Showing papers by "Florida Atlantic University published in 2007"
TL;DR: This model explains how top management mediates the impact of external institutional pressures on the degree of usage of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and finds that normative pressures directly affect ERP usage.
Abstract: We develop and test a theoretical model to investigate the assimilation of enterprise systems in the post-implementation stage within organizations. Specifically, this model explains how top management mediates the impact of external institutional pressures on the degree of usage of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. The hypotheses were tested using survey data from companies that have already implemented ERP systems. Results from partial least squares analyses suggest that mimetic pressures positively affect top management beliefs, which then positively affects top management participation in the ERP assimilation process. In turn, top management participation is confirmed to positively affect the degree of ERP usage. Results also suggest that coercive pressures positively affect top management participation without the mediation of top management beliefs. Surprisingly, we do not find support for our hypothesis that top management participation mediates the effect of normative pressures on ERP usage, but instead we find that normative pressures directly affect ERP usage. Our findings highlight the important role of top management in mediating the effect of institutional pressures on IT assimilation. We confirm that institutional pressures, which are known to be important for IT adoption and implementation, also contribute to post-implementation assimilation when the integration processes are prolonged and outcomes are dynamic and uncertain.
3,126 citations
TL;DR: This study draws upon and extends the principal-agent perspective to identify and propose a set of four antecedents of perceived uncertainty in online buyer seller relationship superceived information asymmetry, fears of seller opportunism, information privacy concerns, and information security concerns which facilitate online exchange relationships by overcoming the agency problems of adverse selection and moral hazard.
Abstract: Despite a decade since the inception of B2C e-commerce, the uncertainty of the online environment still makes many consumers reluctant to engage in online exchange relationships. Even if uncertainty has been widely touted as the primary barrier to online transactions, the literature has viewed uncertainty as a "background" mediator with insufficient conceptualization and measurement. To better understand the nature of uncertainty and mitigate its potentially harmful effects on B2C e-commerce adoption (especially for important purchases), this study draws upon and extends the principal-agent perspective to identify and propose a set of four antecedents of perceived uncertainty in online buyer seller relationship superceived information asymmetry, fears of seller opportunism, information privacy concerns, and information security concerns which are drawn from the agency problems of adverse selection (hidden information) and moral hazard (hidden action).
To mitigate uncertainty in online exchange relationships, this study builds upon the principal agent perspective to propose a set of four uncertainty mitigating factor-trust, website informativeness, product diagnosticity, and social presence-that facilitate online exchange relationships by overcoming the agency problems of hidden information and hidden action through the logic of signals and incentives.
The proposed structural model is empirically tested with longitudinal data from 521 consumers for two products (prescription drugs and books) that differ on their level of purchase involvement. The results support our model, delineating the process by which buyers engage in online exchange relationships by mitigating uncertainty. Interestingly, the proposed model is validated for two distinct targets, a specific website and a class of websites.
Implications for understanding and facilitating online exchange relationships for different types of purchases, mitigating uncertainty perceptions, and extending the principal-agent perspective are discussed.
2,151 citations
TL;DR: The neural substrates of the executive system are examined as well as the evolution of executive functioning, from development to decline, and the ability to inhibit overlearned behavior and verbal fluency is examined.
Abstract: Executive functions include abilities of goal formation, planning, carrying out goal-directed plans, and effective performance. This article aims at reviewing some of the current knowledge surrounding executive functioning and presenting the contrasting views regarding this concept. The neural substrates of the executive system are examined as well as the evolution of executive functioning, from development to decline. There is clear evidence of the vulnerability of executive functions to the effects of age over lifespan. The first executive function to emerge in children is the ability to inhibit overlearned behavior and the last to appear is verbal fluency. Inhibition of irrelevant information seems to decline earlier than set shifting and verbal fluency during senescence. The sequential progression and decline of these functions has been paralleled with the anatomical changes of the frontal lobe and its connections with other brain areas. Generalization of the results presented here are limited due to methodological differences across studies. Analysis of these differences is presented and suggestions for future research are offered.
