bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prometheus
Authors: Padgham Lin , Winikoff Michael
Published: April 2011

We present the Prometheus methodology for designing agents and multi-agent systems. The methodology is intended to be practical; in particular, it aims to be complete and detailed, and to be usable by industrial software developers and undergraduate students. We present the methodology using a case study, describe existing tools that support both design and implementation, and report on experiences with using Prometheus, including our experiences in teaching Prometheus to an undergraduate class over the past few years. These experiences provide evidence that Prometheus is usable by its intended target audience.
Engineering Adaptive Multi-Agent Systems
Authors: Bernon Carole , Camps Valérie , Gleizes Marie-Pierre , Picard Gauthier
Published: April 2011

This chapter introduces the ADELFE methodology, an agent-oriented methodology dedicated to the design of systems that are complex, open, and not well-specified. The need for its development is justified by the theoretical background given in the first section, which also gives an overview of the concepts on which multi-agent systems developed with ADELFE are based. A methodology is composed of a process, a notation, and tools. Tools are presented in the second section and the process in the third one, using an information system case study to better visualize how to apply this process.
The INGENIAS Methodology and Tools
Authors: Pavon Juan , Gomez-Sanz Jorge J. , Fuentes Rubén
Published: April 2011

INGENIAS provides a notation for modeling multi-agent systems (MAS) and a well-defined collection of activities to guide the development process of an MAS in the tasks of analysis, design, verification, and code generation, supported by an integrated set of tools—the INGENIAS Development Kit (IDK). These tools, as well as the INGENIAS notation, are based on five meta-models that define the different views and concepts from which a multi-agent system can be described. Using meta-models has the advantage of flexibility for evolving the methodology and adopting changes to the notation. In fact, one of the purposes in the conception of this methodology is to integrate progressive advances in agent technology, towards a standard for agent-based systems modeling that could facilitate the adoption of the agent approach by the software industry. The chapter presents a summary of the INGENIAS notation, development process, and support tools. The use of INGENIAS is demonstrated in an e-business case study. This case study includes concerns about the development process, modeling with agent concepts, and implementation with automated code generation facilities.
Towards Radical Agent-Oriented Software Engineering Processes Based on AOR Modeling
Authors: Taveter Kuldar
Published: April 2011

This chapter proposes a new agent-oriented software engineering process called RAP, which follows the Rational Unified Process (RUP) in many ways, but is based on Agent-Object-Relationship (AOR) modelling instead of object-oriented modelling. The chapter briefly presents the foundational ontology that supports the methodology and introduces the RAP/AOR viewpoint modelling framework. It then describes the modelling from the interaction, information, and behavior aspects of the framework by using a case study of business-to-business electronic commerce. Finally, the chapter describes an implementation approach based on the Model Driven
Multi-Agent Systems Engineering
Authors: DeLoach Scott A. , Kumar Madhukar
Published: April 2011

This chapter provides an overview of the Multi-agent Systems Engineering (MaSE) methodology for analyzing and designing multi-agent systems. MaSE consists of two main phases that result in the creation of a set of complementary models that get successively closer to implementation. MaSE has been used to design systems ranging from a heterogeneous database integration system to a biologically based, computer virus-immune system to cooperative robotics systems. The authors also provide a case study of an actual system developed using MaSE in an effort to help demonstrate the practical aspects of developing systems using MaSE. Architecture (MDA) and Extended Markup Language (XML). The methodology is aimed at the creation of distributed socio-technical systems consisting of both humans and technical, including software, components that may, in turn, include software agents.
Comparison of Ten Agent-Oriented Methodologies
Authors: Tran Quynh-Nhu N. , Low Graham C.
Published: April 2011

This chapter provides a comparison of the 10 agent-oriented software engineering methodologies presented in the preceding chapters. An evaluation framework comprising process-related, technique-related, model-related and supportive-feature criteria is used in this comparison. As each application entails a different set of requirements that indicate which evaluation criteria are the most important and should be supported by the chosen methodology, the “best” methodology is dependent on the target application. The results provide a useful framework to assist the developer in selecting the most appropriate methodology for any target application.
Design Recovery of Web Applications Transactions
Authors: Tilley Scott , Distante Damiano , Huang Shihong
Published: April 2011

