Coloring random graphs and maximizing local diversity

We study a variation of the graph coloring problem on random graphs of finite average connectivity. Given the number of colors, we aim to maximize the number of different colors at neighboring vertices (i.e. one edge distance) of any vertex. Two efficient algorithms, belief propagation and Walksat are adapted to carry out this task. We present experimental results based on two types of random graphs for different system sizes and identify the critical value of the connectivity for the algorithms to find a perfect solution. The problem and the suggested algorithms have practical relevance since various applications, such as distributed storage, can be mapped onto this problem.

Reasserting the distinctive character of share-holder remedies in Scotland - Wilson v Inverness Retail and Business Park Ltd

Juridical Review. Looks at the question of whether an individual shareholder has title to bring an action on the company's behalf in exceptional circumstances, as considered in the cases of Anderson v Hogg and Wilson v Inverness Retail & Business Park Ltd. Examines the difference between English and Scottish law in this area, notwithstanding the reliance on English case law in Scotland due to the small number of Scottish cases decided. Looks at progress towards the reform of company law and the impact it will have on a shareholder's title to sue.

Audit committees in Scottish local authorities 1998-2005

During the last 15 years corporate governance has become increasingly prominent in the public sector. The Audit Commission's 1993 report on probity in local government recommended the establishment of audit committees. However, progress on this was slow, as demonstrated by a survey of Scottish local authorities by the authors in 1998. Recent major changes in government in Scotland at both a local and national level have prompted councils to improve the accountability, openness and integrity of their operations. One major aspect of this exercise was the formation of scrutiny committees to provide objective scrutiny of the process and audit committees were the most common vehicle for this. This article explores recent developments in Scottish local government and their impact on audit committees. The article also reports the results of a 2005 survey of Scottish local authorities and compares these with the 1998 survey. This indicates a significant growth in the number of audit committees in Scottish councils and although the level of their perceived effectiveness is patchy, they are a more important feature of local government than they were in 1998.

Marking high-technology market evolution through the foci of market stories:the case of local area networks

Previous research suggests that changing consumer and producer knowledge structures play a role in market evolution and that the sociocognitive processes of product markets are revealed in the sensemaking stories of market actors that are rebroadcasted in commercial publications. In this article, the authors lend further support to the story-based nature of market sensemaking and the use of the sociocognitive approach in explaining the evolution of high-technology markets. They examine the content (i.e., subject matter or topic) and volume (i.e., the number) of market stories and the extent to which content and volume of market stories evolve as a technology emerges. Data were obtained from a content analysis of 10,412 article abstracts, published in key trade journals, pertaining to Local Area Network (LAN) technologies and spanning the period 1981 to 2000. Hypotheses concerning the evolving nature (content and volume) of market stories in technology evolution are tested. The analysis identified four categories of market stories - technical, product availability, product adoption, and product discontinuation. The findings show that the emerging technology passes initially through a 'technical-intensive' phase whereby technology related stories dominate, through a 'supply-push' phase, in which stories presenting products embracing the technology tend to exceed technical stories while there is a rise in the number of product adoption reference stories, to a 'product-focus' phase, with stories predominantly focusing on product availability. Overall story volume declines when a technology matures as the need for sensemaking reduces. When stories about product discontinuation surface, these signal the decline of current technology. New technologies that fail to maintain the 'product-focus' stage also reflect limited market acceptance. The article also discusses the theoretical and managerial implications of the study's findings. © 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

Variations of local heat transfer coefficient in piped flow of viscous liquids

Measurements were carried out to determine local coefficients of heat transfer in short lengths of horizontal pipe, and in the region of an discontinuity in pipe diameter. Laminar, transitional and turbulent flow regimes were investigated, and mixtures of propylene glycol and water were used in the experiments to give a range of viscous fluids. Theoretical and empirical analyses were implemented to find how the fundamental mechanism of forced convection was modified by the secondary effects of free convection, temperature dependent viscosity, and viscous dissipation. From experiments with the short tube it was possible to determine simple empirical relationships describing the axial distribution of the local 1usselt number and its dependence on the Reynolds and Prandtl numbers. Small corrections were made to account for the secondary effects mentioned above. Two different entrance configurations were investigated to demonstrate how conditions upstream could influence the heat transfer coefficients measured downstream In experiments with a sudden contraction in pipe diameter the distribution of local 1u3se1t number depended on the Prandtl number of the fluid in a complicated way. Graphical data is presented describing this dependence for a range of fluids indicating how the local Nusselt number varied with the diameter-ratio. Ratios up to 3.34:1 were considered. With a sudden divergence in pipe diameter, it was possible to derive the axial distribution of the local Nusse1t number for a range of Reynolds and Prandtl numbers in a similar way to the convergence experiments. Difficulty was encountered in explaining some of the measurements obtained at low Reynolds numbers, and flow visualization techniques wore used to determine the complex flow patterns which could lead to the anomalous results mentioned. Tests were carried out with divergences up to 1:3.34 to find the way in which the local Nusselt number varied with the diameter ratio, and a few experiments were carried out with very large ratios up .to 14.4. A limited amount of theoretical analysis of the 'divergence' system was carried out to substantiate certain explanations of the heat transfer mechanisms postulated.

