bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of iPod-Based Automated Tinnitus Pitch Matching
Authors: Wunderlich Robert , Stein Alwina , Engell Alva , Lau Pia , Waasem Lea , Shaykevich Alex , Rudack Claudia , Pantev Christo
Published: February 2015

Background:Tinnitus is the perception of sound unrelated to any external source. Diagnostic approaches to assess tinnitus characteristics such as tinnitus pitch are crucial for new attempts of tinnitus therapy.Purpose:The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate
reliable tinnitus pitch-matching procedures. Existing procedures usually require audiometric equipment and are time consuming. However, some patients with tinnitus find it hard to match their tinnitus in one single session. Therefore, we developed an iPod-based application for self-administered
tinnitus pitch matching and compared it with a standardized audiometric procedure.Study Sample:A total of 17 patients with chronic tonal tinnitus participated in two sessions including both pitch-matching procedures.Method:In the conventional audiometric test, the investigator
adjusted the frequency and loudness of pure tones led by the responses of the patient. For the iPod-based procedure, we used a recursive two-interval forced-choice test that required no interaction with an investigator. Both procedures included loudness matching and testing for octave confusion.Results:The
iPod-based procedure resulted in lower pitch matches as compared with the conventional audiometry. Psychometric qualities such as test-retest reliability of both methods were comparable. Participants rated the iPod-based procedure as easier to perform and more comfortable to use.Conclusions:In
conclusion, we find that the use of self-administered tinnitus pitch-matching procedures on a mobile device is feasible and easier in practice without any loss of reliability and validity. A major advantage is the possibility of repeated measurements without expensive equipment and experienced
staff. Repeated measurements of tinnitus pitch can provide more information about the stability of the tinnitus perception and may improve the ability of participants to match their tinnitus.
Prise en charge des difficultés mathématiques des enfants porteurs de troubles spécifiques des apprentissages en ergothérapie
Authors: Barray Valérie
Published: February 2015

À l’heure actuelle, la prise en charge des difficultés mathématiques dans le cadre de troubles spécifiques des apprentissages est peu référencée dans la littérature. En ergothérapie, il nous a semblé pertinent d’aborder le traitement de ces difficultés à la lumière des avancées récentes de la recherche sur le sujet. Pour permettre au lecteur de comprendre en quoi consiste une telle approche, nous présentons deux études de cas : la première d’un enfant porteur d’un trouble spécifique du langage écrit, la seconde d’une enfant présentant un trouble d’acquisition de la coordination avec des difficultés praxiques visuo-spatiales importantes. Tout d’abord, la présence fréquente et conjointe de difficultés mathématiques dans le cadre de troubles spécifiques du langage et des apprentissages est rappelée ainsi que la nature de ces difficultés. Ensuite, les principales avancées des recherches sont décrites et serviront de base pour l’interprétation des résultats des évaluations, puis pour la mise en place des remédiations proposées aux enfants.
La dyspraxie aujourd'hui
Authors: Mazeau Michèle
Published: February 2015

Faire le point à un moment donné sur les dyspraxies relève du défi, d’autant qu’il s’agit d’un sujet très discuté, qui fait l’objet de recherches en cours dont les conclusions sont encore loin d’être claires et encore moins définitives. C’est pourquoi cet article cible trois problématiques d’actualité : la question de la terminologie (TAC vs dyspraxies), celle de la très grande hétérogénéité clinique des enfants qui peuvent répondre à ce diagnostic, et enfin celle des préconisations thérapeutiques raisonnées.
Ernst Schröder on pasigraphy
Authors: Peckhaus Volker
Published: February 2015

La compréhension chez Ernst Schröder du rôle de la logique dans le projet de fonder les mathématiques a été profondément influencée par son analyse de la logique des relatifs telle que présentée par Charles Peirce. L’algèbre ou logique des relatifs est devenue la clé pasigraphique de la création d’un langage universel de nature scientifique, étant déjà esquissée de façon programmatique dans les premières publications de Schröder sur la sémiotique. Elle est devenue l’outil d’élaboration d’une « algèbre absolue », une théorie générale des connexions. Les écrits logiques de Schröder datant des années 1895-1901 ne traitent donc pas principalement de l’application des méthodes mathématiques à l’analyse de la logique, mais plutôt, en accord avec la thèse fondamentale du logicisme, de la description et de l’analyse des mathématiques au moyen de la logique. On trouve des indices de la conversion de Schröder au logicisme dans sa correspondance avec Paul Carus et Felix Klein.
« Que les principes de la logique ne sont pas fiables » : Nouvelle traduction française annotée et commentée de l'article de 1908 de L. E. J. Brouwer
Authors: Van Atten Mark , Sundholm Göran , Bourdeau Michel , Van Atten Vanessa
Published: February 2015

