bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Personal Innovativeness on the Use of the Internet Among Employees at Work
Authors: Larsen Tor J. , Sorebo Øystein
Published: May 2011

Examining Internet use among employees, this research investigated the theoretical proposition that personal IT innovativeness will positively impact the use of novel computer technologies. The research model included the individual traits of age, gender, experience with IT, and educational level. The article discusses the categories of organizationally relevant versus personal use of the Internet. Using a questionnaire, data was collected from 328 respondents in one organization. The results indicated that users perceive structural differences across various types of Internet use areas, although no clear support for a distinction between organizationally relevant and personal use was found. Additionally, the analyses indicated that personal use is considerably lower than organizationally relevant use of the Internet. However, employees may not distinguish clearly between these two categories. Personal IT innovativeness was the best predictor of organizationally relevant use of the Internet. Age contributed negatively to Internet use. Males appear to use the Internet more frequently than females. Educational level had no impact on Internet use.
A Comparison of Audio-Conferencing and Computer Conferencing in a Dispersed Negotiation Setting
Authors: Foroughi Abbas , Perkins William , Jessup Leonard M.
Published: May 2011

The growing globalization of business is making face-to-face communications, decision-making, and negotiations more the exception than the rule. Internet communication in text-only, audio, and video form are all becoming feasible methods of communication between distantly located parties. However, in order for these new technologies to be used most effectively, more investigation is needed into the impact of various media on decision-making, such as that in negotiation. In particular, negotiators need to have a means of choosing the most appropriate communication medium, based on the amount of richness inherent in the medium, for the particular task at hand. This paper presents the results of an empirical study to examine the effectiveness of a computerized negotiation support system (NSS) in supporting bargaining carried out in a dispersed, but synchronous setting. In the study, pairs of college students, using the NSS, participated in a simulated industrial bargaining scenario that tested the impact of communication media employed and level of conflict on contract outcomes and negotiator attitudes. The subjects, located in separate rooms, played the roles of buyer and seller engaged in negotiations either by telephone (audio-conferencing) or Lotus Notes (computer conferencing). In both low and high conflict, the efficiency aspects of audio-conferencing — a richer medium in which more communication can take place more quickly — overshadowed any negative social cues transmitted.
Quality of Use of a Complex Technology
Authors: Boudreau Marie-Claude , Sligman Larry
Published: May 2011

It has been argued that simple conceptualizations of usage are inadequate for understanding and studying use of complex information technologies. In this paper we contend that quality of use, instead of the dichotomy of use versus non-use, is appropriate for understanding the extent to which a complex information technology is being used. An inductive case study of the implementation of a complex information technology was conducted, which led to the development of a learning-based model of quality of use. This model suggests the inclusion of factors relating to training (either formal or informal), learning, and beliefs, their impact on quality of use, and their change over time. Moreover, it describes how quality of use evolves over time as learning increases and perceptions of the system change. Evidence from the case study, along with relationships from the literature, is provided to support the model. Implications for future research are also discussed.
Empirical Evaluation of an Integrated Supply Chain Model for Small and Medium Sized Firms
Authors: Sakaguchi Toru , Nicovich Stefan G. , Dibrell C. Clay
Published: May 2011

With increased global competitive pressures, companies operating in these competitive environments are not only looking to their distribution division to save money, but also to generate competitive advantages. One technique is the integrated supply chain. However, this process has not met with success for all companies, leading some managers to consider the appropriateness of an integrated supply chain. This dearth of success could be attributed to the lack of scholarship to guide managers in their efforts to formulate and then implement their integrated supply chain strategies. In an effort to fill this gap, our paper draws on resource dependency theory and the realities of ever-increasing information technology sophistication as enablers of successful supply chain integration,resulting in the creation of our model to guide managers throughout this process. Through a Web-based survey, 329 responses were collected and analyzed through a structural equation modeling technique using LISREL to confirm the relationships in the model.
Block Alliances and the Formation of Standards in the ITC Industry
Authors: Warner Alfred G.
Published: May 2011

This chapter extends the examination of block alliances in standard setting from market-driven to formal or committee-based processes in the information and communications industry. Formal-process block alliances are argued to emerge in anticipation of institutional failure, that is, from the prospect that formal standardization will not yield a timely or correct solution. These block alliances organize around particular standards or more general technology streams and have distinctive characteristics. These include a clear articulation and separation of marketing and technical specification roles. Finally, block alliances in formal standard setting exhibit a governance form corporate in nature and distinct from the star or clique forms exhibited in market-based alliances. Some potential causes of this are examined.
Standardization and Other Coordination Mechanisms in Open Source Software
Authors: Egyedi Tineke M. , Joode Ruben V.W.D.
Published: May 2011

