A simulation study of the efficiency of empirical Bayes' estimators of multiple correlated probability vectors

Empirical Bayes' methods had been used by Brier, Zacks, and Marlow [1] for estimating performance characteristic vectors of success probabilities. The problem is that of estimating k-dimensional success probabilities of dependent binomial random variables, which are highly correlated. The present study reinforces the results of the previous one by showing, via simulations, that the relative efficiency of the empirical Bayes estimators, compared to the Stein-type and to the maximum-likelihood ones, is very high. This holds even if the success proportions are based on a small number of trials. We study the case of equicorrelation structure with positive correlations.     

Computer software development: Quality attributes,measurements, and metrics

Software metrics try to identify, define, and assign various indices of merit that can support the quantitative comparisons and evaluations of software in all phases of its life cycle. This article is a state-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice review of literature related to software quality measurements and metrics.     

Capacitated warehouse location model with risk pooling

In this article, we introduce the capacitated warehouse location model with risk pooling (CLMRP), which captures the interdependence between capacity issues and the inventory management at the warehouses. The CLMRP models a logistics system in which a single plant ships one type of product to a set of retailers, each with an uncertain demand. Warehouses serve as the direct intermediary between the plant and the retailers for the shipment of the product and also retain safety stock to provide appropriate service levels to the retailers. The CLMRP minimizes the sum of the fixed facility location, transportation, and inventory carrying costs. The model simultaneously determines warehouse locations, shipment sizes from the plant to the warehouses, the working inventory, and safety stock levels at the warehouses and the assignment of retailers to the warehouses. The costs at each warehouse exhibit initially economies of scale and then an exponential increase due to the capacity limitations. We show that this problem can be formulated as a nonlinear integer program in which the objective function is neither concave nor convex. A Lagrangian relaxation solution algorithm is proposed. The Lagrangian subproblem is also a nonlinear integer program. An efficient algorithm is developed for the linear relaxation of this subproblem. The Lagrangian relaxation algorithm provides near‐optimal solutions with reasonable computational requirements for large problem instances. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2008     

What you should know about location modeling

Facility location models have been applied to problems in the public and private sectors for years. In this article, the author first presents a taxonomy of location problems based on the underlying space in which the problem is embedded. The article illustrates problems from each part of the taxonomy with an emphasis on discrete location problems. Selected recent research in the area is also discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2008     

Proportionate flow shop: New complexity results and models with due date assignment

It is known that the proportionate flow shop minimum makespan $Fm/prpt/C_{\max }$ problem is solved optimally by any permutation job sequence. We show that the $Fm/prpt/C_{\max }$ problem is at least ordinary NP‐hard when missing operations are allowed and present some solvable cases. We then consider the standard proportionate flow shop problem (with no missing operations) and show that the solution algorithms for a class of single‐machine due date assignment problems can be extended/generalized to the corresponding proportionate flow shop problems. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 62: 98–106, 2015     

Rising Tide,Dispersing Waves: Opportunities and Challenges for Chinese Seapower Development

Abstract

This article surveys China’s current naval forces and considers key dynamics and possible Chinese naval futures to 2020, the projected end of Beijing’s ‘strategic window of opportunity’, the idea that a peaceful external environment for economic development, globalization, and integration of China into the global economy allows China to benefit from diversion of US attention to countering terrorism. It considers broad possibilities through 2030, the general limit of public US government projections, and by which time multiple factors will likely slow China’s growth and compete for leadership focus and resources.     

PROTECTING CULTURAL MONUMENTS AGAINST TERRORISM

Famous cultural monuments are often regarded as unique icons, making them an attractive target for terrorists. Despite huge military and police outlays, terrorist attacks on important monuments can hardly be avoided. We argue that an effective strategy to discourage terrorist attacks on iconic monuments is for a government to show a firm commitment to swift reconstruction. Using a simple game‐theoretic model, we demonstrate how a credible claim to rebuild any destroyed cultural monument discourages terrorist attacks by altering the terrorists' expectations and by increasing the government's reputation costs if they fail to rebuild.     

Financial versus human resources in the Greek‐Turkish arms race: A forecasting investigation using artificial neural networks

This paper aims at forecasting the burden on the Greek economy resulting from the arms race against Turkey and at concentrating on the leading determinants of this burden. The military debt and the defence share of GDP are employed alternatively in order to approximate the measurement of the arms race pressure on Greece, and the method used is that of artificial neural networks. The use of a wide variety of explanatory variables in combination with the promising results derived, suggest that the impact on the Greek economy resulting from this arms race is determined, to a large, extent, by demographic factors which strongly favour the Turkish side. Prediction on both miltary debt and defence expenditure exhibited highly satisfactory accuracy, while the estimation of input significance, indicates that variables describing the Turkish side are often dominant over the corresponding Greek ones.     

How should modeling and simulation be used to support defense acquisition?

This paper investigates the potential for modeling and simulation to contribute to new defense system development, by increasing the productivity of traditional R&D in developing system‐specific technology. Building on a previous optimal control model of defense system R&D, it shows that (1) the optimal use of modeling is related in a natural way to that of traditional R&D, and (2) both have similar optimal profiles over time. Simulated results based on limited historical data suggest that optimal use of modeling could increase the rate of growth in system‐specific technology significantly.     

The Political Economy of Legislation on Terrorism

^{1 1}This research was funded in part by a grant from the Lowe Institute of Political Economy. The corresponding author is S. Brock Blomerg. We thank Chris Blomberg and Brianna Loyosa for their excellent research assistance on the project. This paper presents an empirical analysis of what drives congressional legislation on terrorism during the period 1995 to 2010. We utilize and augment current methodology to compile and analyze data on sponsorship and cosponsorship of terrorism related data. Our results on the sources of legislation on terrorism are largely in line with past examinations of the importance of committee membership and leadership, party majority-ship, and other political factors. Further, we find that the most significant and robust drive for legislation on terrorism is the September 11^th attacks. And while the impact of 9/11 affected legislative productivity everywhere, we find that it most significantly affected states surrounding New York and Washington D.C. Our results indicate that the economy may be one factor motivating politicians to legislate on terrorism; however, these results are not robust.