bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigación textil en España: un caso de aplicación de indicadores bibliométricos a nivel micro
Authors: Carrera-Gallissà Enric , Capdevila Xavier
Published: March 2012

El estudio analiza, por primera vez, el índice h de los investigadores textiles de un país (España) y aporta información, también por primera vez, del rango de valores de este índice en el área de conocimiento textil. Se han estudiado también 10 indicadores de la producción científica de los investigadores textiles en España entre 1955 y 2009. La población objeto de este estudio está formada por 73 personas pertenecientes a 6 instituciones distintas. La población de investigadores textiles es un colectivo heterogéneo ya que éstos pertenecen a áreas de conocimientos distintos. El índice h estudiado presenta una correlación positiva, entre intensa y notable, con el número de publicaciones, publicaciones por año y número de citas recibidas, citas por año, número de citas recibidas por la publicación más citada. La correlación es notable pero de signo negativo con el porcentaje de publicaciones de la obra del autor que no han sido citadas nunca. El Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) presenta niveles superiores, respecto a las otras instituciones, en los siguientes indicadores: índice h, número de publicaciones, citas, citas por año y máximo de citas de la publicación más citada. El Instituto Tecnológico Textil de Alcoy (AITEX) tiene los mayores niveles en los siguientes indicadores: índice h por años de actividad y porcentaje de publicaciones no citadas. Finalmente, se relaciona el índice h con tres factores (latentes) que explican los otros indicadores y proporcionan tres dimensiones de aquel.
Using a Web Platform Developed for the Teaching of Chemical Processes to Reach Secondary School Students
Authors: Rasteiro Maria Graca , Carvalho Maria Graca , Ferreira Abel , Gaudencio Cristina B , Granjo Jose
Published: March 2012

As a complement to the teaching of university students, the use of web based tools enhances studentsâ?? autonomy, helps in dealing with different learning rhythms and allows reaching students in different locations. Moreover, the web can also be used to attract youngsters (basic and secondary school students) to science subjects. All these functions have been combined in a single web platform â??LABVIRTUAL
A Theory of Program Comprehension
Authors: Guéhéneuc Yann-Gaël
Published: March 2012

There exists an extensive literature on vision science, on the one hand, and on program comprehension, on the other hand. However, these two domains of research have been so far rather disjoint. Indeed, several cognitive theories have been proposed to explain program comprehension. These theories explain the processes taking place in the software engineers’ minds when they understand programs. They explain how software engineers process available information to perform their tasks but not how software engineers acquire this information. Vision science provides explanations on the processes used by people to acquire visual information from their environment. Joining vision science and program comprehension provides a more comprehensive theoretical framework to explain facts on program comprehension, to predict new facts, and to frame experiments. We join theories in vision science and in program comprehension; the resulting theory is consistent with facts on program comprehension and helps in predicting new facts, in devising experiments, and in putting certain program comprehension concepts in perspective.
An Enhanced Petri Net Model to Verify and Validate a Neural-Symbolic Hybrid System
Authors: Jorge Ricardo R. , Salgado Gerardo R. , Sánchez Vianey G. C.
Published: March 2012

As the Neural-Symbolic Hybrid Systems (NSHS) gain acceptance, it increases the necessity to guarantee the automatic validation and verification of the knowledge contained in them. In the past, such processes were made manually. In this article, an enhanced Petri net model is presented to the detection and elimination of structural anomalies in the knowledge base of the NSHS. In addition, a reachability model is proposed to evaluate the obtained results of the system versus the expected results by the user. The validation and verification method is divided in two stages: 1) it consists of three phases: rule normalization, rule modeling and rule verification. 2) It consists of three phases: rule modeling, dynamic modeling and evaluation of results. Such method is useful to ensure that the results of a NSHS are correct. Examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the results obtained with the method.
Hybrid Algorithm Applied to the Identification of Risk Factors on the Health of Newly Born in Mexico
Authors: Torres María Dolores , Soto Aurora Torres , Ortiz Zezzatti Carlos Alberto Ochoa , Sentí Eunice E. Ponce de León , Díaz Elva Díaz , Landín Cristina Juárez , Amador César Eduardo Velázquez
Published: March 2012

This chapter presents the implementation of a Genetic Algorithm into a framework for machine learning that deals with the problem of identifying the factors that impact the health state of newborns in Mexico. Experimental results show a percentage of correct clustering for unsupervised learning of 89%, a real life training matrix of 46 variables, was reduced to only 25 that represent 54% of its original size. Moreover execution time is about one and a half minutes. Each risk factor (of neonatal health) found by the algorithm was validated by medical experts. The contribution to the medical field is invaluable, since the cost of monitoring these features is minimal and it can reduce neonatal mortality in our country.
Reuse across Multiple Architectures
Authors: Kumara Indika , Gamage Chandana
Published: March 2012