1,504 citations
TL;DR: Based on patterns of afferent (as well as efferent) projections, PL is positioned to serve a direct role in cognitive functions homologous to dorsolateral PFC of primates, whereas IL appears to represent a visceromotor center homologously to the orbitomedial P FC of primates.
Abstract: The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been associated with diverse functions including attentional processes, visceromotor activity, decision making, goal directed behavior, and working memory. Using retrograde tracing techniques, we examined, compared, and contrasted afferent projections to the four divisions of the mPFC in the rat: the medial (frontal) agranular (AGm), anterior cingulate (AC), prelimbic (PL), and infralimbic (IL) cortices. Each division of the mPFC receives a unique set of afferent projections. There is a shift dorsoventrally along the mPFC from predominantly sensorimotor input to the dorsal mPFC (AGm and dorsal AC) to primarily 'limbic' input to the ventral mPFC (PL and IL). The AGm and dorsal AC receive afferent projections from widespread areas of the cortex (and associated thalamic nuclei) representing all sensory modalities. This information is presumably integrated at, and utilized by, the dorsal mPFC in goal directed actions. In contrast with the dorsal mPFC, the ventral mPFC receives significantly less cortical input overall and afferents from limbic as opposed to sensorimotor regions of cortex. The main sources of afferent projections to PL/IL are from the orbitomedial prefrontal, agranular insular, perirhinal and entorhinal cortices, the hippocampus, the claustrum, the medial basal forebrain, the basal nuclei of amygdala, the midline thalamus and monoaminergic nuclei of the brainstem. With a few exceptions, there are few projections from the hypothalamus to the dorsal or ventral mPFC. Accordingly, subcortical limbic information mainly reaches the mPFC via the midline thalamus and basal nuclei of amygdala. As discussed herein, based on patterns of afferent (as well as efferent) projections, PL is positioned to serve a direct role in cognitive functions homologous to dorsolateral PFC of primates, whereas IL appears to represent a visceromotor center homologous to the orbitomedial PFC of primates.
1,185 citations
TL;DR: Social exclusion caused a substantial reduction in prosocial behavior and the implication is that rejection temporarily interferes with emotional responses, thereby impairing the capacity for empathic understanding of others and as a result, any inclination to help or cooperate with them is undermined.
Abstract: In 7 experiments, the authors manipulated social exclusion by telling people that they would end up alone later in life or that other participants had rejected them. Social exclusion caused a substantial reduction in prosocial behavior. Socially excluded people donated less money to a student fund, were unwilling to volunteer for further lab experiments, were less helpful after a mishap, and cooperated less in a mixed-motive game with another student. The results did not vary by cost to the self or by recipient of the help, and results remained significant when the experimenter was unaware of condition. The effect was mediated by feelings of empathy for another person but was not mediated by mood, state self-esteem, belongingness, trust, control, or self-awareness. The implication is that rejection temporarily interferes with emotional responses, thereby impairing the capacity for empathic understanding of others, and as a result, any inclination to help or cooperate with them is undermined.
