bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Information Technology Usage in Maquila Enterprises
Authors: Mandal Purnendu , Rao Mohan P.
Published: May 2011

The build-up of export-oriented companies since 1990s on the Mexico-USA boarder, and their recent decline, is no surprise to many policy analysts. The focus on the use of low-wage employees, neglecting skills, and infrastructure creation was doomed to fail. Much of the Mexican maquila operations and jobs have gone to China and other low-wage countries. Are maquiladoras technologically competent to ward-off competitive forces from China and other parts of the world? This chapter presents an exploratory study of IT usage and managerial perceptions of IT-related costs and benefits in maquiladoras. The relevant data was gathered through a survey questionnaire. The results show that IT had a positive impact on maquila business performance. These findings will be useful to managers in assessing their organization and taking corrective actions to become further competitive.
Service-Oriented Middleware for Managing Inter-Enterprise Collaborations
Authors: Kutvonen Lea
Published: May 2011

Participation in electronic business networks has become necessary for the success of enterprises. The strategic business needs for participating in multiple networks simultaneously and for managing changes in these networks are reflected as new requirements for the supporting computing facilities. The Pilarcos architecture addresses the needs of managed collaboration and interoperability of autonomous business services in an inter-organisational context. The Pilarcos B2B middleware is designed for lowering the cost and effort of collaboration establishment and to facilitate the management and maintenance of electronic business networks. The approach is a federated one: All business services are developed independently, and the provided B2B middleware services are used to ensure that technical, semantic, and pragmatic interoperability is maintained in the business network. In the architecture and middleware functionality design, attention has been given to the dynamic aspects and evolution of the network. This chapter discusses the concepts provided for application and business network creators, and the supporting middleware-level knowledge repositories for interoperability support.
Student Perceptions of Data Flow Diagrams vs. Use Cases
Authors: Millet Ido
Published: May 2011

Data Flow Diagrams and Use Cases are two popular methodologies in teaching as well as in practice. For the last 4 years, we have been using both methodologies in our Systems Analysis course. Questionnaire results indicate that students find the Use Cases methodology slightly easier to understand. However, students believe that Data Flow Diagrams are significantly better at communicating with users and programmers.
Employing Interactive Technologies for Education and Learning
Authors: Hsu Jeffrey
Published: May 2011

A number of new communications technologies have emerged in recent years which were originally used primarily for personal and recreational purposes. The emphasis of these is on social networking and communications. However, these “conversational, constructivist Web 2.0 learning tools”, coupled with the power and reach of the Internet, have been identified and employed effectively for both educational learning and knowledge-oriented applications. In particular, the technologies given attention in this paper include Instant Messaging (IM), weblogs (blogs), wikis, and podcasts. A discussion of these technologies and their uses, underlying educational and cognitive psychology theories, and also applications for education and the management of knowledge, are examined in detail. The implications for education, as well as areas for future research are also explored.
Understanding the Effectiveness of Collaborative Activity in Online Professional Development with Innovative Educators through Intersubjectivity
Authors: Hui Diane , Russell Donna L.
Published: May 2011

Effectiveness of professional development is affected by the quality of social interaction. This study examines how online collaborative dialogues might influence teachers’ decisions in their classrooms —sometimes hurting when not appropriated well. This study extends principal sociocultural approaches to cognitive concepts of intersubjectivity and activity through illustrations of empirical data. Part of a larger innovative professional development involving four classroom locations across Missouri, synchronous chatroom dialogues comprising teachers and researchers, and pre- and post-unit interviews underwent qualitative discourse and focused microanalyses. We argue that teachers purposefully used their dynamic intersubjective spaces and strategies in the management of meaning-making negotiations within an online interactive environment. The findings reveal two novel variable forms of intersubjectivity: (a) temporary suspension, and (b) resistance and disagreement. These findings provide useful implications for advanced applications and developments with information communication technology in innovations for enhanced learning and teaching as they relate to the evaluation of teacher effectiveness in implementing collaborative online problem-based activities.
Effective Questioning to Facilitate Dynamic Online Learning
Authors: Braidic Silvia
Published: May 2011

Teaching is a complex activity that involves careful preparation, delivery and reflection. As an educator, it is essential to create a sense of community in which students feel significant and are truly engaged as learners. A central focus of the educator is to maximize the capacity of each learner. How does this happen in an online learning environment? This chapter addresses the needs of learners for a learning community that promotes effective discussion; specifically, the practice of questioning that lies at the heart of classroom practice. Just as in a face to face classroom, questioning occurs in a variety of ways for online learners. The chapter shares ideas for effective questioning strategies in an online environment.
Extreme Informatics
Authors: Shepard Mark
Published: May 2011

