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In less than ten years the television camera has changed from being a “fascinating gadget” to establishing an important role in the pipe inspection and renovation business. Its other modern equivalent is possibly the laser beam which started life as an interesting straight beam of light which only took off in the construction industry when engineers exposed vast markets to the instrument designers by telling them just where, when and how they could use the pencil beam as a constant datum to replace the spasmodic sitings taken through optical instruments. The laser also added a vital component whereby the light beam had mechanical properties which could be effectively slaved to actuate recording and operational equipments. Today, the laser beam provides a constant datum on a building site, accurate alignment for a pipeline, automatic steering mechanisms for tunnel driving and automatic dredging depth in tidalwaters. Ere long, we will wonder how on earth we managed without it.

Introduction: Although the concept of energy security has different meanings for each country, it is included in the energy policies of all countries in general. Energy security policies have more strategic importance especially for energy-importing countries. Imported energy sources are widely used in Turkey as in many countries. The variety of imported energy sources and the density of imports according to the imported countries affect the security of imported energy supply. Although the high density of imports is a risk factor, there are political and structural factors that may affect economic relations with the countries where energy is imported.

Aim: The aim of this study is to measure the short-term risk for the import of fossil resources in Turkey for the period 1999–2018.

Method: An index has composed by revising the risky external energy supply index included in the study of Le Coq and Paltseva (2009).

Findings: Empirical findings showed that on average, the most risky source of imports based on fossil resources is oil, followed by natural gas and coal respectively.

Originality of the Study: Various risk factors such as fossil fuel import intensity, political risk, and logistics performance have been taken into consideration in the proposed index. So this index proposed for Turkey, is expected to offer a different perspective to the energy supply security literature.

Implications: The proposed risk index has enabled the measurement of the level of risk in imported fossil sources in Turkey. Thus, policy implications have been made for energy supply security.

This paper has been developed with the intent to establish specific assumptions which will provide a foundation for new formulae for marketing mega events. The basis for these assumptions are to be found in Werner Wyss “New Marketing” and in J. Zauhar and J. Kurtzman “Programme Management: festivals, carnivals, public celebrations, special events”. The following pages have been prepared purely for discussion purposes and have been so written.

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between board interlocks and monitoring effectiveness for listed German companies in a context of risk governance. While agency-theory and resource-dependence-theory suggest a positive association between board interlocks and monitoring effectiveness, reasons such as limited temporal resources of busy board members may suggest a negative association.

By using panel data regression, the authors examined the association between board interlocks and monitoring effectiveness, which was approximated by excessive management compensation, pay-for-performance-sensitivity and CEO turnover-performance-sensitivity. The data set comprises 3,998 directorships for 132 listed German companies covering the period 2015-2017.

The authors find that board interlocks are associated with not only a more excessive management pay and less performance-sensitive turnover but also a higher pay-for-performance-sensitivity.

The study examines the impact of multiple directorships based on a German panel data set that includes both multiple appointments of members to national supervisory boards and all other appointments to national and international executive and supervisory bodies. The authors compile three measures to operationalize monitoring effectiveness.

Evaluates changes in the welfare system in Sweden, the UK and the USA over a decade, basing arguments on the divergence of economic globalization and domestic forces. Presents brief economic snapshots of each country, stating quite categorically that the welfare state is an impediment to capitalist profit‐making, hence all three nations have retrenched welfare systems in the hope of remaining globally economically competitive. Lays the responsibility for retrenchment firmly at the door of conservative political parties. Takes into account public opinion, national institutional structures, multiculturalism and class issues. Explores domestic structures of accumulation (DSA) and refers to changes in the international economy, particularly the Bretton Woods system (Pax Americana), and notes how the economic health of nations mirrors that of the US. Investigates the roles of multinationals and direct foreign investment in the global economy, returning to how economic policy affects the welfare state. Points out the changes made to the welfare state through privatization, decentralization and modification of public sector financing. Concludes that the main result has been an increase in earnings inequality and poverty.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a hybrid adaptive impedance-leader-follower control algorithm for multi-arm coordination manipulators, which is significant for dealing with the problems of kinematics inconsistency and error accumulation of interactive force in multi-arm system.

This paper utilized a motion mapping theory in Cartesian space to establish a centralized dynamic leader-follower control algorithm which helped to reduce the possibility of kinematics inconsistency for multiple manipulators. A virtual linear spring model (VLSM) was presented based on a recognition approach of characteristic marker. This paper accomplished an adaptive impedance control algorithm based on the VLSM, which took into account the non-rigid contact characteristic. Experimentally demonstrated results showed the proposed algorithm guarantees that the motion and interactive forces asymptotically converge to the prescribed values.

The hybrid control method improves the accuracy and reliability of multi-arm coordination system, which presents a new control framework for multiple manipulators.

This algorithm has significant commercial applications, as a means of controlling multi-arm coordination manipulators that could serve to handle large objects and assemble complicated objects in industrial and hazardous environment.

This work presented a new control framework for multiple coordination manipulators, which can ensure consistent kinematics and reduce the influence of error accumulation, and thus can improve the accuracy and reliability of multi-arm coordination system.

Assesses the health belief model and its application to the perception of HIV/AIDS prevention through public health education. Investigates the concepts of stigma and blame among the Chinese, Malay and Indian Singaporeans. Describes the methodology and data analysis used. Analyses the findings – that the significant majority believe HIV/AIDS sufferers to be risk‐takers (rather than deviants) and that the most effective preventive measure against AIDS is to change sexual behaviour. Compares findings across the three ethnic groups – Malays believe that the individual is personally responsible for contracting HIV/AIDS, they also recognize the seriousness of the disease; the Indians had a sense of concerned responsibility, partially as a result of public health campaigns; the Chinese also had a sense of concerned responsibility, but not gleaned so much from health campaigns. Reports that, across the communities, younger people attribute HIV/AIDS to deviant sexual behaviour, while older people think of HIV/AIDS sufferers as victims of accidental infection and are therefore more sympathetic. Attributes ethnic differences to two facts: the first is that, in Singapore, people regard dual identify as important – on the one hand helping to shape Singapore’s national identity and, on the other hand, retaining strong values of ethnicity; the second fact is religion, particularly the way Malay Muslims attribute HIV/AIDS to personal responsibility.