Home is Where the Hurt is: An Econometric Analysis of Injuries Caused By Spousal Assault

Using data on injuries presenting at the emergency departments of participating hospitals in the Australian state of Queensland we examine the nature of injuries resulting from spousal assault and compare them to injuries from nonspousal assault and accidental injuries. We ask: who are the persons most vulnerable to spousal assault?, Are spousal assault injuries more (or less) severe than injuries from nonspousal assault and accidental injuries? Do the recorded figures for assault injuries on womenunderstate the true number of assault injuries, and if so, by how much?Spousal Assault; hospital data; econometric estimation

Some Issues in the Calculation of Batting Averages: Ranking (and Re-Ranking) the Top 50 Batsmen in Test Cricket, 1877-2006

Batsmen in cricket are invariably ranked according to their batting average. Such a ranking suffers from two defects. First, it does not take into account the consistency of scores across innings: a batsman might have a high career average but with low scores interspersed with high scores; another might have a lower average but with much less variation in his scores. Second, it pays no attention to the “value” of the player’s runs to the team: arguably, a century, when the total score is 600, has less value compared to a half-century in an innings total of, say, 200. The purpose of this paper is to suggest new ways of computing batting averages which, by addressing these deficiencies, complement the existing method and present a more complete picture of batsmen’s performance. Based on these “new” averages, the paper offers a “new” ranking of the top 50 batsmen in the history of Test Cricket.

Strategic adoption of logistics and supply chain management

© 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a thorough understanding of the adoption of logistics and supply chain management (SCM) in practice, particularly at a strategic level, through an investigation of the four perspectives taxonomy of the relationship between logistics and SCM. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a comprehensive literature review, three specific research questions are proposed. The empirical work addresses these questions and comprised three phases: focussed interviews, a questionnaire survey and focus groups. Findings: The findings provide a usage profile of the four perspectives and indicate a divergence between the understanding and adoption of logistics and SCM principles and concepts at a strategic level in firms. The findings also identify the critical success factors (CSFs) and inhibitors to success in addressing this divergence. Research limitations/implications: The insights generated using the authors’ methodologically pluralist research design could be built upon to include case studies, grounded theory and action research. Replicating the research in other geographical areas could facilitate international comparisons. Practical implications: The findings allow practitioners to compare their perspectives on the relationship between logistics and SCM with those of their peers. The CSFs and inhibitors to success provide a rational basis for realising the strategic potential of logistics and SCM in practice. Originality/value: New insights are generated into practitioner perspectives vis-à-vis logistics vs SCM. A fresh understanding of those factors which drive and hinder the adoption of strategic SCM is also developed and presented

Some Techniques Relevant to the Development of a Long Baseline Gravitational Wave Detector Using Laser Interferometry

Gravitational radiation is a travelling distortion in foar-dimensional space-time which is predicted by most relativistic theories. This distortion may be detected by monitoring the changes in the separation of test masses. Since the gravitational interaction is so weak appreciable levels of gravitational radiation are only produced by violent astrophysical phenomena in which large masses are accelerated coherently to velocities approaching the speed of light. However, due to the conservation of momentum the lowest order of gravitational radiation is quadrupole and so the source must contain some asymmetry in its dynamics. Chapter 1 is intended to introduce the reader to the concept of gravitational radiation by outlining its properties, describing some of the possible sources and indicating the levels which might be observed by a terrestrial detector. Chapter 1 also includes a brief overview of main detection schemes currently being pursued. Chapter 2 includes a brief overview of the current status of the prototype detector at Glasgow, which uses laser interferometry to monitor the relative lengths of two orthogonal optical cavities, before describing, briefly, the sources of noise which are most likely to limit the sensitivity of this type of system and the levels at which they become important. Theoretical work suggests that to see several gravitational wave events per year a sensitivity to strain, h ~ 10-22 is required and so the levels have been scaled to the proposed 1km long observatory which should have this potential. The following chapters are concerned with experiments related to reducing the effects of some of these possibly limiting sources of noise, in particular fluctuations in the quality of the laser light used to illuminate the optical cavities of the detector. Chapter 3 is concerned with the development of a laser intensity stabilisation system and investigations into limits to its observed performance which included geometry and frequency fluctuations in the laser light. Chapter 4 covers the development of the feedback circuit for the intensity stabilisation system in more depth and describes another circuit designed for the fast frequency stabilisation of an Argon Ion laser. The possible use of optical fibres to reduce the effects of geometry fluctuations in laser light is investigated in Chapter 5. This chapter describes the investigation of the suppression available from a sample fibre and calculates the efficiency with which a fundamental Gaussian beam may be transmitted through a mono-mode fibre. Chapter 6 describes the construction of a data collection system designed to capture pulses in the output of an interferometric gravitational wave detector. Although the prototype detector is probably not sufficiently sensitive to detect likely levels of gravitational radiation the system was tested by sampling data from the prototype system. These data were then used to study the noise statistics of the detector to search for any non-random effects. Chapter 7 briefly describes the state of the gravitational radiation detection effort world-wide and the prospects for future development

