bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validation and Verification of Software Systems Using Virtual Reality and Coloured Petri Nets
Authors: de Almeida Hyggo Oliveira , Silva Leandro , Ferreira Glauber , Loureiro Emerson , Perkusich Angelo
Published: May 2011

Validation and verification techniques have been identified as suitable mechanisms to determine if the software meets the needs of the user and to verify if the software works correctly. However, the existing verification techniques do not support friendly visualization. Also, validation techniques with friendly visualization mechanisms do not allow the verification of the system’s correctness. In this chapter, we present a method for the validation and verification of software systems through the integration of formal methods and virtual reality. Furthermore, a software tool associated with such a method is also described along with an embedded system case study.
Understanding the Value of Interactive SMS for Large Classes
Authors: Scornavacca Eusebio
Published: May 2011

The increasing sophistication and rapid uptake of mobile phones among university students is providing an unprecedented platform for the development of classroom interaction systems. This chapter describes the development of a SMS-based classroom interaction system and explores the impact that this application can have on students’ learning experience. The findings indicate that instructors and students perceive a number of benefits from the additional channel of communication in the classroom. The chapter concludes with a summary and recommendations for future practice and research.
Collaborative Technology Impacts in Distributed Learning Environments
Authors: Grabowski Martha , Lepak Greg , George Kulick
Published: May 2011

Many studies have examined the impact of collaborative technology in distributed learning environments. Few of those studies involved new collaborative technologies such as mobile computing, and few were empirically tested. This chapter addresses the need to empirically examine the impacts of new collaborative technologies including mobile, wearable, embedded, and ubiquitous technologies, on distributed learners. The chapter introduces a technology-independent framework for considering collaborative technologies, including mobile technology; it relates expected technology impacts to user preferences using a generalizable research framework rooted in the social science, communication and technology acceptance literature. The framework is updated to include the lens of contextualization richness, and the results of an empirical test of the framework are presented. The results show user preferences for technologies with a high range of design features to support cognitive learning, while showing preference for technologies with a low range of design features to support perceived learning. Next steps and implications for future work conclude the chapter.
Designing Situated Learning Experiences
Authors: Ryu Hokyoung
Published: May 2011

To ensure the success of future mobile learning environments, it is essential to develop affordable and effective applications that are well matched to the needs of the users. Depending on their unique requirements, effective mobile learning applications should keep up with their learning activities rather than simply providing them with conventional course materials on mobile devices. As an early exploration of this line of study, this chapter designs and evaluates a location-aware learning organizer that helps university students to manage their learning activities on campus. We confirmed that this situated learning support experience could lead to markedly different in-depth learning activities. Empirical testing of the learning organizer also revealed some potential opportunities for the learners to be more engaged in further mobile learning activities.
Assessing the Benefits of AJAX in Mobile Learning Systems Design
Authors: Xie Feng
Published: May 2011

Mobile technologies are rapidly changing our lives with increasing numbers of services supported by mobile devices, including Web-based learning applications, providing opportunities for people to study anytime and anywhere. However, using Web-based mobile applications to present learning resources is a challenge for developers because the performance of the mobile Internet over GPRS networks is often unacceptably slow. A new Web development model, Ajax, may help to address this problem. Ajax (asynchronous JavaScript and XML), is an approach to Web application development that uses client-side scripting to reduce traffic between client and server and provide a seamless user application experience. In this chapter, we address the question of whether mobile Ajax provides measurable performance advantages over non-Ajax mobile learning applications. An empirical study was undertaken to measure mobile learning application performance over a GPRS network, comparing an Ajax application and an active server pages (ASP) application with identical functionality. Our results suggest that mobile Ajax can reduce the bandwidth requirement by around 70 percent, and cut the server’s response time in half. In addition, these performance improvements were noticed by users in our small group usability test.
Towards the Use of Networked Ontologies for Dealing with Knowledge-Intensive Domains
Authors: Herrero Cárcel Germán
Published: May 2011

