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While a substantial amount of research has been conducted in western societies exploring public attitudes toward police (ATP) among immigrants in recent decades, the question of how recently arrived immigrants view the police in Asian societies has been largely overlooked. This study aims to explore Southeast Asian immigrants' ATP in Taiwan and how assimilation, discrimination, affirmation, procedural justice, bifocal lenses and contact experiences – viewed simultaneously – impact their perceptions.

Using a combination of convenience and snowball sampling methods, a total of 579 completed survey responses were collected in Taiwan with a response rate of 89%. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to examine key factors that impact immigrants' attitudes toward the Taiwanese police.

The findings suggest that procedural justice and assimilation are two robust and direct predictors of immigrants' attitudes toward Taiwanese police. Immigrants from Southeast Asian countries who perceive that they have been treated fairly by Taiwan police tended to report more positive ATP. Likewise, higher levels of assimilation boosted confidence in the police. In addition, both nationality and marital status had a significant impact on perceptions of the police.

This pioneering study examines immigrants' ATP among four groups of Southeast Asians in Taiwan —namely, immigrants from Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. The use of SEM strengthens the robustness of the findings derived from this study.

This paper aims to investigate the effect of lubricant viscosity model with improver on friction and lubrication of piston skirt-cylinder liner conjunction.

A dynamic calculation model is established for the piston skirt-cylinder liner conjunction of a heavy-duty commercial diesel engine, to explore the effects of two kinds of lube oil viscosity models named after polyalkyle-metacrylate-1 (PAMA1) and styrene-isoprene-copolymer (SICP) improvers on the maximum oil film viscosity, the minimum oil film thickness, the peak oil film pressure, the maximum shear rate, the friction force and the total friction power loss.

The variation trends with the crank angle of the above parameters are not changed with the difference of improvers, while obvious numerical differences are found except the maximum oil film pressure. The minimum oil film thickness and maximum shear rate of PAMA1 are larger than that of SICP, the maximum oil film viscosity of SICP is larger than that of PAMA1, which indicates that the shear-thinning effect of PAMA1 is greater, the maximum friction force on the piston of SICP is larger than that of PAMA1, and the total friction power consumption is also larger, the average friction power consumptions of SICP and PAMA1 are 385.4 and 262.8 W, respectively, with the relative difference of 31.8 per cent.

The influence of different lubricating oil additive models on the lubrication and friction of piston skirt-cylinder liner conjunction is simulated and analyzed.

Deep excavation in soft clay often causes additional deformations to surroundings. Then, if deformations cannot be predicted reasonably, the adjacent buildings may be threatened by the deep excavation. Based on the good field observations from ten deep excavations in Hangzhou, this paper aims to thoroughly investigate the characteristics of wall deflections and ground settlements induced by deep excavations.

On the basis of good field observation of ten deep excavations, the performances of excavations, supported by contiguous pile in Hangzhou, were studied, and also compared with other case histories.

The maximum wall deflections (dhm) rang mostly from 0.7 to 1.2 per cent H_e, where He is the final excavation depth, larger than those in Taipei and Shanghai. The observed maximum ground settlement in the Hangzhou cases generally ranges from 0.2 to 0.8 per cent H_e. Then, the settlement influence zone extends to a distance of 2.0-4.0 H_e from the excavation. The relatively large movements and influence zones in Hangzhou may be attributed to low stability numbers, large excavation widths and the creep effect. The excavation width is justified to have a significant influence on the wall deflection. Therefore, to establish a semi-empirical formula for predicting the maximum wall deflection, it is necessary to include the factor of excavation width.

The relevant literature concentrated on the characteristics of deep excavations supported by the contiguous pile wall in Hangzhou soft clay can rarely be found. Based on the ten deep excavations with good field observation in Hangzhou, the characteristics of wall deflection and ground settlements were comprehensively studied for the first time, which can provide some theoretical support for similar projects.

