bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research Review of OWOM
Authors: Chen Tao , Zhu Zhiming , Wang Tienan
Published: October 2011

Internet has been an important communication tool. The population of netizens has become the largest all over the world. Online shopping is regarded as a fashion in china. Online word-of-mouth has significant influences on shopping. Chinese researchers did researches on OWOM (Online Word-of-Mouth), discussed the connotation, communication process and communication effect, and practical application, and put forward some managerial suggestions. This chapter reviews those researches, summarizes and describes the future research direction and hope that it can instruct and contribute Chinese researchers.
Applying Semantic Web Technologies to Meet the Relevant Challenge of Customer Relationship Management for the U.S. Academic Libraries in the 21st Century Using 121 e-Agent Framework
Authors: Yang Sharon Q. , Xu Amanda
Published: October 2011

The main contributions of the chapter are 1) defining relevance challenge of CRM for U.S. academic libraries in the 21st century and applying social Semantic Web technologies to address the relevance challenge of CRM using 121 e-Agent framework in the Web as an infrastructure; 2) binding OLTP, OLAP, and Online Ontological Processing to social Semantic Web applications in CRM; 3) adding trust management to the linked data layer with a touch of tagging, categorizing, query log analysis, and social ranking as part of the underlying structure for distributed customer data filtering on the Web in CRM applications; 4) making the approach extensible to address relevance challenge of CRM in other fields.
ASD-BI
Authors: Alnoukari Mouhib
Published: October 2011

The main contribution of this chapter is the demonstration that ASD-BI is adaptive to environment changes, enhances knowledge capturing and sharing, and helps in implementing and achieving organization’s strategy. ASD-BI process model will be validated by using a case study on higher education.
Efficient Techniques for Graph Searching and Biological Network Mining
Authors: Ferro Alfredo , Giugno Rosalba , Pulvirenti Alfredo , Shasha Dennis
Published: October 2011

From biochemical applications to social networks, graphs represent data. Comparing graphs or searching for motifs on such data often reveals interesting and useful patterns. Most of the problems on graphs are known to be NP-complete. Because of the computational complexity of subgraph matching, reducing the candidate graphs or restricting the space in which to search for motifs is critical to achieving efficiency. Therefore, to optimize and engineer isomorphism algorithms, design indexing and suitable search methods for large graphs are the main directions investigated in the graph searching area. This chapter focuses on the key concepts underlying the existing algorithms. First it reviews the most known used algorithms to compare two algorithms and then it describes the algorithms to search on large graphs making emphasis on their application on biological area.
Querying RDF Data
Authors: Alkhateeb Faisal , Euzenat Jérôme
Published: October 2011

This chapter provides an introduction to the RDF language as well as surveys the languages that can be used for querying RDF graphs. Then it reviews some of the languages that can be used for querying RDF and provides a comparison between these query languages.
Sequence Pattern Mining for Web Logs
Authors: Kumar Pradeep , Bapi Raju S. , Krishna P. Radha
Published: October 2011

Interestingness measures play an important role in finding frequently occurring patterns, regardless of the kind of patterns being mined. In this work, we propose variation to the AprioriALL Algorithm, which is commonly used for the sequence pattern mining. The proposed variation adds up the measure interest during every step of candidate generation to reduce the number of candidates thus resulting in reduced time and space cost. The proposed algorithm derives the patterns which are qualified and more of interest to the user. The algorithm, by using the interest, measure limits the size the candidates set whenever it is produced by giving the user more importance to get the desired patterns.
Bridging the Communication Gap through Video Research
Authors: Hsueh Yeh , Tobin Joseph
Published: October 2011

Technology is a valuable tool for researchers of young children for many reasons. This chapter discusses the use of video as an ethnographic research tool for studying preschool education and offers insight into how video can be used to inform researchers, practitioners, and parents of young children. The approach referred to as video-cued multivocal ethnography is intended to highlight differences across cultures, and to reveal continuity and change in preschool education of three countries over the course of a generation. But this approach is also valuable for promoting teacher reflection on, and developing cultural understandings of how teachers’ practice embodies the culture in which they live and work.
Text Input and Editing as a Bottleneck in Mobile Devices for Language Learning
Authors: Sussex Roland
Published: October 2011

This chapter examines the technical, ergonomic, and cognitive implications for MALL for text input and editing with special reference to the mobile phone, but also in relation to tablets where they are relevant to the argument. It examines a number of options and their implications, and it presents a set of specifications which, if met, will allow mobile devices and MALL to play a fuller role in the writing aspect of language learning.
E-Leadership in the New Century
Authors: Wang Victor X.
Published: October 2011

