A study on JPEG steganalytic features: Co-occurrence matrix vs. Markov transition probability matrix

Statistical feature selection is a key issue affecting the performance of steganalytic methods. In this paper, a performance comparison method for different types of image steganalytic features was proposed firstly based on the changing rates. Then, for two types of typical steganalytic features – co-occurrence matrix and Markov transition probability matrix, the performances of them were discussed and theoretically compared for detecting two types of well-known JPEG steganography that preserve DCT coefficients histogram and lead the histogram to shrink respectively. At last, a conclusion on the sensitivity comparison between components of these two types of features was derived: for the steganography that preserve the histogram, their sensitivities are comparable to each other; whereas for the other one (such as the steganography that subtract 1 from absolute value of the coefficient), different feature components have different sensitivities, on the basis of that, a new steganalytic feature could be obtained by fusing better components. Experimental results based on detection of three typical JPEG steganography (F5, Outguess and MB1) verified the theoretical comparison results, and showed that the detection accuracy of the fused new feature outperforms that of existing typical features.     

The formation of Coasean institutions to provide university knowledge for innovation: a case study and econometric evidence for Switzerland

The Journal of Technology Transfer - “Coasean” institutions are an alternative institutional form that provides a solution to some market and coordination failures. As such they can...     

Technology transfer vs. diffusion: A conceptual clarification

Technology transfer and diffusion are often used interchangeably and applied to diverse phenomena. Policy needs to distinguish between them. Transfer of knowledge and legal rights to produce a new product is constrained by the owner's concern for a return on innovation; diffusion of use is restricted by willingness and ability to adopt it. Speedy diffusion of use rewards the innovator; premature or inadequately rewarded transfer undermines incentives to innovate. The conflict occurs with product innovations, but may not arise with process innovations, whose diffusion is also contrary to the interests of the innovator unless compensated. Factors favoring and hindering technology transfer, and conditions affecting the rate of diffusion of use, are briefly considered.     

A reflection on the taxi reform in China: Innovation vs. Tradition

In contrast to the hostility shown in some other countries towards one of the most important examples of a sharing economy service, namely car hailing, China has always kept an open-minded attitude to this innovative Internet business model. After having been tolerant of unlicensed operations for years, China reformed the taxi industry by legalising car hailing in 2016. However, this process of reform was heavily affected by the political pressure generated by the drivers of traditional taxis. Following this reform, the taxi industry in China has been separated into two independent markets: one for traditional taxis and another for car hailing services. The Chinese experience provides a unique opportunity to study the sharing economy. This article comprises of a full evaluation of the abovementioned reform, with a specific focus on a number of characteristics specific to the taxi industry. We observed that quantity control of vehicles is still necessary in the Internet era due to imperfect competition and information asymmetries. Though the taxi reform in China has in some regards been beneficial, it has also had the unfortunate effect of preventing the taxi industry from taking full advantage of the benefits of the sharing economy. Consequently, we propose that the various levels of Chinese government should first establish a level playing field for traditional taxis and car hailing, and second, devise a mechanism to closely monitor the quantity of vehicles in the taxi market.     

知识产权保护：“过度”与“不足”

在信息社会、知识经济时代背景下,中国政府已明确提出"以信息化带动工业化,发挥后发优势,实现社会生产力的跨越式发展。"这显然预示着针对各种信息的利益冲突将愈演愈烈,相应地,解决信息利益冲突的信息产权特别是保护创新性智力成果这种特定优化信息从而成为信息产权核心的知识     

A shot in the arm for the military: consent to immunisation against biological warfare agents

The risk to Britain's Armed Forces from Biological Warfare (BW) is low but without protection their use would be devastating. Available protective measures include immunisation. The Government owes a legal duty of care to Servicemen to provide protection against a range of hazards, including those of BW. The State also owes Servicemen a duty of care to allow free and informed consent or free and informed refusal to medical procedures, including immunisation. However, refusal by key personnel to accept BW immunisation could degrade operational capability. Resolution between these two, potentially conflicting, duties of care may be controversial. To override a soldier's expressed interests would rank society's needs higher than those of the individual. Yet there are circumstances, such as exposure of Servicemen to BW used by an aggressor, where this would be ethically acceptable. The State's interests, combined with the best interests of the Servicemen, provide adequate ethical argument for both occupational immunisation (where it is an entry criterion for the Armed Forces) and mandatory immunisation (where disciplinary action may be taken against the non-compliant). Historically, both approaches have been used for public health immunisations and the legal framework already exists for both.     

Gustav Radbruch vs. Hans Kelsen: A Debate on Nazi Law*

Abstract. Can the label “law” apply to rules as amoral as the enactments of the Nazis? This question confronted the courts in Germany after 1945. In dealing with it, the judges had to take sides in the philosophical debate over the concept of law. In this context, the prominent voices of the legal philosophers Gustav Radbruch and Hans Kelsen could not go unheard. This paper draws on what could have been the “Radbruch‐Kelsen debate on Nazi Law.” In examining the debate, it will argue for a substantive account of the morality of the law, as expressed in Radbruch's Formula.     

Mail vs. telephone surveys of criminal justice attitudes: A comparative analysis

This study compares results from surveys using two modes of administration. A subset of questions from the 1992Texas Crime Poll, a statewide poll conducted annually by mail, was replicated in telephone interviews using the Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing System. The phone survey yielded better participation rates but less complete responses to individual attitude questions than did the mail poll. As expected, the mail survey was less expensive but less efficient than the automated phone survey. The central finding was that all but one of the responses to five attitude questions difered significantly across the surveys. The samples differed in their demographic composition, but this did not explain differences in the substantive findings from the mail and phone surveys. The discussion considers alternative explanations for differences in the findings from the two surveys and suggests direction for further comparative research.     