Modern Web sites provide applications that are increasingly built to support the execution of business processes. In such a transaction-oriented Web site, the user executes a series of activities in order to carry out a specific task (e.g., purchase an airplane ticket). The manner in which the activities can be executed is a consequence of the transaction design. Unfortunately, many Web sites are constructed without proper attention to transaction design. The result is a system with unpredictable workflow and a lower quality user experience. This chapter presents an example of the recovery of the “as-is” design model of a Web application transaction. The recovery procedure is prescriptive, suitable for implementation by a human subject-matter expert, possibly aided by reverse engineering technology. The recovered design is modeled using extensions to the transaction design portion of the UML-based Ubiquitous Web Applications (UWA) framework. Recovery facilitates future evolution of the Web site by making the transaction design explicit, which in turn enables engineers to make informed decisions about possible changes to the application. Design recovery of a commercial airline’s Web site is used to illustrate the process.
Using a Graph Transformation System to Improve the Quality of Characteristics of UML-RT Specifications
Authors: Gunske Lars
Published: April 2011

This chapter presents the concept of graph-based architecture evolution and how this concept can be applied to improve the quality characteristics of a software system. For this purpose, the UML-RT used as an architectural specification language is mapped to a hypergraph-based data structure. Thus, transformation operators can be specified as hypergraph transformation rules and applied automatically.
Support for Collaborative Component-Based Software Engineering
Authors: Boldyreff Cornelia , Nutter David , Rank Stephen , Kyaw Phyo , Lavery Janet
Published: April 2011

Collaborative system composition during design has been poorly supported by traditional CASE tools (which have usually concentrated on supporting individual projects) and almost exclusively focused on static composition. Little support for maintaining large distributed collections of heterogeneous software components across a number of projects has been developed. The CoDEEDS project addresses the collaborative determination, elaboration, and evolution of design spaces that describe both static and dynamic compositions of software components from sources such as component libraries, software service directories, and reuse repositories. The GENESIS project has focussed, in the development of OSCAR, on the creation and maintenance of large software artefact repositories. The most recent extensions are explicitly addressing the provision of cross-project global views of large software collections and historical views of individual artefacts within a collection. The long-term benefits of such support can only be realised if OSCAR and CoDEEDS are widely adopted and steps to facilitate this are described.
PRAISE
Authors: Chu William C. , Chang Chih-Hung , Lu Chih-Wei , Peng YI-Chun , Yang Don-Lin
Published: April 2011

Responding to the fact that software systems become more and more complex and mutable, not only the software-standards-related technologies should be adopted, but the environments for software development and evolution should also be flexible and integratable. These facts make software development and maintenance difficult and costly. In this chapter, we first illustrate the activities and studies for software standards, processes, CASE toolsets, and environments. Then, we propose a process and an environment for evolution-oriented software development, called the PRocess and Agent-based Integrated Software development Environment (PRAISE). PRAISE advocates software development with popular software methodologies, and it uses an XML-based mechanism to unify the various paradigms with different standards. It integrates processes, roles, toolsets, and work products to make software development more efficient. With PRAISE, users are encouraged to adopt familiar mechanisms and formal approaches as they wish. PRAISE maintains the consistency of the paradigms so that users do not need to worry about conflicts with other paradigms that are built in or added later. PRAISE meets the need for evolving software development and maintenance.
Formalizing and Analyzing UML Use Case Hierarchical Predicate Transition Nets
Authors: He Xudong
Published: April 2011

Unified Modeling Language (UML), developed by a group of leading experts in object-oriented methodologies, has become the standard object-oriented development methodology in the software industry. UML contains a set of diagrams for describing different views and aspects of systems. UML use case diagrams are used during requirements analysis to define a use case view that constitutes a system’s functional model. Each use case describes a system’s functionality from a user’s perspective. However, the use case descriptions are often informal, which are error-prone and cannot be formally analyzed to detect problems in user requirements or errors introduced in a system functional model. A well-defined use case view is not only necessary for subsequent correct system design and implementation but also serves as a basis for future system evolution. Therefore, it is extremely important to ensure the correctness of the functional model captured in a use case view. In this chapter, we present an approach to formally translate a use case view into a formal model in hierarchical predicate transition nets that support formal analysis and thus are capable to detect possible requirements and modeling errors in a use case view.
Augmenting UML to Support the Design and Evolution of User Interfaces
Authors: Scogings Chris , Phillips Chris
Published: April 2011

The primary focus in UML has been on support for the design and implementation of the software comprising the underlying system. Very little support is provided for the design or evolution of the user interface. This chapter commences with a brief review of UML and its support for user interface modeling. Lean Cuisine+, a notation capable of modeling both dialogue structure and high-level user tasks, is described. It is shown through a case study that Lean Cuisine+ can be used to augment UML and provide the user interface support that is currently lacking.
Complexity-Based Evaluation of the Evolution of XML and UML Systems
Authors: Cardoso Ana Isabel , Kokol Peter , Lenic Mitja , Crespo Rui Gustavo
Published: April 2011

