bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human Factors in Knowledge Management
Authors: Ahram Tareq Z. , Karwowski Waldemar , Andrzejczak Chris
Published: August 2010

This chapter presents an overview of key Human Systems Integration (HSI), Human Factors (HF), and Knowledge Management (KM) methods that support building user-centered systems. The chapter stresses that KM can benefit the systems design process by reducing rework and duplication of effort. In addition, tools aiding KM implementation within the HSI and Human Factors (HF) domains are discussed. HSI practices created and employed within the discipline of Systems Engineering (SE) have brought positive changes to the systems development lifecycle (SDLC) process, affording increasingly complex and smarter systems to be built. These increases in systems complexity have created a need for systems designers and program managers to apply KM principles to systematically create, share, retain, and transfer workforce skills, facts, processes, capabilities, and experiences in a systematic fashion. The authors describe the importance and benefits of integrating HSI and KM practices to build better and smarter systems.
Exploring E-Marketing Practises as Tool for Globalisation by Egyptian SBEs
Authors: El-Gohary Hatem
Published: August 2010

This chapter aims to add to the accumulative knowledge in the field of E-marketing through exploring E-Marketing practises by Egyptian small business enterprises as a tool for globalisation. An organised systematic examination of the published work related to E-Marketing practises by small business enterprises is discussed and illustrated. Moreover, the chapter demonstrates that although many Egyptian small business enterprises seems to conduct E-Marketing activities, only very small number of these enterprises conduct an effective and efficient E-Marketing activities for expanding globally. The chapter illustrates an exploratory research to explore the current aspects related to E-Marketing adoption and implementation by Egyptian small business enterprises as a tool for globalisation. The main aim of conducting such exploratory study is to achieve a deep and reflective understanding of E-Marketing practises by Egyptian small business enterprises as a tool for globalisation. The results of the fieldwork research conducted by the author through survey and case studies will enable authors, entrepreneurs, policy makers, students and practitioners to build a greater understanding of E-Marketing practises by Egyptian small businesses. Moreover, the chapter will help authors and scholars in the field of E-Marketing to have a clearer view towards suitable future research studies in the field of E-Marketing that in turn will contribute to the related accumulated knowledge in the field.
Gender and ICT Policy for Development and Empowerment
Authors: Wakunuma-Zojer Kutoma Jacqueline
Published: August 2010

This chapter pays attention to the role that ICT policy and gender play in the drive for development and empowerment. Particular focus is on Zambia and its National ICT Policy. The chapter analyses how notions of ‘gender’, development and empowerment are routinely incorporated into the ICT policy rhetoric and the strategies put in place. It assesses whether the goals of the National ICT Policy encourage social and economic development as well as empowerment for women. The chapter makes the case that as much as ICT policies are being developed and adopted in order to be incorporated into the development agendas of countries like Zambia, mere adoption without adequately addressing gender concerns within the policies themselves may not necessarily achieve the desired development and empowerment. The analysis subsequently brings to the fore some short comings within the policy that have not been addressed with the adequacy they deserve and which as a result, can potentially impact negatively on women‘s overall development and subsequent empowerment. The chapter particularly focuses on Government claims which suggest that women are important actors in ICT use for sustainable development without whom the successful diffusion and use of ICTs in the country cannot be a reality.
Impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the Advancement and Empowerment of African Women
Authors: Pelletier Marian
Published: August 2010

During the past decade, global communications have changed dramatically, as a result of the increased use of information and communication technologies (ICT’s). ICT’s are becoming increasingly necessary if countries are to compete on a global scale. It has also been widely acknowledged that ICT’s have the potential to play an immediate role in the quest for sustainable and equitable development in Third World countries. ICT’s allow people to collect, store, process and access information and/or communicate with each other. How people in developing countries use these technologies to solve problems, organize their activities and realize their own objectives will determine the impact that these technologies will have in the course of their development. ICT’s are realities and concepts that have become unavoidable for anyone involved in issues of development and sustainability. However, access for women and especially rural women to ICT’s cannot be assumed to naturally occur. According to various authors and organizations most of the positive effect of the “information revolution” has bypassed women. It has not been easy to determine whether women have benefited from the information revolution. There is also the consensus that very little research has been done on women’s information needs and access to appropriate information in developing countries. It is therefore necessary to examine the impact that ICT‘s are having on women and whether or not they are serving women’s needs and preferences. It is also necessary to examine ways that policies can be put in place in order to assure that women have access to the technology, which is necessary to fulfill their information needs. This chapter, using case-studies from Africa, will examine the above issues.
Mobile Phone Etiquette in Nigeria
Authors: Ntui Aniebiet I. , Edem Nkoyo B.
Published: August 2010

