Incremental Path Research Articles

Agency, Incentives, and Motivating Innovation

Much of our understanding of motivating innovation builds on the conceptual idea that agency conflicts affect decisions on innovative activities, but empirical evidence on this fundamental relationship is scarce. This paper exploits an identification strategy using an exogenous cut to the taxation on managers’ dividend and capital gains income from the employer firm, which increases the after-tax value of those income. The agency effect on innovation is quantified by comparing heterogeneous behaviors after the tax cut among firms whose managerial ownership is low (insensitive to the event), medium (moral hazard is mitigated), and high (managerial risk aversion is exacerbated). I find that mitigating moral hazard stimulates innovation input and output quantity, while aggravated managerial risk aversion impedes innovation quantity. Managerial risk aversion shifts innovation directions to safer and more incremental paths, and merely alleviating moral hazard problem does not solve this issue. In response to agency shocks, firms adjust their innovative labor and organizational structure of innovation investment to achieve the documented changes. The agency effect on motivating innovation is sensibly governed by corporate governance, compensation structure, and CEO characteristics.

POLICY CHANGE INCH BY INCH: POLICY ENTREPRENEURS IN THE HOLY BASIN OF JERUSALEM

Facing barriers to change, policy entrepreneurs often shift their activities to a more favourable venue. In the new venue they either pressure the system from the outside, leading to policy punctuation, or make incremental changes within the existing system which over time will accumulate to a significant change in the status quo. This article aims to expand our understanding of policy entrepreneurs' role in the policy process by examining the strategies they use in the incremental path. Specifically, it focuses on one gradual change strategy, conversion – redirection of existing institutions to new purposes. Based on the case of policy entrepreneurs in the Holy Basin of Jerusalem, the findings indicate that when the entrepreneurs shift the venue to the bureaucracy they can establish cooperative relations with the government that will provide them with the needed capacities to exploit the gaps in the existing rules and redirect them to serve their aim.

On the effect of gold nanoparticles loading within carbonaceous macro-mesocellular foams toward lithium-sulfur battery performances

Novel carbonaceous monolith foams loaded with gold nanoparticles have been synthesized and thoroughly characterized over several length scale. Their Li-S battery electrode capabilities have been assessed and compared while varying the gold loading and subsequently the specific surface area. Their capacities expressed in either mass (mA h g−1) or volume (mA h cm−3) dimensions have shown that specific surface area and nanoparticles loading are acting in a strong partitioning mode, rather than a cooperative mode, which does not favor the use of gold nanoparticles loading as efficient incremental path toward optimizing porous carbonaceous-based Li-S battery electrodes.

Multiple and non-planar crack propagation analyses in thin structures using FCPAS

In this study, multiple and non-planar crack propagation analyses are performed using Fracture and Crack Propagation Analysis System (FCPAS). In an effort to apply and validate FCPAS procedures for multiple and non-planar crack propagation analyses, various problems are solved and the results are compared with data available in the literature. The method makes use of finite elements, specifically three-dimensional enriched elements to compute stress intensity factors (SIFs) without special meshing requirements. A fatigue crack propagation criterion, such as Paris-Erdo?an equation, is also used along with stress intensity factors to conduct the simulation. Finite element models are generated within ANSYS™ software, converted into and solved in FRAC3D program, which employs enriched crack tip elements. Having computed the SIFs for a given crack growth increment and using a growth criterion, the next incremental crack path is predicted and the fracture model is updated to reflect the non-planar crack growth. This procedure is repeated until cracks reach a desired length or when SIFs exceed the fracture toughness of the material. It is shown that FCPAS results are in good agreement with literature data in terms of SIFs, crack paths and crack growth life of the structure. Thus, accuracy and reliability of FCPAS software for multiple and non-planar crack propagation in thin structures is proven.

Sperm navigation along helical paths in 3D chemoattractant landscapes.