Knowledge intensive sectors, such as the pharmaceutical, have typically to face the problem of dealing with heterogeneous and vast amounts of information. In these scenarios integration, discovery and an easy access to knowledge are the most important factors. The use of semantics to classify meaningfully the information and to bridge the gap between the different representations that different stakeholders have is widely accepted. The problem arises when the ontologies used to model the domain become too large and unmanageable. The current status of the technology does not allow to easily working with this type of ontologies.In this chapter we propose the use of networked ontologies to solve these problems for the particular case scenario of the nomenclature of products in the pharmaceutical sector in Spain. Instead of using a single ontology, the idea is to break the model in several meaningful pieces and bind them together using a networked ontology model for representing and managing relations between multiple ontologies. The semantic nomenclature is a case study that is currently under development in the EC funded FP6 project NeOn1. Among the main objectives of the case study, are helping in the systematization of the creation, maintenance and keeping up-to-date drug-related information, and to allow an easy integration of new drug resources. In order to do that, the case study tackles the engineering of a drug Reference Ontology, the provision of easy mechanisms for discovery, model and mapping of drug resources in a collaborative way, and the ability to reason on the context of user and ontologies to ease the mapping and retrieving processes.
Knowledge Management in SMEs Clusters
Authors: Capó-Vicedo Josep
Published: May 2011

This chapter highlights the necessity of establishing relationships with other companies and external agents in order to empower the creation and diffusion of knowledge, through factors such as innovation. Likewise, the influence of geographical and territorial factors will be studied in the context of this economy. SMES normally work and are immersed in particular geographical regions so this chapter will analyze the particular case of knowledge generation and sharing in SMES clusters as an essential source of competitive advantage. A new organizational form will be suggested in order to make possible the creation, transfer and sharing of knowledge in supply chain of SMES clusters. In this sense, a network functioning model is finally proposed.
The Value of Virtual Networks for Knowledge Management
Authors: Camison Cesar , Devece Carlos , Palacios Daniel , Camisón-Haba Carles
Published: May 2011

In this chapter we describe a practical tool useful to managing knowledge in the firm. It has already been introduced and tested in several firms and we have obtained good conclusions about its performance. In this chapter, we combine the modules of the software application with the theoretical functions of Knowledge Management principles. We also develop a list of indicators to measure the effect of implementing SoftKnow in a firm. This is useful to have an economic impact of the introduction of a practical tool based on Knowledge Management. After reading this chapter we think the managers’ perceptions of this type of tool will change, since they will able to assimilate all the impacts and applications of the tool.
Developing a Telecommunication Operation Support Systems (OSS)
Authors: Williams James G. , Olsen Kai A.
Published: May 2011

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 opened competition in the telecommunications market in the U.S. and forced the incumbent telecommunications companies to open both their physical and logical infrastructure for competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs). In this case study we focus on the problems that face a CLEC with regard to designing an information system and getting a back office system, called an operations support systems (OSS), operational in a highly competitive, complex, fast-paced market in a compressed time frame when a change in a critical telecommunications network component, namely the central office switch, is made after 75% of the system implementation was completed. This case deals with the factors that led to this change in central office switches, its impact on the IT department, its impact on the company, and the alternatives considered by the IT department as possible solutions to the many problems created by this change.
Systems and Control Theory for Medical Systems Biology
Authors: Wellstead Peter , Sreenath Sree , Cho Kwang-Hyun
Published: May 2011

In this chapter the authors describe systems and control theory concepts for systems biology and the corresponding implications for medicine. The context for a systems approach to the life sciences is outlined, followed by a brief history of systems and control theory. The technical aspects of systems and control theory are then described in a way oriented toward their biological and medical application. This description is then used as a reference base against which to indicate specific areas where systems and control theory aspects of systems biology have strong medical implications. Specifically, two systems biology projects are described as examples of where methods from systems and control theory play an important role.
Mathematical Description of Time Delays in Pathways Cross Talk
Authors: Nikolov S.
Published: May 2011

In this chapter we investigate how the inclusion of time delay alters the dynamic properties of (a) delayed protein cross talk model, (b) time delay model of RNA silencing (also known as RNA interference), and (c) time delay in ERK and STAT interaction. The consequences of a time delay on the dynamics of those systems are analysed using Hopf’s theorem and Lyapunov-Andronov theory. Our analytical calculations predict that time delay acts as a key bifurcation parameter. This is confirmed by numerical simulations.
Clustering Methods for Gene-Expression Data
Authors: Flack L.K.
Published: May 2011

Clustering methods are used to place items in natural patterns or convenient groups. They can be used to place genes into clusters to have similar expression patterns across the tissue samples of interest. They can also be used to cluster tissues into groups on the basis of their gene profiles. Examples of the methods used are hierarchical agglomerative clustering, k-means clustering, self organizing maps, and model-based methods. The focus of this chapter is on using mixtures of multivariate normal distributions to provide model-based clusterings of tissue samples and of genes.
Alternative Splicing and Disease
Authors: Stier Heike
Published: May 2011

