bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Social Networks in Information Systems
Authors: de Freitas Hernâni Borges , Barão Alexandre , da Silva Alberto Rodrigues
Published: May 2010

A social network represents a set of social entities that interact through relationships like friendship, co-working, or information exchange. Social Network Analysis studies the patterns of relationships among social entities and can be used to understand and improve group processes. The arrival of new communication tools and networking platforms, especially the Web 2.0 Social Networking Services, opened new opportunities to explore the power of social networks inside and outside organizations. This chapter surveys the basic concepts of social networks methods, approaches, tools, and services. In particular, this chapter analyzes state-of-the-art social networks, explaining how useful Social Network Analysis can be in different contexts and how social networks can be represented, extracted, and analyzed in information systems.
Language-Action Perspective (LAP)
Authors: Umapathy Karthikeyan
Published: May 2010

The Language-action perspective (LAP) provides an alternative foundation for analyzing and designing effective information systems. The fundamental principle of the LAP approach is people perform actions through communication; therefore, the role of information systems is to support such communications among people to achieve business goals. Basing on linguistic and communicative theories, the LAP approach provides guidance for researchers to gain understanding on how people use communication to coordinate their activities to achieve common goal. Web services, a leading technology to develop information systems, aims to support communication among services to achieve business goals. The close match between fundamental principles of Web services and the LAP approach suggests that researchers can use the LAP approach as a theoretical guidance to analyze and resolve Web service problems. This chapter provides a comprehensive starting point for researchers, practitioners, and students to gain understanding of the LAP approach.
The Theory of Deferred Action
Authors: Patel Nandish V.
Published: May 2010

The problem addressed is how to design rationally information systems for emergent organization. Complexity and emergence are new design problem that constrains rational design. The reconciliation of rationalism and emergence is achieved in the theory of deferred action by synthesizing rationalism and emergence. Theories on designing for normal organisation exist but most of them are borrowed from reference disciplines. The theory of deferred action is based in the information systems discipline and is presented as a theory to inform practice to improve the rational design of information systems for emergent organisation. It has the potential of becoming a reference theory for other disciplines in particular for organisation studies. As emergence is a core feature of complexity, the base theory for the theory of deferred action is complexity theory. The theory of deferred action explains the effect of emergence on the rational design of information systems. As a theory to inform practice it provides guidance in the form of design constructs on how to design rationally information systems for emergent organization.
Diffusion of Innovation and Capability Theory in the Context of E-Government
Authors: Akhter Shareef Mahmud , Kumar Vinod , Kumar Uma , Akhter Hasin Ahsan
Published: May 2010

E-government (EG) enables governments to provide citizens easier and electronic access to information and modernized services through personal computers, kiosks, telephones, and other resources. Information and communication technology (ICT) is the prime driving force of EG. Therefore, before implementing an EG project, it is vital to investigate the capability of developing countries to adopt ICT and research the impact of adopting ICT in that society. The authors argue that the purposes of implementing EG can only be accomplished and the full benefits of EG realized if a majority of the population of developing countries has the ability to adopt ICT, the main driver of EG. Therefore, it is essential for policy makers of developing countries to study the adoption capability of ICT of citizens prior to launching EG. Otherwise, there is the strong possibility that EG projects could not accomplish the purpose of its implementation and could fail to reduce the digital divide, establish equal rights for all citizens, and promote good governance.
Diffusion of Innovations Theory
Authors: Chia Cua Francisco , Garrett Tony C.
Published: May 2010

The literature review on case study design does not explain how the complex relationships (the issues) in a case study are identified. A top down approach, borrowing from argumentation theory, is a distinct contribution of this chapter which introduces the diffusion of innovations (DOI) as a research problem theory applied to the examination of a business case involving the replacement of enterprise systems by a large risk-averse public sector university in Australasia. The business case document is intended to diffuse the innovation to upper management for funding. But, there is a lack of diffusion study about the business case stage (the process) and the business case document (the outcome) as the construct that affects the innovation and its diffusion. A crucial component of the said diffusion research is designing the case study and mitigating the risks of theory-practice inconsistencies. Critical to mitigating that threat are the complex relationships (issues) that should be thoroughly identified. The context of the research provides experiential practical knowledge and analytical lenses to understand the essential components of a case study and the controversies affecting the rigour in the research design. This makes the top down approach of identifying the issues a good methodological base of designing a single-case study in a particular context. It can be useful to post-graduate and PhD students.
A Resource-Based Perspective on Information Technology, Knowledge Management, and Firm Performance
Authors: Holsapple Clyde W. , Wu Jiming
Published: May 2010

