This study investigated the relations between teacher-rated reactive and proactive aggression and self-ratings of peer intimacy, peer group integration, inhibition of anger and coping with anger in children in grade 4 to grade 6 (n = 519). Grade and gender differences in the study variables were also examined. Although not significant, as predicted, there was a trend towards significance where proactive aggression increased by grade; however, contrary to predictions, the occurrence of reactive aggression did not decrease by grade. The two functions of aggression were strongly correlated with one another. Males were reported more aggressive than females and self-reported lower anger management and less peer group intimacy than females. Further, females who were rated as more reactively aggressive reported less peer group integration and peer intimacy. Males who were reported as reactively aggressive also reported less peer group integration. Reactive and proactive aggression in males was related to coping with anger.

Executive control allows us to ignore distraction and switch between tasks in a flexible, yet organized fashion. While a hallmark of controlled behavior, distinctions among executive control processes are not thoroughly agreed upon. The present work explored the organization of two of these executive control processes, inhibition and shifting, and their relationship to each other. There were two primary goals. The first goal was to investigate the distinction among inhibitory control processes, as “inhibition” has oftentimes been considered a unitary construct. For example, there is evidence that response-distractor inhibition, which involves resolving interference from dominant responses or distractors in the external environment, is different from resistance to proactive interference (PI), which involves overcoming interference from previously relevant representations in memory. Using aging, neuropsychology, and individual differences methodologies, I investigated the unity and diversity of inhibitory control mechanisms. The healthy aging and neuropsychological evidence supported a distinction between response-distractor inhibition and resistance to proactive interference. However, when controlling for processing speed, the individual differences work suggested a need for further specification, as only a subset of these tasks emerged in the single factor model that provided the best fit to the data. The second goal was to explore how inhibitory control processes interact with task switching, as some theoretical accounts of task switching have suggested that switch costs result from the need to overcome interference from the previously relevant task. Inconsistent with these theories, I found little relation between inhibitory control and measures of global and local task switching, and instead, working memory served as the best predictor of these shifting measures. In contrast, inhibitory control was related to the backward inhibition abilities of older adults. These findings are discussed within a theory of working memory that accounts for the patterns of results found across the different methodologies.

Executive control allows us to ignore distraction and switch between tasks in a flexible, yet organized fashion. While a hallmark of controlled behavior, distinctions among executive control processes are not thoroughly agreed upon. The present work explored the organization of two of these executive control processes, inhibition and shifting, and their relationship to each other. There were two primary goals. The first goal was to investigate the distinction among inhibitory control processes, as “inhibition” has oftentimes been considered a unitary construct. For example, there is evidence that response-distractor inhibition, which involves resolving interference from dominant responses or distractors in the external environment, is different from resistance to proactive interference (PI), which involves overcoming interference from previously relevant representations in memory. Using aging, neuropsychology, and individual differences methodologies, I investigated the unity and diversity of inhibitory control mechanisms. The healthy aging and neuropsychological evidence supported a distinction between response-distractor inhibition and resistance to proactive interference. However, when controlling for processing speed, the individual differences work suggested a need for further specification, as only a subset of these tasks emerged in the single factor model that provided the best fit to the data. The second goal was to explore how inhibitory control processes interact with task switching, as some theoretical accounts of task switching have suggested that switch costs result from the need to overcome interference from the previously relevant task. Inconsistent with these theories, I found little relation between inhibitory control and measures of global and local task switching, and instead, working memory served as the best predictor of these shifting measures. In contrast, inhibitory control was related to the backward inhibition abilities of older adults. These findings are discussed within a theory of working memory that accounts for the patterns of results found across the different methodologies.

Robust offline performance gains, beyond those that would be anticipated by being exposed to additional physical practice, have been reported during procedural learning. However, practice of unrelated procedural task performance within 4-6 hour after initial practice has been revealed to eliminate offline improvement. The present experiment assessed the relative impact of experiencing supplemental practice of a spatially or a motorically-similar procedural task immediately following practice of a target motor sequence task. Based on a contemporary model of procedural skill acquisition forwarded by Hikosaka and colleagues, we assumed exposure to a spatial compatible motor sequence rather than interfering would support rapid improvement in the production of the spatial variant of the target task without compromising important memory processes, which are conducted offline to improve delayed performance of the target task. Findings revealed the often demonstrated offline gain when the target task was performed in the absence of interfering task practice as well as the elimination of such gains when target task practice was followed with additional practice of either a novel or motorically-similar motor sequence task. While immediate performance of the spatially-similar task was facilitated by preceding target task training, offline gains for the target task no longer emerged. These data are consistent with a central premise of Hikosaka et al.’s model that a spatial reference system plays an important role early during motor sequence learning but highlight the sensitivity of offline gains to task practice order.

Aim: The aim is to identify the institutional pressures affecting audit firms in different local contexts. Theoretical approach: We develop a model by using institutional theory, socialization theory and other relevant literature. We use this model to identify differences in the socialization process in different audit firms and different local contexts. We also identify the strength of some institutional pressures in the local context. Empirical methodology: We conduct qualitative interviews with eight auditors working in large and small firms in three different local contexts Conclusions: We find that the socialization process in audit firms is dependent on both the size of the audit firm and on the local context in which it is located. We also identify that mimetic pressure between firms of different sizes is stronger in a local context with low client diversity than in a local context with high client diversity.