This chapter analyses current problems in the management of software evolution and argues the need to use the Chaos Theory to model software systems. Several correlation metrics are described, and the authors conclude the Long-Range Correlation looks to be the most promising metrics. The Long-Range Correlation measures for XML and Java files are very similar. We then identify the number of ideas that may be raised in the process of software development, and link the different behaviours of the software evolution to the Verhulst model. Finally, we analyse one industrial test case and verify that the behaviours of software evolution are represented in the Verhulst model.
From World Wide Web to Semantic Web
Authors: Chou Charles Ling-yu
Published: April 2011

This chapter introduces the incentives for the creation of the Semantic Web, the methodology for its development, and the current status of this development. In contrast to the human function of understanding, the author summarizes four major steps in creating the ability for machines to understand Web content and generate responses. The semantics in the Semantic Web should be explicitly declared in a form that can be operated by a machine, knowledge organization should be provided to support semantic interpretation, software agents must rely on automatic reasoning ability to obtain implied knowledge, and procedural knowledge should be accessed in a community to generate response behavior. Through illustration of the anticipated research efforts in this technology, the author hopes to provide a clear picture of the current status of emergent Semantic Web technology and a suitable direction for its future development.
Semantic Descriptions of Web Services
Authors: Hakimpour Farshad , Cong Suo , Damm Daniela E.
Published: April 2011

This chapter introduces the emerging technology of Semantic Web services. It concentrates on two dominant specifications in this domain, namely OWL-S (Web ontology language for services) and WSMO (Web services modeling ontology). We briefly introduce Web services and Semantic Web, two main technologies underlying the Semantic Web services technology and then explain most of the key features of this technology together with simplified examples. We discuss three aspects of Semantic Web services: specifications for semantic descriptions of services, intelligent discovery and selection of services using semantic descriptions, and finally, building more complex services by composing existing ones. Our main goal in this chapter is not only to present an abstract view of this technology but also the introduction of the technical details of the two existing specifications.
Developing Intellingent Semantic Web Services
Authors: Lee Sam
Published: April 2011

This chapter introduces an approach to the development of intelligent Semantic Web services, which are envisioned as system cells that actively discover, learn, and communicate knowledge on the Web. The development of these systems often involves not only standardized Web technology, but also the integration of heterogeneous information. The approach in this chapter adopts the Semantic Web services specifications that are given by the DARPA agent markup language (DAML) program, utilizes a system behavior model to represent an intelligent agent, and proposes a high degree of automatic synthesis using code generation and program templates. The author reviews the various techniques that are available to aid the development process, and provides an example to illustrate the stages of software synthesis in the development of such systems.
A Semantic Web Service Architecture for Learing Object Repositories
Authors: Lopez-Cobo José-Manuel , Arroyo Sinuhé , Sicilia Miguel-Angel , Sanchez Salvador
Published: April 2011

The evolution of learning technology standards has resulted in a degree of interoperability across systems that enable the interchange of learning contents and activities. Nonetheless, learning resource metadata does not provide formal computational semantics, which hampers the possibilities to develop technology that automates tasks like learning object selection and negotiation. In this paper, the provision of computational semantics to metadata is addressed from the perspective of the concept of Semantic Web service. An architecture based on the specifications of the WSMO project is described, including the definition of an ontology for learning object metadata, and issues of mediation, all under the perspective of the learning object repository as the central entity in learning object reuse scenarios. The resulting framework serves as a foundation for advanced implementations that consider formal metadata semantics as a mechanism for the automation of tasks related to the interchange of learning objects.
Building Dynamic Business Process in P2P Semantic Web
Authors: Du Timon C. , Li Eldon Y.
Published: April 2011

Business process management systems such as the workflow management system and the enterprise application integration system manage process flow on a minute-by-minute basis in various application domains. In the conventional approach, the business process must be predefined before it is implemented. However, involving business users in the early stage of the design phase is neither efficient nor realistic in the dynamic business world. This study proposes a framework to implement a dynamic business process in the P2P Semantic Web, which provides the flexibility to dynamically alter business process and to take semantic data into consideration. The system is demonstrated by a case of a manufacturer that is processing an order.
SWAP - A Framework for Ontology Support in Semantic Web Applications
Authors: Sengupta Arijit , Kim Henry
Published: April 2011

