bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cross-Layer Protocols for Multimedia Communications over Wireless Networks
Authors: Sen Jaydip
Published: October 2011

In the last few years, the Internet throughput, usage, and reliability have increased almost exponentially. The introduction of broadband wireless mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) and cellular networks, together with increased computational power, have opened the door for a new breed of applications to be created; namely, real-time multimedia applications. Delivering real-time multimedia traffic over a complex network like the Internet is a particularly challenging task since these applications have strict quality-of-service (QoS) requirements on bandwidth, delay, and delay jitter. Traditional Internet protocol (IP)-based best effort service is not able to meet these stringent requirements. The time-varying nature of wireless channels and resource constrained wireless devices make the problem even more difficult. To improve perceived media quality by end users over wireless Internet, QoS supports can be addressed in different layers, including application layer, transport layer, and link layer. Cross layer design is a well-known approach to achieve this adaptation. In cross-layer design, the challenges from the physical wireless medium and the QoS-demands from the applications are taken into account so that the rate, power, and coding at the physical (PHY) layer can be adapted to meet the requirements of the applications given the current channel and network conditions. A number of propositions for cross-layer designs exist in the literature. In this chapter, an extensive review has been made on these cross-layer architectures that combine the application-layer, transport layer, and the link layer controls. Particularly, issues like channel estimation techniques, adaptive controls at the application and link layers for energy efficiency, priority based scheduling, transmission rate control at the transport layer, and adaptive automatic repeat request (ARQ) are discussed in detail.
Give to Get
Authors: Premazzi Katia , Grosso Monica , Castaldo Sandro
Published: October 2011

The development of new technologies opens many opportunities for retailers. Nevertheless, the adoption of many such technologies requires retailers to address customers’ privacy concerns to encourage them to share information with the firm. Indeed, a large amount of customer information is required before a retailer can exploit the opportunities that new technologies offer. This chapter seeks to help retailers reach this goal by investigating the effects that two variables, which have emerged as relevant in the literature, have on information sharing: trust and compensation (as a form of incentive). The results of two experimental studies focusing on the online setting show the key role that trust plays in increased online information sharing. These results are a starting point for research on the privacy-related issues of new technologies, as the online setting could be perceived as very risky in terms of the invasion of privacy.
From User Cognition to User Interaction Modalities in Consumer Behaviour
Authors: Davies Barry , Bilotta Eleonora , Hapeshi Kevin , Salvia Emanuela , Servidio Rocco
Published: October 2011

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has revolutionized science and commerce and has increased the innovation and the spread of a variety of virtual environments applications. These innovations are the result of the both technological development and cognitive studies. The chapter aims to underline the relationships between Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and consumer behaviour, focusing the attention on the 3-D virtual environments dedicated to electronic and Internet e-commerce (e-retail) services. We introduce how the 3-D interfaces can contribute to the successful impact of online retail. The importance of the relationship between customer and system concerns the effective potentiality of the user interface. If a user interface is ineffective, the system’s functionalities and usefulness will be limited and the users will be confused, frustrated, and annoyed, and therefore less likely to use the system again. Finally, we aim to outline the cognitive and technological aspects involved in the communication process between user and virtual e-retail system interface and directions for possible future research.
Blogs as a Source of Democratic Deliberation
Authors: Kaye Barbara K. , Johnson Thomas J. , Muhlberger Peter
Published: October 2011

This chapter examines the deliberative potential of blogs and blog users. It investigates whether heavy reliance on blogs promotes positive characteristics—political efficacy, political interest, and political involvement—needed to foster democratic deliberation, or whether it leads to negative attributes—low trust, selective exposure, and political partisanship—that hinder democratic deliberation. Results show that unlike those who rarely rely on blogs, heavily dependent individuals are more involved in current events and are more trusting of the government, but they are also more likely to practice selective exposure by reading ideologically consistent blogs. Further, heavy reliance predicts involvement and selective exposure. The deliberative potential of blogs is boosted by users’ involvement in political issues but impeded by their propensity to seek out blogs that contain agreeable information. Instead of evolving into a public sphere, blogs may be becoming issue-oriented zones in which deliberation is limited to an ideological perspective.
The Blogosphere in the “Land of Smiles”
Authors: Wall Melissa , Kirdnark Treepon
Published: October 2011

