bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Historiography of Town Planning and Its Shifting Paradigms in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Minyoi Mutakela Kingsley
Published: May 2019

This chapter traces the evolution of town planning, which developed in response to specific challenges of industrialization. However, the chapter is written from a Sub-Saharan standpoint, with emphasis on the planning situation in the context of the pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial periods. Although the arrival of European colonialists along the African coastline dates from 16th century, the colonial roots of modernist planning in Sub-Saharan Africa is traceable only to the 19th century. Post-independence, it has been recognized that the colonial planning systems are inadequate for effectively confronting the emergent development challenges such as rapid urbanization, informal settlements proliferation, as well as post-conflict and post-disaster situations. This chapter therefore highlights the efforts that have been made to reform urban planning processes in Sub-Saharan Africa, emphasizing the post-colonial discourse on urban and regional planning theories and practices that are responsive to prevailing circumstances within this sub-continent.
Debating the Informal Sector and Urban Planning in Botswana
Authors: Molebatsi Chadzimula , Morobolo Seabo
Published: May 2019

This chapter reflects on the relationship existing between the state and the informal sector in Botswana. Despite embracing global calls for inclusive human settlements, the relationship between the state and the informal sector in Botswana equivocates between hostility and tacit recognition. This ambiguity is explained in terms of two overlapping stances, namely, the elitist and exclusionist natures of the country's settlement planning legislation. Botswana's settlement planning legislation plays a significant role in the creation of the informal sector, yet the existence of this same sector would not be openly embraced. Relying on the concept of human rights and justice implied in calls such as “just cities,” “right to the city,” and “sustainable livelihoods,” this chapter makes a case for coproduction of interventions with a view to establishing inclusive and sustainable human settlements that recognize the unavoidable nature of the informal sector.
Assessment of Learning Needs of Street Vendors in Ghana
Authors: Kutame Louis Caleb , Kwapong Olivia Frimpong
Published: May 2019

This chapter assessed the learning needs of street vendors in Accra, the capital city of Ghana. The findings revealed that vendors in the streets of Accra were made up predominantly of young people aged between the ages of 16 and 40 years. Seventy-five percent (75%) of these street vendors had gone through basic education and about 55% of them showed interest in furthering their learning. A majority of those who wished to further their education and indicated that they wished to be assisted in acquiring technical education which they figured out would enable them to generate regular revenues with which they can support themselves and their families. It was recommended that adult educators should assist street vendors in locating opportunities for the learning they have indicated and to support them in achieving their dream for the sake of national development.
The Relationship Between Competitiveness-Driven Factors and Travel and Tourism Policy
Authors: Katou Anastasia A. , Katsouli Eleni F.
Published: May 2019

Drawing on the resource-based view, this study examines the impact of environmental-driven, infrastructure-driven and resources-driven factors on travel and tourism policy and enabling conditions. Using a multilevel sample of 136 economies categorized in 15 geographical areas, and conducting a multilevel path analyses, we find that ICT readiness and ground and port infrastructure are the most important factors that predict the travel & tourism policy and enabling conditions construct. Based on these findings, which underline the meaning of competitiveness, the study has several theoretical and practical implications.
Sharing Economy and Sustainability in Tourism
Authors: Borrelli Nunzia , Bernardi Monica
Published: May 2019

The chapter focuses on the growing importance that the sustainability issue is gaining in tourism and on the increasing research of sustainable forms of tourism among travelers, looking to the relation with the emerging market of the sharing economy. Three streams of literature are merged: the contemporary tourists, the sustainable tourism and the sharing economy. This triangulation allows reflecting on the challenges that tours operators and in general the traditional tourism sector have to face in order to maintain their position on the market while accomplishing the sustainable goals. The analysis of three case studies, peer-to-peer platforms from South Korea, Italy, and the USA, favors the identification of some preliminary suggestions.
Travel Agencies and Tour Operators at KidZania
Authors: Seraphin Hugues , Dosquet Frederic
Published: May 2019

The role of tour operators (TOs) and travel agents (TAs) are putting together transport, events, attractions, accommodation and food / drink into a package and are then selling them to customers. The authors introduce in this chapter a new marketing strategy for TOs and TAs, as there is fierce competition in the retail environment. The approach offers an alternative to the existing marketing and distribution channel in the industry. The KidZania concept in itself is very strong from a marketing point of view due to its high capacity to convince customers. Also, with KidZania, TOs and TAs have an opportunity to ‘breed' ethical tourists, that is to say, tourists that respect their host, their environment, and culture. That said, the KidZania model could be said to be a form of manipulation of emotions, by pushing the children to behave and consume the way we would like them to.
Idiosyncratic Deals and Organizational Performance
Authors: Chand Dhiman Mohinder , Katou Anastasia A.
Published: May 2019