We present SWAP (Semantic Web application pyramid), a framework for incorporating ontologies in data-oriented semantic Web applications. We have implemented this framework with a measurement ontology for a quality management Web service. This quality management Web service is built on top of a set of XML Web services implementing agents representing quality management clients, quality management servers, and vendors. SWAP facilitates data exchange between these Web services with vendor data stored in databases, and the processing of the data using a combination of RuleML and SQL. The testbed implementation demonstrates the feasibility and scalability of the framework for any type of three-tier ontology-based semantic Web applications involving low to moderate data exchange. We discuss methods for improving this framework for high data exchange volumes as well. The primary contribution of this framework is in the component-based implementation of real-world semantic Web applications.
Giving Learners a Real Sense of Control Over Adaptivity, Even If They Are Not Quite Ready For It Yet
Authors: Czarkowski Marek , Kay Judy
Published: April 2011

This chapter describes Tutor3, the latest in a sequence of systems that we have created to provide adaptation of hypertext where the user can maintain a real sense of control over the adaptivity. In Tutor3, the user always has access to precise details of what has been adapted to them, how this adaptation is controlled, and they can alter it. We describe both the user’s and the hypertext author’s view of the system. We then report a qualitative evaluation of the system in terms of the ways that users were able to understand both the adaptation and their power to control it. We conclude that while users do expect adaptivity, they do not expect to be able to control it. We discuss the challenges this creates for building adaptive systems that users can control effectively.
Adaptable Navigation in a SCORM Compliant Learning Module
Authors: Gauss Boris , Urbas Boris
Published: April 2011

This chapter is about the use of metaphors and adaptable navigation in the context of the technological standard SCORM. Our theoretical focus is on hypertext navigation in SCORM compliant learning modules and the potential of adaptable navigation metaphors within this standard. In the empirical section, we present a case study about navigation design and usability evaluation of a learning module prototype. This learning module was developed for the subject matter of steady-state modelling in process systems engineering, and features an adaptable navigation with a novel process control metaphor. We conclude with a discussion on the didactical value of navigation metaphors and adaptability in SCORM, and provide some suggestions for future research in this area.
Authoring of Adaptive Hypermedia Courseware Using AHyCO System
Authors: Hoic-Bozic Natasa , Mornar Vedran
Published: April 2011

This chapter describes an approach to the development of an adaptive hypermedia Web-based educational system and presents the model of an AHyCo (adaptive hypermedia courseware) system. An adaptive educational system should contain not only the learning environment for students, but also the authoring environment for teachers. A user friendly authoring module should be the integral part of such a system. The authoring of adaptive hypermedia consists of the development of actual hypermedia content (lessons, tests, etc.) together with the definition of the rules for adaptation. The authoring component of an AHyCo system, described inthis chapter, includes both. By utilizing intuitive form-based user interface, it enables teachers from areas other than IT to produce and interconnect complex hypermedia content.
From Non-Adaptive to Adaptive Educational Hypermedia
Authors: Jacobson Michael J.
Published: April 2011

In this chapter, it is argued that research involving adaptive educational hypermedia will be advanced by attention to two main areas: (a) the articulation of principled design features for adaptive hypermedia systems and (b) rigorous research documenting the learning efficacy of particular design approaches for different domains and learner groups. As an example of design and research in these two areas, a case study of a program of hypermedia research related to the knowledge mediator framework (KMF) is provided. First, a discussion of non-adaptive KMF hypermedia design elements and learning tasks is provided, followed by a short overview of the research findings from studies involving the use of different KMF systems. Next, current efforts are discussed to create adaptive KMF hypermedia using a learning agent module that employs semantic assessment and learner modeling in order to provide adaptive content and adaptive learner scaffolding. A general consideration of theory, research, and methodological issues related to current work in the field of adaptive educational hypermedia is also provided.
Contextualized Learning
Authors: Specht Marcus
Published: April 2011

This chapter presents an overview of research work for contextualized learning, integrating the background of adaptive hypermedia, ubiquitous computing, and current research on mobile learning systems that enable support for contextualized learning. Several examples for new learning paradigms are analyzed on their potential for mobile learning and contextualization. In the second part, examples for systems that integrate mobile learning solutions in existing learning systems for schools and working context are presented. The RAFT project realizes application for computer-based field trip support and shows an integration of m-learning tools in an established teaching method of school field trips. The SMILES prototype shows the integration of e-learning services and its stakeholders with mobile learning technology.
Optimal Image Segmentation Methods Based on Energy Minimization
Authors: Escolano Francisco , Lozano Miguel
Published: April 2011