There has been tremendous growth in the mobile telephony industry in Nigeria in recent years. This evolving technology has given rise to concerns over the etiquette governing mobile phone usage. This study was undertaken to better understand levels of knowledge of Nigerians about etiquettes of mobile phone usage. Data were collected through interviews, direct observations and questionnaire from 861 randomly selected mobile phone users residing in diverse streets of Calabar municipality. The study revealed that the levels of knowledge of Nigerians about etiquette of mobile phone usage is high but users refuse to conform; that the etiquette that should be up held include volume of the ringing tone should be low, pleasant and not annoy others; mobile phones are not used while driving. The implication of is that non compliance with mobile phone etiquettes poses a serious threat and distraction to others. Based on the findings, recommendations which would increase levels of knowledge of and compliance with the etiquette of mobile phone usage in Nigeria were set forth.
Organizational Software Use Policies
Authors: Obuh Alex Ozoemelem
Published: August 2010

This chapter discusses organizational software use policies. Specifically it gives the meaning of software use policy, software use policy components bothering on; general statement of policy, user education, budgeting and acquisition of software, registration, installation, storage and documentation of software, record keeping, software use, internet and shareware use, software audit and use survey, employee/user duty to report underlicensing, disciplinary measures on defaulters, corporate handling of employee questions regarding an organization’s software, need for software use policy in an organization, organizational software use policy formulation process, qualities of a software use policy, policy education and enforcement, problems of software use policy as well as future trends in organizational software use policy.
Telecommunications Policy in Nigeria
Authors: Irivwieri Joseph Welfare
Published: August 2010

This chapter reviews the Nigerian National Telecommunications Policy. It describes Nigerian telecommunications development in the country, telecommunications policy in Nigeria., the 2000 national telecommunications policy including its objective and other components of the policy, telecoms regulatory agencies - government, ministry of communications, Nigerian Communications Commissions (NCC), policy implementation and review, emerging telecoms policy directions, and impact of telecoms regulatory policy. It is concluded that the implementation of the policy has resulted in number of telecom subscribers. The chapter calls on the Nigerian government to implement it new policy directions.
Telecommunications Regulation in Nigeria
Authors: Tiemo Pereware Aghwotu
Published: August 2010

This chapter presents the historical development of telecommunication in Nigeria, ranging from the colonial era to the present democratic dispensation and the position of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) as the telecommunication regulatory body, are highlighted. It goes further to x-ray the current trends and benefits of deregulation of telecommunication in the county. Despite the effort being made to ensure access to telecommunication system in the country, there are still some problems that militate against it effectiveness such as poor quality of services, inadequate telecommunication infrastructure and irregular electricity supply. It also looks at the future trends of telecommunication and among the recommendations are constant supplies of electricity, conducive environment and friendly policy that will sustain the growth of telecommunication in Nigeria.
Setting the Dutch E-Government Interoperability Agenda
Authors: Arendsen Rex , Zwienink Sander , Luttighuis Paul Oude
Published: August 2010

Like national governments across the world, Dutch government pursues an active policy towards e-government interoperability, both with businesses and citizens, as well as across government bodies. This chapter provides a case study on how Dutch government has approached the issue until today, including issues of policy setting, governance, standardization, and openness. Starting from a short historical overview, recent developments are described, such as the new action plan “Netherlands in Open Connection” and the establishment of Dutch government Standardization Board and Forum. The latter has recently adopted a seven-item interoperability agenda and prioritized four of the items: open standards, interoperability governance, service concepts, and semantic interoperability.
Interoperability Requirements, Recommendations and Standards in e-Participation
Authors: Scherer Sabrina , Liotas Naoum , Wimmer Maria A. , Tambouris Efthimios , Tarabanis Konstantinos
Published: August 2010

E-participation is understood as the use of modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in order to involve all parts of society in political decision-making. The field of e-participation is highly fragmented, mainly due to the large number of different participation areas, stakeholders, levels of engagement, and stages in policy-making involved. A key challenge for overcoming the complexity and current fragmentation of the field is to achieve interoperability between different e-participation systems, i.e. assembling e-participation toolsets dynamically according to respective participation processes and needs, and making use of content from different applications and tools. Unfortunately, e-participation toolboxes that ensure interoperability and make use of standards in order to exchange data with other systems are rare. Interoperation between e-participation systems needs to be investigated first, before it can be ultimately achieved. The chapter addresses these interoperability challenges by (a) contributing to a better understanding of interoperability in regard to e-participation systems, (b) studying the interoperability needs of e-participation, and (c) deriving a set of requirements and guidelines in order to guarantee interoperability among e-participation tools and processes. We present a methodological framework to differentiate interoperability requirements in e-participation solutions in terms of political context, organizational, legal, semantic and technical interoperability.
River Basin Management with a Special Focus on Management of Flood Events
Authors: Petersen Georg , Cullmann Johannes , Bittner Ruth
Published: August 2010

