bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Concepts for Enhancing Content Quality and eAccessibility
Authors: Galinski Christian , Beckmann Helmut
Published: August 2013

The important aspect of interoperable content and content accessibility is still not sufficiently acknowledged in most eApplications. Although pertinent standards exist, some of them need revision and additional standards are needed for new requirements. The Recommendation on software and content development principles 2010 formulated at the 12th International Conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs (ICCHP 2010) addresses this situation. This chapter gives an overview of the state of the art with a special focus on eProcurement. It argues that eAccessibility in eProcurement cannot be achieved without taking care of content interoperability and accessibility. This would not only help persons with disabilities (PwD) whose numbers are increasing by the day to live a more independent life and to enjoy better education, but also create new job opportunities in the ICT (information and communication technologies) and ICT-related content and service industries as well as in the field of eProcurement itself.
Assistive Technology and Rehabilitation Engineering
Authors: Szeto Andrew Y. J.
Published: August 2013

The interdisciplinary fields of Assistive Technology and Rehabilitation Engineering focus on understanding the impact of disability, seeking to ameliorate the impact through the employment of appropriate technology. Aided by numerous illustrations, tables, and charts, this chapter provides the reader with an overview of this field in terms of its history, main concepts and principles, major activity areas, and some of the exciting current research and development projects. The chapter also covers the key psycho-social and technical challenges associated with various handicapping conditions, the employment outlook for this field, the training and educational programs that are available, and the professional societies and organizations that hold conferences, publish research reports, and seek to advance the field. Lastly, numerous references have been provided so that a reader can pursue his/her topics of interest.
3D Assistive Technologies and Advantageous Themes for Collaboration and Blended Learning of Users with Disabilities
Authors: Dafoulas Georgios A. , Saleeb Noha
Published: August 2013

The significance of newly emergent 3D virtual worlds to different genres of users is currently a controversial subject in deliberation. Users range from education pursuers, business contenders, and social seekers to technology enhancers and many more who comprise both users with normal abilities in physical life and those with different disabilities. This study aims to derive and critically analyze, using grounded theory, advantageous and disadvantageous themes, and their sub concepts of providing e-learning through 3D Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs), like Second Life, to disabled users. Hence providing evidence that 3DVLEs not only support traditional physical learning, but also offer e-learning opportunities unavailable through 2D VLEs (like Moodle, Blackboard), and offer learning opportunities unavailable through traditional physical education. Furthermore, to achieve full potential from the above-mentioned derived concepts, architectural and accessibility design requirements of 3D educational facilities proposed by different categories of disabled students to accommodate for their needs, are demonstrated.
Experiences Using a Free Tool for Voice Therapy based on Speech Technologies
Authors: Rodríguez William R. , Saz Oscar , Lleida Eduardo
Published: August 2013

This chapter reports the results after two years of deployment of PreLingua, a free computer-based tool for voice therapy, in different educational institutions. PreLingua gathers a set of activities that use speech processing techniques and an adapted interface to train patients who present speech development delays or special voice needs in the environment of special education. Its visual interface is especially designed for children with cognitive disabilities and maps relevant voice parameters like intensity, vocal onset, durations of sounds, fundamental frequency, and formant frequencies to visually attractive graphics. Reports of successful results of the use of PreLingua have been gathered in several countries by audiologists, speech therapists, and other professionals in the fields of voice therapy, and also, in other fields such as early stimulation, mutism, and attention-deficit disorders. This chapter brings together the experiences of these professionals on the use of the tool and how the use of an interface paradigm that maps acoustic features directly to visual elements in a screen can provide improvements in voice disorders in patients with cognitive and speech delays.
Motion Control of an Omni-Directional Walker for Walking Support
Authors: Tan Renpeng , Wang Shuoyu , Jiang Yinlai , Ishida Kenji , Fujie Masakatsu G.
Published: August 2013

With the increase in the percentage of the population defined as elderly, increasing numbers of people suffer from walking disabilities due to illness or accidents. An omni-directional walker (ODW) has been developed that can support people with walking disabilities and allow them to perform indoor walking. The ODW can identify the user's directional intention based on the user's forearm pressures and then supports movement in the intended direction. In this chapter, a reference trajectory is generated based on the intended direction in order to support directed movement. The ODW needs to follow the generated path. However, path tracking errors occur because the center of gravity (COG) of the system shifts and the load changes due to user`s pressure. An adaptive control method is proposed to deal with this issue. The results of simulations indicate that the ODW can accurately follow the user's intended direction by inhibiting the influence of COG shifts and the resulting load change. The proposed scheme is feasible for supporting indoor movement.
Wheelchairs as Assistive Technology
Authors: Carroll Judy L.
Published: August 2013

