bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reflections on the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election in the Turkish Blogosphere
Authors: Yilmaz Mehmet , Isikdag Umit
Published: October 2011

The current study presents the results of a research investigation into the role of political blogs in the international political communication process by focusing on the 2008 U.S. presidential election and its reflection in the Turkish blogosphere. Four types of analysis were carried out in order to (a) evaluate the overall blogosphere’s reaction in Turkey towards the U.S. presidential candidates; (b) measure the awareness of Internet audience in Turkey about the candidates; (c) identify the main themes of discourse in the Turkish blogosphere; and (d) determine the level of interactivity in blogs in the discussion of the candidates. A total of 205 political blogs were examined. The findings indicate that a direct relationship between the level of online activity of the candidates and the number of blog entries and comments.
Search Engine
Authors: Sharma Dilip Kumar , Sharma A. K.
Published: October 2011

ICT plays a vital role in human development through information extraction and includes computer networks and telecommunication networks. One of the important modules of ICT is computer networks, which are the backbone of the World Wide Web (WWW). Search engines are computer programs that browse and extract information from the WWW in a systematic and automatic manner. This paper examines the three main components of search engines: Extractor, a web crawler which starts with a URL; Analyzer, an indexer that processes words on the web page and stores the resulting index in a database; and Interface Generator, a query handler that understands the need and preferences of the user. This paper concentrates on the information available on the surface web through general web pages and the hidden information behind the query interface, called deep web. This paper emphasizes the Extraction of relevant information to generate the preferred content for the user as the first result of his or her search query. This paper discusses the aspect of deep web with analysis of a few existing deep web search engines.
Experimental Study of Laser Interferometry Based Motion Tracking of a Flexure-Based Mechanism
Authors: Shirinzadeh Bijan , Bhagat Umesh , Tian Yanling
Published: October 2011

This paper presents an experimental study of laser interferometry-based closed-loop motion tracking for flexure-based four-bar micro/nano manipulator. To enhance the accuracy of micro/nano manipulation, laser interferometry-based motion tracking control is established with experimental facility. The authors present and discuss open-loop control, model-based closed-loop control, and robust motion tracking closed-loop control for flexure-based mechanism. A comparative error analysis for closed-loop control with capacitive position sensor and laser interferometry feedback is discussed and presented. Model-based closed-loop control shows improvement in position and motion tracking over open-loop control. Robust control demonstrates high precise and accurate motion tracking of flexure-based mechanism compared to the model-based control. With this experimental study, this paper offers evidence that the laser interferometry-based closed-loop control can minimize positioning and tracking errors during dynamic motion, hence realizing high precision motion tracking and accurate position control.
On the Design and Implementation of Interactive XML Applications
Authors: Brown Jeff , Brown Rebecca , Velado Chris , Vetter Ron
Published: October 2011

This paper describes issues and challenges in the design and implementation of interactive client-server applications where program logic is expressed in terms of an extensible markup language (XML) document. Although the technique was originally developed for creating interactive short message service (SMS) applications, it has expanded and is used for developing interactive web applications. XML-Interactive (or XML-I) defines the program states and corresponding actions. Because many interactive applications require sustained communication between the client and the underlying information service, XML-I has support for session management. This allows state information to be managed in a dynamic way. The paper describes several applications that are implemented using XML-I and discusses design issues. The software framework has been implemented in a Java environment.
A Roadmap to Integrate Document Clustering in Information Retrieval
Authors: Subhashini R. , Kumar V.Jawahar Senthil
Published: October 2011

The World Wide Web is a large distributed digital information space. The ability to search and retrieve information from the Web efficiently and effectively is an enabling technology for realizing its full potential. Information Retrieval (IR) plays an important role in search engines. Today’s most advanced engines use the keyword-based (“bag of words”) paradigm, which has inherent disadvantages. Organizing web search results into clusters facilitates the user’s quick browsing of search results. Traditional clustering techniques are inadequate because they do not generate clusters with highly readable names. This paper proposes an approach for web search results in clustering based on a phrase based clustering algorithm. It is an alternative to a single ordered result of search engines. This approach presents a list of clusters to the user. Experimental results verify the method s feasibility and effectiveness.
XML Documents Normalization Using GN-DTD
Authors: Zainol Zurinahni , Wang Bing
Published: October 2011