This article argues that e-leadership emerged out of technological development among all other major developments in our society. In the virtual environment, leaders are required to lead followers by using totally different approaches. This is not to say that traditional leadership has no place in the new virtual environment characterized by the constant use of technology. Rather, traditional leadership and leadership style studied and conceptualized by researchers and scholars enhance e-leadership supported by Rogers’ facilitative leadership (1951, 1961, 1969, 1980). Leadership theories are meant to be applied to practice. Further, leadership theories can be applied in part or in whole. They are not ideologies that must be followed to the letter.
21st Century Leadership in the Nonprofit Sector
Authors: Juozapavicius Sharon G.
Published: October 2011

The past decade has birthed not only remarkable advances in technology, but also an evolution of thought concerning nonprofit organizations. This ontogeny has brought the nonprofit sector face-to-face with a new reality. A certainty confronting head-on the old mores that have dictated the sensibilities by which a nonprofit’s manner and method were framed. Success, in the 21st century marketplace, now requires a non-profit to be both technically astute and business savvy. It must not only equal or outperform its sister agencies, but also meet challenges posed by the worlds of commerce and government. Its leadership in turn must be equipped to handle these challenges and oversee profitable processes and procedures. This chapter will consider four key requisites for nonprofit leaders in the 21st century: education, technology, know-how, and environment. It will examine the role each plays in a leadership portfolio, along with the difficulties and rewards inherent in their determination and utilization.
Dropout Prevention
Authors: Balch Tonya
Published: October 2011

The high incidence and prevalence of high school dropouts is not a new problem and may be viewed as an issue that has been researched time and time again with no clear next-step solutions. Indeed there does not seem to be a single key to solve the problem of students dropping out but, there are ways to help mitigate the factors that lead students to drop out of school. This chapter will provide research based indicators for identifying students at-risk for dropping out and present a myriad of approaches to reduce the dropout rate. While no one approach will likely yield large improvements, multiple approaches thought of in systemic terms can have a positive impact. Mentoring has been proven as an effective tool if implemented appropriately. Key indicators from highly effective mentoring programs are closeness of the mentor-mentee relationship, mentor characteristics, consistency of interaction, duration of mentoring, and contextual variables relative to the mentee’s social world. The ultimate goal is to improve the high school graduation rate and ensure students are college and career ready.
The Role of Targeted E-Mail Messaging at the Worksite
Authors: Aumiller Betsy B.
Published: October 2011

Employers are vested in pursuing educational strategies that work to improve employee health and decrease health care utilization. The use of e-mail for health promotion efforts at the worksite presents the freedom to deliver messages outside the boundaries of time and location; preliminary studies suggest that it is an effective way to encourage health behavior. This chapter explores health behavior change, adult learning theory, and media effects research regarding targeted e-mail messaging at the worksite to offer insight into how people perceive and interact with different forms of messages and what kinds of visual enhancements may positively impact perception of the message itself. Results of a qualitative study investigating employees’ interpretations of message meaning, perceptions of visual e-mail enhancements and associated health behavior change will be discussed as promising research in worksite health promotion.
A New Vision for Distance Learning
Authors: Ellis Maureen , Anderson Patricia
Published: October 2011

This chapter centers on Second Life as a delivery option for distance learning in higher education. Social interaction is crucial for students enrolled in online courses, and instructors who teach distance education courses have long strived to promote strong and positive opportunities for interaction between and among learners. Second Life is a social virtual world which emphasizes the general use of immersive worlds for supporting an array of human activities and interactions, presenting innovative opportunities and challenges for enriching how users learn, work, and play (Boulos, Hetherington, & Wheeler, 2007; Prasolova-Førland, Sourin, & Sourina, 2006). A fundamental element of Second Life is the opportunity for real time collaboration in an immersive, 3D rich environment regardless of a user’s geographical distance, allowing the user to more readily engage with the experiences as disclosed in real time. An avatar, the heart of the immersive Second Life experience, facilitates movement, choice, and interaction within the virtual environment (Gazzard, 2009).
Challenges in International Consulting
Authors: Kacirek Kit , Beck Jules K.
Published: October 2011

This case study examines how an international nongovernmental organization (NGO) sought leadership development in response to organizational challenges of accelerated growth and increased employee turnover aggravated by physical separation, political and legal issues associated with operating in fifty-one countries on five continents. This case study is based on the partnership between a team of academic consultants and key stakeholders in the NGO. We explore the dynamic role and changing requirements that evolved over the course of a three-year relationship with the organization as it tried to address issues of precipitous growth and program sustainability.
Standards-Based Educational Technology Professional Development
Authors: Stanfill Diana
Published: October 2011