Open-source software (OSS) offers programmers the opportunity to elaborate and adapt source code. It is an opportunity to diverge. We would therefore expect incompatible strains of software to develop, and, consequently, a demand for standardization to arise. However, this is only partly the case. In this chapter we explore which other coordinative mechanisms are at work next to committee standardization. We identify four other categories of coordinative mechanisms and illustrate their relevance in OSS development. They complement committee standardization, can be used in standardization, and are sometimes an alternative to standardization.
Ready – Set – Slow
Authors: Wehnert Jürgen
Published: May 2011

There is one thing most people seem to know about standardisation: It is slow. While innovation rates and product cycles grow shorter the principal mechanisms for making standards has not changed a lot over the years. This is at least true for the official standardisation bodies which are based on voluntary work and consensus building. Industry initiatives, however, can work with different targets, timing, and funding. The chapter investigates the standard making from within the very working groups which actually develop standards. The example from within Europe’s CEN shows why standard making is slow and what could be done about it. A lot boils down to management issues and funding, but also to industry interest and EU policies. One thing is for sure: The members of standardisation working groups do not delay standard making on purpose, but are part of a system which requires a certain degree of revision and innovation.
Audience Response Systems
Authors: Judson Eugene , Sawada Daiyo
Published: May 2011

Surprising to many is the knowledge that audience response systems have been in use since the 1960s. Reviewing the history of their use from the early hardwired systems to today’s computer-integrated systems provides the necessary scope to reflect on how they can best be used. Research shows that the systems have had consistent effects on motivation, and varying effects on student achievement over the years. The intent of this chapter is to consider lessons learned, consider the relation of technology and pedagogy, and to highlight elements of effective use. This chapter emphasizes the crucial role of pedagogy in determining whether audience response systems can lead to greater student achievement.
Using Audience Response Systems to Develop Critical Thinking Skills
Authors: Webking Robert , Valenzuela Felix
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes an approach that integrates audience response systems into the social science classroom. The pedagogy uses the technology to produce active and engaged participation, encouraging the development of students’ critical analysis skills, and facilitating high-level discussion within the classroom setting. The authors present their use of multiple audience response systems, along with the results they have observed, with a view to showcasing a variety of ways in which instructors at institutions of higher education might utilize these systems in their classes.
Evaluating Electronic Voting Systems to Enhance Student Learning
Authors: Kennedy Gregor E. , Cutts Quintin , Draper Stephen W.
Published: May 2011

This chapter provides practical advice on the evaluation of electronic voting systems (EVSs), particularly in relation to two evaluation methods. It begins by considering two potential educational advantages of using EVSs in large-group lectures in higher education. Four evaluation questions that are commonly asked by lecturers who use EVSs are linked to these two pedagogical advantages. The main body of the chapter focuses on two methods, observation and audit trails, and shows how these can be used to innovatively evaluate the use of EVSs. The development of an observational coding schema is described, and a case study of its use in two learning contexts is presented. Practical and technical issues associated with the use of audit trails are then discussed before a second case study is presented. The two case studies presented in this chapter draw extensively on data collected in evaluations of EVS implementations at the University of Glasgow.
Learning and Anxiety
Authors: Groves Sam , Gear Tony , Jones Cath , Connolly Michael , Read Martin
Published: May 2011

This chapter explores the process of making individual judgements within a group meeting environment that employs a “low-impact” form of group support, based on handset technology. A series of field-based case studies are reported in summary, and one in postgraduate education in more detail. These serve to demonstrate the potential for suitably designed group support systems (GSSs) to aid groups to overcome certain fundamental difficulties with which they have to contend. The protocol used is described, and a conceptual framework is proposed with which to explain practice. The framework centres on the encouragement of conversation that is focussed on the reasons for differences, coupled with the reduction of personal anxiety, achieved with flexibility offered through the GSS meeting environment.
Moving to Blended Delivery in a Polytechnic
Authors: Kelly Oriel
Published: May 2011