Designing a well-structured XML document is important for the sake of readability, maintainability and more importantly to avoid both data redundancies and update anomalies. This paper proposes to improve and simplify XML structural design using a normalization process. To achieve this, Graphical Notation for Document Type Definition (GN-DTD) is used to describe the structure of XML document at the schema level. Multiple levels of normal forms for GN-DTD are proposed and the corresponding normalization rules to transform from poorly designed into well-designed XML documents. A case study is presented to show the application of these normal forms and normalization algorithm.
Determination of Algorithms Making Balance Between Accuracy and Comprehensibility in Churn Prediction Setting
Authors: Abbasimehr Hossein , Tarokh Mohammad Jafar , Setak Mostafa
Published: October 2011

Predictive modeling is a useful tool for identifying customers who are at risk of churn. An appropriate churn prediction model should be both accurate and comprehensible. However, reviewing the past researches in this context shows that much attention is paid to accuracy of churn prediction models than comprehensibility of them. This paper compares three different rule induction techniques from three categories of rule based classifiers in churn prediction context. Furthermore logistic regression (LR) and additive logistic regression (ALR) are used. After parameter setting, eight distinctive algorithms, namely C4.5, C4.5 CP, RIPPER, RIPPER CP, PART, PART CP, LR, and ALR, are obtained. These algorithms are applied on an original training set with the churn rate of 30% and another training set with the churn rate of 50%. Only the models built by applying these algorithms on a training set with the churn rate of 30% make balance between accuracy and comprehensibility. In addition, the results of this paper show that ALR can be an excellent alternative for LR, when models only from accuracy perspective are evaluated.
Optimal Service Ordering in Decentralized Queries Over Web Services
Authors: Tsamoura Efthymia , Gounaris Anastasios , Manolopoulos Yannis
Published: October 2011

The problem of ordering expensive predicates (or filter ordering) has recently received renewed attention due to emerging computing paradigms such as processing engines for queries over remote Web Services, and cloud and grid computing. The optimization of pipelined plans over services differs from traditional optimization significantly, since execution takes place in parallel and thus the query response time is determined by the slowest node in the plan, which is called the bottleneck node. Although polynomial algorithms have been proposed for several variants of optimization problems in this setting, the fact that communication links are typically heterogeneous in wide-area environments has been largely overlooked. The authors propose an attempt to optimize linear orderings of services when the services communicate directly with each other and the communication links are heterogeneous. The authors propose a novel optimal algorithm to solve this problem efficiently. The evaluation of the proposal shows that it can result in significant reductions of the response time.
Negotiating Knowledge Gaps in Dispersed Knowledge Work
Authors: Assudani Rashmi H.
Published: October 2011

Reviews from the two streams of research - knowledge based view of the firm and dispersed work – offers evidence for knowledge gaps that exist among dispersed members. Dispersed members therefore cannot take for granted that they have a common context, making dispersed collaboration problematic. A major challenge for such teams is thus to co-create a commonly shared context. This paper examines the process of how dispersed teams negotiate knowledge gaps to create a common context. The study uses a multiple case design on dispersed teams at a knowledge-based marketing organization in the US. The findings from this field study highlight three strategies to negotiate knowledge gaps: (1) active engagement strategies, (2) negotiating relationally, and (3) redundant knowledge structures. Taken together, these findings have the potential to help managers in knowledge based organizations to discern appropriate social and technological interventions that may be needed for conducting dispersed knowledge work.
Moving Towards a Knowledge City?
Authors: Yigitcanlar Tan
Published: October 2011