The purpose of this study is to examine the mediating mechanism of idiosyncratic deals (i-deals) content (e.g., task, career, flexibility) in the relationship between core self-evaluations - CSE (e.g., efficacy, esteem, stability, locus of control), employee outcomes (e.g., motivation, commitment, work engagement and organizational citizenship behavior), and the mediating mechanism of employee outcomes in the relationship between i-deals and organizational performance (e.g., productivity, growth, creativity). The hypotheses of the study were tested with the application of structural equation modelling on data collected from 141 employees working in 17 companies operating in the Indian travel intermediaries industry. The findings show that i-deals content positively and partially mediate the relationship between CSE and employee outcomes, and employee outcomes positively and fully mediate the relationship between i-deals content and organizational performance. Implications of the findings for both research and practice are discussed.
Insights Into South Africa's Travel Agency Sector With Respect to Service Quality
Authors: Naidoo Vannie
Published: May 2019

Travel agencies remain important points of call for tourists wishing to travel locally or abroad. In South Africa, the Association of South African Travel Agencies (ASATA) drives the travel agency sector. The primary aim of ASATA is to maintain and further improve a sustainable and profitable sector of its members by ensuring the delivery of a professional service to the travelling consumer. This service is achievable by the travel agency or tour operators through a strong relationship and open dialogue being present with all stakeholders in the travel and tourism value chain. Since tour agencies operate in dynamic, continuously changing environments, the concept of service quality is an important strategic tool that can be used by a tour agency to retain its clients and attract new clients. Word of mouth is an excellent tool that can create brand awareness and build customer loyalty towards a tour agency. Travel agencies that provide superior quality service in those service offerings to their clients can be leaders in the travel agency sector. This chapter employs the qualitative research approach and looks at unpacking literature on the travel agency sector. Service quality in the sector in South Africa is another key theme explored.
The Role of Public and Private Sector for Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality Business Development in Ethiopia
Authors: Takele Yezihalem Sisay
Published: May 2019

In order to achieve the objective of the study, both primary and secondary data were generated by employing qualitative (using group discussion, in depth interview, and observation) and quantitative (mainly using survey and visitor survey questionnaires) methods. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used to select both private and public tourism sectors and 80 samples, respectively. The quantitative data was analyzed using frequency, percentage, and mean when appropriate while qualitative data was used to triangulate and substantiate the study. The finding result shows the visitor experience on the area of transportation and accommodation is the area where Addis Ababa falls far behind. There are several areas of poor performance (supported by both visitor questionnaires during the preparation of this study). Overall, the analysis identified that the industry (the role of public and private sector for sustainable tourism development in Ethiopia) is underperforming relative to the tremendous potential value to fasten for a tourism industry in the country.
Marketing Strategies of Travel Agencies and New Technologies Used for the Marketing Strategy
Authors: Unurlu Çiğdem
Published: May 2019

In the 21st century, increasing technological opportunities and globalization has affected tourism mobility significantly. The purpose of this study is to point out the increasing importance of travel agencies and tour operators that have important functions in the distribution of touristic products and to evaluate the marketing strategies used by travel agencies in the world today where human mobility has gained momentum. In this respect, secondary data have been used, and a critical literature review has been conducted. The marketing strategies used by travel agencies and the technologies related to these strategies have been reviewed. From this point, among the marketing strategies used by travel agencies, market segmentation strategies, growth strategies, competitive strategies, market share strategies, and product life cycle strategies have been addressed. Then, new technologies such as central reservation systems, the WAP technology, and digital broadcasting, which are used in the marketing strategies of agencies, have been evaluated. Finally, the sales techniques that agencies use in their marketing strategies have been reviewed.
Overview of Workforce Education and Current Economic Surge in Oil and Gas Industry
Authors: Neal Julie , Neal Brittany Lee
Published: May 2019

This chapter highlights workforce and technical training required by a demanding and growing need of oil and gas companies in the Permian Basin. The chapter focuses on the alignment of workforce training to develop specific skill sets, joining workers with companies, vendors, and community through workforce training. Paying particular attention to the challenges facing today's workforce, focusing on a growing and evolving workforce needs, and how to train and retrain to keep pace with those changes. The discussion includes a complex development and operation of workforce programs and how workforce education programs implement an industry-based training and support.
Managing End-of-Life Information in Palliative Care
Authors: Martins Alexandre Cotovio
Published: May 2019