The resource-based view of the firm attributes superior firm performance to organizational resources that are valuable, rare, non-substitutable, and difficult to imitate. Aligned with this view, the authors contend that both information technology (IT) and knowledge management (KM) comprise critical organizational resources that contribute to superior firm performance. The authors also examine the relationship between IT and KM, and develop a new second-order variable – IT-KM competence – with IT capability and KM performance as its formative indicators. Thus, this chapter contributes not only by investigating the determinants of firm performance but also by broadening our understanding of the relationships among IT, KM, and firm performance.
Applying Social Network Theory to the Effects of Information Technology Implementation
Authors: Wu Qun , Wu Jiming , Ling Juan
Published: May 2010

While some studies have found a significant link between information technology (IT) and firm performance, others have observed negative or zero returns on IT investments. One explanation for the mixed findings is that the causal link from IT to firm performance may be mediated. However, previous information system (IS) research has paid relatively little attention to such mediators. In this chapter, we develop a conceptual framework in which social network plays a mediating role in the relationship between IT usage and firm performance. Specifically, IT usage helps organizations strengthen inter- and intra-organizational networks, which, in turn, enhance firm performance.
Hofstede's Dimensions of National Culture in IS Research
Authors: Ford Dianne P. , Connelly Catherine E. , Meister Darren B.
Published: May 2010

In this chapter, the authors do a citation analysis on Hofstede’s Culture’s Consequences in IS research to re-examine how IS research has used Hofstede’s national culture dimensions. They give a brief history of Hofstede’s research, and review Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and the measurement of them. The authors then present the results from their original citation analysis (which included years 1994-1999) from Ford, Connelly and Meister (2003) and their follow-up citation analysis (years 2000-2005). The authors examine the extent to which Hofstede’s national culture dimensions inform IS research, what areas of IS research have used them, and what changes have occurred since the original citation analysis. They then discuss the implications for IS research.
Personal Construct Theory
Authors: Caputi Peter , Hunter M. Gordon , Tan Felix B.
Published: May 2010

The development of any discipline is related to the strength of its underpinning theoretical base. Wellestablished disciplines have a diversity of clearly stated and competing theoretical frameworks to describe and explain theoretical constructs. Information systems (IS) is a relatively new discipline; many well-known IS theories (such as the technology acceptance model, theory of reasoned action and theory of planned behaviour) are borrowed from disciplines such as economics and psychology. This chapter outlines personal construct psychology, a psychological theory. Current applications of methodologies based in personal construct theory are discussed, and the positioning of the theory within a broader taxonomy of IS theory is explored.
Macromolecular Crystallographic Computing
Authors: Bethanis Kostas , Giastas Petros , Thireou Trias , Atlamazoglou Vassilis
Published: May 2010

Structural genomics or structural proteomics can be defined as the quest to obtain the three-dimensional structures of all proteins. Single-crystal X-ray crystallography provides the most direct, accurate and in most of the cases the only way of forming images of macromolecules. Using crystallography, threedimensional images have been made of thousands of macromolecules, especially proteins and nucleic acids. These give detailed information about their activity, their mechanism for recognizing and binding substrates and effectors, and the conformational changes which they may undergo. This chapter presents the basic crystallographic procedure steps and a thorough survey of the computational software used most frequently by protein X-ray crystallographers. The determination of the structure of 2[4Fe-4S] ferredoxin from Escherichia coli. is examined as a case study of implementation of these steps and programs. Finally, some of the perspectives of the field of computational X-ray crystallography are noted showing the future developments in the ceaseless evolution of new methods and proliferation of new programs.
Describing Methodology and Applications of an In Silico Protein Engineering Approach
Authors: Thireou Trias , Bethanis Kostas , Atlamazoglou Vassilis
Published: May 2010

This chapter presents a particular cascade of computational steps in order to build a workflow for an in silico protein engineering approach. In this respect, all available information, in order to choose and computationally implement mutations, is described, employed and monitored. Some of the prerequisites of in silico protein engineering are access to various sequence and structure molecular biology databases, software tools for three dimensional molecular visualization and manipulation, sequence and structure alignment and comparison, molecular modelling and molecular docking. The implementation of these steps is demonstrated in the context of performing mutations of particular residues on the ligand pocket of a lipocalin protein family member, to derive the desired ligand binding properties. The example chosen for inclusion introduces the reader to all of the essentials of computational protein engineering experiments. More importantly, it provides insight into understanding and properly interpreting the data produced by these methods.
Computer Aided Tissue Engineering from Modeling to Manufacturing
Authors: Haghpanahi Mohammad , Nikkhoo Mohammad , Peirovi Habib Allah
Published: May 2010