The purpose of this study is to present a simplified analytical method to estimate ground lateral displacement due to excavation. Excavations of foundation pit will inevitably lead to soil movements that may adversely impact surrounding facilities or structures. Thus, estimation of the ground displacement induced by excavation is essential in engineering practice.

Based on a theory of elastic mechanics, a simplified analytical method for predicting the ground lateral displacement resulting from foundation pit excavation is proposed.

As the distance from the soil to the supporting structure increases, the maximum ground lateral displacement decreases nonlinearly but at a reduced rate. Poisson’s ratio of soil has a mild influence on the ground lateral displacement, whereas the influence of the supporting structure’s deflection modes is significant.

The advantage of the proposed simplified analytical method lies in that it considers the supporting structure’s arbitrary deflections, giving it wider practical applicability than previous methods.

This study aims to improve detection efficiency of fluorescence biosensor or a graphene field-effect transistor biosensor. Graphene field-effect transistor biosensing and fluorescent biosensing were integrated and combined with magnetic nanoparticles to construct a multi-sensor integrated microfluidic biochip for detecting single-stranded DNA. Multi-sensor integrated biochip demonstrated higher detection reliability for a single target and could simultaneously detect different targets.

In this study, the authors integrated graphene field-effect transistor biosensing and fluorescent biosensing, combined with magnetic nanoparticles, to fabricate a multi-sensor integrated microfluidic biochip for the detection of single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Graphene films synthesized through chemical vapor deposition were transferred onto a glass substrate featuring two indium tin oxide electrodes, thus establishing conductive channels for the graphene field-effect transistor. Using π-π stacking, 1-pyrenebutanoic acid succinimidyl ester was immobilized onto the graphene film to serve as a medium for anchoring the probe aptamer. The fluorophore-labeled target DNA subsequently underwent hybridization with the probe aptamer, thereby forming a fluorescence detection channel.

This paper presents a novel approach using three channels of light, electricity and magnetism for the detection of single-stranded DNA, accompanied by the design of a microfluidic detection platform integrating biosensor chips. Remarkably, the detection limit achieved is 10 pm, with an impressively low relative standard deviation of 1.007%.

By detecting target DNA, the photo-electro-magnetic multi-sensor graphene field-effect transistor biosensor not only enhances the reliability and efficiency of detection but also exhibits additional advantages such as compact size, affordability, portability and straightforward automation. Real-time display of detection outcomes on the host facilitates a deeper comprehension of biochemical reaction dynamics. Moreover, besides detecting the same target, the sensor can also identify diverse targets, primarily leveraging the penetrative and noninvasive nature of light.

This chapter analyzes how institutional pressures have allowed for continuities as well as brought about changes in modern police organizations in Korea. When facing a legitimacy crisis, the Korean law enforcement system has typically responded with organizational restructuring. Strong myth-building patterns compensate for the lack of moral legitimacy of the police, particularly under authoritarian-military regimes that suppress democratization movements in Korea. Even after seemingly radical organizational changes aimed at placing the police under democratic control, highly institutionalized core structures of the police remain in place. Performance reform after the economic crisis, which was proceeded from reformers’ shared belief in the market-driven solutions, diagnosed the Korean police as a big, inefficient, and self-serving bureaucracy, a diagnosis that eventually caused gradual deterioration in the taken-for-grantedness of policing activities. The internet and social media made the Korean police even more vulnerable to external challenges and a questioning of its legitimacy.

Based on generic reviews of research on school leadership, this study aims to conceptualize an emerging leadership competence model for further prioritizing school leadership training needs by decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL)-based analytic network process (ANP). Targeting at a specific group of junior high school principals in Taiwan, the synthesized prioritization of core competences and competence indicators computed by DEMATEL-based ANP can be used as a blueprint for systematically developing school principal preparation programs elsewhere based on contextually specific needs and concerns.

For the purpose of detecting the priority of competences extracted from a plethora of literature in relation to school leaders’ skills, abilities and knowledge, a hybrid MCDM model, known as DEMATEL-based ANP, is used to snapshot critical leadership competences for tailoring the intended junior high school principal preparation program.