In the global knowledge economy, knowledge-intensive industries and knowledge workers are extensively seen as the primary factors to improve the welfare and competitiveness of cities. To attract and retain such industries and workers, cities produce knowledge-based urban development strategies, where such strategising is an important development mechanism for cities and their economies. This paper investigates knowledge-based urban development strategies of Brisbane, Australia that support generation, attraction, and retention of investment and talent. The paper puts forward a clear understanding on the policy frameworks, and relevant applications of Brisbane’s knowledge-based urban development experience in becoming a prosperous knowledge city, and concludes by providing invaluable insights and directions for other cities seeking knowledge-based urban development.
Outsourcing in Knowledge-Based Service Firms
Authors: Edvardsson Ingi Runar , Oskarsson Gudmundur Kristjan
Published: October 2011

This paper reports on empirical work recently conducted on outsourcing among knowledge-based and other service firms in Iceland. The results show that knowledge-based firms outsource on a larger scale and more human resource functions than other service firms. However, they do not have a more strategic vision towards outsourcing, nor do they outsource more low knowledge-based activities than other firms. The study gives support to the resource-based view of the firm, and is in line with former studies of knowledge-based firms. The firms in the survey tend to keep their core competencies and employees in-house, and at the same time they outsource other functions that they consider non-core, such as peripheral and administrative tasks, or IT that requires technical specialization. The more innovative firms rely on outsourcing from best in class suppliers regarding training and counselling. The contribution of this study to the theory of outsourcing is that the non-routine tacit knowledge base related to firms’ core competencies is not limited to knowledge-based firms, but to a large portion of service firms as well.
An Ontology-Based Extraction Framework for a Semantic Web Application
Authors: Peter Hadrian , Greenidge Charles
Published: October 2011

The Semantic Web vision is rapidly becoming a mainstream reality, but obstacles remain in the way. A major challenge is the adoption of practical Semantic Web applications and the production of vast stores of ubiquitous meta-data which is needed to allow robust inference engines to attain the goals of machine readability of web documents. The authors propose the Semantic Web Applications (SEMWAP) framework which facilitates semi-automatic matching of instance data from opaque web databases using lightweight ontology terms. This framework combines information retrieval, information extraction, natural language processing, and ontology techniques to produce a matching and thus provides a viable building block for Semantic Web applications. To experimentally investigate the characteristics and limitations of the SEMWAP framework, a prototype system called the Semantic Ontological Data Labeler (SODL) was constructed.
An Investigation into the Environmental Impact of Product Recovery Methods to Support Sustainable Manufacturing Within Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)
Authors: Appleby Michaela R. , Lambert Chris G. , Rennie Allan E. W. , Buckley Adam B.
Published: October 2011

The effects of climate change and government legislation has changed the way in which manufacturers can dispose of their waste, encouraging SMEs to source alternative disposal methods such as those indicated in the waste hierarchy. It is economically and environmentally beneficial to use product recovery methods to divert waste from landfill. The environmental impact of two product recovery methods, remanufacturing and repairing, has been compared via a carbon footprint calculation for a UK-based SME. The calculation has identified that repairing has a lower carbon footprint than remanufacturing, however this only extends the original life-cycle of the product, whereas remanufacturing provides a new life-cycle and warranty, and therefore seen as the most preferable method of product recovery to support sustainable manufacturing.
Feature Recognition and Datum Extraction for Setup Planning and Operation Sequencing for Prismatic Parts
Authors: Reddy T. Srikanth , Shunmugam M. S.
Published: October 2011

An automated planning system extracts data from design models and processes it efficiently for transfer to manufacturing activity. Researchers have used face adjacency graphs and volume decomposition approaches which make the feature recognition complex and give rise to multiple interpretations. The present work recognizes the features in prismatic parts considering Attributed Adjacency Matrix (AAM) for the faces of delta volume that lie on rawstock faces. Conceptually, intermediate shape of the workpiece is treated as rawstock for the next stage and tool approach direction is used to recognize minimum, yet practically feasible, set of feature interpretations. Edge-features like fillets/undercuts and rounded/chamfer edges are also recognized using a new concept of Attributed Connectivity Matrix (ACM). In the first module, STEP AP-203 format of a model is taken as the geometric data input. Datum information is extracted from Geometric Dimension and Tolerance (GD&T) data. The second module uses features and datum information to arrive at setup planning and operation sequencing on the basis of different criteria and priority rules.
Laser Sub-Micron Patterning of Rough Surfaces by Micro-Particle Lens Arrays
Authors: Khan Ashfaq , Wang Zengbo , Sheikh Mohammad A , Li Lin
Published: October 2011