1,042 citations
Bradley University1, University of Tartu2, National Institutes of Health3, University of California4, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile5, University of Louisville6, University of Latvia7, Pennsylvania State University8, Slovak Academy of Sciences9, University of San Carlos10, University of Malta11, Ghent University12, Clemson University13, Laval University14, University of Buenos Aires15, Osaka University16, Illinois State University17, National Autonomous University of Mexico18, University of Brasília19, University of Western Australia20, University of Lima21, Boğaziçi University22, University of Kassel23, York University24, University of Queensland25, Åbo Akademi University26, Al Akhawayn University27, University of Hawaii at Manoa28, University of Catania29, University of Otago30, University of Dhaka31, Chemnitz University of Technology32, Knox College33, Comenius University in Bratislava34, University of Rijeka35, University of Malaya36, Vilnius University37, American University of Beirut38, Kwangju Health College39, University of Salzburg40, Utrecht University41, National Computerization Agency42, City University of Hong Kong43, University of Idaho44, University of Zimbabwe45, University of Lisbon46, University of Central Lancashire47, Loyola Marymount University48, University of KwaZulu-Natal49, University of Granada50, University of Botswana51, Babeș-Bolyai University52, University of Cyprus53, University of Belgrade54, KPMG55, University of Montpellier56, University of Zurich57, University of Alabama58, Baylor University59, Queen's University Belfast60, University of Ljubljana61, University of Haifa62, University of La Serena63, Florida Atlantic University64, University of California, Davis65, University of Dar es Salaam66, Ramapo College67, Cyprus College68, Middle East Technical University69, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń70, University of the South Pacific71, Vrije Universiteit Brussel72, University at Albany, SUNY73, University of the Aegean74, University of Lethbridge75, University of Vienna76, University of Hong Kong77, Yuan Ze University78, Charles University in Prague79, Chonnam National University80, Indian Institutes of Technology81
TL;DR: The Big Five Inventory (BFI) is a self-report measure designed to assess the high-order personality traits of Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The Big Five Inventory (BFI) is a self-report measure designed to assess the high-order personality traits of Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness. As part of the International Sexuality Description Project, the BFI was translated from English into 28 languages and administered to 17,837 individuals from 56 nations. The resulting cross-cultural data set was used to address three main questions: Does the factor structure of the English BFI fully replicate across cultures? How valid are the BFI trait profiles of individual nations? And how are personality traits distributed throughout the world? The five-dimensional structure was robust across major regions of the world. Trait levels were related in predictable ways to self-esteem, sociosexuality, and national personality profiles. People from the geographic regions of South America and East Asia were significantly different in openness from those inhabiting other world regions. The discussion focuses on limitations of t...
876 citations
20 Jun 2007
TL;DR: It is shown that sampling in many cases will improve classifier performance, and the effectiveness of sampling related to the type of learner and other issues are addressed.
Abstract: We present a comprehensive suite of experimentation on the subject of learning from imbalanced data. When classes are imbalanced, many learning algorithms can suffer from the perspective of reduced performance. Can data sampling be used to improve the performance of learners built from imbalanced data? Is the effectiveness of sampling related to the type of learner? Do the results change if the objective is to optimize different performance metrics? We address these and other issues in this work, showing that sampling in many cases will improve classifier performance.
682 citations
01 Jan 2007
TL;DR: This chapter provides a survey of attacks and countermeasures in MANET and puts forward an overview of MANET intrusion detection systems (IDS), which are reactive approaches to thwart attacks and used as a second line of defense.
Abstract: Security is an essential service for wired and wireless network communications. The success of mobile ad hoc network (MANET) will depend on people ’s confidence in its security. However, the characteristics of MANET pose both challenges and opportunities in achieving security goals, such as confidentiality, authentication, integrity, availability, access control, and non-repudiation. We provide a survey of attacks and countermeasures in MANET in this chapter. The countermeasures are features or functions that reduce or eliminate security vulnerabilities and attacks. First, we give an overview of attacks according to the protocol layers, and to security attributes and mechanisms. Then we present preventive approaches following the order of the layered protocol layers. We also put forward an overview of MANET intrusion detection systems (IDS), which are reactive approaches to thwart attacks and used as a second line of defense.
664 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors utilize general strain theory to identify the emotional and behavioral effects of cyberbullying victimization, and find that cyber bullying is a potent form of strain that may be related to involvement in school problems and delinquent behavior offline.
Abstract: As increasing numbers of youth embrace computer-mediated communication to meet academic and social needs, interpersonal violence directly and indirectly related to the Internet is occurring more often. Cyberbullying in particular has shot to the forefront of agendas in schools and communities due to the emotional, psychological, and even physical harm to which victims can be subjected. While previous studies have focused on describing its frequency in an exploratory capacity, the current work seeks to utilize general strain theory to identify the emotional and behavioral effects of cyberbullying victimization. Data collected online from a sample of adolescent Internet-users indicate that cyberbullying is a potent form of strain that may be related to involvement in school problems and delinquent behavior offline. Implications of these findings and suggestions for policy are discussed.