Because of the melding of the NSDC standards and the eMINTS program, this research may provide valuable insight to stakeholders involved at all levels: adoption, design, and implementation of educational technology professional development. Further research into eMINTS’ strengths (use of train-the-trainer model), as well as weaknesses (inability to customize training), could provide the organization with the information needed to strengthen the program and thus increase the number of teachers trained to integrate technology in the classroom.
Designing Asynchronous Message Board Assignments for Deep Learning Discourse
Authors: Hai-Jew Shalin
Published: October 2011

Asynchronous message boards provide a critical space for university students to learn collaboration, support each other, and develop critical thinking skills in freshman and sophomore composition and research writing classes. How asynchronous message board assignments—icebreakers, discussion questions, summaries, reading analyses, lead-up assignments (research topic proposals, source evaluations, outlines, and drafts), and cumulative projects—all work towards building reflective online conversations and deep learning. This chapter addresses the evolving strategies that have been used in the deployment of publicly viewable assignments used on asynchronous message boards for freshman and sophomore writing classes since 1997 through the consortium WashingtonOnline (WAOL), which consists of 32 community colleges in Washington State.
Adding Self-Discovery Learning to Live Online Conferences
Authors: Hai-Jew Shalin
Published: October 2011

In recent years, pre-recorded digital poster sessions have become more widely used as parts of real-time face-to-face conferences and as complements to online conferences and colloquiums. The multimedia-enriched building of various types of digital poster sessions offers high potential for conference organizers to be more inclusive of a variety of topics, and it helps conference participants gain more value from the shared synchronous time and virtual experiences. This chapter examines the role of digital poster sessions in contemporary online conferences and highlights some basic production-quality issues in the creation of digital posters.
Technology Empowerment and the Deployment of Netbooks in Education
Authors: Chan Tom S. , Collins J. Stephanie , Movafaghi Shahriar
Published: October 2011

Netbooks are mini-laptop computers designed for mobility, online access and general office applications. Their great popularity with consumers promises equal impact on the technological landscape. This chapter is an exploration into the current state of netbook technology, its strengths and weaknesses, impacts on society and industry, and the challenges for deployment in educational institutions. While a netbook may not be able to satisfy all educational requirements because of performance and security issues, it is a reasonable alternative to fulfill the basic need for most students. Faculty and students will use netbooks on their own because they are trendy, cheap and portable. It is important for educational technologists to get involved, establishing policies so that the technology can be used safely.
Participatory Culture, New Media, and Civic Engagement
Authors: Gruber Sibylle
Published: October 2011

In this chapter, the author focuses on how humanities teachers can, and should, adapt classroom practices that promote civic engagement by paying attention to the needs of a new media culture. The author uses examples from the 2007/2008 presidential campaign to show the possibilities of new media for joining together academic principles with the principles of a newly emerging participatory culture. The author points out that teachers can learn from Barack Obama’s campaign to harness the interest, excitement, and staunch support of technologically savvy students, not only for political campaigns, but also for increasing students’ participation in the communities of their choice. “Yes, we can!”, even though it was a campaign slogan that could be interpreted in many different ways, allowed students—and voters in general—to hope that change is possible. Obama’s strategies, and his ability to garner support and promote unprecedented participation in the election process in the 18-29-year population, should be a catalyst not for doing what Obama did but for revisiting and re-imagining how we create an environment for our students that promotes engagement and hope in the power of individuals to participate successfully in civic action. I conclude by providing an example that shows how engaged students and teachers contributed to positive change by believing in the “power of one” and by acting on that belief.
Empowering Students in Computer-Supported Education
Authors: Shi Yongming , Fan Si , Yue Yun
Published: October 2011

In the past two decades, computers and web-based technologies have created a computer-based focus in the field of education. The computer-supported teaching and learning has revolutionised the concept of education around the world, which creates both opportunities and challenges in the field of education. It is believed that computer-based technologies have developed to augment the traditional learning and teaching at all educational levels. Computer-supported education empowers learners by promoting the notions of learner-centred learning approach, encouraging interactions among students or between students and lecturer, and addressing the individualized learning needs. This chapter explains some important concepts in computer-supported education, and presents the learning theories that underpin this area. Furthermore, it discusses the benefits of web-based technologies for students at various levels and issues that require further research.
Web Conferencing and Remote Laboratories as Part of Blended Learning in Engineering and Science
Authors: Mackay Steve , Fisher Darrell
Published: October 2011