The commonality across software systems can be exploited to develop multiple heterogeneous systems successfully without undue cost, time, and effort. The systematic reuse across different systems is of paramount importance. With a well-planned reuse approach, a vendor can offer individualized products, which are products tailored to meet the requirements of a particular user effectively, as well as the products constructed to deliver solutions for a greater variety of application domains such as enterprise application integration and business process management. This chapter describes the development of software systems having different architectures reusing most of the implementations of the required functionalities as-is. It presents a systematic process for crafting multi-architecture reusable components and for using those components in formulating software systems. Furthermore, the chapter highlights the significance of the strategic reuse across systems in three contemporary research spheres.
An Investigation in Potential Technology in Compressing Mobile Learning XML Documents
Authors: Al-Hamadani Baydaa , Lu Joan
Published: March 2012

XML has become the standard way for representing and transforming data over the World Wide Web. Moreover, these documents are becoming the way to represent the object used in Mobile-learning technology. The problem with XML documents is that they have a very high ratio of redundancy, which makes these documents demanding large storage capacity and high network band-width for transmission. These documents need to be decompressed and being used without or with minimum decompression. This paper presents the complete testing process for the XML compressing and Querying System (XCVQ) that has the ability to compress the XML documents and retrieve the required information according to all kinds of queries.
Social Aspects and Web 2.0 Challenges in Blended Learning
Authors: Guzzo Tiziana , Grifoni Patrizia , Ferri Fernando
Published: March 2012

The term e-learning is revolutionizing learning way and it is having a large impact on knowledge society is rapidly evolving into a Blended Learning method, which blends online learning with more traditional learning. Blended Learning can contribute to enhance learning and teaching opportunities worldwide. The chapter analyses the features that impact the success of the blended learning methods, evaluating their potentialities and characteristics. Moreover, an analysis of future challenges and perspectives represented by the mobile devices, the collaborative technologies of Web 2.0, and of multimodal interfaces, are explored. Finally, a qualitative study that the authors carried out by means of open interviews to Italian teachers in order to analyze their perceptions and experiences of Blended Learning methods is described.
A Program-Based Approach to Developing and Implementing Blended Instruction
Authors: Brew Linda S. , Kaplan Judith L.
Published: March 2012

A program-based approach to converting a site-based post-baccalaureate teacher education program to a blended format is described. While the face-to-face version of the program was able to serve a very limited number of prospective students in a predominantly rural area, the blended approach has attracted so many participants that double classes are regularly required to meet demand. Major issues covered include designing curriculum with regard to adult learning theories, balancing synchronous and asynchronous instruction methods, and developing adjunct faculty competencies. Results of a program evaluation based on survey data from students and faculty are included, indicating a high level of satisfaction with learning experiences overall, balanced by requests for improvements in course design and strong faculty involvement in both online and videoconferencing formats.
Using a Blended e-Learning Cooperative Approach in Higher Education
Authors: EL-Deghaidy Heba
Published: March 2012

This chapter describes a study conducted in higher education in the Egyptian context. A blended e-learning cooperative approach (BeLCA) was utilised with pre-service teachers (PSTs) in a science teaching methodology course. The chapter introduces a literature review on blended e-learning, cooperativeness, in addition to an approach that combines the two aspects together. The proposed approach (BeLCA) is based on social interaction between participants within the blended e-learning environment, where social constructivism theories play a crucial role. The chapter illustrates the effectiveness of utilising this new approach on participants’ achievement, attitudes towards e-learning, and cooperativeness by adopting a quasi-experimental setting. The chapter also highlights on the instructional design utilised in the course development. The course design was based on Dick, Carey, and Carey’s (2001) model: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Execution (ADDIE).
Integrating General Education Courses into Engineering Curriculum
Authors: Uziak Jacek , Oladiran M. Tunde , Kommula Venkata Parasuram
Published: March 2012

General Education Courses (GEC) are natural sources of “soft” skills in engineering curricula. Such skills are becoming increasingly important if the graduates are to operate successfully and be fully integrated in their workplaces. The importance of “soft” skills is fully recognized by engineering accreditation boards. The chapter reports on the engineering students’ reactions to the introduction of GEC at the University of Botswana (UB). The position of engineering students’ on the issue of GEC is not very clear. The questionnaire administered to final year students in all engineering programmes at UB gave a mixed response. On average, there were 25% neutral answers to the questions in the survey. The fact that on average one quarter of all graduating engineers did not have an opinion about GEC and their implementation was very disappointing and showed the general problem of students not being interested in that area of their study. The survey showed that students were not fully convinced that GEC were either important or relevant to their future career. The fundamental question on whether GEC were a necessary part of engineering programme brought almost an equal split between positive, negative, and neutral answers, with a slight advantage of positive answers (37%) over negative ones (33%). The students were equally split (36% positive and negative answers) on the question of whether GEC were relevant to their career paths. A small majority were of the opinion that GEC should not be retained. As it is critical that elements of general education are retained in the engineering curriculum, it is necessary to convince the students of the importance of those elements of the study. An effective advisory students’ system is recommended starting with general discussions on engineering practice within departments led by senior members of staff. Also, an introductory course in engineering or any course directly dealing with engineering practice is recommended.
Acceptance, Use, and Influence of Political Technologies among Youth Voters in the 2008 US Presidential Election
Authors: Khansa Lara , James Tabitha , Cook Deborah F.
Published: March 2012