What strategies and support are effective for shifting the mindset of expert teachers to become expert e-learning teachers? This chapter outlines the process followed in a large polytechnic institution to introduce online and other technologies to begin to replace the traditional with more flexible, blended alternatives, delivered through a commercial course management system (CMS). Integral to the process was a matrix, devised to assist the academic development unit when working with faculty to make decisions about the degree of e-learning appropriate for their purposes. The matrix has guided the incorporation of technologies for teaching across the whole institute. The chapter outlines the institutional support that was provided for the different levels on the matrix, which enabled expert teachers to retain control over a quality learning experience for their students, and briefly explores some of the issues that arose and lessons that were learned.
Educational Design as a Key Issue in Planning for Quality Improvement
Authors: Sangra Albert , Guardia Lourdes , Gonzalez-Sanmamed Mercedes
Published: May 2011

This chapter focuses on the need for redesigning courses to develop an appropriate educational or instructional model to achieve a high level of quality in e-learning. It argues that e-learning must be integrated as a process of innovation in the institution for it to become a factor of improvement in the quality of higher education. Transition from conventional education to any model of e-learning demands a well-founded planning strategy to ensure quality in education delivery. Consequently, drawing up strategic plans for the integration of e-learning in our institutions is fundamental. The authors consider there is an obvious need for a greater study into the use of instructional design models and techniques in the sphere of e-learning. The selection of the most suitable instructional design model should allow researchers and practitioners to increase the quality of the educational offerings.
Simulation, Training, and Education Between Theory and Practice
Authors: Piu Angela
Published: May 2011

This chapter reports the results of a theoretical and practical research work on simulation, both as a teaching strategy that creates a dynamic and experiential situation which enables participants to take on roles in relation to the variables to be tested or modified, and the learning content that the students need to acquire. With reference to the training and educational needs of contemporary society, the theoretical premises underlying simulation are considered and examined in relation to recent findings regarding the process of learning and teaching and the acquisition of knowledge, as well as some recent research results. On the basis of the findings, it appears necessary to reflect on the synergy triggered through simulation. It particularly emphasized the role of simulation in the integration of different skills and types of knowledge, leading to the overcoming of the compartmentalization of knowledge and its fragmentation into discrete subjects or disciplines. Questions remain open regarding the role of ICT in the whole simulation process.
The Meaning and Development of KM in E-Learning According to the CARID Experience
Authors: Pedroni Marco
Published: May 2011

Knowledge management and e-learning have many common elements: both are based on information and knowledge exchange, but the most important element marking this relation is the structure of the knowledge, necessary issue in order to organize and efficiently share the stream of information. CARID, the Academic Centre for Didactic Research and Innovation at the University of Ferrara, has developed a particular method for the representation of knowledge contexts and the support for information streaming, all based on indexes and expansible concept maps.
Learning to Use Multiple Tools
Authors: Dawley Lisa
Published: May 2011

The strengths and weaknesses of each tool are discussed in detail, and educators are taught to match the strengths of the specific tool to the learning objectives they seek to achieve in their courses. Multiple examples of objectives and online learning activities are provided to help instill a deep understanding of the power of each online tool. This leaves you with a long-term ability to adapt your own curriculum over time, because you have learned options for using a variety of online tools to achieve specific learning objectives. Finally, each chapter includes a sample lesson plan that demonstrates how to integrate the tool into the learning experience. These ideas and activities provide tried and true suggestions for creating an online environment that engages and empowers learners for success. And when your students are successful in learning, you are successful in teaching.
Staff Perspectives on ILT
Authors: McCaig Colin , Smith Maria
Published: May 2011

This chapter examines staff perceptions of information and learning technology (ILT) in the UK learning and skills sector. It is divided into two sections dealing in turn with pedagogic and cultural issues. The section on pedagogical issues explores the use of the VLE/intranet as an alternative teaching method, and asks why these modes of learning are comparatively rare in the learning and skills sector. This section is also concerned with perceptions of the impact of ILT on students’ retention and attainment and explores the concept of variable use and variable impact by level and subject area. The cultural and infrastructure issues explored in the second section relate to staff development and training opportunities (such as the number and type of courses offered), the additional help requested, and the barriers to further uptake.
Lessons in Implementing a Learning System in a University
Authors: Darroch Fiona , Toleman Mark
Published: May 2011

This chapter examines the implementation of two learning management systems (LMS) in a university environment. Within the context of a case study and from the perspective of academic users, there is a review of the technological and organizational challenges that arise. There is an in-depth analysis of the implementation in terms of what went well and what should be done differently (i.e., lessons learned). Along with the macro-environmental factors that influence the global e-learning space, the related pedagogical issues, learning models, and technological toolsets are also explored. The authors hope that the experiences chronicled in the case study may act as a lesson to others contemplating such a project of the many technical and organizational issues that need to be addressed, with an emphasis on understanding the importance of the viewpoint of academic users.
A Case Study of the Integration of Self, Peer, and Group Assessment in a Core First-Year Educational Psychology Unit through Flexible Delivery Implementation
Authors: Albon Rozz
Published: May 2011