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview and subsequent application of research into the impact web conferencing and remote laboratories have on engineering and science education within the context of blended learning. The impact is examined especially in assessing the reaction and achievement of learners in using these new technologies compared to that of a traditional classroom or (the currently popular approach of) asynchronous e-learning. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the level of remote or distance learning (or e-learning) using the Internet. One of the gaps in current research is the examination of the impact of web conferencing and remote science and engineering laboratories on the learning experience. The chapter is commenced by defining e-learning, synchronous, asynchronous and blended learning. Hereafter, web conferencing and remote laboratories are then defined and reviewed in detail. The impact that web conferencing and remote labs have on the e-learning experience as compared to the classroom and asynchronous approaches is then examined. The chapter is concluded by an examination of our research into what the perceived requirements are for web conferencing and remote laboratories and suggestions are given on how to apply web conferencing and remote labs to engineering and science education.
Is All that Glitters Gold?
Authors: Piscioneri Matthew
Published: October 2011

Knowledge is only a click away. Technology is a tool. Chalk and talk is an anachronistic and unproductive teaching and learning delivery mode. There is a new generation of “net.gen” “digital natives” who can only learn via information communication technology, thereby requiring an entirely new approach to education. This chapter suggests the persistence of tropes such as these in discourse of technology enhanced learning, particularly at the tertiary level, is noteworthy and invites our critical interest. Taking this analysis of contemporary discourse of technology enhanced learning as a platform; the chapter examines broader issues concerned with the commercialization of tertiary education and the new managerialism in the higher education sector.
ICT in Higher Education
Authors: Yang Yang , Nguyen Hoang Boi , Jang Sun Hee
Published: October 2011

Over the past decades, there has been an intensive drive to implement information and communications technology (ICT) in diverse contexts. In education, ICT has produced significant benefits to research, teaching and learning. Enhanced learning outcomes and effective teaching practices, for example, are reported as positive impacts of ICT integration, particularly in higher educational contexts. However, in order to examine how ICT influences tertiary teaching and learning, it is important to look at the main stakeholders’ perspective. This chapter reports a case study about the perceptions of ICT among university lecturers and students on key aspects of ICT in an Australian university context. Data was collected through questionnaires and interviews. The major findings revealed that there were wide variations in respondents’ perceptions of ICT’s impact, which may partly affect the effectiveness of ICT implementation in this context.
Designing for Learning in Computer-Assisted Health Care Simulations
Authors: Häll Lars O. , Söderström Tor
Published: October 2011

This chapter is about designing for learning in educational computer-assisted simulations (ECAS) in health care education (HCE). This is an area in need of an informed educational framework for analysis and design, on a research level as well as on a practice level. Drawing upon the works of Luckin (2008, 2010), an Ecology of Resources framework is proposed, which, informed by experiences from the research field (Gaba, 2004; Issenberg et al., 2005), can support researchers as well as practitioners in analyzing and designing health care simulations. Using this framework, we will discuss original empirical data from two studies from the Learning Radiology in Simulated Environments project, and more specifically how changes in design, or adjustments to the Ecology of Resources, impact the simulation process. Data include video-recorded observations of collaborative simulation training, a student questionnaire directly after training and later follow-up interviews. We will illustrate the usefulness of the framework and point out some challenges and suggestions for future development and research.
Debating Across Borders
Authors: Deutschmann Mats
Published: October 2011

Internationally, virtual world environments such as Second Life® (SL) have become accepted as platforms for innovative educational activities at many universities in recent years. One such activity includes innovative ways of students coming in contact with other students in so-called telecollaborations. The present case study explores the initial stages in an Action Research process, namely the design and initial implementation of a telecollaborative language learning activity between four universities in Second Life under the EU-funded Avalon project. The chapter describes how theoretical frameworks including the Ecology of Language Learning (van Lier, 2004), the Five Stage Model of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (Salmon, 2004) and Activity Theory (Leont’ev, 1978) were used in order to address different aspects of the design of the course. Based on questionnaire responses from students and observations, the chapter then goes on to evaluate the relative success/failure of the first course trial. Finally, the chapter discusses the implications of the lessons learnt from this pilot project on further developments of the course concept in the action research process, and goes on to discuss implications of the findings for the use of virtual worlds in more mainstream educational settings.
The Design of Learning Materials within Small Scale Projects
Authors: Hammond Michael , Hu Jie
Published: October 2011