The visibility of network-based technologies in the 2008 U.S. presidential election is indicative of their importance as tools to inform and motivate a populace. By explaining what factors impact usage behaviors with respect to these technologies, their use can be better encouraged. In this paper, the authors examine the constructs influencing usage behaviors for political technologies using the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model. The authors also explore the impact of the use of political technologies on political interest and activism in organized movements. The model was tested on a large sample of youth voters, and results suggest that performance and effort expectancy, along with social influences, impact the use of political technology. Evidence was also found suggesting that the usage of political technologies positively impacts political interest and political activism. Findings suggest that room for growth exists in devising novel ways to use political technologies to motivate active participation.
Using the Web Politically
Authors: Mosca Lorenzo
Published: March 2012

This article focuses on the political use of the Internet by the Italian Global Justice Movement (GJM) considering both the organisations and the individuals involved in the movement. First, a definition of the concept ‘political use of the internet’ and its operationalization is provided. Second, light is shed on how the internet is used politically by participants in social movements taking into account their organizational and participatory experiences. Data were gathered with quantitative and qualitative instruments during different researches: a survey of participants in a demonstration against the ‘Bolkestein’ directive and a series of interviews with representatives of different social movement families of the Italian GJM, complemented by a qualitative website analysis of the same organisations. While quantitative data allows for controlling relations among variables concerning the political use of the internet by individuals, qualitative data provides more detailed information on internet use in the everyday life of activists and organisations.
Autonomic Cardiovascular Regulation in the Newborn
Authors: Andriessen Peter
Published: March 2012

This paper reviews the baroreflex mediated heart rate response in human infants with a focus on data acquisition, signal processing and autonomic cardiovascular modeling. Baroreflex mediated heart rate response is frequently used as an estimate of autonomic cardiovascular regulation. Baroreflex mediated heart rate response may be viewed in terms of a negative-feedback system. To study fluctuations in this feedback system, continuous registration of ECG and blood pressure waveforms are required. From these waveforms, time series of R-R interval and blood pressure values are derived. This paper focus on spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (e.g., R-R interval change per unit of arterial blood pressure change, ms/mmHg) calculated from cross-spectral analysis of spontaneous occurring changes in R-R interval and blood pressure. Despite different methodology (sequence method; transfer function analysis; head-up tilt) there is fairly good agreement of spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity values during homeostasis. Preterm infants and term newborns have values of 2-4 and 10-15 ms/mmHg, respectively. These values are much lower than found in adults, approximately 25 ms/mmHg. The clinical relevance of a limited baroreflex function may be that acute perturbations of the cardiovascular system are poorly counteracted and may result in poor cerebral perfusion.
Designing Remote Connectedness between Parents and their Premature Newly Born
Authors: Croes Misha , Oetomo Sidarto Bambang , Feijs Loe
Published: March 2012

During a 6 month graduation project a design concept is proposed and developed that is expected to support the parent-child bonding while parents are at home and their child is in the NICU. In collaboration with medical practitioners from the Maxima Medical Centere Veldhoven (MMC) the new system for remote bonding was developed through a multi-iterative design process. The proposed system is designed to enable parents to detect their baby’s need for consoling and to interact with the baby, comforting the child on a physical remote basis. A working proof of principle prototype is build and evaluated with 15 parents of incubator children through a focus group. The goal of the focus group was to evaluate key aspects of the proposed design concept like the need for such a system and the interaction quality with the different products. Although the design has reached a working proof of principle status, more research and development is needed before the system can be tested in the hospital together with babies. Topics to address in the future are the child’s safety and interaction of parents with the system.
The Significance of Government’s Role in Technology Standardization
Authors: Seo DongBack
Published: March 2012