Federal law supports the use of assistive technology in the education of students with disabilities. Arguably, wheelchairs are included as assistive technology. However, many barriers exist to selecting the appropriate technology and supporting its use within the educational setting. An informed team including the parent, educator, therapists, and wheelchair supplier can assist the student in reducing these barriers.
Nascent Access Technologies for Individuals with Severe Motor Impairments
Authors: Power Sarah , Moghimi Saba , Nhan Brian , Chau Tom
Published: August 2013

As the number of individuals without physical access to communication or environmental interaction escalates, there are increasing efforts to uncover novel and unconventional access pathways. In this chapter, we introduce three emerging access technologies for individuals with severe disabilities: near-infrared spectroscopy, electroencephalographic measurement of visually-evoked potentials and infrared thermographic imaging of the face. The first two technologies harness activity directly from the brain while the third exploits spontaneous temperature changes in the face. For each technology, we discuss the physiological underpinnings, the requisite instrumentation, the scientific evidence to date and the future outlook.
RACEM Game for PC for Use as Rehabilitation Therapy for Children with Psychomotor Disability and Results of its Application
Authors: Muro Brenda Flores , Delgado Eduardo César Contreras
Published: August 2013

Present work develops a PC simulation game to conduct a study with the main objective to train children with psychomotor disabilities (coordination, equilibrium and movements). The child interacts with simulated environments which contain the needed stimulus to develop the eye-hand coordination, the child responds to the game with mouse movements by means of audible orders. The main objective for the present work is to enhance the child´s psychomotricity with more precise movements. Converting the game in a mean to children rehabilitation, this can be used in homes aided by child´s parents. Another purpose is to have a didactical tool for professors of special education.
Computer Interventions for Children with Disabilities
Authors: Tennyson Robert D.
Published: August 2013

This chapter presents an argument for the employment of computers in education and the possible improvements especially for students with disabilities. Early in the chapter questions concerning technological change are discussed in reference to research and practice. The view in disability education is moving towards lifelong learning and the need to apply advances in both technology and research to accomplish this goal. Employment of cognitive theories coupled with emerging technologies is hypothesized to improve the paradigm shift in education from classroom centered instruction to distributed learning environments. Proposed is that research in cognitive psychology, especially with findings for constructive theories can be successfully applied to disability education.
Accessibility and Usability Issues
Authors: Monaco Eugene , Lackey Stephen , Skawinski Edward , Stanley Rebecca , Young Carol Day
Published: August 2013

Democratic governments seek to serve all citizens equally and fairly. Achieving this ideal in e-governance will in large measure be determined by government’s commitment to the development of websites and web applications that encourage and enable participation by all. Accessibility and usability are gateways to participation. This chapter examines the professional and legal standards for accessibility and usability as well as studies on actual implementation. A survey of New York State webmasters found that while IT professionals considered usability and accessibility important, none of them rated user satisfaction as excellent. Agency management was perceived as less aware of the importance of usability and accessibility than IT professionals. Assuring usability and accessibility is an on-going, iterative process that requires continual accountability and involvement of user/citizens, political leaders, and IT professionals.
Using Myoelectric Signals to Manipulate Assisting Robots and Rehabilitation Devices
Authors: Asghari-Oskoei Mohammadreza , Hu Huosheng
Published: August 2013

Myoelectric signal is known as an alternative human-machine interface (HMI) for people with motor disability in dealing with assisting robots and rehabilitation devices. This chapter examines a myoelectric HMI in real-time application and compares its performance with traditional tools. It also studies the manifestation of fatigue in long-term muscular activities and its impact on ultimate performance. The core of applied HMI is built on the support vector machine as a classifier. The experiments confirm that the myoelectric HMI is a reliable alternative to traditional HMI. Meanwhile, they show a significant decline in the dominant frequency of myoelectric signals during long-term applications.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication Devices
Authors: Smith Martine , Murray Janice
Published: August 2013

Over the last 30 years, significant advances have been made in the technology supporting augmentative and alternative communication devices. However, technology often brings with it as many problems as solutions. This chapter reports on data collected in interviews with adults who use aided communication. In these interviews, they discuss aspects of their communication world and the opportunities and barriers they face. The chapter highlights some of the diversity of individuals who use, or who choose not to use, aided communication. It also considers the complexity of factors that may critically influence communication experiences and discusses some of these factors within the framework of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).
Eye Movements and Attention
Authors: Mulvey Fiona , Heubner Michael
Published: August 2013