Laser surface patterning by Contact Particles Lens Arrays (CPLA) has been widely utilized for patterning of smooth surfaces but there is no technique developed by which CPLA can be deposited on a rough surface. For deposition of CPLA, conventional techniques require the surface to be flat, smooth and hydrophilic. In this study, a new method for the deposition of CPLA on a rough surface is proposed and utilized for patterning. In this method, a hexagonal closed pack monolayer of SiO2 spheres was first formed by self-assembly on a flat glass surface. The formed monolayer of particles was picked up by a flexible sticky surface and then placed on the rough surface to be patterned. A Nd:YVO4 laser was used to irradiate the substrate with the laser passing through the sticky plastic and the particles. Experimental investigations have been carried out to determine the properties of the patterns.
Internet-Enabled Calibration
Authors: Hegeduš Hrvoje , Jurcevic Marko , Malaric Roman
Published: October 2011

Calibration of measuring instruments provides the confidence in measurements. It is the obligation of every laboratory to have its measuring equipment calibrated in regular intervals. This obligation means that the laboratory must send its equipment to the calibration laboratory every year or two depending on the calibration intervals. During this time the equipment is not available and this presents a financial burden to the laboratory of the customer. Since many of the modern instruments include some communication interfaces, it was made possible to create an Internet-enabled calibration system. This term encompasses a wide range of possible applications and services. The Internet-enabled calibrations must address several problems not present in standard calibrations, including security issues, since the equipment is not always under direct control of the calibration laboratory personnel who will sign the calibration certificate. As the traceability and integrity of the calibration process directly depends on the measured data, the reliable and secure remote control and monitoring of instruments must be a crucial aspect of Internet-enabled calibration technologies.
Measurements and Characterization of Photovoltaic Modules for Tolerance Verification
Authors: Calò C. , Lay-Ekuakille A. , Vergallo P. , Chiffi C. , Trotta A. , Fasanella A. , Fasanella A.M.
Published: October 2011

One of the most important aspects of photovoltaic modules is reliability for future uses, that is, a certain module will last certain number of years in use (generally 30 or 35 years). Reliability yields from excellent qualification tests on photovoltaic (PV) modules. Testing for reliability identifies unknown failure mechanisms and whether modules are susceptible to known failure mechanisms. This paper illustrates techniques of outdoor measurements and qualification characterization to know PV module conditions for commercial uses. Matrix methods are used for energy prediction. Failure material tests, using digital imaging and thermography, have also been conducted.
Drivers and Barriers to Online Social Networks’ Usage
Authors: Eid Riyad , Hughes Emrys
Published: October 2011

Although the past years have witnessed growth in online social networks, the underlying factors driving and inhibiting its diffusion are not well understood. This paper presents empirical research that investigates the factors driving and inhibiting the online social networks usage. It gives a brief overview of the academic literature on the diffusion online social networks. The conduct and findings of a mail survey are then reported. The paper concludes that online social networks in general and Facebook in particular will become an extremely important tool in the future, with the drivers overcoming the barriers in influencing the rate. Furthermore, the study has enhanced previous theories related to Facebook, and it offers a platform for further investigations to take shape in light of what has been discussed and analysed.
Social Media Impact on Holiday Travel Planning
Authors: Fotis John , Buhalis Dimitrios , Rossides Nicos
Published: October 2011