Since the turn of the century, Thailand, dubbed as the “Land of Smiles,” has been racked by internal political instability, turmoil, and violence. This study assesses how an ongoing political crisis in Thailand is deconstructed via blogs. A qualitative content analysis of 45 blogs (838 posts) about Thailand indicates that during a peak period of massive anti-government protests in the spring of 2010, blog posts about the crisis tended to fall under three categories: (a) creating a partisan view of the political conflict, which largely mirrored the dominant discourses already present in mainstream media; (b) presenting a dispassionate account that often provided a synthesis of different viewpoints; or (c) offering improvised accounts of what expatriate-tourist bloggers perceived to be important yet having little context to explain. It is argued that although blogging potentially offers new spaces for representing political perspectives in and about Thailand, these perspectives do not always enhance the public’s understanding of the political processes and in some cases fan the flames of inflammatory rhetoric.
Civility or Censorship?
Authors: Shaffer Gwen L.
Published: October 2011

When two high-profile social media evangelists proposed a code of conduct for bloggers in April of 2007, the idea triggered a heated debate in cyberspace. Critics charged that the draft code contradicted the principles of free speech and expression that make blogs ideal spaces for uncensored discussion. However, proponents of the Internet self-regulation argued that formally adopted rules of conduct are necessary for bloggers to serve as a step towards a virtual civil society. The present analysis, grounded in a civil society theoretical framework and the U.S. tradition of media self-regulation, documents how Web users can routinely take advantage of the Internet’s open architecture for self-expression. Rather than attempting to enforce a blanket code of conduct, the author maintains that bloggers’ self-moderation based on generally acceptable content policies can foster inclusivity on blog pages and can help move the blogosphere to a virtual civil society.
Blogging for Sovereignty
Authors: Martin Justin D. , El-Toukhy Sherine
Published: October 2011

Blogs addressing political issues are often viewed as highly polarized online discussion spaces. To test the universality of this assumption, the authors evaluated 127 Palestinian blogs written in both Arabic and English languages. Blogs authored by Palestinians living in the Palestinian Territories and the State of Israel, members of the Palestinian Diaspora, and Palestinian advocates of other nationalities were analyzed in terms of the prevalence of political content, perceptions of the State of Israel, and differences in content due to language, nationality, and geographical location. Results of the analysis indicate that blogs in the sample were primarily political and that most blogs were critical of the State of Israel and its policies. The tone of discourse regarding the State of Israel, however, was not as reflexively visceral as one might have anticipated, particularly among blogs written in English and those authored by Palestinian advocates.
Towards a Holistic Approach to Fault Management
Authors: Goldszmidt Moises , Malek Miroslaw , Nadjm-Tehrani Simin , Narasimhan Priya , Salfner Felix , Ward Paul A. S. , Wilkes John
Published: October 2011

Systems with high dependability requirements are increasingly relying on complex on-line fault management systems. Such fault management systems involve a combination of multiple steps – monitoring, data analysis, planning, and execution – that are typically independently developed and optimized. We argue that it is inefficient and ineffective to improve any particular fault management step without taking into account its interactions and dependencies with the rest of the steps. Through six real-life examples, we demonstrate this inefficiency and how it results in systems that either under-perform or are over-budget. We propose a holistic approach to fault management that is aware of all relevant aspects, and explicitly considers the couplings between the different fault management steps. We believe it will produce systems that will better meet cost, performance, and dependability objectives.
Quantitative Reasoning About Dependability in Event-B
Authors: Tarasyuk Anton , Troubitsyna Elena , Laibinis Linas
Published: October 2011

Formal refinement-based approaches have proved their worth in verifying system correctness. Often, besides ensuring functional correctness, we also need to quantitatively demonstrate that the desired level of dependability is achieved. However, the existing refinement-based frameworks do not provide sufficient support for quantitative reasoning. In this chapter, we show how to use probabilistic model checking to verify probabilistic refinement of Event-B models. Such integration allows us to combine logical reasoning about functional correctness with probabilistic reasoning about reliability.
How Do We Measure TPACK? Let Me Count the Ways
Authors: Koehler Matthew J. , Shin Tae Seob , Mishra Punya
Published: October 2011

In this chapter we reviewed a wide range of approaches to measure Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). We identified recent empirical studies that utilized TPACK assessments and determined whether they should be included in our analysis using a set of criteria. We then conducted a study-level analysis focusing on empirical studies that met our initial search criteria. In addition, we conducted a measurement-level analysis focusing on individual measures. Based on our measurement-level analysis, we categorized a total of 141 instruments into five types (i.e., self-report measures, open-end questionnaires, performance assessments, interviews, and observations) and investigated how each measure addressed the issues of validity and reliability. We concluded our review by discussing limitations and implications of our study.
Assessment in Authentic Environments
Authors: Hammond Thomas C. , Alexander R. Curby , Bodzin Alec M.
Published: October 2011

