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This paper aims to provide designers/engineers, in engineering structural design and analysis, approaches to freely and accurately modify structures (geometric and/or material), and then quickly provide real-time capability to obtain the numerical solutions of the modified structures (designs).

The authors propose an isogeometric independent coefficients (IGA-IC) method for a fast reanalysis of structures with geometric and material modifications. Firstly, the authors seamlessly integrate computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided engineering (CAE) by capitalizing upon isogeometric analysis (IGA). Hence, the authors can easily modify the structural geometry only by changing the control point positions without tedious transformations between CAE and CAD models; and modify material characters simply based on knots vectors. Besides, more accurate solutions can be obtained because of the high order degree of the spline functions that are used as interpolation functions. Secondly, the authors advance the proposed independent coefficients method within IGA for fast numerical simulation of the modified designs, thereby significantly reducing the enormous time spent in repeatedly numerical evaluations.

This proposed scheme is efficient and accurate for modifying the structural geometry by simply changing the control point positions, and material characters by knots vectors. The enormous time spent in repeated full numerical simulations for reanalysis is significantly reduced. Hence, enabling quickly modifying structural geometry and material, and analyzing the modified model for practicality in design stages.

The authors herein advance and propose the IGA-IC scheme. Where, it provides designers to fasten and simple designs and modify structures (both geometric and material). It then can quickly in real-time obtain numerical solutions of the modified structures. It is a powerful tool in practical engineering design and analysis process for local modification. While this method is an approximation method designed for local modifications, it generally cannot provide an exact numerical solution and its effectiveness for large modification deserves further study.

The purpose of this paper is to establish and implement a direct topological reanalysis algorithm for general successive structural modifications, based on the updating matrix triangular factorization (UMTF) method for non-topological modification proposed by Song et al. [Computers and Structures, 143(2014):60-72].

In this method, topological modifications are viewed as a union of symbolic and numerical change of structural matrices. The numerical part is dealt with UMTF by directly updating the matrix triangular factors. For symbolic change, an integral structure which consists of all potential nodes/elements is introduced to avoid side effects on the efficiency during successive modifications. Necessary pre- and post processing are also developed for memory-economic matrix manipulation.

The new reanalysis algorithm is applicable to successive general structural modifications for arbitrary modification amplitudes and locations. It explicitly updates the factor matrices of the modified structure and thus guarantees the accuracy as full direct analysis while greatly enhancing the efficiency.

Examples including evolutionary structural optimization and sequential construction analysis show the capability and efficiency of the algorithm.

This innovative paper makes direct topological reanalysis be applicable for successive structural modifications in many different areas.

The purpose of this paper is to develop new constitutive models to predict the soil deformation moduli using multi expression programming (MEP). The soil deformation parameters formulated are secant (Es) and reloading (Er) moduli.

MEP is a new branch of classical genetic programming. The models obtained using this method are developed upon a series of plate load tests conducted on different soil types. The best models are selected after developing and controlling several models with different combinations of the influencing parameters. The validation of the models is verified using several statistical criteria. For more verification, sensitivity and parametric analyses are carried out.

The results indicate that the proposed models give precise estimations of the soil deformation moduli. The Es prediction model provides considerably better results than the model developed for Er. The Es formulation outperforms several empirical models found in the literature. The validation phases confirm the efficiency of the models for their general application to the soil moduli estimation. In general, the derived models are suitable for fine‐grained soils.

These equations may be used by designers to check the general validity of the laboratory and field test results or to control the solutions developed by more in‐depth deterministic analyses.

Major shifts in the southern hemisphere circulation occurred during the mid‐1970s concurrent with large reductions in southern Australian winter rainfall associated with decreased cyclogenesis. The purpose of this paper is to study changes in cyclogenesis over southern Australia during the last 50 years, examine the ability of coupled climate models to simulate the winter circulation changes, and discuss projected changes in winter circulation and rainfall under different climate change scenarios.

Three dimensional instability theory is used to study changes in cyclogenesis. The response of 22 coupled model intercomparison project three (CMIP3) IPCC climate models to observed increases in greenhouse gases, from pre‐industrial to the end of the twentieth century, is examined. The authors focus on two diagnostics closely related to the changes in cyclogenesis: changes in the 300 hPa zonal wind strength; and changes in the baroclinic instability. Projected changes in baroclinic instability and rainfall are investigated in SRESB1, SRESA1B and SRESA2 scenarios.

There has been a 30 per cent reduction in the growth rate of the leading storm track mode crossing southern Australia in the 1975‐1994 period, and a 37 per cent reduction in the 1997‐2006 period, when compared to 1949‐1968. Most of the CMIP3 models capture the changes in the zonal wind; only about a third the changes in baroclinic instability. Projected changes in baroclinic instability and rainfall suggest further reductions in the growth rate of storm track modes and further large reductions in rainfall over southern Australia.