Alternative splicing is an important part of the regular process of gene expression. It controls time and tissue dependent expression of specific splice forms and depends on the correct function of about 100 splicing factor proteins of which many are the product of alternative splicing itself. It is therefore not surprising that even minor sequence disturbances can cause mis-spliced gene products with pathological effects. We survey some common diseases which can be traced back to a malfunction of alternative splicing including cystic fibrosis, beta-thalassemia, spinal muscular atrophy and cancer. Often cancer also results from even mis-spliced splicing factors leading to randomly spliced non-functional isoforms of several genes.
Systems Biology of Human-Pathogenic Fungi
Authors: Albrecht Daniela , Guthke Reinhard
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes a holistic approach to understand the molecular biology and infection process of human-pathogenic fungi. It comprises the whole process of analyzing transcriptomic and proteomic data. Starting with biological background, information on Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans, two of the most important fungal pathogens, is given. Afterwards, techniques to create transcriptome and proteome data are described. The chapter continues with explaining methods for data processing and analysis. It shows the need for, and problems with data integration, as well as the role of standards, ontologies, and databases. General aspects of these 3 major topics are explained and connected to the research on human-pathogenic fungi. Finally, the near future of this research topic is highlighted. This chapter aims to provide an overview on analyses of data from different cellular levels of human-pathogenic fungi. It describes their integration and application of systems biology methodologies.
Interference Microscopy for Cellular Studies
Authors: Brazhe Alexey R. , Brazhe Nadezda A. , Pavlov Alexey N. , Maksimov Georgy V.
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes the application of interference microscopy and double-wavelet analysis to noninvasive study of cell structure and function. We present different techniques of phase and interference microscopy and discuss how variations in the intrinsic optical properties of a cell can be related to the intracellular processes. Particular emphasis is given to the newly developed phase modulation laser interference microscope. We show how this setup, combined with wavelet analysis of the obtained data series, can be applied to live cell imaging to investigate the rhythmic intracellular processes and their mutual interactions. We hope that the discussion will contribute to the understanding and learning of new methods for non-invasive investigation of intracellular processes.
A Pandemic Avian Influenza Mathematical Model
Authors: Derouich Mohamed
Published: May 2011

Throughout the world, seasonal outbreaks of influenza affect millions of people, killing about 500,000 individuals every year. Human influenza viruses are classified into 3 serotypes: A, B, and C. Only influenza A viruses can infect and multiply in avian species. During the last decades, important avian influenza epidemics have occurred and so far, the epidemics among birds have been transmitted to humans; but the most feared problem is the risk of pandemics that may be caused by person-to person transmission. The present mathematical model deals with the dynamics of human infection by avian influenza both in birds and in humans. Stability analysis is carried out and the behaviour of the disease is illustrated by simulation with different parameters values.
Background 2
Authors: Augustyniak Piotr , Tadeusiewicz Ryszard
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents basic facts about the social impact and frequency of cardiovascular diseases in aging societies. Being the primary cause of mortality in developed countries, cardiovascular abnormalities receive the most of the attention in the medical world. The problem is particularly observed in developed countries with a significantly longer life expectancy (Japan, Canada) and leading in healthcare organization and research. Also considering the acuteness of a typical cardiac failure gives proper attention to why cardiology is given so much importance in the treatment of life-threatening situations. Making progress in cardiac diagnosis and treatment, including modern and wide-range surveillance, is potentially beneficial to whole societies and countries. It also influences both life length and comfort, which are today among the most appreciated of human values.
Social Impact of Network-Based Ubiquitous Cardiac Surveillance
Authors: Augustyniak Piotr , Tadeusiewicz Ryszard
Published: May 2011

This chapter is a summary of the book and attempts to evaluate the social impact of the general idea of ubiquitous cardiology. The project discussed in the book is in fact oriented toward designing wireless bidirectional cooperation of two programmable ECG interpreting devices used for permanent heart monitoring and semi-automatic medical diagnosis. As shown above, the main idea of the project under consideration is to replace the traditional patient-doctor interaction model with a semi-automatic system, which was invented, designed, and developed by the staff of the Biocybernetic Laboratory at AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow, Poland. The system under consideration offers ubiquitous surveillance without time and distance constraints. In this book we presented and discussed the technological aspects of the ubiquitous cardiology system. Conversely, this chapter is about its social aspects. This is also an important issue because every human-dedicated system must take into account human preferences and human limitations. The ubiquitous cardiology system will be used by patients and accepted by doctors when and only when its properties and parameters will be properly related to patient expectations and doctors demands. These aspects of the project are discussed in this chapter.
Research Methology
Authors: Lee Laurence Lock
Published: May 2011