The TPACK framework provides researchers with a robust framework for conducting research on technology integration in authentic environments, i.e., intact classrooms engaged in standards-aligned instruction. Researchers who wish to identify the value added by a promising technology-supported instructional strategy will need to assess student learning outcomes in these environments; unfortunately, collecting valid and reliable data on student learning in classroom research is extremely difficult. To date, few studies using TPACK in K-12 classrooms have included student learning outcomes in their research questions, and researchers are therefore left without models to guide their development, implementation, and analysis of assessments. This chapter draws upon the literature and our own research and assessment experiences in technology-integrated, standards-aligned classroom instruction to give examples and advice to researchers as they develop, analyze, and write up their observations of student learning outcomes. In particular, we focus on standard items, specifically multiple choice items, as an accepted (if limited) method for assessing student understanding. We seek to fill an existing gap in the literature between assessment advice for educational psychologists (who typically work outside of classroom settings) and advice given to teachers (who have lower thresholds for issues such as validity and reliability). Classroom researchers will benefit from this advice to develop, validate, and apply their own objective assessments. We focus on the content areas of science and social studies, but this advice can be applied to others as well.
The TPACK of Dynamic Representations
Authors: Bell Lynn , Juersivich Nicole , Hammond Thomas C. , Bell Randy L.
Published: October 2011

Effective teachers across K-12 content areas often use visual representations to promote conceptual understanding, but these static representations remain insufficient for conveying adequate information to novice learners about motion and dynamic processes. The advent of dynamic representations has created new possibilities for more fully supporting visualization. This chapter discusses the findings from a broad range of studies over the past decade examining the use of dynamic representations in the classroom, focusing especially on the content areas of science, mathematics, and social studies, with the purpose of facilitating the development of teacher technological pedagogical content knowledge. The chapter describes the research regarding the affordances for learning with dynamic representations, as well as the constraints—characteristics of both the technology and learners that can become barriers to learning—followed by a summary of literature-based recommendations for effective teaching with dynamic representations and implications for teaching and teacher education across subject areas.
Overcoming the Tensions and Challenges of Technology Integration
Authors: Boling Erica C. , Beatty Jeanine
Published: October 2011

This chapter informs teacher educators and individuals involved in teacher professional development about the tensions that frequently arise when K-12 teachers integrate technology into their classrooms. Suggestions for how individuals can help teachers confront and overcome these challenges are presented. In order to describe the various tensions that exist, findings are organized around concerns that are related to the innovator (e.g., the teacher), the technological innovation, and the contextual factors that arise from the environment in which teaching and learning occur. To describe ways to assist teachers as they confront the challenges of technology integration, recommendations are framed around the Cognitive Apprenticeship Model (CAM) and the four dimensions that constitute a successful learning environment: content, method, sequencing, and sociology.
Technologizing Teaching
Authors: Piro Joseph M. , Marksbury Nancy
Published: October 2011

With the continuing shift of instructional media to digital sources occurring in classrooms around the world, the role of technology instruction in the pre-service curriculum of K-12 teachers is acquiring increasing salience. However, barriers to its inclusion continue to exist. In this chapter we focus on a model of hybridity designed to embed technology instruction into pre-service education. This model is known as the WebQuest and involves the development of a technology-driven learning activity that scaffolds the building of skills in content, pedagogy, and technology integration in pre-service teachers. We discuss data from an exploratory project conducted within a class of graduate pre-service teachers experiencing instruction in creating a WebQuest, and offer some preliminary findings. We place these results within a larger perspective of the CFTK and TPACK frameworks and their application to issues germane to pre-service teacher education.
“Network Process Re-Engineering” in a Home Textile Network
Authors: Baraldi Enrico , Nadin Giancarlo
Published: October 2011

This chapter relies on a case study featuring the business network around Stella, an Italian home textile manufacturer, to illustrate the challenging issue of engaging other firms into complex “Network Process Re-engineering” (NPR) projects. While the strict technological dimension of selecting, developing, and implementing ICT solutions is certainly very important and poses several challenges to this type of projects, this chapter focuses on other types of challenges, namely those pertaining to the nature and quality of relationships between the actors taking part in a NPR project. We stress the importance of the connection between the specific inter-organizational activities that need to be redesigned and coordinated in better ways, on the one hand, and the bonds existing among the actors, on the other hand. We suggest that very advanced and complex coordination tasks, entailing sensitive communication patterns, can be tackled only if supported by strong, integrative relationships characterized by high trust and commitment between the involved parties. We conclude by discussing how the pivotal firms or the “strategic centers” of a network can support and facilitate complex change projects like NPR by carefully combining different strategies, whereby they both exert coercive power and make concessions to their counterparts in the network.
Gender and Anonymity in Virtual Teams
Authors: Koh Elizabeth , Liu Na , Lim John
Published: October 2011

