Concordia University

About: Concordia University is a education organization based out in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Context (language use) & Control theory. The organization has 13565 authors who have published 31084 publications receiving 783525 citations. The organization is also known as: Sir George Williams University & Loyola College, Montreal.

The influence of country image structure on consumer evaluations of foreign products

Abstract: Purpose – This study was designed to extend knowledge of cognitive processing of country of origin cues by refining the concept of country image and investigating its role in product evaluationsDesign/methodology/approach – Data were collected from residents of a large North American metropolitan A total of 436 usable questionnaires were returned Data analysis was conducted using the EQS structural equation modeling softwareFindings – We found that country image is a three‐dimensional concept consisting of cognitive, affective, and conative components We modeled the relationships among country image, product beliefs, and product evaluations, and found that country image and product beliefs affect product evaluations simultaneously regardless of consumers' level of familiarity with a country's products Findings also indicated that the structure of country image influences product evaluations both directly and indirectly through product beliefs Consistent with affect transfer theory, the results showe

A method of combining multiple experts for the recognition of unconstrained handwritten numerals

Abstract: For pattern recognition, when a single classifier cannot provide a decision which is 100 percent correct, multiple classifiers should be able to achieve higher accuracy. This is because group decisions are generally better than any individual's. Based on this concept, a method called the "Behavior-Knowledge Space Method" was developed, which can aggregate the decisions obtained from individual classifiers and derive the best final decisions from the statistical point of view. Experiments on 46451 samples of unconstrained handwritten numerals have shown that this method achieves very promising performances and outperforms voting, Bayesian, and Dempster-Shafer approaches. >

A Comprehensive Survey on Fog Computing: State-of-the-Art and Research Challenges

Abstract: Cloud computing with its three key facets (i.e., Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service, and Software-as-a-Service) and its inherent advantages (e.g., elasticity and scalability) still faces several challenges. The distance between the cloud and the end devices might be an issue for latency-sensitive applications such as disaster management and content delivery applications. Service level agreements (SLAs) may also impose processing at locations where the cloud provider does not have data centers. Fog computing is a novel paradigm to address such issues. It enables provisioning resources and services outside the cloud, at the edge of the network, closer to end devices, or eventually, at locations stipulated by SLAs. Fog computing is not a substitute for cloud computing but a powerful complement. It enables processing at the edge while still offering the possibility to interact with the cloud. This paper presents a comprehensive survey on fog computing. It critically reviews the state of the art in the light of a concise set of evaluation criteria. We cover both the architectures and the algorithms that make fog systems. Challenges and research directions are also introduced. In addition, the lessons learned are reviewed and the prospects are discussed in terms of the key role fog is likely to play in emerging technologies such as tactile Internet.

Toward a model of drug relapse: an assessment of the validity of the reinstatement procedure.

Abstract: The reinstatement model is widely used to study relapse to drug addiction. However, the model’s validity is open to question. We assess the reinstatement model in terms of criterion and construct validity. We find that the reinstatement model has adequate criterion validity in the broad sense of the term, as evidenced by the fact that reinstatement in laboratory animals is induced by conditions reported to provoke relapse in humans. The model’s criterion validity in the narrower sense, as a medication screen, seems promising for relapse to heroin, nicotine, and alcohol. For relapse to cocaine, criterion validity has not yet been established primarily because clinical studies have examined medication’s effects on reductions in cocaine intake rather than relapse during abstinence. The model’s construct validity faces more substantial challenges and is yet to be established, but we argue that some of the criticisms of the model in this regard may have been overstated.