“River basin management with a special focus on management of flood events” deals with the forecast, management and mitigation of flood desasters that have a severe impact on riparian communities and national economies. In recent years it has been increasingly recognized that managing flood risks rather than full flood protection is the way forward for coping with these extreme events. The chapter describes management approaches resulting from the “RIMAX – Risk Management of Extreme Flood Events” research program carried out in Germany for which results were adapted for their adaptation in developing countries. Areas that are covered in the chapter include: (1) Analysis, forecasting and warning; (2) Information management and communication; and (3) Protection and control strategies. The work does not provide packaged solutions but describes results and problems and highlights aspects of importance that would need to be considered for successful implementation in a variety of conditions. It therefore provides a guideline for researchers and practitioners to utilize the generated information under a variety of conditions.
Science and Water Policy Interface
Authors: Hashemi Mukhtar , O’Connell Enda
Published: August 2010

Despite many advances in the field of hydroinformatics, the policy and decision-making world is unable to use these highly technical decision support systems (DSSs) because there has been an undue emphasis on the technological aspects. The historical analysis of hydroinformatics concepts and modelling shows that the technical aspects have been incorporated far better than the social aspects. Hence, there have been calls for the development of ‘socio-technical’ DSSs. However, far greater effort is required to incorporate social and political sciences into the domain of DSSs. The goal of this chapter is to elaborate on the illusive interface between science and water policy within the context of DSSs. It is an attempt to address one main question: how to link or find an interface between policy (institutional matters) and science (technical and natural environment aspects). To achieve this goal, a new paradigm for the DSS modelling approach has been envisaged based on combining multiple theoretical and analytical frameworks into a single methodological framework to attain a linkage between science and policy-making. The integrated methodological framework comprises of: (1) two ‘conceptual’ frameworks: (a) decision-making perspectives and (b) IWRM interface frameworks; (2) analytical frameworks: (a) DPSIR socio-technical assessment and (b) institutional analysis (IA) frameworks; (3) core engine of the DSS consisting of coupled decision support tools (DST) such as process, planning and evaluation models; and (4) a stakeholder participation interface framework consisting of (a(a multi-windowed dynamic cyber stakeholder interface (MDCSI) system and (b) DSS performance assessment (uncertainty and risk analysis) tools, within a shell of a graphical user interface (GUI). From experience, it can be concluded that DSSs are not just about software packages but they are a participatory communication platform for an interactive multi-stakeholder decision-making process. The required science-policy interface can be achieved by using a unique analytical approach in which technical, policy and institutional frameworks are combined within a DSS platform with an output framework, the MDCSI system, that facilitate policy dialogue by having a dynamic and interactive policy interface which can be linked to other technical and non-technical systems. DSSs should be integrated with institutional and socio-political frameworks to help attain both financial and institutional sustainability.
Evolutionary Computation for Single and Multiobjective Water Distribution Systems Optimal Design
Authors: Ostfeld Avi
Published: August 2010

Water distribution systems least cost pipe sizing/design is probably the most explored problem in water distribution systems optimization. Attracted numerous studies over the last four decades, two main approaches were employed: decomposition in which an “inner” linear programming problem is solved for a fixed set of flows/heads, while the flows/heads are altered at an “outer” problem using a gradient or a sub-gradient type technique; and the utilization of an evolutionary optimization algorithm (e.g., a genetic algorithm). In reality, however, from a broader perspective the design problem is inherently of a multiobjective nature incorporating competing objectives such as minimizing cost versus maximizing reliability. This chapter reviews some of the literature on single and multiobjective optimal design of water distribution systems and suggests a few future research directions in this area.
Principal Component Analysis of Hydrological Data
Authors: Praus Petr
Published: August 2010

In this chapter the principals and applications of principal component analysis (PCA) applied on hydrological data are presented. Four case studies showed the possibility of PCA to obtain information about wastewater treatment process, drinking water quality in a city network and to find similarities in the data sets of ground water quality results and water-related images. In the first case study, the composition of raw and cleaned wastewater was characterised and its temporal changes were displayed. In the second case study, drinking water samples were divided into clusters in consistency with their sampling localities. In the case study III, the similar samples of ground water were recognised by the calculation of cosine similarity, the Euclidean and Manhattan distances. In the case study IV, 32 water-related images were transformed into a large image matrix whose dimensionality was reduced by PCA. The images were clustered using the PCA scatter plots.
3D Ligand-Based Virtual Screening with Support Vector Machines
Authors: Vert Jean-Philippe
Published: August 2010