Dinamisme, capacitat de resposta i flexibilitat són característiques essencials en el desenvolupament de la societat actual. Les noves tendències de globalització i els avenços en tecnologies de la informació i comunicació fan que s'evolucioni en un entorn altament dinàmic i incert. La incertesa present en tot procés esdevé un factor crític a l'hora de prendre decisions, així com un repte altament reconegut en l'àrea d'Enginyeria de Sistemes de Procés (PSE). En el context de programació de les operacions, els models de suport a la decisió proposats fins ara, així com també software comercial de planificació i programació d'operacions avançada, es basen generalment en dades estimades, assumint implícitament que el programa d'operacions s'executarà sense desviacions. La reacció davant els efectes de la incertesa en temps d'execució és una pràctica habitual, però no sempre resulta efectiva o factible. L'alternativa és considerar la incertesa de forma proactiva, és a dir, en el moment de prendre decisions, explotant el coneixement disponible en el propi sistema de modelització.Davant aquesta situació es plantegen les següents preguntes: què s'entén per incertesa? Com es pot considerar la incertesa en el problema de programació d'operacions? Què s'entén per robustesa i flexibilitat d'un programa d'operacions? Com es pot millorar aquesta robustesa? Quins beneficis comporta? Aquesta tesi respon a aquestes preguntes en el marc d'anàlisis operacionals en l'àrea de PSE. La incertesa es considera no de la forma reactiva tradicional, sinó amb el desenvolupament de sistemes proactius de suport a la decisió amb l'objectiu d'identificar programes d'operació robustos que serveixin com a referència pel nivell inferior de control de planta, així com també per altres centres en un entorn de cadenes de subministrament. Aquest treball de recerca estableix les bases per formalitzar el concepte de robustesa d'un programa d'operacions de forma sistemàtica. Segons aquest formalisme, els temps d'operació i les ruptures d'equip són considerats inicialment com a principals fonts d'incertesa presents a nivell de programació de la producció. El problema es modelitza mitjançant programació estocàstica, desenvolupant-se finalment un entorn d'optimització basat en simulació que captura les múltiples fonts d'incertesa, així com també estratègies de programació d'operacions reactiva, de forma proactiva. La metodologia desenvolupada en el context de programació de la producció s'estén posteriorment per incloure les operacions de transport en sistemes de múltiples entitats i incertesa en els temps de distribució. Amb aquesta perspectiva més àmplia del nivell d'operació s'estudia la coordinació de les activitats de producció i transport, fins ara centrada en nivells estratègic o tàctic. L'estudi final considera l'efecte de la incertesa en la demanda en les decisions de programació de la producció a curt termini. El problema s'analitza des del punt de vista de gestió del risc, i s'avaluen diferents mesures per controlar l'eficiència del sistema en un entorn incert.En general, la tesi posa de manifest els avantatges en reconèixer i modelitzar la incertesa, amb la identificació de programes d'operació robustos capaços d'adaptar-se a un ampli rang de situacions possibles, enlloc de programes d'operació òptims per un escenari hipotètic. La metodologia proposada a nivell d'operació es pot considerar com un pas inicial per estendre's a nivells de decisió estratègics i tàctics. Alhora, la visió proactiva del problema permet reduir el buit existent entre la teoria i la pràctica industrial, i resulta en un major coneixement del procés, visibilitat per planificar activitats futures, així com també millora l'efectivitat de les tècniques reactives i de tot el sistema en general, característiques altament desitjables per mantenir-se actiu davant la globalitat, competitivitat i dinàmica que envolten un procés. / Dynamism, responsiveness, and flexibility are essential features in the development of the current society. Globalization trends and fast advances in communication and information technologies make all evolve in a highly dynamic and uncertain environment. The uncertainty involved in a process system becomes a critical problem in decision making, as well as a recognized challenge in the area of Process Systems Engineering (PSE). In the context of scheduling, decision-support models developed up to this point, as well as commercial advanced planning and scheduling systems, rely generally on estimated input information, implicitly assuming that a schedule will be executed without deviations. The reaction to the effects of the uncertainty at execution time becomes a common practice, but it is not always effective or even possible. The alternative is to address the uncertainty proactively, i.e., at the time of reasoning, exploiting the available knowledge in the modeling procedure itself. In view of this situation, the following questions arise: what do we understand for uncertainty? How can uncertainty be considered within scheduling modeling systems? What is understood for schedule robustness and flexibility? How can schedule robustness be improved? What are the benefits? This thesis answers these questions in the context of operational analysis in PSE. Uncertainty is managed not from the traditional reactive viewpoint, but with the development of proactive decision-support systems aimed at identifying robust schedules that serve as a useful guidance for the lower control level, as well as for dependent entities in a supply chain environment. A basis to formalize the concept of schedule robustness is established. Based on this formalism, variable operation times and equipment breakdowns are first considered as the main uncertainties in short-term production scheduling. The problem is initially modeled using stochastic programming, and a simulation-based stochastic optimization framework is finally developed, which captures the multiple sources of uncertainty, as well as rescheduling strategies, proactively. The procedure-oriented system developed in the context of production scheduling is next extended to involve transport scheduling in multi-site systems with uncertain travel times. With this broader operational perspective, the coordination of production and transport activities, considered so far mainly in strategic and tactical analysis, is assessed. The final research point focuses on the effect of demands uncertainty in short-term scheduling decisions. The problem is analyzed from a risk management viewpoint, and alternative measures are assessed and compared to control the performance of the system in the uncertain environment.Overall, this research work reveals the advantages of recognizing and modeling uncertainty, with the identification of more robust schedules able to adapt to a wide range of possible situations, rather than optimal schedules for a hypothetical scenario. The management of uncertainty proposed from an operational perspective can be considered as a first step towards its extension to tactical and strategic levels of decision. The proactive perspective of the problem results in a more realistic view of the process system, and it is a promising way to reduce the gap between theory and industrial practices. Besides, it provides valuable insight on the process, visibility for future activities, as well as it improves the efficiency of reactive techniques and of the overall system, all highly desirable features to remain alive in the global, competitive, and dynamic process environment.