When it comes to measuring attention, or quantifying it in any way, it is not easy to pin down what exactly we measure. Advances in technology have enabled the construction of complex models of certain aspects of attention and identified many of the structures and factors involved in the changing nature of attention. In this chapter, we will go with a working definition of attention as the concentration or focusing of mental effort on sensory or internal mental events. In terms of eye movements, we are mainly concerned with visual attention, pertaining to events and external stimuli in the environment, but not exclusively so. Eye movements may also offer an opportunity to measure internal or subjective events and states. This chapter will look at what might be possible beyond direct, point and click gaze control, in inferring subjective states. The aim is to identify and explain those measures from cognitive psychology which are most promising in terms of future technologies for gaze based human computer interaction.
Safety Issues and Infrared Light
Authors: Mulvey Fiona , Villanueva Arantxa , Sliney David , Lange Robert , Donegan Michael
Published: August 2013

Infrared light is the most common choice for illumination of the eye in current eye trackers, usually produced via IR light-emitting diodes (LEDs). This chapter provides an overview of the potential hazards of over-exposure to infrared light, the safety standards currently in place, configurations and lighting conditions employed by various eye tracking systems, the basics of measurement of IR light sources in eye trackers, and special considerations associated with continuous exposure in the case of gaze control for communication and disabled users. It should be emphasised that any eye tracker intended for production should undergo testing by qualified professionals at a recognised test house, in a controlled laboratory setting. However, some knowledge of the measurement procedures and issues involved should be useful to designers and users of eye tracking systems.
Assistive ICT and Young Disabled Persons
Authors: Söderström Sylvia
Published: August 2013

This chapter investigates the significance of assistive ICT as a tool in young disabled people’s identity negotiations. To analyse the impact of this tool, two different, but closely related, perspectives are used. The first perspective employs the concept of identity multiplicity, and the second uses Actor-Network Theory (ANT). The chapter draws on a qualitative interview study with 23 young disabled Norwegians aged 15-20 years. The analysis elaborates on how using assistive ICT creates new opportunities or represents an obstacle in young disabled people’s identity negotiations in the peer group, and thus on how both disability and identity are flexible, contextual, and relational phenomena produced in specific situations and relations. The chapter’s closing discussion expands on the tension between mainstream technology and assistive technology, and on challenges associated with the allocation of assistive technology.
Accessibility Implementation for Disabled Students in PMBOLD Environments
Authors: Alphin Henry C.
Published: August 2013

Project management theory provides an organized, cost-effective approach to providing an accessible e-learning environment. Such a collaborative project has the opportunity to bring together such professionals as instructional designers, disability services staff, and institutional researchers. Accessibility as an afterthought is a costly approach, and disabled students are a large enough minority to seek equality of opportunity. E-learning accessibility empowers the individual by providing educational content in formats that not only encourage collaboration and learning, but also reduce frustration and develop a sense of inclusiveness. A project manager who understands the importance of e-learning accessibility will be able to grow the project from the ground up in a manner that empowers the disabled, while benefiting all learners.
Assistive Technology in Higher Education
Authors: Asselin Susan B.
Published: August 2013

Assistive technology makes a task possible for an individual with a disability, while technology makes a task easier for a non-disabled person. Increasing enrollments of students with disabilities have challenged our institutions to provide opportunities to participate in higher education by having access to assistive technologies and universally designed instruction. Provision of accessible learning environments is a shared responsibility between disability services, information technology, and faculty. College students find themselves in an environment where they encounter negative attitudes and a need to self advocate for critical support services to insure access to learning. Recent trends hold promise for removing these barriers including universal design in instruction, mandated web accessibility, multiple technologies for e-learning, universal accessibility of learning tools, and opportunities for professional development of faculty and staff.
Coping with Accessibility and Usability Challenges of Online Technologies by Blind Students in Higher Education
Authors: Muwanguzi Samuel , Lin Lin
Published: August 2013

This study examined the usability challenges and emotional reactions blind college students experienced in accessing educational materials and communicating with professors and colleagues through online technologies. A case study approach was adopted. Five students were interviewed regarding their online learning experiences using Blackboard, a popular Course Management System. Analysis of the interviews revealed that the blind students found Blackboard poorly accessible, which affected their academic achievements. However, despite their frustrations and feelings of marginalization, the study also showed that the blind students were motivated and optimistic of their successes. The research suggests that academic administrators and CMS designers work jointly with adaptive software developers to create enhanced user interfaces, ensure universal access and usability of online technologies, and reduce educational inequities and frustrations encountered by blind students.
Lecture Capture as a Tool to Enhance Student Accessibility
Authors: Vajoczki Susan , Watt Susan
Published: August 2013