In this chapter we present three “case studies” as representative of recent work on solving several segmentation problems (region segmentation, deformable templates matching and grouping) from the energy minimization perspective. Each of the latter problems is solved via an optimization approach, respectively: jump-diffusion, belief propagation and Bayesian inference. Our purpose is to show the connection between the formulation of the corresponding cost function and the optimization algorithm and also to present some useful ideas coming from Bayesian and information theory. This selection of only three problems (and solutions) allows us to present the fundamental elements of optimization in each particular case and to bring the readers to the arena of optimization-based segmentation.
Modeling Complete Dynamic Systems for image Segmenteion
Authors: Zhao Liang
Published: April 2011

Human perception is a complex nonlinear dynamics. Motivated by biological experimental findings, two networks of coupled chaotic elements for image segmentation are introduced in this chapter. In both models, time evolutions of chaotic elements that correspond to the same object in a given image are synchronized with one another, while this synchronized evolution is desynchronized with respect to time evolution of chaotic elements corresponding to other objects in the image. The first model is a continuous flow and the segmentation process incorporates geometrical information of input images; while the second model is a network of discrete maps for pixel clustering, accompanying an adaptive moving mechanism to eliminate pixel ambiguity. Computer simulations on real images are given.
Joint Space-Time-Range Mean ShiftBased Image and Video Segmentation
Authors: Gu Irene Yu-Hua , Gui Vasile
Published: April 2011

This chapter addresses image and video segmentation by using mean shift-based filtering and segmentation. Mean shift is an effective and elegant method to directly seek the local modes (or, local maxima) of the probability density function without the requirement of actually estimating it. Mean shift is proportional to the normalized density gradient estimate, and is pointing to the local stationary point (or, local mode) of the density estimate at which it converges. A mean shift filter can be related to a domain filter, a range filter or a bilateral filter depending on the variable setting in the kernel, and also has its own strength due to its flexibility and statistical basis. In this chapter a variety of mean shift filtering approaches are described for image/video segmentation and nonlinear edge-preserving image smoothing. A joint space-time-range domain mean shift-based video segmentation approach is presented. Segmentation of moving/static objects/background is obtained through inter-frame mode-matching in consecutive frames and motion vector mode estimation. Newly appearing objects/regions in the current frame due to new foreground objects or uncovered background regions are segmented by intra-frame mode estimation. Examples of image/video segmentation are included to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of these methods. Pseudo codes of the algorithms are also included.
Video Shot Boundary Detection and Scene Segmentation
Authors: Lu Hong , Li Zhenyan , Tan Yap-Peng , Xue Xiangyang
Published: April 2011

This chapter presents a new and efficient method for shot boundary detection (SBD) and scene segmentation. Commonly the first step in content-based video analysis, SBD partitions video data into fundamental units of shots. Over the past decade, SBD has attracted a considerable amount of research attention. However, the detection accuracy achieved leaves much to be desired. In this chapter, a new SBD method based on sequential change detection is proposed to achieve improved detection accuracy. The method is then extended to segment videos into scenes. Compared with existing scene segmentation methods, the proposed method can also obtain more accurate results over a large set of test videos.
Color Image Segmentation in Both Feature andImage Spaces
Authors: Dai Shengyang , Zhang Yu-Jin
Published: April 2011

One critical problem in image segmentation is how to explore the information in both feature and image space and incorporate them together. One approach in this direction is reported in this chapter. Watershed algorithm is traditionally applied on image domain but it fails to capture the global color distribution information. A new technique is to apply first the watershed algorithm in feature space to extract clusters with irregular shapes, and then to use feature space analysis in image space to get the final result by minimizing a global energy function based on Markov random field theory. Two efficient energy minimization algorithms: Graph cuts and highest confidence first (HCF) are explored under this framework. Experiments with real color images show that the proposed two-step segmentation framework is efficient and has been successful in various applications.
Optimizing Texture Primitive Description, Analysis, Segmentation, and Classification Using Variography
Authors: Kourgil Assia , Belhadj-Aissa Aichouche
Published: April 2011

There are many approaches dealing with various aspects of texture analysis, segmentation and classification. One of the characteristics among most of these approaches and those using neighborhood is that they require applying a template to a given image, pixel by pixel, to yield a new image. Although the selection of an appropriate window size is critical and affects directly the results obtained, it is often done arbitrarily. We present, in this chapter, a new approach based on the concept of variography to achieve the selection of the optimal window. We develop some direct applications including textural primitives description, mathematical morphology, textural segmentation and textural classification. Promising results are obtained and presented.
Methods and Applications for Segmenting 3D medical Image Data
Authors: Shen Hong
Published: April 2011