With the advancement of information and communication technology, virtual teams are becoming more popular as geographical constraints in collaboration have become a non-issue. Features of the technology and characteristics of the group influence interaction processes and outcomes. Two elements are the focus of this paper. The first is anonymity, which has been made feasible by technology. The other concerns gender. Gender is an important research target, and its role in groupwork must not be overlooked. Both elements have aroused much interest across multiple research fields. The existing literature shows their potential in influencing team collaboration processes, satisfaction, and performance. In this paper, the authors present a process-based interpretation of virtual team collaboration, incorporating the anonymity of technology and the gender difference of team members. Using a multiple case study approach, the paper identifies a key set of process variables that shape team performance. The study also examines the interdependencies among the processes. Task-related activity that occurred during team discussion was affected by gender anonymity, and this influenced group performance and members’ satisfaction toward the collaboration process. Group dynamics, including member awareness, leader emergence, and member’s conformity, are salient process variables that affect the virtual team performance as well.
How E-Daters Behave Online
Authors: Romm-Livermore Celia , Somers Toni M. , Setzekorn Kristina , King Ashley Lynn-Grace
Published: October 2011

Following a review of the literature on e-dating, this chapter introduces the e-dating development model and discusses a number of hypotheses that can be derived from it. Also presented in the chapter are some findings from a preliminary empirical research that explored the hypotheses. The findings supported all the hypotheses, indicating that: (1) male and female e-daters follow different stages in their e-dating evolvement; (2) the behaviors that males and females exhibit as e-daters are different; and (3) the feedback that male and female e-daters receive from the environment is different too. The chapter is concluded with a discussion of the implications from this research to e-dating theory development and empirical research.
Ethical Considerations for Learning Game, Simulation, and Virtual World Design and Development
Authors: Warren Scott J. , Lin Lin
Published: October 2011

The goal of this chapter is to identify ethical concerns that instructional designers should be aware of when designing and developing learning games, simulations, and virtual worlds. Partly taken from ethical considerations that researchers are required to follow as part of standard institutional review board processes for the protection of human subjects, we suggest specific ethical principles which designers should consider prior to and during the design of these complex learning systems as well as during the evaluation of the products. We provide examples from existing and past learning games, simulations, and multi-user virtual environments that have either followed these principles or left questions to be addressed and propose a series of ethical considerations in future designs.
Virtual Interactions in Distance Learning
Authors: Daher Wajeeh
Published: October 2011

Virtual interactions play an important role in distance electronic learning. This chapter suggests an evaluation tool of virtual interactions in electronic forums and reports two case studies carried out using this tool. The first case study involves two issues: examining the differences, regarding feedback types, between high and low participating preservice teachers in an electronic forum, and examining correlations between the different characteristics of the electronic forum exchanges. The second case study involves examining the strategies of a successful distance learning instructor in interacting with students. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used to analyze the collected data. It was found that the two groups of preservice teachers were different regarding their use of some types of feedback and similar regarding the use of other types. Significant correlations were found between some characteristics of the forum exchanges. The successful instructor used different interaction strategies that depended on the educational situation described by the participants.
Gender and Public Access ICT
Authors: Terry Allison , Gomez Ricardo
Published: October 2011

Studies show that due to systemic gender biases in the use of and access to ICTs and their applications, as well as socio-cultural norms that position computing as a predominantly male activity, women in developing countries are more likely than men to face barriers to reaping the benefits of ICTs for their personal and community development. Gender analysis “asserts that power relations in class, race, ethnicity, age, and geographic location interact with gender, producing complex and hidden inequalities that affect social change” (APC WNSP, 2005). A review of recent literature on gender and ICT, and the results of the Landscape Study, suggest that there are both personal and collective benefits to women through the use of ICT, as well as barriers that prevent marginalized groups in society, and women in particular, from realizing these benefits. What are these barriers? What benefits does ICT offer women? Throughout this chapter, we will explore these barriers and benefits through examples drawn from our findings in the Landscape Study, embracing a cultural approach in analyzing the ways in which women transform their lives through the use of ICT, with a particular emphasis on ICT use through public access venues.
Analyzing User Behavior in Digital Games
Authors: Drachen Anders , Canossa Alessandro
Published: October 2011