This chapter provides a case study of one lecturer’s approach to innovativeassessment in a first year unit of university study of 188 students. Manyinsights are provided into the training, preparation, and assessmentexperiences of self, peer, group, and lecturer assessments bound togetherby technology for flexible delivery. The dynamic and complex forms ofassessment support the coproduction of knowledge sharing to harness thesynergy of collective knowledge. Specifically, this chapter presents theauthor’s use of theory used to inform selected assessment strategies.General issues surrounding group assessments, and the impact of graduateattributes and technology on assessment, introduce the case study andreinforce the fact that assessment drives the learning. The author hopesthat by sharing her insights, higher-education practices can better meet theneed for students to learn collaborative and team skills required for thefuture world of work.
Culture of Critique
Authors: Riel Margaret , Rhoads James , Ellis Eric
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we explore a strategy, “online learning circles,” forhelping students develop their own authority and trust in evaluatingresearch and a respect for the authority of their peers. Our goal is toexamine this online collaborative structure and its ability to foster a cultureof constructive critique in graduate-school education. The data we analyzeincludes peer-review messages and survey responses. Student messagedata are coded for type and quality of peer review. The survey data is usedto understand the students’ perspective about their experience in learningcircles and their judgment of the quality of feedback they offered andreceived from their peers. This research addresses two important issues.First, it evaluates a structure, learning circles for group work in graduateonline education; and second, it explores the type and form of peerfeedback from within this collaborative structure. Learning circles didprovide a structure for peer review but there are reservations and issuesinvolved in helping students to develop the trust needed to work togethereffectively. The second issue revolves around authority in the process ofpeer review. Under what conditions are students willing to be critical andto accept criticism from their peers as legitimate? To do this involves aprocess of reacculturation that is difficult to create in courses of limitedduration but may be one argument for the advantages of creating a cohortmodel of education in either on-campus or online programs of study.
Computing Ethics, Intercultural Comparisons
Authors: Macer Darryl
Published: May 2011

Computers are a vehicle for the information age, and are central to the dispersal of descriptive accounts of technology, and to interactive discussion between growing communities. Despite the commitment of all countries to free flow of information and access to knowledge sources based upon social justice there are still ethical problems of the digital divide. The attitudes of respondents towards science and computers in both Japan and Thailand is compared between 1993 and a decades later. There is more positive support towards science and technology in general in Thailand than in Japan, but both countries continue to be positive in attitude. There is a clear social mandate in both countries for their government policies promoting the development of information technology and science and technology in general. The perception of benefits and the worries about computers are discussed, as are some emerging issues.
500 Million Missing Web Sites
Authors: Wresch William
Published: May 2011

This chapter examines well-known technological shortages in developing countries in the context of Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach. The significant consequences of these shortages include reduced access to necessary professional information, limited production of local cultural information, and the general invisibility of the developing world. The moral situation created by these shortages is reviewed using Sen’s analyses. Three practical responses are also examined. By reviewing one vehicle for information transfer – the web site – the author hopes to highlight the importance of this vehicle and to present reasonably simple responses to current shortcomings.
Rethinking E-Learning
Authors: Bang Jørgen , Dalsgaard Christian
Published: May 2011

“Technology alone does not deliver educational success. It only becomes valuable in education if learners and teachers can do something useful with it” (OECD, 2001, p. 24). This quotation could be used as a bon mot for this chapter. Our main goal is to rethink e-learning by shifting the focus of attention from learning resources (learning objects) to learning activities, which also implies a refocusing of the pedagogical discussion of the learning process. Firstly, we try to identify why e-learning has not been able to deliver the educational results as expected 5 years ago. Secondly, we discuss the relation between learning objectives, learning resources, and learning activities, in an attempt to develop a consistent, theoretical framework for learning as an active, collaborative process that bears social and cultural relevance to the student. Finally, we specify our concept of learning activities, and argue for the educational advantages of creating large learning resources that may be used for multiple learning activities.
Ms. Chips and Her Battle Against the Cyborgs
Authors: Cuthell J. P.
Published: May 2011