This chapter discusses the design of learning materials in the context of small scale projects within higher education. It describes the enduring appeal of instructional material and its growing use following the take up of virtual learning environments (VLEs) / learning platforms in teaching and learning. It suggests that action research approaches may be of value in the design of instructional material as they offer systematic, formative feedback at an early stage in the design process and prioritise user participation. A case study is provided of a broadly action research approach to the design of instructional material to support academic reading skills at one university. The case exemplifies the strengths of action research but also highlights the tensions and difficulties, in particular that of securing the engagement of stakeholders. The implications for further research are brought out.
A Hybrid Genetic Algorithm-Simulated Annealing Approach for the Multi-Objective Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows
Authors: Tuzkaya Gülfem , Gülsün Bahadir , Bildik Ender , Çaglar E. Gözde
Published: October 2011

In this study, the vehicle routing problem with time windows (VRPTW) is investigated and formulated as a multi-objective model. As a solution approach, a hybrid meta-heuristic algorithm is proposed. Proposed algorithm consists of two meta-heuristics: Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Simulated Annealing (SA). In this algorithm, SA is used as an improvement operator in GA. Besides, a hypothetical application is presented to foster the better understanding of the proposed model and algorithm. The validity of the algorithm is tested via some well-known benchmark problems from the literature.
Strategies for an Integrated Distribution Problem
Authors: Lourenço Helena R. , Ribeiro Rita
Published: October 2011

Problems arising in the logistics of commercial distribution are complex and involve several players and decision levels. One of the most important decisions is the design of the routes to distribute the products in an efficient and inexpensive way but also satisfying marketing objectives such as customer loyalty. This chapter explores three different distribution routing strategies. The first strategy corresponds to the classical vehicle routing problem where total distance or cost is minimized. This one is usually an objective of the Logistics department. The second strategy is a master route strategy with daily adaptations where customer loyalty is maximized, which is one of the objectives of the Marketing department. The authors propose a third strategy which takes into account the cross-functional planning between the Logistics and the Marketing department through a multi-objective model. All strategies are analyzed in a multi-period scenario. A metaheuristic algorithm based on the Iterated Local Search is proposed and applied to optimize each strategy. An analysis and comparison of the three strategies is presented through a computational experiment. The cross-functional planning strategy leads to solutions that put in practice the coordination between the two functional areas of Marketing and Logistics and better meet business objectives in general.
A Hybrid Lagrangian Relaxation and Tabu Search Method for Interdependent-Choice Network Design Problems
Authors: Xie Chi , Turnquist Mark A. , Waller S. Travis
Published: October 2011

Hybridization offers a promising approach in designing and developing improved metaheuristic methods for a variety of complex combinatorial optimization problems. This chapter presents a hybrid Lagrangian relaxation and tabu search method for a class of discrete network design problems with complex interdependent-choice constraints. This method takes advantage of Lagrangian relaxation for problem decomposition and complexity reduction while its algorithmic logic is designed based on the principles of tabu search. The algorithmic advance and solution performance of the method are illustrated by implementing it for solving a network design problem with lane reversal and crossing elimination strategies, arising from urban evacuation planning.
Perceived Risks of Customer Knowledge Management
Authors: López-Nicolás Carolina , Molina-Castillo Francisco-José
Published: October 2011

Customer knowledge management (CKM) has become an important topic for both academicians and practitioners in recent years as customer knowledge is vital for improving customer service and enabling the company to make appropriate strategic business decisions. CKM applications, some of which may be accessible online, support the exchange of customer knowledge. However, embedding CKM applications that customers may access within a company’s website may actually be an obstacle to the increase of e-commerce as it could cause an increase in consumers’ risk perceptions about that website, and in turn, a backward step in customer’s purchase intentions through that site. The objective of this chapter is to analyze the differences that might exist in CKM tools when they are implemented in a website and compare the results in two different moments of time 2005 and 2010. The results obtained from this research will be useful for managers to analyze which CKM initiatives are more advisable to obtain and manage customer knowledge management in the future.
A Comprehensive Model for Customer Knowledge Management Mechanisms
Authors: Sakhaee Neda , Shahbaznezhad Hamidreza , Zanjani Mehdi Shami
Published: October 2011

In order to implement customer knowledge management concepts, companies need to deploy several mechanisms through the development and integration of currently available ways. Although customer knowledge management has been discussed in various circles, fewer studies have tried to discover a comprehensive set of customer knowledge management mechanisms. This chapter proposes a comprehensive taxonomic model that acts as a reference in the area of customer knowledge management. By using this model, companies can manage their customer knowledge in e-commerce or non e-commerce domes. The proposed model is based on blended methodology and contains a vast look at the three different dimensions of customer knowledge through additional details as well as introducing the comprehensive set of “technological” and “non-technological” mechanisms in accordance with each identified types of customer knowledge.
TCP Symbiosis
Authors: Hasegawa Go , Murata Masayuki
Published: October 2011