Computer aided tissue engineering integrates advances of multidisciplinary fields of biology, biomedical engineering, and modern design and manufacturing. It enables the application of advanced computer aided technologies and biomechanical engineering principles to derive systematic solutions for complex tissue engineering problems. After an introduction to tissue engineering, this chapter presents the recent development on computer aided tissue engineering, including computer aided tissue modeling, computer aided tissue scaffold informatics and biomimetic design, and computer aided biomanufacturing.
Electronic Health Records in a Tele-Ophthalmologic Application with Oracle 10g
Authors: de la Torre Díez Isabel , Sánchez Roberto Hornero , Coronado Miguel López , López Gálvez María Isabel
Published: May 2010

Electronic health record (EHR) refers to the complete set of information that resides in electronic form and is related to the past, present and future health status. EHR standardization is a key characteristic to exchange healthcare information. Health Level Seven (HL7) and Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) are intensively influencing this process. This chapter describes the development and experience of a web-based application, TeleOftalWeb 3.2, to store and exchange EHRs in ophthalmology. We apply HL7 Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) and DICOM standards. The application has been built on Java Servlet and Java Server Pages (JSP) technologies. EHRs are stored in the database Oracle 10g. Its architecture is triple-layered. Physicians can view, modify and store all type of medical images. For security, all data transmissions were carried over encrypted Internet connections such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and HyperText Transfer Protocol over SSL (HTTPS). The application verifies the standards related to privacy and confidentiality. TeleOftalWeb 3.2 has been tested by from the University Institute of Applied Ophthalmobiology (IOBA), Spain. Nowadays, more than thousand health records have been introduced.
Pervasive Healthcare Services and Technologies for Memory Loss Diseases Support
Authors: Ilioudi Mata , Karaiskos Dimitrios , Lazakidou Athina
Published: May 2010

With an increasingly mobile society and the worldwide deployment of mobile and wireless networks, the wireless infrastructure can support many current and emerging healthcare applications. This could fulfill the vision of “pervasive healthcare” or healthcare to anyone, anytime, and anywhere by removing locational, time and other restraints while increasing both the coverage and the quality. In this chapter the authors present applications and requirements of pervasive healthcare, wireless networking solutions and several important research problems. The pervasive healthcare applications include pervasive health monitoring, intelligent emergency management system, pervasive healthcare data access, and ubiquitous mobile telemedicine. On top of the valuable benefits new technologies enable the memory loss patients for independent living and also reduce the cost of family care-giving for memory loss and elder patients.
Statistical Models in Bioinformatics
Authors: Zimeras Stelios , Kastania Anastasia N.
Published: May 2010

In recent years, biological research has been witness of a sea change mainly spearheaded by the advent of novel high throughput technologies that can provide unprecedented amounts of valuable data. This has given rise to novel field sharing the popular suffix ‘omics’. Genomics/transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, interactomics/regulomics and numerous other terms have been coined to categorize this ever increasing number of new fields. Biomarkers comprise the most critical tools for the early detection, diagnosis, prognosis and prediction of diseases providing key clues for drug development processes. A significant challenge is to define appropriate levels of specificity and sensitivity of new biomarkers in detecting complex diseases. The establishment of new biomarkers is not only an issue of optimizing wet lab experiments but also of designing appropriate and robust data analysis methods.Various approaches, like multivariate analysis methods as well as standard statistical tests have been applied to search for the important features in ‘omics’ data. Likewise, several methods, e.g. FDA, SVM, CART, nonparametric kernels, kNN, boosted decision stump and genetic algorithms, have been reported. However, it still remains an unsolved challenge to analyze and interpret the enormous volumes of ‘omics’ data.
A Modified High Speed Hopfield Neural Model for Perfect Calculation of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Authors: El-Bakry Hazem , Mastorakis Nikos
Published: May 2010

In this chapter, an automatic determination algorithm for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of the metabolites in the living body by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) without human intervention or complicated calculations is presented. In such method, the problem of NMR spectrum determination is transformed into the determination of the parameters of a mathematical model of the NMR signal. To calculate these parameters efficiently, a new model called modified Hopfield neural network is designed. The main achievement of this chapter over the work in literature (Morita, N. and Konishi, O., 2004) is that the speed of the modified Hopfield neural network is accelerated. This is done by applying cross correlation in the frequency domain between the input values and the input weights. The modified Hopfield neural network can accomplish complex dignals perfectly with out any additinal computation steps. This is a valuable advantage as NMR signals are complex-valued. In addition, a technique called “modified sequential extension of section (MSES)” that takes into account the damping rate of the NMR signal is developed to be faster than that presented in (Morita, N. and Konishi, O., 2004). Simulation results show that the calculation precision of the spectrum improves when MSES is used along with the neural network. Furthermore, MSES is found to reduce the local minimum problem in Hopfield neural networks. Moreover, the performance of the proposed method is evaluated and there is no effect on the performance of calculations when using the modified Hopfield neural networks.
Advances in Biosensors for In Vitro Diagnostics
Authors: Klemer David P.
Published: May 2010

