

While digital technologies have led to many important social and cultural advances worldwide, they also facilitate the perpetration of violence, abuse and harassment, known as technology-facilitated violence and abuse (TFVA). TFVA includes a spectrum of behaviors perpetrated online, offline, and through a range of technologies, including artificial intelligence, livestreaming, GPS tracking, and social media. This chapter provides an overview of TFVA, including a brief snapshot of existing quantitative and qualitative research relating to various forms of TFVA. It then discusses the aims and contributions of this book as a whole, before outlining five overarching themes arising from the contributions. The chapter concludes by mapping out the structure of the book.

In recent years, scholarly focus has shifted towards exploring the applications of disruptive technologies in professional services. These studies emphasise the need for further research in this domain. This research aims to comprehensively review the existing literature on the uses of blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms in professional services such as higher education, healthcare, financial securities firms and smart energy consulting. The rapid innovation and advancement in technology have led to substantial improvements in work efficiency and productivity. As industries transition towards sustainability and digitalisation, the role of energy-efficient systems becomes important in shaping smart factory designs and in further implementations. The uses of AI and other disruptive technologies for business operations not only boost production efficiency but also enhance customer satisfaction. Central to this transformation are strategies like deep learning and data/text mining, which facilitate the shift from conventional manufacturing practices to smart manufacturing. Apart from smart energy systems, the fields of higher education, healthcare and financial securities are witnessing a surge in the applications of AI, ML algorithms and blockchain technology and their contributions in emerging service economy. This study undertakes a comprehensive investigation into various factors associated with the application of disruptive technologies, evaluating their impact on the operational efficiency of professional service firms (PSFs). Through this research, we aim to identify gaps in the current literature and will suggest the directions for future research.

This chapter examines symphysiotomy in twentieth-century Ireland as one example of a systematized obstetric violence that has characterized Ireland’s modern history. Expanding scholarly interpretations of state- and Church-inflicted abuse of women in the twentieth century, this analysis establishes the medical profession as a central actor alongside the twentieth-century state-Church coalition that regulated women’s reproductive lives and engaged in systematic repression. This chapter recognizes that Ireland’s history of reproductive abuse and coercion did not just involve contraception or abortion but also labor and birth experiences. In addition, it offers a more complete and complex interpretation of obstetric violence by highlighting the experiences of married women with wanted pregnancies; almost all research to date focuses on the experiences of unmarried pregnant women or unwanted pregnancies. This examination of symphysiotomy and obstetric violence in Ireland illuminates the ways in which religious, national, and medical power has been mapped on women’s reproductive bodies, particularly in the decades after independence in 1922. It also makes essential links between Ireland’s past and present, demonstrating that a careful analysis of the history of obstetric violence and the religious underpinnings of it are essential in understanding Ireland today. With this research, we also place symphysiotomy within the context of the global reproductive justice movement, asking how a reproductive justice framework – one that links reproductive rights with social justice – can help us interpret obstetric violence and address the wounds of Ireland’s past.