In this chapter, the author develop a sociological analysis of the role played by professional management of information about patients' end-of-life (EoL) processes in palliative care (PC). Thus the author will thus highlight the processes by which PC professionals manage private health information about patients in the frame of this type of care. Thus the author will show how managing information about prospective EoL trajectories by healthcare professionals is one of the major challenges in their daily work in PC wards. The author verifies that, in these contexts, patients and their families and members of the healthcare teams tend to have different experiential and personal careers in their relation with disease, the organization of care, and EoL trajectories, whose confrontation at the level of interaction produces complex effects in social processes that occur in daily activity contexts of PC.
Supporting Sustained Faculty Engagement in Blended Learning
Authors: Gardner Catherine Villanueva , Portman-Daley Joannah , Riley Jeannette E. , Torrens Kathleen M.
Published: May 2019

Faculty professional development in higher education, especially at the intersections of pedagogy and technology, is an essential need given rapid, ongoing changes in technology, as well as the digital learning experiences students bring to college that inform how they learn and how they want to learn. This chapter outlines the implementation of faculty development programs at UMass Dartmouth and the University of Rhode Island that have positively impacted blended teaching and learning practices. The authors discuss best practices of blended learning training courses that can transform faculty thinking about course (re)design and student learning assessment, as well as the need for strong faculty peer mentorship programs to create a culture of collaboration, mentorship, and assessment focused on student retention and learning. As the authors conclude, there is a need for concurrent, intentional faculty development programming, and peer mentoring in order to improve student learning outcomes in the blended learning environment.
Faculty Development in Digital Spaces
Authors: Carpenter Russell G.
Published: May 2019

The 21st-century faculty member is faced with numerous challenging tasks. Teaching must be current and highly engaging. To ensure the highest quality faculty development focused on digital teaching and learning, higher education academic institutions need to identify innovative new ways to address these challenges, often through digital methods and deliveries. Too often, however, faculty are pressured with diminished time and resources. That is, teaching, scholarship, and service dominate faculty members' schedules and time for faculty development is limited. To confront this serious issue, higher education academic institutions should develop applicable and digitally enabled faculty development programs designed in online, modular environments. This chapter provides an overview and analysis of the concept, design, and implementation of the DEEP (Developing Excellence in Eastern's Professors) online, modular faculty development system as a model for digital teaching and learning.
Dissertation Research Supervisor Agency for U.S. Online Doctoral Research Supervision
Authors: Throne Robin , Oddi Brian T.
Published: May 2019

This chapter critically explores the construct of agency from a dissertation research supervisor perspective. While the literature has expanded in the exploration of student agency, little focus has been given to the construct from a research supervisor agency stance. Current research into doctoral completion has shown the relationship between supervisor and dissertation writer as critical to persistence and completion. However, less investigation has focused on the aspects of dissertation supervisor agency and the evolution to a high mentoring approach, especially for online doctoral students. The conceptual inquiry utilizes the lens of Lave and Wenger's situated learning theory to view how research supervisor agency can foster and guide doctoral scholars to consider researcher positionality and move from the margins of the doctoral learning community to the center of scholarly life and post-doctoral practice-based research and evidence-based decision making.
Digital Exam and Assessments
Authors: Abubakar A. Mohammed , Adeshola Ibrahim
Published: May 2019

Although it is widely recognized that exam and assessments are ways to explore and query knowledge, emergence of the internet, digitalization, and the deployment of artificial intelligence in teaching and learning extends the concept to digital exam and assessment. Some lines of research suggest that digital exam and assessments are costly and unfortunate, whereas others suggest that it is beneficial and adaptive. However, there are little theoretical underpinnings probing these arguments. To fill the void, this chapter probe existing teaching and learning literature, and concepts of digital exam and assessments relative to faculty development. To this end, this chapter theorize that these concepts are contingents on generational cohorts, arguments that advances and reorients research on digital exam and assessment, and generational difference are highlighted. The chapter concludes with pros and cons associated with digital assessments.
Artificial Intelligence Methods in E-Learning
Authors: Eryılmaz Meltem , Adabashi Afaf Muftah , Yazıcı Ali
Published: May 2019