This case examines the incremental introduction of lecture-capture as a learning technology at a research-intensive university with the goal of addressing issues created by increases in both undergraduate enrolments and disability accommodation needs. This process began with podcasting lectures, leading ultimately to a lecture capture system with closed captioning. At each step, the changes were evaluated in terms of their impact on student learning, acceptability to students and faculty, and application to different disciplines. This evidence-based approach is in keeping with the research culture of the academy and has been helpful in advocating for budgetary support and encouraging faculty participation. As a result of this project, the authors unexpectedly gained substantial knowledge about the complexity of students’ lives, the impact of that complexity on their approach to learning, instructor misperceptions about the impact of this form of learning, the presence of many unreported disabilities, and the many different ways in which students used the system.
Technology and Literacy for Students with Disabilities
Authors: Evmenova Anya S. , King-Sears Margaret E.
Published: August 2013

Literacy is an important part of our culture, providing access to a wide variety of information and opportunities. A myriad of assistive and instructional technologies exist to allow and enhance literacy activities for students with different abilities and needs. This chapter presents the TECH framework that can be used to guide school personnel in making decisions of which technology to choose: Targeting the students' needs and the learning outcome; Examining the technology choices, then deciding what to use; Creating opportunities to integrate technology with other instructional activities; and Handling the implementation and monitoring the impact on students’ learning. Four scenarios for using TECH framework for literacy goals are described, including: (a) choosing and using mobile apps for literacy development of young students with developmental disabilities; (b) adapting curriculum literacy materials for students with significant intellectual disabilities; (c) enhancing writing for students with learning disabilities; and (d) providing and integrating accessible instructional materials (AIM) for students with print disabilities. This chapter provides technology implementation guidelines as well as suggestions of numerous technology tools available to support literacy teaching and learning for all students.
Towards the Use of Dialog Systems to Facilitate Inclusive Education
Authors: Griol Barres David , Callejas Carrión Zoraida , Molina López José M. , Sanchis de Miguel Araceli
Published: August 2013

Continuous advances in the development of information technologies have currently led to the possibility of accessing learning contents from anywhere, at anytime, and almost instantaneously. However, accessibility is not always the main objective in the design of educative applications, specifically to facilitate their adoption by disabled people. Different technologies have recently emerged to foster the accessibility of computers and new mobile devices, favoring a more natural communication between the student and the developed educative systems. This chapter describes innovative uses of multimodal dialog systems in education, with special emphasis in the advantages that they provide for creating inclusive applications and learning activities.
Conversational Metabots for Educational Applications in Virtual Worlds
Authors: Griol David , Callejas Zoraida , López-Cózar Ramón
Published: August 2013

Education is one of the most interesting applications of virtual worlds, as their flexibility can be exploited in order to create heterogeneous groups from all over the world who can collaborate synchronously in different virtual spaces. Additionally, they can create opportunities to offer educative contents with the advantages of online courses, but also the feel of “presence” that only virtual worlds can provide. However, the interaction in social virtual worlds usually takes place in text mode, given that usually only textual and chat facilities are provided to communicate with avatars and bots. This makes it difficult for people without enough technical knowledge, or with visual or motor disabilities, to interact with such systems. To solve this problem, the authors propose a methodology for building bots as intelligent embodied conversational agents that can communicate with the users through oral as well as visual modalities.
Listening to Images
Authors: Lonbom Kathleen C.
Published: August 2013

This chapter explores a pilot project investigating the development of audio descriptions to accompany an academic library’s digital image collection. The project was introduced in selected classes and directly involved faculty and students in the creation and delivery of audio descriptions. The collaborative project initiated by the art librarian was in answer to a legislative act requiring accessibility for vision-impaired users. The discussion will specifically examine developing descriptions for images from Illinois State University’s International Collection of Child Art a resource that presents a fascinating challenge to use language to broaden access to the content and construct a compelling representation with the spoken word for individuals with print disabilities such as vision impairment.
Interactivating Rehabilitation through Active Multimodal Feedback and Guidance
Authors: Bongers Bert , Smith Stuart
Published: August 2013

This chapter outlines a Human-Computer Interaction inspired approach to rehabilitation of neurological damage (e.g. spinal cord injury) that employs novel, computer guided multimodal feedback in the form of video games or generation of musical content. The authors report an initial exploratory phase of a project aimed at gaining insight into the development of spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation tools. This exploration included observation of a number of patient interactions in their current rehabilitation routines; the development of initial prototype proposals; and finally through to the development of rapid prototypes which can be used in rehabilitation settings. This initial phase has yielded an understanding of the issues surrounding the development of novel technologies for rehabilitation that will direct further research in the area of rehabilitation engineering. Through the integration of novel methods, in particular the use of interactive physical devices, to the rehabilitation of SCI patients, larger scale research into efficacy of the devices we are developing can be undertaken. These developments may eventually beneficially impact upon the instruments used, the training methods applied and the rehabilitation routines undertaken for individuals living with neurological damage.
The Role and Responsibilities of the System’s Administrator
Authors: Moreira Filipe , Luz Joel
Published: August 2013

