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The purpose of this study is to refine the microstructure and improve the corrosion behaviour of aluminium alloy AA5083 by subjecting it to friction stir processing (FSP).

FSP trials are conducted as per central composite design, by varying tool rotation speed, tool traverse speed and shoulder diameter at three levels. The microstructure is examined and the hardness is measured for both the base material and the processed workpieces. The corrosion behaviour of the base material and processed workpieces is studied using potentiodynamic polarization technique for three different testing temperatures, and the corrosion current and corrosion rate are calculated.

The results reveal that FSP refined the grains, dispersed secondary phases, increased the hardness and improved the corrosion resistance of most of the friction stir processed specimens than the base material at all the three testing temperatures. Grain refinement and fine dispersion of ß phase improves the hardness and corrosion resistance of most of the FSPed specimens. However partial dissolution of ß phase decreases the hardness in some of the specimens. Most of the FSPed specimens displayed more positive potential than the base material at all the testing temperatures representing a higher nobility than the base material, as a result of fine dispersion of secondary phase particles in the matrix. Large pits formed on the surface of the base specimen indicating a higher corrosion rate at all three testing temperatures. The SEM image of FSPed specimens reveals the occurrence of very few pits and minimal corrosion products on the surface, which indicates lower corrosion rate.

The corrosion mechanism of the friction stir-processed AA5083 specimens is found to be a combination of activation and concentration polarization.

Organizations seek to innovate in order to improve their effectiveness. There is, however, some confusion about what the concept of innovation actually refers to and what is involved in the process of innovation. Attempts to clarify the meaning and nature of organizational innovation and examines a number of key communication factors which innovators should take into account.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the similarities and differences of legal responses to older adults who may be at risk of harm or abuse in the UK, Ireland, Australia and the USA.

The authors draw upon a review of elder abuse and adult protection undertaken on behalf of the commissioner for older people in Northern Ireland. This paper focusses on the desk top mapping of the different legal approaches and draws upon wider literature to frame the discussion of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the different legal responses.

Arguments exist both for and against each legal approach. Differences in defining the scope and powers of adult protection legislation in the UK and internationally are highlighted.

This review was undertaken in late 2013; while the authors have updated the mapping to take account of subsequent changes, some statutory guidance is not yet available. While the expertise of a group of experienced professionals in the field of adult safeguarding was utilized, it was not feasible to employ a formal survey or consensus model.

Some countries have already introduced APL and others are considering doing so. The potential advantages and challenges of introducing APL are highlighted.

The introduction of legislation may give professionals increased powers to prevent and reduce abuse of adults, but this would also change the dynamic of relationships within families and between families and professionals.

This paper provides an accessible discussion of APL across the UK and internationally which to date has been lacking from the literature.

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on the connections between illegal drugs and the informal economy and consider this in the light of the increasing levels of global interconnectedness in recent decades.

This is a review of the empirical drugs literature with a primary focus on British‐based research and analysis of the impact of different aspects of globalization.

Patterns of heroin and crack‐cocaine use need to be understood in their social, economic and cultural context, particularly in relation to their location in the informal economy. Globalizing processes have profoundly shaped local drug problems over the last 30 years.

The governance of the drug problem needs to be reframed to take account of its social economic nature and global character. New ways of thinking are required to advance future research and policy.

The focus on the impact of globalizing processes is original and leads to some important new insights for future research and policy.

Alpha Metals has announced the appointment of Stan Renals to the position of General Manager, Alpha Singapore.

In the first of two papers, Colin Gilligan examines the nature and implications of the changes currently affecting residential estate agency. In the second, which will appear in the next issue of Property Management, he will explore the various marketing strategies open to firms.

Earned Value Management (EVM) is a project monitoring and control technique that enables the forecasting of a project's duration. Many EVM metrics and project duration forecasting methods have been proposed. However, very few studies have compared their accuracy and stability.

This paper presents an exhaustive stability and accuracy analysis of 27 deterministic EVM project duration forecasting methods. Stability is measured via Pearson's, Spearman's and Kendall's correlation coefficients while accuracy is measured by Mean Squared and Mean Absolute Percentage Errors. These parameters are determined at ten percentile intervals to track a given project's progress across 4,100 artificial project networks with varied topologies.

Findings support that stability and accuracy are inversely correlated for most forecasting methods, and also suggest that both significantly worsen as project networks become increasingly parallel. However, the AT + PD-ESmin forecasting method stands out as being the most accurate and reliable.

Implications of this study will allow construction project managers to resort to the simplest, most accurate and most stable EVM metrics when forecasting project duration. They will also be able to anticipate how the project topology (i.e., the network of activity predecessors) and the stage of project progress can condition their accuracy and stability.

Unlike previous research comparing EVM forecasting methods, this one includes all deterministic methods (classical and recent alike) and measures their performance in accordance with several parameters. Activity durations and costs are also modelled akin to those of construction projects.

Patients without spleens are at risk of septicaemia which is largely preventable by vaccination and prophylactic antibiotics as detailed in several recent guidelines. This study sought to identify all people, in one health district, with a previous splenectomy and treat them according to the guidelines on post‐splenectomy care. Patients without a spleen were identified by a variety of methods and targeted mailing, manipulation of the local press, opinion leaders, postgraduate meetings, peer pressure, disease‐ and patient‐specific reminders, feedback and patient empowerment were all used as dissemination and implementation strategies. The number of patients iden‐tified rose from 15 to 68. All were offered the opportunity to discuss their care, 80% took this opportunity and had pneumococcal vaccine, 77% were started on long‐term antibiotics, 75% discussed Hib and meningococcal vaccines and these were given to 54%. In summary the strategies used dramatically increased the numbers of patients identified and the improved care offered.