What happens to urban space given a hypothetical future where all information loses its body, that is, when it is offloaded from the material substrate of the physical city1 to the personal, portable, or ambient displays of tomorrow’s urban information systems? This chapter explores the spatial, technological and social implications of an extreme urban informatics regime. It investigates the total virtualization of the marks, signage, signaling and display systems by which we locate, orient ourselves, and navigate through the city. Taking as a vehicle a series of digitally manipulated photographs of specific locations in New York, this study analyzes the environmental impact of a pervasive evacuation of information–at various sites and scales–from the sidewalks, buildings, streets, intersections, infrastructures and public spaces of a fictional future De-saturated City.
Evolving E-Health Systems
Authors: Caro Denis
Published: May 2011

The 21st century continues to witness the transformation of organizational systems globally through the deployment of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The emerging future is witnessing the convergence of artificial intelligence, biotechnology, nomadic information systems, and nanotechnology. This promises to further transform the nature of inter-organizational systems between the corporate and public sectors. The evolution of e-health systems is a case in point. In the light of the Wuli-Shili-Renli (WSR) approach, this key informant study explores the strategic perceptions of corporate ICT and health care executives in Canada and Sweden. Public governance values play critical roles in evolving and sustaining symbiotic e-health networks in Canada and Sweden. The chapter exposes the unique transgenic dimensions of evolving e-health systems. The findings and implications of the study underscore the need for further international e-business research on the socio-cultural domains in which inter-organizational systems evolve.
An Introduction to the Management and Protection of Intellectual Property Rights
Authors: Vassiliadis Bill
Published: May 2011

Copyright protection is becoming an important issue for organizations that create, use, and distribute digital content through e-commerce channels. As online corruption increases, new technical and business requirements are posed for protecting Intellectual Property Rights, such as watermarking, use of metadata, self-protection, and self-authentication. This chapter gives a review of the most important of these methods and analyses of their potential use in Digital Rights Management systems. We focus especially on watermarking, and argue that it has a true potential in e-business because it is possible to embed and detect multiple watermarks to a single digital artifact without decreasing its quality. In conjunction with parallel linking of content to metadata there is true potential for real life copyright-protection systems. Furthermore we attack the problem of DRM systems’ interoperability with Distributed License Catalogues (DLCs). The DLC concept, borrowed from Web engineering, makes available (‘advertises’) content or services concerning DRM functionalities, enabling multiparty DRM eco-systems.
Extending Collaborative Business Model with Mobility and its Implementation in the Medical Tourism Industry
Authors: Lingarchani Amit
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses how to extend the collaborative business process model with mobility and how to implement such a model in the “Medical Tourism” industry. The implementation discussion in this chapter is based within the context of the booming Indian Medical Tourism industry that is growing rapidly with reported annual growth rate of up to 30% over past few years. The collaboration between various available services like lodging, transport, and hospital through separate domains, in order to provide a unified service to the potential client, is considered in this chapter. The resultant architecture can be considered as a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) which can provide immense value during implementation.
Sources of Trust and Consumers' Participation in Permission-Based Mobile Marketing
Authors: Karjaluoto Heikki , Kautonen Teemu
Published: May 2011

The chapter investigates different sources of trust as factors affecting consumers’ willingness to provide companies with personal information and the permission to use it in mobile marketing. The chapter develops a conceptual model, which is tested with data from a survey of 200 young Finnish consumers. The data were analyzed by means of structural equation modeling (LISREL8.7). The main source of trust affecting the consumers’ decision to participate in mobile marketing is the company’s media presence, rather than personal experiences or social influence. Hence, mobile marketers should focus on building a strong and positive media presence and image in order to gain consumers’ permission for mobile marketing. Further, international research is required in order to investigate especially institutionally-based sources of trust in different regulatory and cultural environments.
Mobility in IP Networks
Authors: Jasola Sanjay , Sharma Ramesh C.
Published: May 2011

With the ever increasing use of portable and hand held devices for voice and data transfer, there is a growing expectation to access information anytime, anywhere. Today there are different technologies providing access to voice, data, and video. These need to be converged in all Internet protocol (IP) based network. Next generation telecom networks will be having convergence of voice and data traffic and use of IP based mobility solutions. Mobile IP is a TCP/IP-based protocol that has been standardized by the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) for supporting mobility. Mobile IP is part of both IPv4 and IPv6 standards. Mobile IP works at network layer (layer 3), influencing the routing of packets and can easily handle mobility among different media. This chapter discusses different technical operations involved in Mobile IPv4 and Mobile IPv6 and compares them.
Increasing the Performability of Wireless Web Services
Authors: Zhao Wenbing
Published: May 2011