558 citations
TL;DR: The present results support the substitution mechanism proposed on the basis of neutron powder diffraction studies of the same samples whereby carbonate substitutes on the mirror plane of the phosphate tetrahedron.
510 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate the antecedents and consequences of supplier integration (black-box and gray-box) in product development activities and assess the moderating role that firm size may play in the relationships they posit.
TL;DR: Data is analyzed on Ju/’hoansi hunter–gatherer foraging patterns and it is found that their movements between residence camps can be modeled as a Lévy flight, an optimal search pattern for scarce, randomly located targets.
Abstract: We analyzed data on Ju/’hoansi hunter–gatherer foraging patterns and found that their movements between residence camps can be modeled as a Levy flight. The step lengths of their movements scale as a power law with an exponent μ = 1.97. Their wait times (residence times) at the camps also scale as a power law (μ = 1.45). A Levy flight with step lengths μ = 2 is an optimal search pattern for scarce, randomly located targets; thus, the Ju/’hoansi foraging pattern may approach an optimal search in this area of sparse plant and animal resources. These findings affect the application of optimal foraging theory to humans in anthropology and archaeology because they alter the way in which search and travel times should be quantified. These results may also carry implications for the study of other patterns of human movement, such as demic diffusion and migration.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present the results of a study of user behavioral intention toward protective technologies based on the framework of the theory of planned behavior and find that awareness of the threats posed by negative technologies is a strong predictor of user behavioural intention toward the use of protective technologies.
Abstract: While there is a rich body of literature on user acceptance of technologies with positive outcomes, little is known about user behavior toward what we call protective technologies: information technologies that protect data and systems from disturbances such as viruses, unauthorized access, disruptions, spyware, and others In this paper, we present the results of a study of user behavioral intention toward protective technologies based on the framework of the theory of planned behavior We find that awareness of the threats posed by negative technologies is a strong predictor of user behavioral intention toward the use of protective technologies More interestingly, in the presence of awareness, the influence of subjective norm on individual behavioral intention is weaker among basic technology users but stronger among advanced technology users Furthermore, while our results are consistent with many of the previously established relationships in the context of positive technologies, we find that the determinants “perceived ease of use” and “computer self-efficacy” are no longer significant in the context of protective technologies We believe that this result highlights the most significant difference between positive technologies and protective technologies: while the former are used for their designed utilities, for which usefulness and ease of use have a significant impact, the latter are used out of fear of negative consequences, for which awareness becomes a key determinant We discussed the theoretical and practical implications of these findings The findings of this study extend the theory of planned behavior to the context of protective technologies and shed insights on designing effective information security policies, practices, and protective technologies for organizations and society
TL;DR: This work shows that the requirement that a particle's distribution function approach the Boltzmann distribution at long times dictates that a drift term must be added to the Langevin equation, and derives a path integral representation for arbitrary interpretation of the noise.
Abstract: The friction coefficient of a particle can depend on its position, as it does when the particle is near a wall. We formulate the dynamics of particles with such state-dependent friction coefficients in terms of a general Langevin equation with multiplicative noise, whose evaluation requires the introduction of specific rules. Two common conventions, the Ito and the Stratonovich, provide alternative rules for evaluation of the noise, but other conventions are possible. We show that the requirement that a particle's distribution function approach the Boltzmann distribution at long times dictates that a drift term must be added to the Langevin equation. This drift term is proportional to the derivative of the diffusion coefficient times a factor that depends on the convention used to define the multiplicative noise. We explore the consequences of this result in a number of examples with spatially varying diffusion coefficients. We also derive a path integral representation for arbitrary interpretation of the noise, and use it in a perturbative study of correlations in a simple system.
01 Jan 2007
TL;DR: This paper classify the architectures for intrusion detection systems (IDS) that have been introduced for MANETs, and current IDS corresponding to those architectures are reviewed and compared and provide some directions for future research.