Education, Training and the Role of Logistic Managers in Ireland

The paper is based on the analysis of the responses of a questionnaire survey of logistics managers working in manufacturing firms in Ireland. The objectives of the survey were to establish the educational and training needs of the practicing logistics manager. The questionnaire was designed to address issues including the various logistics practices undertaken by the respondents\u27 company and the time spent by respondents on these activities; the skills currently required by logistics managers; the attitude to logistics in respondents\u27 companies; the qualifications held and nature of training received by logistics managers; the effectiveness of training received; future training requirements and how such training might be provided; and the likely future functions of, and difficulties faced by, logistics managers. The analysis of the responses received suggests that the existing supply of education and training is not perceived as fully meeting either the present or future needs of logistics practitioners. There is a need to develop new education and training programmes, which should be aimed at meeting the needs of these practitioners. The most significant areas identified in the survey as being of potential benefit were Logistics and Supply Chain Management; Information Technology and Computing; Warehouse Management; Distribution and Transport Management and Negotiations. The reasons for pursuing further training included personal development, and to obtain useful job related skills

Some Issues in the Calculation of Batting Averages: Ranking (and Re-Ranking) the Top 50 Batsmen in Test Cricket, 1877-2006

Batsmen in cricket are invariably ranked according to their batting average. Such a ranking suffers from two defects. First, it does not take into account the consistency of scores across innings: a batsman might have a high career average but with low scores interspersed with high scores; another might have a lower average but with much less variation in his scores. Second, it pays no attention to the 'value' of the player’s runs to the team: arguably, a century, when the total score is 600, has less value compared to a half-century in an innings total of, say, 200. The purpose of this paper is to suggest new ways of computing batting averages which, by addressing these deficiencies, complement the existing method and present a more complete picture of batsmen's performance. Based on these 'new' averages, the paper offers a 'new' ranking of the top 50 batsmen in the history of Test Cricket

Modelling a Humanitarian Supply Chain using the Structured Analysis and Design Technique (SADT)

Conflicts since the end of the Cold War have seen military and civilian assets deployed side by side as part of an overall UN mandated solution. In order to visually present the integrated nature of humanitarian supply chains ‘Structured Analysis and Design Technique’ (SADT) has been used. SADT was chosen as it provides a robust structured method to model hierarchical systems and for this research it provides an opportunity to define and analyse the coordination and co-operation in terms of the humanitarian supply chain process, humanitarian supply chain activities and the actors involved. This research demonstrates that the visualisation facility that SADT provides not only helps in understanding the interrelationships between the actors and stakeholders involved in a humanitarian supply chain but also to some extent explains how a more effective co-ordination of humanitarian operations by military and civilian organisations involved in a complex emergency can be achieved

Neighbourhood effects and community spillovers in the Australian youth labour market

Neighbourhood effects refer to the situation whereby residential location impacts on the social outcomes of individuals, above and beyond what would be expected from their personal and family characteristics. A number of theories of neighbourhood effects exist. These can be broadly classified as theories of collective socialisation theories; contagion-based or \u27epidemic\u27 theories; and information network theories. Existing Australian research has focused mainly on the impact of neighbourhoods on youth education decisions. In contrast, this study models the probability of unemployment as a function of personal characteristics, family structure and neighbourhood composition. [Executive summary, ed

The implementation of supply chain management theory in practice:an empirical investigation

Purpose: The purpose of the research described in this paper is to disentangle the rhetoric from the reality in relation to supply chain management (SCM) adoption in practice. There is significant evidence of a divergence between theory and practice in the field of SCM. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a review of extant theory, the authors posit a new definitional construct for SCM – the Four Fundamentals – and investigated four research questions (RQs) that emerged from the theoretical review. The empirical work comprised three main phases: focussed interviews, focus groups and a questionnaire survey. Each phase used the authors’ definitional construct as its basis. While the context of the paper’s empirical work is Ireland, the insights and results are generalisable to other geographical contexts. Findings: The data collected during the various stages of the empirical research supported the essence of the definitional construct and allowed it to be further developed and refined. In addition, the findings suggest that, while levels of SCM understanding are generally quite high, there is room for improvement in relation to how this understanding is translated into practice. Research limitations/implications: Expansion of the research design to incorporate case studies, grounded theory and action research has the potential to generate new SCM theory that builds on the Four Fundamentals construct, thus facilitating a deeper and richer understanding of SCM phenomena. The use of longitudinal studies would enable a barometer of progress to be developed over time. Practical implications: The authors’ definitional construct supports improvement in the cohesion of SCM practices, thereby promoting the effective implementation of supply chain strategies. A number of critical success factors and/or barriers to implementation of SCM theory in practice are identified, as are a number of practical measures that could be implemented at policy/supply chain/firm level to improve the level of effective SCM adoption. Originality/value: The authors’ robust definitional construct supports a more cohesive approach to the development of a unified theory of SCM. In addition to a profile of SCM understanding and adoption by firms in Ireland, the related critical success factors and/or inhibitors to success, as well as possible interventions, are identified

The role of sea ports in end-to-end maritime transport chain emissions

This paper's purpose is to investigate the role of sea ports in helping to mitigate the GHG emissions associated with the end-to-end maritime transport chain. The analysis is primarily focused on the UK, but is international in application. The paper is based on both the analysis of secondary data and information on actions taken by ports to reduce their emissions, with the latter data collected for the main UK ports via their published reports and/or via interviews. Only a small number of ports (representing 32% of UK port activity) actually measure and report their carbon emissions in the UK context. The emissions generated by ships calling at these ports are analysed using a method based on Department for Transport Maritime Statistics Data. In addition, a case example (Felixstowe) of emissions associated with HGV movements to and from ports is presented, and data on vessel emissions at berth are also considered. Our analyses indicate that emissions generated by ships during their voyages between ports are of a far greater magnitude than those generated by the port activities. Thus while reducing the ports' own emissions is worthwhile, the results suggest that ports might have more impact through focusing their efforts on reducing shipping emissions