Dans son article majeur « Que les principes de la logique ne sont pas fiables » de 1908, L. E. J. Brouwer tire pour la première fois les conséquences révisionnistes de la vue générale de la logique présentée dans sa thèse de doctorat de 1907, en rejetant le principe du tiers exclu. Nous présentons ici une nouvelle traduction française et une introduction philosophique et historique.
Au-delà des réels : Émile Borel et l'approche probabiliste de la réalité
Authors: Mazliak Laurent , Sage Marc
Published: February 2015

Nous examinons dans cet article la manière singulière dont Émile Borel, à partir de ses études sur la structure des nombres réels et un certain rejet de la vision abstraite de Georg Cantor, a trouvé dans le calcul des probabilités un outil adéquat pour formuler une nouvelle approche des problèmes, dans le même temps où il prenait conscience de son utilité pour l’approche des phénomènes de la physique et de la société.
Stabilization and Control of Mechanical Systems with Backlash
Authors: Azar Ahmad Taher , Serrano Fernando E.
Published: February 2015

Backlash is one of several discontinuities found in different kinds of systems; it can be found in actuators of different types, such as mechanical and hydraulic, giving way to unwanted effects in the system behavior. In this chapter, three different control approaches are derived to stabilize mechanical systems in which this phenomenon is present in the actuators of the system. First, an independent joint control approach when backlash is found in the actuators is derived; then a PI loop shaping control design implementing a describing function to find the limit cycle oscillations and the appropriate control gain is developed. Finally, an optimal controller for mechanical systems with backlash is derived, obtaining the optimal control law and oscillations frequency when this nonlinearity is found implementing a describing function to model the backlash effects.
Advanced Vibration Control of Atomic Force Microscope Scanner
Authors: Das Sajal K. , Pota Hemanshu R. , Petersen Ian R.
Published: February 2015

Atomic Force Microscopes (AFMs) are used in many nanopositioning applications in order to measure the topography of various specimens at an atomic level through surface imaging. The imaging of the samples in AFMs is carried out by using a three degree-of-freedom positioning unit called Piezoelectric Tube Scanner (PTS). The performance of the AFM mostly depends on the performance of the PTS. However, the PTS of the AFM suffers from the problem of vibration. This chapter presents a design of a damping controller to compensate the induced vibration of the scanner. Experimental results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed controller. The experimental results show that the proposed controller is able to compensate 90% of the vibration of the PTS.
Chaos Control of an Impact Mechanical Oscillator Based on the OGY Method
Authors: Gritli Hassène , Belghith Safya , Khraief Nahla
Published: February 2015

This chapter deals with the control of chaos exhibited in the behavior of a one-degree-of-freedom impact mechanical oscillator with a single rigid constraint. The mathematical model of such impact oscillator is represented by an impulsive hybrid linear non-autonomous dynamics. The proposed control approach is based chiefly on the OGY method. First, an analytical expression of a constrained controlled Poincaré map is derived. Secondly, the linearized controlled Poincaré map around the fixed point of the constrained map is determined. Relying on the linearized map, a state feedback controller is designed. It is shown that the proposed control strategy is efficient for the control of chaos for the desired fixed point and for the fixed parameter. It is shown also that, by changing the system parameter, the behavior of the impact mechanical oscillator changes radically. Thus, the drawback of the developed OGY control method is revealed and some remedies are given.
Fault Detection and Isolation for an Uncertain Takagi-Sugeno Fuzzy System using the Interval Approach
Authors: Bedoui Hassene , Kedher Atef , Ben Othman Kamel
Published: February 2015

This work deals with the fault detection and localization in the case of uncertain nonlinear systems. The presented method uses the diagnosis based on mathematical models. To model nonlinear systems, the multiple model approach is used. This method uses the Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy systems principle to obtain a nonlinear system named multiple models. This modeling principle has the advantage of obtaining a general model that can describe any class of nonlinear systems. This modeling principle also allows one to obtain the generalization of many results that are already obtained for linear systems to the nonlinear systems. To model the system uncertainties, the interval approach is used because the faults or disturbances are generally unknown, but it is possible to know their upper and lower bounds. The proposed technique is insensitive to measurement uncertainties and highly reliable in case of a fault affecting the outputs system.
Robust Unknown Input Observer-Based Fast Adaptive Fault Estimation
Authors: Hrizi Olfa , Boussaid Boumedyen , Zouinkhi Ahmed , Abdelkrim M. Naceur
Published: February 2015