The impact of social media on the travel industry is predicted to be tremendous, especially on its holiday travel segment. Although there is a plethora of studies concentrating on the role and impact of social media in travel related decisions, most of them are medium and community specific, or focus on a specific stage of the decision making or the travel planning process. This paper presents a comprehensive view of the role and impact of social media on the travel planning process: before, during and after the trip, providing insights on usage levels, scope of use, level of influence, and trust. The study was conducted through an online structured questionnaire on a sample of 346 members of an online panel of internet users from Russia and the other Former Soviet Union (FSU) Republics who had been on holidays in the previous 12 months. Findings reveal that social media are predominantly used after holidays for experience sharing. It is also shown that there is a strong correlation between level of influence from social media and changes made to holiday plans. Moreover, it is revealed that user-generated content is more trusted than official tourism websites, travel agents, and mass media advertising.
Podcasts as Learner-Created Content in Higher Education
Authors: Struck Raphael , Kynäslahti Heikki , Lipponen Lasse , Vesterinen Olli , Vahtivuori-Hänninen Sanna
Published: October 2011

Using podcasts in higher education has caught more and more attention among educators and researchers, but there is still a strong need for research and academic publications to focus on certain issues, such as the role of the learners. Instead of lecturers (teachers, scientists, and experts), learners (students, trainees or pupils) produce a podcast with a specific content called learner-created content (LCC). This study aims to find out how students experienced the creating of content as learning material in the form of podcasts. The results are two-fold. First, using podcasts included four categories: (1) the development of meta-skills, (2) mobile learning, (3) support for content learning, and (4) facilitating student involvement. Second, the students saw podcasting as a study tool. The study proved authentic, internally and systemically valid and opened up logical generalizability. Some recommendations are given for a better educational use of podcasts in higher education.
Application of Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis and Optimisation Methods in Evaluation of Quality of Learning Objects
Authors: Kurilovas Eugenijus , Vinogradova Irina , Serikoviene Silvija
Published: October 2011

This paper analyses and presents the new scientific models and methods for the expert evaluation of quality of learning objects (LOs) paying special attention to LOs reusability level. Currently all existing approaches in the area are quite subjective and depend only on the experience of the decision-makers. The authors analyse several scientific methods and principles to minimise the subjectivity level in the expert evaluation of LOs quality. They are: (a) the principles of multi-criteria decision analysis for identification of quality criteria, (b) technological quality criteria classification principle, (c) fuzzy group decision making theory to obtain evaluation measures, (d) normalisation of the weights of criteria, and (e) scalarisation method for LOs quality optimisation. The authors demonstrate that the complex application of these approaches could significantly improve the quality of the expert evaluation of LOs and noticeably reduce the level of the expert evaluation subjectivity. The paper also presents the example of practical application of these approaches for evaluation of LOs for Mathematics subject.
Changing Health Care from Inside Out
Authors: Kokkinen Lauri , Lehto Juhani
Published: October 2011

Finnish ophthalmology services have been criticized for being suboptimal and in this regard, the authors analyze a development project set up to reform these services. The project descended into crisis 18 months after its launch, when its actors mapped out two different ways in which they perceived the problems related to ophthalmology and came up with different solutions to these problems. This paper pays special attention to the events following the crisis, when an external policy entrepreneur was recruited to lead the project. This policy entrepreneur did not adhere to either of the realities mapped out in the earlier stages of the project, but created interpretation of the problems at hand and their solutions. This paper focuses on the process in which the policy entrepreneur strove to convince other actors of the validity perceived interpretations. According to the analyse, the implementation of the new policy alternative consisted not only of a technically and politically feasible solution, but it also involved skillful policy making and right timing.
Outsourced Health Care Services
Authors: Tiilikka Tiina
Published: October 2011

This paper provides answers to the question of how medical doctors and nurses at health centres narrate their experiences of outsourced health care services and make sense of their position in the new organization. The article contributes to the debate on the recent change in the marketization and transformation of health care organizations. The research material consists of seven group interviews with medical doctors and nurses. The method makes use of viewpoints from the narrative approach. The results of the analysis indicate that the workers interviewed are primarily rational professional actors. They do not actively take an emotional position. The short contracts between public or private actors mean that work processes in the outsourced health care organizations are intermittent. It may be necessary for the workers to adopt a strong professional identity without strong mental ties to the employer.
Mobility of Engineering and Technology Professionals and its Impact on the Quality of Engineering and Technology Education
Authors: Chinyemba Fredreck
Published: October 2011