User research in digital game development has in recent years begun to expand from a previous existence on the sideline of development, to a central factor in game production, in recognition that the interaction between user and game is crucial to the perceived user experience. Paralleling this development, the methods and tools available for conducting user research in the industry and academia is changing, with modern methods being adopted from Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Ubiquitous tracking of player behavior and player-game interaction forms one of the most recent additions to the arsenal of user-research testers in game development and game research. Player behavior instrumentation data can be recorded during all phases of game development, including post-launch, and forms a means for obtaining highly detailed, non-intrusive records of how people play games. Behavioral analysis is a relatively recent adoption to game development and research. However, it is central to understanding how games are being played. In this chapter, the current state-of-the-art of behavior analysis in digital games is reviewed, and a series of case studies are presented that showcase novel approaches of behavior analysis and how this can inform game development during production. The case studies focus on the major commercial game titles Kane & Lynch: Dog Days and Fragile Alliance, both developed by IO Interactive/Square Enix Europe.
Exploring Semantic Tagging with Tilkut
Authors: Vainikainen Sari , Näkki Pirjo , Bäck Asta
Published: October 2011

Social bookmarking is one of the earliest examples of social media services. In bookmarking services there are two main approaches for adding metadata: user-generated freely chosen tags and keywords based on taxonomies or semantic ontology. This chapter presents a social bookmarking service Tilkut that combines the benefits of both of these approaches. Tilkut utilizes both freely defined tags and semantic tag suggestions based on predefined ontology. This chapter describes two different versions of the service and user experiences from a small scale user study and long-term test use in real context. Work related knowledge sharing was selected as a primary use case for the second version. The results from the first user studies were used as the starting point when developing the second version of Tilkut. A survey and workshop were organised to get more information of the requirements for enterprise use. In this chapter, we explain our approaches to adding semantics to social bookmarking, present the experiences, and discuss future research directions.
Physician Characteristics Associated with Early Adoption of Electronic Medical Records in Smaller Group Practices
Authors: O’Neill Liam , Talbert Jeffery , Klepack William
Published: October 2011

To examine physician characteristics and practice patterns associated with the adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) in smaller group practices. Primary care physicians in Kentucky were surveyed regarding their use of EMRs. Respondents were asked if their practice had fully implemented, partially implemented, or not implemented EMRs. Of the 482 physicians surveyed, the rate of EMR adoption was 28%, with 14% full implementation and 14% partial implementation. Younger physicians were significantly more likely to use EMRs (p = 0.00). For those in their thirties, 45% had fully or partially implemented EMRs compared with 15% of physicians aged 60 and above. In logistic regression analyses that controlled for practice characteristics, age, male gender, and rural location predicted EMR adoption. Younger physicians in smaller group practices are more likely to adopt EMRs than older physicians. EMRs were also associated with an increased use of chronic disease management.
Utilizing Virtual Environments for the Creation and Management of an E-Mentoring Initiative
Authors: Golubski Pamela M.
Published: October 2011

Adjusting to college is difficult regardless if the student is entering higher education immediately after graduating from high school, returning as a re-admit, or an adult entering college after an extended period of time working or raising a family. While colleges offer numerous specialized student support services from tutoring to psychological counseling, most individuals would benefit from added guidance, support, and empowerment from a mentor. While traditional (face-to-face) mentoring is an excellent option, it requires that specific financial, time, schedule, and geographic elements be met. Therefore, an e-mentor initiative might be a viable solution, where all communication interaction is conducted through virtual and Web 2.0 technologies such as Facebook, Instant Message (IM), Skype, Google Groups, Virtual Common Reading Program, and Virtual Reflection Journals.
Engaging Traditional Learning and Adult Learning via Information Technologies
Authors: Parker Judith
Published: October 2011

Student engagement is a key factor in learning whether it involves traditional or adult learners. While the role of the teacher may differ, it is primarily the responsibility of the teacher to engage the student by fostering a positive student-teacher relationship and supportive classroom culture conducive to engagement. Discovering a methodology that is effective with individual students can be challenging, but Information Technology provides a plethora of new tools to assist in achieving this goal. This chapter will illustrate the importance of engagement, provide several examples in various venues and investigate the role of Information Technology in this process.
Using Digital Stories Effectively to Engage Students
Authors: Streeter Deborah H.
Published: October 2011