This chapter studies the problem of fault estimation using a fast adaptive fault diagnosis observer. Note that the advance of observer-based fault diagnosis is outlined and the idea of fault class estimation is introduced and studied. A new form of the estimator bloc considered for this purpose is an Unknown Input Observer (UIO). This observer is designed for an unknown input and fault free system, which is obtained by coordinate transformations of original systems with unknown inputs (disturbance) and faults. Stability of the adaptive estimation is provided by a Lyapunov function ending with solving the Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMI). Due to technological advances in the field of electronic devices, the family of robots is of particular interest. To overcome the drawback of robots' model responses when including a fault, a robust observer is adopted for a Pioneer robot to improve the fault estimation and thereafter to repair its trajectory.
Navigation Control of a Mobile Robot under Time Constraint using Genetic Algorithms, CSP Techniques, and Fuzzy Logic
Authors: Hayet Tlijani , Hatem Tlijani , Jilani Knani
Published: February 2015

This chapter proposes a two-input-and-one-output fuzzy controller for a two-wheeled mobile robot. The robot moves following a hybrid plan based on Genetic Algorithms and Constraint Satisfaction Problem techniques. The path yielded by this hybrid plan is structured by artificial beacons. In each position of these beacons, the current velocity of the controlled robot is by itself an input for the fuzzy controller. The second input is the time delay between the current position and the next sub goal to be reached. The proposed fuzzy controller aims to converge the time delay between positions in the path tracking closely to a time window. It gives the appropriate acceleration so that the time delay becomes closer to the time window.
Discrete-Time Approximation of Multivariable Continuous-Time Delay Systems
Authors: H'mida Bemri , Sahbi Mezlini , Dhaou Soudani
Published: February 2015

Many works are related to the analysis and control of either continuous or else discrete time-delay systems. In general, discrete-time controls have become more and more preferable in engineering because of their easy implementation and simple computation. However, the available discretization approaches for the systems having time delays increase the system dimensions and have a high computational cost. The case studies in this chapter support the efficiency of the two methods. However, the discretization of continuous time-delay systems has not been sufficiently/extensively studied in many works. In this work, the authors present two methods of the effective discretization approach for the continuous-time systems with an input and output delays. Sampled-data time-delay systems with internal and external point delays are described by approximate discrete time-delay systems in the discrete domain. These approximate discrete systems allow the hybrid control of time-delay systems.
Electrical Motor Parameters Estimator Improved by a Computational Algorithm
Authors: Aymen Flah. , Kraiem Habib , Lassaâd Sbita.
Published: February 2015

In this chapter, two computational algorithms are proposed and applied on an estimation algorithm, in order to improve the global performance of the estimation phase. The proposed system is studied based on the Model Reference Adaptive System (MRAS). The importance of the estimation phase in a large applications number is basically observed on the applications applied on electrical motors, where a lot number of parameters are measured with real measurement equipments, as Tesla Meter, speed shaft, and others. The idea is based generally on the software applications, where it is possible to guarantee the desired estimation phase using a software algorithm. In this chapter the MRAS technique is proposed as the software algorithm, for replacing the measurement materials for online estimate the overall characteristic PMSM parameters. Our approach aims to ameliorate the MRAS technique with intelligent optimization methods called BFO and PSO.
Analysis of Renewable Energy Power Systems
Authors: Abbassi Rabeh , Saidi Salem , Hammami Manel , Chebbi Souad
Published: February 2015

Due to different concerns, renewable energies stand out as an opportunity for a sustainable future. Wind/Photovoltaic Hybrid Systems are one important type of renewable energy power systems. In order to increase renewable energies integration rate, this chapter proposes a utility interactive grid-connected wind-PV hybrid system with storage batteries. Facing modern electricity industries, the hybrid system considers the dispatch-ability and the quality of its power injection into the grid. The adopted modeling approach has been based on energy exchange considerations taking into account the converters structures. Particular attention has been given to cases where the hybrid system is connected to an unbalanced grid. This chapter develops a new control strategy, which aims to isolate the hybrid system of the adverse impact of the grid fault. The results point out thoroughly the applicability of the proposed control scheme under unbalanced grid conditions.
A Case-Based Identification of Internal and External Issues for Branding Strategies
Authors: Mondal Abu Sayeed , Roy Dilip
Published: February 2015

In this chapter, the authors offer a strategic platform to pinpoint the variables for developing branding strategies. The case elicits the internal and external aspects of a brand. These two aspects are considered to be the starting point of the strategic roadmap to reach success. A detailed discussion on the brand's internal and external aspects has been made with the help of a successful case. However, the authors go beyond the identification of internal and external aspects of brands and suggest a scheme for arriving at branding strategies. Basically, these two aspects of brands have been matched and a four-cell strategic guideline has been developed. The authors call this four-cell strategic guideline C4 strategy matrix, wherein four types of branding strategies (Continuity, Caution, Change, and Correction) are available.
Promoting Bucovina's Tourism Brand
Authors: Nedelea Alexandru-Mircea
Published: February 2015