For first generation (1G) wireless communications technology standards, the Japanese government’s early decision provided an opportunity for its national manufacturers to be first movers in the global market, while the late development of wireless communications in Korea made the Korean market dependent on foreign manufacturers by adopting the U.S. standard (AMPS). Moving toward the 2G wireless technology market, both countries decided to develop standards instead of adopting a technology from outside their regions. Japan developed its own standard, PDC, while Korea developed CDMA systems with Qualcomm, the U.S. technology provider. Although these governments’ decisions on technologies looked only slightly different, the socio-economic consequences were greatly distinctive. The Korean success brought not only the rapid development of its domestic market but also opportunities for its manufacturers to become global leaders, while the PDC standard only provided the fast growth of the Japanese domestic market without any opportunities for the Japanese manufacturers to grow further internationally in the 1990s. By the end of 1990s, two nations again had to decide a 3G technology standard with vast challenges and pressures.
Emerging Forms of Covert Surveillance Using GPS-Enabled Devices
Authors: Abbas Roba , Michael Katina , Michael M. G. , Aloudat Anas
Published: March 2012

This case presents the possibility that commercial mobile tracking and monitoring solutions will become widely adopted for the practice of non-traditional covert surveillance within a community setting, resulting in community members engaging in the covert observation of family, friends, or acquaintances. This case investigates five stakeholder relationships using scenarios to demonstrate the potential socio-ethical implications that tracking and monitoring will have on society. The five stakeholder types explored in this case include: (i) husband-wife (partner-partner), (ii) parent-child, (iii) employer-employee, (iv) friend-friend, and (v) stranger-stranger. Mobile technologies like mobile camera phones, global positioning system data loggers, spatial street databases, radio-frequency identification, and other pervasive computing can be used to gather real-time, detailed evidence for or against a given position in a given context. Limited laws and ethical guidelines exist for members of the community to follow when it comes to what is permitted when using unobtrusive technologies to capture multimedia and other data (e.g., longitude and latitude waypoints) that can be electronically chronicled. In this case, the evident risks associated with such practices are presented and explored.
Optimization of the Production Process of Wood Pellets by Adding Additives
Authors: Holubcik Michal , Nosek Radovan , Jandacka Jozef
Published: March 2012

In this work are described the possibilities for improving efficiency of wood pellets production. The introductory part is devoted to analyzing the properties of wood pellets, combustion and production of pollutants when combusted it. The production of wood pellets and used pelleting machines was analyzed. The main task of this work is to introduce efficiency pelleting lines and cost reduction of the wood pellets production as fuel with a focus on the effects of adding additives. The results of experimental measurements and properties of wood pellets with different additives are presented in the final part.
Ranking Socially Responsible Mutual Funds
Authors: Pérez-Gladish Blanca , Méndez Paz , M’Zali Bouchra
Published: March 2012

Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), also known as sustainable or ethical investing, corresponds to an investment practice that takes into account not only the usual return-risk criteria, but also other non-financial dimensions, namely in terms of environmental, social and governance concerns. Recently, given the causes of the 2008 financial crisis, these concerns became even more relevant. However, while a diverse set of models have been developed to support investment decision-making based on financial criteria, models including also socially responsible criteria are rather scarce. The main objective of this paper is to contribute to try fulfilling this gap on the financial literature, suggesting a Multicriteria Decision Making tool which allows individual investors to analyze and rank socially responsible mutual funds based on their environmental, social and governance performance and taking into account the individual, subjective, personal preferences of each investor.
Implications for Improving Accessibility to E-Commerce Websites in Developing Countries
Authors: Sambhanthan Arunasalam , Good Alice
Published: March 2012

This research explores the accessibility issues with regard to the e-commerce websites in developing countries, through a study of Sri Lankan hotel websites. A web survey and a web content analysis were conducted as the methods to elicit data on web accessibility. Factors preventing accessibility were hypothesized as an initial experiment. Affecting design elements are identified through web content analysis, the results of which are utilized to develop specific implications for improving web accessibility. The hypothesis tests show that there is no significant correlation between accessibility and geographical or economic factors. However, physical impairments of users have a considerable influence on the accessibility of web page user interface if it has been designed without full consideration of the needs of all users. Poor readability and less navigable page designs are two observable issues, which pose threats to accessibility. The lack of conformance to W3C accessibility guidelines and the poor design process are the specific shortcomings which reduce the overall accessibility. Further enhancements are suggested with adherence to principles, user – centered design and developing customizable web portals compatible for connections with differing speeds. Re-ordering search results has been suggested as one of the finest step towards making the web content accessible for users with differing needs.
The Web-Supported Negotiation Game “Surfing Global Change”
Authors: Ahamer Gilbert
Published: March 2012