This appendix provides a detailed description of the methods, analytical techniques and data sources used to address the two research questions, and provide tests for the five hypotheses reported on in Chapter VIII.
The Role of Government in E-Business Adoption
Authors: Roberts Barbara
Published: May 2011

An analysis of the role of government in e-business adoption is provided in this chapter, with empirical evidence from Australia included. It is shown that government influence is multifaceted. Governments champion e-business adoption for national economic gain; they provide the physical network on which much of e-business depends and increasingly provide e-government services to improve regulation and compliance effectiveness. E-government in particular can act as a strong driver of organisational adoption for some types of e-business processes. Implications for theory from a DOI perspective are included. The authors hope that further research by IS professionals will guide future e-business project directions by improving the understanding of government’s role in e-business adoption in practice, which in turn will improve theoretical understanding of how the benefits can best be maximized.
E-Business Process Management and Intellectual Property
Authors: Mykytyn Kathleen
Published: May 2011

The emergence of e-business as a viable business model is unquestioned and global in its involvement and impact. Further, the value that intellectual property (IP) in the form of trademarks, copyrights, and patents plays in that medium of doing business impacts businesses, information technology (IT) professionals, academics responsible for IT coursework and programs, and, of course, the legal community. This chapter reviews these IP types with particular emphasis on their relationship and impact on e-business. Relevant legal cases are cited and discussed to provide additional foundation to the e-business community. The chapter also provides appropriate recommendations for e-business in light of these IP issues, and identifies some possible future trends and research issues.
Kinetic User Interfaces
Authors: Pallotta Vincenzo , Bruegger Pascal , Hirsbrunner Béat
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents a conceptual framework for an emerging type of user interfaces for mobile ubiquitous computing systems, and focuses in particular on the interaction through motion of people and objects in physical space. We introduce the notion of Kinetic User Interface as a unifying framework and a middleware for the design of pervasive interfaces, in which motion is considered as the primary input modality.
Communicating in the Information Society
Authors: Cantoni Lorenzo , Tardini Stefano
Published: May 2011

The present chapter provides a conceptual framework for the newest digital communication tools and for the practices they encourage, stressing the communication opportunities they offer and the limitations they impose. In this chapter, Internetbased communication technologies are regarded as the most recent step in the development of communication technologies. This approach helps have a broad perspective on the changes information and communication technologies (ICT) are bringing along in the social practices of so called knowledge society. As a matter of fact, these changes need to be considered within an “ecological” approach, that is, an approach that provides a very wide overview on the whole context (both in synchronic terms and in diachronic ones) where ICT are spreading. In the second part of the chapter, the authors present two examples of relevant social practices that are challenged by the most recent ICT, namely journalism (news market) and Internet search engines.
Insights into the Impact of Social Networks on Evolutionary Games
Authors: Sycara Katia , Scerri Paul , Chechetka Anton
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we explore the use of evolutionary game theory (EGT) (Nowak & May, 1993; Taylor & Jonker, 1978; Weibull, 1995) to model the dynamics of adaptive opponent strategies for a large population of pl ion propagation through social networks in evolutionary games. The key underlying phenomenon that the information diffusion aims to capture is that reasoning about the experiences of acquaintances can dramatically impact the dynamics of a society. We present experimental results from agent-based simulations that show the impact of diffusion through social networks on the player strategies of an evolutionary game and the sensitivity of the dynamics to features of the social network.
Improving IT-Enabled Sense and Respond Capabilities
Authors: Welke Richard , Cavalheiro Gabriel , Dahanayake Ajantha
Published: May 2011

Commercial airlines face an extremely challenging operating and competitive environment. To remain in business they must comply with everchanging regulatory requirements while, at the same time, minimizing their operational costs without sacrificing customer expectations of service levels. Increasingly, airlines are realizing that a “plan-execute” mode of operation must give way to a “sense-respond” mode of operation; in other words they must become a real-time (agile) organization, capable of sensing the occurrence of unforeseen events such as the placement of a last-minute shipping order, flight delays, and cancellations, and respond effectively in real-time to such events. To enable enterprises in general, and the airline industry in particular, to improve their sense-and-respond capabilities and ensure better resource utilization, a number of software vendors are offering event stream processing and Business Activity Monitoring (BAM) solutions. This case examines a longitudinal set of real-world implementation projects using such a solution at a major US airline (referred to as Southern International Airlines) and the results and lessons gained from this deployment.
Intelligent Design Advisor
Authors: Yang Quangang , Reidsema Carl
Published: May 2011