Gathering and extracting knowledge from the large amount of data available today is becoming more and more important in our information society, and similarly, learning is an essential important part of our everyday lives. The new requirements of the competing world and the development of more advanced technologies have also changed traditional educational systems, which now employ better and more effective teaching and learning methods. In this regard, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in the field of education offers both great challenges and opportunities in building e-learning systems. E-learning systems allow learners to access the educational materials ubiquitously from anywhere at any time. Therefore, these systems have to become adaptive to the needs and preferences of each individual learner. This chapter presents a review of the important concepts and background for research to include introduction and examination of e-learning systems and intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs), available today.
Faculty Development Centers for Digital Teaching and Learning
Authors: Elçi Alev
Published: May 2019

This chapter identifies and assesses the role of faculty professional development centers in the future higher education institutions. Faculty professional development centers facilitate transition to digital teaching and learning; this can be affected only through implementing strategies and commensurate infrastructure. They thus provide desired digital knowledge, skill sets, and related competencies for the “next generation of learners.” Implementations in Turkey are surveyed and compared to the international scene. Conclusions are drawn on essential features that may be further enhanced for bettering faculty development facilities primarily in the context of universities in Turkey, and extensions to the international scene.
Strategic Career Development for STEM Women Faculty
Authors: Rose Suzanna M. , Darici Yesim , Farhangi Sanaz
Published: May 2019

Women continue to be underrepresented in the academic fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) relative to the proportion of doctoral degrees they earn. This also was the case in 2009 at Florida International University, where only 11% of the STEM tenure-line faculty were women. In this chapter, the rationale, implementation, and outcomes will be described for two strategic career development projects for STEM women faculty that were funded by the National Science Foundation; the Awareness, Commitment, and Empowerment project (2011-2016); and the FIU ADVANCE Institutional Transformation project (2016-2021). Also described will be the role that social media and digital formats played in developing and sustaining a sense of community among women faculty, as well as for doing research and evaluation.
Societal Factors and Workplace Perceptions
Authors: Huderson Ashley , Huderson Brandy
Published: May 2019

Despite the growing number of women and minorities in STEM occupations, underrepresentation of Black women in the STEM workforce persists as they hold only 2.4% and 2% of science and engineering jobs, respectively, though they make up 6.4% of the total population. Despite these numbers, the African American women who are in STEM fields have been shown to excel at exceptional rates. The purpose of this chapter is to examine existing data, strategies, and models that address social determinants of professional STEM attainment for Black women. This chapter will explore the importance of intersectional identities and how this influences Black women's success in STEM fields in addition to understanding how counterpaces function to enhance persistence and advance the success of women of color in STEM fields. Understanding the non-academic factors that affect minority women's persistence in STEM allows for a broader conversation around implications for findings for academic and social support programs.
Overcoming the Layers of Obstacles
Authors: Jackson Helen C.
Published: May 2019

This chapter documents the experiences in the journey of an African American female physicist. They correspond to those in documented studies of other African Americans and females in both the specific field of physics as well as the broader area of all STEM. When scaled with the norm of these groups, there is a thread of consistencies in the obstructions and difficulties that seem to be common to the underrepresented. This writing, which is adopted from the author's previous contribution to a similar topic, seeks to continue to reinforce the challenges women of color have experienced in pushing for advances obtained thus far. The scientific Ph.D. community is an area that many have felt was immune to the difficulties faced by African Americans on the lower end of society. It is evident that our society is neither “post-racial” nor “post-sexist,” even on the higher intellectual turf. With a level playing field that is established by removing the obstacles that systemic racism creates—obstacles like unfair roadblocks—accomplishing one's dreams is attainable.
Grace Under Fire
Authors: Thomas Ursula , Drake Jill
Published: May 2019

Participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions have been historically dominated by white males in the United States with women, particularly minority women, remaining grossly underrepresented. In the United States and in most of the industrialized nations around the world, STEM majors and careers remain male-dominated despite ongoing efforts to change this reality. The study presented in this chapter explores the familial, educational, economic, and social experiences that are contributing to the selection and maintenance of a STEM career for 125 female participants. The grounded theory approach was used to develop an inductively derived grounded theory about the role these experiences played in the participants' choosing and remaining in a STEM career. Study findings suggest that many of the macro-level initiatives aimed to increase the number of women who acquire a position in a STEM field are misaligned with the micro-level needs of the women in their academic progression as well as their needs once in a STEM profession.
Strategic Groups in the Portuguese Banking Industry
Authors: Rosário Albérico Travassos , Moreira Antonio Carrizo , Macedo Pedro
Published: May 2019