Abstract: In recent years, the use of mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) has been widespread in many applications, including some mission critical applications, and as such security has become one of the major concerns in MANETs. Due to some unique characteristics of MANETs, prevention methods alone are not sufficient to make them secure; therefore, detection should be added as another defense before an attacker can breach the system. In general, the intrusion detection techniques for traditional wireless networks are not well suited for MANETs. In this paper, we classify the architectures for intrusion detection systems (IDS) that have been introduced for MANETs. Current IDS ’s corresponding to those architectures are also reviewed and compared. We then provide some directions for future research.
29 Oct 2007
TL;DR: A comprehensive suite of experiments that analyze the performance of the random forest (RF) learner implemented in Weka are discussed, providing an extensive empirical evaluation of RF learners built from imbalanced data.
Abstract: This paper discusses a comprehensive suite of experiments that analyze the performance of the random forest (RF) learner implemented in Weka. RF is a relatively new learner, and to the best of our knowledge, only preliminary experimentation on the construction of random forest classifiers in the context of imbalanced data has been reported in previous work. Therefore, the contribution of this study is to provide an extensive empirical evaluation of RF learners built from imbalanced data. What should be the recommended default number of trees in the ensemble? What should the recommended value be for the number of attributes? How does the RF learner perform on imbalanced data when compared with other commonly-used learners? We address these and other related issues in this work.
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TL;DR: This paper investigated the link between bankruptcy and entrepreneurship using data on self employment over 16 years (1990-2005) and 15 countries in Europe and North America and found that bankruptcy law has a statistically and economically significant effect on self-employment rates when controlling for GDP growth, MSCI stock returns, and a variety of other legal and economic factors.
Abstract: Entrepreneurs, catalysts for innovation in the economy, are increasingly the object of policymakers' attention. Recent initiatives both in the UK and at EU level have sought to promote entrepreneurship by reducing the harshness of the consequences of personal bankruptcy law. Whilst there is an intuitive link between the two, relatively little attention has been paid to the question empirically, particularly in the international context. We investigate the link between bankruptcy and entrepreneurship using data on self employment over 16 years (1990-2005) and 15 countries in Europe and North America. We compile new indices reflecting how `forgiving' personal bankruptcy laws are, reflecting the time to discharge. These measures vary over time and across the countries studied. We show that bankruptcy law has a statistically and economically significant effect on self employment rates when controlling for GDP growth, MSCI stock returns, and a variety of other legal and economic factors. The results have clear implications for policymakers.
TL;DR: The sensitivity of English speakers to the sonority of onset clusters is investigated, demonstrating that such preferences modulate the perception of unattested onsets by English speakers.
TL;DR: The authors evaluate the treatment effect of inflation targeting in seven industrial countries that adopted this policy in the 1990s and show that it has no significant effects on either inflation or inflation variability in these seven countries.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors specify and test factors surrounding trusting relationships between buyers and suppliers in a global, business-to-business services context, and confirm the influence of trust building behaviors (social interaction, open communications, customer orientation) and service outcomes (technical, functional and economic quality) on trust formation.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to specify and test factors surrounding trusting relationships between buyers and suppliers in a global, business‐to‐business services context. In so doing, the paper aims to help to extend relationship marketing theories to this under‐researched domain.Design/methodology/approach – A literature review and results of qualitative interviews in the paper provide a conceptual framework for the trust formation process and relational outcomes of trust. The research then tests a model of hypothesized relationships using structural equation modeling.Findings – The paper confirms the influence of trust building behaviors (social interaction, open communications, customer orientation) and service outcomes (technical, functional and economic quality) on trust formation. Trust is shown to have a positive influence on key relational outcomes, loyalty commitment and share of purchases.Research limitations/implications – The sample consists of buyers of aviation component repair s...
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors assess the speed with which the information content of the supervisory rating assigned during bank exams -the CAMEL rating -decays and find that the tendency for the rating's information content to deteriorate noticeably beginning in the second or third quarter after the rating initially was assigned.