In this chapter, the authors present an overview of the role and responsibilities of the system’s administrator. They start with giving a background description on how this activity has been changing within the last decades considering not only the roles but also how the educational background changed and the new challenges regarding high-level IT management. After this contextualization, the authors reproduce some thoughts and experiences shared by experienced IT professionals giving their vision on how the industry has been changing and what would be the future of system administrators. They advance some suggestions and tools that might help IT teams improve their daily work from the technical and organizational point of view and highlight some future points of research concerning educational paths.
Due Diligence in Cyberspace
Authors: Kulesza Joanna
Published: August 2013

Within the chapter, the author discusses the possibility of introducing an international due diligence standard for Internet Service Providers (ISPs). She analyzes the due diligence standard in public international law as the common element of two accountability regimes binding upon states: the regime of state responsibility for the breach of an international obligation and international risk-liability for transboundary harm. They are both aimed at preventing transboundary harm originating from state territory. Such harm may presently be inflicted also with the use of cross-border electronic networks. Since the Internet is considered a global resource, the analysis provided is based upon international environmental law doctrine with its detailed due diligence standard and principle of prevention. The author goes on to propose their application to cyber-security. The idea argued within the chapter is for the development of an international cyberspace-specific due diligence standard and possibly a liability mechanism, as based on the multistakeholder principle recognized within Internet governance. The author aims to answer the question of whether a due diligence standard for cyberspace may and if so ought to be introduced through particular obligations laid upon Internet Service Providers, in particular Critical Internet Resources operators and introduction of an international ISP liability fund.
Criminal Liability of Organizations, Corporations, Legal Persons, and Similar Entities on Law of Portuguese Cybercrime
Authors: Bandeira Gonçalo S. de Melo
Published: August 2013

In Portugal, and in much of the legal systems of Europe, “legal persons” are likely to be criminally responsibilities for cybercrimes, for example, “false information,” “damage on other programs or computer data,” “computer-software sabotage,” “illegitimate access,” “unlawful interception,” and “illegitimate reproduction of protected program.” However, there are exceptions to the “question of criminal liability” of “legal persons.” Some “legal persons” cannot be blamed for cybercrime. The legislature did not leave! These “legal persons” are the following (“public entities”): legal persons under public law, which include the public business entities; entities utilities, regardless of ownership; or other legal persons exercising public powers. In other words, and again as an example, a Portuguese public university or a private concessionaire of a public service in Portugal cannot commit any one of the highlighted cybercrimes. Fair? Unfair. All laws should provide that all legal persons (rectius organizations) can commit cybercrimes.
Mitigation of Security Concerns of VoIP in the Corporate Environment
Authors: Almeida Fernando , Cruz José
Published: August 2013

The convergence of the voice and data worlds is introducing exciting opportunities to companies. As a consequence, Voice over IP (VoIP) technology is attracting increasing attention and interest in the industry. Flexibility and cost efficiency are the key factors luring enterprises to transition to VoIP. However, voice services also introduce a new level of vulnerability to the network. This chapter categorizes and analyzes the most common security threats of a VoIP solution in a corporate environment. Besides that, the authors discuss the most relevant security policies that could have been adopted to mitigate the security vulnerabilities introduced by VoIP. These new policies and practices can have a positive impact on the security of the whole network, not just voice communications.
Integrated Innovation
Authors: Roos Göran
Published: August 2013

In a high cost environment a firm’s ability to create value and hence survive and prosper is dependent on its ability to innovate. This chapter discuss the two principle dimensions of innovation: value creating innovations and value appropriating innovations–what their components are and how they should be integrated. The chapter also covers important frameworks to address the different components. Towards the end the discussion is contrasted against what is known about success criteria for firms in high cost operating environments to illustrate the specific aspects that have been covered in the chapter.
How Much Does the External CEO Matter in University Spin-Off?
Authors: Szopa Anna , Marek Tadeusz
Published: August 2013

Deficiency of business understanding and experience, strong industry competition, and small firm fragility are some of the most often cited arguments that justify business failure. This chapter presents the impact that top management can have on the development of new firms. The findings are based on case studies consisting out of three firms spun off from the University of Maryland and the University of Central Florida. The source data is gathered from observations, semi-structured interviews, commercial databases, as well as publicly available data. The results show that external Chair Executive Officers (CEO) positively influence the process of creation and management of university spin-offs.
The Effect of Structural Capital for Human Capital Development and Management in Social Enterprises
Authors: Kong Eric
Published: August 2013

