Determining propeller induced erosion alongside quay walls in harbours using Artificial Neural Networks

In shallow waters, such as those found close to berth structures, the wash from a manoeuvring ship’s propeller can cause erosion of the seabed. This erosion can be increased if the wash intersects a berth structure. A number of researchers have undertaken model studies and used regression analysis to develop predictive relationships for the scouring action. This paper presents an experimental investigation with Artificial Neural Networks (ANN’s), used to analyse the results. The purpose of using ANN’s was to examine the prediction accuracy of the Networks in comparison with previous regression analysis methods. ANN’s were found to provide a more accurate method of predicting propeller wash scour than the equations presented by previous investigators.

Engaging with the European Union? Exploring the Europeanization of the British National Party

Hostility towards the process of European integration is generally considered to constitute one of the hallmarks of the far right ‘family’ in Europe. This article acknowledges such opposition but it also recognises that the rhetoric is often at odds with actual policy activities and aspirations. Not only have far right parties long advocated greater European inter-party co-operation but they are now actively pursuing engagement with the European Union, especially the European Parliament, as a means of advancing their own strategic interests and boosting their finances. This article focuses on one far right party, namely the British National Party (BNP) and examines the party's approach towards the EU, its activities within the EP and its efforts to boost pan European cooperation through the new Alliance of European National Movements (AENM). It argues that the party's engagement with the European Union may have allowed the BNP to take advantage of new political opportunity structures but in turn, opened it up to Europeanization and made it increasingly dependent on the EU.

Territorial politics and the multi-level party

Territorial politics and the statewide party, Regional Studies. The literature on political parties has been affected by a national bias. However, the multilevel nature of party organizations deserves one's attention because parties have responded as well as contributed to the rise in regional authority across most Western democracies. This paper considers statewide parties from a double perspective: as organizations subject to a range of pressures in a multilevel environment, and as actors influencing multilevel political systems. It concludes with a call for stronger links between traditional areas of party and policy research and multilevel party research and for more comparative data collection on multilevel parties and policy positions.