Results of global weight computations by DEMATEL-based ANP show that the overall prioritization of the five dimensions in ranking order are “Redesigning the organization,” “Related leadership practices,” “Setting Directions,” “Personal Characteristics” and “Developing People.” Factor-level analysis indicated that “Legality,” “Consensus Building,” “Shared Vision,” “Strategic Management,” “Authoritarianism,” “Modeling Behavior” and “High Performance Emphasis” were prioritized factors to be included in developing the intended school principal preparation program.

Contextually based findings yielded from DEMATEL-based ANP would only be applicable to the target context under investigation. Generalizing the findings to junior high school principals elsewhere might not be appropriate. Methods introduced in this study are extensible to further studies aiming at shaping leadership trainings in other school settings to achieve maximum impact based on contextually specific needs. Limitations associated with sophisticated mathematical computations involved in performing high-leverage MCDM models would shed light on the importance of interdisciplinary collaborations between scholars, practitioners and methodologists.

To efficiently deliver training for junior high school principals, the prioritization of core competences and competence indicators solicited by DEMATEL-based ANP can be used as a scenario-based reference for planning the intended school principal preparation program planning, as well as a mechanism for selecting and evaluating potential and incumbent school principals with desired leadership competences.

This study has used DELATEL-based ANP as a decision-making tool to disclose a plethora of competences extracted from different threads in the literature into a prioritized competence framework that differs from past one-size-fit-all approach to design and plan school principal preparation programs.

Intermediary firms are economic agents that purchase from mostly small and numerous independent producers and sell to other firms or to the public. This article investigated how intermediary firms can optimally determine both selling quantity and purchasing price of a product. By incorporating the special structure of intermediary firms′ environments and by modifying the conventional economic order quantity (EOQ) model accordingly, we provide optimal decision rules regarding the selling quantity and purchasing price for intermediary firms under profit maximisation.

The purpose of this study is to explore Swedish police education teachers’ informal workplace learning and its perceived value for their professional development. Two categories of teachers, police teachers and university teachers, with different professional knowledge and experience, work together at the police education unit.

The method used was in-depth interviews with teachers working at a Swedish police education unit.

Informal workplace learning was perceived by both teacher groups to be of great value for gaining knowledge about the local practice and for their professional development. Their learning emerged in discussions, observations and practically oriented activities in their daily work. Four conclusions: firstly, the teachers’ informal workplace learning was socially and practice-oriented and learning emerged in a collaborative, reciprocal and active process. Secondly, the embodied nature of the learning is evident in the teachers’ joint activities in the teaching practice. Thirdly, it takes time and active involvement in the local practice to become a professional teacher in this kind of education. Fourthly, an educational structure where academic knowledge and experience can be integrated with police knowledge and experience constitutes an important basis for teachers’ professional development in police education and training.

The study’s focus on police education and the professional development of teachers in this specific practice contributes to increased knowledge of the social, practice-oriented and embodied nature of informal workplace learning.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between environmental reporting and corporate governance attributes of companies in Australia.

The paper adopts a quantitative analysis approach. It examines the 2008 annual reports of the largest 100 Australian firms listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) to determine the amount of environmental reporting – these data are compared with various corporate governance measures.

Analysis found a significant positive relationship between the extent of environmental reporting and the proportions of independent and female directors on a board. The analysis did not, however, support a negative relationship between the extent of environmental reporting and institutional investors and board size as has been previously predicted, rather, it showed a positive relationship.

This paper offers insights to both regulators and company strategists. Regulators such as the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) could consider expanding its Corporate Governance Council guidelines to include consideration of the environment, which is increasingly considered to be an important aspect of corporate social responsibility, and one of the responsibilities of the board of directors. In addition, for companies which include a commitment to the environment in their mission and strategies, it suggests consideration of the impact of board structure and composition is important as both of these are shown to have a significant effect on the amount of environmental information disclosed by companies.