Social enterprises are a hybrid form of organizations that enact nonprofit and for-profit activities simultaneously. Like their nonprofit and for-profit counterparts, social enterprises are facing the same challenges, if not more, in a turbulent economy. This chapter aims to examine how structural capital assists social enterprises in the development and management of human capital in today’s competitive environment. Based on 22 qualitative in-depth semi-structured interviews across 10 social enterprises and nonprofit organizations that perform social entrepreneurship in Australia, the findings suggest that structural capital helps social enterprises in facilitating human capital development and management for innovation. Thus, the study contributes to the literature by arguing that structural capital plays an essential role in social enterprises. Strategies should be developed for a more balanced development of intellectual capital if an intellectual capital-based view of the firm is to be fully integrated.
Intellectual Capital and Challenges of Organizations in the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Khalique Muhammad , Abu Mansor Shazali , Isa Abu Hassan bin Md. , Shaari Jamal Abdul Nassir bin
Published: August 2013

In the present century, intellectual capital is recognized as the most important and strategic asset for organizations. Intellectual capital is mainly based on knowledge and useful information. Intellectual capital is playing a critical role to create value from the combination of tangible and intangible assets to enhance the performance of organizations. This chapter looks at the concept and application of intellectual capital and its associated challenges of organizations in a competitive environment. More specifically, this chapter highlights the relationship of intellectual capital with the performance of organizations of various sectors. The relationship of intellectual capital was supported by empirical studies which were done by various renowned researchers in the intellectual capital field. In addition, this chapter discusses the various major components and models of intellectual capital.
Strategic Innovation Management
Authors: Kasemsap Kijpokin
Published: August 2013

This chapter introduces the framework and causal model of knowledge management, strategic orientation, organizational innovation, and organizational performance. It argues that dimensions of knowledge management, strategic orientation, and organizational innovation have mediated positive effects on organizational performance. Organizational innovation positively mediates the relationships between knowledge management and organizational performance and between strategic orientation and organizational performance. Knowledge management is positively correlated with strategic orientation. Furthermore, the author hopes that understanding the underlying assumptions and theoretical constructs of knowledge management, strategic orientation, organizational innovation, and organizational performance through the use of the framework and causal model will not only inform researchers of a better design for studying knowledge management, strategic orientation, organizational innovation, and organizational performance, but also assist in the understanding of intricate relationships between different factors.
On Trust, Knowledge Sharing and Innovation
Authors: Martins Isabel , Martins Ana , Pereira Orlando Petiz
Published: August 2013

Organisations continuously innovate, create, and are competitive if they improve their performance through continuous intellectual capital development, a key resource for value creation and organisational performance driver. Apart from sustaining competitive advantage, intellectual capital is increasingly important due to its ability to increase shareholder value, especially in public organisations. Employee learning, talent development, and knowledge creation allow the organisation to generate innovative ideas due to the quickness of knowledge obsolescence. The organisation’s dynamic capabilities create and re-ignite organisational competencies for business sustainability being co-ordinated by well-structured organisational strategic routines ensuring continuous value creation streams into the business. This chapter focuses on the relationship between notions of knowledge sharing and trust in organisations. Lack of trust can impact negatively organisational knowledge sharing, dependent on trust, openness, and communication. The research sample included graduates and postgraduate students from two universities in Portugal. The findings revealed different perceptions according to the age group.
Post Graduate Management Education in India
Authors: Das Rituparna
Published: August 2013

There is no clear direction in the Constitution of India about how much of the cost of higher and professional education of a student the central government or the concerned state government would bear. There are no guidelines regarding how to improve the global rank of India’s professional education (e.g., management education), when judged by the parameters of relevance, standard, infrastructure, technology and innovation, and above all, the cost per student. In an emerging economy like India slogging to get rid of the age old problems of poverty, unemployment, rural underdevelopment and illiteracy, post graduate management education is a luxury commodity for a sizeable chunk of the population. In this context, this chapter covers how the post graduate management education system consisting of public as well as private universities and institutions are performing, being assisted financially and coming up with, inter alia, infrastructure, technology and innovation with comparison from a number of countries over the globe across the East as also the West.
Ontology-Based Document Management System for Public Institutions
Authors: Pătraşcu Aurelia , Tănăsescu Ana , Bodea Constanţa-Nicoleta , Ordoñez de Pablos Patricia
Published: August 2013

This chapter presents an ontology-based document management system developed for the Romanian public institutions. The system meets both general and specific requirements for this type of organization. The system has a three-tier architecture. FileZilla ftp server version 0.9.37 was used as application server. Jess Expert System Shell version 7.0p1 was the solution in developing knowledge base of the system and MySQL open-source server, version 5.0.51 is chosen for data tier. The system ontology is developed using the Protégé environment. The system is validated and deployed at Ploiesti City Hall. Employees from different departments (town planning, taxes etc.) working with the system provided validation information.
Role of Emotional Intelligence in Academic Achievement
Authors: Singh Tripti , Verma Manish Kumar , Singh Rupali
Published: August 2013