Sperm require a sense of direction to locate the egg for fertilization. They follow gradients of chemical and physical cues provided by the egg or the oviduct. However, the principles underlying three-dimensional (3D) navigation in chemical landscapes are unknown. Here using holographic microscopy and optochemical techniques, we track sea urchin sperm navigating in 3D chemoattractant gradients. Sperm sense gradients on two timescales, which produces two different steering responses. A periodic component, resulting from the helical swimming, gradually aligns the helix towards the gradient. When incremental path corrections fail and sperm get off course, a sharp turning manoeuvre puts sperm back on track. Turning results from an ‘off' Ca2+ response signifying a chemoattractant stimulation decrease and, thereby, a drop in cyclic GMP concentration and membrane voltage. These findings highlight the computational sophistication by which sperm sample gradients for deterministic klinotaxis. We provide a conceptual and technical framework for studying microswimmers in 3D chemical landscapes.

WMU journal of marine affairs special issue

This special issue consists of selected papers presented at the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME) conference in Norfolk, Virginia, 15–18 July 2014. They cover issues of considerable importance in the maritime industry and reflect new developments in the industry of interest to shipping lines, the ports that serve them and governments seeking to bring policy in line with modern shipping practice. More specifically, the first four papers discuss the environmental aspects ranging from environmentally-friendly technologies in shipping and designing for emissions allocation in container shipping to the use of LNG-fueled vessels in China and the development of LNG bunkering facilities in North European ports. These four papers indicate the significant interest in new technologies, emissions calculations, and the greening of the industry and are particularly relevant for readers interested in what the future may hold. Those developing new technologies have long considered how to improve technology uptake and ensure that technologies become more widely adopted, eventually becoming mainstream. The first paper titled Towards understanding the stepwise dissemination of shipping technologies suggests that adoption does not follow a logical and incremental path but rather a stepwise one where shifts in adoption are significant and abrupt. It provides food for thought to those seeking to understand the conditions by which technologies are adopted, and the concerns that face those with new technologies and hoping for their adoption. There are many in the industry that believe that the impacts should be obvious and that the uptake of new concepts will be logical and predictable. This paper, by arguing for an alternative adoption trajectory, provides insights into what is more likely to happen. It suggests that those with new technologies in development might consider building a program that enhances the probability of WMU J Marit Affairs (2015) 14:1–5 DOI 10.1007/s13437-015-0087-z

Giving birds a starting date: The curious social solution to a water resource issue in the U.S. West

Examining a natural resource management system, we show that what first looks like rigid path dependency is actually stepped incremental change. The theoretical question then arises of whether it is possible to predict when a natural resource governance system will follow such an incremental path of institutional change. Our investigation of the prior appropriation water rights system as administered in the state of Wyoming reveals that mental models, based on factors such as strong personal connections with administrators, plus strong confidence in the system, tend to favor incremental change. We note that choosing incremental change is not without risk. While systems that undertake wholesale and rapid change risk a good deal – exposing themselves to a potential shower of unanticipated consequences – systems that follow the path of incremental change also take risks. Incremental change may mean successful accommodation of new needs that demand attention, or it may be “too little too late,” ultimately allowing the pent-up pressure of unmet needs to push the system over a threshold into collapse.

Dynamic distributed unicast routing: optimal incremental paths

Developing new mathematical frameworks such as distributed dynamic routing algorithms for constructing optimal incremental paths from a node to another node is an important challenge in data communication networks. These new algorithms can model network resources optimally and increase network performances. A bundle of single routes in a current communication path, which starts from a source node and ends to a destination node, can consist of several successive nodes and links. The Incremental term emphasizes that the number of routes (links and nodes) in a current path can change so that achieving more data rate and optimal efficiency in the network. In this paper, our problem is to add/omit some routes consisting of some nodes and links to/from the current unicast path dynamically and optimally. We call this problem the Optimal Dynamic Distributed Unicast Routing (ODDUR) problem and it is a NP-complete problem. This problem can be formulated as a new type of Linear Programming Problem (LPP) for finding a minimum cost multichannel unicast path, which this path will minimize end-to-end delay and bandwidth consumption along the routes from the source node to the destination node. In this paper, at first a new mathematical framework will be constructed and then this framework will propose the new optimal dynamic distributed unicast routing algorithm for solving our LPP problem. This algorithm will compute an optimal solution for our LPP based on the simplex method and postoptimality computations and will reduce computations and consumed time. Simulation results will show that our new algorithm is more efficient than other available algorithms in terms of utilization of bandwidths and data rate.