This chapter is written for practising teachers, and examines the institutional and individual factors that inhibit the implementation of information and communication technology (ICT) as a tool for teaching and learning. The affordances of ICT are identified, together with their contribution to attainment, creativity, and learning. The author argues that many of the obstacles to meaningful uses of ICT are embedded in the assumptions inherent in many institutional frameworks that are predicated on an outmoded industrial model that drives many school timetables, which process learners through the school machine. Individual change is easier to effect than institutional: the author provides some suggestions to liberate creative teachers from constraints of the system.
E-Government Strategy in Brazil
Authors: de Almeida Marcos Ozor O
Published: May 2011

The role of SIASG/Comprasnet in promoting efficiency and transparency in government procurement (GP) in Brazil has generated great interest in the international scenario of e-commerce and in the transformation of public administration, related to the e-government initiative. Several international organizations and some national governments have elected this experience as a best practice in e-government in the government-to-business (G2B) classification. Some of the innovations implemented by the system are the use of the e-reverse auction (e-RA) and the publishing of information of all the phases of the tendering process. This chapter has the aim of analyzing the results obtained by the Brazilian government strategy in the use of a specifically developed e-government procurement (e-GP) system (http://www.comprasnet.gov.br). It is composed of a structuring system, operated internally by the government, coupled with a Web interface for suppliers and the general public that covers the whole GP cycle (including post-award contract administration) of commodities (sundries and standard quality goods and services). The analyzed e-GP application accounts for expenditures of around $8.5 billion. This amount is equivalent to 15% of the budget (1.5% of GDP).
Aligning Strategy With Organizational Structures And Project Deployment
Authors: Shimizu Tamio , Monteiro de Carvalho Marley , Barbin Fernando Jose
Published: May 2011

Companies have undergone a process of transformation, organizing themselves to be able to make effective and agile responses to environmental problems and, especially, those having to do with competition and positioning in the market. These responses constitute a set of actions or activities that reflect the company’s competence in taking advantage of opportunities, and their capacity for rapid action, respecting time and cost limits and specifications (Rabechini & Carvalho, 2003). To do so, constructing project-oriented organizations and investing in management design tools and techniques is fundamental, and this has become a growing concern of companies. Handy (1995) points out that organizations in the postindustrial era will be configured like “condominiums”, with groups of projects housed together, since what adds the most value to products and services are intelligent, rather than routine, activities (Fleury & Fleury, 2000). According to Frame (1999), project management practices have consolidated since the 1990s, and several researchers cite this as an obligatory subject matter for companies that seek to develop and maintain competitive advantages. A good indicator of this growth is the presence of the PMI (Project Management Institute) in over 100 countries; it has certified around 25,000 project managers since the beginning of 2002 (Rabechini and Carvalho, 2003). However, studies based in Brazilian companies show that few have formalized development of a management model for the process of innovation and projects (Rabechini et al., 2002). The main concepts related to project management and the ways that a company can structure itself to reach maturity in its projects will be discussed in this chapter. The alignment between strategy and project management structure is also addressed.
Decision Based On Organizational Knowledge, Decision Support Systems, Expert System And Business Intelligence
Authors: Shimizu Tamio , Monteiro de Carvalho Marley , Barbin Fernando Jose
Published: May 2011

Organizations are often seeking techniques for improving the actions to structure decision models. However, with the possible exception of routine and well-structured problems, most of the decision problems found in organizations constitute a chaotic and complex family of problems. The principle of bounded rationality proposed by Herbert Simon suggests the use of a decision model based on a simplified model of a firm with a small number of relational concepts, such as: (a) quasi resolution of conflict,( b) uncertainty avoidance or minimization, (c) search directed around the main objective of the problem and, (d) adaptation of organizational goals based on learning. Organizations achieve a better decision-making process by searching different levels of knowledge inside and outside the organization. According to March (1999), the pursuit of organizational knowledge (or intelligence) to structure better decision models is made particularly difficult by three problems. The first problem is the problem of ignorance, because not every thing is known, the future is uncertain, and so on. The second problem is the problem of conflict, because organizations seek goals and objectives in the name of multiple, nested actors over multiple, nested time periods. The third problem is the problem of ambiguity, caused by ill-defined or ill-measured preferences and identities. In order to arrive at good procedures for a decision-making process, organizations adopt some practices leading to intelligent actions. For example, the “rule-based rational action” is considered an intelligent action to estimate the future consequences of possible current actions and choose the one with the highest expected value. Procedures based on “rule-based action,” used together with “organizational learning,” are considered by many authors, as a way to involve assessments of the collective actions and long-term consequences rather than individual action at a particular time. However, neither “rationality” nor “learning” always assures a reasonable final model. In Chapter IX, a list of problems considered to be the hidden traps in decision making — the anchoring trap, the status-quo trap, the sunk-cost trap, the confirming-evidence trap, the framing trap, and estimating and forecasting traps — is presented. According to the authors of this list, complex and important decisions problems are the most prone to distortion because they tend to involve assumptions, estimates, and the inputs from the most people (Davenport & Prusak, 1998; Matheus et al., 1993; March, 1999).
Case of ERP Implementation for Production Planning at EA Cakes Ltd.
Authors: Portougal Victor
Published: May 2011