In this chapter there is a presentation of Bucovina as an attractive tourism region of Romania, more and more appreciated by native and foreign tourists, having characteristics which distinguish it from the other Romanian tourism regions, namely the monasteries pertaining to UNESCO heritage. Nevertheless, the tourism in Bucovina can be oriented in many directions: historical and religious tourism, sports tourism, balneary tourism, and recreational tourism. The multitude of tourism forms that can be practiced in Bucovina must become well known; the possible visitors need to know that they can practice other forms of tourism besides the religious one, and this is why it is necessary to create the tourism brand of Bucovina. The promotion program of the brand of Bucovina must consider two main objectives: the presentation of the tourist sites and the deliverance of a good service quality.
Branding and Brand Management
Authors: Sharma Anupam
Published: February 2015

In the appearance of globalization and liberalization, both brand and branding have become essential parts of every competitive business firm. To become part of the competitive and ever-changing business world and to maintain the existing business image, business organizations have been continuously focusing upon introducing innovative branding practices and strategies. This chapter focuses on brand and branding strategies of Indian brand name dairy cooperative, AMUL, in western India (Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation [GCMMF]), which has developed a successful model for doing business in the large, emerging Indian economy. Amul has been primarily accountable, through its inventive practices, and adaptive to market changes, for India's becoming the world's largest producer of milk. This chapter draws various lessons from the experiences of AMUL that would be useful to business organizations globally.
Building and Development of Dairy “Dana” Brand
Authors: Milović Boris
Published: February 2015

For success it is not enough to have the best and highest quality product, best price, the best distribution network, and excellent promotion; the most important thing is how the consumer values it. The market for dairy products in Serbia is dominated by products that were perceived as average and ordinary, consumed simply to meet basic nutritional needs. Agricultural company Sava Kovacevic had great products, but not brands. Development of brand “Dana” is focused on that specific benefits found to provide consumers a brand as well as a range of values that a new brand represents. The very brand strategy is developed after a detailed analysis of the product, consumers for which it is intended (their lifestyles, habits, attitudes, etc.), competition and market conditions, market position of competing brands, and their communication with customers and the general public. Therefore, brand image of the product is built along with its unique position in the market.
Simply Food
Authors: Meshreki Hakim A. , Mourad Maha
Published: February 2015

Simply food is the first food brand that was launched in September 2013 by “Orange International” company. Simply food's aim is to provide a high quality food round the corner for young students and business professionals who are seeking a high quality meal during their lunch break or their evening outing. Simply Food team has many prospects to work upon in terms of the management of the stores in addition to expansion and creation of other simply brands. Issues facing management are which simply sub-brands to launch that would be integrated into the simply brand and how to expand simply stores in Egypt and the region. Furthermore, what is the proper marketing strategy given the limited budget available that would help strengthening the simply brand? What is the proper regional expansion strategy that would enable the simply brand to the fast food destination for customers in the region?
Semiotics of Brand Building
Authors: Sudarśan Sudio
Published: February 2015

Most theories in brand management, evolved from 20th century economics, rely on a convenient assumption of how consumers should make purchase decisions. In contradistinction, this chapter demonstrates a semiological tradition in the context of brand management using a 128-year-old brand, Muthoot Group, to expound upon the ways consumers prevalently perceive brands, which then drive their purchase decisions. Just as in marketing, where the focus changed from “economic exchange” to “social exchange,” in brand management the focus needs to change from “symbols” to the way people use semiotic resources to produce both communicative artifacts and events to interpret them, which is also a form of semiotic production. Since social semiotics is not a self-contained field, the chapter historically plots the brand-building voyage of Muthoot Group, applying semiotic concepts and methods to establish a model of brand and extend the scientific understanding of differentiation, loyalty, and advocacy.
Social Media in Higher Education
Authors: Aymerich-Franch Laura
Published: February 2015

This chapter analyses privacy concerns of students and faculty resulting from the adoption of social media as teaching resources in higher education. In addition, the chapter focuses on privacy concerns that social media can cause to faculty when they are used for social networking. A trans-cultural study was carried out which involved three Spanish universities, a Colombian university, and an American university. A focus group was organized with PhD students to brainstorm the topic. Afterwards, 94 undergraduate students completed a survey and 18 lecturers participated in a written interview. Results indicate that social media are widely adopted in the university and are perceived as valuable resources for teaching. However, privacy concerns can easily emerge among students and faculty when these applications are used for this purpose. Concerns may appear when social media are used for social networking as well. The text also offers some guidelines to overcome them.
Reflections on the Impact of Social Technologies on Lecturers in a Pathway Institution
Authors: Velliaris Donna M , Willis Craig R , Breen Paul B
Published: February 2015