The purpose of this study is to see whether there is a relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement. The study respondents were B.Tech first year students from the Agra region. Sampling is stratified, making sure that gender, race, socioeconomic status, and abilities are appropriately represented. The respondents are given Emotional Intelligence Inventory (EII–MM), developed by S. K. Mangal and Shubhra Mangal. It consists of 100 items under four scales .The analysis suggests that there is a significant relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Academic Achievement. IQ alone is no more the measure for success; emotional intelligence, social intelligence, and luck also play a big role in a person's success. This study contributes in acknowledging the fact that even engineering students’ academic achievements are attached with Emotional intelligence. Thus, teaching emotional and social skills only at the school level is not sufficient; this can be taught in engineering studies, as well for accomplishing high academic achievements.
Morphine Prevents Lipopolysaccharide-Induced TNF Secretion in Mast Cells Blocking IκB Kinase Activation and SNAP-23 Phosphorylation: Correlation with the Formation of a β-Arrestin/TRAF6 Complex
Authors: Madera-Salcedo Iris K. , Cruz Silvia L. , Gonzalez-Espinosa Claudia
Published: August 2013

We have previously shown that morphine pretreatment inhibits mast cell–dependent TNF production after LPS injection in the murine peritoneal cavity. In this study, we used bone marrow–derived mast cells (BMMCs) to investigate the molecular mechanisms of that inhibition. We found that morphine prevented LPS-induced TNF secretion in these cells. The observed inhibition was not due to morphine-induced TLR4 internalization and it was related to the blockage of preformed TNF secretion. LPS-induced TNF exocytosis in BMMCs was dependent on tetanus toxin–insensitive vesicle-associated membrane proteins and calcium mobilization, as well as PI3K, MAPK, and IκB kinase (IKK) activation. TNF secretion was also associated to the phosphorylation of synaptosomal-associated protein 23 (SNAP-23), which was found forming a complex with IKK in LPS-activated BMMCs. Morphine pretreatment prevented TLR4-dependent ERK and IKK phosphorylation. Analyzing the signaling events upstream of IKK activation, we found diminished TGF-β–activated kinase 1 (TAK1) phosphorylation and TNFR-associated factor (TRAF) 6 ubiquitination in BMMCs pretreated with morphine and stimulated with LPS. Morphine pretreatment provoked a marked increase in the formation of a molecular complex composed of TRAF6 and β-arrestin-2. Naloxone and a combination of μ and δ opioid receptor antagonists prevented morphine inhibitory actions. In conclusion, our results show that activation of μ and δ opioid receptors with morphine suppresses TLR4-induced TNF release in mast cells, preventing the IKK-dependent phosphorylation of SNAP-23, which is necessary for TNF exocytosis, and this inhibition correlates with the formation of a β-arrestin-2/TRAF6 complex. To our knowledge, these findings constitute the first evidence of molecular crosstalk between opioid receptors and the TLR4 signal transduction system in mast cells.
IL-4 and Retinoic Acid Synergistically Induce Regulatory Dendritic Cells Expressing Aldh1a2
Authors: Zhu Bing , Buttrick Thomas , Bassil Ribal , Zhu Chen , Olah Marta , Wu Chuan , Xiao Sheng , Orent William , Elyaman Wassim , Khoury Samia J.
Published: August 2013

Although activated inflammatory monocytes (IMCs) and inflammatory dendritic cells (IDCs) are potent T cell suppressors, nonactivated IMCs and IDCs promote T cell activation and Th1/Th17 cell differentiation. In this study, we investigated how to reduce the proinflammatory properties of IMCs and IDCs and further convert them into immune regulatory dendritic cells (DCs). We found that IL-4 and retinoic acid (RA) cotreatment of GM-CSF–differentiated IDCs synergistically induced the expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase family 1, subfamily A2, a rate-limiting enzyme for RA synthesis in DCs. IL-4 plus RA–treated IDCs upregulated CD103 expression and markedly reduced the production of proinflammatory cytokines upon activation. IL-4 plus RA–treated IDCs strongly induced CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cell differentiation and suppressed Th1 and Th17 differentiation. Mechanistically, the transcription factors Stat6 and RA receptor β play important roles in aldehyde dehydrogenase family 1, subfamily A2, induction. In addition, IL-4 and RA signaling pathways interact closely to enhance the regulatory function of treated DCs. Adoptive transfer of IL-4 plus RA–treated DCs significantly increased regulatory T cell frequency in vivo. Direct treatment with IL-4 and RA also markedly suppressed actively induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Our data demonstrate the synergistic effect of IL-4 and RA in inducing a regulatory phenotype in IDCs, providing a potential treatment strategy for autoimmune diseases.
MiR-210 Is Induced by Oct-2, Regulates B Cells, and Inhibits Autoantibody Production
Authors: Mok Yingting , Schwierzeck Vera , Thomas David C. , Vigorito Elena , Rayner Tim F. , Jarvis Lorna B. , Prosser Haydn M. , Bradley Allan , Withers David R. , Mårtensson Inga-Lill , Corcoran Lynn M. , Blenkiron Cherie , Miska Eric A. , Lyons Paul A. , Smith Kenneth G. C.
Published: August 2013