The author reviews an approach, proposed recently by Mahé, Ralaivola, Stoven, and Vert (2006), for ligand-based virtual screening with support vector machines using a kernel based on the 3D structure of the molecules. The kernel detects putative 3-point pharmacophores, and generalizes previous approaches based on 3-point pharmacophore fingerprints. It overcomes the categorization issue associated with the discretization step usually required for the construction of fingerprints, and leads to promising results on several benchmark datasets.
A Simulation Study of the Use of Similarity Fusion for Virtual Screening
Authors: Whittle Martin , Gillet Valerie J. , Willett Peter
Published: August 2010

This chapter analyses the use of similarity fusion in similarity searching of chemical databases. The ranked retrieval of molecules from a database can be modelled using both analytical and simulation approaches describing the similarities between an active reference structure and both the active and the non-active molecules in the database. The simulation model described here has the advantage that it can handle unmatched molecules, i.e., those that occur in one of the ranked similarity lists that are to be fused but that do not occur in the other. Our analyses provide insights into why the results of similarity fusion are often inconsistent when used for virtual screening.
Protein Homology Analysis for Function Prediction with Parallel Sub-Graph Isomorphism
Authors: Küçükural Alper , Szilagyi Andras , Sezerman O. Ugur , Zhang Yang
Published: August 2010

To annotate the biological function of a protein molecule, it is essential to have information on its 3D structure. Many successful methods for function prediction are based on determining structurally conserved regions because the functional residues are proved to be more conservative than others in protein evolution. Since the 3D conformation of a protein can be represented by a contact map graph, graph matching, algorithms are often employed to identify the conserved residues in weakly homologous protein pairs. However, the general graph matching algorithm is computationally expensive because graph similarity searching is essentially a NP-hard problem. Parallel implementations of the graph matching are often exploited to speed up the process. In this chapter,the authors review theoretical and computational approaches of graph theory and the recently developed graph matching algorithms for protein function prediction.
Cocktail Party Problem
Authors: Jan Tariqullah , Wang Wenwu
Published: August 2010

Cocktail party problem is a classical scientific problem that has been studied for decades. Humans have remarkable skills in segregating target speech from a complex auditory mixture obtained in a cocktail party environment. Computational modeling for such a mechanism is however extremely challenging. This chapter presents an overview of several recent techniques for the source separation issues associated with this problem, including independent component analysis/blind source separation, computational auditory scene analysis, model-based approaches, non-negative matrix factorization and sparse coding. As an example, a multistage approach for source separation is included. The application areas of cocktail party processing are explored. Potential future research directions are also discussed.
Multi-Channel Source Separation
Authors: Madhu Nilesh , Gückel André
Published: August 2010

Machine-based multi-channel source separation in real life situations is a challenging problem, and has a wide range of applications, from medical to military. With the increase in computational power available to everyday devices, source separation in real-time has become more feasible, contributing to the boost in the research in this field in the recent past. Algorithms for source separation are based on specific assumptions regarding the source and signal model – which depends upon the application. In this chapter, the specific application considered is that of a target speaker enhancement in the presence of competing speakers and background noise. It is the aim of this contribution to present not only an exhaustive overview of state-of-the-art separation algorithms and the specific models they are based upon, but also to highlight the relations between these algorithms, where possible. Given this wide scope of the chapter, we expect it will benefit both, the student beginning his studies in the field of machine audition, and those already working in a related field and wishing to obtain an overview or insights into the field of multi-channel source separation.
Automatic Tagging of Audio
Authors: Bertin-Mahieux Thierry , Eck Douglas , Mandel Michael
Published: August 2010

Recently there has been a great deal of attention paid to the automatic prediction of tags for music and audio in general. Social tags are user-generated keywords associated with some resource on the Web. In the case of music, social tags have become an important component of ``Web 2.0‘‘ recommender systems. There have been many attempts at automatically applying tags to audio for different purposes: database management, music recommendation, improved human-computer interfaces, estimating similarity among songs, and so on. Many published results show that this problem can be tackled using machine learning techniques, however, no method so far has been proven to be particularly suited to the task. First, it seems that no one has yet found an appropriate algorithm to solve this challenge. But second, the task definition itself is problematic. In an effort to better understand the task and also to help new researchers bring their insights to bear on this problem, this chapter provides a review of the state-of-the-art methods for addressing automatic tagging of audio. It is divided in the following sections: goal, framework, audio representation, labeled data, classification, evaluation, and future directions. Such a division helps understand the commonalities and strengths of the different methods that have been proposed.
Machine Audition of Acoustics
Authors: Li Francis F. , Kendrick Paul , Cox Trevor J.
Published: August 2010