In this chapter, we introduce a robust, self-adaptive and scalable congestion control mechanism for TCP. We change the window size of a TCP connection according to the information of the physical and available bandwidths of the end-to-end network path. The bandwidth information is obtained by an inline network measurement technique. We also borrowed algorithms from biophysics to update the window size: the logistic growth model and the Lotka-Volterra competition model. The greatest advantage of using these models is that we can refer previous discussions and results for various characteristics of the mathematical models, including scalability, convergence, fairness and stability in these models. Through mathematical analysis and simulation experiments, we compare the proposed mechanism with traditional TCP Reno, HighSpeed TCP, Scalable TCP and FAST TCP, and exhibit its effectiveness in terms of scalability to the network bandwidth and delay, convergence time, fairness among competing connections, and stability.
4G Wireless Networks
Authors: Stratogiannis Dimitrios G. , Tsiropoulos Georgios I. , Kanellopoulos John D. , Cottis Panayotis G.
Published: October 2011

Fourth generation (4G) wireless networks aim at supporting various multiservice applications over IP architectures which satisfy enhanced users demands through innovative services of increased Quality of Service (QoS). QoS can be assured through independent optimal design of network components or by optimizing interoperability. The supported services impose also their classification into IP network service models and their specifications description. The integration of different wireless access technologies into the 4G network architecture leads to a heterogeneous network environment that raises several issues. An overview of various approaches employed to provide QoS in 4G networks concerning their architectures, different access technologies interoperability and resource management techniques are investigated in this chapter. Dynamic resource allocation, admission control, QoS provision using mobile management and pricing policies are presented. Concluding, in the demanding 4G environment under variable network conditions, appropriate schemes and architectures may provide a robust network management tool for QoS provision and efficient resource utilization.
QoS in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Shah Ghalib A. , Sohail Shaleeza , Hussain Faisal B.
Published: October 2011

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have been envisioned as a new and effective means for creating and deploying previously unimaginable applications. These networks generally have the capabilities of observing the physical phenomena, communication, data processing and dissemination. Limited resources of sensor nodes like energy, bandwidth and processing abilities, make these networks excellent candidates for incorporating QoS framework. The possible applications of WSNs are numerous while being diverse in nature which makes analyzing and designing QoS support for each application a non-trivial task. At the same time, these applications require different type of QoS support from the network for optimum performance. A single layer cannot address all these issues, hence, numerous researchers have proposed protocols and architectures for QoS support at different network layers. In this chapter, the authors identify the generic QoS parameters which are usually supported at different layers of WSNs protocol stack and investigate their importance in different application models. A brief overview of significant research contribution at every network layer is provided. It is worthwhile to mention that same QoS parameter may be supported at multiple layers, hence, adequate selection of suitable mechanism would be application’s choice. On the other hand, it is quite possible that a single QoS parameter, such as energy conservation or real-time delivery, can be efficiently supported through interaction of multiple layers. It is difficult, if not impossible to optimize multi layer QoS architecture. Hence, a number of researchers have also proposed the idea of cross layer architecture for providing QoS support for a number of sensor applications, which is also discussed in this chapter. At the end, the authors highlight the open research issues that might be the focus of future research in this area.
A Technological Perspective of Mobile and Electronic Commerce Systems
Authors: Hu Wen-Chen , Zuo Yanjun , Kaabouch Naima , Chen Lei
Published: October 2011

The emergence of wireless and mobile networks has made possible the introduction of electronic commerce to a new application and research subject: mobile commerce. Mobile commerce is a promising trend of commerce because Internet-enabled smartphones such as iPhones are becoming very popular these days. People use smartphones to perform daily tasks like browsing the mobile Internet and making phone calls anytime and anywhere. However, understanding or constructing a mobile or an electronic commerce system is not easy because the system involves a wide variety of disciplines and technologies and the technologies are constantly changed. To facilitate understanding and constructing such a system, this chapter divides the system into six components: (i) applications, (ii) client devices or computers, (iii) mobile middleware, (iv) wireless networks, (v) wired networks, and (vi) host computers. Elements in these components specifically related to the subject are described in detail and lists of current technologies for component construction are discussed.
Visualizations of Wireless Sensor Network Data
Authors: d’Auriol Brian J. , Lee Sungyoung , Lee Young-Koo
Published: October 2011