The negotiation oriented and partly web-based game “Surfing Global Change” (SGC, © Gilbert Ahamer) was originally invented and implemented by the author and copyright holder for use in advanced interdisciplinary university courses in the spirit of ‘blended learning.’ Didactics of SGC is grounded in “active, self-organized learning”, training of “competence to act” and responsibility for both practicable and sustainable solutions for the future society, hence constructionist “creation of meaning”. This paper presents the rules of the game as a case study of rule-based online learning tool, used over two dozen times at Austrian universities. The outlay of SGC aims at weighing out competition vs. consensus, self-study vs. team work, sharpening one’s own standpoint vs. readiness to compromise, differentiation into details vs. integration into a whole, and hence, seeks to mirror professional realities. In this spirit, the architecture of SGC provides a framework for “game-based learning” along five interactive game levels. SGC’s rules trigger two distinct processes: social dynamics among peer students in the class and their individual striving for good grades. These two targets provide useful tension during game play.
Game-Based Pilot System for English Learning
Authors: Li Kuo-Chen , Chen Cheng-Ting , Wang Hui-Chih , Heh Jia-Sheng
Published: March 2012

Game-based Pilot System for English learning (GPS-E) is a system that was produced with the intention of assisting English language learners (ELLs) who have lower English proficiency. The study was conducted in a university setting in northern Taiwan. The English classes which were categorized as “Pilot English Classes” were recruited for this research. One major goal of this study is to explore how effective and to what extent the GPS-E system can contribute to students’ English learning in the university level. A survey was designed, and the data of the first year experiment were analyzed by a pre-post test study using the SPSS t-test. Results indicated that students who have tried the GPS-E system have improved significantly.
A Framework for External Interference-Aware Distributed Channel Assignment
Authors: Juraschek Felix , Günes Mesut , Blywis Bastian
Published: March 2012

DES-Chan is a framework for experimentally driven research on distributed channel assignment algorithms in wireless mesh networks. DES-Chan eases the development process by providing a set of common services required by distributed channel assignment algorithms. A new challenge for channel assignment algorithms are sources of external interferences. With the increasing number of wireless devices in the unlicensed radio spectrum, co-located devices that share the same radio channel may have a severe impact on the network performance. DES-Chan provides a sensing component to detect such external devices and predict their future activity. As a proof of concept, the authors present a reference implementation of a distributed greedy channel assignment algorithm. The authors evaluate its performance in the DES-Testbed, a multi-transceiver wireless mesh network with 128 nodes at the Freie Universität Berlin.
Framework Based on Benefits Management and Enterprise Architecture
Authors: Rodrigues António , O’Neill Henrique
Published: March 2012

The relationship between Information Technology and Business has been growing, materialized through increasing investment in IT. This is typically considered a burden, as such companies have been seeking alternative supplying approaches like Outsourcing, Managed Services, or Cloud Computing. In this paper, the authors examine how investment is made and stress the balance that has to be reached between the expectations of the business versus the capabilities and cost of IT. A framework for assessing investments in IT that seeks to highlight the advantages of merging IT Benefits Management with an Enterprise Architecture is presented.
The More, the Merrier?
Authors: Presthus Wanda , Ghinea Gheorghita , Utvik Ken-Robin
Published: March 2012

Business intelligence (BI) is a term that refers to a variety of techniques and software applications used to analyze an organization’s raw data. Companies use BI to improve decision-making, identify opportunities, and cut cost. However, implementing a BI system is challenging. Critical success factors (CSFs) are necessary elements for a project to succeed. The aim of this article is to identify critical CSFs and find possible interrelationships. Using a framework of CSF constructs, the authors conducted a qualitative case study at Norway Post, a large company that successfully implemented a BI system. This research offers three contributions. The first is identifying ten CSFs for a BI implementation, and the second is a ranked list of these CSFs. The third is the CSFs interrelationship model, which may be the most exciting result for BI practitioners. Knowing which factors to fulfill and how they interrelate will increase the chances of achieving a successful BI implementation.
Spatial Clustering in SOLAP Systems to Enhance Map Visualization
Authors: Silva Ricardo , Moura-Pires João , Santos Maribel Yasmina
Published: March 2012

The emergence of the SOLAP concept supports map visualization for improving data analysis, enhancing the decision making process. However, in this environment, maps can easily become cluttered losing the benefits that triggered the appearance of this concept. In order to overcome this problem, a post-processing model is proposed, which relies on Geovisual Analytics principles. Namely, it takes advantage from the user interaction and the spatial clustering approach in order to reduce the number of elements to be visualized when this number is inadequate to a proper map analysis. Moreover, a novel heuristic to identify the threshold value from which the clusters must be generated was developed. The proposed post-processing model takes into account the query performed, i.e., the number of spatial attributes, the number of spatial dimensions, and the type of spatial objects selected from dimensions. The results obtained so far show: (i) the novel approach to support queries with two spatial attributes from different dimensions allows useful analysis; (ii) the proposed post-processing model is very effective in maintaining a map suitable to the user’s cognitive process; and, (iii) the heuristic proposed provide the user participation in the clustering process, in a user-friendly way.
Human Factors in Four Cases of E-Collaboration in Biomedical Research
Authors: Gray Kathleen , Bright Gabrielle , Cheng Ardis
Published: March 2012

