Search results

The purpose of this paper is to solve the local problem involving strong contrast heterogeneous conductive material, with application to gas-filled porous media with both perfect and imperfect Kapitza boundary conditions at the bi-material interface. The effective parameters like the dynamic conductivity and the thermal permeability in the acoustics of porous media are also derived from the cell solution.

The Fourier transform method is used to solve frequency-dependent heat transfer problems. The periodic Lippmann–Schwinger integral equation in Fourier space with source term is first formulated using discrete Green operators and modified wavevectors, which can then be solved by iteration schemes.

Numerical examples show that the schemes converge fast and yield accurate results when compared with analytical solution for benchmark problems.

The formulation of the method is constructed using static and dynamic Green operators and can be applied to pixelized microstructure issued from tomography images.

The paper deals with the development of an improved fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based numerical method for computing the effective properties of composite conductors. The convergence of the basic FFT-based methods is recognized to depend drastically on the contrast between the phases. For instance, the primal formulation is not suited for solving the problems with high conductivity whereas the dual formulation is computationally costly for problems with high resistivity. Consequently, it raises the problem of computing the properties of composites containing both highly conductive and resistive inclusions.

In the present work, the authors' propose a new iterative scheme for solving that kind of problems which is formulated in term of the polarization.

The capability and relevance of this iterative scheme is illustrated through numerical implementation in the case of composites containing squared inclusions. It is shown that the rate of convergence is increased and thus, particularly when the case of high contrasts is considered. The predominance of the polarization based iterative scheme (PBIS) over existing ones is also illustrated in the case of a composite containing both highly conductive and highly resistive inclusions.

The method is easy to implement and uses the same ingredients as the basic schemes: the FFT and the exact expression of the Green tensor in the Fourier space. Moreover, its convergence conditions do not depend on the conductivity properties of the constituents, which then constitutes the main difference with other existing iterative schemes. The method can then be applied for computing the effective properties of composites conductors with arbitrary contrasts.

The subject of resale pricing is a hot topic in franchising, due to its links with chain homogeneity and franchisee autonomy. The franchisee is bound by current legislation and regulations, in addition to respecting the franchise contract clauses, to the extent that they are lawful, and potentially opposing contentious professional practices. Focusing on resale prices, we cover these three perspectives, that is, legal, contractual, and professional constraints, using a dual approach based on managerial and legal perspectives and illustrating our arguments using examples from European and French cases.

We illustrate our arguments using examples from European and French cases.

We pointed out that the ban on the practice of imposed resale prices presents several advantages (e.g., integrity of franchise chains, chain’s commercial dynamism).

Our paper contributes to the stream of franchising literature dealing with resale prices.

Our paper can be viewed by franchisors, franchise experts, franchisees, and franchisee candidates as a synthesis of the impact of European and French regulations on resale price-based practices to be adopted in franchise chains. It also highlights practices to be avoided in order to prevent potential conflicts.

We use a dual approach based on managerial and legal perspectives to explore resale prices in the context of franchising.

For thin cracks, in eddy current testing (ECT), the field‐flaw interaction is equivalent to a current dipole layer on its surface. The dipole density is the solution of an integral equation with a hyperstrong kernel. The variation of coil impedance and eddy current distribution is directly obtained from this density by a surface integration. There is a numerical difficulty to evaluate accurately integrals for the current density near the crack. In fact, due to the singular kernel of a dyadic Green function, the integration is quasi‐singular. A specific regularisation algorithm is developed to overcome this problem and applied to represent eddy current distribution between two cracks.

Using a semi-autoethnographic layered account format, we present the voices of 16 Native American adults as they talk about their lives and Native American Caricature Iconography (NACI). First, we explore their impressions and lived experiences with “racial formation projects” such as tribal identification cards, blood quantum calculations, genocide, child removal, boarding schools, and reservations, to contextualize why some Native Americans interpret NACI as much more than “an honor,” “tradition,” or “just good fun.” Next, we explore the Native Americans' perceptions of sports mascots, cartoons, and sculpture, after exposing them to a series of eight images of NACI. We conclude that NACIs are racial formation projects as well. By unmindfully producing and consuming NACI, we fail to interrupt and reform the racial formation projects that continue to define us all.

The problems of One‐Man‐Bands (OMBs) began to be taken seriously in the early 1980s when the Aslib OMB group was formed. The group received considerable attention in the professional press, and became the object of a study by Judith Collins and Janet Shuter who identified them as “information professionals working in isolation”. Many of the problems identified in the Collins/Shuter study remain — not least of these being the further education and training needs of OMBs. These needs are studied in this report. The author has firstly done an extensive survey of the literature to find what has been written about this branch of the profession. Then by means of a questionnaire sent to the Aslib OMB group and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (INVOG), training and education needs have been pinpointed. Some of these needs have then been explored in greater detail by means of case studies. The author found that the most common deterrents to continuing education and training were time, cost, location, finding suitable courses to cover the large variety of skills needed and lastly, lack of encouragement from employers. The author has concluded by recommending areas where further research is needed, and suggesting some solutions to the problems discussed.