Primary Motivation (primary + motivation)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


APPLYING MACHINE LEARNING TO LOW-KNOWLEDGE CONTROL OF OPTIMIZATION ALGORITHMS

COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, Issue 4 2005
Tom Carchrae
This paper addresses the question of allocating computational resources among a set of algorithms to achieve the best performance on scheduling problems. Our primary motivation in addressing this problem is to reduce the expertise needed to apply optimization technology. Therefore, we investigate algorithm control techniques that make decisions based only on observations of the improvement in solution quality achieved by each algorithm. We call our approach "low knowledge" since it does not rely on complex prediction models, either of the problem domain or of algorithm behavior. We show that a low-knowledge approach results in a system that achieves significantly better performance than all of the pure algorithms without requiring additional human expertise. Furthermore the low-knowledge approach achieves performance equivalent to a perfect high-knowledge classification approach. [source]


The generation of hexahedral meshes for assembly geometry: survey and progress,

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 12 2001
Timothy J. Tautges
Abstract The finite element method is being used today to model component assemblies in a wide variety of application areas, including structural mechanics, fluid simulations, and others. Generating hexahedral meshes for these assemblies usually requires the use of geometry decomposition, with different meshing algorithms applied to different regions. While the primary motivation for this approach remains the lack of an automatic, reliable all-hexahedral meshing algorithm, requirements in mesh quality and mesh configuration for typical analyses are also factors. For these reasons, this approach is also sometimes required when producing other types of unstructured meshes. This paper will review progress to date in automating many parts of the hex meshing process, which has halved the time to produce all-hex meshes for large assemblies. Particular issues which have been exposed due to this progress will also be discussed, along with their applicability to the general unstructured meshing problem. Published in 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


The self-presentation and self-development of serious wildlife tourists

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TOURISM RESEARCH, Issue 1 2010
Susanna Curtin
Abstract The notion of self-concept and choice of tourism products has yet to be applied to wildlife tourism. The question of how consumers perceive themselves is considered fundamental to understanding purchase and consumption behaviours. This ethnographic study is based upon ,serious' wildlife tourism participants, for whom studying fauna and flora is the primary motivation for travel. The findings demonstrate how the ,culture' of ,serious' wildlife tourism is made up of individuals who differentiate themselves from other tourists in terms of dress, behaviour, development of skills, equipment and intellectual capital, illustrated by their desire to scope, identify and photograph wildlife. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Social entrepreneurship: understanding consumer motives for buying The Big Issue

JOURNAL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, Issue 3 2005
Sally A. Hibbert
Abstract This paper examines consumer response to a particular social entrepreneurship initiative, The Big Issue. Focusing on consumer motivation, the research explores the utilitarian value of the product as compared to the desire to help the homeless as the primary motivation for purchase. The research found that, although the utilitarian value partly motivated purchase, consumers widely perceived there to be a helping dimension to the exchange. Consumers valued the empowerment goals espoused by The Big Issue and found it rewarding to play a part in the empowerment process. The appearance and manner of The Big Issue vendors influenced consumer reactions to the initiative, indicating a need for careful management of ,beneficiary portrayal' in this context. [source]


Management Motivation and Market Assessment: Revaluations of Fixed Assets

JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT & ACCOUNTING, Issue 2 2001
Bikki Jaggi
The study examines Hong Kong managers' motivation for upward revaluation of fixed assets. The results show that revaluations are positively associated with the firms' future operating performance, suggesting that the managers' primary motivation for upward revaluation of fixed assets has been to signal fair value of assets to financial statements users. Another motivation for revaluations has been to improve the firm's borrowing capacity. The results also indicate a significantly positive association between revaluations and stock prices and returns, suggesting that the market's assessment aligns with the managers' revaluations. [source]