The array of tools available to the medical practitioner for diagnosis of disease has experienced extremely rapid expansion over the past decades. Traditional “blood chemistries” and hematological testing have been augmented with immunoassays for serological testing and PCR-based assays for genomic screening. Rapid, inexpensive point-of-care assays with enhanced sensitivity and specificity have the potential for altering the manner in which medicine is practiced; pharmacogenomics and the advent of “personalized medicine” permit the tailoring of therapeutic pharmacologic regimens to the genetic makeup of an individual. Facilitating this are novel biosensing approaches for in vitro diagnostics, developed at the interface of engineering, physics, chemistry and biology. New discoveries promise to sustain the high rate of growth of this important field of research and development. This chapter examines recent advances in techniques for biosensing and in vitro biomedical diagnostics, building on progress in materials science, nanotechnology, semiconductor devices, and biotechnology. The importance of this topic is motivated through the presentation of case studies of biosensing applications within various medical specialties.
From Web to Web 2.0 and E-Learning 2.0
Authors: Coutinho Clara Pereira , Bottentuit Jr. João Batista
Published: May 2010

In this chapter the authors analyze issues and ideas regarding the next generation of e-Learning, which is already known as e-Learning 2.0 or social e-Learning. They will look at the new learning tools that have emerged from the evolution of the Web, to the Web 2.0 paradigm, discussing their potential for supporting modern and independent lifelong learners. Even more important, the authors will justify the modeling of a new concept for the future of teaching and learning in the knowledge-based society in which we live. The conclusion will present a scenario for the evolution of the Web, the Semantic Web or 3.0 generation Web, which is emerging as a higher environment that will advance the design and development of e-Learning systems in promising new directions: machine-understandable educational material will be the basis for machines that automatically use and interpret information for the benefit of authors and educators, making e-Learning platforms more adaptable and responsive to each individual learner.
The Key Elements of Online Learning Communities
Authors: Du Jianxia , Liu Yunyan , Brown Robert L.
Published: May 2010

An online learning community can be a place for vibrant discussions and the sharing of new ideas in a medium where content constantly changes. This chapter will first examine the different definitions that researchers have provided for online learning communities. It will then illuminate several key elements that are integral to online learning communities: interactivity, in both its task-driven and socio-emotional forms; collaboration, which both builds and nurtures online communities; trusting relationships, which are developed primarily through social interaction and consist of shared goals and a sense of belonging or connectedness; and communication media choices, which impact the other three elements. This chapter also provides suggestions for the practical application of these elements in the online classroom.
Strategies for Providing Formative Feedback to Maximize Learner Satisfaction and Online Learning
Authors: Liu Yuliang
Published: May 2010

Learner satisfaction and learning is currently a very important topic in online instruction and learning. Blignaut and Trollip (2003) proposed six types of response for providing formative feedback in online courses. These six response types include: Administrative, Affective, Other, Corrective, Informative, and Socratic. The first three types involve no academic content while the last three types are related to academic content. Each type serves a different purpose for online learners. This study is designed to validate how the appropriate use of six response types for providing formative feedback affected learner satisfaction and online learning in an online graduate class at a midwestern university in the summer semester of 2008. Results indicated that all six response types are necessary to ensure maximum online learner satisfaction and effective online learning although each has its different focus. Findings have implications for all other online courses in the future.
Exploring Ideas and Possibilities of Second Life as an Advanced E-Learning Environment
Authors: Kim Bo Kyeong , Baek Youngkyun
Published: May 2010

Web 2.0 is changing the paradigm of using the Internet which is affecting the e-learning paradigm. In this chapter, e-learning 2.0 and its strategies will be described for net generation. E-learning 2.0 was followed by introduction of Second Life as an advanced e-learning environment. Flexibility, strong social networking, and residents’ creative activities of Second Life allow unlimited potential to educators when they apply various educational principles to designing a learning environment. The authors assert that Second Life is a classroom built in 3D cyber space. Some cases that Second Life was used for a new e-learning environment are also presented. The 3D virtual classroom context is attractive to the educators with the same appearance as real life as well as prepared educational elements which can be built into Second Life. Exploring ideas and possibilities of Second Life provides alternatives to make up for the limits in the current e-learning environment.
When Virtual Communities Click
Authors: Hirtle Jeannine , Smith Samuel
Published: May 2010

