Stiffness Change Effects on Structure Control Systems

This paper contains the results of a computer analysis performed on a two-dimensional model structure, in which the structure response was found under dynamic loading conditions. A structural dynamics program (BASIC) was modified to perform its analysis on a two-dimensional structure with a control system modelled into it. The modified program was then used to determine whether a change in the stiffness of the structure would cause the control algorithm to be ineffective for the structure. In light of the limited scope of the analysis (two-dimensional model with constant applied force on one story), the results indicate that a control algorithm, which dampens the adverse response of the structure under dynamic loading, will continue to be effective if there is a measurable (25%) increase or decrease in the stiffness of the structure

Market research & the ethics of big data

The term ‘big data’ has recently emerged to describe a range of technological and commercial trends enabling the storage and analysis of huge amounts of customer data, such as that generated by social networks and mobile devices. Much of the commercial promise of big data is in the ability to generate valuable insights from collecting new types and volumes of data in ways that were not previously economically viable. At the same time a number of questions have been raised about the implications for individual privacy. This paper explores key perspectives underlying the emergence of big data and considers both the opportunities and ethical challenges raised for market research

Field, capital and the policing habitus: nderstanding Bourdieu through The NYPD’s post-9/11 counterterrorism practices

This article extends existing Bourdieusian theory in criminology and security literature through examining the practices of the New York City Police Department in the post-9/11 counterterrorism field. This article makes several original contributions. First, it explores the resilient nature of the policing habitus, extending Bourdieusian criminological findings that habitus are entrenched and difficult to change. Second, this article examines the way the resilient habitus drives subordinate factions to displace dominant factions in a field’s established social hierarchy through boundary-pushing practices, a concept previously unexamined in Bourdieusian criminology. Drawing on original documentary analysis, this article uses the illustrative example of the NYPD’s post-9/11 counterterrorism practices, exploring how it sought to displace the existing social structure by using its aggressive policing habitus and an infusion of ‘War on Terror’ capital to challenge the dominant position of the FBI in the post-9/11 counterterrorism field. The NYPD’s habitus driven counterterrorism practices were novel and unprecedented, creating strain with both the FBI and local communities