Wireless Web services are becoming a reality, if they have not already. The unique characteristics of the mobile devices and wireless communication medium, such as limited computing power, limited network bandwidth, limited battery life, unpredictable online time, mobility, and so forth,, imply that the infrastructure for wireless Web services will be very different from its wired counterpart. This chapter discusses the challenges and the stateof- the-art solutions to ensure highly performable wireless Web services. In particular, this chapter’s focus is on three technical issues: optimization of the wireless Web services messaging protocol, caching, and fault tolerance. Finally, limitations of the current approaches and an outline of future research directions on wireless Web services are also discussed.
Security in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Mehul Ekata , Limaye Vikram
Published: May 2011

Securing a “Wireless Ad Hoc Network” (WAHN) is a major concern of network administrators. This is particularly so in case of the wireless networks due to their unique characteristics that varies from the traditional networks. For example, WAHN are vulnerable to internal as well as external attacks relatively easily, as compared with traditional networks, because of their ability to be accessible from anywhere within their range. Many solutions have been proposed in this area and they are also being continuously improved. Most of these solutions involve encryption; secure routing, quality of service, and so forth. However, each of these solutions is designed to operate in a particular situation; and it may fail to work successfully in other scenarios. This particular research work offers an alternate to improving the trustworthiness of the neighbourhood and securing the routing procedure. This security is achieved by dynamically computing the trust in neighbours and selecting the most secure route from the available ones for the data transfer. There is also a provision to detect the compromised node and virtually removing it from the network.
Secure Payment in Mobile Business
Authors: Subramanian Chitra
Published: May 2011

Mobile commerce offers consumers the convenience and flexibility of mobile services anytime and at any place. Secured and private mobile business processes using a mobile gadget for payments are essential for the success of mobile commerce. Mobile payment is the process of two parties exchanging financial value using a mobile device in return for goods and services. This chapter is an analysis of the secure mobile payment services for real automated point of sale (PoS), which are frequently used in terminals such as vending machines.
Transformation of Business Processes of Export Companies to a Proposed Collaborative Environment with the Aid of Web Services and Mobile Technologies
Authors: Ghanbary Abbass , Desai Manish , Unhelkar Bhuvan
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses the results of an action research project carried out at ImpexDocs in Sydney, Australia, by the lead author. The purpose of this action research was to investigate the business processes of companies involved in “EXPORTS” and to study how they collaborate with different service providers involved in exports from Australia. The report provides an insight in to understanding the applications of Collaborative Business Process Engineering (CBPE) in terms of improving the effectiveness and efficiency for all organizations involved in International Business, especially companies involved in exports and their associated service providers. The study demonstrates an understanding of the in-depth analyses of existing business processes, investigate the collaboration between the export companies system with other enterprises involved, investigate the existing channels of collaboration, investigate the common business processes threads through multiple application, investigate the applications that deal with external parties, and engineer collaborative processes across multiple organizations.
Fostering Transfer in Multimedia Instructional Environments
Authors: Mariano Gina J.
Published: May 2011

The role and promotion of transfer in multimedia instructional environments is an oft-neglected concept in instructional multimedia research. However, while most instructional multimedia research does not focus specifically on transfer, the majority of basic multimedia research conducted uses retention and transfer as dependent measures. The purposes of this chapter are to (a) provide a review of the current state of the transfer literature, (b) provide a synthesis of the existing literature on the evidence for transfer in multimedia instructional environments, and (c) provide a series of strategies for constructing and using multimedia for the purpose of fostering transfer. The significance of proactively creating multimedia instructional environments that fosters transfer lies in the benefits of creating knowledge that may be generalized and applied in the “real world.” Specifically, knowledge that may be generalized, applied, or transferred broadly facilitates the learner’s ability to solve problems of all types. In addition and unfortunately, even under the best of conditions, fostering transfer is challenging; thus, a proactive stance in fostering transfer is necessary to increase the likelihood of generating knowledge transfer.
Designing Multimedia to Trace Goal Setting in Studying
Authors: Zhou Mingming
Published: May 2011