This chapter analyzes the retail banking behavior in Portugal for the period between 2008 and 2010. The data collection took place through the accounting consultation of the reports and accounts of the years under analysis. The selected variables reflect the strategic actions of retail banking during the period under analysis, and it can be argued that retail banking in Portugal has clear differences among players over time. In particular, banking institutions have different competitive strategies, the strategic groups do not have similar resources, and strategies also differ between strategic groups. This reflects the competitive structure of the national retail banking industry.
Restructuring and Globalization of Telecommunications Industry
Authors: Mohanty Sasmita
Published: May 2019

Restructuring and globalization are very important for every technology sector. It provides key competitive advantages to the companies over their rivals. Telecommunications sector is an important strategic segment of the modern economy. Telecommunications is also an advanced technology sector and its restructuring is essential to optimize its revenues. Now it has been evolved to information and communication technologies (ICT), which is the main driving force of growth worldwide. In fact, ICT has paved the way for modern globalization. Overall, ICT and ICT-enabled sectors are among the main contributors of global economy. This sector has passed through several restructuring and evolves continuously. Its globalization is obvious as it is the main technology which promotes globalization. In this chapter, the authors provide the restructuring of telecommunications sectors since the time of its inception in the early 19th century. They also analyzed the strategic changes that promote the restructuring and globalization of this sector.
Outward US Foreign Direct Investment and Environmental Degradation
Authors: Bento João , Torres Miguel , Maranzano Paolo
Published: May 2019

This chapter analyzes whether US outward foreign direct investment contributes to mitigating environmental degradation in host countries or not. This relationship is investigated within the environmental Kuznets curve framework, using dynamic panel data models which include trade openness and environmental regulation as controlling variables. The results lend support to the existence of an environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis. Moreover, the results indicate that capital expenditures from majority-owned foreign affiliates of US multinationals decrease carbon dioxide emissions per capita and provide support for the pollution halo hypothesis. The findings suggest that foreign direct investments carried out by firms with their headquarters based in the United States of America enhance the natural environment. These findings offer some support for host government policies offering generous financial incentives to attract environmentally friendly investments to improve environmental sustainability.
Export Performance
Authors: Rua Orlando Lima
Published: May 2019

The purpose of this chapter is to analyze the influence of absorptive capabilities on export performance. The author uses a quantitative research approach by conducting a study based on a survey data from 247 Portuguese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the textile industry. Findings suggest that absorptive capabilities have a positive and significant influence on export performance. This chapter presents further evidences of the strategies that SMEs managers should pursue and policy makers should promote. This study deepens our understanding and provides novel insights into strategic management literature, since it combines multiple factors and has obtained the importance of each construct in SMEs business growth.
Linking Intangible Resources and Competitive Advantage
Authors: Rua Orlando Lima
Published: May 2019

The purpose of this chapter is to analyze the linkage between intangible resources and competitive advantage. The author uses a quantitative approach based on a survey data from 247 Portuguese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the textile industry. Findings suggest that intangible resources have a positive and significant influence on competitive advantage, either by cost leadership or differentiation. This chapter presents further evidences of the strategies that SMEs managers should pursue and policy makers should promote. This study deepens our understanding and provides novel insights into strategic management literature, since it combines multiple factors and has obtained the importance of each construct in SMEs business growth.
Supply Chain Startups in India
Authors: Bhattacharyya Som Sekhar , Shrey Apurva
Published: May 2019

Supply chain management (SCM) has become a critical business function. SCM has become such a specialized function that dedicated firms on SCM has emerged. Startups in SCM domain target to reduce the inefficiencies through technological interventions and innovative business models. This chapter focuses on 10 Indian supply chain startups. These startups were analyzed based on supply chain drivers, supply chain operation reference model (SCOR), and using business model canvas (BMC). The case data was collected through secondary sources and analyzed through the cross-case analysis. It was found that the SCM startups were focusing more on transportation driver. SCOR model analysis demonstrated that the SCM startups assisted in operational area of the SCM where they carried out operational activities and decision making. BMC analysis revealed that startups were asset light and resources held by these startups were the financial funding which the firm secured through venture capitalists and software development teams.
Cyber Security and Open Source Intelligence Techniques
Authors: Yılmaz Onurhan
Published: May 2019

Open source intelligence (OSINT) is one of the most confrontational topics in cyber security in today's world where technology and data transfer methods are highly developed. It is known that many organizations and individuals use OSINT as an information gathering tool during data transfer over the internet and provide many personal or corporate information access. OSINT is a systematic method that is produced by official and private organizations via sources such as the internet or the media. In recent years there has been some debate about the security and privacy of this information, especially with the widespread use of social media. In this chapter, the control of information obtained by OSINT the security will explain the positive effects on this control mechanism.
Intelligent Strategy and Security in Education
Authors: Fadiya Samson Oluwaseun
Published: May 2019