Propagation of sound from a source to a receiver in an enclosure can be modeled as an acoustic transmission channel. Objective room acoustic parameters are routinely used to quantify properties of such channels in the design and assessment of acoustically critical spaces such as concert halls, theatres and recording studios. Traditionally, room acoustic parameters are measured using artificial probe stimuli such as pseudo random sequences, white noise or sine sweeps. The noisy test signal hinders occupied in-situ measurements. On the other hand, virtually all audio signals acquired by a microphone have undergone a process of acoustic transmission in the first place. Properties of acoustic transmission channels are essential for the design of suitable equalizers to facilitate subsequent machine audition. Motivated by these needs, a number of new methods and algorithms have been developed recently to determine room acoustic parameters using machine audition of naturally occurring sound sources, i.e. speech and music. In particular, reverberation time, early decay time and speech transmission index can be estimated from received speech or music signals using statistical machine learning or maximum likelihood estimation in a semi-blind or blind fashion. Some of these estimation methods can achieve accuracies similar to those of traditional instrument measurements.
Neuromorphic Speech Processing
Authors: Gómez-Vilda Pedro , Ferrández-Vicente José Manuel , Rodellar-Biarge Victoria , Martínez-Olalla Rafael , Nieto-Lluis Víctor , Mazaira-Fernández Luis , Muñoz-Mulas Cristina Miguel
Published: August 2010

Current trends in the search for improvements in well-established technologies imitating human abilities, as speech perception, try to find inspiration in the explanation of certain capabilities hidden in the natural system which are not yet well understood. A typical case is that of speech recognition, where the semantic gap going from spectral time-frequency representations to the symbolic translation into phonemes and words, and the construction of morpho-syntactic and semantic structures find many hidden phenomena not well understood yet. The present chapter is intended to explore some of these facts at a simplifying level under two points of view: that of top-down analysis provided from speech perception, and the symmetric from bottom-up synthesis provided by the biological architecture of auditory pathways. An application-driven design of a Neuromorphic Speech Processing Architecture is presented and its performance analyzed. Simulation details provided by a parallel implementation of the architecture in a supercomputer will be also shown and discussed.
Sparse Representation for View-Based Face Recognition
Authors: Naseem Imran , Naseem Imran , Togneri Roberto , Togneri Roberto , Bennamoun Mohammed
Published: August 2010

In this chapter, the authors discuss the problem of face recognition using sparse representation classification (SRC). The SRC classifier has recently emerged as one of the latest paradigm in the context of view-based face recognition. The main aim of the chapter is to provide an insight of the SRC algorithm with thorough discussion of the underlying “Compressive Sensing” theory. Comprehensive experimental evaluation of the approach is conducted on a number of standard databases using exemplary evaluation protocols to provide a comparative index with the benchmark face recognition algorithms. The algorithm is also extended to the problem of video-based face recognition for more realistic applications.
Discriminant Learning Using Training Space Partitioning
Authors: Kyperoundtas Marios , Kyperountas Marios , Tefas Anastasios , Tefas Anastasios , Pitas Ioannis
Published: August 2010

Large training databases introduce a level of complexity that often degrades the classification performance of face recognition methods. In this chapter, an overview of various approaches that are employed in order to overcome this problem is presented and, in addition, a specific discriminant learning approach that combines dynamic training and partitioning is described in detail. This face recognition methodology employs dynamic training in order to implement a person-specific iterative classification process. This process employs discriminant clustering, where, by making use of an entropy-based measure, the algorithm adapts the coordinates of the discriminant space with respect to the characteristics of the test face. As a result, the training space is dynamically reduced to smaller spaces, where linear separability among the face classes is more likely to be achieved. The process iterates until one final cluster is retained, which consists of a single face class that represents the best match to the test face. The performance of this methodology is evaluated on standard large face databases and results show that the proposed framework gives a good solution to the face recognition problem.
Subtle Facial Expression Recognition in Still Images and Videos
Authors: Dornaika Fadi , Dornaika Fadi , Raducanu Bogdan , Raducanu Bogdan
Published: August 2010

