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This paper deals with the inverse scattering problem of reconstructing the material properties of perfectly conducting or dielectric cylindrical objects. The material properties are reconstructed from measured far‐field scattering data provided by the Electromagnetics Technology Division, AFRL/SNH, 31 Grenier Street, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731‐3010. The measured data have to be calibrated for use in our reconstruction algorithm. The inverse scattering problem formulated as unconstrained nonlinear optimization problem is numerically solved using an iterative scheme with a variable calibration factor which will be determined during the optimization process. Numerical examples show the successful application of the method to the measured data.
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Emergencies commonly reveal the disorder from which routine order is painfully extracted. They dramatise social fissures, inconsistencies and ignorance that ordinarily remain…
Abstract
Emergencies commonly reveal the disorder from which routine order is painfully extracted. They dramatise social fissures, inconsistencies and ignorance that ordinarily remain hidden or can be ignored without damage or controversy. They transform the taken‐for‐granted into the up‐for‐discussion, compel the formation of decisions and accompanying justifications, and demand action of a special and urgent kind. Using Unger (1988) terminology, we can say that emergencies might reduce fixed distance between context and routines, thus they can be perceived as “context‐revising” situations, providing possibilities for lifting “a powerful constraint over all social practices, forcing them into a specific mould of predictable routines” (Unger 1988, p. 125). AIDS (an acronym formally designating the most developed stage of HIV infection but misleadingly used in our lexicon of public concern to stand for the disease as a whole), is such an emergency, not only due to the extent of the spread of the disease, but because this epidemic presents so many difficult ethical, legal and technical issues, and because of growing and changing knowledge about the disease, it requires continuous rethinking of strategies and adopting them to new discoveries.
Jerzy Gołębiowski and Marek Zaręba
The purpose of this paper is to present a method of solving a thermal conduction equation in three‐zone axially‐symmetrical systems.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a method of solving a thermal conduction equation in three‐zone axially‐symmetrical systems.
Design/methodology/approach
In the method developed, the field functions are determined in the analytical way by the superposition of states and separation of variables method. The coefficients of the field functions and eigenvalues of the boundary‐initial problem are computed by the numerical method. The coefficients are the solution to the corresponding sets of equations. These sets are the result of scalar products of non‐orthogonal functions at the respective zones of the cable. The eigenvalues are determined by an algorithm, which uses the field properties and elements of the golden cut method.
Findings
The method made it possible to develop a mathematical model of the dynamics of the thermal field in a polymer DC cable. This model has good physical interpretation. The paper also presents the field distributions determined in an analytical form. Some arguments of the expressions derived are however computed numerically. The results obtained by the paper's method and by the finite elements methods were compared. The relative differences are less than 6 per cent.
Research limitations/implications
The method concerns axially‐symmetrical three‐zone systems under nominal conditions.
Practical implications
By means of the method important parameters of DC lines can be determined (e.g. spatial‐temporal heat‐up curves, admissible sustained currents, time constants).
Originality/value
An analytical‐numerical method of analysis of the thermal field in a three‐zone axially‐symmetrical system was developed. Its original element is the algorithm of determination of eigenvalues of the boundary‐initial problem and coefficients of non‐orthogonal field functions.
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Soniya Billore, Tomio Kobayashi and Ou Wang
The purpose is to explore consumer acceptance of the doggy bag as an intervention to promote sustainable food consumption. In particular, it explores consumer attitudes towards…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose is to explore consumer acceptance of the doggy bag as an intervention to promote sustainable food consumption. In particular, it explores consumer attitudes towards taking home the leftover food from eating out at restaurants as a way of sustainable consumption.
Design/methodology/approach
A consumer survey to explore consumer attitudes, followed by an investigation of the media communications that promote the doggy bag as a tool to reduce food wastage.
Findings
Strategic communication was employed in an inclusive approach to increase the impact of the doggy bag on consumer behaviour. Consumers show a positive inclination towards using the doggy bag to take home the leftovers of their restaurant meals and reduce food wastage. Cultural biases can cause hurdles in the acceptance of the tool.
Originality/value
To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study to approach the behavioural analysis of leftover food takeout interventions studied from the consumer perspective. Furthermore, it is based on a novel approach of experimental methods at ready-to-eat food outlets for communicating with consumers.
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Marie-Julie De Bruyne and Katrien Verleye
Today's sharing economy covers a variety of business models. This research aims to (1) identify dimensions along which sharing businesses may vary and (2) investigate how these…
Abstract
Purpose
Today's sharing economy covers a variety of business models. This research aims to (1) identify dimensions along which sharing businesses may vary and (2) investigate how these dimensions influence consumer engagement while considering consumers' sustainability orientation.
Design/methodology/approach
This research relies upon a systematic literature review (n = 67 articles) to identify five sharing business dimensions: (1) ownership transfer, (2) professional involvement, (3) compensation, (4) digitalization and (5) community scope. A discrete choice conjoint experiment in the fashion industry is employed to investigate how these dimensions affect consumer engagement with sharing businesses (n = 383 participants).
