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We describe a new approach to intelligent building systems, that utilises an intelligent agent approach to autonomously governing the building environment. We discuss the role of learning in building control systems, and contrast this approach with existing IB solutions. We explain the importance of acquiring information from sensors, rather than relying on pre‐programmed models, to determine user needs. We describe how our architecture, consisting of distributed embedded agents, utilises sensory information to learn to perform tasks related to user comfort, energy conservation, safety and monitoring functions. We show how these agents, employing a behaviour‐based approach derived from robotics research, are able to continuously learn and adapt to individuals within a building, while always providing a fast, safe response to any situation. Finally, we show how such a system could be used to provide support for older people, or people with disabilities, allowing them greater independence and quality of life.

Contemporary literature reveals that, to date, the poultry livestock sector has not received sufficient research attention. This particular industry suffers from unstructured supply chain practices, lack of awareness of the implications of the sustainability concept and failure to recycle poultry wastes. The current research thus attempts to develop an integrated supply chain model in the context of poultry industry in Bangladesh. The study considers both sustainability and supply chain issues in order to incorporate them in the poultry supply chain. By placing the forward and reverse supply chains in a single framework, existing problems can be resolved to gain economic, social and environmental benefits, which will be more sustainable than the present practices.

The theoretical underpinning of this research is ‘sustainability’ and the ‘supply chain processes’ in order to examine possible improvements in the poultry production process along with waste management. The research adopts the positivist paradigm and ‘design science’ methods with the support of system dynamics (SD) and the case study methods. Initially, a mental model is developed followed by the causal loop diagram based on in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and observation techniques. The causal model helps to understand the linkages between the associated variables for each issue. Finally, the causal loop diagram is transformed into a stock and flow (quantitative) model, which is a prerequisite for SD-based simulation modelling. A decision support system (DSS) is then developed to analyse the complex decision-making process along the supply chains.

The findings reveal that integration of the supply chain can bring economic, social and environmental sustainability along with a structured production process. It is also observed that the poultry industry can apply the model outcomes in the real-life practices with minor adjustments. This present research has both theoretical and practical implications. The proposed model’s unique characteristics in mitigating the existing problems are supported by the sustainability and supply chain theories. As for practical implications, the poultry industry in Bangladesh can follow the proposed supply chain structure (as par the research model) and test various policies via simulation prior to its application. Positive outcomes of the simulation study may provide enough confidence to implement the desired changes within the industry and their supply chain networks.

Research in the arts/humanities frequently requires the use of an information retrieval system which can handle varying lengths of text, and which can also be used for large bibliographies. This paper describes a text‐retrieval and processing system developed in‐house at Leicester Polytechnic, entitled General Retrieval System (GRS). The paper is written from the point of view of a humanities lecturer, and emphasises the relevance of the package for non‐specialists. The various modules of the package are described, together with the author's experience of using it to produce a corpus of Roman stamped tiles. Other applications, including use by the library, are mentioned.

Explains that current public health policy puts so much emphasis on food and nutrition because the single largest cause of death is nutrition‐related, and also because it is easier for a government to promote public health through nutrition than to address ailing health infrastructures or get to grips with adult literacy. Reports, however, the gaps in health equality between different socio‐economic and ethnic groups, and across gender and age. Discusses cultural expectations of a meal and the ideal body. Infers that the higher educational level a person has, the more likely they are to be thin and to occupy a higher place in a hierarchical social structure. Suggests that more food is consumed as snacks – a triumph for mass production, marketing and advertising. Defines what is meant and understood by diet, and evaluates good and bad food. Focuses briefly on traditional food exchanges in Western Samoa and on the use of olive oil in the traditional Mediterranean diet. Indicates that choice of food may be a result of production processes rather than consumer pressure. Explores also the social and cultural interactions of meal times and the role women’s emancipation has played in changing household food and meals. Points out that the lowest socioeconomic groups favour informal takeaways, while the highest socioeconomic groups prefer formal meals out, and, therefore, that the distribution of health and illness is shaped by cultural, social, economic and political forces.

Purpose: To investigate best practices pertaining to tourism resilience and develop a tourism resilience framework for post-COVID-19 Bangladesh from the tourism destination management perspective.

Methodology: A qualitative research approach involving an integrative literature review was used in this research. Thirty-two scholarly works were considered in a thematic data analysis conducted to inform the development of a framework for post-COVID-19 Bangladesh.

