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The trend in computer‐based risk and reliability assessment is foreseen as moving away from current algorithmic methods, towards information systems built around human‐like reasoning processes. Here a trial Computer‐Aided Risk Evaluation system under development at Cranfield Institute of Technology is outlined. The system is being programmed using the logic programming language, PROLOG. The method of representing materials failure knowledge within the system is described, and problems associated with endowing the system with a measure of intelligence are discussed. Ideas for future development of such systems are presented.

Hostile corporate acquisitions, which were virtually non‐existent a decade ago, have currently become one of the most publicized types of business transactions. Rumors about takeovers have had an enormous impact on stock market trading volume and price behavior for the past several years. This paper traces the legal, regulatory, and financial developments of the 1980s which have created an environment favorable to hostile takeovers, and it discusses controversial behaviors of corporate acquirers and defenders.

Infanticide stands out as a crime which, in England and Wales, has been marked for at least 200 years by deep-rooted continuities in its representation and treatment by both the criminal justice system and the media, despite the massive political, economic, social, legislative and cultural changes that occurred over this period. Particularly remarkable about this long-standing discourse is its routine emphasis that the guilty mother is also a victim of tragic circumstances that led to the crime and deserving of sympathetic treatment. It also invariably sets infanticide apart as a ‘special case’ which does not necessarily fit with either medical or legal definitions of diminished criminal responsibility. Perhaps surprisingly, this framing of women who commit infanticide stresses not only their ‘normality’ prior to the offence but also their ‘respectability’, a sharp contrast to the sometimes overtly misogynistic representation of other types of women offenders. This chapter argues that it is above all ‘respectability’ that profoundly shaped the cultural script relating to infanticide in England and Wales between 1800 and 2000, and that this continues to exert a powerful legacy on the relatively small number of cases that now comes before the courts in the twenty-first century.

The number of students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds continue to increase in classrooms across the United States. These students have complex needs as they experience more barriers to success when compared to their peers. These barriers are further compounded when CLD students are also identified as having disabilities. To address the barriers and meet the needs of CLD students with disabilities, teaching professionals should move away from the traditional American educational values of individual freedom and self-reliance, equal opportunity and competition, and material wealth and hard work. Conversely, schools and teaching professionals should incorporate the modern values of social justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging when working with students from CLD backgrounds who have disabilities. This chapter presents these values and provides recommendations for teaching professionals and schools.

Human perceptions, attitudes, and relationships are shaped by worldviews and values. The rich mosaic of worldviews in today's fast-changing global village, where cultures interact and information flows freely, challenge educators and students. Worldviews influence problem modeling and solutions. Worldviews give us psychological confidence that the world is as we see it, safe, secure, and belonging. Each worldview is consistent with the assumptions, ideals, and analytical processes. Values define behavior, attitudes and decision-making. The global higher education system's long history and recent developments in globalization, technological innovations, and internationalization make it even more complex. Globally, higher education is evolving rapidly. Global political, economic, social, technological, and environmental factors promote rapid change. Higher education institutions have struggled to adapt to these developments due to limited resources and capacity. Growing demand has created new business models and institutions. Access, equity, inclusion, and quality are new issues that emerged. To be relevant in a rapidly changing environment, higher education institutions must adapt to the knowledge society and growing need for access. This anthology contains 14 thought-provoking studies on worldviews and values in teaching-learning, curricula, assessment, and outcomes.

The 28th annual conference of Aslib, held at Nottingham University from 11th to 14th September, 1953, proved to be the largest that Aslib has so far organized. A list of those present is printed on pp. 254–260. Yet again Aslib was glad to be able to welcome a number of overseas guests and members, including Dr. and Mrs. Lancour and their small daughter from the U.S.A., Drs. and Mrs. van Dijk and Miss Rom from the Netherlands, Mr. M. S. Dandekar and Mr. J. V. Karandikar from India, Miss D. M. Leach from Canada, and Mrs. T. Collin from Norway. Mr. Walter A. Southern, a Fulbright scholar from the U.S.A. affiliated to Aslib during his year's study in the United Kingdom, represented the Special Libraries Association, and Mr. J. E. Holmstrom attended as an observer on behalf of Unesco.