We suggest that multimedia environments can benefit from learning as well as offer significant capacity to serve as research purposes. Because motivational processes can support or inhibit complex learning, we first review current hypermedia learning models by specifically focusing on how they integrate motivational elements into their frameworks. Following our observation of a gap in the way motivational constructs (e.g., achievement goal orientation) are operationally defined, we suggest alternative methods, called traces, which make these latent constructs visible and measurable. The goal-tracing methodology we describe draws on achievement goal theory and extensive empirical studies in various settings. Using it, we treat learners’ use of cognitive tools as traces that express their goal orientations. By applying data mining techniques to these data, we show how it is possible to identify goal patterns together with study tactic patterns. We propose that future research can benefit substantially by merging trace methodologies with other methods for gathering data about motivation and learning.
Supporting Learner Reflection in the Language Translation Class
Authors: Lindgren Eva , Sullivan Kirk P.H. , Deutschmann Mats , Steinvall Anders
Published: May 2011

In a case study a University class undertook a translation from Swedish to English in a keystroke logging environment and then replayed their translations in pairs while discussing their thought processes when undertaking the translations, and why they made particular choices and changes to their translations. Computer keystroke logging coupled with peer-based intervention assisted the students in discussing how they worked with their translations, and enabled them to see how their ideas relating to the translation developed as they worked with the text. The process showed that Computer Keystroke logging coupled with peer-based intervention has potential to (1) support student reflection and discussion around their translation tasks, and (2) enhance student motivation and enthusiasm for translation.
A Reading Evaluation Method for English as a Foreign Language Learners Based on Reading Performances
Authors: Kotani Katsunori , Yoshimi Takehiko , Kutsumi Takeshi , Sata Ichiko , Isahara Hitoshi
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, the authors examined reading evaluation methods for foreign language learners based on learners’ reading processes. The goal of this chapter is twofold. The first is to evaluate text reading, and the other is to evaluate sentence reading. First, the authors assessed a text reading test to evaluate reading proficiency based on reading process, that is, effective reading speed, which is a complex measure of reading speed and comprehension rate. Statistical analysis confirms the adequacy of our effective reading speed test. Next, they propose a reading time model for evaluating reading proficiency at the sentence level. Their reading time model predicts sentence reading time based on the linguistic properties of a sentence and a learner’s proficiency. Linguistic properties consist of lexical, syntactic and discourse properties. Learners’ proficiency is defined using their score on the Test of English for International Communications (TOEIC). Their reading time model resulted in high prediction accuracy. From these results, they conclude that the reading process-based evaluation method is a promising test for foreign language reading proficiency.
Exploring the Concept of Emergent Coherence in a Corpus of Korean EFL Texts
Authors: Murphy Terence
Published: May 2011

One central task faced by those interested in the corpus analysis of second language writing is how to measure ESL textual sophistication. While many applied linguists have focused on the notion of lexical richness, Robert de Beaugrande has provided the outlines of an approach that highlights the importance of textual efficiency. In his book, Text, Discourse, and Process (1980), Beaugrande defines the wellwritten text as an efficient self-regulating system. If Beaugrande’s definition is accepted, it follows that the majority of ESL texts are inefficient acts of textual communication. In this chapter, the author will explore textual inefficiency by means of the concept of emergent coherence in a corpus of Korean ESL texts. Within the framework of Hallidayean functional linguistics, emergent coherence will be explained in terms of seven principles of textual efficiency: the SPOCA Principle, the Principle of Natural Hierarchy, the Principle of End Weight, the Principle of End Focus, the Principle of Textual Economy, the Principle of Unified Elaborations, and the Principle of Genuine Extensions.
Intercultural Collaborative Project-Based Learning in Online Environments
Authors: Murphy Karen L. , Gazi Yakut , Cifuentes Lauren
Published: May 2011

This chapter addresses the question, “How can we overcome potential cultural discontinuities in online collaborative project-based learning environments?” The authors first identify differing worldviews, communication practices, and technological issues that can present barriers that frequently arise in intercultural online courses. They then identify constructivist project-based teaching strategies that reduce these intercultural barriers. Differing worldviews can be reconciled by fostering collaboration, grouping, relevance, and metacognition. Communication barriers can be minimized by attention to language and community building. Technological problems can be reduced by using asynchronous communication, simplifying online communication systems, and providing technical training and ongoing technical support. The chapter concludes with a model for a polycentric culture that minimizes differences among individuals in terms of their worldviews, communication practices, and technological issues.
Is Entropy Suitable to Characterize Data and Signals for Cognitive Informatics?
Authors: Kinsner Withold
Published: May 2011