Communities of practice (CoP’s)—much touted and studied as a mechanism for teacher education and professional development—may offer environments for deeper learning and transformation of their participants. This chapter examines more meaningful outcomes possible in community-centered learning— deep learning, changes in professional culture and identity, and participants “finding voice”—outcomes of value not often seen in formal educational and traditional professional development settings. Drawing on qualitative data from participants in a three-year community of writers and literacy educators, this study suggests that CoP’s can be linked not only to development of knowledge and skills, but also to changes in participant beliefs, attitudes, voices, visions, and the identities of practicing educators.
E-Learning Design for the Information Workplace
Authors: Carmean Colleen
Published: May 2010

Anytime and all-the-time access to electronic resources, artifacts and community have changed learning practices in the workplace as surely as it has changed the workplace itself. Learning today is measured not by what we know, but by how successfully we tap into our network to find the information we need in the moment we need it. The business environment now demands anytime and just-in-time answers at all levels of the organization. In response to new expectations within the information-rich workplace, the organization must look to a new practice of comprehensive design for a shared knowledge architecture that can leverage the digital tools, methods and effective practices now available. To understand not simply technology but the affordance (Norman, 1988; Carmean & McGee, 2008) and effective use of each technology now available, a new design practice is needed. Current digital learners seek practices, resources and help in navigating the shared knowledge flow and have little training or support in understanding the network of information available. If anytime, anywhere, and from any source is a new e-learning paradigm in the digital workplace (Cross, 2006), then the challenge for a new breed of designers will be to help the digital learner to find, understand andcreate the shared knowledge embedded within local and global networked resources.
From Memorable to Transformative E-Learning Experiences
Authors: Chen Pearl
Published: May 2010

This chapter reviews the current state of theory and practice of experience design and suggests that the notion of experience should be regarded as an essential and unifying theme in guiding a broader perspective of design and study of e-learning. Underlying this chapter is a view that suggests a shift from designing learning environments to “staging” learning experiences. By looking at learning through the prism of experience design, we may begin to discover ways to create compelling, memorable, and transformative e-learning experiences. Some existing models and effective practices in education are considered as viable models for adapting experience design to e-learning contexts. Furthermore, this chapter identifies some converging areas of research from the fields of experience design and education, so as not to reinvent the wheel but to expand our knowledge on designing quality e-learning experiences that are engaging and valued by people.
Authentic Learning in Second Life
Authors: Scott Carl , Liu Youmei , Kumar Madhuri
Published: May 2010

This chapter will examine the relationship between a constructivist teaching approach and online learning experiences in the Virtual Worlds of Second Life, using a specifically constructed MBA-level course teaching Systems Analysis and Design. A research study was incorporated in the course design to test the Constructivist Learning Design (CLD) model (Gagnon & Collay, 2006) and social (use of individual- vs. group-oriented activities) domains. This chapter will cover: (1) fundamentals of Systems Analysis and Design course; (2) current research of Second Life in education; (3) course design based on CLD models; and (4) research data analysis of course delivery through constructivist learning in Second Life and student learning experiences in the Virtual Worlds.
Student Perceptions and Pedagogical Applications of E-Learning Tools in Online Course
Authors: Chou C. Candace
Published: May 2010

This study explores student views of various E-Learning tools as teaching and learning media in an online course for pre-service and in-service teachers. This chapter also examines the pedagogical applications of E-Learning tools in an online course. The capabilities of a system that allows meaningful interaction, reflection, personal identification, and a sense of community play a key role in the degree of social presence. This study highlights some key findings regarding the efficacy of E-Learning tools from student perspectives and make recommendations for future pedagogical practice.
The Logical Rules of Commonsense Reasoning
Authors: Naidenova Xenia
Published: May 2010

In this chapter we describe a model of commonsense reasoning that has been acquired from our numerous investigations on the human reasoning modes used by experts for solving diagnostic problems in diverse areas such as pattern recognition of natural objects (rocks, ore deposits, types of trees, types of clouds etc.), analysis of multi-spectral information, image processing, interpretation of psychological testing data, medicine diagnosis and so on. The principal aspects of this model coincide with the rulebased inference mechanism that is embodied in the KADS system (Ericson, et al., 1992), (Gappa, & Poeck, 1992). More details related to our model of reasoning and its implementation can be found in (Naidenova, & Syrbu, 1984; Naidenova, & Polegaeva, 1985a; 1985b).
The Examples of Human Commonsense Reasoning Processes
Authors: Naidenova Xenia
Published: May 2010

In this chapter, we concentrate our attention on analyzing and modeling natural human reasoning in solving different tasks: pattern recognition in scientific investigations, logical games, and investigation of crimes.
Machine Learning (ML) as a Diagnostic Task
Authors: Naidenova Xenia
Published: May 2010

