The use of small scale prototypes in image reconstruction from projections

We introduce a class of small scale simulation models—‘prototypes'—which reproduce many of the known properties of maximum likelihood and related reconstruction methods used in emission tomography, and greatly simplify the development of new methods. We introduce an iterative Fisher-scoring algorithm and demonstrate, by use of the prototype models, its superior speed of convergence when compared with the standard EM algorithm.     

Child welfare in the United Kingdom

This paper sets the context for the subsequent papers by giving an overview of recent changes in legislation and social policy with respect to child welfare in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In England, services for children have been radically affected by the implementation of the Children Act 1989, which has introduced a unifying service to promote the welfare of children at risk, although it leaves a significant gap in supportive provision by excluding child offenders. By contrast, Scotland incorporates juvenile justice within its social work services and has developed a service unique in Europe. As in England and Wales, Scottish services for children are substantially concerned with child protection and the paper gives an exposition of recent developments and proposals for legislative change in this area. The emphasis in Northern Ireland is contained within the context of the ongoing violence which is a day-to-day occurrence within the province. The Irish experience is differently organised from that in other parts of the UK, giving a unique emphasis on voluntary services and a more pronounced use of residential child care. Moves are afoot to introduce amendments to the law which will emphasise working in partnership with parents and separate the disposal of juvenile offenders from other children. The paper ends with a resume of the following papers, linking them to the recent changes in policy and law.     

TOO MUCH ACCESS?: THE CASE FOR INTERMEDIATE OPTIONS TO GUARDIANSHIP

Guardianship bodies appoint substitute decision makers for adults who cannot make their own decisions, and have a current ‘need’ which cannot be met by less restrictive options. These bodies are cheap, accessible and user-friendly, leading to large numbers of applications. Less restrictive options to guardians and managers include identifying a person to provide substitute medical consent, service planning mechanisms, advocacy and informal arrangements. We argue that an effective guardianship system requires a systematic series of ‘filters’ providing a sequence of intermediate interventions. Without these filters, guardianship, the opportunity for one person to exercise the civil rights of another, can too easily become a first option. This has important consequences for the civil liberties of people with disabilities.     

Planning the deployment of clergy

The deployment of Anglican clergy across the 43 dioceses of England provides an interesting case of quasi-quantitative planning in the Church of England. This paper examines the proposals that have been adopted and notes some unusual features connected with their development. Several steps are suggested which could lead to a fairer deployment of the clergy and to a general improvement in the planning processes of the Church of England.     

Green supply chain performance measurement using fuzzy ANP-based balanced scorecard: a collaborative decision-making approach

The purpose of this paper is to delineate a green supply chain (GSC) performance measurement framework using an intra-organisational collaborative decision-making (CDM) approach. A fuzzy analytic network process (ANP)-based green-balanced scorecard (GrBSc) has been used within the CDM approach to assist in arriving at a consistent, accurate and timely data flow across all cross-functional areas of a business. A green causal relationship is established and linked to the fuzzy ANP approach. The causal relationship involves organisational commitment, eco-design, GSC process, social performance and sustainable performance constructs. Sub-constructs and sub-sub-constructs are also identified and linked to the causal relationship to form a network. The fuzzy ANP approach suitably handles the vagueness of the linguistics information of the CDM approach. The CDM approach is implemented in a UK-based carpet-manufacturing firm. The performance measurement approach, in addition to the traditional financial performance and accounting measures, aids in firm’s decision-making with regard to the overall organisational goals. The implemented approach assists the firm in identifying further requirements of the collaborative data across the supply-cain and information about customers and markets. Overall, the CDM-based GrBSc approach assists managers in deciding if the suppliers’ performances meet the industry and environment standards with effective human resource.     

Universal Suffrage as Counter-Revolution? Electoral Mobilisation under the Second Republic in France, 1848–1851

The advent of mass, male suffrage in France in 1848 is usually regarded as a great success. There was a huge turnout in elections for a Constituent Assembly, but the outcome disappointed republicans, who failed to win a majority and blamed a backward peasantry. This paper suggests that the electoral system was at fault rather than the electorate. A hastily devised procedure, based on collective voting and the absence of declared candidatures, enabled notables to dominate the new regime. Radicals revised their tactics with some success in 1849, but soon succumbed to the plebiscitary democracy of Louis-Napoleon. Universal suffrage might well mean counter-revolution.     

Selection works both ways: BMI and marital formation among young women

The literature on entry into marriages has almost universally regarded a high body mass index (BMI) to be a disadvantage for women in the marriage market. But the theoretical effect of BMI on marital entry is actually uncertain because women who anticipate poor outcomes in the marriage market are more likely to accept early offers, while women with more desirable characteristics can afford to wait for a better match. Using data from the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, we show that female entry into marriage does decline as BMI rises, but that early marriage is nonlinear in BMI. Women with an extremely high BMI or with a BMI in the most attractive range are less likely to marry early.     

Public Private Partnerships,the Levels of Public Investment and the New Member States

Some of the features of public private partnerships (PPPs) are outlined. The arguments that PPPs provide additional investment are critical examined, and the way in which the accounting treatment may influence the use of PPPs examined. The costs of PPPs are compared with ‘conventional’ public investment and it is argued that PPPs are a relatively expensive way of undertaking public investment. The idea that PPPs effectively transfer risk from government to private companies is assessed. Issues relating to the nature of contracts under PPPs, the transactions costs and the implementation of the contracts, are briefly considered. For the New Member States, it is suggested that national accounting rules and perceived constraints on budget deficits may encourage the use of PPPs, even if that use is not warranted in terms of costs of public investment.     

Learning in manufacturing organizations: what factors predict effectiveness?

This paper argues that it is possible to identify factors which pre-dispose organizations to adopt effective learning strategies and processes. It is hypothesized that effective OL is associated with: profitability, environmental uncertainty, structure, approach to HRM and quality orientation. The study focuses on forty-four manufacturing organizations, and draws on longitudinal data gathered through interviews. The findings suggest that two of these variables - approach to HRM and quality orientation - are particularly strongly correlated with measures of OL. It is concluded that effective learning mechanisms, with the potential to improve the quality of OL processes, are more likely to be established in businesses where HRM and quality initiatives are well established.