The C.T.A. case: A study in political corruption

Between 1984 and 1987, a wide-ranging corruption scandal in Pennsylvania resulted in the conviction and disgrace of a number of high-ranking elected officials, as well as the much publicized suicide of state Treasurer R. Budd Dwyer. This C.T.A. case initially appeared to be a straightforward and almost commonplace affair involving bribes and kickbacks to secure state contracts; but on further examination, this seemingly uncomplicated case can be shown to have involved elaborate conflicts at both state and federal level, and the direction and outcome of the prosecution were heavily influenced by political factors and bureaucratic self-interest.This paper will provide a narrative of the C.T.A. case and related incidents, and also describe the external factors which shaped the investigation. Particular emphasis will be placed on the complex relationship between state-level political interests and the activities of federal prosecutors. The C.T.A. affair offers an excellent illustration of the difficulty of gaining an accurate understanding of even an apparently simple case of political corruption, and the implication is that more elaborate incidents are even less amenable to any kind of academic or social scientific observation. The case can only be understood if full account is taken of the prosecutorial and investigative process which turned the original illegal transactions into a full-blown public scandal, factors which are often insufficiently emphasized in research on political corruption.     

Employee attitude surveys: perception vs. reality

In order to correctly interpret employee perceptions, analysts must understand the organization's past, present, and future goals and policies, its performance and success, and its place in the business environment.     

Smokers vs. nonsmokers in the work place: clearing the air.

As the antismoking movement grows, employees are becoming more vociferous about their right to a work environment free from tobacco smoke and its toxic effects. In response to these concerns, ordinances regulating smoke in public places and in some cases banning it altogether have been passed in several states and some cities. Likewise, courts have addressed the issue of nonsmokers' rights in the work place. In the following article, the authors examine the scope of regulation thus far and the prospect of future regulation on smoking in the work place. They also examine court, National Labor Relations Board, and arbitration decisions that have dealt with the rights of smokers and nonsmokers.     

Comparative vs. Transcendental Approaches to Justice: A Misleading Dichotomy in Sen's The Idea of Justice

This paper examines the distinction drawn by Amartya Sen between transcendental and comparative theories of justice, and its application to Rawls' doctrine. It then puts forward three arguments. First, it is argued that Sen offers a limited portrayal of Rawls' doctrine. This is the result of a rhetorical strategy that depicts Rawlsian doctrine as more “transcendental” than it really is. Although Sen deploys numerous quotations in support of his interpretation, it is possible to offer a less transcendental interpretation of Rawls. Second, the dichotomy between transcendental and comparative approaches to questions of justice is partly misleading, insofar as any plausible moral doctrine has both transcendental and comparative elements. Transcendental elements are necessary to avoid the confusion between the general acceptance of a norm, value or principle and its justification. A comparative view highlights the conditions of application of the doctrine to the real world, taking into account the possibility of moral dilemmas, evaluative disagreements and limited resources, while proposing possible provisos and caveats to the risk of the doctrine being self‐defeating. Third, although the transcendental approach is useful, it is argued that in elaborating this dichotomy Sen overlooks the merits of the third way between comparative and transcendental doctrines, what he calls “conglomerate theory,” and also the possibility that his doctrine (the capability approach) might be considered as an example of such a theory. The paper concludes with the argument that conglomerate theory does not aim to produce complete moral orderings, but rather a comparative approach with transcendental elements, as a form of weak transcendentalism.     

Mutation in Y STRs: Repeat motif gains vs. losses

Y chromosome specific short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) are widely used in population genetics and forensics. Since these markers do not recombine, mutation is the only source of diversity. The primary mutational mechanism leading to length changes in STRs is thought to be polymerase template slippage, and the most common change is the gain or the loss of one repeat motif. In this work, we aim to study 19 Y-STR alleles’ contraction and expansion. Alleles were grouped into tertiles: short (1^st tertile), intermediate (2^nd tertile) and long alleles (3^rd tertile). Significant differences between repeat gains and losses were found at four markers - DYS19, DYS439 for intermediate alleles, and DYS570 and DYS626 for long alleles. When the average number is computed for the pooled loci, for short alleles, the number of repeat motif gains is higher than of repeat losses, and the opposite happens for long alleles. For intermediate alleles, the proportion between the number of repeat gains and losses is close to one. Generally, the rate of expansion decreases from the first tertile to the third, and conversely, the rate of contraction increases from the first tertile to the third. The pooled loci tertiles’ mutation rate increases from short to long alleles. Our results demonstrate that the mutation direction and rate depend on alleles’ length. The longer the allele the greater the mutation and contraction rates.     

Parliamentary Consociationalism in Lebanon: Equal Citizenry vs. Quotated Confessionalism

This article sheds light on the governance dilemma in a deeply divided post-conflict Lebanese sectarian society undergoing democratic transition. It assesses consociational democracy as a working model institutionalised by Lebanon in light of the country's composition of multiple religious minorities. In particular, it focuses on the political forces shaping the current Lebanese National Assembly (parliament) within the confessional structure and analyses the prospect and impasses confronting the development of a stable and representative assembly. Analysis of the Lebanese parliament is made in light of five assessment areas identified as fundamental for the emergence of a stable democratic institution: political will and domestic support, representation, lawmaking, oversight, and management and infrastructure. After revealing the deep-rooted deficiency of quota-based confessional representation, the article provides institutional transitional reform recommendations that could increase the likelihood for the legislature to better fulfil the critical functions of representation, oversight, and lawmaking vital for democratic transition. The realisation of consociational democracy in Lebanon, the article argues, would require the eventual adoption of proportional representation as a means of moving the country from a ‘confessionally quotated’ to ‘equal citizenry’ based representation.