In this chapter, we will give an intuitive introduction to the general problem of 3D medical image segmentation. We will give an overview of the popular and relevant methods that may be applicable, with a discussion about their advantages and limits. Specifically, we will discuss the issue of incorporating prior knowledge into the segmentation of anatomic structures and describe in detail the concept and issues of knowledge-based segmentation. Typical sample applications will accompany the discussions throughout this chapter. We hope this will help an application developer to improve insights in the understanding and application of various computer vision approaches to solve real-world problems of medical image segmentation.
Fuzzy Clustering-Based Approaches in Automatic Lip Segmentation from Color Images
Authors: Wang Shilin , Lau Wing Hong , Liew Alan Wee-Chung , Leung Shu Hung
Published: April 2011

Recently, lip image analysis has received much attention because the visual information extracted has been shown to provide significant improvement for speech recognition and speaker authentication, especially in noisy environments. Lip image segmentation plays an important role in lip image analysis. This chapter will describe different lip image segmentation techniques, with emphasis on segmenting color lip images. In addition to providing a review of different approaches, we will describe in detail the state-of-the-art classification-based techniques recently proposed by our group for color lip segmentation: “Spatial fuzzy c-mean clustering” (SFCM) and “fuzzy c-means with shape function” (FCMS). These methods integrate the color information along with different kinds of spatial information into a fuzzy clustering structure and demonstrate superiority in segmenting color lip images with natural low contrast in comparison with many traditional image segmentation techniques.
Mathematical Morphology-Based Automatic Restoration and Segmentation for Degraded Machine -Printed Character Images
Authors: Nomura Shigueo , Yamanaka Keiji , Katai Osamu , Kawakammi Hiroshi , Shiose Takayuki
Published: April 2011

This chapter presents a morphological approach (AutoS) for automatic segmentation with feature vector extraction of seriously degraded machine-printed character images. This approach consists of four modules. The first detects and segments natural pitch characters based on the vertical projection of their binary images. The second uses an algorithm based on the vertical projection and statistical analysis of coordinates to detect fragments in broken characters and merge them before the eventual segmentation. The third employs a morphological thickening algorithm on the binary image to locate the separating boundaries of overlapping characters. Finally, the fourth executes a morphological thinning algorithm and a segmentation cost calculation to determine the most appropriate coordinate at the image for dividing touching characters. By the automatic running of a suitable segmentation module for each problem, the AutoS approach has been robust, flexible and effective in obtaining useful and accurate feature vectors concerning degraded machine-printed character images.
Segmentation in Food Images
Authors: Mery Domingo , Pedreschi Franco
Published: April 2011

In this chapter, a robust algorithm for segmenting food imagery from a background is presented using colour images. The proposed method has three steps: (i) computation of a high contrast grey value image from an optimal linear combination of the RGB colour components; (ii) estimation of a global threshold using a statistical approach; and (iii) a morphological operation in order to fill the possible holes presented in the segmented binary image. Although the suggested threshold separates the food image from the background very well, the user can modify it in order to achieve better results. The algorithm was implemented in Matlab and tested on 45 images taken under very different conditions. The segmentation performance was assessed by computing the area Az under the Receiver Operation Characteristic (ROC) curve. The achieved performance was Az = 0.9982.
Segmentation via Thresholding Methodologies by Using Measure of Fuzziness towards Blind Navigation
Authors: Wong Farrah , Nagarajan R. , Yaacab Sazali
Published: April 2011

Blind navigation is specialized research directed towards the development of navigational aid for blind people to minimize assistance from sighted individuals during navigation. In this paper, two methodologies of segmentation are detailed and certain aspects of the methodologies are compared. Measure of fuzziness is applied in both the segmentation methodologies to find the threshold values. These methodologies are of an automated process resulting in the elimination of human circumvention. The segmentation methodologies have been found to work suitably for the purpose of blind navigation as shown by the results provided. The first methodology was developed for a single camera whereas the second was developed for a system of stereo cameras. A comparison in terms of results from both the methodologies is also discussed and finally, conclusions derived from the methodologies are presented.
Unsupervised and Supervised Image Segmentation Evaluation
Authors: Rosenberger Christophe , Chabrier Sébastien , Laurent Hélène , Emile Bruno
Published: April 2011

Segmentation is a fundamental step in image analysis and remains a complex problem. Many segmentation methods have been proposed in the literature but it is difficult to compare their efficiency. In order to contribute to the solution of this problem, some evaluation criteria have been proposed for the last decade to quantify the quality of a segmentation result. Supervised evaluation criteria use some a priori knowledge such as a ground truth while unsupervised ones compute some statistics in the segmentation result according to the original image. The main objective of this chapter is to first review both types of evaluation criteria from the literature. Second, a comparative study is proposed in order to identify the efficiency of these criteria for different types of images. Finally, some possible applications are presented.
Role of Small-Business Strategic Alliances in the Perception of Benefits and Disadvantages of E-Commerce Adoption in SMEs
Authors: MacGregor Robert , Vrazalic Lejla
Published: April 2011