This case details the implementation of Systems Applications & Products’(SAP) Production Planning module at EA Cakes Ltd. The market forced thecompany to change its sales and production strategy from “make-to-order”(MTO) to “make-to-stock” (MTS). The decision to change the strategyinvolved not only the company’s decision to invest much more money inaccumulation and keeping stocks of finished goods, it required a completeredesign of its production planning system, which was an integral part of an ERPsystem that used SAP software.
Case Solutions
Authors: Portougal Victor
Published: May 2011

The production planning system described earlier carried specific features ofproduction planning at EA Cakes Ltd. Standard software, on the other hand,by definition, comprises programmes developed for an anonymous market.The question is: Can a standard software system like SAP give adequatecomputer support to an individually designed business management system?A team from IT specialists and production planning personnel was formed fordesigning computer support for the new production planning system businessprocesses.Thinking in terms of business processes helps managers to look at theirorganisation from the customer’s perspective. Usually a business processinvolves several functional areas and functions within those areas. Thus, abusiness process is cross-functional. Definitely, this is the case of the produc-tion planning at EA Cakes Ltd.
An Object-Oriented Approach to Manage E-Learning Content Using Learning Objects
Authors: Holzinger Andreas , Smolle Josef , Reibnegger Gilbert
Published: May 2011

Learning objects (LO) are theoretically based on granular, reusable chunks of information. In this chapter the authors argue that LOs should consist of more than just content, that is, they should include pre-knowledge questions on the basis of the concept of the advanced organizer, of self-evaluation questions (assessment), and finally of appropriate metadata. The used metadata concept must be based on accepted standards, such as learning object metadata (LOM) and the shareable object reference model (SCORM). A best practice example of the realization of these concepts is the Virtual Medical Campus Graz (VMC-Graz), which actually is the realization of an information system to make a new curriculum digitally accessible.
Potential Benefits and Challenges of Computer-Based Learning in Health
Authors: Lazakidou Athina A. , Ilioudi Christina , Daskalaki Andriani
Published: May 2011

Computer-based learning has been developed for the beginning medical student and the experienced practitioner, for the lay person and the medical expert. There are many advantages to online and computer-based learning when compared to traditional face-to-face courses and lectures. Information technologies are providing new opportunities for linking medical schools around the world for sharing computer-based learning materials. In this chapter, the authors present examples of actual programs that are being used to support medical education for each of these categories of learners.
Current Telehealth Applications in Telemedicine
Authors: Economopoulos Georgios
Published: May 2011

Rapidly emerging information and communication technologies (ICT) have spurred the recent escalation of various telehealth applications. There is an enormous interest in finding new ways to apply telehealth as much as telemedicine as a special part of telehealth. This chapter has along with providing a better understanding of what telehealth is, investigated the ways in which such an avant-garde, advancing, and newly emerging technology could be used in order to be available in an upper-healthcare level.
Region of Interest Coding in Medical Images
Authors: Chandrashekar Sharath T. , Varanasi Gomata L.
Published: May 2011

To provide efficient compression of medical images, identifying and extracting the region of interest from the entire image and coding the specific region to accuracy is important. This chapter introduces the basics of region of interest coding, an overview of the coding methods available and their main features for the benefit of learners and researchers. The special focus is on JPEG-2000-based algorithms.
Basic Principles and Applications of Microarrays in Medicine
Authors: Daskalaki Andriani , Lazakidou Athina A.
Published: May 2011

