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1 – 10 of over 13000Introduces papers from this area of expertise from the ISEF 1999 Proceedings. States the goal herein is one of identifying devices or systems able to provide prescribed…
Abstract
Introduces papers from this area of expertise from the ISEF 1999 Proceedings. States the goal herein is one of identifying devices or systems able to provide prescribed performance. Notes that 18 papers from the Symposium are grouped in the area of automated optimal design. Describes the main challenges that condition computational electromagnetism’s future development. Concludes by itemizing the range of applications from small activators to optimization of induction heating systems in this third chapter.
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Bozidar Sarler and Jure Mencinger
The axisymmetric steady‐state convective‐diffusive thermal field problem associated with direct‐chill, semi‐continuously cast billets has been solved using the dual reciprocity…
Abstract
The axisymmetric steady‐state convective‐diffusive thermal field problem associated with direct‐chill, semi‐continuously cast billets has been solved using the dual reciprocity boundary element method. The solution is based on a formulation which incorporates the one‐phase physical model, Laplace equation fundamental solution weighting, and scaled augmented thin plate splines for transforming the domain integrals into a finite series of boundary integrals. Realistic non‐linear boundary conditions and temperature variation of all material properties are included. The solution is verified by comparison with the results of the classical finite volume method. Results for a 0.500[m] diameter Al 4.5 per cent Cu alloy billet at typical casting conditions are given.
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The commentary aims to consider the nexus between corporate marketing, ethical corporate marketing, ethical corporate identity and corporate social responsibility. It seeks to…
Abstract
Purpose
The commentary aims to consider the nexus between corporate marketing, ethical corporate marketing, ethical corporate identity and corporate social responsibility. It seeks to take an explicit internal organisational perspective. It also aims to identify future research avenues.
Design/methodology/approach
The commentary explains the relevance of the previous interlinking concepts with a discussion based on a review of past and current research.
Findings
While highlighting the need for a fundamental reappraisal of marketing at the organisational level, it outlines potential problems and pitfalls with internal organisational ethical alignment, between employees and their organisation's ethical corporate identity.
Practical implications
Enhanced appreciation for ethical corporate marketing and identity along with some of the challenges faced with internal ethical alignment, can help organisations and institutions to become more astute with the management of internal stakeholder relationships.
Originality/value
The employee perspective for ethical corporate marketing, ethical corporate identity and corporate social responsibility are all relatively under‐researched. This commentary attempts to address this by providing an overview of these intertwining concepts in relation to internal ethical concerns.
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Carolyn H. Hughes‐Scholes and Martine B. Powell
The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of leading questions used by a representative sample of investigative interviewers of children. In particular, it examined…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of leading questions used by a representative sample of investigative interviewers of children. In particular, it examined whether these interviewers use the type of questions that are known to elicit reports of false activities or events among child samples.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 82 police officers who were authorized to conduct interviews with alleged child abuse victims conducted individual mock interviews with children aged 5‐7 years. The focus of the interviews was an event that was staged in the children's school a week earlier. Prior to the interview, each officer was provided with accurate and inaccurate information about the event, including details about an activity that did not occur. The officers' task was to elicit as detailed and accurate account of the event as possible using the techniques they would “normally” use in the field.
Findings
Although the officers refrained from using coercive interview techniques, two problematic types of questions were relatively common. These include: questions that presumed that an activity/detail occurred that had not been previously mentioned by the child; and questions that included highly specific details about an activity. Both of these techniques had featured in prior laboratory research on children's false event narratives.
Research limitations/implications
These results support the need for better training techniques for assisting officers to avoid the use of leading questions.
Originality/value
While it is well established that investigative interviewers do sometimes use leading questions when interviewing children, this is the first study to specify the incidence of various types of leading questions.
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John Blenkinsopp, Nick Snowden, Russell Mannion, Martin Powell, Huw Davies, Ross Millar and Jean McHale
The purpose of this paper is to review existing research on whistleblowing in healthcare in order to develop an evidence base for policy and research.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review existing research on whistleblowing in healthcare in order to develop an evidence base for policy and research.
Design/methodology/approach
A narrative review, based on systematic literature protocols developed within the management field.
Findings
The authors identify valuable insights on the factors that influence healthcare whistleblowing, and how organizations respond, but also substantial gaps in the coverage of the literature, which is overly focused on nursing, has been largely carried out in the UK and Australia, and concentrates on the earlier stages of the whistleblowing process.
Research limitations/implications
The review identifies gaps in the literature on whistleblowing in healthcare, but also draws attention to an unhelpful lack of connection with the much larger mainstream literature on whistleblowing.
Practical implications
Despite the limitations to the existing literature important implications for practice can be identified, including enhancing employees’ sense of security and providing ethics training.
Originality/value
This paper provides a platform for future research on whistleblowing in healthcare, at a time when policymakers are increasingly aware of its role in ensuring patient safety and care quality.