The paper addresses a major cause of the reduction in Australian winter rainfall, and provides guidance on future‐projected changes.

When assimilation processes occur, expectations have a direct impact on experiences, and experiences bias the memory for prior expectations. Reports the results of two studies which examine assimilation processes using path analysis. Formulates implications and recommendations for service management and for research.

Investigates the efficiency of hybrid solution methods when incorporated into large‐scale topology and shape optimization problems and to demonstrate their influence on the overall performance of the optimization algorithms. Implements three innovative solution methods based on the preconditioned conjugate gradient (PCG) and Lanczos algorithms. The first method is a PCG algorithm with a preconditioner resulted from a complete or an incomplete Cholesky factorization, the second is a PCG algorithm in which a truncated Neumann series expansion is used as preconditioner, and the third is a preconditioned Lanczos algorithm properly modified to treat multiple right‐hand sides. The numerical tests presented demonstrate the computational advantages of the proposed methods which become more pronounced in large‐scale and/or computationally intensive optimization problems.

This chapter develops a novel bootstrap procedure to obtain robust bias-corrected confidence intervals in regression discontinuity (RD) designs. The procedure uses a wild bootstrap from a second-order local polynomial to estimate the bias of the local linear RD estimator; the bias is then subtracted from the original estimator. The bias-corrected estimator is then bootstrapped itself to generate valid confidence intervals (CIs). The CIs generated by this procedure are valid under conditions similar to Calonico, Cattaneo, and Titiunik’s (2014) analytical correction – that is, when the bias of the naive RD estimator would otherwise prevent valid inference. This chapter also provides simulation evidence that our method is as accurate as the analytical corrections and we demonstrate its use through a reanalysis of Ludwig and Miller’s (2007) Head Start dataset.

In the field of strategic investment decision making (SIDM) a body of research has grown up via international case studies and organisation-based fieldwork. However, there has been little systematic theorisation around SIDM processes and practices. The purpose of this paper is to show how strong structuration theory (SST) can be employed to guide how future SIDM studies are conducted and theorised.

The authors draw upon the concepts from SST to reanalyse prior empirically based work. The authors apply SST-informed analysis to four SIDM case studies selected from the total of 18 published over the period 1970-2016 to explore the utility of SST compared with other approaches.

The analysis highlights the role of agents’ knowledgeability and position-practice relations in SIDM, which has largely been neglected by prior studies. The authors demonstrate the potential of SST to inform meso-level theorising by applying it to four published case studies. Whilst the authors argue for the adoption of SST, the authors also identify key methodological and conceptual issues in using SST in SIDM research.

The examples and recommendations could assist management accounting researchers, particularly those engaged in case studies and organisational fieldwork, to build knowledge via the improved comparison, integration and theorisation of cases undertaken by different researchers in different contexts.

The authors offer a bridge between SST concepts and case study evidence for theorising, carrying out and analysing case study and field research on SIDM.

This case study research report aims to include collecting additional field interviews with the original and additional executives participating in the original case study (on the Zaplet software applications firm) to enhance the interpretations by the original case study investigators as well as add‐in downstream events occurring after the original report. The focus of the study is to increase descriptive knowledge and understanding of innovation and diffusion processes in developing high‐tech disruptive software technologies.

The study includes an application of the long‐interview method and reinterpretation of original case data along with preparing and interpreting decision system analysis and chronological maps.

The reinterpretation and expansion of the original case study illustrate dramatic revisions in plans and implementing new applications following positive and negative responses by third‐parties and lead‐user customers to alpha and beta designs. Concrete field trials occur frequently in shaping where and how the firm goes about changing its direction. Third‐parties play critical roles in multiple time periods in shaping the firm's new product development direction.

The case study reanalysis and expansion are generalizable to innovation and diffusion theory and not to a specific population of firms.

The paper illustrates the wisdom of Tom Peter's dictum, “Put it to tin quickly” and Dwight Eisenhower's focus on improvising, “The plan is nothing, planning is everything.”

Formal sensemaking of what happened helps to destroy the myth that executives must have the resources before innovating. Resources follow vision and action (implementing) is the hidden and great lesson of this paper – what Tom Peters means when he writes about the value in creating a “skunk works” – using “borrowed” time, material, places, and creative juices to make things happen.

The purpose of this paper is to offer a critical review of the work of Tom Peters.

Notes a degree of narrative experimentation in the works of Tom Peters. Offers a narrative typology to describe this narrative change, suggests a number of reasons for this narrative experimentation and outlines topics for future research in this area.

The paper suggests that Peters' narrative experimentation reflects twin frustrations. Namely Peters' frustration with the short‐term orientations and innate conservatism of the US business élite and peripheralization in Corporate America.

The paper proposes an original narrative typology for the examination of Peters' work and suggests directions for future research.