Education has evolved over time from face-to-face teaching to computer-supported learning, and now to even more sophisticated electronic tools. In particular, social technologies are being used to supplement the classroom experience and to ensure that students are becoming increasingly engaged in ways that appeal to them. No matter how educationally beneficial, however, new technology is affected by its users. To investigate this, lecturers at the Eynesbury Institute of Business and Technology (EIBT)—a Higher Education pathway provider—were surveyed to determine their perception and application of social technolog(ies) in their personal, but predominantly ‘professional' lives. Utilising a qualitative and autoethnographic approach, one author provides an insight into their own attitude toward social technologies, coupled with responses to three open-ended questions. Thereafter, the same questions were posed to EIBT academic staff to understand their willingness or reluctance to use social technologies in their practice as part of their first-year pathway course(s).
Measuring the Social Impact
Authors: Benson Vladlena , Morgan Stephanie
Published: February 2015

Effective social media usage has particular challenges for HE institutions. The many opportunities afforded by social media, increasingly demanded by students, have negative potential. Social technology requires substantial investment to do well, and in particular, it can be very hard to measure its performance. In this chapter, the authors focus on how aligning with strategic objectives can reduce the risk and enhance the effectiveness of social media use throughout the student lifecycle. They also consider the risks which social media investment entails in HE. Using a case study of a UK university, the authors identify common themes for social media adoption in educational settings. They offer practical recommendations and key areas to consider before launching or enhancing a social media strategy in the field of HE.
The Prevalence, Effects, and Reactions to Use of Short Message Services in University Settings in South West Nigeria
Authors: Alao Amos A. , Abioye Taiwo O. , Evbuoma Kikelomo I.
Published: February 2015

This chapter focuses on the extent of the usage of Short Message Services (SMS) in three universities in Southwest Nigeria, with 243 participants drawn from Covenant University, Bells University, and Lagos State University, who responded to a questionnaire on SMS. Data generated from the study confirmed the high usage of SMS among subjects in general and males in particular, within the age range of 31 to 40 years; a large number of subjects, especially those in administrative positions, were affected by the usage of SMS; most of the subjects are more tolerant when the messages are related to religion, are work-related, or are from family members. Subjects expressed concern when the contents of the SMS are related to adverts, when SMS are used when there are network problems, and the possible exploitation of recipients. Steps to minimize the disadvantages of the use of SMS are discussed.
The Impact of Social Media on Cultural Tourism
Authors: Marinakou Evangelia , Giousmpasoglou Charalampos , Paliktzoglou Vasileios
Published: February 2015

Social networks have become very popular recently in the tourism sector. This chapter presents the use of social media and more specifically Trip Advisor in reference to reviews of cultural attractions and their potential influence on the development of cultural tourism in Bahrain. The findings propose that people use Trip Advisor to collect information about a destination and share experiences with other community members. They also suggest that cultural tourism has a potential to grow in the region; however, there should be more information available. The cultural attractions should be more organized, offer more information, and enhance the cultural experience. This chapter recommends that social networks and Trip Advisor should be used by the local tourism authorities for the development and promotion of cultural tourism in Bahrain. Finally, the attraction websites should be further enhanced and other social media could be used to communicate with visitors in Bahrain.
Business Networks and Public Procurement in Turkey
Authors: Bircan Tuba , Çeviker-Gürakar Esra
Published: February 2015

In this chapter, we quantitatively analyze the role of network membership in the performance of firms within the public procurement market in Turkey. We use a unique public procurement dataset of all high-value public procurement contracts—those with a contract value worth over TL 1,000,000—awarded between 2005 and 2010. We consider two types of networks: (1) Internet-based procurement-specific networks and (2) business networks established through business associations. Internet-based procurement-specific business networks provide their members with a wide range of procurement related services, access to critical resources, and timely information. Business associations help member firms establish a strong and unified presence, effectively protect their shared interests, and thus collectively influence governmental economic policies. The findings suggest that both types of network memberships are effective in winning public procurement contracts. There is also an overlap among network memberships, with 8.4% of contracts awarded to the firms that have membership in both networks.
New Social Media Agendas for Teaching and Learning in Libraries
Authors: Kowalsky Michelle , Whitham Bruce
Published: February 2015

This chapter reviews the current literature on the types of social media practices in college and university libraries, and suggests some new strategic agendas for utilizing these tools for teaching and learning about the research process, as well as other means to connect libraries to their users. Library educators continually hope to “meet students where they are” and use social media to “push” library content toward interested or potential university patrons. One new way to improve engagement and “pull” patrons toward an understanding of the usefulness of licensed resources and expert research help is through the channels of social media. By enhancing awareness of library resources at the point of need, and through existing social relationships between library users and their friends, libraries can encourage peer interaction around new research methods and tools as they emerge, while increasing the use of library materials (both online and within the library facility) in new and different ways.
The Opportunities of National Cyber Strategy and Social Media in the Rhizome Networks
Authors: Huhtinen Aki-Mauri , Hirvelä Arto , Kangasmaa Tommi
Published: February 2015