Text analytics applies to most businesses, particularly education segments; for instance, if association or university is suspicious about data secrets being spilt to contenders by the workers, text analytics investigation can help dissect many employees' email messages. The massive volume of both organized and unstructured data principally started from the web-based social networking (media) and Web 2.0. The investigation (analysis) of messages online, tweets, and different types of unstructured text data constitute what we call text analytics, which has been developed during the most recent few years in a way that does not shift, through the upheaval of various algorithms and applications being utilized for the processing of data alongside the protection and IT security. This chapter plans to find common problems faced when using the different medium of data usage in education, one can analyze their information through the perform of sentiment analysis using text analytics by extracting useful information from text documents using IBM's annotation query language (AQL).
Guide for Modelling a Network Flow-Based Detection System for Malware Categorization
Authors: Sopuru Joshua Chibuike , Akkaya Murat
Published: May 2019

Improved technology has led to significant changes in society over time. This has been accompanied by significant changes in the economy. The improvement in technology has also been accompanied by significant changes in the modeling of network-based systems. This is comprised of significant updates of computer and mobile operating systems. The development of mobile phones and operating systems have endangered essential individual and corporate data over time by making it vulnerable and prone to viruses, worms, and malware. This chapter focuses on reviewing literature that serves as guides for modeling a network flow-based detection system for malware categorization. The Author begins with an in-depth definition of mobile devices and how they have eased the spread of malicious software. Identifying Android OS as the most used operating system, Android OS operating system layer was explained, and the reason for user preferability unveiled. The chapter continued with a review of known malware and their behaviors as has been observed over time.
From Conventional to Sophisticated
Authors: Firat Mustafa Küçük
Published: May 2019

Improvements in the technology unequivocally aids everyday life. These advancements lead states to save time and money. The crucial point is the facilitation that the internet and cyber services offer. Internet can be used for providing services to the citizens and can be benefitted while storing massive amounts of data. Nevertheless, cyberspace comes with serious problems too. The security of the data that have been transferred to the digital space ought to be protected in absolute terms. In cases of lack of securitization, cyberspace becomes vulnerable to attacks and, obviously, terrorist organizations can benefit from this. The Middle East, too, is an arena for such actions. But, the particular importance of the region reveals itself via its affiliation with the most widespread and dangerous terrorist organizations. Their ability to use the internet for propaganda and organizing attacks should not be disdained. Referencing these, this chapter will focus on the transfer of conventional terrorism to cyberspace in the Middle East.
Dark Web and Its Research Scopes
Authors: U. Athira , Thampi Sabu M.
Published: May 2019

Internet has become the most unavoidable phenomenon in our daily life. Together with it has risen the most unfathomable aftermath of anonymity exploitation. The internet available for the normal users are limited to the sites that are directly indexed by common search engines. But apart from these contents, a major portion of the internet lies hidden from regular search engines and is not available to users resorting to ordinary browsers. This part forms the deep web and within it lies the darkest part also known as dark web. Several illegal activities take place in this darkest part, including child pornography, financial fraudulence, drug deployment, and many others. Thus, countermeasures to put a curb on these activities are very much required. The chapter focuses on the most relevant research areas and possible research scopes in the area of the dark web.
Enhanced Security for Network Communication With Proposed IS-IS Protocol
Authors: Onursal Onder , Sari Arif
Published: May 2019

This chapter is a literature review of intermediate system to intermediate system (IS-IS) routing protocol to provide basic security mechanisms against cyber-attacks and enhance network security. IS-IS was originally developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as a link state routing protocol. It was first built with the ability to route CLNPs or connectionless network protocols according to the OSI standard equal to IP. IS-IS is also developed so that it can accommodate routing for any layer three-based protocol. Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in 1990 specified the support for IP and introduced IPv6 extensions in 2000. IS-IS protocol implementation was written as modules in order for it to be distributed freely and easily installed on the GNU routing software. SourceForge.net supported the project and gave access for developers to easily contribute to the project. The chapter elaborates the ISIS routing protocol for network security and proposes a critical survey on security routing protocols.
Economic Impact of Cyber Attacks on Critical Infrastructures
Authors: Şener Merve
Published: May 2019