The rapid development of computing technology has facilitated its use in engineering design and manufacturing at an increasing rate. To deliver high quality, low cost products with reduced lead times, companies are focusing their efforts on leveraging this technology through the development of knowledge-based systems such as an IDA. An IDA, which can also be referred to as a design information system, is a part of the overall enterprise information system framework, and plays an important role in improving competitiveness in product development oriented companies. Not only must such a system utilize human expertise and address CE issues in decision making, it must also lead to the preservation and transfer of technical knowledge to minimize the knowledge loss from organizational moves such as personnel retirements and company relocation. The emphasis in CE is to consider downstream aspects of different phases in the product life cycle as early as possible in the design stage. These aspects include production process planning and realization, manufacturing and assembly resources, maintainability, costing and other factors. Both human expertise and downstream aspects predominantly consist of information that is descriptive. This paper discusses the structure and development of a knowledge-based design information system that can convert this descriptive information into forms that are suitable for embedding within decision-making algorithms. Information in such a system is sorted in terms of its nature into three groups: input data information, constraint information, and objective information, all having different representations. Information is also mapped to the relevant design objectives and ranked in importance to facilitate the trade-off analysis.
Information System Development Failure and Complexity
Authors: Nauman Abou Bakar , Aziz Romana , Ishaq A.F.M.
Published: May 2011

This chapter examines the causes of failure in a Web-based information system development project and finds out how complexity can lead a project towards failure. Learning from an Information System Development Project (ISDP) failure plays a key role in the long-term success of any organization desirous of continuous improvement via evaluation and monitoring of its information systems (IS) development efforts. This study reports on a seemingly simple (but only deceptively so) failed ISDP to inform the reader about the various complexities involved in ISDPs in general, and in developing countries in particular. An existing framework from contemporary research is adopted to map the complexities found in the project under study and the critical areas, which lead to the decreased reliability and failure in Web-based information system development, are highlighted.
Empirical Assessment of Factors Influencing Success of Enterprise Resource Planning Implementations
Authors: Fui-Hoon Nah Fiona , Islam Zahidul , Tan Mathew
Published: May 2011

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations in multinational manufacturing companies have experienced various degrees of success. This article investigates factors influencing the success of ERP implementations in multinational manufacturing companies in the Malaysian Free Trade Zone. The results indicate that enterprisewide communication and a project management program are key factors influencing the success of ERP implementations, while other factors such as top management support as well as teamwork and composition are not as critical to the outcome. Organizational culture is a moderator of the relationships between enterprise-wide communication, a project management program, and the success of ERP implementations.
A Component-Based Data Management and Knowledge Discovery Framework for Aviation Studies
Authors: Blake M. Brian , Singh Lisa , Williams Andrew B. , Norman Wendell , Sliva Amy L.
Published: May 2011

Organizations are beginning to apply data mining and knowledge discovery techniques to their corporate data sets, thereby enabling the identification of trends and the discovery of inductive knowledge. Since traditional transaction databases are not optimized for analytical processing, they must be transformed. This article proposes the use of modular components to decrease the overall amount of human processing and intervention necessary for the transformation process. Our approach configures components to extract data-sets using a set of “extraction hints.” Our framework incorporates decentralized, generic components that are reusable across domains and databases. Finally, we detail an implementation of our component-based framework for an aviation data set.
A Generic Framework for Bluetooth Promoted Multimedia on Demand (BlueProMoD)
Authors: Fouliras Panayotis
Published: May 2011

In recent years many technologies have converged to integrated solutions and one of the hottest topics has been the deployment of wireless personal area networks (WPANs). In this article we present a generic architecture scheme that allows voice and other real-time traffic to be carried over longer distances. The proposed scheme is a novel framework that combines a wired backbone network including Bluetooth access points (APs) with the mobile Bluetooth-enabled devices of the end users. This scheme is called Bluetooth Promoted Multimedia on Demand (BlueProMoD). BlueProMoD is a hybrid network and provides free-of-charge communication among customers, multimedia advertisements, as well as location-based and other value-added services.
Collecting Consumer Behavior Data with WLAN
Authors: Skogster Patrik , Uotila Varpu
Published: May 2011