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Qingfu Zhang, Jianyong Sun, Edward Tsang and John Ford
This paper introduces a new hybrid evolutionary algorithm (EA) for continuous global optimization problems, called estimation of distribution algorithm with local search (EDA/L)…
Abstract
This paper introduces a new hybrid evolutionary algorithm (EA) for continuous global optimization problems, called estimation of distribution algorithm with local search (EDA/L). Like other EAs, EDA/L maintains and improves a population of solutions in the feasible region. Initial candidate solutions are generated by uniform design, these solutions evenly scatter over the feasible solution region. To generate a new population, a marginal histogram model is built based on the global statistical information extracted from the current population and then new solutions are sampled from the model thus built. The incomplete simplex method applies to every new solution generated by uniform design or sampled from the histogram model. Unconstrained optimization by diagonal quadratic approximation applies to several selected resultant solutions of the incomplete simplex method at each generation. We study the effectiveness of main components of EDA/L. The experimental results demonstrate that EDA/L is better than four other recent EAs in terms of the solution quality and the computational cost.
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Rtimi Youness and Frederic Messine
In magnetostatics, topology optimization (TO) addresses the problem of finding the distributions of both current densities and ferromagnetic materials to comply with fixed…
Abstract
Purpose
In magnetostatics, topology optimization (TO) addresses the problem of finding the distributions of both current densities and ferromagnetic materials to comply with fixed magnetic specifications. The purpose of this paper is to develop TO in order to design Hall-effect Thrusters (HETs).
Design/methodology/approach
In fact, TO problems are known to be large-scale optimization problems. The authors therefore adopt the adjoint method to reduce the computation time required to obtain the gradient information. In this paper, they illustrate the continuous variant of the adjoint method in the context of magnetostatics TO. Herein, the authors propose an implementation of the adjoint method then use it within a gradient-based optimization solver fmincon-MATLAB to solve a HET TO design problem.
Findings
By comparison with finite difference method, the authors validate the accuracy of the suggested implementation of the adjoint method. Then, they solve a large-scale HET TO design problem. The resultant design of TO is distinctly original and not intuitive.
Research limitations/implications
In this paper, the authors introduce TO as a tool that has allowed them to explore new and innovative design of a HET. However, although the design presented is original, its manufacture is not feasible. Thus, a discussion section has been included at the end of paper to suggest a possible way to concretize topological solutions.
Practical implications
TO helps to explore more original design possibilities. In this paper, the authors present an implementation of the adjoint method that makes it possible to solve efficiently and in less central processing unit time large-scale TO design problem.
Originality/value
An easy implementation of the adjoint method is presented in magnetostatics TO. This implementation was first validated by comparison with the finite difference method and then used to solve a large-scale design problem. The result of the TO design problem is distinctly original and non-intuitive.
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J. SIKORA, W. KWIATKOWSKI and H. KRAUS
A new method of designing electromagnetic devices especially high‐voltage ones, is presented. As a result of applying a sequential quadratic programing algorithm and a very…
Abstract
A new method of designing electromagnetic devices especially high‐voltage ones, is presented. As a result of applying a sequential quadratic programing algorithm and a very effective algorithm for non‐linear minimax optimization, a flexible method for computer aided design of high‐voltage and semiconductor devices has been obtained. The minimax algorithm is based on a successive linear approximation of the functions defining the problem. In each iteration step these functions are computed with the aid of the finite element method. The resulting linear subproblems are solved in the minimax sense subject to the linear equality and inequality constraints. Applications of these two methods for the designing some parts of the high‐voltage devices are presented.
Rebecca Wright and Martine B. Powell
The purpose of this paper is to examine police officers' perceptions about their role in interviewing children, and to compare these perceptions with those of child eyewitness…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine police officers' perceptions about their role in interviewing children, and to compare these perceptions with those of child eyewitness memory experts.
Design/methodology/approach
A diverse sample of 23 police officers (from three states of Australia) individually participated in in‐depth interviews where they were asked to define what makes a good interviewer in the area of child abuse investigation.
Findings
Irrespective of the background of the officers, the important role of interviewers' personal attributes was emphasised (e.g. having a relaxed, empathetic, warm nature). Such personal attributes were more prominent in the participants' descriptions than knowledge of legislation and children's development, prior job experience, and interviewing techniques.
Research limitations/implications
The paper shows that while child eyewitness memory experts acknowledge the importance of establishing a bond of mutual trust between the interviewer and the child, the importance of utilising an open‐ended questioning style for enhancing rapport, and for eliciting a detailed and accurate account of abuse cannot be overstated. The possible reasons for the police officers' emphasis on personal qualities are discussed.
Originality/value
This paper has revealed that limitations in the competency of police officers in interviewing children is not merely a problem of “doing” (i.e. learning to ask open‐ended questions), but may also reflect ingrained attitudinal and organisational barriers.
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