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The design of space-efficient support hardware for built-in self-testing (BIST) is of immense significance in the synthesis of present day very large-scale integration (VLSI) circuits and systems, particularly in the context of design paradigm shift from system-on-board to system-on-chip (SOC). This paper presents an overview of the general problem of designing zero-aliasing or aliasing-free space compression hardware in relation to embedded cores-based SOC for single stuck-line faults in particular, extending the well-known concepts of conventional switching theory, and of incompatibility relation to generate maximal compatibility classes (MCCs) utilizing graph theory concepts, based on optimal generalized sequence mergeability, as developed by the authors in earlier works. The paper briefly presents the mathematical basis of selection criteria for merger of an optimal number of outputs of the module under test (MUT) for realizing maximum compaction ratio in the design, along with extensive simulation results on International Symposium on Circuits and Systems or ISCAS 85 combinational and ISCAS 89 full-scan sequential benchmark circuits, with simulation programs ATALANTA, FSIM, and COMPACTEST.

The implementation of fault testing environment for embedded cores-based digital circuits is a challenging endeavor. The subject paper aims developing techniques in design verification and test architecture utilizing well-known concepts of hardware and software co-design. There are available methods to ensure correct functionality, in both hardware and software, for embedded cores-based systems but one of the most used and acceptable approaches to realize this is through the use of design-for-testability (DFT). Specifically, applications of built-in self-test (BIST) methodology in testing embedded cores are considered in the paper, with specific implementations being targeted towards the International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS) 85 combinational benchmark circuits.

The purpose of this paper is to present the sensing mechanism, design issues, performance evaluation and applications for planar capacitive sensors. In the context of characterisation and imaging of a dielectric material under test (MUT), a systematic study of sensor modelling, features and design issues is needed. In addition, the influencing factors on sensitivity distribution, and the effect of conductivity on sensor performance need to be further studied for planar capacitive sensors.

While analytical methods can provide accurate solutions to sensors of simple geometries, numerical modelling is preferred to obtain sensor response to different design parameters and properties of MUT, and to derive the sensitivity distributions of various electrode designs. Several important parameters have been used to evaluate the response of the sensors in different sensing modes. The designs of different planar capacitive sensor arrays are presented and experimentally evaluated.

The response features and design guidelines for planar capacitive sensors in different sensing modes have been summarised, showing that the sensor in the transmission mode or the single‐electrode mode is suitable for material characterisation and imaging, while the sensor in the shunt mode is suitable for proximity/displacement measurement. The sensitivity distribution of the sensor depends largely on the geometry of the electrodes. Conductivity causes positive changes for the sensor in the transmission and single‐electrode mode, but negative changes for the sensor in the shunt mode. Experimental results confirm that sensing depths of the sensor arrays and the influence of buried conductor on capacitance measurements are in agreement with simulations.

Experimental verification is needed when a sensor is designed.

This paper provides a comprehensive study for planar capacitive sensors in terms of sensor design, evaluation and applications.

At the Royal Society of Health annual conference, no less a person than the editor of the B.M.A.'s “Family Doctor” publications, speaking of the failure of the anti‐smoking campaign, said we “had to accept that health education did not work”; viewing the difficulties in food hygiene, there are many enthusiasts in public health who must be thinking the same thing. Dr Trevor Weston said people read and believed what the health educationists propounded, but this did not make them change their behaviour. In the early days of its conception, too much was undoubtedly expected from health education. It was one of those plans and schemes, part of the bright, new world which emerged in the heady period which followed the carnage of the Great War; perhaps one form of expressing relief that at long last it was all over. It was a time for rebuilding—housing, nutritional and living standards; as the politicians of the day were saying, you cannot build democracy—hadn't the world just been made “safe for democracy?”—on an empty belly and life in a hovel. People knew little or nothing about health or how to safeguard it; health education seemed right and proper at this time. There were few such conceptions in France which had suffered appalling losses; the poilu who had survived wanted only to return to his fields and womenfolk, satisfied that Marianne would take revenge and exact massive retribution from the Boche!

The purpose of this paper is to present a novel dynamometer employing direct torque control (DTC) method, which has wide application prospects in the industry field.

Conventional dynamometers such as eddy dynamometers waste energy, waste water, and operate inconveniently. In this paper, a novel digital electric power dynamometer is proposed which uses a three‐phase squirrel‐cage induction machine as the loading machine. The system uses a digital signal processor named TMS320LF2407A as the controller to control the three‐phase induction machine employing an improved DTC for precise torque tracking. The power dynamometer is in generating mode, using the common‐DC‐bus to implement energy circulating or through the energy regenerating unit feeding back the networks energy. A direct‐torque‐controller dynamometer allows very fast torque responses and flexible control. The load torque is regulated conveniently and swiftly.

Simulations and experiment results show that the design of the electronic power dynamometer based on improved DTC is proper, the control is simple, and digitized and is simple to use.

The precise torque controls are the main limitations for the high‐performance power dynamometer applied. Torque ripples should be small.

Power dynamometer based on DTC is one of the novel ones worth being generalized in place of conventional dynamometers.

The new approach of a novel digital power dynamometer based on an improved DTC is introduced.

This chapter explores how experimental learning and transfer of learning can be designed in professional Master of Public Administration (MPA) programmes when external conditions constrain the application of learning formats that require the personal contact of students and/or the cooperation of the student’s employer.

The authors conduct a single case study of the professional MPA programme at the University of Kassel in Germany. The programme is based on the principles of blended learning with a high share of online teaching. The analysis is based on semi-structured interviews with students, document analysis and practical experience by one of the authors.