Despite the proclaimed advantages of small-business strategic alliances, little research has been carried out to determine whether these structures promote the benefits and/or “cushion” the disadvantages arising from e-commerce adoption for member businesses. There has also been a lack of research into comparing e-commerce use in those small businesses that are members of a strategic alliance to those that have opted to remain outside such arrangements. This chapter aims to correct the situation by presenting the findings of a study of 176 regional small businesses in Sweden that investigated the impact of strategic-alliance membership on the benefits and disadvantages associated with e-commerce adoption. The results of the study indicate that there are no significant differences between strategic-alliance members and nonmembers where benefits of e-commerce are concerned. In contrast, e-commerce disadvantages are often dissipated through a strategic-alliance structure more easily than through a single self-directed unit. The study also shows that correlations between e-commerce benefits exist and that the benefits can be grouped according to three distinct factors: costs, efficiency, and sales or inventory.
The Effects of Animated Banner and Pop-Up Ads on Commercial Websites
Authors: Gao Yuan , Koufaris Marios , Ducoffe Robert H.
Published: April 2011

This chapter explores the effects of two specific message-delivery techniques frequently adopted by online stores: continuously animated site banners and unexpected pop-up ads. Results from 128 surveys collected in a two-by-two factorial design showed that each of the two techniques had a significant effect on perceived irritation in the hypothesized direction. This chapter also confirmed that perceived irritation has a significant negative relationship with a visitor’s attitude toward the Web site. This study fills a vacuum in academic research with respect to the negative effects of Web advertising and advises caution in the deployment of certain techniques. This chapter encourages future research exploring the effects of cross-site ads on consumer attitude and advocates additional studies linking format attributes and presentation techniques with attitudinal consequences in the design of commercial Web sites.
Personalization of E-Commerce Applications in SMEs
Authors: Schubert Petra , Leimstoll Uwe
Published: April 2011

Personalization of e-commerce applications is an issue that is gaining increasing importance with the advancing maturity of such systems. There is already e-commerce software on the market offering integrated e-shop and personalization functions. However, the available software is too time-consuming and expensive for SMEs. With this in mind we saw a need to investigate the potential for personalization from the particular angle of SMEs. In addition to some theoretical fundamentals of personalization, this paper presents the results of an empirical study. With the help of a survey, we investigated the application potential for personalization tools in Swiss companies. The conclusions show that SMEs are (still) skeptical towards e-commerce applications which use personalization. It furthermore becomes clear that the heterogeneity of organizational and technical conditions impedes the development of standardized tools.
An Interventionist Approach to E-Commerce Implementation in SMEs
Authors: Tucker David , Lafferty Anthony
Published: April 2011

SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) make a vital contribution to the economic and social well being of most European nations. Many SMEs have invested in an e-commerce presence on the Internet. They are motivated by the potential benefits, which include increased competitiveness and efficiency. In the U.K. there are many examples of entrepreneurial SMEs that have successfully embraced e-commerce. However, there are also many more SMEs that could benefit from Web-based e-commerce but have not yet done so. This chapter sets out the main factors that are inhibiting SMEs from adopting e-commerce. It then reports on a two-year teaching company scheme (TCS) between the Manchester Metropolitan University Business School (MMUBS) and Partwell Ltd., a U.K.-based manufacturing SME. This TCS was designed to improve the competitiveness of Partwell by establishing an e-commerce Web presence. The chapter highlights the philosophy and objectives of the TCS programme and describes the process of technology transfer between Partwell and MMUBS. One of the authors became immersed in the company for the two-year duration of the project, and the data presented here are based on his experience as an initiator of change. The action learning method by which e-commerce was introduced into the company is described and the results are evaluated against contemporary technology diffusion literature. It is shown that gaining the trust of key employees at Partwell, coupled with the adoption of a soft approach to e-commerce implementation, is a critical success factor. Finally, the chapter reports on the benefits that Partwell has gained through the TCS experience.
E-Government Evolution in Ireland
Authors: Golden William , Hughes Martin , Scott Murray
Published: April 2011