Gustaf Dalman, Anti-Semitism, and the Language of Jesus Debate

JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS HISTORY, Issue 1 2010
STEVEN THOMPSON
The theory that Jesus of Nazareth spoke and taught exclusively in Aramaic rather than Hebrew achieved its present dominant position just over a century ago due largely to the labour of Gustaf Dalman. His primary motivation was not the recovery of the historical Jesus, however, but to support his deep commitment to the Protestant movement to convert Jews. This movement did not escape the impact of escalating anti-Semitism in society, intensified by rapid progress towards German national unification. One Christian response to anti-Semitism was to "extract" Jesus from Judaism by contrasting him with "Jewish" attitudes and values held by Jewish spiritual authorities. Dalman's contribution was to extract Jesus from the ethnically exclusive Hebrew language by insisting that he spoke only the more widely used lingua franca of the region, Aramaic. By overstating his case and going beyond the evidence, Dalman revealed his indebtedness to the anti-Semitic spirit of his age. [source]


Characterization of 28 microsatellite loci for the butterfly Bicyclus anynana

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES, Issue 1 2005
A. E. VAN'T HOF
Abstract We present 28 polymorphic microsatellite loci, including a sex-linked W-chromosome marker, for the Afrotropical butterfly, Bicyclus anynana. Our primary motivation to develop these markers was to apply them in quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping studies. A technique is also proposed that may be useful in avoiding redundant sequences which are common in lepidopteran-enriched libraries. Pedigree analysis was performed to test Mendelian segregation of the markers and to address the issue of null alleles. [source]


Prehistoric trepanation in the Cuzco region of Peru: A view into an ancient Andean practice

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 1 2008
Valerie A. Andrushko
Abstract In this study, patterns of prehistoric trepanation in the southern highlands of Peru were examined through an analysis of 11 Cuzco-region burial sites. Trepanations were found in 66 individuals, with several individuals exhibiting more than one trepanation, for a total of 109 perforations observed. The predominant methods used were circular cutting and scraping,methods that proved highly successful with an overall 83% survival rate and little ensuing infection. Survival rates showed a significant increase over time, apparently reflecting improvements in trepanation technique through experimentation and practical experience. Practitioners avoided certain areas of the cranium and employed methods that reduced the likelihood of damage to the cerebral meninges and venous sinuses. In many cases, trepanation as a medical treatment appears to have been prompted by cranial trauma, a finding that corroborates other studies pointing to cranial trauma as a primary motivation for the surgical procedure. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Initial Public Offerings: An Analysis of Theory and Practice

THE JOURNAL OF FINANCE, Issue 1 2006
JAMES C. BRAU
ABSTRACT We survey 336 chief financial officers (CFOs) to compare practice to theory in the areas of initial public offering (IPO) motivation, timing, underwriter selection, underpricing, signaling, and the decision to remain private. We find the primary motivation for going public is to facilitate acquisitions. CFOs base IPO timing on overall market conditions, are well informed regarding expected underpricing, and feel underpricing compensates investors for taking risk. The most important positive signal is past historical earnings, followed by underwriter certification. CFOs have divergent opinions about the IPO process depending on firm-specific characteristics. Finally, we find the main reason for remaining private is to preserve decision-making control and ownership. [source]


MORAL PERCEPTION AND THE CAUSAL OBJECTION

RATIO, Issue 3 2010
Justin P. McBrayer
One of the primary motivations behind moral anti-realism is a deep-rooted scepticism about moral knowledge. Moral realists attempt counter this worry by sketching a plausible moral epistemology. One of the most radical proposals in the recent literature is that we know moral facts by perception , we can literally see that an action is wrong, etc. A serious objection to moral perception is the causal objection. It is widely conceded that perception requires a causal connection between the perceived and the perceiver. But, the objection continues, we are not in appropriate causal contact with moral properties. Therefore, we cannot perceive moral properties. This papers demonstrates that the causal objection is unsound whether moral properties turn out to be secondary, natural properties; non-secondary, natural properties; or non-natural properties.1 [source]