<p>Over the next decade, it is estimated that the number of servers (virtual and physical) in enterprise datacenters will grow by a factor of 10, the amount of data managed by these datacenters will grow by a factor of 50, and the number of files the datacenter has to deal with will grow by a factor of 75. Meanwhile, skilled information technology (IT) staff to manage the growing number of servers and data will increase less than 1.5 times. Thus, a system administrator will face the challenging task of managing larger and larger numbers of production systems. We have developed solutions to make the system administrator more productive by automating some of the hard and time-consuming tasks in system management. In particular, we make new contributions in the Monitoring, Problem Diagnosing, and Testing phases of the system management cycle.</p><p>We start by describing our contributions in the Monitoring phase. We have developed a tool called Amulet that can continuously monitor and proactively detect problems on production systems. A notoriously hard problem that Amulet can detect is that of data corruption where bits of data in persistent storage differ from their true values. Once a problem is detected, our DiaDS tool helps in diagnosing the cause of the problem. DiaDS uses a novel combination of machine learning techniques and domain knowledge encoded in a symptoms database to guide the system administrator towards the root cause of the problem.</p><p>Before applying any change (e.g., changing a configuration parameter setting) to the production system, the system administrator needs to thoroughly understand the effect that this change can have. Well-meaning changes to production systems have led to performance or availability problems in the past. For this phase, our Flex tool enables administrators to evaluate the change hypothetically in a manner that is fairly accurate while avoiding overheads on the production system. We have conducted a comprehensive evaluation of Amulet, DiaDS, and Flex in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, integration of these contributions in the system management cycle, and how these tools bring data-intensive computing systems closer the goal of self-managing systems.</p> / Dissertation

No description available.

Resilience is among the increasingly popular topics of interest in the literature. Although rooted in the developmental and clinical literature, there has been an expansion of conceptualisations for this construct from various research streams, including the occupational literature. However, due to the lack of a behaviour-oriented measure of employee-centric resilience, the conceptualisation adapted in the present study refers to employee resilience as developable capacities that can be facilitated by the organisation to positively cope, adapt and thrive in response to continuously changing work environments. Using a recently developed measure of resilience, this study investigated the effects of the two leadership behaviours of empowerment and contingent reward, as well as the moderating roles of dispositional proactivity and optimism as individual differences. Regression analysis on a sample of 369 professionals supported the hypotheses that employee resilience is contingent on the leader’s operational empowerment and on contingent reward behaviours. Results also confirmed the effect of proactivity and optimism in enhancing resilience, and the moderating role of proactive personality in enhancing relation between empowering leadership and follower’s resilience. Outcomes of the study were also discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical implications, and recommendations were made for future research into the topic.

Digital Forensics (DF) is defined as the ensemble of methods, tools and techniques used to collect, preserve and analyse digital data originating from any type of digital media involved in an incident with the purpose of extracting valid evidence for a court of law. DF investigations are usually performed as a response to a digital crime and, as such, they are termed Reactive Digital Forensic (RDF). An RDF investigation takes the traditional (or post-mortem) approach of investigating digital crimes after incidents have occurred. This involves identifying, preserving, collecting, analyzing, and generating the final report. Although RDF investigations are effective, they are faced with many challenges, especially when dealing with anti-forensic incidents, volatile data and event reconstruction. To tackle these challenges, Proactive Digital Forensic (PDF) is required. By being proactive, DF is prepared for incidents. In fact, the PDF investigation has the ability to proactively collect data, preserve it, detect suspicious events, analyze evidence and report an incident as it occurs. This dissertation focuses on the detection and analysis phase of the proactive investigation system, as it is the most expensive phase of the system. In addition, theories behind such systems will be discussed. Finally, implementation of the whole proactive system will be tested on a botnet use case (Zeus). / Graduate / 0984 / 0537 / soltanalharbi@hotmail.com