Events and festivals in Asia and the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Weber ◽  
Jane Ali‐Knight

PurposeThis editorial aims to provide a brief overview of recent developments in the events industry in general, and in Asia and the MENA region in particular. The discussion forms a prelude for the individual contributions of this special issue.Design/methodology/approachThe papers cover a variety of different research methods and methodologies including both quantitative and qualitative approaches.FindingsSetting the stage for the selection of papers is a thought‐provoking introduction, followed by six papers that aim to provide insights into key issues by examining pertinent literature, addressing relevant research questions, and providing applied and theoretical outcomes relevant to both academics and practitioners in the event and festival fields. These papers cover the variety, scope and diversity of events in Asia and MENA region, with a mixture of papers that examine event‐specific aspects and those that approach the subject from a broader destination/policy perspective.Originality/valueThe selection of papers are unique as they provide a thorough and extensive insight into the opportunities and challenges facing emergent festival and event destinations in Asia and the MENA region.

Sensor Review ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Bogue

Purpose This paper aims to provide a technical insight into a selection of recent developments and applications involving terahertz sensing technology. Design/methodology/approach Following an introduction, the first part of this paper considers a selection of research activities involving terahertz radiation sources and detectors. The second part seeks to illustrate how the technology is exerting a commercial impact and discusses a number of product developments and applications. Findings Terahertz sensing is a rapidly developing field and a strong body of research seeks to develop sources and detectors with enhanced features which often exploit novel materials, phenomena and technologies. Commercialisation is gathering pace, and a growing number of companies are producing terahertz sensing and imaging products which are finding a diversity of applications. Originality/value This provides details of recent research, product developments and applications involving terahertz sensing technology.


Author(s):  
Robert Bogue

Purpose – This paper aims to provide an insight into recent miniaturised robot developments and applications. Design/methodology/approach – Following an introduction, this article discusses the technology and applications of miniature robots and considers swarm robotics, assembly robots, flying robots and their uses in healthcare. It concludes with a brief consideration of the emerging field of nanorobotics. Findings – This shows that all manners of miniaturised terrestrial, airborne and aquatic robots are being developed, but size and weight restraints pose considerable technological challenges, such as power sources, navigation, actuation and control. Prototypes have been developed for military, assembly, medical, environmental and other applications, as well as for furthering the understanding of swarm behaviour. In the longer term, microrobots and nanorobots offer prospects to revolutionise many aspects of healthcare, such as cancer treatment. Originality/value – This study provides details of a wide-ranging selection of miniaturised robot developments.


2011 ◽  
Vol 37 (9) ◽  
pp. 808-816 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Philpot ◽  
Craig A. Peterson

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a brief review of pre‐2003 work on the weekend effect and then discuss how recent selected work has extended our knowledge of the subject.Design/methodology/approachResults of recently published studies are organized and summarized by research question and outcomes.FindingsWhile early literature found a fairly consistent weekend effect, with positive returns on Fridays and negative returns on Mondays, more recent research shows the effect moving to other days, reversing or vanishing.Research limitations/implicationsWhile it is difficult to compare studies made across different time periods, the direction of present research gives insight into how markets are adjusting to the weekend effect anomaly.Practical implicationsInvestors may find it very hard to adequately identify a trading strategy based on current research.Originality/valueThis work conveniently synthesizes and presents current research findings from a variety of published sources.


2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 360-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth Vallen ◽  
Lauren G. Block ◽  
Eric Eisenstein

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to explore how and why consumption behavior changes across time in reference to a temporal deadline, such as a meeting start time or scheduled appointment. Design/methodology/approach – The authors present findings from two experiments that manipulate distance to/from a deadline and assess behavioral intentions and consumer choice, both before a deadline is reached (i.e. the individual is early) and after a deadline has passed (i.e. the individual is late). Findings – Results demonstrate that, while individuals are more likely to refrain from consumption in favor of being on time as a deadline approaches, they are more likely to engage in consumption activities once they have already missed their deadline. Support is shown for an underlying process of affect regulation; when they are late (vs on time), consumers are likely to regulate affect via the selection of more indulgent options. Practical implications – These studies provide insight into the both the beneficial and detrimental nature of deadlines. Further, they provide insight as to how deadlines impact consumer behavior by demonstrating differential patterns of consumption based on whether an individual is early vs late. Originality/value – Documenting the effect of meeting and missing deadlines on consumption contributes to the literature on time usage and offers insights into individuals’ efforts to prioritize multiple activities that conflict due to time constraints.


Sensor Review ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 305-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Bogue

Purpose This paper aims to provide a technical insight into a selection of recent developments of sensor based on metamaterials. Design/methodology/approach Following a short introduction, this first part discusses sensors based on acoustic metamaterials. It then briefly considers negative index materials and split ring resonators and provides examples of sensors based on metamaterials which interact with electromagnetic radiation in the microwave, terahertz and infra-red regions. Finally, brief concluding comments are drawn. Findings Since their discovery at around the turn of the century, metamaterials have been studied widely by the research community. A diverse range of sensors and imaging devices have since been developed which exploit the unique properties of these materials and respond to physical, chemical and biological variables. Many exhibit characteristics and capabilities with the potential to overcome the limitations of conventional devices. Originality/value This provides details of a range of recently developed sensors based on the newly discovered families of metamaterials.


