Commutant Lifting for Commuting Row Contractions

If $T= \big[ T_1 ... T_n\big]$ is a row contraction with commuting entries, and the Arveson dilation is $\tilde T= \big[ \tilde T_1 ... \tilde T_n\big]$, then any operator $X$ commuting with each $T_i$ dilates to an operator $Z$ of the same norm which commutes with each $\tilde T_i$.Comment: one section and references were adde

Localisable moving average stable and multistable processes

We study a particular class of moving average processes which possess a property called localisability. This means that, at any given point, they admit a ``tangent process'', in a suitable sense. We give general conditions on the kernel g defining the moving average which ensures that the process is localisable and we characterize the nature of the associated tangent processes. Examples include the reverse Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process and the multistable reverse Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process. In the latter case, the tangent process is, at each time t, a L\'evy stable motion with stability index possibly varying with t. We also consider the problem of path synthesis, for which we give both theoretical results and numerical simulations

Multi-scale Discriminant Saliency with Wavelet-based Hidden Markov Tree Modelling

The bottom-up saliency, an early stage of humans' visual attention, can be considered as a binary classification problem between centre and surround classes. Discriminant power of features for the classification is measured as mutual information between distributions of image features and corresponding classes . As the estimated discrepancy very much depends on considered scale level, multi-scale structure and discriminant power are integrated by employing discrete wavelet features and Hidden Markov Tree (HMT). With wavelet coefficients and Hidden Markov Tree parameters, quad-tree like label structures are constructed and utilized in maximum a posterior probability (MAP) of hidden class variables at corresponding dyadic sub-squares. Then, a saliency value for each square block at each scale level is computed with discriminant power principle. Finally, across multiple scales is integrated the final saliency map by an information maximization rule. Both standard quantitative tools such as NSS, LCC, AUC and qualitative assessments are used for evaluating the proposed multi-scale discriminant saliency (MDIS) method against the well-know information based approach AIM on its released image collection with eye-tracking data. Simulation results are presented and analysed to verify the validity of MDIS as well as point out its limitation for further research direction.Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1301.396

An investigation into the antecedents and consequences of collaboration between sales and marketing

This thesis explores the antecedents and consequences of collaboration between sales and marketing. The results suggest that collaborative sales and marketing functions have benefits for the organisation in terms of improved business performance. In addition, improvements in collaboration between sales and marketing will positively affect marketing orientation and leading to superior marketing quality. The research began with an exploration of the interface between sales and marketing through the available literature. The existing research conceptualises the relationship between sales and marketing and highlights the benefits of interfunctional collaborative behaviour. Therefore, a study was designed to not only identify the antecedents of collaboration between sales and marketing so that the relationship between sales and marketing can be assessed and improved to the benefit of the organisation, but also to establish that business performance can be directly influenced by improvements in collaboration between sales and marketing. The research was undertaken through a mixed methodology, utilising exploratory case studies, a large-scale quantitative survey and confirmatory interviews. The data analysis involved four distinct analytical methods: within-case analysis, crosscase analysis, statistical analysis and confirmatory interviews. The large-scale survey was undertaken through a questionnaire that was sent to the Managing Directors/Chief Executives of large, UK-based organisations operating in the business-to-business arena. Through the findings from the survey five antecedents to collaboration between sales and marketing were identified - management attitudes towards co-ordination, conflict of interests, communications, market intelligence and organisational learning - and a revised conceptual framework was developed. The correlation and multiple regression analysis confirmed the weighting of each of the independent variables upon collaboration between sales and marketing and established a number of other relationships between the variables. The second part of the research focused on the consequences of improved collaboration between sales and marketing. It was found through the survey that collaboration between sales and marketing may have a positive effect upon business performance. The research also established that marketing orientation was not an antecedent to collaboration between sales and marketing, but that collaboration between sales and marketing may have a positive influence on marketing orientation. In addition, it was established that collaboration between sales and marketing has a positive effect on business performance. This research identifies some of the antecedents of collaboration between sales and marketing and clarifies the benefits of collaboration between sales and marketing to the organisation

The Gaseous Extent of Galaxies and the Origin of \lya Absorption Systems. III. Hubble Space Telescope Imaging of \lya-Absorbing Galaxies at z < 1

We present initial results of a program to obtain and analyze HST WFPC2 images of galaxies identified in an imaging and spectroscopic survey of faint galaxies in fields of HST spectroscopic target QSOs. We measure properties of 87 galaxies, of which 33 are associated with corresponding \lya absorption systems and 24 do not produce corresponding \lya absorption lines to within sensitive upper limits. Considering only galaxy and absorber pairs that are likely to be physically associated and excluding galaxy and absorber pairs within 3000 \kms of the background QSOs leaves 26 galaxy and absorber pairs and seven galaxies that do not produce corresponding \lya absorption lines to within sensitive upper limits. Redshifts of the galaxy and absorber pairs range from 0.0750 to 0.8912 with a median of 0.3718, and impact parameter separations of the galaxy and absorber pairs range from 12.4 to $157.4 h^{-1}$ kpc with a median of $62.4 h^{-1}$ kpc. The primary result of the analysis is that the amount of gas encountered along the line of sight depends on the galaxy impact parameter and B-band luminosity but does not depend strongly on the galaxy average surface brightness, disk-to-bulge ratio, or redshift. This result confirms and improves upon the anti-correlation between \lya absorption equivalent width and galaxy impact parameter found previously by Lanzetta et al. (1995). There is no evidence that galaxy interactions play an important role in distributing tenuous gas around galaxies in most cases. Galaxies might account for all \lya absorption systems with $W > 0.3$ \AA, but this depends on the unknown luminosity function and gaseous cross sections of low-luminosity galaxies as well as on the uncertainties of the observed number density of \lya absorption systems.Comment: Minor changes. Figure 1 stays intact and is available at ftp://ftp.ess.sunysb.edu/pub/lanzetta/wfpc