IN every decade some word is thrown to the surface of men's minds and proves powerful enough to colour and condition their thinking. At present the word is automation. We see it as the crucible to resolve all our production problems, the formula to express our hopes for the future.

This article aims to study a model of flame propagation in a nonhomogeneous medium with a p-Laplacian operator. The intention with such operator is to model the effects of slow and fast diffusion, that can appear in a nonhomogeneous media, depending on the pressure driven conditions. In addition, the authors introduce a general form in the reaction term, that introduces the flame chemical kinetics.

To introduce the governing equations, the authors depart from previously reported models in flame propagation, but the authors consider a new modeling approach based on a p-Laplacian operator.

The authors provide evidences of regularity and uniqueness of solutions. Afterward, the authors introduce profiles of stationary solutions based on the definition of a Hamiltonian for the newly discussed model. Eventually, the authors obtain exponential profiles solutions with the help of a scaling, that transforms the model into a nonlinear Hamilton–Jacobi equation.

The new model has not been previously reported in the literature. The authors consider that the mathematical properties of a p-laplacian (in particular the property known as finite propagation) is of inherent interest to model pressure drive flames with slow or fast diffusion. Indeed, the authors’ approach has the value of providing an operator that can fit better to model flame propagation. In addition, the authors introduce a general form of chemical kinetics, to make the authors’ model further general.

The purpose of this viewpoint paper is to assist in finding solutions for the growing moral and social issues of financial crime plaguing corporations today.

Methodology includes the synthesis of existing theories in economic sociology and criminology to “diagnose” and “treat” the existing flaws in corporate structures that have led to malaise and malfeasance. Theories include differential association, self‐control, and control balance, taking into consideration the characteristics of individuals and corporate structures.

Findings suggest that corporate structure has to be critically scrutinized and changes implemented, including close examination of informal and formal communication and salary structures.

This paper suggests concrete strategies and policy changes for regulators, corporate decision makers, and academics.

The synthesis of existing theories in white collar malfeasance and crime provides a template to increase corporate social responsibility and promote policy/regulatory changes in the current economic climate.

The purpose of the paper is to develop a methodology to characterize the rheological behaviour of macroscopic non-Brownian suspensions, like solder paste, based on microstructural evolution.

A structure-based kinetics model, whose parameters are derived analytically based on assumptions valid for any macroscopic suspension, is developed to describe the rheological behaviour of a given fluid. The values of the parameters are then determined based on experiments conducted at a constant shear rate. The parameter values, obtained from the model, are then adjusted using an optimization algorithm using the mean deviation from experiments as the cost function to replicate the measured rheology. A commercially available solder paste is used as the test fluid for the proposed method.

The initial parameter values obtained through the analytical model indicates a structural breakdown that is much slower than observations. But optimizing the parameter values, especially the ones associated with the structural breakdown, replicates the thixotropic behaviour of the solder paste reasonably well, but it fails to capture the structure build-up during the three interval thixotropy test.

The structural kinetics model tends to under-predict the structure build-up rate.

This study details a more realistic prediction of the rheological behaviour of macroscopic suspensions like solder paste, thermal interface materials and other functional materials. The proposed model can be used to characterize different solder pastes and other functional fluids based on the structure build-up and breakdown rates. The model can also be used as the viscosity definitions in numerical simulations instead of simpler models like Carreau–Yasuda and cross-viscosity models.

The rheological description of the solder paste is critical in determining its validity for a given application. The methodology described in the paper provides a better description of thixotropy without relying on the existing rheological measurements or the behaviour predicted by a standard power-law model. The proposed model can also provide transient viscosity predictions when shear rates vary in time.