Internationalization processes in stable and unstable market conditions: Towards a model of commitment decisions in dynamic environments

This article proposes a managerial decision framework to deal with internationalization whether in stable or dynamic environments. While displaying the effects of unstable and stable environmental settings on commitment decisions, the framework is the result of an inferential abductive approach that merges the risk management model with empirical data collected from a 32-year longitudinal case study on nine Swedish MNCs. The longitudinal analysis shows that when environmental changes are perceived as detrimental, firms tend to decrease their tangible assets and commit in a more intangible way. On the opposite, when changes to the environment are perceived as beneficial, firms follow an incremental path of commitment, preferably in tangible kind. The findings contribute new knowledge to understand such diversities in commitment decisions as divestment, wait-and-see, market-exit and re-entry.

K-Order Surrounding Roadmaps Path Planner for Robot Path Planning

Probabilistic roadmaps are commonly used in robot path planning. Most sampling-based path planners often produce poor-quality roadmaps as they focus on improving the speed of constructing roadmaps without paying much attention to the quality. Poor-quality roadmaps can cause problems such as poor-quality paths, time-consuming path searching and failures in the searching. This paper presents a K-order surrounding roadmap (KSR) path planner which constructs a roadmap in an incremental manner. The planner creates a tree while answering a query, selects the part of the tree according to quality measures and adds the part to an existing roadmap which is obtained in the same way when answering the previous queries. The KSR path planner is able to construct high-quality roadmaps in terms of good coverage, high connectivity, provision of alternative paths and small size. Comparison between the KSR path planner and Reconfigurable Random Forest (RRF), an existing incremental path planner, as well as traditional probabilistic roadmap (PRM) path planner shows that the roadmaps constructed using the KSR path planner have higher quality that those that are built by the other planners.

Adaptability and Ongoing Contractual Term Specificity: Advancements and Theoretical Implications

Studies on interfirm contractual relations have followed an incremental path. Recent developments have suggested a dichotomous property of contracts (i.e., contingent adaptability and ongoing contractual term specificity). Such a view is one step toward resolving most contradictory findings in studies related to contracting that have assumed a single dimension. This article takes a step toward minimizing the vacuum on contracting theory by adding a stronger theoretical base that takes into account the dichotomous property of contracts. Findings suggest some differences and similarities in these key contractual components.

Agglomerative clustering via maximum incremental path integral

Agglomerative clustering, which iteratively merges small clusters, is commonly used for clustering because it is conceptually simple and produces a hierarchy of clusters. In this paper, we propose a novel graph-structural agglomerative clustering algorithm, where the graph encodes local structures of data. The idea is to define a structural descriptor of clusters on the graph and to assume that two clusters have large affinity if their structural descriptors undergo substantial change when merging them into one cluster. A key insight of this paper to treat a cluster as a dynamical system and its samples as states. Based on that, Path Integral, which has been introduced in statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics, is utilized to measure the stability of a dynamical system. It is proposed as the structural descriptor, and the affinity between two clusters is defined as Incremental Path Integral, which can be computed in a closed-form exact solution, with linear time complexity with respect to the maximum size of clusters. A probabilistic justification of the algorithm based on absorbing random walk is provided. Experimental comparison on toy data and imagery data shows that it achieves considerable improvement over the state-of-the-art clustering algorithms.