The simultaneous expression of a large number of genes is a critical component of normal growth and development, and the maintenance of health. Microarray technology is used to understand fundamental aspects of growth and development, as well as to explore the underlying genetic causes of many human diseases. Systematic analysis of microarray data will yield insight into molecular biological processes and the functions of thousands of gene products in parallel. This approach allows for better understanding in cellular signaling, disease classification, diagnosis, and prognosis. Microarrays allow scientists to analyze the expression of many genes in a single experiment quickly and efficiently. One important goal of computational analysis of microarrays is to extract clues from microarray data and translate the information into biological understanding diseases in medicine and dentistry. There are different platforms or types of DNA microarrays that are commercially available: Glass DNA microarrays and high-density oligonucleotide microarrays. DNA microarray experiments generate large quantities of genome-wide data. To extract useful information from expression profiles, computational tools that compute, statistically validate and display data can be used. An important step in the computation of microarray data is normalization. The purpose of the normalization prozess is to identify and remove the effects of systematic variation in the measured fluorescence intensities other than differential expressions. There are different methods for the normalization of data: total intensity normalization, regression normalization, normalization using ratio statistics, and variance stabilization (VSN). A major goal of microarray data analysis is to identify differentially expressed genes. Selecting marker genes is an important issue for disease classification based on gene expression data.
System Patterns of the Human Organism and their Heredity
Authors: Doepp Manfred , Edelmann Gabriele
Published: May 2011

The frequency distribution analysis of biological data enables an insight into the regulatory state of the organism. In case of strong or permanent deviations from the balance of the systems (e.g. of the vegetative nervous system) abnormalities and/or diseases will result. They are associated with a tendency either to chaos or to rigidity. We examined in this way families over two or three generations. Similarities in their distribution histogram types are evaluated which confirm a genetic disposition and a heritability of system patterns. Risk profiles are resulting individually and concerning the descendants making possible a systemic prevention therapy or a modification of the life style. The analysis method may be adapted to a lot of medical examinations and represents an objective second opinion concerning health prevention. `
Ergonomic User Interface Design in Computerized Medical Equipment
Authors: Doyle D. John
Published: May 2011

Current statistics suggest that preventable medical error is a common cause of patient morbidity and mortality, being responsible for between 44,000 and 98,000 deaths annually, and resulting in injuries that cost between $17 billion and $29 billion annually. An important approach to tackling this problem is to apply system design principles from human factors engineering (ergonomics). By doing so, systems and equipment become easier for people to work with, ultimately reducing the frequency of errors. In particular, in the case of medical equipment, the design of the user interface can impact enormously on its successful use. In this chapter we consider some of the elements of good and bad medical equipment design, using examples drawn from the literature and elsewhere. The concept of ecological interface design is also discussed, and some practical design guidelines are provided.
Measurement of Cost and Economic Efficiency in Healthcare
Authors: Danilakis Panagiotis , Robolas Pericles
Published: May 2011

The developments in new sectors, as in medical physics and biomedical technology, contributed a lot to the progress and especially to the medical practice. However, these developments created a complicated and costly environment in which health services have to take place. This chapter reports on the sensitive sector of finances of health and particularly the ways of cost assessment. Furthermore, it presents the significance of efficiency and effectiveness of technology that is used in the area of health.
Multi-Cellular Techniques
Authors: Anderson C.
Published: May 2011

Social insects—ants, bees, wasps, and termites—and the distributed problem-solving, multi-agent paradigm that they represent, have been enormously influential in nature-inspired computing. Insect societies have been a source of inspiration and amazement for centuries, but only in the last 25 years or so have we made significant inroads to both understanding just how various collective phenomena arise and are governed, and how we can use the lessons and insights garnered from sociobiological research for more practical purposes. In this chapter, we provide a very brief history of the field, detailing some of the key phenomena, mechanisms, and lessons learned, and a quick tour of some of the different types of applications to which this knowledge has been put to use, including but certainly not limited to distributed problem solving, task allocation, search, and collective robotics.
Stochastic Optimization Algorithms
Authors: Collet P. , Rennard J.
Published: May 2011

When looking for a solution, deterministic methods have the enormous advantage that they do find global optima. Unfortunately, they are very CPU intensive, and are useless on untractable NP-hard problems that would require thousands of years for cutting-edge computers to explore. In order to get a result, one needs to revert to stochastic algorithms that sample the search space without exploring it thoroughly. Such algorithms can find very good results, without any guarantee that the global optimum has been reached; but there is often no other choice than using them. This chapter is a short introduction to the main methods used in stochastic optimization.
Human Nature in the Adaptation of Trust
Authors: Nooteboom B.
Published: May 2011