This chapter provides a review of Shannon and other entropy measures in evaluating the quality of materials used in perception, cognition, and learning processes. Energy-based metrics are not suitable for cognition, as energy itself does not carry information. Instead, morphological (structural and contextual) metrics as well as entropybased multiscale metrics should be considered in cognitive informatics. Appropriate data and signal transformation processes are defined and discussed in the perceptual framework, followed by various classes of information and entropies suitable for characterization of data, signals, and distortion. Other entropies are also described, including the Rényi generalized entropy spectrum, Kolmogorov complexity measure, Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy, and Prigogine entropy for evolutionary dynamical systems. Although such entropy-based measures are suitable for many signals, they are not sufficient for scale-invariant (fractal and multifractal) signals without corresponding complementary multiscale measures.
A Fixpoint Semantics for Rule-Base Anomalies
Authors: Zhang Du
Published: May 2011

A crucial component of an intelligent system is its knowledge base that contains knowledge about a problem domain. Knowledge base development involves domain analysis, context space definition, ontological specification, and knowledge acquisition, codification and verification. Knowledge base anomalies can affect the correctness and performance of an intelligent system. In this chapter, we describe a fixpoint semantics for a knowledge base that is based on a multi-valued logic. We then use the fixpoint semantics to provide formal definitions for four types of knowledge base anomalies: inconsistency, redundancy, incompleteness, circularity. We believe such formal definitions of knowledge base anomalies will help pave the way for a more effective knowledge base verification process.
Content-Based Image Classification and Retrieval
Authors: Ali Jafar M.
Published: May 2011

Advances in data storage and image acquisition technologies have enabled the creation of large image datasets. Thus, it is necessary to develop appropriate information systems to efficiently manage these datasets. Image classification and retrieval is one of the most important services that must be supported by such systems. The most common approach used is content-based image retrieval (CBIR) systems. This paper presents a new application of rough sets to feature reduction, classification, and retrieval for image databases in the framework of content-based image retrieval systems. The suggested approach combines image texture features with color features to form a powerful discriminating feature vector for each image. Texture features are extracted, represented, and normalized in an attribute vector, followed by a generation of rough set dependency rules from the real value attribute vector. The rough set reduction technique is applied to find all reducts with the minimal subset of attributes associated with a class label for classification.
A Semantics Sensitive Framework of Organization and Retrieval for Multimedia Databases
Authors: Shi Zhiping , Li Qingyong , He Qing , Shi Zhongzhi
Published: May 2011

Semantics-based retrieval is a trend of the Content-Based Multimedia Retrieval (CBMR). Typically, in multimedia databases, there exist two kinds of clues for query: perceptive features and semantic classes. In this chapter, we proposed a novel framework for multimedia database organization and retrieval, integrating the perceptive features and semantic classes. Thereunto, a semantics supervised cluster-based index organization approach (briefly as SSCI) was developed: the entire data set is divided hierarchically into many clusters until the objects within a cluster are not only close in the perceptive feature space, but also within the same semantic class; then an index entry is built for each cluster. Especially, the perceptive feature vectors in a cluster are organized adjacently in disk. Furthermore, the SSCI supports a relevance feedback approach: users sign the positive and negative examples regarded a cluster as unit rather than a single object. Our experiments show that the proposed framework can improve the retrieval speed and precision of the CBMR systems significantly.
Common Information Spaces in Knowledge-Intensive Work
Authors: Hepsø Vidar
Published: May 2011

In knowledge management literature, common information spaces (CIS) are believed to be instrumental in the development and sharing of knowledge. These information spaces provide the arena to facilitate knowledge creation, knowledge management, boost multidisciplinary collaboration and therefore increase the performance of the organization. In a global oil and gas industry an increasing part of the communication in day-to-day operations takes place in specially designed videoconferencing and collaboration rooms. This chapter addresses the role such information spaces play and some of the implications for practice when it comes to knowledge-intensive work: diversity, work relations and identity. What is regarded as “common” or ”shared” among heterogeneous groups of professionals working within such information spaces is challenged.
Creativitiy and Control in IT Professionals' Communities
Authors: Postula Agnieszka
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents and discusses two factors – creativity and control – which correspond to every organizational reality. IT specialists’ professional communities are used as an example because of characteristic relationships between their members and their attitude to work. The chapter describes how combination of these two phenomena may build or destroy organizations. There is also an explanation of specific relations between IT professionals and beginning of further discussion based on these relationships, as well as analysis of consequences of inappropriate management practices. Creativity and control are presented as features of every common company with their special roles in organization. Also, main characteristics of well-organized practical communities are shown.
Automation vs. Human Intervention
Authors: Sevinc Meryem , Locker Lawrence , Murray John D.
Published: May 2011

