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This paper describes a free‐piston driven expansion tube and its instrumentation. The facility is used to generate rarefied flows at speeds of approximately 10 km/s. Although the flow in the tube itself is in the continuum regime, rarefied flow conditions are achieved by allowing the test gas to further expand as a free jet into the facility's test section. The test flow is surveyed to provide bar‐gauge pressure measurements. Numerical simulation is then used to describe more fully the test flow properties. The flows produced are suitable for the aerodynamic testing of small models at superorbital speeds and should provide data that are suitable for the calibration of Direct Simulation Monte‐Carlo codes.

Finite elements for the analysis of multilayered plates subjected to magneto‐electro‐elastic fields are developed in this work. An accurate description of the various field variables has been provided by employing a variable kinematic model which is based on the Unified Formulation, UF. Displacements, magnetic and electric potential have been chosen as independent unknowns. Equivalent single layer and layer‐wise descriptions have been accounted for. Plate models with linear up to fourth‐order distribution in the thickness direction have been compared. The extension of the principle of virtual displacements to magneto‐electro‐elastic continua has been employed to derive finite elements governing equations. According to UF these equations are presented in terms of fundamental nuclei whose form is not affected by kinematic assumptions. Results show the effectiveness of the proposed elements as well as their capability, by choosing appropriate kinematics, to accurately trace the static response of laminated plates subject to magneto‐electro‐elastic fields.

The purpose of the paper is to investigate the linear thermal buckling and vibration analysis of layered and multiphase magneto‐electro‐elastic (MEE) cylinders made of piezoelectric/piezomagnetic materials using finite element method.

The constitutive equations of MEE materials are used to derive the finite element equations involving the coupling between mechanical, electrical, magnetic and thermal fields. The present study is limited to clamped‐clamped boundary conditions. The linear thermal buckling is carried out for an axisymmetric cylinder operating in a steady state axisymmetric uniform temperature rise. The influence of stacking sequences and volume fraction of multiphase MEE materials on critical buckling temperature and vibration behaviour is investigated. The influence of coupling effects on critical buckling temperature and vibration behaviour is also studied.

The critical buckling temperature is higher for MEE axisymmetric cylinder as compared to elastic cylinder.

Linear thermal buckling and vibration analysis of MEE axisymmetric cylinders are studied using the finite element approach. The structure can be used for active vibration control, sensors and actuators. Studying the buckling and vibration behaviour of such structures and influence of coupling effect is extremely useful for the design of magnetoelectroelastic structures.

This paper aims to contest Mees’ (2010) theory that publicly owned public transport operators normatively target their resources to maximize service rather than profit. Mees argues that neoliberal governments in the Anglosphere were mistaken to privatize their undertakings, yet it is shown that the British ethos of municipal trading meant that municipalities always saw public transport as more of a business than a service.

The author uses an archival microstudy of the municipal tramway undertaking of the English city of York, using municipal archives triangulated with local and industry media sources.

The paper proposes the refination of the Mees spectrum of public transport from public to private (2010, pp. 73-75) to note that public undertakings can be operated within a profit-maximizing framework.

This paper provides a rare historical explication of an individual municipal trading enterprise and tramway system placed in its economic context together with its wider theoretical implications.

The UK government, in late 2019, announced new proposed targets for the energy efficiency legislation in the UK, MEES – Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards. The current suggestion is that all let properties, commercial or residential, need to be B rated by 2030. If this is implemented, it will have a significant impact upon the UK market property investment market.

This practice briefing is an overview of the 2018 legislation and comments on how market awareness has changed since its introduction and the potential impact upon prices of affected properties moving forward

This paper discusses how capital and rental values are beginning to be discounted in the market to allow for current and future liabilities under the MEES legislation. This has a significant impact on strategies for property investment.

This paper analyses the likelihood of (negative) capital and rental value changes under the proposed stricter energy efficiency guidelines.

This provides guidance on how valuations can be undertaken to reflect any impact of the likely changes to UK energy efficiency legislation.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of design for lean six sigma (DFLSS) on operational functions of the innovation management model by appraising an innovation management assessment framework.

An empirical approach for evaluating causal relationships among various constructs in the model phases that identify optimum pathways in achieving commercial success was adopted. A quantitative analysis of survey data were collected from large, medium and small organiations, including incubators in ANZ (Australia, New Zealand) and TMSV (Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam).

The structural equation modelling recursive path analysis results of the model provide empirical evidence and pathways through the various constructs considered in the model. All these pathways lead to delivering optimum commercialization success (CS). Furthermore, DFLSS is confirmed as an enabler and has direct one-to-one and indirect influence on all the operational function constructs of the model including commercial success.

This study had a relatively small sample size of completed responses obtained from the population and a constrained ability to compare commercialization success (CS) between the two regions in the dataset. Future studies could be conducted on a global scale to increase responses.

The research findings enabled the development of important and practical guidelines for managers and innovation practitioners engaged in planning and management of innovation.

This research offers a holistic approach for integrating DFLSS with stage gate phases of innovation management assessment framework, supported by empirical evidence, to aid organizations in effectively managing the innovation process and achieving greater success in commercialization.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the problem of the existence and propagation of a surface SH wave at the interface of two magneto‐electro‐elastic half‐spaces.

Equations of motions for magneto‐electro‐elastic materials have been used with coupling between mechanical, electric and magnetic fields. The problem is solved for four different sets of boundary conditions.

The results show that, for appropriate choice of material parameters, a non dispersive surface wave can propagate at the interface of these media. The existence condition is easier to satisfy for an electrically closed contact or no electromagnetic contact between two half‐spaces. The existence conditions can be easily satisfied for all four sets of boundary conditions if the two half‐spaces have their main symmetry axis, both parallel to the interface and perpendicular to the propagation direction, directed in the opposite directions. In this case the SH surface wave can always propagate if the two media are identical.

The magneto‐electric coupling effect has extensive applications, for example in electronic packaging, acoustic devices and medical ultrasonic imaging. The results of this paper give better understanding of the effects of the boundary conditions on the propagation of SH surface waves in magneto‐electro‐elastic materials.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the public safety risks of international construction projects (ICPs) from the perspective of threat and vulnerability. A novel and comprehensive risk assessment approach is developed from a systemic perspective and applied to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to improve the public safety risk management strategy for ICPs in BRI.

First, a public safety risk indicator system was constructed from the two dimensions, namely threat and vulnerability. Next, an integrated measurement model was constructed by combining the Genetic Algorithm-Backpropagation (GA-BP) neural network, fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method and matter-element extension (MME) method. Data from 49 countries involved in the BRI, as well as five typical projects, were used to validate the model. Finally, targeted risk prevention measures were identified for use at the national, enterprise and project levels.

The findings indicate that while the vulnerability risks of typical projects in each region of the BRI were generally low, threat risks were high in West Asia and North Africa, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries and South Asia.

First, the structure of the public safety risk system of ICPs was analyzed using vulnerability and system theories. The connotation of public safety risk was defined based on two dimensions, namely threat and vulnerability. The idea of measuring threat risk with public data and measuring vulnerability risk with project data was clarified, and the risk measurement was integrated into the measurement results to help researchers and managers understand and systematically consider the public safety risks of ICPs. Second, a public safety risk indicator system was constructed, including 18 threat risk indicators and 14 vulnerability risk indicators to address the gaps in the existing research. The MEE model was employed to overcome the problem of incompatible indicator systems and provide stable and credible integrated measurement results. Finally, the whole-process public safety risk management scheme designed in this study can help to both provide a reference point for the Chinese enterprises and oversea contractors in market selection as well as improve ICP public safety risk management.