Teachers in higher education interested in making use of streaming media can access more sources of video than ever before: news sites, popular media sites, YouTube, and Cornell eClips, the world’s largest collection of short videos for educators (more than 14,000). Miller (2008) provides an impressive list of sources, along with a discussion of pedagogical rationale for using rich media. However, while supplies are numerous and demand from students is high, many educators lack the experience to integrate rich media effectively in their teaching. In this chapter, the author draws from her experience of building a library of digital video since the mid-90s with her eClips team and using it in the classroom. The chapter will focus on: 1) strategies and practical tips for using video inside and outside the classroom to engage learners and respond to short attention spans and 2) guidelines for educators who wish to create their own rich media collections because they need content that has a very specific focus and/or mirrors their learner population more appropriately in terms of demographics.
Streaming Media for Writing Instruction
Authors: Warnock Scott
Published: October 2011

The Information Resources and Technology Department of Drexel University has developed an ambitious, flexible streaming media system to help Drexel faculty use various types of media in their teaching. This system, Drexel DragonDrop, allows faculty to upload a wide variety of file types and then encodes and converts them to media files that students (and others) can easily access and view. DragonDrop provides media options that can be used in any academic discipline, but this chapter focuses on how the system simplifies the use of video applications specifically for those who teach writing or writing-centered courses. As has been discussed throughout this book, video enables innovative teaching practices, but instructors have had to solve core issues including creating and distributing files and ensuring that students can access that material. Drexel’s system eliminates many of these logistical obstacles, allowing faculty to focus on creative teaching uses of technology.
An Overview of Knowledge Translation
Authors: Groeneboer Chris , Whitney Monika
Published: October 2011

Knowledge translation (KT) was traditionally framed as a problem of moving research results into policy and practice. The impetus for the flow of knowledge originated with researchers constructing new knowledge and seeing its utility, or with policymakers and administrators seeing problems in practice and looking to researchers for solutions. In the 1970s, a shift in focus away from knowledge use was exemplified by Caplan’s (1979) two-communities theory, which posits that researchers and policymakers comprise two different communities with two different languages (Jacobson, Butterill, & Goering, 2003). A shift back to knowledge use with a new focus on user-centered design is evident in more recent KT models that provide frameworks for researcher and user interaction in order to build better understanding between diverse groups. The flow of knowledge from its construction in one context to its use in another context has been variously termed knowledge translation, knowledge exchange, knowledge transfer, research transfer, technology transfer, knowledge transformation, knowledge dissemination, knowledge mobilization, knowledge utilization, and research utilization. The terms are often used synonymously, but a specific term is sometimes used because it highlights a particular component of the knowledge flow process. For example, knowledge exchange implies a sharing of information between partners of equal value and focuses on the movement of knowledge between them, whereas research utilization implies the transformation of research results into usable knowledge and focuses on embedding the usable knowledge in practice. Information technologies have the potential to support knowledge translation in powerful ways. Key processes in the translation of knowledge include: (1) knowledge creation, management, and dissemination; (2) recognition of links between existing knowledge and its potential application to problems or practice; (3) translation into usable knowledge in practice; and (4) change in practice. Information technologies are a natural solution for these knowledge translation processes. For example, group and social software such as blogs and wikis support collaborative construction and sharing of knowledge; knowledge management systems support capture, storage, accessibility, and maintenance of constructed knowledge; and most Internet-based technologies support dissemination of information. Well-designed virtual communities provide online environments for the kinds of human interaction that enable collaborative exploration of ideas, that foster recognition of potential links between existing knowledge and its application to solve problems or change practice, and that inspire people to transform their practice. Data mining and artificial intelligence techniques can be used to enhance identification of potential links between knowledge in one context and problems in another context.
Information Hiding by Machine Learning
Authors: Naoe Kensuke , Sasaki Hideyasu , Takefuji Yoshiyasu
Published: October 2011

In this paper, the authors propose information hiding by machine learning: a method of key generation for information extracting using neural network. The method consists of three layers for information hiding. First, the proposed method prepares feature extraction keys, which are saved by feature extraction attributes like feature coordinates and the region of frequency coefficients. Second, the proposed method prepares hidden patterns in advance to the embedding procedure as a watermark signal of the target contents. Finally, the proposed method generates information extraction keys by using machine learning to output presented hidden patterns. The proper hidden patterns are generated with the proper information extraction key and feature extraction key. In the experiments, the authors show that the proposed method is robust to high pass filtering and JPEG compression. The proposed method contributes to secure visual information hiding without damaging any detailed data of the target content.
Machine Learning Approach to Search Query Classification
Authors: Taksa Isak , Zelikovitz Sarah , Spink Amanda
Published: October 2011