This chapter discusses a revised definition of classification (diagnostic) test. This definition allows considering the problem of inferring classification tests as the task of searching for the best approximations of a given classification on a given set of data. Machine learning methods are reduced to this task. An algebraic model of diagnostic task is brought forward founded upon the partition lattice in which object, class, attribute, value of attribute take their interpretations.
Case Technology for Psycho-Diagnostic System Generation
Authors: Naidenova Xenia
Published: May 2010

The automated workstation (AWS) for psychologists and physiologists must be an instrument that allows adaptive programming applied psycho-diagnostic expert systems (APDS). For this goal, the AWS must contain toolkits for 1) the automated specification of adaptive psycho-diagnostic systems (APDS) directed by an expert; 2) the adaptation of these systems to changeable conditions of their functioning. We propose an automated technology for creating APDS, the main peculiarity of which consists in using machine learning methods to choose, validate, define and redefine the main constructive elements of psycho-diagnostic testing and decision making procedures utilized in the developed psycho-diagnostic systems.
Principles and Methods for Face Recognition and Face Modelling
Authors: Rawlinson Tim , Bhalerao Abhir , Wang Li
Published: May 2010

This chapter focuses on the principles behind methods currently used for face recognition, which have a wide variety of uses from biometrics, surveillance and forensics. After a brief description of how faces can be detected in images, the authors describe 2D feature extraction methods that operate on all the image pixels in the face detected region: Eigenfaces and Fisherfaces first proposed in the early 1990s. Although Eigenfaces can be made to work reasonably well for faces captured in controlled conditions, such as frontal faces under the same illumination, recognition rates are poor. The authors discuss how greater accuracy can be achieved by extracting features from the boundaries of the faces by using Active Shape Models and, the skin textures, using Active Appearance Models, originally proposed by Cootes and Talyor. The remainder of the chapter on face recognition is dedicated such shape models, their implementation and use and their extension to 3D. The authors show that if multiple cameras are used the 3D geometry of the captured faces can be recovered without the use of range scanning or structured light. 3D face models make recognition systems better at dealing with pose and lighting variation.
Multimedia Forensic Techniques for Acquisition Device Identification and Digital Image Authentication
Authors: Caldell Roberto , Amerini Irene , Picchioni Francesco , De Rosa Alessia , Uccheddu Francesca
Published: May 2010

Multimedia forensics can be defined as the science that tries, by only analysing a particular digital asset, to give an assessment on such a content and to extract information that can be useful to address and support an investigation linked to the scene represented in that specific digital document. The basic idea behind multimedia forensics relies on the observation that both the acquisition process and any post-processing operation leave a distinctive imprint on the data, as a sort of digital fingerprint. The analysis of such a fingerprint may permit to determine image/video origin and to establish digital content authenticity.
Testing Digital Forensic Software Tools Used in Expert Testimony
Authors: Batten Lynn M. , Pan Lei
Published: May 2010

An expert’s integrity is vital for the success of a legal case in a court of law; and witness experts are very likely to be challenged by many detailed technical questions. To deal with those challenges appropriately, experts need to acquire in-depth knowledge and experience of the tools they work with. This chapter proposes an experimental framework that helps digital forensic experts to compare sets of digital forensic tools of similar functionality based on specific outcomes. The results can be used by an expert witness to justify the choice of tools and experimental settings, calculate the testing cost in advance, and be assured of obtaining results of good quality. Two case studies are provided to demonstrate the use of our framework.
Network Forensics
Authors: Cohen Michael I.
Published: May 2010

Network Forensics is a powerful sub-discipline of digital forensics. This chapter examines innovations in forensic network acquisition, and in particular in attribution of network sources behind network address translated gateways. A novel algorithm for automatically attributing traffic to different sources is presented and then demonstrated. Finally we discuss some innovations in decoding of forensic network captures. We illustrate how web mail can be extracted and rendered and in particular give the example of Gmail as a modern AJAX based webmail provider of forensic significance.
Deception Detection on the Internet
Authors: Chen Xiaoling , Perera Rohan D.W. , Dong Ziqian (Cecilia) , Chandramouli Rajarathnam , Subbalakshmi Koduvayur P.
Published: May 2010

This chapter provides an overview of techniques and tools to detect deception on the Internet. A classification of state-of-the-art hypothesis testing and data mining based deception detection methods are presented. A psycho-linguistics based statistical model for deception detection is also described in detail. Passive and active methods for detecting deception at the application and network layer are discussed. Analysis of the pros and cons of the existing methods is presented. Finally, the inter-play between psychology, linguistics, statistical modeling, network layer information and Internet forensics is discussed along with open research challenges.
Forensic Investigation of Peer-to-Peer Networks
Authors: Ieong Ricci S.C. , Lai Pierre K.Y. , Chow K. P. , Kwan Michael Y.K. , Law Frank Y.W.
Published: May 2010