Knowing consumers’ shopping paths is an essential part of successful retailing. Good space management requires accurate data about consumer behavior. Traditionally, these data have been collected through, for example, panel interviews, camera tracking, and in-store observation. Their nature is more or less subjective. Modern technology makes it possible to use more objective methods, such as wireless local area network (WLAN) and radio frequency identification (RFID). In this article we examine the possibilities WLAN provides information systems studies. The empirical data is collected from a large DIY (do-it-yourself) store. The results show that WLAN has great potential for accurate and objective data collection processes and modeling data in retailing.
An Empirical Examination of the Impact of Wireless Local Area Networks on Organization of Users
Authors: Chen Lei-da
Published: May 2011

In recent years, the concept of nomadic computing has received considerable attention from the business community. As an early form of nomadic information environment (NIE), wireless local area network (WLAN) has gained tremendous popularity with organizations. Using mostly anecdotal evidences, WLAN equipment manufacturers and practitioners claimed that WLAN brought dramatic improvements in the forms of productivity gains and attainment of convenience, flexibility, mobility, and time saving to organizations and their employees. However, very little academic research has been conducted to verify these claims and further our understanding of this new phenomenon. By surveying end users and managers, this study investigates the impact of WLAN on users and their work. Finally, recommendations to researchers, managers, WLAN technology providers, and equipment manufacturers also are provided.
Developing Mobile Commerce Applications
Authors: Benou P. , Bitos V.
Published: May 2011

The recent advances in wireless and mobile communication technologies enable users to conduct commercial activities anywhere and at any time. In this new environment, the designing of appropriate applications constitutes both a necessity and a challenge at the same time in order to support effectively the movable user. This article investigates the environment in which these applications operate, identifies possible categories of them and proposes guidelines for their development process.
France
Authors: Vialle Pierre
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces the emerging m-commerce market in France. Despite the current low level of use, this market is characterized by the implementation of an increasingly efficient m-commerce value chain by network operators, content providers and content enablers. As a consequence, innovative and attractive services are being introduced progressively for both consumers and businesses, which are analyzed here with the help of the CLIP framework. Furthermore, the authors argue that an m-commerce strategy should be designed in synergy with a fixed network-based e-commerce strategy while carefully following and anticipating the progressive implementation of significant technological advances.
A Theoretical Approach to Evaluate Online and Traditional Trading on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange
Authors: Alryalat Haroun
Published: May 2011

The aim of this chapter is to discuss current online and traditional trading on the NASDAQ stock exchange using theoretical approach. The paper aims to derive future trends for the online stock trading. The following are objectives of this paper: (1) To describe the current state of online trading; (2) To compare the execution of quality trades between market makers and electronic communications networks (ECNs). By achieving set objectives, this paper will provide insight into how ECNs are used and what impact they have on the overall NASDAQ market performance.
E-Commerce Adoption Barriers in Small Businesses and the Differential Effects of Gender
Authors: MacGregor Robert C.
Published: May 2011

Over the last decade, the Internet and Internet technologies such as electronic commerce have experienced phenomenal growth. However, research shows that small businesses have been slow to adopt and to implement e-commerce due to a variety of barriers or impediments. Our understanding of these barriers and their importance has been fragmented and incomplete. This article presents an exploratory study of regional small businesses in Sweden that aims to improve our knowledge about e-commerce adoption barriers and to determine if there are any differences in the level of importance assigned to different barriers by males and females. The results of the study suggest that e-commerce adoption barriers fall into one of two distinct groupings: too difficult to implement or unsuitable to the business. The results also show that while males rate the difficulties of implementing e-commerce as more important, females indicate more concern about the unsuitability of e-commerce. The results of the study have significant implications for government organizations engaged in promoting e-commerce adoption, particularly among small businesses in regional areas.
Consumer-to-Consumer Electronic Commerce
Authors: Jones Kiku
Published: May 2011

Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) e-commerce is a growing area of e-commerce. However, according to a meta-analysis of critical themes of e-commerce, C2C e-commerce was only represented in the area of online auctions (Wareham, Zheng, & Straub, 2005). C2C e-commerce can encompass much more than just auctions. The question then becomes, “is C2C e-commerce a different research area that deserves its own stream of research?” This study adapts constructs from a business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce study of satisfaction (Devaraj, Fan, & Kohli, 2002) to determine what, if any, the differences are in the C2C e-commerce arena. The constructs include elements of the technology acceptance model (TAM), which includes perceived ease of use and usefulness; transaction cost analysis (TCA), which includes uncertainty, asset specificity, and time; and service quality (SERVQUAL), which includes reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Participants in the study answered questions regarding these various constructs in relation to their experiences with C2C e-commerce. The findings indicate that TAM, TCA, and SERVQUAL all impact satisfaction in C2C e-commerce. Reliability and responsiveness (areas of service quality) were found to influence C2C e-commerce satisfaction, where as they were not found to be an influence in the B2C study. These findings warrant further research in the C2C ecommerce arena. The study provides implications for future research and practice.
A Scalable Middleware for Web Databases
Authors: Bouguettaya Athman
Published: May 2011