There are compelling arguments for using internet technologies to facilitate research in the biomedical sciences. This project sought to fill a gap in empirical studies of e-collaboration use by biomedical research teams through a study of four cases, based in the research precinct associated with one Australian university, collaborating with international researchers. Researchers were found to hold mixed beliefs and show varying degrees of systematic thinking about how, when and why e-collaboration supported their activities. It appears that researchers need assistance to conceptualise and articulate what works in order to transform their e-collaboration practices to yield increased scientific efficiency and productivity.
Wikis as Individual Student Learning Tools
Authors: Allen Matthew , Tay Elaine
Published: March 2012

This paper presents research into the attitudes and behaviours of students using wikis for individual writing tasks. The wiki-based assignment differs from the use of wikis normally researched because it was an individual task, not involving collaborative writing. This activity provides an excellent opportunity to learn more about how wikis are actually used by students in higher education. The research finds there is no compelling evidence that the wiki on its own improves performance over and above the general aptitude of students. It also finds that students generally did not utilise the wikis for high-intensity editing and revision. However, students did report that the wiki was valuable as a way of aiding them to review and develop their ideas. We conclude that using wikis for individual writing tasks can, where appropriate active instructions are given to support development of cognitive abilities, lead to improved outcomes for students.
ICTs and Gender-Based Rights
Authors: Ionescu Ana-Cristina
Published: March 2012

In this new age, the Internet, the network of networks connected by a complex array of electronic, wireless, and optical technologies extending from the private to the public sector, and from academic to business and governmental organizations, is starting to have increasingly broad social implications, besides the technical ones. Nevertheless, as women and men enter and progress differently into employment and occupations, not all humankind benefits equally from Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). In this paper, the author addresses the question of whether women have equal rights and opportunities to access and use ICTs. In this article, the author strengthens the idea that in this changing era, new ICTs represent a cardinal instrument for social transformation, enabling and empowering women to become controllers of information.
The Impact of Health Information Technology on Human Rights
Authors: O’Hanlon Shane
Published: March 2012

Information technology has the potential to transform healthcare and eradicate many of the inequities seen in the area by improving availability and management of health information. However the use of electronic means to process sensitive health data poses significant risks. Electronic health records have been designed to be more secure than traditional paper records, but there have been notable cases where data has been lost, stolen, or viewed by unauthorised persons. Misuse of information technology can result in severe violations of human rights. In particular the right to privacy can be eroded by inadequate protections which persist in some health systems. This article describes recent developments in the area, analyses legal provisions for protection of health data, outlines examples of rights violations, and proposes future directions.
Contingency and Hybridity in the Study of Digital Advocacy Networks
Authors: Wilson Christopher , Dunn Alexandra
Published: March 2012

This article proposes an analytic approach for the study of ICTs in contentious politics and human rights advocacy. By applying the analytical frames of contingency and hybridity to study design, this approach promotes empirical analyses, strengthens data comparability, and improves understanding into how human rights activists strategically combine digital and grounded communications to respond to complex and changing environments. The authors explore this analytic approach and its implications through a close analysis of the Front to Defend Egyptian Protesters (FDEP), a Cairo-based initiative utilizing multiple digital media to mobilize support teams for arrested protesters and work toward their release. By applying the analytical frames of contingency and hybridity to FDEP activities in 2010, prior to the uprisings now commonly referred to as the Arab Spring, the authors observe a number of opportunities for targeted data collection. The authors close by observing the challenges and opportunities this poses to the contemporary study of digital activism.
Anticipating Requirements Changes-Using Futurology in Requirements Elicitation
Authors: Pimentel João , Santos Emanuel , Castro Jaelson , Franch Xavier
Published: March 2012

It is well known that requirements changes in a later phase of software developments is a major source of software defects and costs. Thus, the need of techniques to control or reduce the amount of changes during software development projects. The authors advocate the use of foresight methods as a valuable input to requirements elicitation, with the potential to decrease the number of changes that would be required after deployment, by anticipating them. In this paper, the authors define a process for using a foresight method, namely Futures Wheel, for requirements elicitation. To illustrate the use of this approach, the authors perform a case study using a route planning system.
An Exploratory Study of Retirees and Retirement Benefits in Ado Ekiti, South West Nigeria
Authors: Omotosho Babatunde Joshua
Published: March 2012