In the contemporary context of knowledge discovery, the amount of information and the process itself has increased in complexity. Relevant to the present chapter is the increased reliance on automaticity in knowledge discovery. Although, there are positive benefits of automation, there is reason to believe that a process that emphasizes greater human participation may produce more meaningful results. Through a description of the human information processing system and its attributes, this chapter discusses why an analyst-centered approach to a knowledge discovery system is a desirable goal. We argue that a perspective based on cognitive psychology can serve as a useful guide in achieving a desirable synergy between automated knowledge discovery tools and the human analyst.
New Media and Knowledge Work
Authors: Styhre Alexander
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses the use of media in knowledge-intensive organizations. Media is defined here as the integration of technologies, practices, and institutions serving to record, inscribe and circulate speech, writing, and images. The presence of media in organized activities remains relatively unexplored, even though various media “enframe” the life-world of the organization. New media do not only constitute assemblages of integrated technologies and tools (e.g. the telephone, the computer, pens and pencils) which are used en route in day-to-day work, they also gradually break down the line of demarcation between inside and outside, between embodied and technological matter.
FIR Filters for Sampling Rate Conversion
Authors: Milic Ljiljana
Published: May 2011

The role of filters in sampling-rate conversion process has been discussed in Chapters II and III. Filters are used to suppress aliasing in decimators and to remove images in interpolators. The overall performance of a decimator or of an interpolator mainly depends on the characteristics of antialiasing and antiimaging filters. In Chapter III, we have considered the typical filter specifications and several methods for designing filter transfer functions that can meet the specifications. In this chapter, we are dealing with the implementation aspects of decimators and interpolators. The implementation problem arises from the unfavorable facts that filtering has to be performed on the side of the high-rate signal: in decimation filtering precedes the down-sampling, and in interpolation up-sampling precedes filtering. The goal is to construct a multirate implementation structure providing the arithmetic operations to be performed at the lower sampling rate. In this way, the overall workload in the sampling-rate conversion system can be decreased by the conversion factor M (L). The multirate filter implementation means that down-sampling or up-sampling operations are embedded into the filter structure. In this chapter, we are focused on the structures developed for finite impulse response (FIR) filters. The nonrecursive nature of FIR filters offers the opportunity to create implementation schemes that significantly improve the overall efficiency of FIR decimators and interpolators. This chapter concentrates on the direct implementation forms for decimators and interpolators and the implementation forms based on the polyphase decompositions. Memory saving solutions for polyphase decimators and interpolators are also presented. Finally, the efficiency of FIR polyphase decimators and interpolators is discussed. The chapter concludes with MATLAB exercises for the individual study.
Lth-Band Digital Filters
Authors: Milic Ljiljana
Published: May 2011

Digital Lth-band FIR and IIR filters are the special classes of digital filters, which are of particular interest both in single-rate and multirate signal processing. The common characteristic of Lth-band lowpass filters is that the 6 dB (or 3 dB) cutoff angular frequency is located at p/L, and the transition band is approximately symmetric around this frequency. In time domain, the impulse response of an Lth-band digital filter has zero valued samples at the multiples of L samples counted away from the central sample to the right and left directions. Actually, an Lth-band filter has the zero crossings at the regular distance of L samples thus satisfying the so-called zero intersymbol interference property. Sometimes the Lthband filters are called the Nyquist filters. The important benefit in applying Lth band FIR and IIR filters is the efficient implementation, particularly in the case L = 2 when every second coefficient in the transfer function is zero valued. Due to the zero intersymbol interference property, the Lth-band filters are very important for digital communication transmission systems. Another application is the construction of Hilbert transformers, which are used to generate the analytical signals. The Lth-band filters are also used as prototypes in constructing critically sampled multichannel filter banks. They are very popular in the sampling rate alteration systems as well, where they are used as decimation and interpolation filters in single-stage and multistage systems. This chapter starts with the linear-phase Lth-band FIR filters. We introduce the main definitions and present by means of examples the efficient polyphase implementation of the Lth-band FIR filters. We discuss the properties of the separable (factorizable) linear-phase FIR filter transfer function, and construct the minimum-phase and the maximum-phase FIR transfer functions. In sequel, we present the design and efficient implementation of the halfband FIR filters (L = 2). The class of IIR Lth-band and halfband filters is presented next. Particular attention is addressed to the design and implementation of IIR halfband filters. Chapter concludes with several MATLAB exercises for self study.
How to Use Manual Labelers in the Evaluation of Lip Analysis Systems?
Authors: ur Réhman Shafiq , Liu Li , Li Haibo
Published: May 2011