This chapter addresses the recognition of basic facial expressions. It has three main contributions. First, the authors introduce a view- and texture independent schemes that exploits facial action parameters estimated by an appearance-based 3D face tracker. they represent the learned facial actions associated with different facial expressions by time series. Two dynamic recognition schemes are proposed: (1) the first is based on conditional predictive models and on an analysis-synthesis scheme, and (2) the second is based on examples allowing straightforward use of machine learning approaches. Second, the authors propose an efficient recognition scheme based on the detection of keyframes in videos. Third, the authors compare the dynamic scheme with a static one based on analyzing individual snapshots and show that in general the former performs better than the latter. The authors then provide evaluations of performance using Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), Non parametric Discriminant Analysis (NDA), and Support Vector Machines (SVM).
Safeguarding the Privacy of Electronic Medical Records
Authors: Li Jingquan , Shaw Michael J.
Published: August 2010

The continued growth of healthcare information systems (HCIS) promises to improve quality of care, reduce harmful medical errors, and streamline the entire healthcare system. But the resulting dependence on electronic medical records (EMRs) has kindled patient concern about who has access to sensitive medical records. Healthcare organizations are obliged to protect patient medical records under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 and the economic stimulus bill of 2009. The purpose of this study is to develop a formal privacy policy for safeguarding the privacy of EMRs. This study describes the impact of EMRs and HIPAA on patient privacy. It proposes access control and audit logs policies to protect patient privacy. To illustrate the best practices in the healthcare industry, this chapter presents the case of the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. The case demonstrates that it is critical for a healthcare organization to have a formal privacy policy in place.
Memory Based Anti-Forensic Tools and Techniques
Authors: Jahankhani Hamid , Beqiri Elidon
Published: August 2010

Computer forensics is the discipline that deals with the acquisition, investigation, preservation and presentation of digital evidence in the court of law. Whereas anti-forensics is the terminology used to describe malicious activities deployed to delete, alter or hide digital evidence with the main objective of manipulating, destroying and preventing the creation of evidence .Various anti-forensic methodologies and tools can be used to interfere with digital evidence and computer forensic tools. However, memory-based anti-forensic techniques are of particular interest because of their effectiveness, advanced manipulation of digital evidence and attack on computer forensic tools. These techniques are mainly performed in volatile memory using advanced data alteration and hiding techniques. For these reasons memory-based anti-forensic techniques are considered to be unbeatable. This chapter aims to present some of the current anti-forensic approaches and in particular reports on memory-based anti-forensic tools and techniques.
Using Effect Size for Group Modeling in E-Learning Systems
Authors: Krpan Divna , Tomaš Suzana , Vladušic Roko
Published: August 2010

There is great need for collaboration in education and e-learning systems which imply the necessity for group modeling. Since Bloom’s experiment, which produced effect size of 2-sigma, there were many attempts to repeat those results with intelligent tutoring systems. Our experiments show effectiveness of xTEx-Sys in measure of effect size. The goal of our research and development is to get as close as possible to effect size of 2-sigma. There is greater need for collaboration in e-learning systems and there are some indications that collaboration could increase effectiveness. Since collaboration is closely coupled with groups, directions for future development and exploration of e-learning systems lay in field of group modeling. Group modeling also implies creation of stereotype models.
Assessment of the Effectiveness of Distance Learning Courses and of Interactive Processes in Virtual Learning Environments
Authors: Botelho Francisco Villa Ulhôa , Vicari Rosa Maria
Published: August 2010

The general objectives of this study are: to analyze significant indicators for assessment of the effectiveness of Distance Learning (DL) courses; to check the extent to which such effectiveness is related to the quality of interactive processes; to examine characteristic elements of individuals’ conversations while they interact in study groups within virtual environments, with a view to contributing toward the effectiveness of DL courses; the development of a methodology for assessing the effectiveness of distance learning courses. Results confirm the importance of the context, the teacher, and learning-group variables for the effectiveness of distance courses. They also illustrate the relevance of certain speech features of students and teachers in virtual learning environments that generate conversational dynamics and contribute toward meeting the goals of DL courses.
Grid Technology in Telepatology and Personalised Treatment
Authors: Ferrer-Roca O. , Marcan F , Vidal ME. , Ruckhaus E. , Fernández-Baíllo Roberto , Santos X. , Álvarez-Marquina Agustín , Iglesias E
Published: August 2010