Several attempts have been made over time in regards to the issue of pensions and retirement benefits in Nigeria; hence the pension reform of 2004. However, pensioners still undergo stress in the collection of their entitlements. One unique feature is that respondents have continued to survive in spite of their plights in the hands of their former employers (usually the government). This study explored means of survival of the pensioners and how it has ameliorated their sufferings in Ado Ekiti south west Nigeria. The study employed quantitative and qualitative methods in gathering the data. For quantitative data, a total of 200 copies of questionnaires were distributed among the pensioners using systematic sampling procedures. For qualitative data, in-depth interviews were conducted for twenty respondents as a complement to the qualitative data. Findings showed that a majority of the respondents were aged between 71-80 years. Equally, a majority of the respondents’ employers did not make any tangible pre-retirement plans for them. Respondents depended on spouses, children and borrowing as a means of survival. Respondents may still continue to encounter difficulties in their bid to survive after retirement. A proper pre-retirement and post-retirement plan needs to be put in place by employers in order to prepare them for retirement and also monitor their progress after retirement.
Convergence Aspects of Autonomic Cooperative Networks
Authors: Wódczak Michal
Published: March 2012

The current efforts across industry and academia are to develop new paradigms that enable ubiquitous on-demand service provision. This aim may be achievable because of the envisaged deployment of cutting-edge technologies such as cooperative transmission. However, a real advancement is only attainable when autonomic system design principles are taken into account. Looking at the concept of the Relay Enhanced Cell, one may come across commonalities with Mobile Ad-hoc Networks. Especially in Local Area scenarios, Base Stations seem to resemble advanced Access Points, while fixed and movable Relay Nodes might be replaced by powerful mobile User Terminals. On top of it, Generic Autonomic Network Architecture would help accommodate the fact that network devices may expose autonomic cooperative behaviors, allowing them to play certain roles. Finally, such a network must interact with Operations Support System deployed by the network operator for uninterrupted, continued operation.
Does Technology Trust Substitute Interpersonal Trust?
Authors: Li Xin , Rong Guang , Thatcher Jason Bennett
Published: March 2012

While an increasing number of trust studies examine technological artifacts as trust recipients, there is still a lack of basic understanding of how technology trust relates to traditional trust and its role within the broader nomological net articulated in trust research. This paper suggests that technology trust is distinct from interpersonal trust (i.e., trust in humans) due to the different core characteristics of the trustees. To examine these differences, the authors first develop and validate a measure of technology trust comprised of IT-specific belief sources. Then, they articulate a research model that compares and contrasts technology trust and interpersonal trust. This study provides evidence that technology trust is associated with, yet distinct from, interpersonal trust. The authors found technology trust plays a dual role in the nomological net tied to individual intended behavior – exerting a direct and an indirect influence on a trust outcome. Rather than suggesting that technology trust substitutes for interpersonal trust, the findings suggest that technology trust complements interpersonal trust in affecting purchase intention.
A Pareto-Optimal Solution for a Multi-Objective Scheduling Problem with Periodic Maintenance Requirement
Authors: Mungan Deniz , Yu Junfang , Sarker Bhaba R. , Rahman Mohammad Anwar
Published: March 2012

A Pareto-optimal solution is developed in this paper for a scheduling problem on a single machine with periodic maintenance and non-preemptive jobs. Most of the scheduling problems address only one objective function, while in the real world, such problems are always associated with more than one objective. In this paper, both multi-objective functions and multi-maintenance periods are considered for a machine scheduling problem. To avoid complexities, multiple objective functions are consolidated and transformed into a single objective function after they are weighted and assigned proper weighting factors. In addition, periodic maintenance schedules are also considered in the model. The objective of the model addressed is to minimize the weighted function of the total job flow time, the maximum tardiness, and the machine idle time in a single machine problem with periodic maintenance and non-preemptive jobs. An algorithm is developed to solve this multiple criterion problem and to construct the Pareto-set. The parametric analysis of the trade-offs of all solutions with all possible weighted combination of the criteria is performed. A neighborhood search heuristic is also developed. Results are provided to explore the best schedule among all the Pareto-optimality sets and to compare the result of the modified Pareto-optimality algorithm with the result of the neighborhood search heuristic.
Producing inter-specific hybrids between Brassica juncea (L.) Czern & Coss and B. oleracea (L.) to synthesize trigenomic (abc) Brassica
Authors: Weerakoon S. R.
Published: March 2012