The purpose of this chapter is not to describe any lip analysis algorithms but rather to discuss some of the issues involved in evaluating and calibrating labeled lip features from human operators. In the chapter we question the common practice in the field: using manual lip labels directly as the ground truth for the evaluation of lip analysis algorithms. Our empirical results using an Expectation-Maximization procedure show that subjective noise in manual labelers can be quite significant in terms of quantifying both human and algorithm extraction performance. To train and evaluate a lip analysis system one can measure the performance of human operators and infer the “ground truth” from the manual labelers, simultaneously.
Multimodal Speaker Identification Using Discriminative Lip Motion Features
Authors: Çetingül H. Ertan , Erzin Engin , Yemez Yücel , Tekalp A. Murat
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents a multimodal speaker identification system that integrates audio, lip texture, and lip motion modalities, and the authors propose to use the “explicit” lip motion information that best represent the modality for the given problem. The work is presented in two stages: First, they consider several lip motion feature candidates such as dense motion features on the lip region, motion features on the outer lip contour, and lip shape features. Meanwhile, the authors introduce their main contribution, which is a novel two-stage, spatial-temporal discrimination analysis framework designed to obtain the best lip motion features. For speaker identification, the best lip motion features result in the highest discrimination among speakers. Next, they investigate the benefits of the inclusion of the best lip motion features for multimodal recognition. Audio, lip texture, and lip motion modalities are fused by the reliability weighted summation (RWS) decision rule, and hidden Markov model (HMM)-based modeling is performed for both unimodal and multimodal recognition. Experimental results indicate that discriminative grid-based lip motion features are proved to be more valuable and provide additional performance gains in speaker identification.
Lip Motion Features for Biometric Person Recognition
Authors: Faraj Maycel Isaac , Bigun Josef
Published: May 2011

The present chapter reports on the use of lip motion as a stand alone biometric modality as well as a modality integrated with audio speech for identity recognition using digit recognition as a support. First, the auhtors estimate motion vectors from images of lip movements. The motion is modeled as the distribution of apparent line velocities in the movement of brightness patterns in an image. Then, they construct compact lip-motion features from the regional statistics of the local velocities. These can be used as alone or merged with audio features to recognize identity or the uttered digit. The author’s present person recognition results using the XM2VTS database representing the video and audio data of 295 people. Furthermore, we present results on digit recognition when it is used in a text prompted mode to verify the liveness of the user. Such user challenges have the intention to reduce replay attack risks of the audio system.
Face Recognition and Semantic Features
Authors: Zhou Huiyu , Yuan Yuan , Shi Chunmei
Published: May 2011

The authors present a face recognition scheme based on semantic features’ extraction from faces and tensor subspace analysis. These semantic features consist of eyes and mouth, plus the region outlined by three weight centres of the edges of these features. The extracted features are compared over images in tensor subspace domain. Singular value decomposition is used to solve the eigenvalue problem and to project the geometrical properties to the face manifold. They compare the performance of the proposed scheme with that of other established techniques, where the results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method.
Shape Matching for Foliage Database Retrieval
Authors: Ling Haibin , Jacobs David W.
Published: May 2011

Computer-aided foliage image retrieval systems have the potential to dramatically speed up the process of plant species identification. Despite previous research, this problem remains challenging due to the large intra-class variability and inter-class similarity of leaves. This is particularly true when a large number of species are involved. In this chapter, the authors present a shape-based approach, the inner-distance shape context, as a robust and reliable solution. The authors show that this approach naturally captures part structures and is appropriate to the shape of leaves. Furthermore, they show that this approach can be easily extended to include texture information arising from the veins of leaves. They also describe a real electronic field guide system that uses our approach. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated in experiments on two leaf databases involving more than 100 species and 1,000 leaves.
Resource Discovery Using Mobile Agents
Authors: Singh M. , Cheng X. , He X.
Published: May 2011

Discovery of the multimedia resources on network is the focus of the many researches in post semantic web. The task of resources discovery can be automated by using agent. This chapter reviews the current most used technologies that facilitate the resource discovery process. The chapter also the presents the case study to present a fully functioning resource discovery system using mobile agents.
Multimedia Data Indexing
Authors: Li Zhu , Fu Yun , Yuan Junsong , Wu Ying , Katsaggelos Aggelos , Huang Thomas S.
Published: May 2011

