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Strategic alliances are an important feature of the aerospace industry and many studies have sought to evaluate their performance. Most have taken a policy perspective exploring the economic and political benefits claimed for collaboration of this type. The perspective is a reflection of the political origins of many aerospace alliances. This study seeks to evaluate, from a managerial perspective, one of the newer alliances established on a strictly commercial basis. It focuses on BMW Rolls‐Royce GmbH, one of a small number of truly European alliances. The study concludes that, although Rolls‐Royce bought out its German partner after a decade of operation, the alliance was a success. The two engines developed by the alliance over this period were a technical success, overall sales were well on target and the alliance was about to break even. In addition, the study concludes that the alliance formed a key element in Rolls‐Royce's successful strategy to extend its product portfolio, a strategy that elevated the company to second place in the global aero engine market.

AN ACADEMIC AND JOURNALIST, MIKHAIL KURCHINSKII WAS ALSO AN IMPORTANT POLITICAL ACTOR DEVOTED TO THE QUEST FOR A SATISFACTORY RESOLUTION OF THE NATIONALITY QUESTION IN ESTONIA AND EUROPE. THIS ARTICLE USES KURCHINSKII'S CAREER TO ILLUMINATE ISSUES RELATING TO THE SOCIOPOLITICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE RUSSIAN MINORITY BETWEEN THE TWO WORLD WARS. IN PARTICULAR, IT COMPARES KURCHINSKII'S THINKING ON MINORITY ISSUES WITH THAT OF HIS RIVAL ALEKSEI JANSON, A SOCIALIST POLITICIAN. FINALLY, BY LINKING KURCHINSKII'S QUEST FOR CULTURAL AUTONOMY TO HIS BROADER THINKING ON THE "NEW EUROPE," THE ARTICLE ASSESSES THE RELEVANCE OF THESE IDEAS TO CONTEMPORARY DEBATES ON THE NATIONALITY QUESTION.

Recent advances in computing have led to major developments in the
facilities available for simulating the behaviour of manufacturing
systems. Animation facilities on microcomputers provides scope for the
use of simulation to facilitate the learning process associated with
operations management. The use of simulation is explored to teach
aspects of plant design and operations control. Animated simulation
models can make a major contribution to the teaching of operations
management, especially for students with limited knowledge of real‐life
manufacturing environments.

The victory of Las Navas de Tolosa was of profound significance to Pope Innocent III. It came after a long period of intensive papal activity in Spain. We can only understand Innocent III's actions during the campaign by looking first of all at the actions of his predecessors over a long period of time. Innocent built on a long tradition of aiming to secure peace between the Christian kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula, combined with the reform of the Church and the promotion of the military and religious orders. But Christian divisions and a lack of military success, either in Spain or the Holy Land, meant that the papacy was sometimes hesitant to commit itself to campaigns against the Almohads.

The Japanese approach to manufacturing has been well documented. Many European firms have successfully adopted and adapted a variety of Japanese manufacturing techniques. This paper describes how a pharmaceutical manufacturer responded to an increased requirement for manufacturing flexibility through the introduction of a key Japanese manufacturing technique, namely machine set‐up time reduction. An unusual feature of the study is the use of action research. The strong emphasis on participation and collaboration inherent in action research, was felt to make it appropriate to tackling the company's capacity problem. Not only were set‐up times substantially reduced, but action research demonstrated the value of all staff being involved in the problem‐solving process.

In cyclone-prone regions like North Queensland, insurance premiums are priced to reflect the high potential for economic loss from cyclone events. To address premium affordability, insurance companies (e.g., Suncorp) have begun offering their customers discounts for installing or performing mitigation measures aimed at reducing property damage. However, there is still a significant at-risk population who choose not to invest in mitigation measures. It is therefore important to further understand factors that facilitate or impede an individual's decision to invest in cyclone mitigation measures (e.g., experience, risk perception and perceptions about mitigation measures), so that preparedness messaging and incentive programs can be optimised for the population in which they are to be delivered. In 2016, James Cook University (HABITT and Cyclone Testing Station), Suncorp and the Queensland Government commenced a research project to investigate factors that influence mitigation behaviour. This presentation reviews findings from the first project study, which investigated the results from a pilot study of a self-administered questionnaire. The pilot study was delivered at an annual community cyclone awareness event in Townsville ("Cyclone Sunday"). A total of 72 respondents were recruited at the event and asked to complete the questionnaire assessing variables hypothesised to be of interest including age, homeownership, perceptions of risk and cyclone mitigation status. Preliminary data from the pilot study suggest that respondents tended to perceive future cyclone related property damage as likely but not severe. It was also found that while relatively low-cost preparedness activities were commonly performed, few respondents had installed more costly mitigation measures specifically aimed at reducing cyclone related property damage (e.g., cyclone shutters). The pilot study findings provide needed insight for the Phase I study into psychological drivers of cyclone mitigation behaviour which will take place later this year.

[eng] Coral reefs are threatened by numerous global and local stressors. In the face of predicted large-scale coral degradation over the coming decades, the importance of long-term monitoring of stress-induced ecosystem changes has been widely recognised. In areas where sustained funding is unavailable, citizen science monitoring has the potential to be a powerful alternative to conventional monitoring programmes. In this study we used data collected by volunteers in Southeast Sulawesi (Indonesia), to demonstrate the potential of marine citizen science programmes to provide scientifically sound information necessary for detecting ecosystem changes in areas where no alternative data are available. Data were collected annually between 2002 and 2012 and consisted of percent benthic biotic and abiotic cover and fish counts. Analyses revealed long-term coral reef ecosystem change. We observed a continuous decline of hard coral, which in turn had a significant effect on the associated fishes, at community, family and species levels. We provide evidence of the importance of marine citizen science programmes in detecting long-term ecosystem change as an effective way of delivering conservation data to local government and national agencies. This is particularly true for areas where funding for monitoring is unavailable, resulting in an absence of ecological data. For citizen science data to contribute to ecological monitoring and local decision-making, the data collection protocols need to adhere to sound scientific standards, and protocols for data evaluation need to be available to local stakeholders. Here, we describe the monitoring design, data treatment and statistical analyses to be used as potential guidelines in future marine citizen science projects.

INTRODUCTION: Historically, there has been variability in the methods for determining preventable death within the US Department of Defense. Differences in methodologies partially explain variable preventable death rates ranging from 3% to 51%. The lack of standard review process likely misses opportunities for improvement in combat casualty care. This project identified recommended medical and non-medical factors necessary to (1) establish a comprehensive preventable death review process and (2) identify opportunities for improvement throughout the entire continuum of care. METHODS: This qualitative study used a modified rapid assessment process that includes the following steps: (1) identification and recruitment of US government subject matter experts (SMEs); (2) multiple cycles of data collection via key informant interviews and focus groups; (3) consolidation of information collected in these interviews; and (4) iterative analysis of data collected from interviews into common themes. Common themes identified from SME feedback were grouped into the following subject areas: (1) prehospital, (2) in-hospital and (3) forensic pathology. RESULTS: Medical recommendations for military preventable death reviews included the development, training, documentation, collection, analysis and reporting of the implementation of the Tactical Combat Casualty Care Guidelines, Joint Trauma System Clinical Practice Guidelines and National Association of Medical Examiners autopsy standards. Non-medical recommendations included training, improved documentation, data collection and analysis of non-medical factors needed to understand how these factors impact optimal medical care. CONCLUSIONS: In the operational environment, medical care must be considered in the context of non-medical factors. For a comprehensive preventable death review process to be sustainable in the military health system, the process must be based on an appropriate conceptual framework implemented consistently across all military services.