775 research outputs found
Gamification techniques for raising cyber security awareness
Due to the prevalence of online services in modern society, such as internet banking and social media, it is important for users to have an understanding of basic security measures in order to keep themselves safe online. However, users often do not know how to make their online interactions secure, which demonstrates an educational need in this area. Gamification has grown in popularity in recent years and has been used to teach people about a range of subjects. This paper presents an exploratory study investigating the use of gamification techniques to educate average users about password security, with the aim of raising overall security awareness. To explore the impact of such techniques, a role-playing quiz application (RPG) was developed for the Android platform to educate users about password security. Results gained from the work highlightedthat users enjoyed learning via the use of the password application, and felt they benefitted from the inclusion of gamification techniques. Future work seeks to expand the prototype into a full solution, covering a range of security awareness issues
Linear independence of localized magnon states
At the magnetic saturation field, certain frustrated lattices have a class of
states known as "localized multi-magnon states" as exact ground states. The
number of these states scales exponentially with the number of spins and
hence they have a finite entropy also in the thermodynamic limit
provided they are sufficiently linearly independent. In this article we present
rigorous results concerning the linear dependence or independence of localized
magnon states and investigate special examples. For large classes of spin
lattices including what we called the orthogonal type and the isolated type as
well as the kagom\'{e}, the checkerboard and the star lattice we have proven
linear independence of all localized multi-magnon states. On the other hand the
pyrochlore lattice provides an example of a spin lattice having localized
multi-magnon states with considerable linear dependence.Comment: 23 pages, 6 figure
Is a more aggressive COVID-19 case detection approach mitigating the burden on ICUs? Some reflections from Italy
No abstract availabl
Time-Varying Structural Vector Autoregressions and Monetary Policy: A Corrigendum
This note corrects a mistake in the estimation algorithm of the time-varying structural vector autoregression model of Primiceri (2005) and proposes a new algorithm that correctly applies the procedure proposed by Kim, Shephard, and Chib (1998) to the estimation of VAR or DSGE models with stochastic volatility. Relative to Primiceri (2005), the correct algorithm involves a different ordering of the various Markov Chain Monte Carlo steps
Does Banque de France control inflation and unemployment?
We re-estimate statistical properties and predictive power of a set of
Phillips curves, which are expressed as linear and lagged relationships between
the rates of inflation, unemployment, and change in labour force. For France,
several relationships were estimated eight years ago. The change rate of labour
force was used as a driving force of inflation and unemployment within the
Phillips curve framework. The set of nested models starts with a simplistic
version without autoregressive terms and one lagged term of explanatory
variable. The lag is determined empirically together with all coefficients. The
model is estimated using the Boundary Element Method (BEM) with the least
squares method applied to the integral solutions of the differential equations.
All models include one structural break might be associated with revisions to
definitions and measurement procedures in the 1980s and 1990s as well as with
the change in monetary policy in 1994-1995. For the GDP deflator, our original
model provided a root mean squared forecast error (RMSFE) of 1.0% per year at a
four-year horizon for the period between 1971 and 2004. The rate of CPI
inflation is predicted with RMSFE=1.5% per year. For the naive (no change)
forecast, RMSFE at the same time horizon is 2.95% and 3.3% per year,
respectively. Our model outperforms the naive one by a factor of 2 to 3. The
relationships for inflation were successfully tested for cointegration. We have
formally estimated several vector error correction (VEC) models for two
measures of inflation. At a four year horizon, the estimated VECMs provide
significant statistical improvements on the results obtained by the BEM:
RMSFE=0.8% per year for the GDP deflator and ~1.2% per year for CPI. For a two
year horizon, the VECMs improve RMSFEs by a factor of 2, with the smallest
RMSFE=0.5% per year for the GDP deflator.Comment: 25 pages, 12 figure
Alcohol and cigarette consumption predict mortality in patients with head and neck cancer: A pooled analysis within the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) Consortium
Background: This study evaluated whether demographics, pre-diagnosis lifestyle habits and clinical data are associated with the overall survival (OS) and head and neck cancer (HNC)-specific survival in patients with HNC. Patients and methods: We conducted a pooled analysis, including 4759 HNC patients from five studies within the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) Consortium. Cox proportional hazard ratios (HRs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated including terms reported significantly associated with the survival in the univariate analysis. Results: Five-year OS was 51.4% for all HNC sites combined: 50.3% for oral cavity, 41.1% for oropharynx, 35.0% for hypopharynx and 63.9% for larynx. When we considered HNC-specific survival, 5-year survival rates were 57.4% for all HNC combined: 54.6% for oral cavity, 45.4% for oropharynx, 37.1% for hypopharynx and 72.3% for larynx. Older ages at diagnosis and advanced tumour staging were unfavourable predictors of OS and HNC-specific survival. In laryngeal cancer, low educational level was an unfavourable prognostic factor for OS (HR=2.54, 95% CI 1.01-6.38, for high school or lower versus college graduate), and status and intensity of alcohol drinking were prognostic factors both of the OS (current drinkers HR=1.73, 95% CI 1.16-2.58) and HNC-specific survival (current drinkers HR=2.11, 95% CI 1.22-3.66). In oropharyngeal cancer, smoking status was an independent prognostic factors for OS. Smoking intensity ( > 20 cigarettes/day HR=1.41, 95% CI 1.03-1.92) was also an independent prognostic factor for OS in patients with cancer of the oral cavity. Conclusions: OS and HNC-specific survival differ among HNC sites. Pre-diagnosis cigarette smoking is a prognostic factor of the OS for patients with cancer of the oral cavity and oropharynx, whereas pre-diagnosis alcohol drinking is a prognostic factor of OS and HNC-specific survival for patients with cancer of the larynx. Low educational level is an unfavourable prognostic factor for OS in laryngeal cancer patients
Tourism and Economic Globalization: An Emerging Research Agenda
Globalization characterizes the economic, social, political, and cultural spheres of the modern world. Tourism has long been claimed as a crucial force shaping globalization, while in turn the developments of the tourism sector are under the influences of growing interdependence across the world. As globalization proceeds, destination countries have become more and more susceptible to local and global events. By linking the existing literature coherently, this study explores a number of themes on economic globalization in tourism. It attempts to identify the forces underpinning globalization and assess the implications on both the supply side and the demand side of the tourism sector. In view of a lack of quantitative evidence, future directions for empirical research have been suggested to investigate the interdependence of tourism demand, the convergence of tourism productivity, and the impact of global events
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