This chapter pleads for more inspiration from human nature in agent-based modeling. As an illustration of an effort in that direction, it summarizes and discusses an agent-based model of the build-up and adaptation of trust between multiple producers and suppliers. The central question is whether, and under what conditions, trust and loyalty are viable in markets. While the model incorporates some well-known behavioral phenomena from the trust literature, more extended modeling of human nature is called for. The chapter explores a line of further research on the basis of notions of mental framing and frame switching on the basis of relational signaling, derived from social psychology.
Evolutionary Modeling and Industrial Structure Emergence
Authors: Kwasnicka H. , Kwasnicki W.
Published: May 2011

In the first part of the chapter, an outline of the evolutionary model of industrial dynamics is presented. The second part deals with a simulation study of the model focused on identification of necessary conditions for emergence of different industrial strictures. Textbooks of traditional economics distinguish four typical industry structures and study them under the names of pure competition, pure monopoly, oligopoly, and monopolistic competition. Variations in behavior modes of differently concentrated industries ought to be an outcome of the cooperation of well-understood evolutionary mechanisms, and not the result of juggling differently placed curves representing supply, demand, marginal revenue, marginal cost, average costs, and so forth. Textbook analysis of industrial structures usually omits influence of innovation on market behavior. Evolutionary approach and simulation allow for such analysis and through that allow enriching the industrial development study. One of the important conclusions from this chapter is that evolutionary analysis may be considered as a very useful and complementary tool to teach economics.
Games, Supply Chains, and Automatic Strategy Discovery Using Evolutionary Computation
Authors: Gosling T.
Published: May 2011

The use of evolutionary computation is significant for the development and optimisation of strategies for dynamic and uncertain situations. This chapter introduces three cases in which evolutionary computation has already been used successfully for strategy generation in the form of work on the Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma, Rubinstein’s alternating offers bargaining model, and the simple supply chain model. The first two of these show how evolutionary computation has been applied to extensively studied, well-known problems. The last of these demonstrates how recent statistical approaches to evolutionary computation have been applied to more complex supply chain situations that traditional game-theoretical analysis has been unable to tackle. The authors hope that the chapter will promote this approach, motivate further work in this area, and provide a guide to some of the subtleties involved in applying evolutionary computation to different problems.
Complexity-Based Modelling Approaches for Commercial Applications
Authors: Collings D.
Published: May 2011

Understanding complex socio-economic systems is a key problem for commercial organizations. In this chapter we discuss the use of agent-based modelling to produce decision support tools to enhance this understanding. We consider the important aspects of the model creation process which include the facilitation of dialogue necessary to extract knowledge, the building of understanding, and the identification of model limitations. It is these aspects that are crucial in the establishment of trust in a model. We use the example of modelling opinion diffusion within a customer population and its effect on product adoption to illustrate how the agent-based modelling technique can be an ideal tool to create models of complex socioeconomic systems. We consider the advantages compared to alternative, more conventional approaches available to analysts and management decision makers.
Computer Ethics and Intelligent Technologies
Authors: Kats Yefim
Published: May 2011

This article is a survey of moral and social challenges related to the development of intelligent technologies and the emerging phenomenon of the Semantic Web. We explicate the ethical issues arising from the growing popularity of intelligent software agents and Web-based knowledge representation systems. In this context, we consider the growing technical capabilities of intelligent software tools vs. corresponding social and moral responsibilities. Moreover, the rapidly changing software engineering environment is reshaping the role of an educator in the design and development of computerized systems in general and intelligent tools in particular. From this perspective, the integrated approach to software engineering education is discussed and analyzed.
Computer Worms, Detection, and Defense
Authors: Cole Robert J.
Published: May 2011

Since the first widespread Internet worm incident in 1988, computer worms have become a major Internet threat and a subject of increasing academic research. This worm, known as the Morris Worm, was written by Cornell University student Robert Morris. Morris’s worm infected Sun Microsystems Sun 3 and VAX hosts running versions of 4 BSD UNIX by exploiting flaws in several standard services. Although there is no strong consensus as to the definition of a worm (Kienzle & Elder, 2003), the general notion of a worm can be understood by way of contrast with viruses. A virus is a program that can ‘infect’ another program through modification to include a copy of itself (Cohen, 1984). Worms, in contrast, are often characterized as not requiring another program for execution or another agent for activation?that is, a worm can execute and propagate itself autonomously (Spafford, 1988). This characterization of worms as malcode that does not require human intervention for propagation is, however, not universally accepted. For example, Kienzle and Elder (2003) define worms as malicious code that propagates over a network, either with or without human intervention. Such a definition includes e-mail-based mass-mailer viruses, a category that would be largely excluded if the need for human intervention is excluded from the definition of a worm.