Findings: Tourism resilience will be imperative, particularly in the areas of ecology, society, economy, and engineering, on institutional and individual levels. The proposed framework includes government, organization, social, and individual level resilience as the specific measures for Bangladesh. The particular nature of COVID-19 cases in Bangladesh, resulting in a relatively low death toll amidst a high-density population, works as a supportive ground in favor of resilience in the post-COVID-19 reality.

Practical Implications: The integrated framework is a theoretical contribution to post-COVID-19 tourism resilience literature on Bangladesh. It will operate as a policy guideline for key stakeholders when implementing initiatives to revive the tourism sector in the changed reality of Bangladesh after the pandemic.

Originality: The framework presented in this paper is the first attempt of its kind and can facilitate effective economic rebuilding in the changed postpandemic reality. The framework can be generalized to apply to other developing countries as well.

Paper Type: Theoretical framework development.

THAT the intransigence of a minority, maybe, but a very forceful minority of workers in Britain is slowly but surely strangling the economy and with it, their own future may be hard to believe; but incontrovertible evidence is there for all to see.

This paper aims to address a fundamental problem related to the interaction of rule‐based autonomous agents in pervasive and intelligent environments. Some rules of behaviour can lead a multi‐agent system to display unwanted periodic behaviour, such as networked appliances cycling on and off.

The paper presents a framework called interaction networks (INs) as a tool to describe and analyse this phenomena. In support of this, and as an aid to the visualisation and understanding of the temporal evolution of agent states, a graphical multi‐dimensional model (MDM) is offered. An instability prevention system (INPRES) based in identifying and locking network nodes is described.

Both IN, MDM and INPRES enable system designers to identify and prevent cyclic instability. The effectiveness of the approach is evaluated using both simulated and physical implementations.

The problem of cyclic instability is strongly related to the number of cycles in the IN associated. It is postulated that high coupling and high number of cycles contributes to the system to self‐lock; however, more research is needed in this direction.

The MDM, interaction benchmark, IN theory, INPRES and intelligent locking offer a practical solution to the problem of cyclic behaviour.

Before this work there was no framework for analysing and eliminating the problem of cyclic instability in rule‐based multi‐agent systems.

This paper aims to illustrate the complexity of understanding and managing violent behaviour in health care. The authors will show how different perceptions of the reasons for violent behaviour, and linkages between violent behaviour and illness have contributed to the creation of a wicked problem and added significant complexity to the management of violence towards staff within health-care settings. This paper will conclude with a call for strong multi-disciplinary action to address this ongoing issue.

A narrative review was undertaken to explore the ways that violence has been perceived in health care and the ways in which the concept of violence has moved from being seen as a criminal issue to being within the realms of disease. This paper will show the importance of understanding who is perpetrating violence in health care, why and in what settings. It will expound on the idea that considering violence as a consequence of disease necessarily adds a layer of complexity to both individual and organisational responses to violence towards health-care staff.

Understanding the complexity in preventing and managing violence against health-care staff can assist policymakers and managers to develop multi-faceted approaches to violence prevention, including better recognition and understanding of perpetrators of violence.

This paper provides a unique perspective on thinking about violence in health care and the implications of its complexity.

There is a growing recognition of the urgency to enhance health outcomes for children and young people residing in out-of-home care (OOHC). Research underscores the need to establish effective pathways to quality health care for children and young people who have been exposed to trauma. Child protection (CP) practitioners should play a vital role in proactively improving health outcomes and navigating the intricacies of healthcare systems. Their involvement in initiating and collaborating on healthcare interventions is pivotal for the well-being of these vulnerable children and young people. However, challenges associated with poor health literacy and the complexities of healthcare systems hinder collaborative service delivery in the Australian context. This review explores how CP practitioners support the health care of children and young people in their care.

A scoping review followed Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, employing a narrative synthesis to assess the selected studies.

Health outcomes for children and young people in OOHC remain under-researched and potentially under-resourced within the realm of CP practice. There is room for enhanced practices and system integration in CP service delivery to better address health needs and prevent further health and well-being disparities.

Through this scoping review and involving industry experts in the discussion of findings, this study contributes valuable insights to the existing knowledge base regarding the active participation of CP practitioners in addressing the healthcare needs of vulnerable children.