Findings
The results suggest that ownership of tangible resources elicits more engagement than access to tangible resources for both consumers with a low sustainability orientation and consumers with a high sustainability orientation. Community scope also affects consumer engagement as reflected in more engagement towards sharing businesses with a local rather than a global scope. The presence of professional service providers, monetary compensation and a digital platform only induces engagement among consumers with a low sustainability orientation.
Originality/value
This research generates a better understanding of how sharing businesses can draw on business dimensions to engage consumers with different levels of sustainability orientation and, in turn, how sharing businesses can realize their economic and/or circular potential.
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Malgorzata Cwikla and Beata Jalocha
The purpose of this paper is to show the potential of cultural projects which could become a source of inspiration in terms of refreshing and adjusting traditional project…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to show the potential of cultural projects which could become a source of inspiration in terms of refreshing and adjusting traditional project management to modern times and making it more flexible. However, as research indicates, this potential is limited by cultural policies forcing artists and cultural managers to implement project-related techniques which have been already identified as inefficient and faulty in the progressive discourses on project management, mainly in the for-profit area.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis is based on three case studies of Polish and Polish-German theatrical co-productions. The research was conducted in Poland and Germany in 2012-2014. It involved 21 individual in-depth interviews with artists, managers and administrative staff working on projects as well as an analysis of project documentation.
Findings
It has been found that project management could draw a lot of inspiration from cultural projects in terms of, e.g. the processual nature of activities, motivating project teams and inclusive leadership. Based on the research, the authors also argue that it is worth considering spectators/other stakeholders as part of project teams, which will help build a non-oppressive social mechanism of control.
Originality/value
Advantages of replacing the just-in-time approach to project management with the work-in-progress approach; increased motivation and commitment of project teams to their work; building a unique team spirit; inclusive leadership based on passion.
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The research explores the emerging specialty of learning space assessment with a focus on how new information professionals represented by graduate students in an academic…
Abstract
Purpose
The research explores the emerging specialty of learning space assessment with a focus on how new information professionals represented by graduate students in an academic libraries course defined quality criteria for library spaces and how they approached designing and conducting a one-shot multi-site space assessment project.
Design/methodology/approach
The instructor-investigator adopted a diachronic collective case study strategy, using documents generated by six cohorts over three academic years. The data included 180 online discussion posts, 97 individual site assessments and 32 group project reports. Data were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively to identify patterns and trends in student behaviour.
Findings
The analysis revealed a strong trend among students for creating their own evaluation frameworks in preference to reusing existing professional tools in their current form; the proportion of students who developed their own criteria or combined existing criteria in new ways shifted from 40 per cent to 80 per cent in three years. Their approaches demonstrated willingness and ability to engage in independent and creative thinking, and readiness to explore interdisciplinary and international perspectives on space. They also displayed a commitment to accessible, flexible and adaptable user-centred design for active, collaborative learning and to bringing a user perspective to their observations.
Originality/value
The focus on student-librarians provides a unique forward-looking perspective on the desirable qualities of next-generation learning spaces in academic libraries. The study documents an unprecedented range of established and novel space evaluation frameworks and tools informed by different professional disciplines. The results should be of interest to library and information science (LIS) educators and practitioners.
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Members will have heard with regret of the death, on Friday 6th May, of Miss Irene Shrigley, MA, who had been actively associated with Aslib for the past eighteen years. The…
Abstract
Members will have heard with regret of the death, on Friday 6th May, of Miss Irene Shrigley, MA, who had been actively associated with Aslib for the past eighteen years. The following tribute is sent by Mrs Stowell, Chairman of the Economics Group, and a close personal friend of the late Miss Shrigley:
Jussi Kaisjoki, Kimmo Forsman, Aapo Koski and Lauri Kettunen
In this paper, a hybrid formulation for solving time harmonic eddy current problems in terms of magnetic field h is considered. In particular, we discuss some properties of the…
Abstract
In this paper, a hybrid formulation for solving time harmonic eddy current problems in terms of magnetic field h is considered. In particular, we discuss some properties of the implicit boundary condition on the discrete level and the computation of the integral operator exploited in this context. An iterative technique is confirmed to be efficient in solving the arising, partly dense, complex linear system of equations. Furthermore, some test results, including timings for linear solvers are presented.
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Maryam Khodayari, Morteza Akbari and Pantea Foroudi
The factors involved in and obstacles to sharing economy adoption have been studied with several methods, and several models have occurred to clarify the underlying procedure of…
Abstract
The factors involved in and obstacles to sharing economy adoption have been studied with several methods, and several models have occurred to clarify the underlying procedure of sharing economy (SE) adoption, which provide contradictory and scattered findings. This chapter seeks to offer a scientific outline of the academic structure of the SE adoption domain.
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