The rapid advances in multimedia capture, storage and communication technologies and capabilities have ushered an era of unprecedented growth of digital media content, in audio, visual, and synthetic forms, and both individually and commercially produced. How to manage these data to make them more accessible and searchable to users is a key challenge in current multimedia computing research. In this chapter, the authors discuss the problems and challenges in multimedia data management, and review the state of the art in data structures and algorithms for multimedia indexing, media feature space management and organization, and applications of these techniques in multimedia data management.
Blogging for Self-Determination with L2 Learner Journals
Authors: Alm Antonie
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses the use of blogs for foreign and second language (L2) learning. It first outlines the suitability of blogs for language education and shows the value of blogging beyond technical features. Blogging has been described as a social activity (Nardi, Schiano & Gumbrecht, 2004), which puts the writer in a central position. It will be argued that this centrality of the writer needs to be maintained in an educational context. The shift from teacher to learner orientation is seen as a significant change in language education. With reference to self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2002) the pedagogical principles that support L2 learner autonomy in a Web 2.0 learning environment will be discussed. Using blogs as L2 learner journals, it will be shown that Web 2.0 informs and supports language learning environments which foster L2 learner autonomy. The study indicates that blog-based reflective writing increases the learners’ sense of autonomy and that it has a positive impact on L2 learners’ perception of language awareness and development.
Using Mobile Technology and Podcasts to Teach Soft Skills
Authors: Viswanathan Revathi
Published: May 2011

Training ESL students in soft skills and employability skills with the help of Web 2.0 technologies is the current trend in Indian educational institutions. Students, who aspire to grow to greater heights in the corporate world, have understood the importance of learning soft skills such as verbal and non-verbal communication as well as employability skills such as interpersonal, problem solving and organizational skills to secure placements in leading companies. To meet these demands, teachers are required to play the role of facilitators of learning, and use innovative training methods. They no longer depend totally on textual materials but use advanced technological tools to supplement their teaching. The curriculum is designed to accommodate these innovations. Thus one finds more and more teachers using Web 2.0 technologies like podcasts, mobile phones, Wikis, blogs and Skype. Research studies conducted on the use of these Web 2.0 technology tools have shown the possibility of creating a virtual classroom and promoting students’ participatory learning in a more effective manner.
Mobile Technologies, Podcasting and Language Education
Authors: Hegelheimer Volker , O’Bryan Anne
Published: May 2011

The increasing availability of mobile technologies is allowing users to interact seamlessly with a variety of content anytime, anywhere. One of these new Web 2.0 technologies, or technologies that aim at enhancing and creating opportunities for user collaboration, is podcasting (Wikipedia, 2008; O’Reilly, 2005), an online audio and video publishing tool. Podcasts are increasingly being used by language educators and learners, yet in the educational realm, podcasting is still in a development phase as teachers and students are just beginning to experiment with ways to best use the technology. Therefore, few guidelines exist in terms of researching this new technology, specifically with regards to language learning and teaching (Rosell-Aguilar, 2007). In this chapter we begin to close this gap by first providing an overview of podcasting. We then discuss the potential of podcasting to transform ways in which languages are learned. In doing so, we cite illustrative examples of podcasts currently being used by language educators and students, and suggest ways in which the effects of this technology on language learning processes may be researched in order to make pedagogically sound decisions about using podcasts for language learning and teaching. After presenting a case study investigating the use of podcasts at Iowa State University, we conclude with a reflection on the potential for podcasts to transform language learning and teaching.
Cellular Network Planning
Authors: St-Hilaire Marc , Pierre Samuel
Published: May 2011

The cellular industry is evolving at a very fast pace. In fact, cellular networks have experienced significant changes over the last few years. In order to keep up with this constant evolution, planning tools must also adapt in order to reflect the particularities and architecture of each generation. In this chapter, we will first present the characteristics and the architecture of the four main generations of cellular networks (1G, 2G, 3G and 4G). We will then expose different planning problems related to each generation followed by a short description of different solutions that have been proposed in the literature.
Automated Fault Management in Wireless Networks
Authors: Barco Raquel , Lázaro Pedro
Published: May 2011

In the near future, several radio access technologies will coexist in Beyond 3G mobile networks (B3G) and they will be eventually transformed into one seamless global communication infrastructure. Selfmanaging systems (i.e. those that self-configure, self-protect, self-heal and self-optimize) are the solution to tackle the high complexity inherent to these networks. In this context, this chapter proposes a system for automated fault management in the Radio Access Network (RAN) of wireless systems. The chapter presents some basic definitions and describes how fault management is performed in current mobile communication networks. Some methods proposed for auto-diagnosis, which is the most complex task in fault management, are also discussed in this chapter. The presented systems incorporate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to identify the cause of the network malfunction.