Securing the society is a central task of the state. In the present day, as well as in the future, knowledge and information are evermore closely tied to electronic data transfer. Finland's newly published Cyber Security Strategy depicts how the government safeguards electronic data transfer, that is, information security against different threat and risk scenarios. Cyberspace has a human element and a technological element. It is a way to influence and affect society. It may be used to influence minds or to attack the physical world, for example by disrupting traffic control. But cyberspace cannot exist without people. The cyberspace offers the platform so called strategic communication. Strategic communication is a concept that unites the efforts of governmental organisations to influence people in support of national interests. Formal organisations and institutions are often seen as being opposed or resistant to change. Social Media and the cyber domain can offer many opportunities but also unknown threats and risks. In this paper we argue that securing an organisation is a living and continuously changing process. Deleuze and Guattari (1983) present the concept of a rhizome, meaning a dynamic weed formation which, opposed to the arboreal and hierarchical structure of the tree, involves spontaneous, unpredictable and distant connections between heterogeneous elements (Linstead & Thanem 2007, 1484) Strategic Communication is the focus of a heated discussion in the military field: How can militaries be credible and uphold the high standards of democracy within the asymmetric and complex battlefield? To be credible one must act according to what is said. The challenge is that the scene is global in the information age. The act, the actor, the scene, the purpose – all are exposed to a global audience through cyberspace on a very short notice. The most effective way of showing the scene and actors is an audiovisual product. Examples of this come from all conflict zones. Militaries are establishing Youtube channels and supplying material from intense fighting and frontline action. The solution for supporting the organisation's own arguments has been the Combat Camera capability, in other words media-trained soldiers who are where the main effort is happening. Within the spirit of strategic communication, the cyber strategy itself is one way to operationalise cyber security by announcing measures to be taken against cyber attacks. In this article the authors reflect on the Finnish Cyber Strategy and Strategic Communications from a phenomenological perspective.
Reversible Data Hiding for DNA Sequences and Its Applications
Authors: Tang Qi , Ma Guoli , Zhang Weiming , Yu Nenghai
Published: February 2015

As the blueprint of vital activities of most living things on earth, DNA has important status and must be protected perfectly. And in current DNA databases, each sequence is stored with several notes that help to describe that sequence. However, these notes have no contribution to the protection of sequences. In this paper, the authors propose a reversible data hiding method for DNA sequences, which could be used either to embed sequence-related annotations, or to detect and restore tampers. When embedding sequence annotations, the methods works in low embedding rate mode. Only several bits of annotations are embedded. When used for tamper detection and tamper restoration, all possible embedding positions are utilized to assure the maximum restoration capacity.
Robust Reversible Data Hiding Scheme Based on Gravity Center Difference
Authors: Yang Qunting , Gao Tiegang
Published: February 2015

This paper presents a robust reversible data hiding scheme in wavelet domain. The proposed scheme divides the permuted image into non-overlapping blocks and then gets sub-blocks. The generated sub-blocks are transformed by discrete wavelet transform and the corresponding low frequency regions are gotten, respectively. The gravity centers of low frequency regions in every non-overlapping block are very similar. These gravity center pairs are utilized to embed secret data since the insensitivity of the gravity centers to malicious tampering. Experimental results show that the original image can be recovered without any distortion after the hidden data have been extracted if the stego image has not been altered. Meanwhile hidden data can still be extracted without error when the image is compressed by JPEG and JPEG2000 to a certain extent. Compared with some existing literatures, the security, payload and robustness of the proposed scheme are significantly improved.
A Holistic Approach for Managing School ICT Competence Profiles towards Supporting School ICT Uptake
Authors: Sergis Stylianos , Zervas Panagiotis , Sampson Demetrios G.
Published: February 2015

Globally, large-scale national initiatives are being implemented towards promoting the level and quality of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) use in school education. However, despite these efforts, the current level of ICT uptake from schools remains low. A wide range of factors have been identified as barriers, including lack of teachers' ICT Competences and lack of ICT infrastructure. Typically, these barriers are tackled separately without taking into consideration the ecosystemic nature of schools as organizations. This paper introduces a holistic approach on School ICT Competence based on combining both individual teachers' ICT Competences and schools' eMaturity. Furthermore, it presents the design of a web-based School ICT Competence Management System which aims to capture and monitor schools' overall level of ICT uptake and facilitate effective management of resources and strategic planning towards improvement, by jointly processing these data.
Mitigating Online Threats While Promoting Scholarship Through Awareness-Raising Interventions
Authors: Seok Soonhwa , DaCosta Boaventura
Published: February 2015