The emergence of Web databases has introduced new challenges related to their organization, access, integration, and interoperability. New approaches and techniques are needed to provide across-the-board transparency for accessing and manipulating Web databases irrespective of their data models, platforms, locations, or systems. In meeting these needs, it is necessary to build a middleware infrastructure to support flexible tools for information space organization, communication facilities, information discovery, content description, and assembly of data from heterogeneous sources. In this paper, we describe a scalable middleware for efficient data and application access that we have built using the available technologies. The resulting system is called WebFINDIT. It is a scalable and uniform infrastructure for locating and accessing heterogeneous and autonomous databases and applications.
A Formal Verification and Approach for Real-Time Databases
Authors: Ribeiro Neto Pedro Fernandes , Barbosa Perkusich Maria Lígia , De Almeida Hyggo Oliveira , Perkusich Angelo
Published: May 2011

Real-time database-management systems provide efficient support for applications with data and transactions that have temporal constraints, such as industrial automation, aviation, and sensor networks, among others. Many issues in real-time databases have brought interest to research in this area, such as: concurrence control mechanisms, scheduling policy, and quality of services management. However, considering the complexity of these applications, it is of fundamental importance to conceive formal verification and validation techniques for real-time database systems. This chapter presents a formal verification and validation method for real-time databases. Such a method can be applied to database systems developed for computer integrated manufacturing, stock exchange, network-management, and command- and-control applications and multimedia systems. In this chapter, we describe a case study that considers sensor networks.
Seismological Data Warehousing and Mining
Authors: Marketos Gerasimos , Theodoridis Yannis , Kalogeras Ioannis S.
Published: May 2011

Earthquake data composes an ever increasing collection of earth science information for postprocessing analysis. Earth scientists, local or national administration officers and so forth, are working with these data collections for scientific or planning purposes. In this article, we discuss the architecture of a so-called seismic data management and mining system (SDMMS) for quick and easy data collection, processing, and visualization. The SDMMS architecture includes, among others, a seismological database for efficient and effective querying and a seismological data warehouse for OLAP analysis and data mining. We provide template schemes for these two components as well as examples of their functionality towards the support of decision making. We also provide a comparative survey of existing operational or prototype SDMMS.
Guidelines for Preparing Organizations in Developing Countries for Standards-Based B2B
Authors: Aggestam Lena
Published: May 2011

B2B development has been faster in the developed world comparing to developing countries. This chapter proposes a “tool” for managing CSF in B2B settings. The tool is in the form of guidelines, which are concrete and detailed, and which enable a more clear view of actions needed during the preparation stage of B2B projects. We argue that developing countries seldom have the luxury of affording failure in new B2B ventures, but that they instead must learn from the mistakes already made by the developed countries. Thus, our proposed guidelines are based on an existing framework and experiences made in the developed countries. The guidelines are furthermore discussed with regard to the specific problems and conditions that developing countries face. Much work still remains, and problems still must be resolved. From a global perspective, this is important for all of us!
Electronic Commerce in China
Authors: Li Hongxiu
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces the four sets of prerequisites for successful electronic commerce (e-commerce) development, including national factors, related and supporting industries, firm strategy, structure and rivalry factors and demand conditions. It introduces the present condition of e-commerce development in China and explores the four sets of prerequisites in China. It aims to find the influential factors which impede e-commerce development in China. In this chapter, a four-level approach is taken, in accordance with the four sets of prerequisites of e-commerce development. The four aspects are mirrored against the current situation in China, and some suggestions are put forward on the four aspects. Understanding the e-commerce development in China based on the four sets of prerequisites of e-commerce development can offer some guidance to less developed countries, which have the similar conditions in their e-commerce development.
An International Perspective on Professional Software Engineering Credentials
Authors: Seidman Stephen B.
Published: May 2011