Search query classification is a necessary step for a number of information retrieval tasks. This chapter presents an approach to non-hierarchical classification of search queries that focuses on two specific areas of machine learning: short text classification and limited manual labeling. Typically, search queries are short, display little class specific information per single query and are therefore a weak source for traditional machine learning. To improve the effectiveness of the classification process the chapter introduces background knowledge discovery by using information retrieval techniques. The proposed approach is applied to a task of age classification of a corpus of queries from a commercial search engine. In the process, various classification scenarios are generated and executed, providing insight into choice, significance and range of tuning parameters.
Machine Learning Techniques for Network Intrusion Detection
Authors: Tran Tich Phuoc , Tsai Pohsiang , Jan Tony , He Xiangjian
Published: October 2011

Most of the currently available network security techniques are not able to cope with the dynamic and increasingly complex nature of cyber attacks on distributed computer systems. Therefore, an automated and adaptive defensive tool is imperative for computer networks. Alongside the existing prevention techniques such as encryption and firewalls, Intrusion Detection System (IDS) has established itself as an emerging technology that is able to detect unauthorized access and abuse of computer systems by both internal users and external offenders. Most of the novel approaches in this field have adopted Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) to improve performance as well as robustness of IDS. The true power and advantages of ANN lie in its ability to represent both linear and non-linear relationships and learn these relationships directly from the data being modeled. However, ANN is computationally expensive due to its demanding processing power and this leads to overfitting problem, i.e. the network is unable to extrapolate accurately once the input is outside of the training data range. These limitations challenge IDS with low detection rate, high false alarm rate and excessive computation cost. This chapter proposes a novel Machine Learning (ML) algorithm to alleviate those difficulties of existing AI techniques in the area of computer network security. The Intrusion Detection dataset provided by Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (KDD-99) is used as a benchmark to compare our model with other existing techniques. Extensive empirical analysis suggests that the proposed method outperforms other state-of-the-art learning algorithms in terms of learning bias, generalization variance and computational cost. It is also reported to significantly improve the overall detection capability for difficult-to-detect novel attacks which are unseen or irregularly occur in the training phase.
Non-Topical Classification of Query Logs Using Background Knowledge
Authors: Taksa Isak , Zelikovitz Sarah , Spink Amanda
Published: October 2011

Background knowledge has been actively investigated as a possible means to improve performance of machine learning algorithms. Research has shown that background knowledge plays an especially critical role in three atypical text categorization tasks: short-text classification, limited labeled data, and non-topical classification. This chapter explores the use of machine learning for non-hierarchical classification of search queries, and presents an approach to background knowledge discovery by using information retrieval techniques. Two different sets of background knowledge that were obtained from the World Wide Web, one in 2006 and one in 2009, are used with the proposed approach to classify a commercial corpus of web query data by the age of the user. In the process, various classification scenarios are generated and executed, providing insight into choice, significance and range of tuning parameters, and exploring impact of the dynamic web on classification results.
Learning Algorithms for RBF Functions and Subspace Based Functions
Authors: Xu Lei
Published: October 2011

Among extensive studies on radial basis function (RBF), one stream consists of those on normalized RBF (NRBF) and extensions. Within a probability theoretic framework, NRBF networks relates to nonparametric studies for decades in the statistics literature, and then proceeds in the machine learning studies with further advances not only to mixture-of-experts and alternatives but also to subspace based functions (SBF) and temporal extensions. These studies are linked to theoretical results adopted from studies of nonparametric statistics, and further to a general statistical learning framework called Bayesian Ying Yang harmony learning, with a unified perspective that summarizes maximum likelihood (ML) learning with the EM algorithm, RPCL learning, and BYY learning with automatic model selection, as well as their extensions for temporal modeling. This chapter outlines these advances, with a unified elaboration of their corresponding algorithms, and a discussion on possible trends.
Automatic Detection of Emotion in Music
Authors: Laurier Cyril , Herrera Perfecto
Published: October 2011

Creating emotionally sensitive machines will significantly enhance the interaction between humans and machines. In this chapter we focus on enabling this ability for music. Music is extremely powerful to induce emotions. If machines can somehow apprehend emotions in music, it gives them a relevant competence to communicate with humans. In this chapter we review the theories of music and emotions. We detail different representations of musical emotions from the literature, together with related musical features. Then, we focus on techniques to detect the emotion in music from audio content. As a proof of concept, we detail a machine learning method to build such a system. We also review the current state of the art results, provide evaluations and give some insights into the possible applications and future trends of these techniques.
Computer Aided Knowledge Discovery in Biomedicine
Authors: Gopalakrishnan Vanathi
Published: October 2011