Innovation Strategy and Entry Deterrence

We model an incumbent’s decision to pursue radical or incremental innovation when facing a rival entrant. The radical innovation may yield lucrative financial returns but entails significant technological and market‐related uncertainties. It is also particularly attractive to the rival entrant: if the market for it pans out, such an innovation obsoletes the existing technology and any incremental improvements to it. Each firm has its own assessment of the market potential for the radical innovation, and the reliability of these market forecasts can differ. We show that when the entrant’s market‐assessment capability is weak, the incumbent will pursue incremental innovation and postpone its plans to develop radical innovation even when it thinks highly of the market potential for the radical innovation. The incumbent does so to avoid validating the high market potential to the entrant, who may otherwise be encouraged to invest aggressively. The incumbent thus prefers to look “soft” with respect to its innovation strategy in order to discourage entry. Even if its innovation strategy is not observable, we show that an incumbent that assesses the commercial potential for a radical innovation favorably may pursue an incremental path and communicate its plans publicly; this strategy serves to reduce entry by affecting the entrant’s beliefs about the market potential of the innovation. Finally, we extend the model to investigate the entrant’s decision to communicate its innovation intentions. We find that the entrant communicates its plans to aggressively pursue radical innovation only if the incumbent’s market‐assessment capabilities are strong. In doing so, the entrant acts preemptively to discourage the incumbent from pursuing the radical innovation, and is less concerned with validating market potential.

LAZY SHORTEST PATH COMPUTATION IN DYNAMIC GRAPHS

We address the problem of single-source shortest path computation in digraphs with non-negative edge weights subjected to frequent edge weight decreases such that only some shortest paths are requested in-between updates. We optimise a recent semidynamic algorithm for weight decreases previously reported to be the fastest one in various conditions, resulting in important time savings that we demonstrate for the problem of incremental path map construction in usersteered image segmentation. Moreover, we extend the idea of lazy shortest path computation to digraphs subjected to both edge weight increases and decreases, comparing favourably to the fastest recent state-of-the-art algorithm.

The Health Systems Funding Platform: Is this where we thought we were going?

BackgroundIn March 2009, the Task Force for Innovative International Financing for Health Systems recommended "a health systems funding platform for the Global Fund, GAVI Alliance, the World Bank and others to coordinate, mobilize, streamline and channel the flow of existing and new international resources to support national health strategies." Momentum to establish the Health Systems Funding Platform was swift, with the World Bank convening a Technical Workshop on Health Systems Strengthening (HSS), and serial meetings organized to progress the agenda. Despite its potential significance, there has been little comment in peer-reviewed literature, though some disquiet in the international development community around the scope of the Platform and the capacity of the partners, which appears disproportionate to the available information.MethodsThis case study uses documentary analysis, participant observation and 24 in-depth interviews to examine the processes of development and key issues raised by the Platform.ResultsThe findings show a fluid and volatile process, with debate over whether ongoing engagement in HSS by Global Fund and GAVI represents a dilution of organizational focus, risking ongoing support, or a paradigm shift that facilitates the achievement of targeted objectives, builds systems capacity, and will attract additional resources. Uncertainty in the development of the Platform reflects the flexibility of the recently formed global health initiatives, and the instability of donor commitments, particularly in the current financial climate. But implicit in the conflict is tension between key global stakeholders over defining and ownership of the health systems agenda.ConclusionsThe tensions appear to have been resolved through a focus on national planning, applying International Health Partnership principles, though the global financial crisis and key personnel changes may yet alter outcomes. Despite its dynamic evolution, the Platform may offer an incremental path towards increasing integration around health systems, that has not been previously possible.