Histopathology requires automation, quality control and global collaborative tools. Usually the PIMS (Pathology information management system) automates samples, images and reports and progressively incorporates the PI (Pathology informatics), the D-PATH (digital pathology), e-PATH (electronic pathology), the PPH (Patho-pharmacology), virtual autopsy (VA) and all type of translational research in the PMIS. Not being subject to a specific standard, quality control follows ISO-13485:2003 on services and medical devices, ISO 17025:2005 on technical aspects; and ISO-15198:2003 for automate and quantifiable procedures that will be affected by the new European Directive on medical devices. For the non-standardized pathology procedures, consumer’s requirements are what define test and calibration procedures. The paper analysed the non-standardized procedures: VS (Virtual Slides), GRID networking and Literature Based Discovery as tools for knowledge discovery of relevant relationships on image-diagnosis and personalized treatments. Standardized procedures available for search and annotation are the ISO/IEC 11179 Information Technology Metadata Registries specification, the ISO/IEC 13250:2003 for topics maps or MPEG-7 & 21 for images and the ISO/IEC 24800-3 for JPEG query search. The forthcoming innovations prepare to quality certify the so called “solo-pathology” robotic labs, supported by telepathology to reduce diagnostic errors and carrying out a relevant task on personalized treatment through GRID technology. In this environment the JPEG query search play a relevant role on images which metadata can be annotated on natural language.
Global Health Network Supercourse and Cancer Epidemiology
Authors: Linkov Faina , Radke Elizabeth , Lovalekar Mita , LaPorte Ronald
Published: August 2010

There have been even fewer scientific studies examining the translation of prevention research into the classroom. In order to improve global cancer education, global cancer educators need access to good educational lectures and existing data in the area of cancer morbidity and mortality. This chapter will concentrate on describing several resources of cancer information available on the Internet: the Supercourse, SEER, CANCERMondiale, and Cancer Atlas.
Analysis of Speedy Uptake of Electronic and Digital Signatures in Digital Economy with Special Reference to India
Authors: Goutam Swapneshwar
Published: August 2010

This chapter focuses on the issues evolved out of the Indian Information Technology Act of 2000; the key subject related to authentication of digital signatures with special reference to India based on case studies; the benefits of strong information technology infrastructure in India for advancement of future technologies and expansion of domestic market worldwide as well as the vital suggestions on advantages of electronic and digital signatures in enriching and ensuring swiftness in business desires and security.
Context for ICT’s Role in South African Development
Authors: Averweg Udo Richard , Erwin Geoff Joseph
Published: August 2010

This chapter discusses that information and communication technologies (ICTs) can (and should) be used to disseminate information and participation to disadvantaged communities in order to foster socio-economic development in South Africa. The objective of this chapter is twofold: (1) how should ICT policies and frameworks in South Africa be implemented (e.g. by a “top-down”, “bottom-up” or “mixed approach” paradigm) in order for the South African government to achieve its socio-economic goals?; and (2) can socio-economic development in South Africa be effectively assisted by the use of ICT? A discussion of these points may assist in the formulation of national ICT policies in South Africa and thereby spawn the setting up of social appropriation of ICT advancement programs. Such programs are particularly relevant to the digital divide, for fostering socio-economic development and in promoting an inclusive information society in South Africa.
Ethics and Social Issues Related to Information Communication Technology (ICT)
Authors: Edewor Nelson
Published: August 2010

Information Communication Technology (ICT) has raised new ethical concerns about the protection of personal privacy, protection of intellectual property, user responsibility, acceptable access and use of information, software licenses and piracy. A good ICT policy must be able to adequately consider these, and many other associated issues. This chapter therefore describes these ethical issues and how to deal with them as an individual or an organization. It provides information on the concept of ethics and the technological advancements responsible for the ethical concern. It discusses privacy, information rights, and intellectual property rights and ethics policy. The Nigerian national intellectual property right laws were examined in line with World Trade Organization/Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (WTO/TRIP) compliance.
Name Authority Control Paradigm Shift in the Network Environment
Authors: Willer Mirna
Published: August 2010

The purpose of this chapter is to give an international perspective and overview of the theory, standardization processes and following practices in the field of authority control, with particular view on the name authority control since the 1960s to the present. In the focus of interest of this chapter is paradigm shift in the field, and the possibilities of semantic web technologies in meeting library users’ needs, as well as librarians’ tasks to produce tools convenient to the user in the network environment.
E-Policing
Authors: Jones Matthew A. , de Guzman Melchor C.
Published: August 2010

This chapter provides a bridge between e-government research related to websites and the study of police organizations and strategy. In a digital age, the police need to have a strong web presence to engage in good governance by maintaining transparency and empowering citizens to participate. It is posited that web presence and citizen participation are linked to policing strategy, allowing citizens to work in tandem and co-produce public safety in their communities. This research utilized content analysis of the websites of police departments employing 250 or more sworn officers serving a municipal population. Using previously employed measures of website evaluations as well as some developed for this research, we found that police organizations have minimal web presence. Policy recommendations related to enhancing website presence are provided.
Benefits and Barriers of Using XML in Government Websites
Authors: Gil-Garcia J. Ramon , Costello Jim , Canestraro Donna S. , Werthmuller Derek
Published: August 2010