This chapter provides a perspective on 3 important collaborative areas in systems biology research. These areas represent biological problems of clinical significance. The first area deals with macromolecular crystallization, which is a crucial step in protein structure determination. The second area deals with proteomic biomarker discovery from high-throughput mass spectral technologies; while the third area is protein structure prediction and complex fold recognition from sequence and prior knowledge of structure properties. For each area, successful case studies are revisited from the perspective of computer- aided knowledge discovery using machine learning and statistical methods. Information about protein sequence, structure, and function is slowly accumulating in standardized forms within databases. Methods are needed to maximize the use of this prior information for prediction and analysis purposes. This chapter provides insights into such methods by which available information in existing databases can be processed and combined with systems biology expertise to expedite biomedical discoveries.
Distributed Intelligence for Constructing Economic Models
Authors: Yu Ting
Published: October 2011

This paper presents an integrated and distributed intelligent system being capable of automatically estimating and updating large-size economic models. The input-output model of economics uses a matrix representation of a nation’s (or a region’s) economy to predict the effect of changes in one industry on others and by consumers, government, and foreign suppliers on the economy (Miller & Blair, 1985). To construct the model reflecting the underlying industry structure faithfully, multiple sources of data are collected and integrated together. The system in this paper facilitates this estimation process by integrating a series of components with the purposes of data retrieval, data integration, machine learning, and quality checking. More importantly, the complexity of national economy leads to extremely large-size models to represent every detail of an economy, which requires the system to have the capacity for processing large amounts of data. This paper demonstrates that the major bottleneck is the memory allocation, and to include more memory, the machine learning component is built on a distributed platform and constructs the matrix by analyzing historical and spatial data simultaneously. This system is the first distributed matrix estimation package for such a large-size economic matrix.
Walking the Information Overload Tightrope
Authors: Iannone A. Pablo
Published: October 2011

This chapter asks: What is information overload? At what levels of existence does it occur? Are there any features common to information overload at all these levels? What are information overload’s types? What are information overload’s current and future trends? What problems do they pose? How can they be addressed in both effective and morally justified ways? It argues that there is anarchy concerning the meaning of information overload, that information overload’s precise characterization is best left open at this stage in the inquiry, that information overload occurs at the biological, psychological, and social levels, that it is relational, that there are at least two overall types of information overload—quantitative and semantic— involving various kinds and current and likely future trends which pose problems requiring specific ways of dealing with them. The essay closes outlining how to identify effective and morally justified ways of dealing with information overload.
Moral Emotions for Autonomous Agents
Authors: Gomila Antoni , Amengual Alberto
Published: October 2011

In this chapter we raise some of the moral issues involved in the current development of robotic autonomous agents. Starting from the connection between autonomy and responsibility, we distinguish two sorts of problems: those having to do with guaranteeing that the behavior of the artificial cognitive system is going to fall within the area of the permissible, and those having to do with endowing such systems with whatever abilities are required for engaging in moral interaction. Only in the second case can we speak of full blown autonomy, or moral autonomy. We illustrate the first type of case with Arkin’s proposal of a hybrid architecture for control of military robots. As for the second kind of case, that of full-blown autonomy, we argue that a motivational component is needed, to ground the self-orientation and the pattern of appraisal required, and outline how such motivational component might give rise to interaction in terms of moral emotions. We end suggesting limits to a straightforward analogy between natural and artificial cognitive systems from this standpoint.
Thinking Head MulSeMedia
Authors: Anderson Tom A. F. , Chen Zhi-Hong , Wen Yean-Fu , Milne Marissa , Atyabi Adham , Treharne Kenneth , Matsumoto Takeshi , Jia Xi-Bin , Luerssen Martin , Lewis Trent , Leibbrandt Richard , Powers David M. W.
Published: October 2011

The hybrid world provides a framework for the creation of lessons that teach and test knowledge in the second language. In one of our example grammar and vocabulary lessons, the Thinking Head instructs the student to move a tiger to a lake—a student moving the toy tiger in the real world effectively moves a virtual tiger in the virtual arena. This type of interaction is beneficial for computer-based language learning especially because we are able to see a student has successfully understood the directions if the tiger is moved to the vicinity of the virtual lake. Physical movement helps the learner to internalise the novel relationships in the second language. We also provide for additional forms of communication, including dialogue with an embodied conversational agent and writing stories using markers on a whiteboard. In summary, our system provides a natural interface with which to communicate with the hybrid-reality learning environment.