E-government provides unparalleled opportunities for governments to streamline processes and improve customer service. As a result, achieving successful citizen-centred e-government has become a key concern for many governments. This chapter analyses the Irish government’s evolutionary path to the provision of successful e-government. The success factors and stages of evolution of e-government are identified and a detailed examination of how the Irish government successfully implemented its e-government strategy is presented. The lessons learned from this case provide a valuable road map for the successful attainment of citizen-centred e-government in other jurisdictions.
Beauty is More than Skin Deep
Authors: Tate Mary , Hope Beverley G. , Coker Brent
Published: April 2011

Buying and selling clothing can be a stressful and risky business for both consumers and retailers, even without the complications of e-commerce. Yet recent figures from the U.S. and from Korea show an increase in online sales of apparel. In this chapter we investigate the reasons for this through examination of the literature and research of best practice in a successful Australasian multichannel e-tailer. The chapter is organised in four sections. First we describe the apparel industry, and then we examine online shopping risks and their consequences, paying particular attention to consumer risks and consequences in the apparel industry. Next we present a set of organisational strategies that can mitigate customer perceived risk and conclude with six key strategies for success in online apparel retailing.
Levels of Culture and Individual Behavior
Authors: Karahanna Elena , Evaristo J. R. , Srite Mark
Published: April 2011

In an organizational setting, national culture is not the only type of culture that influences managerial and work behavior. Rather, behavior is influenced by different levels of culture ranging from the supranational (regional, ethnic, religious, linguistic) level through the national, professional, and organizational levels to the group level. The objective of this study is to integrate these different levels of culture by explicitly recognizing that individuals’ workplace behavior is a function of all different cultures simultaneously. It is theorized that the relative influence of the different levels of culture on individual behavior varies depending on the nature of the behavior under investigation. Thus, for behaviors that include a strong social component or include terminal and moral values, supranational and national cultures might have a predominant effect. For behaviors with a strong task component or for those involving competence values or practices, organizational and professional cultures may dominate. These propositions are illustrated with examples from the IS field. This paper is a conceptual study and therefore extends theory and the current understanding of how culture is examined by not only explicitly recognizing that behaviors are simultaneously influenced by multiple levels of culture but by also specifying conditions under which certain levels of culture dominate. Such an approach has the potential to inform researchers and practitioners about the generalizability or universality of theories and techniques across national, organizational, and professional borders.
Developing a Generic Framework for E-Government
Authors: Grant Gerald , Chau Derek
Published: April 2011

Electronic government (e-government) initiatives are pervasive and form a significant part of government investment portfolio in almost all countries around the world. However, understanding of what is meant by e-government is still nascent and becomes complicated because the construct means different things to different people. Consequently, the conceptualization and implementation of e-government programs are diverse and are often difficult to assess and compare across different contexts of application. This paper addresses the following key question: Given the wide variety of visions, strategic agendas, and contexts of application, how may we assess, categorize, classify, compare, and discuss the e-government efforts of various government administrations? In answering this question, we propose a generic e-government framework that will allow for the identification of e-government strategic agendas and key application initiatives that transcend country-specific requirements. In developing the framework, a number of requirements are first outlined. The framework is proposed and described; it is then illustrated using brief case studies from three countries. Finally, findings and limitations are discussed.
Culture and Trust in the Adoption of Electronic Voting
Authors: Gefen David , Rose Gregory M. , Warkentin Merrill , Pavlou Paul A.
Published: April 2011

Trust is a cornerstone of society, and it enables democratic institutes. It captures people’s expectations about others’ (the trustees) socially-acceptable behavior. In the context of information technology (IT) adoption, trust also increases the perceived usefulness (PU) of IT associated with the trustee’s agency. One way of increasing this trust is through greater sociocultural similarity. Extrapolating based on previous research to the realm of electronic voting, this chapter posits that because trust is culture-dependent, it should decrease considerably as cultural diversity and differentiation increases. To investigate the role of trust in IT adoption in different cultures where dissimilar concepts of socially-acceptable behavior exist, this study compares trust-related perceptions of an emerging IT, namely electronic voting, between the United States of America (USA) and the Republic of South Africa (RSA). More specifically, the question was addressed by comparing the unique circumstances of the cultural changes in the RSA with the more socially-integrated mainstream USA culture. In both cultures, perceived sociocultural similarity between the individual and the agency in charge of the electronic voting IT contributed to both the establishment of trust and to an increase in the perceived usefulness of the IT, supporting and extending the extrapolations of past propositions to this new realm. However, only in the USA did trust contribute to the PU of the IT. The results suggest that when cultural diversity is large, trust becomes of lesser importance, perhaps because it can no longer reduce social uncertainty. Implications for researchers and governmental voting agencies are discussed, and future research directions are proposed.