Critical infrastructures ensure that activities that are vital and important for individuals can be safely delivered to the society uninterruptedly. The damage on these critical infrastructures caused by cyber-attacks whose control is carried out through computers and network systems is very large. Cyber-attacks directly or indirectly affect companies, institutions, and organizations economically and cause great financial losses. In this chapter, two different categories, energy and finance sector, which are described as critical infrastructure, are discussed; cyber-attacks carried out on these sectors, cyber-attack weapons, and economic losses caused by these attacks are examined.
Principal Component Analysis on the Students' Perception of a Cognitive Assistant for Content Reinforcement in Higher Education
Authors: Frontino de Medeiros Luciano , Garcia Marilene Santana dos Santos
Published: May 2019

The study in this chapter presents training by highly ontology-oriented tutoring host (THOTH), a cognitive assistant applied to students of higher education. It was developed to provide a reinforcement of contents, aiming to reach a high level of interactivity between users and interfaces. THOTH is based on the theoretical assumption that knowledge is organized in the form of ontologies constructed in the ORAV model in regard to the Ausubel's meaningful learning. THOTH processes the required objects of the ontology in order to facilitate the formulation of standard questions based on the attributes. After one session, students gave its perceptions in a Likert-scale questionnaire with 13 questions. A principal component analysis was performed with 35 questionnaires revealing eight different categories of grouped questions, ranging from the degree of functionality in the learning process to featuring how users were accepting the conversations. The evaluation of the categories is explained quantitatively, highlighting relationships between the elements of each category of study.
Eye Tracking Applications for E-Learning Purposes
Authors: El Haddioui Ismail
Published: May 2019

E-learning has become a fundamental part of child education, higher education, and corporate training. In the design of adaptive e-learning environments, it is important to track and analyze learner behavior and preferences, and this is possible by recording their eye movements. Eye tracking is a technology developed to monitor eye movements allowing us to analyze the recorded gaze data. The main goal of this chapter is to determine the potential of eye tracking in the field of e-learning and the various applications of eye movement analysis for e-learning platforms. Results can be used to design an adaptive e-learning environment able to collect, analyze, and understand learner online behavior, preferences, and needs, and then offer an educational content adapted to each learner's needs by generating new customized learning situations.
Deus ex Machina
Authors: Herzog Michael A. , Schott Danny , Greif Carsten , Schumacher Dominik , Brody Florian T. , Herrklotsch Sinah
Published: May 2019

Churches have a long tradition using technology to grow their audience and to connect worshippers. Technologies used in Christian service are not even perceived as such: consider architecture, the organ, and light. Yet, faith-based organizations have always been critical of new technologies. The authors used design science research methodologies to develop an artifact of the Eucharist of a Catholic service. “Instant Church” is an interactive machine that guides visitors through the service and creates an individualized wafer with a laser-engraved QR-code that points to a random Tweet with a hate message that invites a moment of thought. Over 700 visitors saw that exhibit. A qualitative evaluation showed a high positive acceptance by users under40 while older visitors had a negative perspective. The artifact proved to be a highly suitable tool to invite a critical discourse and at the same time serves as a learning tool about the service. Interactive intelligent solutions reach the generation of digital natives and enable the discourse on the relationship between technology and faith.
Redesign of the Bank Reconciliation Interface of the ContaAzul Software
Authors: Neto João Antonio de Menezes , Aguiar Victor Rafael Laurenciano
Published: May 2019

This chapter details the redesign process of the bank reconciliation interface of ContaAzul, an online cloud-based financial management software for small businesses in Brazil. The reconciliation is a feature that allows the user to import bank account statements and easily register them into the software, generating automated reports that help companies achieve their financial control. The research problem was motivated by use cases that were not covered in the studied version of this feature, as well as by recent technological advances. Interaction design was chosen as the project approach and Garrett's five planes as the methodology. As the final deliverable, a prototype was composed of static, bitmap screens, elaborated from a participatory design perspective. This research was developed as a course conclusion project in the Master's degree in Design Program of University of the Region of Joinville, Brazil. The first author of this chapter is also a design coordinator at ContaAzul.
Development of Interface for Assisting Energy-Saving Utilizing Information From Network Home Appliances
Authors: Shida Takumi , Sugimura Hiroshi , Hamamoto Moe , Isshiki Masao
Published: May 2019