Incremental demand rerouting: optimization models and algorithms

This investigation addresses an important and difficult combinatorial optimization problem in the design and management of telecommunication systems known as the path assignment problem. The path assignment problem is specified by a set of demands on a network with given link capacities. Each demand must be assigned to exactly one routing path in such a way that the total amount of traffic routed over any link does not exceed that link's capacity. Given a network and a path assignment, the problem of interest is to maximize the available bandwidth (throughput) for a new demand. Network managers are concerned with the quality of service provided by their networks, and so they are reluctant to make major changes to an operating network that may inadvertently result in service disruptions for numerous clients simultaneously. Therefore, the objective of this investigation is to develop and test optimization models and algorithms that produce a series of throughput-improving modifications to the original path assignment. This allows network managers to implement the improved routing in stages with minimal changes to the overall routing plan between any two consecutive stages. Although the procedure may only reroute a few demands at each stage, the routing after the last stage should be as close as possible to an optimal routing. That is, it must maximize the throughput for the new demand. We present integer programming models and associated solution algorithms to maximize the throughput with a sequence of incremental path modifications. The algorithms were implemented with the AMPL modeling language and the CPLEX ILP solver, and tested on a family of five different data sets based on a European network widely studied in the literature. Empirical results show that the incremental approach finds near-optimal results within reasonable limits on CPU time.

Gender Politics and the Same-Sex Marriage Debate in the United States

This paper explores policy and legal debates over same-sex marriage in the United States, focusing on the indirect effects of the struggle over same-sex marriage and how these implicate the interests of women, including women in heterosexual relationships. The paper highlights the effects of the institutional structures of American politics, which have shaped the same-sex marriage debate in particular ways, privileging an incremental path of policy evolution across the states. This has forced US state courts to engage repeatedly with the legal arguments over same-sex relationship recognition and marriage and, in doing so, courts have increasingly cast the heterosexual nuclear family as a fragile edifice in need of state protection. The paper argues that we must move beyond thinking of same-sex marriage and relationship recognition as struggles that pit allegedly normalized or assimilated same-sex couples against queer politics and sensibilities and, rather, recognize the increasingly complex gender politics of same-sex marriage and relationship recognition, a politics that implicates groups beyond the LGBT community. In doing so, the paper argues that struggles over same-sex marriage are much more than simply struggles for recognition by LGBT communities but, rather, that they are the canary in the mineshaft of broad and profound shifts in gender relations.

Selecting feature detectors for accurate visual odometry

This work analyzes the performances of different feature detectors/descriptors in the context of incremental path estimation from passive stereo vision (Visual Odometry). Several state-of-the-art a...

Online world modeling and path planning for an unmanned helicopter

Mission scenarios beyond line of sight or with limited ground control station access require capabilities for autonomous safe navigation and necessitate a continuous extension of existing and potentially outdated information about obstacles. The presented approach is a novel synthesis of techniques for 3D environment perception and global path planning. A locally bounded sensor fusion approach is used to extract sparse obstacles for global incremental path planning in an anytime fashion. During the flight, a stereo camera checks the field of view along the flight path ahead by analyzing depth images. A 3D occupancy grid is built incrementally. To reduce the high data rate and storage demands of grid-type maps, an approximated polygonal world model is created. For a compacted representation, it uses prisms and ground planes. This enables the system to constantly renew and update its knowledge about obstacles. An incremental heuristic path planner uses both a-priori information as well as incremental obstacle updates to assure a collision-free path at any time. Mapping results from flight tests show the functionality of onboard world modeling from real sensor data. Path planning feasibility is demonstrated within a simulation environment considering world model changes inside the vehicle's field of view.

Clusters for Competitiveness: A Practical Guide and Policy Implications for Developing Cluster Initiatives

This practical guide offers a unique design for projects aiming to enhance industrial competitiveness in developing countries. An industrial cluster is an agglomeration of companies, suppliers, service providers, and associated institutions in a particular field. This unit of analysis proves crucial in substantiating industrial policy discussions and it certainly complements economy-wide analyses. A cluster-based approach encourages engagement with a diverse group of stakeholders through which they may develop a shared understanding of the underlying public policy issues and act on them jointly. Developing such a joint platform with strong ownership by the public and private sector stakeholders is often crucial in jump starting more comprehensive economic reform processes in developing countries. In the meantime, clusters offer an interdisciplinary approach through which policymakers may focus more on challenges that may be industry-specific, society-specific or policy-specific. It is the subtleties and nuances at these levels which help develop a meaningful understanding as to how economic policies are being translated into practices and what responses are needed to ensure an incremental path to competitiveness that fully takes into consideration the local bottlenecks and opportunities.