Abstract: On-site examinations are regulators' primary tool for monitoring the financial condition of federally insured depository institutions. In this paper, we assess the speed with which the information content of the supervisory rating assigned during bank exams - the CAMEL rating - decays. This is an important issue because cost and regulatory burden considerations often cause CAMEL ratings to be assigned relatively infrequently. As a benchmark for information content, we use econometric forecasts of bank failures generated by applying a probit model to publicly available accounting data. When compared with all CAMEL ratings available at a given point in time, the econometric forecasts provide a more accurate indication of failure. Further analysis reveals that this overall finding reflects the tendency for a CAMEL rating's information content to deteriorate noticeably beginning in the second or third quarter after the rating initially was assigned.
TL;DR: Li et al. as discussed by the authors identify and analyze a sample of publicly traded Chinese firms that issued loan guarantees to their related parties (usually the controlling block holders), thereby expropriating wealth from minority shareholders.
Abstract: We identify and analyze a sample of publicly traded Chinese firms that issued loan guarantees to their related parties (usually the controlling block holders), thereby expropriating wealth from minority shareholders. Our results show that the issuance of related guarantees is less likely at smaller firms, at more profitable firms and at firms with higher growth prospects. We also find that the identity and ownership of block holders affect the likelihood of expropriation. Firms with State Non-Corporate controlling block holders are less likely to issue related guarantees than are firms with State Corporate, Private or Foreign controlling block holders, and firms with higher percentage ownership by Private non-controlling block holders are less likely to issue related guarantees. In addition, we use this sample to provide new evidence on the relation between tunnelling and proxies for firm value. We find that Tobin's Q, ROA and dividend yield are significantly lower, and that leverage is significantly higher, at firms that issued related guarantees.
TL;DR: A label-free, mass spectrometry–based approach to measuring protein levels in total unfractionated cellular proteins is described and this approach is applied to elucidate the genetic basis of variation in protein abundance in a cross between two diverse strains of yeast.
Abstract: Proper regulation of protein levels is essential for health, and abnormal levels of proteins are hallmarks of many diseases. A number of studies have recently shown that messenger RNA levels vary among individuals of a species and that genetic linkage analysis can be used to identify quantitative trait loci that influence these levels. By contrast, little is known about the genetic basis of variation in protein levels in genetically diverse populations, in large part because techniques for large-scale measurements of protein abundance lag far behind those for measuring transcript abundance. Here we describe a label-free, mass spectrometry-based approach to measuring protein levels in total unfractionated cellular proteins, and we apply this approach to elucidate the genetic basis of variation in protein abundance in a cross between two diverse strains of yeast. Loci that influenced protein abundance differed from those that influenced transcript levels, emphasizing the importance of direct analysis of the proteome.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore the question, should we integrate mathematics and science in reformation science education, as science especially physical science involves mathematics and both subjects involve process skills, integrating science and mathematics methods might be a way to improve science education.
Abstract: This paper explores the question, should we integrate mathematics and science in
reforming science education? As science, especially physical science involves mathematics,
and both subjects involve process skills, integrating science and mathematics methods
courses might be a way to improve science education. Considerations and
recommendations for mathematics and science integration are addressed.
TL;DR: The case shows that while regulatory forces, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, are powerful drivers for change, other institutional influences play significant roles in shaping the synthesis of organizational change.
Abstract: This research is an attempt to better understand how external and internal organizational influences shape organizational actions for improving information systems security. A case study of a multi-national company is presented and then analyzed from the perspective of neo-institutional theory. The analysis indicates that coercive, normative, and mimetic isomorphic processes were evident, although it was difficult to distinguish normative from mimetic influences. Two internal forces related to work practices were identified representing resistance to initiatives to improve security: the institutionalization of work mobility and the institutionalization of efficiency outcomes expected with the adoption of company initiatives, especially those involving information technology. The interweaving of top-down and bottom-up influences resulted in an effort to reinforce, and perhaps reinstitutionalize the systems component of information security. The success of this effort appeared to hinge on top management championing information system security initiatives and propagating an awareness of the importance of information security among employees at all levels of the company. The case shows that while regulatory forces, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, are powerful drivers for change, other institutional influences play significant roles in shaping the synthesis of organizational change.
TL;DR: A secure and efficient key management framework (SEKM) for mobile ad hoc networks that builds PKI by applying a secret sharing scheme and an underlying multicast server group and an efficient server group updating scheme is proposed.