MicroRNAs (MiRs) are small, noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression posttranscriptionally. In this study, we show that MiR-210 is induced by Oct-2, a key transcriptional mediator of B cell activation. Germline deletion of MiR-210 results in the development of autoantibodies from 5 mo of age. Overexpression of MiR-210 in vivo resulted in cell autonomous expansion of the B1 lineage and impaired fitness of B2 cells. Mice overexpressing MiR-210 exhibited impaired class-switched Ab responses, a finding confirmed in wild-type B cells transfected with a MiR-210 mimic. In vitro studies demonstrated defects in cellular proliferation and cell cycle entry, which were consistent with the transcriptomic analysis demonstrating downregulation of genes involved in cellular proliferation and B cell activation. These findings indicate that Oct-2 induction of MiR-210 provides a novel inhibitory mechanism for the control of B cells and autoantibody production.
Stroke outcomes in Thai elderly patients treated with and without intravenous thrombolysis
Authors: Dharmasaroja Pornpatr A. , Muengtaweepongsa Sombat , Pattaraarchachai Junya , Dharmasaroja Permphan
Published: August 2013

Higher mortality was found in very old patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with intravenous recombinant tissue-plasminogen activator (rtPA) as compared to younger patients. The benefit of thrombolytic treatment in this particular subgroup is still a subject of debate. The purpose of this study was to compare stroke outcomes in Thai patients aged over 70 years treated with and without intravenous rtPA. This was a retrospective review of sequential cases and was not a randomized controlled study. One-hundred and five patients with acute ischemic stroke aged over 70 years who were treated with intravenous rtPA and 105 patients without rtPA treatment (control group) were included in the study. Patients’ base-line characteristics and study outcomes of interest were compared. There were significant differences in the base-line characteristics of the two groups. However, for the subgroup of patients aged over 80 years, these characteristics were similar. Those who were treated with intravenous rtPA had a higher rate of favorable outcomes (40% vs 16%; P=0.137) and a lower rate of mortality (22% vs 44%; P=0.128) than patients who did not receive rtPA treatment. In well-matched subgroups of patients aged over 80 years, our retrospective review revealed there was a trend of a higher rate of favorable outcome and lower mortality in patients receiving rtPA treatment. More study is needed to further confirm the suggested benefit of thrombolysis in Asian octogenarian acute stroke patients.
Nigerian tourists to South Africa: Challenges, expectations and demands
Authors: Ezeuduji Ikechukwu O.
Published: August 2013

Orientation: Identification of tourists’ needs and finding ways of satisfying them is crucial to any tourism destination.Research purpose: This paper investigated the challenges, demands and expectations of Nigerian tourists to South Africa.Motivation for the study: Nigeria, along with other African nations, has been identified as one of the core regional source markets with air links to South Africa. Increasing revenue generated from regional tourism is important to South African Tourism.Research design, approach and method: Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were used to analyse the data collected using a questionnaire survey of 320 Nigerian tourists to South Africa.Main findings: Results showed that Nigerian tourists visit South Africa mostly for the purposes of business, holiday, visiting friends and relatives, education and medical care. Challenges perceived by these Nigerian tourists visiting South Africa include long waiting time for the visa process in Nigeria, expensive cost of living in South Africa, safety and security problems, not so many airlines to choose from and expensive flight costs. Nigerian tourists mostly expect South Africans to be friendlier and have expectations of linking up with new business partners or performing transactions. They also have a strong demand for shopping, leisure and quality education.Practical/managerial implications: This study recommends a bilateral tourism relationship agreement between the Nigerian and South African governments to ameliorate the visa process; targeted marketing communications by South African Tourism toward Nigerian tourists based on study results; strong police presence and proper policing in South Africa; air transport liberalisation and low-cost carriers implementation for shared economic growth within the African region.Contribution/value-add: No former research has specifically identified Nigerian tourists’ challenges, expectations and demands whilst visiting South Africa.