Testing for randomness in stream ciphers using the binary derivative

The binary derivative has been used to measure the randomness of a binary string formed by a pseudorandom number generator for use in cipher systems. In this paper we develop statistical properties of the binary derivative and show that certain types of randomness testing in binary derivatives are equivalent to well-established tests for randomness in the original string. A uniform method of testing randomness in binary strings is described based on using the binary derivative. We show that the new tests are faster and more powerful than several of the well-established tests for randomness.     

On the Use of the Cause Table in Handling Common Cause Events in System Analysis

A method is presented for applying the cause table concept to the problem of common cause events. This method can be regarded as an alternative to the approach in which these events are included directly into the system fault trees. In comparison with this approach, the cause table method offers the advantage of simple fault trees, convenient visibility of the contributions of causes, and the ability to truncate the numerical calculation conveniently by aggregating small terms into an "other" category. Generally speaking, the cause table method can be said to handle common causes at the level of arithmetic (i.e., numbers) rather than at the level of algebra (determining cutsets and frequency equations).     

The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the rehabilitation of individuals with severe functional impairments in a municipal care service system

This article explores the development of a scheme to use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the training of individuals with severe functional impairments. Computers were used as an integral part of a rehabilitation programme for training, and the authors found that the resource was a useful addition to other treatment methods. This article describes the development and subsequent setting up of computers for training and how the study progressed. The study used a somewhat unique bottom up approach that first trained care-giving staff in computer skills. The caregivers in turn worked with and trained some of those they served. This learning strategy drew upon the concept of learning, empowerment and the motivation of all involved in a system and process. The study found that by using ICT all involved felt a greater sense of empowerment and improvement in the quality of life. That caregivers were involved at all stages was valuable in that they felt an ownership of the process and that they also benefited from being involved because they also learned new skills.     

An exploratory study of organizational values in jails

This research inductively identifies dimensions of organizational values which guide the operation and management of jails. A set of twenty-three value items were collected from jail administrators. Officers in five facilities were then asked to indicate the extent to which their administrators emphasized each value through their actions, statements, and policies. A principal components analysis showed that a subset of values could be represented by two underlying dimensions. A second survey of jail administrators showed that four values were consistently ranked as being of high priority relative to others. Implications for jail management are discussed and future research directions are offered.     

Gapping the Relevance Bridge: Fashions Meet Fundamentals in Management Research

The much lamented 'relevance gap' is as much a product of practitioners wedded to gurus and fads as it is of academics wedded to abstractions and fundamentals. The gap persists because practitioners forget that 'the' real world is actually 'a' world that is idiosyncratic, egocentric and unique to each person complaining about relevance. Greater attention to the conceptual underpinnings of fads and egocentric perception suggest the existence of more fundamental barriers to effectiveness such as ceilings on improvement, weak situations, ambiguous signals, non-obvious adaptive forms and preoccupation with vision. Joint practitioner-academic effort devoted to questions of how events come to be seen as 'real' could re-bridge a gap whose nature has been misidentified.     

Beyond Make‐Buy: Internalization and Integration of Design and Production

Much recent attention in industrial practice has been centered on the question of which activities a manufacturing firm should complete for itself and for which it should rely on outside suppliers. This issue, generally labeled the “make‐buy” decision, has received substantial theoretical and empirical attention. In this paper, we broaden the scope of the make‐buy decision to include product design decisions, as well as production decisions. First, we examine independently the decisions of whether to internalize design and production, and then we consider how design and production organizational decisions are interdependent. The specific research questions we address are: (1) How can design and production sourcing decisions be described in richer terms than “make” and “buy”? (2) Do existing theories of vertical integration apply to product design activities as well as production decisions? (3) What is the relationship between the organization of design and the organization of production? (4) What organizational forms for design and production are seen in practice? After developing theoretical arguments and a conceptual framework, we explore these ideas empirically through an analysis of design and production sourcing decisions for bicycle frames in the U. S. mountain bicycle industry.