This chapter provides an international perspective on professional software engineering credentials. It distinguishes between professional licensing, certification, and other forms of credentials. It compares and contrasts several major approaches to professional credentials: broad-based certifications, national examinations, and job frameworks. Examples of credentials in each category are discussed in detail. The chapter also discusses efforts to develop international standards for these credentials. The chapter concludes with a brief description of the current landscape of professional software engineering credentials.
E-Research Collaboration, Conflict and Compromise
Authors: Deepwell Frances
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we consider two multi-institution, multinational education research projects in Europe that used a variety of technology to facilitate online collaboration as virtual communities of practice. While judged as successes by their funding bodies, the projects both exhibited symptoms of conflict that were subsequently resolved. We apply a personal inquiry technique and draw on situational analysis to identify and explore the conflict resolution processes associated with issues of leadership, organization, and technology in e-research. We contend that the communication technologies themselves must support the development of a collaborative community; and that the social, technical, and cultural facets of electronic collaboration evolve integrally over time. We conclude by proposing strategies that may assist colleagues in setting up a successful e-research project.
Cultural Issues in Global Collaborative Education
Authors: Aoki Kumiko
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses cultural differences in educational practices of the East and West. In East Asian countries, where Confucian philosophy has influenced its educational practices, values of respect for authority, harmony among a group, and diligence in the face of adversity are its overarching principles. Western countries emphasize Socratic principles which value open dialogue and advocate critical thinking among students. This chapter then discusses educational history and practices in Japan as a case study of education in the East. In this age of globalization, educational systems in one culture cannot exist in isolation, and we often have to look at ways to accommodate students from diverse cultural backgrounds in an educational program. Finally, the chapter examines the difficulties students from a Confucian culture will encounter when they enter educational systems in the West to pursue advanced degrees, and suggests the ways for educators to be inclusive of students of differing cultural backgrounds.
The Development of Collaborative Structures to Support Virtual Classes in Small Schools
Authors: Stevens Ken
Published: May 2011

The Internet and an expanding range of technologies have enabled small schools in rural communities in Atlantic Canada to collaborate in addressing problems faced by senior students through the creation of virtual teaching and learning spaces to complement traditional classrooms. In the search for appropriate ways of organizing and managing knowledge in electronic, collaborative structures, two stages of development have taken place in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador: (i) e-learning for collaboration between schools through the creation of school district digital intranets, and (ii) e-learning in federated structures through the integration of school district digital intranets into a centralized organization.
Technology Leverages a Community University Collaboration
Authors: Chrystal Sandra J.
Published: May 2011

This chapter reports on two University of Southern California collaborations that partner business communication classes with not-for-profit agencies. It argues that technology-enhanced communitybased collaborations support university initiatives and empower students to be better business writers, engage in community issues, and prepare for 21st century communication strategies. Because business requires teams, networks, and technological communication to operate within a diverse global workplace, business schools need to prepare students to professionally manage the communication decisions and media. Furthermore, it asserts that the collaborations among faculty and the university administrators undergird and promote these undergraduate community projects. It examines the background, goals, issues, assessments, future plans, and recommendations for leveraging university-community projects with technology.
Stepping into the Role of Professional Writer
Authors: Aikens Wolfe Christine , North-Coleman Cheryl , Wallis Williams Shari , Amos Denise , Bradshaw Glorianne , Emert Toby
Published: May 2011

A group of National Writing Project teachers from around the nation attended a Professional Writing Retreat in Santa Fe in 2004 and continued their collaboration. This chapter examines the progress of the group’s commitment to communicate by electronic means about writing about teaching. Teachers from the experimental group, those who answered the call to examine their continued involvement with the group, provide qualitative research narratives about how each responds as they help one another to step into the role of professional writer. Statistics gathered from both the experimental and a control group of teachers (who attended the same retreat but did not answer the survey) allow the reader to chart the teachers’ success in: (a) presenting together about being professional writers, (b) writing together as professional writers, (c) writing individually about teacher-practice, and (d) meeting at the National Writing Project’s Annual Meeting in order to continue to support each other’s work.
Outcomes of Computer Mentoring
Authors: Reynolds Rosemarie , Brannick Michael T.
Published: May 2011

This study examined the effect of computer-based videoconferencing and text-based chat on mentoring relationships, and compared the findings to those of face-to-face and telephone interactions. The results of this study indicate that protégés in all communications conditions found the mentoring to be satisfying and helpful in reducing stress. The amount of variability assigned to communication mode was negligible, especially when compared to the amount of variability attributable mentors, suggesting that efforts to implement online mentoring should focus on training mentors, rather than on concerns over communication mode effects. The authors hope that these findings will help organizations in implementing online mentoring, as well as encouraging researchers to expand on the findings of this study.