The authors propose an interface for home energy management system (HEMS). This interface is aimed at raising the energy-saving consciousness of users who have little knowledge of energy saving. A possible reason for the low level of consciousness of such users is that HEMS does not provide information which helps users in energy-saving planning. To help users who have insufficient knowledge of energy saving, the interface visualizes power consumption and operational information obtained from network home appliances. In order to show which appliances have potential for significant energy-saving effects, the interface uses icons that visually represent high-power appliances whose power consumption exceeds 400 W, along with their operation periods. By viewing the screen, users can easily recognize how to operate appliances for energy-saving planning as well as which appliances have high energy-saving effects. The authors have developed a tool with a built-in interface and have evaluated it by questionnaire.
“Think of the Children!”
Authors: Wang Hsiu-Feng
Published: May 2019

This experiment examined children's visual aesthetics and learning motivation with regard to websites. It applied Berlyne's theory of aesthetic preference to these websites. The experiment explored the relations between visual complexity, visual aesthetics, learning motivation, and children's age, and their effect on websites. A total of 150 children between 10 and 12 years old were involved. The children were asked to rate websites of different levels of perceived visual complexity in terms of visual aesthetic and learning motivation. The results showed that the children preferred websites that displayed a medium level of perceived visual complexity to those that displayed a high or low level of perceived visual complexity. Thus, the results supported Berlyne's theory. However, when aesthetic preference was analyzed with respect to age-related differences, it was found that older children preferred a medium level of perceived visual complexity and younger children preferred a high level of perceived visual complexity.
BlueEyes
Authors: Teixeira Ana Rita , Gomes Anabela , Orvalho Joao Gilberto
Published: May 2019

As reported by the World Health Organization, an estimated 253 million live with visual impairment that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. It's necessary to bring awareness and understanding of the challenges blind people face and help to motivate research into new technology to answer those questions. This chapter starts to identify the challenges people with visual disabilities face in their life. The problem of navigation and orientation as well as the different possibilities to deal with the locomotion situation is also addressed. It describes the traditional navigational solutions as well as other which involves more sophisticated technological devices and their multimodal interfaces. The chapter ends with the description of the BlueEyes project, consisting in a solution using beacons to help blind people moving in a city. The phases of the project are described, and the actual research situations is also slightly explained.
A SELECTION OF TRANSGENIC ANIMAL MODELS USED IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
Authors: Ramadan Hussein , Grohn Kristopher , Mohamed Adel
Published: May 2019

The term transgenic animal refers to an animal whose genetic composition has been altered by an addition of foreign DNA. The introduced DNA is called a transgene and the overall process is called transgenic technology. These terms now include the use of living organisms or their parts to make or modify products, to change the characteristics of plants or animals, or to develop micro-organisms forspecific uses that currently include several plants and a number of animal species. During the last two decades, transgenic animal model has been an essential mainstay tool in refining our understanding to gene regulation and function of both biological systems and human diseases. The aims of this review article are 1) to elaborate on how transgenic technology is being used to develop the next genera-tion of animal models and 2) to provide an update of the recent advances and a possible structure design for future studies. This review covers the most used animal models of some human disease and specifically discusses two studies conducted on a mouse model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) that reproduced specific features of the histopathology and neurobiology ofMultiple Sclerosis (MS). This report is presented with the hope to provide both educational and practical basis for the use of these informative animal models.
P-GLYCOPROTEIN EFFECTS ON DRUGS PHARMACOKINETICS AND DRUG-DRUG- INTERACTIONS AND THEIR CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
Authors: Mohamed Anwar Anwar , El-Kadi Ayman
Published: May 2019

During the last couple of decades, efflux transporters have received considerable attention due to their ability to alter, either beneficially or detrimentally the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic for an administered drug. The expression of the energy dependent transporter, member of the ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters superfamily, is not only limited to cancerous tissues, but is also expressed in different normal tissues and barriers such as the blood brain barrier and placenta. Furthermore, its unique distribution at the sites of absorption such as small intestine has been shown to greatly affect the bioavailability of the drug-substrates, and thus altering their effect. In addition, the striking overlap of substrates between P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and the phase I enzyme cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) in addition to their coexistence at the same site has been shown to act synergistically to decrease oral drug bioavailability. Interestingly, the co-administration of a drug-substrate and an inhibitor of P-gp have been shown to increase the plasma concentration of the drug-substrates causing lethal toxicities that warrants critical evaluation of drugs as whether or not they could be substrates or inhibitors to P-gp. The availability of various in vitro cell culture models and in vivo knockout models of P-gp are currently serving the pharmaceutical sciences community to deliver safer drug use and lower risks of drug-drug interactions based on P-gp interactions. Therefore, the purpose of the current review is to summarize the current knowledge about the role of P-gp in determining drug ADME profile, and its role in drug-drug-interactions and their clinical implications.