The study shows that attempts of bridging theory and practice have proved challenging in the past, which has, for instance, resulted in changes of course modules aiming directly at linking both domains. The findings are presented and discussed in the light of three different perspectives: (1) learning outcomes of professional MPAs and the theory-practice-nexus in a systems theory perspective; (2) the impacts of administrative culture; and (3) didactical/micro-level perspective. Furthermore, recommendations for practical purposes are derived.

The exploratory study does not provide strong generalisable results but aims at enriching the academic discussion as well as points to solutions for the practice.

Beyond useful insights on how (elements of) experimental learning are or might be implemented in the PA masters’ programme under study, the chapter offers a more generalised discussion of the challenges contextual factors might pose to the implementation of experimental learning formats and discusses possible solutions to overcome such challenges.

In many cases, the external pipelines of aero-engine are subjected to random excitation. The purpose of this paper is to reduce the vibration response of the pipeline system effectively by adjusting the hoop layout.

In this paper, a spatial pipeline supported by multi-hoops is taken as the object, the methods of solution of the vibration response of the pipeline system by using pseudo excitation and hoop layouts optimization with amplitude reduction of vibration response as the goal are presented. First, the finite element model of the spatial pipeline system is presented. Then, an optimization model spatial pipeline is established. Finally, a case study is carried out to prove the rationality of the random vibration response analysis of the pipeline system. Furthermore, the proposed optimization model and genetic algorithm are applied to optimize the hoop layout.

The results show that the maximum response variance after optimization is reduced by 32.8%, which proves the rationality of the developed hoop layout optimization method.

The pseudo excitation method is used to solve the vibration response of aero-engine pipeline system, and the optimization of the hoop layout for aero-engine spatial pipelines under random excitation to reduce random vibration response is studied systematically.

The purpose of this paper is to consider the problem of university lecture timetabling. Timetabling deals with the problem of placing certain resources into a limited number of time slots, subject to given constraints, in order to satisfy a set of stated objectives to the highest possible extent. It is a well‐known and established NP‐hard problem. University timetabling is a major administrative activity especially in the third world universities. Solving the problem requires dynamic heuristics with predictable performance especially as the number of courses increases without corresponding increase in needed resources.

A genetic algorithm metaheuristic is designed to handle a real‐life case study. Given the present structure of the case study, a modular approach to the design of the timetable schedules is adopted. The approach considers timetable in a bottom‐up fashion at the various levels of department, faculty or entire university. Simulation study is conducted using the open source Java IDE, Eclipse^® 3.0 in a window XP/vista environment running on a processor of 1.12 GHz.

Using the data sub‐set from the case study, simulation experiments are conducted based on the proposed method and obtained promising results.

Given the modular approach, the timetable system can easily be adapted to other various levels in the institution.

With reference to the case study, this is believed to be the first application of metaheuristics to a timetabling problem. The sensitivity analysis of the algorithm parameters is very valuable in guiding actual application development for the problem.

Presence of innumerable sensors, complex deduction of contexts from sensor data, and reusability of contextual information impose the requirement of middleware for context aware computing. Smart applications, hosted in myriad devices (e.g. PDA, mobile, PCs), acquire different contexts from the middleware and act intelligently based on the available contexts in a context‐aware computing environment. As the system grows larger, scalable delivery of contexts from the middleware to numerous context‐aware applications will be inevitable. However, pure unicast based or pure broadcast‐based dissemination cannot provide high scalability as well as low‐average latency. The purpose of this paper is to present a scalable context delivery mechanism for the middlewares to facilitate the development of larger context‐aware computing systems.

The proposed scheme is based on hybrid data dissemination technique where the most frequently requested data (e.g. HOT contexts) are delivered through multicast and the rest (e.g. COLD contexts) are delivered through unicast to reduce network traffic. The paper dynamically prioritizes and classifies the HOT and COLD context data depending on the number of requests and longest waiting time. Moreover, the division of bandwidth between the delivery of HOT and COLD contexts reduces average latency. Polling traffic is decreased by incorporating leasing mechanism. Extensive simulation is conducted to evaluate the proposed scheme.

The mechanism dynamically prioritizes and classifies the hot and cold context data depending on the request rate and longest waiting time. The solution addresses the push popularity problem that occurs in the passive as the passive clients access data without sending explicit requests. The leasing mechanism is incorporated to reduce the periodical requests (polling) for better performance.

The paper is of value in presenting a scalable context delivery mechanism for the middlewares to facilitate the development of larger context‐aware computing systems and also in presenting implementation details of a prototype that is developed using Jini framework and Java reliable multicast service (JRMS) library.

Contemporary public service innovations to an important degree are initiated and enabled by digitalization. Digitalization stimulates entry of new firms (start-ups) based on innovative implementation of digital technology for public services. The interwoven digitalization and innovation processes involve interaction and interdependencies between private business actors and public service providing actors. In this paper, the authors take the perspective of a start-up business actor that tries to develop and implement a viable business model in the very dynamic context of digital transformation of public education. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the instability of a startup firm’s business model during public service innovation can be explained. The research question is: “How can business modeling by a start-up firm be explained by tensions between its business model and public service provision models?”

Based on an abductive logic, the authors choose a single-case study of a start-up firm’s development in 2010-2018 and its interaction with public actors. Information about the firm acquired in the first phase of the study showed that it frequently changed its business model. A general analytical framework was developed to aid in efforts to answer the research question.

The case showed that a business model could be seen as a temporary outcome of a business modeling process, and that also concurrently public actors change their public actors’ service provisioning models. Public-private interaction reveals tensions that drive business modeling.

The study contributes to empirical knowledge about private-public interaction in the dynamic and complex context in which digital transformation in society drives public service innovations. The conceptual contribution rests more generally in the analytical framework and how it frames public actor’s “service provision modeling” as a driver of business modeling.