Local shell-side coefficients in shell and tube exchanges the use of a mass transfer technique

A diffusion-controlled electrochemical mass transfer technique has been employed in making local measurements of shell-side coefficients in segmentally baffled shell and tube heat exchangers. Corresponding heat transfer data are predicted through the Chilton and Colburn heat and mass transfer analogy. Mass transfer coefficients were measured for baffle spacing lengths of individual tubes in an internal baffle compartment. Shell-side pressure measurements were also made. Baffle compartment average coefficients derived from individual tube coefficients are shown to be in good agreement with reported experimental bundle average heat transfer data for a heat exchanger model of similar geometry. Mass transfer coefficients of individual tubes compare favourably with those obtained previously by another mass transfer technique. Experimental data are reported for a variety of segmental baffle configurations over the shell-side Reynolds number range 100 to 42 000. Baffles with zero clearances were studied at three baffle cuts and two baffle spacings. Baffle geometry is shown to have a large effect on the distribution of tube coefficients within the baffle compartment. Fluid "jetting" is identified with some baffle configurations. No simple characteristic velocity is found to correlate zonal or baffle compartment average mass transfer data for the effect of both baffle cut and baffle spacing. Experiments with baffle clearances typical of commercial heat exchangers are also reported. The effect of leakage streams associated with these baffles is identified. Investigations were extended to double segmental baffles for which no data had previously been published. The similarity in the shell-side characteristics of this baffle arrangement and two parallel single segmental baffle arrangements is demonstrated. A general relationship between the shell-side mass transfer performance and pressure drop was indicated by the data for all the baffle configurations examined.

Quality improvement in professional local government services : a longitudinal study

This sustained longitudinal study, carried out in a single local authority, investigates the implementation of a Total Quality Management (TQM) philosophy in professional local government services. At the start of this research, a large majority of what was written about TQM was polemical and based on limited empirical evidence. This thesis seeks to provide a significant and important piece of work, making a considerable contribution to the current state of knowledge in this area. Teams from four professional services within a single local authority participated in this research, providing the main evidence on how the quality management agenda in a local authority can be successfully implemented. To supplement this rich source of data, various other sources and methods of data collection have been used: 1) Interviews were carried out with senior managers from within the authority; 2) Customer focus groups and questionnaires were used; 3) Interviews were carried out with other organisations, all of which were proponents of a TQM philosophy. A number of tools have been developed to assist in gathering data: 1) The CSFs (critical success factors) benchmarking tool; 2) Five Stages of Quality Improvement Model. A Best Practice Quality Improvement Model, arising from an analysis of the literature and the researcher's own experience is proposed and tested. From the results a number of significant conclusions have been drawn relating to: 1) Triggers for change; 2) Resistance of local government professionals to change 3) Critical success factors and barriers to quality improvement in professional local government services; 4) The problems associated with participant observation and other methodological issues used.

Risk homeostasis theory in simulated environments

This thesis has two aims. First, it sets out to develop an alternative methodology for the investigation of risk homeostasis theory (RHT). It is argued that the current methodologies of the pseudo-experimental design and post hoc analysis of road-traffic accident data both have their limitations, and that the newer 'game' type simulation exercises are also, but for different reasons, incapable of testing RHT predictions. The alternative methodology described here is based on the simulation of physical risk with intrinsic reward rather than a 'points pay-off'. The second aim of the thesis is to examine a number of predictions made by RHT through the use of this alternative methodology. Since the pseudo-experimental design and post hoc analysis of road-traffic data are both ill-suited to the investigation of that part of RHT which deals with the role of utility in determining risk-taking behaviour in response to a change in environmental risk, and since the concept of utility is critical to RHT, the methodology reported here is applied to the specific investigation of utility. Attention too is given to the question of which behavioural pathways carry the homeostasis effect, and whether those pathways are 'local' to the nature of the change in environmental risk. It is suggested that investigating RHT through this new methodology holds a number of advantages and should be developed further in an attempt to answer the RHT question. It is suggested too that the methodology allows RHT to be seen in a psychological context, rather than the statistical context that has so far characterised its investigation. The experimental findings reported here are in support of hypotheses derived from RHT and would therefore seem to argue for the importance of the individual and collective target level of risk, as opposed to the level of environmental risk, as the major determinant of accident loss.

Temporal correlations of local network losses

We introduce a continuum model describing data losses in a single node of a packet-switched network (like the Internet) which preserves the discrete nature of the data loss process. By construction, the model has critical behavior with a sharp transition from exponentially small to finite losses with increasing data arrival rate. We show that such a model exhibits strong fluctuations in the loss rate at the critical point and non-Markovian power-law correlations in time, in spite of the Markovian character of the data arrival process. The continuum model allows for rather general incoming data packet distributions and can be naturally generalized to consider the buffer server idleness statistics.