Wireless sensor networks can provide large amounts of data that, when combined with pre-processing and data analysis processes, can generate large amounts of data that may be difficult to present in visual forms. Often, understanding of the data and how it spatially and temporally changes as well as the patterns suggested by the data are of interest to human viewers. This chapter considers the issues involved in the visual presentations of such data and includes an analysis of data set sizes generated by wireless sensor networks and a survey of existing wireless sensor network visualization systems. A novel model is presented that can include not only the raw data but also derived data indicating certain patterns that the raw data may indicate. The model is informally presented and a simulation-based example illustrates its use and potential.
Network Security through Wireless Location Systems
Authors: Peres André , Weber Raul Fernando
Published: October 2011

The advantage of wireless local area networks, giving the mobile stations the possibility of moving freely inside the network access range comes with a security drawback. The fact that microwave signals can transpose walls and suffers with attenuation, reflections, refraction, diffraction and dispersion, depending of the obstacles, makes very difficult to define the network access range. Without the knowledge of the network boundaries, the network administrator cannot define a physical delimiter to network access. Without the user-location, it is impossible to restrict the network access based on the physical access boundaries defined by the administrator. When the wireless network operates indoor, the many obstacles and the dynamic behavior of these obstacles (some people moving around, for instance) make the microwave signal behavior change the range and aspect of the network. This work proposes a new approach to indoor user-location mechanism, based on the dynamic behavior of the obstacles and consequent changes on network range in IEEE 802.11 networks. Finally a new authentication system WlanAuth, based on the user location is proposed.
Cooperative Broadcast in Large-Scale Wireless Networks
Authors: Sirkeci-Mergen Birsen , Scaglione Anna , Gastpar Michael
Published: October 2011

This chapter studies the cooperative broadcasting in wireless networks. We especially focus on multistage cooperative broadcasting in which the message from a source node is relayed by multiple groups of cooperating nodes. Interestingly, group transmissions become beneficial in the case of broadcasting as opposed to the case in traditional networks where receptions from different transmitters are considered as collision and disregarded. Different aspects of multistage cooperative broadcasting are analyzed in the chapter: (i) coverage behavior; (ii) power efficiency; (ii) error propagation; (iv) maximum communication rate. Whenever possible, performance is compared with multihop broadcasting where transmissions are relayed by a single node at each hop. We consider a large-scale network with many nodes distributed randomly in a given area. In order to analyze such networks, an important methodology, the continuum limit, is introduced. In the continuum limit, random networks are approximated by their dense limits under sum relay power constraint. This method allows us to obtain analytical results for the analysis of cooperative multistage broadcasting.
Delay-Based Admission Control to Sustain QoS in a Managed IEEE 802.11 Wireless LANs
Authors: Ksentini A. , Nafaa A.
Published: October 2011

In this chapter, we present a delay-sensitive MAC adaptation scheme combined with an admission control mechanism. The proposed solution is based on thorough analysis of the trade-off existing between high network utilization and achieving bounded QoS metrics in operated 802.11-based networks. First, we derive an accurate delay estimation model to adjust the contention window size in real-time basis by considering key net-work factors, MAC queue dynamics, and application-level QoS requirements. Second, we use the abovementioned delay-based CW size adaptation scheme to derive a fully distributed admission control model that provides protection for existing flows in terms of QoS guarantees.
Data Broadcast Management in Wireless Communication
Authors: Verma Seema , Kulshrestha Rakhee , Kumari Savita
Published: October 2011

The data broadcast policies have been developed for single channel and multi channel with various scheduling and indexing techniques. For the data management policies which consider the different broadcast cycles for different broadcast operators, it can be said that traditional types of data management policies are known previously, and the policies of Central Server (CS) and Unified Index Hub (UIH), which consider single broadcast cycle for all operators, are recent. This chapter presents both strategies very simply for better understanding, discusses the work done in the past and present on data broadcast management, along with suggestions for the future possibilities to explore the field.
Dynamic Business Processes and Virtual Communities in Wireless eHealth Environments
Authors: Georgiadis Dimosthenis , Germanakos Panagiotis , Mourlas Constantinos , Samaras George , Christodoulou Eleni
Published: October 2011

Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW) related applications tend to be a trend for most successful businesses, organizations and domains nowadays, as is the Healthcare sector. Healthcare specialists often work in remote areas facing many problems and challenges driven mainly from the limitations and constraints of the mobile and wireless technologies in relation to the tasks at hand. Due to the sensitive area of healthcare provision, this chapter discusses that additional features need to be incorporated in current CSCW systems, like the dynamic creation of medical virtual teams, dynamic workflows and the automatic triggered events upon time expiration, in order to be more effective and efficient. In this respect and having in mind the new Web 2.0 characteristics, a set of new features applied in our proposed CSCW system, DITIS, is analyzed in an attempt to encapsulate all the needs of eHealth applications. Furthermore, an extensive evaluation of the system is presented, supporting the need for such enhancements since a significant increase in communication, coordination and collaboration has been shown among the subjects.
An Investigation into the Use of Pervasive Wireless Technologies to Support Diabetes Self-Care
Authors: Wickramasinghe Nilmini , Troshani Indrit , Goldberg Steve
Published: October 2011