Electronic government can be understood as the use of information technologies in public sector organizations. One of the most visible strategies of electronic government is the development of Websites. As these government Websites have grown in size, complexity, and prominence, Website management, content management, maintenance costs, and accessibility have become growing concerns for federal, state, and local governments. Government webmasters and system administrators have come to realize that the technologies and strategies used in the past to build most Websites are designed to produce individual Web pages. However, they do not provide a structure to easily maintain entire Websites, keep them responsive to changing needs, or manage the workflow involved in Web content production and maintenance; nor do they facilitate the sharing and reuse of Website content. Based on semi-structured interviews and a survey to program and IT staff from five government agencies, this paper examines the potential of XML (Extensible Markup Language) for Website content management in government settings.1 It identifies expected benefits and perceived barriers. It also provides some examples and explanations about the usefulness of XML for Website content management in government.
E-Government and its Potential to Facilitate Citizen Participation in State Budget Deliberations
Authors: Klase Kenneth A. , Dougherty Michael John
Published: August 2010

State legislative websites have potential both to inform the citizenry and increase their participation in the governing process. This is particularly the case with respect to budget deliberations, which traditionally have been shrouded in mystery. Previous studies as well as a direct review of websites over the last few years have shown an increasing amount of data available. It ranges from basic information such as member lists and calendars to full documentation of events via transcripts and archived audio or video. A survey of state fiscal officials confirmed the utility of these websites for providing information. Thus, the websites have reached half their potential. However, the web sites do not appear to have enhanced citizen participation in the process. Opportunities for feedback and interaction are minimal at best. The implementation of such tools would enable the websites to reach their full e-government potential.
Cardiovascular Disease, Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms; and the Renin Angiotensin System: Is There a MicroRNA Connection?
Authors: Elton Terry S. , Sansom Sarah E. , Martin Mickey M.
Published: August 2010

Essential hypertension is a complex disorder, caused by the interplay between many genetic variants, gene-gene interactions, and environmental factors. Given that the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays an important role in blood pressure (BP) control, cardiovascular regulation, and cardiovascular remodeling, special attention has been devoted to the investigation of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) harbored in RAS genes that may be associated with hypertension and cardiovascular disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a family of small,∼21-nucleotide long, and nonprotein-coding RNAs that recognize target mRNAs through partial complementary elements in the3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of mRNAs and inhibit gene expression by targeting mRNAs for translational repression or destabilization. Since miRNA SNPs (miRSNPs) can create, destroy, or modify miRNA binding sites, this review focuses on the hypothesis that transcribed target SNPs harbored in RAS mRNAs, that alter miRNA gene regulation and consequently protein expression, may contribute to cardiovascular disease susceptibility.
The Number of Grafted Fragments Affects the Outcome of Testis Tissue Xenografting from Piglets into Recipient Mice
Authors: Abbasi Sepideh , Honaramooz Ali
Published: August 2010

To optimize the procedure for testis tissue xenografting, we grafted 2, 4, 8, or 16 small fragments of immature porcine testis tissue under the back skin of immunodeficient castrated mice (n=10mice/group). At 8 months post grafting, the graft recovery rate did not differ between groups; however, not only the total but also the average graft weights were higher (by∼12-fold and∼2.5-fold, resp.) in mice receiving 16 fragments than those receiving 2 fragments (P<.05). The recipient mice with 16 fragments had the largest vesicular glands (indicators of testosterone release by the grafts) compared with those with 2 fragments (P=.007). The grafts in the group of 16 fragments also had more (P<.05) percentage of tubules with round spermatids than those of the group of mice receiving 2 fragments. Therefore, recipient mice can be grafted with at least 16 testis tissue fragments for optimal results.
Health Informatics for Pediatric Disaster Preparedness Planning
Authors: Burke R.V. , Ryutov T. , Neches R. , Upperman J.S.
Published: August 2010

Objective: 1. To conduct a review of the role of informatics in pediatric disaster preparedness using all medical databases. 2. To provide recommendations to improve pediatric disaster preparedness by the application of informatics.

Methods: A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE, CINHL and the Cochrane Library using the key words “children” AND “disaster preparedness and disaster” AND “informatics”.

Results: A total of 314 papers were initially produced by the search and eight that met the selection criteria were included in the review. Four themes emerged: tools for disaster preparedness, education, reunification and planning and response.

Conclusion: The literature pertaining to informatics and pediatric disaster preparedness is sparse and many gaps still persist. Current disaster preparedness tools focus on the general population and do not specifically address children. The most progress has been achieved in family reunification; however, the recommendations delineated are yet to be completed.