Protein-protein interactions classification from text via local learning with class priors

Text classification is essential for narrowing down the number of documents relevant to a particular topic for further pursual, especially when searching through large biomedical databases. Protein-protein interactions are an example of such a topic with databases being devoted specifically to them. This paper proposed a semi-supervised learning algorithm via local learning with class priors (LL-CP) for biomedical text classification where unlabeled data points are classified in a vector space based on their proximity to labeled nodes. The algorithm has been evaluated on a corpus of biomedical documents to identify abstracts containing information about protein-protein interactions with promising results. Experimental results show that LL-CP outperforms the traditional semisupervised learning algorithms such as SVMand it also performs better than local learning without incorporating class priors.

Expatriate-local interactions:an investigation in China

Purpose: This study aims to build on recent research, by investigating and examining how likely it is that Chinese locals (i.e. host country nationals (HCNs)) would offer support to expatriates from India and the USA. Design/methodology/approach: Data were gathered from 222 participants in Chinese organizations, asking them to respond to questions about their willingness to offer support to expatriates. Findings: As predicted, perceived values similarity was significantly related to higher dogmatism, which had a significant positive relationship with ethnocentrism. Further, ethnocentrism had a significant negative relationship with willingness to offer support. Research limitations/implications: All data were collected from the participants at one point in time, so the study's results are subject to common method bias. Also, it only included India and the USA, as the two countries of origin of the expatriates. Practical implications: Given HCNs do not automatically offer support to all expatriates, organizations might consider sending expatriates who are culturally similar to HCNs, as they are more likely to receive support, which will help their adjustment and thus organizational effectiveness. Originality/value: This study adds to the small, but growing, number of empirical investigations of HCN willingness to support expatriates. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Random walks in local dynamics of network losses

We suggest a model for data losses in a single node (memory buffer) of a packet-switched network (like the Internet) which reduces to one-dimensional discrete random walks with unusual boundary conditions. By construction, the model has critical behavior with a sharp transition from exponentially small to finite losses with increasing data arrival rate. We show that for a finite-capacity buffer at the critical point the loss rate exhibits strong fluctuations and non-Markovian power-law correlations in time, in spite of the Markovian character of the data arrival process.

Local economic development initiatives and the transition from training and enterprise councils to new institutional structures in England

Current British government economic development policy emphasises regional and sub-regional scale, multi-agent initiatives that form part of national frameworks to encourage a 'bottom up' approach to economic development. An emphasis on local multi-agent initiatives was also the mission of Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs). Using new survey evidence this article tracks the progress of a number of initiatives established under the TECs, using the TEC Discretionary Fund as an example. It assesses the ability of successor bodies to be more effective in promoting local economic development. Survey evidence is used to confirm that many projects previously set up by the TECs continue to operate successfully under new partnership arrangements. However as new structures have developed, and policy has become more centralized, it is less likely that similar local initiatives will be developed in future. There is evidence to suggest that with the end of the TECs a gap has emerged in the institutional infrastructure for local economic development, particularly with regard to workforce development. Much will depend in future on how the Regional Development Agencies deploy their growing power and resources.

Local resources and procurement practices in humanitarian supply chains:an empirical examination of large-scale house reconstruction projects

Different procurement decisions taken by relief organizations can result in considerably different implications in regards to transport, storage, and distribution of humanitarian aid and ultimately can influence the performance of the humanitarian supply chain and the delivery of the humanitarian aid. In this article, we look into what resources are needed and how these resources evolve in the delivery of humanitarian aid. Drawing on the resource-based view of the firm, we develop a framework to categorize the impact of local resources on the configuration of humanitarian supply chains. In contrast to other papers, the importance of localizing the configuration of the humanitarian supply chain is not only conceptually recognized, but empirical investigations are also provided. In terms of methodology, this article is based on the analysis of secondary data from two housing reconstruction projects. Findings indicate that the use of local resources in humanitarian aid has positive effects on programs' overall supply chain performance and these effects are not only related to the macroeconomic perspective, but benefits expand to improvements related to the use of knowledge. At the same time, it was found that local sourcing often comes with a number of problems. For example, in one of the cases, significant problems existed, which were related to the scarcity of local supplies. Both housing reconstruction projects have indicated the continuous need for changes throughout the programs as a dynamic supply chain configuration is important for the long-term sustainability of reconstruction aid. © 2014 Decision Sciences Institute.

Sustaining local manufacturing: a longitudinal study of Swedish companies

This paper reports an investigation of local sustainable production in Sweden aimed at exploring the factors contributing to survival and competitiveness of manufacturing. Eight companies were studied on two occasions 30 years apart; in 1980 and 2010. To provide a valid longitudinal, perspective a common format for data collection was used. As a framework for data collection and analysis the DRAMA methodology was employed (Bennett and Forrester, 1990). There are a number of results reported in detail concerning long term competitiveness and sustainability of manufacturing companies.