The community of peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing networks has been expanding swiftly since the appearance of the very first P2P application (Napster) in 2001. These networks are famous for their excellent file transfer rates and adversely, the flooding of copyright-infringed digital materials. Recently, a number of documents containing personal data or sensitive information have been shared in an unbridled manner over the Foxy network (a popular P2P network in Chinese regions). These incidents have urged the authors to develop an investigation model for tracing suspicious P2P activities. Unfortunately, hindered by the distributed design and anonymous nature of these networks, P2P investigation can be practically difficult and complicated. In this chapter, the authors briefly review the characteristics of current P2P networks. By observing the behaviors of these networks, they propose some heuristic rules for identifying the first uploader of a shared file. Also, the rules have been demonstrated to be applicable to some simulated cases. The authors believe their findings provide a foundation for future development in P2P file-sharing networks investigation.
Source Code Authorship Analysis For Supporting the Cybercrime Investigation Process
Authors: Frantzeskou Georgia , MacDonell Stephen G. , Stamatatos Efstathios
Published: May 2010

Nowadays, in a wide variety of situations, source code authorship identification has become an issue of major concern. Such situations include authorship disputes, proof of authorship in court, cyber attacks in the form of viruses, trojan horses, logic bombs, fraud, and credit card cloning. Source code author identification deals with the task of identifying the most likely author of a computer program, given a set of predefined author candidates. We present a new approach, called the SCAP (Source Code Author Profiles) approach, based on byte-level n-grams in order to represent a source code author’s style. Experiments on data sets of different programming-language (Java,C++ and Common Lisp) and varying difficulty (6 to 30 candidate authors) demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. A comparison with a previous source code authorship identification study based on more complicated information shows that the SCAP approach is language independent and that n-gram author profiles are better able to capture the idiosyncrasies of the source code authors. It is also demonstrated that the effectiveness of the proposed model is not affected by the absence of comments in the source code, a condition usually met in cyber-crime cases.
Introduction of Vehicular Network Architectures
Authors: Chen Ming-Chiao , Chang Teng-Wen
Published: May 2010

A vehicular network organizes and connects vehicles with each other, and with mobile and fixed-locations resources. This chapter discusses the architectures in the vehicular network environment. The authors introduce the overview of in-vehicle and out-vehicle network architectures. An automobile in an in-vehicle network adopts four vehicle bus protocols, CAN (Controller Area Network), LIN (Local Interconnect Network), MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport) and FlexRay. However, these protocols cannot intercommunicate with each other. Therefore, the OSEK operating system is designed as standard software architecture for the various ECUs (Electronic Control Units). In the out-vehicle network, the OBU (On Board Unit) in the automobile can communicate with the infrastructure via the Internet. The authors discuss next-generation vehicular network architecture, the modern in-vehicle networks, on-board computers and the Internet, mobile telecommunications and telematics applications in the ground vehicles, and finally, we introduce future desired features. This chapter discusses the architectures in vehicular network environment. The first section introduces the overview of in-vehicle and out-vehicle network architectures. The next section describes in-vehicle network architecture for disaster communication network by combining various automotive bus protocols. The third section describes the out-vehicle network architecture for disaster communication network by combining various wireless LANs. The last section discusses next-generation vehicular network architecture, the modern in-vehicle networks, on-board computers and the Internet, mobile telecommunications and telematics applications in the ground vehicles, and introduces future desired features.
Introduction to Global Satellite Positioning System (GPS)
Authors: Hsu Jenq-Muh
Published: May 2010

Understanding the right positions and directions of people and objects is a significant issue from the ancient eras to the present. In the past, people often launched a war in order to satisfy the craving for the dominating powers and spread their realms. In the recent, Global Satellite Positioning System (GPS) has become the one of most popular positioning technologies. GPS can provide users precise positioning information, no matter wherever that may present their own positions. The early GPS positioning technology has been widely used in military, marine use, until recently gradually applied into our daily life, e.g., automotive navigation, geodesy surveying, etc. In this chapter, we will briefly introduce some GPS issues including the origins of GPS, GPS system architecture, and related GPS applications.
Vehicular Metropolitan Area Network Systems Architecture
Authors: Cho Cheng Hsuan , Pan Jen-Yi
Published: May 2010