TL;DR: In this paper, the association between corruption and deaths due to major earthquakes was investigated by developing a brief theoretical model of the relation between these two variables and test the proposition by analyzing 344 quakes occurring between 1975 and 2003.
Abstract: Recent studies have identified various negative effects of public sector corruption. We add to these by considering the association between corruption and deaths due to major earthquakes. After developing a brief theoretical model of the relation between these two variables we test the proposition by analyzing 344 quakes occurring between 1975 and 2003. The empirical model takes into account the endogeneity of corruption and controls for factors, such as earthquake frequency, magnitude, distance from population centers, and a country’s level of development which influence quake destructiveness. The results indicate that public sector corruption is positively related to earthquake deaths.
TL;DR: A neural network architecture is proposed to form an unsupervised Bayesian classifier for this application domain that efficiently handles the segmentation in natural-scene sequences with complex background motion and changes in illumination.
Abstract: This paper presents a novel background modeling and subtraction approach for video object segmentation. A neural network (NN) architecture is proposed to form an unsupervised Bayesian classifier for this application domain. The constructed classifier efficiently handles the segmentation in natural-scene sequences with complex background motion and changes in illumination. The weights of the proposed NN serve as a model of the background and are temporally updated to reflect the observed statistics of background. The segmentation performance of the proposed NN is qualitatively and quantitatively examined and compared to two extant probabilistic object segmentation algorithms, based on a previously published test pool containing diverse surveillance-related sequences. The proposed algorithm is parallelized on a subpixel level and designed to enable efficient hardware implementation.
TL;DR: β-alanine supplementation appears to improve submaximal cycle ergometry performance and time-to-exhaustion in young women, perhaps as a result of an increased buffering capacity due to elevated muscle carnosine concentrations.
Abstract: This study examined the effects of 28 days of β-alanine supplementation on the physical working capacity at fatigue threshold (PWCFT), ventilatory threshold (VT), maximal oxygen consumption (\(\dot{\rm V}\)O2-MAX), and time-to-exhaustion (TTE) in women. Twenty-two women (age ± SD 27.4 ± 6.1 yrs) participated and were randomly assigned to either the β-alanine (CarnoSyn™) or Placebo (PL) group. Before (pre) and after (post) the supplementation period, participants performed a continuous, incremental cycle ergometry test to exhaustion to determine the PWCFT, VT, \(\dot{\rm V}\)O2-MAX, and TTE. There was a 13.9, 12.6 and 2.5% increase (p 0.05). There were no changes for \(\dot{\rm V}\)O2-MAX (p > 0.05) in either group. Results of this study indicate that β-alanine supplementation delays the onset of neuromuscular fatigue (PWCFT) and the ventilatory threshold (VT) at submaximal workloads, and increase in TTE during maximal cycle ergometry performance. However, β-alanine supplementation did not affect maximal aerobic power (\(\dot{\rm V}\)O2-MAX). In conclusion, β-alanine supplementation appears to improve submaximal cycle ergometry performance and TTE in young women, perhaps as a result of an increased buffering capacity due to elevated muscle carnosine concentrations.
TL;DR: This article presented a global and international perspective on Hurricane Katrina as a case of "grand failure" in crisis and emergency management, with lessons and implications for future crisis management, using a theory of "surprise management" to cope with hyper-uncertainties and unknowns.
Abstract: The study of crisis and emergency management—or mismanagement—during Hurricane Katrina will continue to proliferate in the near future. This article presents a global and international perspective on Katrina as a case of “grand failure” in crisis and emergency management, with lessons and implications for future crisis management. Benefiting from empirical data collected from international interviews, the essay presents a theoretical analysis of emergency governance and crisis management, discusses a detailed global perspective on Katrina crisis management as “management and leadership crisis,” offers a number of key lessons learned from Katrina, and draws policy and administrative recommendations for future crisis and emergency management through a theory of “surprise management” that is adaptive, collaborative, and citizen engaging and draws on chaos and complexity theories to cope with hyper-uncertainties and unknowns.