Enthusiasm about the educational benefits offered by the World Wide Web has been tempered in recent years by apprehension regarding the prospects of mitigating associated online threats. Numerous safety measures exist, from legislation to technical controls. Though no doubt helpful, they are not substitutes for education and training. The current study (N = 1,092) aimed at identifying technologies young people have access to, the degree to which they engage in risky online behavior, and their literacy of cyber security practices. Recommendations for tailoring and refining awareness-raising training and interventions are also presented. Overall, findings are discouraging, with participants showing poor judgment with regard to safeguarding their wellbeing in the contexts of preventing malware, handling passwords, dealing with data encryption and storage, and surfing the Internet. The study is predicated on the premise that effective awareness-raising education can be implemented through a better understanding of today's youth and their online practices.
Applications of Binocular Parallax Stereoscopic Displays for Tasks Involving Spatial Cognition in 3D Virtual Environments
Authors: McMahon Mark Thomas , Garrett Michael
Published: February 2015

Stereoscopic display technologies have seen wide spread application in entertainment and gaming contexts through their ability to intensify the perception of depth. However, their potential for enhancing the development and application of spatial knowledge within a 3D space is not as certain. Existing research suggests that stereoscopic displays can contribute both positively and negatively to the process of spatial cognition within 3D virtual environments. In order to explore this issue, a study comparing experience with binocular parallax stereoscopic displays to standard monoscopic displays was undertaken using a 3D virtual environment that required users to complete tasks using spatial cues. Findings suggested that spatial experience with binocular parallax stereoscopic displays and standard monoscopic displays was comparable in terms of effectiveness, though the experience was subjective and many participants found that binocular parallax stereoscopy created a strong emotional response.
Investigating the Effect of Depth and Impedance of Foundation Rock in Seismic Analysis of Gravity Dams
Authors: Joshi Sharad , Gupta Ishwer Datt , Pattanur Lalitha R. , Murnal Pranesh B.
Published: February 2015

The inhomogenieties of the foundation can be modeled explicitly in standard FEM procedure, however, the results vary significantly with the extent of foundation block modeled and mechanism of applying the input earthquake excitation. The substructure approach provides mathematically exact solution but assumes average properties for the entire foundation as viscoelastic half space. This paper has carried out detailed investigations with varying impedance contrasts and different size of foundation block to show that the results, with suitably deconvoluted free-field ground acceleration time-history applied at the base of foundation block in the FEM approach, are in good agreement with the substructure approach. However, the other variants of the FEM approach may lead to erroneous and overestimated stresses in the dam body. As the foundation of gravity dams can generally be approximated as an equivalent homogeneous half-space, the more accurate and efficient substructure approach can be used to model the dam-foundation rock interaction (SSI) effects in most practical situations.
Site Response Study of Jammu City using Micro-tremor Measurements
Authors: Chauhan P.K.S. , Devi Gayatri , Mittal Abha
Published: February 2015

Micro-tremor measurements are one of the most commonly used methods for site response studies and have been widely used by most of the researchers because of its cost effectiveness. This method gives a realistic estimate of the natural ground frequency and can be applied in the areas where large earthquakes do not occur often. Due to the close relation between the nature of micro-tremors and the fundamental dynamic behavior of the surface soil layer, they are frequently used in the field of hazard estimation. The results of micro-tremor analysis are used as an important input for seismic microzonation studies around the world. Himalayan region is one of the most active seismic zones of the world. As such Jammu city lies in Zone IV on Seismic zoning map of India. It has been rocked by 25 earthquakes in between 1828 to 2005 of magnitude 6.0 or more. Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu & Kashmir state is a fast growing city. The micro-tremor data has been collected from locations covering almost every part of Jammu city using Altus K2 SMA. The data were collected by keeping SMA at each site for few hours. On the basis of natural frequency (Nf) the entire study area has been divided into four zones. The natural frequency Nf value shows that the central part of the city is less vulnerable zone, as compared to other parts of the Jammu city. An attempt has been made to compute the vulnerability index (Kg), which could be considered as the indicator of higher damaged areas. The results are in good agreement with the past damaging history of the city.
Seismic Design and Parametric Study of Rigid Retaining Walls
Authors: Saran Swami , Rangwala Hasan
Published: February 2015

