University of the Aegean

About: University of the Aegean is a education organization based out in Mytilene, Greece. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 2818 authors who have published 8100 publications receiving 179275 citations. The organization is also known as: UAEG.

ICT Paradox Lost? A Stepwise DEA Methodology to Evaluate Technology Investments in Tourism Settings

Abstract: Despite the continuous increase of investment in information and communication technologies (ICT) in the tourism industry, empirical studies have not persuasively established corresponding increases in productivity. Indeed several shortcomings have been identified in past studies. This study proposes a new way of assessing ICT productivity. The methodology is tested in a data set from the three-star hotel sector in the United Kingdom using a nonparametric technique called data envelopment analysis (DEA). Empirical findings reveal that productivity gains accrue not from investments per se, but from the full exploitation of the ICT networking and informationalization capabilities. A model for managing ICT applications and benefits is proposed.

SQL-IDS: a specification-based approach for SQL-injection detection

Abstract: Vulnerabilities in web applications allow malicious users to obtain unrestricted access to private and confidential information. SQL injection attacks rank at the top of the list of threats directed at any database-driven application written for the Web. An attacker can take advantages of web application programming security flaws and pass unexpected malicious SQL statements through a web application for execution by the back-end database. This paper proposes a novel specification-based methodology for the detection of exploitations of SQL injection vulnerabilities. The new approach on the one hand utilizes specifications that define the intended syntactic structure of SQL queries that are produced and executed by the web application and on the other hand monitors the application for executing queries that are in violation of the specification.The three most important advantages of the new approach against existing analogous mechanisms are that, first, it prevents all forms of SQL injection attacks; second, its effectiveness is independent of any particular target system, application environment, or DBMS; and, third, there is no need to modify the source code of existing web applications to apply the new protection scheme to them.We developed a prototype SQL injection detection system (SQL-IDS) that implements the proposed algorithm. The system monitors Java-based applications and detects SQL injection attacks in real time. We report some preliminary experimental results over several SQL injection attacks that show that the proposed query-specific detection allows the system to perform focused analysis at negligible computational overhead without producing false positives or false negatives. Therefore, the new approach is very efficient in practice.

Eutrophication assessment of coastal waters based on indicators: a literature review.

Abstract: Numerous methods have been developed for the quantitative assessment of eutrophication: statistical techniques, simulation models and water quality indicators are the most widely used techniques to assess trophic levels. All these methods share a common goal: to evaluate the environmental impact due to high nutrient concentrations / phytoplankton biomass and classify the waters into oligotrophic, mesotrophic and eutrophic water types. This classification provides a useful tool for assessing environmental quality and help coastal managers and planners in the decision making. In the present work the indicators used for eutrophication assessment are reviewed. They provide useful information because voluminous amounts of data can be expressed through a single number. Variable indices such as chlorophyll and nutrient concentrations, phytoplankton biomass and water transparency are examined and ranges defining levels of eutrophication are proposed. Among the flux measurements, primary productivity has also been considered as an indicator useful in assessing trophic levels and a productivity scaling is also given. Community indices and their application in eutrophication studies are overviewed and their effectiveness in describing eutrophic trends is evaluated; their assumptions, advantages and shortcomings are also discussed. Among the twelve community indices evaluated for assessing eutrophication, only four were found to respond to eutrophic conditions; in nutrient and phytoplankton variables used as indicators, their frequency distribution showed overlapping between water types; this seems to be a problem in defining boundary values discriminating trophic levels. As the indices express ecosystem status and conditions, if they are going to be used under the Water Framework Directive, special consideration is needed since different scales seem to apply at regional level rather than forming a universal tool applicable to all European coastal waters.

Customer Involvement in Sustainable Supply Chain Management: A Research Framework and Implications in Tourism

Abstract: Through a review of sustainability research, this paper offers a framework for studying the customer’s role in managing sustainability throughout a hospitality or tourism firm’s supply chain. With ...