The WiMAX NWG develops a network reference model to serve as an architecture framework for WiMAX deployments and to ensure interoperability among various WiMAX equipment and operators. The network reference model envisions unified network architecture for supporting fixed, nomadic, and mobile deployments and is based on an IP service model. The authors introduce WiMAX network architecture, WiMAX network entry, mobility management, QoS functional elements, core network planning and accounting architecture in this section. However, all of them are significant in deploying WiMAX core network. The operator tries to reach the goals including system performance, reliability, and so on. On the other hand, the WiMAX operator should consider and balance such many variables in order to achieve a better situation.
Interworking of IP Multimedia Subsystem and Vehicular Communication Gateway
Authors: Chiang Wei-Kuo , Ren An-Nie
Published: May 2010

In recent years, more and more people dream of experiencing various IP-based multimedia application services when they are driving through their car. However, those multimedia devices in the car may use different communication protocols such as X.10, Havi, Jini, UPnP and SIP. In order to provide a variety of IP-based multimedia services to those users in the car, the authors mainly investigate the issue of interworking between IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and telematics of the vehicular industry. A service-integrated platform, Open Service Gateway Initiative Service Platform (OSGi SP), has been proposed to act as a Residential Gateway (RGW) and to administer the communication between the vehicular environment and Internet. Besides, a Home IMS Gateway (HIGA), which can be implemented on a NGN RGW, has been developed by Home Gateway Initiative (HGI) since 2005 to collect the relevant information of in-car users, devices and services and to manage the IMS sessions for the in-car devices that do not support IMS functions. With these techniques, the users can enjoy their digital life by interacting with the home/vehicular network from anywhere.
MAC Protocols in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Chang Chih-Yung
Published: May 2010

With the rapid development of wireless technologies, the Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) have recently received much attention. VANETs technologies aim to ensure traffic safety for drivers, provide comfort for passengers and reduce transportation time and fuel consumption with many potential applications. The achievement of these aims highly relies on efficient MAC protocols which determine the performance of packet transmission in terms of success rate, delay, throughput and bandwidth utilization. This chapter reviews the existing MAC protocols developed for VANETs. Initially, the IEEE 802.11p and DSRC standard are reviewed. Three TDMA-based MAC protocols, called CVIA, VeSOMAC and D*S, are then introduced. In addition, three MAC protocols that cope with the emergency-message broadcasting problem are proposed. Finally, a reliable MAC protocol which is developed based on the cluster topology is reviewed.
Using Wireless Mesh Network for Traffic Control
Authors: Lan Kun-Chan
Published: May 2010

Wireless mesh networks (WMN) have attracted considerable interest in recent years as a convenient, flexible and low-cost alternative to wired communication infrastructures in many contexts. However, the great majority of research on metropolitan-scale WMN has been centered around maximization of available bandwidth, suitable for non-real-time applications such as Internet access for the general public. On the other hand, the suitability of WMN for missioncritical infrastructure applications remains by and large unknown, as protocols typically employed in WMN are, for the most part, not designed for realtime communications. In this chapter, we describe a real-world testbed, which sets a goal of designing a wireless mesh network architecture to solve the communication needs of the traffic control system in Sydney, Australia. This system, known as SCATS (Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System) and used in over 100 cities around the world, connects a hierarchy of several thousand devices -- from individual traffic light controllers to regional computers and the central Traffic Management Centre (TMC) - and places stringent requirements on the reliability and latency of the data exchanges. We discuss some issues in the deployment of this testbed consisting of 7 mesh nodes placed at intersections with traffic lights, and show some results from the testbed measurements.
Perspectives on Blended Open Distance Education Learning and Teaching in a South African Context
Authors: Singh Shawren , Liang Hsuan Lorraine
Published: May 2010

In this chapter, we will discuss the blended learning approach that has been adopted by the University of South Africa (an open and distance learning tertiary education institute). We will discuss our perspectives on using these blended learning approaches and tools in order to facilitate our teaching. We will then provide a comparison on the advantages and disadvantages of some of the blended approaches we have used. We will also discuss the future trends of the use of blended approaches in the context of open distance education and learning. Lastly, we will conclude this chapter by providing our perspectives on the blended learning and teaching approaches adopted by the University of South Africa.
Enhancing Student Learning through Blending Varied Learning and Assessment Experiences
Authors: Hodgson Paula
Published: May 2010

The purpose of this chapter is to compare the learning opportunities that are available in conventional and the current Web-mediated learning environment in Hong Kong in relation to some of the applications that are available in Web 2.0 and practice-based simulation. Some of these applications can provide faster access to subject-related resources, offer greater connectivity and wider interactions with stakeholders, such as students and professionals locally and overseas, and keep track of students’ learning experiences across their years of university study. Furthermore, Web-mediated assessment can provide faster feedback than conventional paper-based methods, which can streamline the process of reporting and the provision of peer feedback. The potential of and future trends in web-mediated assessment are also discussed.