2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Joyce

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the 2016 elections for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and to compare them with those that took place in 2012. It seeks to evaluate the background of the candidates who stood for office in 2016, the policies that they put forward, the results of the contests and the implications of the 2016 experience for future PCC elections. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based around several key themes – the profile of candidates who stood for election, preparations conducted prior to the contests taking place, the election campaign and issues raised during the contests, the results and the profile of elected candidates. The paper is based upon documentary research, making particular use of primary source material. Findings The research establishes that affiliation to a political party became the main route for successful candidates in 2016 and that local issues related to low-level criminality will dominate the future policing agenda. It establishes that although turnout was higher than in 2012, it remains low and that further consideration needs to be devoted to initiatives to address this for future PCC election contests. Research limitations/implications The research focusses on the 2016 elections and identifies a number of key issues that emerged during the campaign affecting the conduct of the contests which have a bearing on future PCC elections. It treats these elections as a bespoke topic and does not seek to place them within the broader context of the development of the office of PCC. Practical implications The research suggests that in order to boost voter participation in future PCC election contests, PCCs need to consider further means to advertise the importance of the role they perform and that the government should play a larger financial role in funding publicity for these elections and consider changing the method of election. Social implications The rationale for introducing PCCs was to empower the public in each police force area. However, issues that include the enhanced importance of political affiliation as a criteria for election in 2016 and the social unrepresentative nature of those who stood for election and those who secured election to this office in these contests coupled with shortcomings related to public awareness of both the role of PCCs and the timing of election contests threaten to undermine this objective. Originality/value The extensive use of primary source material ensures that the subject matter is original and its interpretation is informed by an academic perspective.


Antiquity ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 88 (340) ◽  
pp. 378-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.I. Shishlina ◽  
D.S. Kovalev ◽  
E.R. Ibragimova

The origin and development of wheeled vehicles continues to fascinate today no less than when Stuart Piggott (1974) first wrote about the subject inAntiquity40 years ago. A growing number of examples from the steppes of southern Russia and Ukraine are providing new insights into the design and construction of these complex artefacts. A recent example from the Ulan IV burial mound illustrates the techniques employed and the mastery of materials, with careful selection of the kinds of wood used for the wheels, axles and other elements. Stable isotope analysis of the individual interred in this grave showed that he had travelled widely, emphasising the mobility of steppe populations.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marshal Thakran ◽  
Meenakshi ◽  
Jitender Sharma ◽  
Charles Gilbert Martin

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the model of a rear pressure bulkhead with different design optimizations to meet the pressurized cabin requirements of an aircraft. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents the results of the static analysis of a dome-shaped rear pressure bulkhead model designed in Catia-v5. Numerical analysis of model meshed in hyper-mesh and solved using Opti-Struct for iterative design optimizations. Findings All the iterative models are analyzed at 9 Psi. Rear pressure bulkhead designed with L-section stringer shows better results than the model optimized with T-section stringer for the same thickness. The model optimized with L-shaped stinger also reduces the weight of the bulkhead without affecting the structural integrity. Practical implications It has been concluded in this paper that the selection of specific shapes of the stringers shows a significant influence on weight reduction. Originality/value This paper provides a topical, technical insight into the design and development of a rear pressure bulkhead. It also outlines the future development of dome-shaped rear pressure bulkhead.


2016 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 463-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan H.F. Meyer

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a brief exposure to the development of the threshold concepts framework (TCF), the intention being to illuminate for interested readers a broader landscape of research activity than that perhaps conveyed by the individual contributions to this special edition. Design/methodology/approach – There is first an account of how the notion of a “threshold concept” was presented by Meyer and Land in their seminal 2003 paper, and a clarification of some terminology used by them at that time to describe the (confusing for some) “characteristics” of such a concept. A discursive account, with examples, follows on how analyses for, and of, threshold concepts might proceed, and how findings might provoke a reappraisal of associated learning and teaching practices. Towards this end a contemporary pedagogical perspective is introduced based on the construct of integrated threshold concept knowledge (ITCK) as proposed by Meyer and Timmermans (2016). Reference to a detailed case study illustrates the practical dynamics of generating ITCK; specifically in the context of a third-year engineering course embedding the threshold of “critical flow”. Activities and processes, transferable to other discipline contexts, are described that yield particular elements of ITCK (different constituent “types of knowledge”) in relation, in this case, to “critical flow”. A final consideration is the “representation” of “critical flow” for pedagogical purposes in the form of a metacognitive activity for learning and formative assessment purposes that is, again, adaptable to other discipline contexts. Findings – There are no specific findings in this paper as its purpose is to provide a condensed review of the development of the TCF. Originality/value – This value of this paper is that it provides a contemporary expert exposure to the development of the TCF by the originator of the notion of a threshold concept.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 412-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandr Gudkov ◽  
Elena Dedkova ◽  
Kristina Dudina

PurposeThis paper aims to discuss recent developments in the Russian tourism industry and the main reasons for new initiatives in local destination development.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on qualitative research methodology. A summary of key literature is presented alongside the analysis of the survey results.FindingsThis paper sheds light on the challenges and changes that took place in the Russian tourism business between 2014 and 2017. The subject is poorly covered in academic literature. The basic data for analysis presented in official statistics are scarce. Therefore a more effective way of obtaining relevant information was to conduct a survey using a semi-structured questionnaire, with tourism business actors as respondents.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper provides mostly conceptual analysis based on limited empirical data; directions for further empirical research are proposed in the conclusion.Originality/valueThe paper reveals something of the impact of economic and geopolitical factors, both negative and positive ones, on the restructuring of the Russian tourism market and the emergence of promising opportunities for the development of new domestic destinations. As a result, tourism market actors are able to become more diverse.


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