Polyploidy is recognized as a major mechanism in plant evolution. Polyploid crops often have wider adaptation, better quality and higher yielding capacity than their diploid counterparts. Although many successful natural and man-made hexaploid crops are existing, hexaploid Brassica are still not available. So far, relatively a limited work has been conducted to synthesize hexaploid Brassica with A, B and C genomes, which  will provide a very good potential to create new crops for domestication. An investigation was conducted to evaluate the possibility of synthesizing trigenomic (AABBCC) hexaploid Brassica by crossing Brassica  juncea  (L.) Czern & Coss and B. oleracea (L.). Five genotypes of B. juncea  (AC 0747, 0790, 1099, 2180 and 7700) and five genotypes of B. oleracea (Chinese Broccoli, Broccoli-var. Shogun, Cauliflower-var. Snowball and var., Phenomenon Early and Cabbage-var. Sweet Eureka) were selected for the study. Hand pollination was done by emasculating buds of one species and pollination using another species in both directions. Success of pod formation of the crosses of B. juncea (♀) x B. oleracea (♂) was 25%. Totally 893 putative hybrid seeds were harvested. Although 9% pod formation was observed in reciprocal crosses, no seeds were developed. Evaluation of 80 putative hybrids by molecular markers and agro-morphological characterization confirmed four true hybrids resulting crosses between AC 0747 x Chinese Broccoli, AC 0790 x Chinese Broccoli and AC 2180 x Broccoli-var. Shogun. The present investigation confirms that hybridization of tetraploid B. juncea (4x, AABB) with diploid B. oleracea (2x, CC) is a potential approach to produce hexaploid Brassica (6x, AABBCC) genotypes.Keywords: Hexaploid Brassica; inter-specific hybridization; polyploidy; SSR markersDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/josuk.v6i0.4218J Sci.Univ.Kelaniya 6 (2011) : 13-34
Efficacy of essential oils from bark and leaf of Cinnamomum zeylanicum on root knot nematode, Meloidogyne graminicola in rice seedlings and young rice plants
Authors: Amarasinghe L.D. , Wijesinghe W.K.A.G.A. , Jayawardhane B. K.
Published: March 2012

The present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of essential oils from leaf and bark of cinnamon, Cinnamomum zeylanicum in controlling Meloidogyne graminicola and their effects on rice seedlings and young rice plants. This study was done; to determine the LC50 of essential oils of the extracts of cinnamon leaf and bark to kill 50% of second stage juveniles (J2) of Meloidogyne graminicola in rice root galls; to determine the efficacy of essential oils of cinnamon; in controlling J2 in rice seedlings and young rice plants; and on the growth of rice plants.Cinnamon bark oil sample used in the current study contained about 72% cinnamaldehyde and the leaf sample contained about 86% eugenol. LC50 for cinnamon leaf oil and cinnamon bark oil for killing 50% of juveniles of M. graminicola in rice root galls after three days of the treatment was 0.326 ppm and 0.454 ppm respectively. Number of galls in the root system of nematode infested rice seedlings was significantly reduced when they were treated with 0.9 ppm of cinnamon leaf oil and bark oil compared to untreated controls. However, the nematicidal activity between the cinnamon leaf oil and bark oil was not significantly different. The root gall index of infested young rice plants was significantly lowered when they were treated with either cinnamon leaf oil or bark oil compared to untreated controls. It was revealed that the mean plant height and the mean number of roots of essential oil treated plants were positively correlated with the number of root galls whereas, the number of dead plants and the mean percentage chlorosis were negatively correlated. Nevertheless, the mean root length did not show any significant correlation with number of root galls. This study concludes that essential oils of cinnamon leaf which contained 86% eugenol and bark which contained 72% cinnamaldehyde are similarly effective in suppression of M. graminicola in rice seedlings and young rice plants. According to the rates of application of essential oils of cinnamon leaf and bark, none of them have significant negative effect on the plant growth. Hence, they can be used as an alternative nematicide against the rice root knot nematode, M. graminicola in early stage of rice plants.Keywords: Cinnamomum zeylanicum; essential oils; Meloidogyne graminicola;Oryza sativaDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/josuk.v6i0.4220J Sci.Univ.Kelaniya 6 (2011) : 45-54
Revisiting the global detection capability of earthquakes during the period immediately after a large earthquake: considering the influence of intermediate-depth and deep earthquakes
Authors: Iwata Takaki
Published: March 2012

This study examines the global earthquake detection capability of the Global Centroid Moment Tensor (GCMT) catalogue during the periods immediately following large earthquakes, including intermediate-depth (70 ≤ depth < 300 km) and deep (300 km ≤ depth) events. We have already shown that the detection capability beyond an aftershock zone degrades remarkably and that this condition persists for several hours after the occurrence of large shallow (depth < 70 km) earthquakes. Because an intermediate-depth or deep earthquake occasionally generates seismic waves with significant amplitudes, it is necessary to investigate the change in the detection capability caused by such events. To this end, from the GCMT catalogue, we constructed the time sequences of the earthquakes that occurred immediately after the large earthquakes, and stacked these time sequences. To these stacked sequences, we then applied a statistical model representing the magnitude-frequency distribution of all observed earthquakes. This model has a parameter that characterizes the detection capability, and the temporal variation of the parameter is estimated by means of a Bayesian approach with a piecewise linear function. Consequently, we find that the global detection capability is lower after the occurrence of shallow earthquakes with magnitudes ≥ 5.45, intermediate-depth earthquakes with magnitudes ≥ 5.95, and deep earthquakes with magnitudes ≥ 6.95.