The main objective of the paper is to develop a simplified procedure for the seismic design of a rigid retaining wall. For the design of a rigid retaining wall various parameters that are taken in to consideration include height of the wall, angle of inclination of backfill, backface angle of the wall, surcharge on backfill, safe bearing pressure of base medium and horizontal as well as vertical seismic acceleration coefficients. Safe design of a wall should satisfy four criteria, namely, factor of safety against sliding shall not exceed given limits, factor of safety against overturning shall be less than its permissible value, maximum pressure at the base of wall shall not exceed safe bearing pressure of the base soil and minimum pressure at the base of wall shall be greater than zero. In this paper an attempt has been made to give a simplified procedure for the seismic design of a rigid retaining wall. A parametric study to check the effect of various parameters affecting the seismic design of wall is carried out.
The Use of Interactive Whiteboard in English Vocabulary Acquisition and Learning Effect on Students with Different Proficiency Level
Authors: Ting Yu-Liang , Tai Yaming , Lin Hsin-Yi
Published: February 2015

The integration of technology into English teaching is a trend in primary education. The purpose of this study is to explore how the interactive whiteboard (IWB) can be used in the teaching and learning of English as a Foreign Language. Through a wide range of interactive hands-on activities, the IWB's features are illustrated for the design of English vocabulary learning. The students' pretest and posttest vocabulary knowledge as well as data gathered from their feedback questionnaires were analyzed quantitatively. In addition, high and low achievers were interviewed for identifying the factors which influenced their preference of IWB activities. The results indicated that participants responded positively toward IWB enhanced vocabulary instruction. Students' vocabulary knowledge has achieved significant improvement in associating word sounds to word forms as well as matching word forms to word meanings. The quantitative results show that the preferred IWB activities were strongly influenced by students' language proficiency. Related suggestions are made in how to integrate IWB into vocabulary teaching.
Multimedia Instructional Tools and Student Learning in a Computer Applications Course
Authors: Chapman Debra L. , Wang Shuyan
Published: February 2015

Advances in technology and changes in educational strategies have resulted in the integration of technology in the classroom. Multimedia instructional tools (MMIT) provide student-centered active-learning instructional activities. MMITs are common in introductory computer applications courses based on the premise that MMITs should increase student learning. This study examined the use of MMIT in an introductory computer applications course to determine if a significant relationship existed between the level of use of the MMIT and student learning. Subjects included students enrolled in an online introductory computer applications course at one southeastern university. The researchers used descriptive statistics to demonstrate students' use of the MMIT and used pre and post-course test scores to determine changes in learning. This study revealed no significant impact on student learning based on level of use of the MMIT grader assignments or training activities. A significant difference was found for the level of use of MMIT quizzes.
Users Satisfaction with Library Services
Authors: Ikolo Violet E.
Published: February 2015

The study focused on users satisfaction with library services at the Delta State University main Library, Abraka, Delta State. The objective was to find out if users are satisfied with the services, facilities, the library environment, information sources and staff of the library. Using the descriptive survey design the population for the study consisted of all registered library users in the Site II of the Delta State University, Abraka Campus. The study employed the simple random sampling techniques in selecting the sample size for the study, and with a questionnaire data were collected. The findings revealed that the services offered at the Delta State University are inadequate and below average. Most users were satisfied with the availability of information sources in the library but also registered that most of these information sources are not available for loan. The findings also showed that there is a significant relationship between the assessment of library collection by users and their satisfaction with information sources. The library environment is clean and the reading carrels are adequate but, there are no effective lightening and toilet facilities.
Cloud Computing
Authors: Changchit Chuleeporn
Published: February 2015

Cloud computing has become increasingly popular among users and businesses around the world, and education is no exception. Cloud computing can bring an increased number of benefits to an educational setting, not only for its cost effectiveness, but also for the thirst for technology that college students have today, which allows learning and adopting to these new technologies easier for them. This study aims at investigating how cloud computing is perceived by college students and which factors have a tendency to encourage or discourage them to accept the cloud computing as part of their course curriculum. The results in this study reveal that all five factors, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived security, perceive speed of access, and perceived cost of usage are factors that play an important role in encouraging students to accept cloud computing as part of their core curriculum.
Recruiting a Project Manager
Authors: Kar Neelov , Mitra Subhro
Published: February 2015

Project management is a practice based profession. Just knowing the project management principles does not make a person a successful project manager. It is more important to assess how the candidate applies the project management principle in practice than merely knowing the theoretical aspects of project management. Project Managers play a critical role in the organization. They are responsible for maintaining the revenue stream by ensuring steady flow of project deliverables, be it an internal initiative or a client program. As a Hiring Manager one has to use the right tools and methods to select the right candidate for the position of Project Manager. In this article some of the basic qualities of a Project Manager and the interview techniques adopted to select a Project Manager are discussed. The paper ends with discussion on new competency areas of Project Managers and new roles played by Project Managers in those areas.