Diabetes is one of the leading chronic diseases affecting Australians and its prevalence continues to rise. The goal of this study is to investigate the application of a pervasive technology solution developed by INET in the form of a wireless enabled mobile phone to facilitate superior diabetes self-care.
The Outdoor Wireless Healthcare Monitoring System for Hospital Patients Based on ZigBee
Authors: Xu Xiaoxin , Wu Mingguang , Sun Bin , Zhang Jianwei , Ding Cheng
Published: October 2011

Advances in embedded computing systems have resulted in the emergence of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), which provide unique opportunities for sensing physical environments. ZigBee-compliant WSN platforms have been proposed for healthcare monitoring, smart home, industrial monitoring and sensor, and other applications. In this chapter, the authors, using TI CC2430 and CC2431 chipsets with Z-Stack, designed an outdoor patients’ healthcare monitoring system for tracking patients and helping doctors and nurses to keep tabs on patients’ health remotely. Furthermore, several important techniques are elaborated, including reliable communication, localization algorithm, and backup power, which can enhance the system performance. Finally, some suggestions for future development are presented.
Collaborative e-Learning and ICT Tools to Develop SME Managers
Authors: Giambona Genoveffa (Jeni) , Birchall David W.
Published: October 2011

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) create a dynamic and successful European economy. Existing skill deficiencies in sales, management and administrative staff are adversely affecting competitiveness in almost a third of those small firms surveyed (Bolden, 2001, 2007). Additionally, attending face-to-face and classroom-based development courses is problematic for time-poor SME managers. Thanks to the development of new technologies online learning is becoming commonplace due to wireless and mobile devices, together with the Internet boom, are providing the infrastructure necessary to support the development of new learning forms. Collaborative learning, especially as represented by an action learning approach, would seem ideal for SME managers. But can collaborative learning be adopted as a blanket approach in the case of SME managers? Or should one first take into account the contextual influences on learning, networking and collaboration?
Opportunistic Networks as an Enabling Technology for Mobile Word-of-Mouth Advertising
Authors: Heinemann Andreas , Straub Tobias
Published: October 2011

The growing share of people using mobile devices, that support wireless peer-to-peer interaction, offers the opportunity to build a ubiquitous infrastructure for electronic word-of-mouth messaging and advertising. This chapter introduces Opportunistic Networks as a layer for one-hop communication that opens up electronic word-of-mouth messaging for mobile devices. The reader will learn about adPASS (short for advertisement passing), a system build on top of Opportunistic Networks for digital advertisement distribution stimulated by an anonymous and tamper-resistant bonus point model. A simulation based on empirical movement pat=terns indicates the feasibility of our approach. This chapter concludes with a summary and provides an outlook on further research paths starting from our findings.
The Critical Mass of Wireless Communications
Authors: Puumalainen Kaisu , Frank Lauri , Sundqvist Sanna , Tuppura Anni
Published: October 2011

The aim of this chapter is to identify and analyze the timing and level of critical mass in the development of market penetration for wireless communications. The authors assume that critical mass is fulfilled at the point when the acceleration of the diffusion process is at its maximum. In practice, this point is determined by estimating the diffusion function and calculating the second derivative with respect to time. The diffusion of mobile subscription is modelled using the Bass diffusion model. The penetration levels and points of time of critical mass of 209 countries or areas of the world are identified and subsequently subjected to regression analysis against population and economic characteristics. The findings suggest considerable differences between developing and developed countries.
Employment and Acceptance of Near Field Communication in Mobile Marketing
Authors: Wiedmann Klaus-Peter , Reeh Marc-Oliver , Schumacher Henrik
Published: October 2011

Near Field Communication (NFC) is a short-distance wireless technology which allows user friendly networking of mobile terminals, e.g., cellular phones and PDAs, as it does with stationary units like Automated Teller Machines (ATM). Hardware producers, network operators and service providers are willing to implement NFC technologies in order to offer new services to their customers. The main goal is to increase the attraction of the underdeveloped areas of mobile commerce and make them more interesting for owners of mobile devices. If and how much real potential there is in NFC as a basic technology to really provide new impulses in mobile commerce and mobile marketing so that a higher acceptance can be reached are remaining open questions. This chapter tries to approach these questions and to provide possible answers by outlining relevant applicative examples and further configuration options of NFC technology as well as by discussing their acceptability.