This study explores the impact of mobility of qualified and experienced engineering and technology lecturers on the quality of engineering and technology education. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from students, lecturers, Heads of Departments and Academic Deans at Chinhoyi University of Technology, Zimbabwe. The findings from this study indicate that the absence of experienced and qualified professionals has a negative effect on the quality of engineering and technology education. The lecturer’s experience is considered a rich legitimate source of quality. Findings also reveal that the use of teaching assistants and part time lecturers as an alternative to experienced professionals, coupled with lack of resources, adversely impacted on the quality of graduates from the institution. Essentially, lectures conducted were characterized by poor instructional delivery, rushing through courses and over burdened lecturers. Scientific research output was significantly low and productive time was being wasted on human resource issues.
Forecasting Renewable Energy Technologies in Desalination and Power Generation Using Taxonomies
Authors: Dawelbait Gihan , Henschel Andreas , Mezher Toufic , Woon Wei Lee
Published: October 2011

Renewable Energy (RE) technologies are increasingly viewed as crucially important. Knowledge that helps to predict the likely growth of emergent technologies is essential for well-informed technology management. The vast amount of available data in publications hinders the acquisition and analysis of this knowledge. Therefore, there is a need for intelligent search techniques capable of grouping semantically similar concepts together, such that, for example, terms containing “photovoltaic” are hierarchically subsumed under solar energy-related technologies. Consequently, articles related to “Photovoltaics” should be included in the analysis. To accommodate this in an automated fashion, the authors deploy a renewable energy taxonomy for comprehensive trend discovery in publications and patents. This taxonomy is based on the hierarchical structure of Wikipedia categories and their subordinate Wikipedia terms. This paper analyzes promising trends of renewable energy sources in two case studies: power generation and desalination techniques.
Getting Lost in the Labyrinth
Authors: Conway John
Published: October 2011

The importance of the labyrinth as a trope in the Western tradition can hardly be overstated. Far from being a metaphor that describes just anything, it is a sign whose meaning appears in specific contexts. This article argues how the labyrinth’s triple function as visual, verbal and spatial sign—as well as its paradoxical function as unicursal and multicursal structure—makes it flexible enough to represent the paradoxical and complex nature of the modern workplace, the city, the mall and the individual subject’s position within an ever burgeoning network of relationships brought about by consumerism, capitalism, and commodification. Understanding the labyrinth trope helps people to understand the subject’s relationship to power and the very technology that we have created and in which we are trapped.
Ubiquitous Mediation and Critical Interventions
Authors: Colapietro Vincent
Published: October 2011

From a pragmatist perspective, the inaugural concern of Peirce’s formal theory (mediation? representation? translation?) cannot be separated from the eventual form in which this theory ought to be cast. Moreover, it cannot be severed from the emerging goals of an evolving process of theoretical elaboration. Peirce’s semeiotic culminates in methodeutic. The form in which the theory of signs is most appropriately cast is arguably a reflexive, normative inquiry into the conditions and forms of inquiry. It is, however, possibly something wider – a rhetoric inclusive of more than the discourses and disciplines of the experimental sciences (i.e., a rhetoric inclusive of artistic works no less than practical communication). An account of the most rudimentary and pervasive form of semiosis (grammar in Peirce’s sense being one of the names for this account) must ultimately give way to a nuanced understanding of historical practices such as experimental inquiry, artistic innovation, practical discourse, and possibly much else.
Representation and Reference According to Peirce
Authors: Nöth Winfried
Published: October 2011

The paper investigates Peirce’s semiotic solutions to the alleged problem of the inscrutability of reference (Peirce’s object) and examines Peirce’s terminology in the context of the notions of representation and reference. It elaborates on the distinction between representation of the object in the sign and the determination of the sign by its object, expounds the differences between the positivist view of the referent and the Peircean object of the sign, and describes the consequences of the distinction between the immediate and the dynamical objects. The paper provides examples of signs with imaginary, fictional, or mythological objects.
A Recent Diabetic with Facial Swelling and Epistaxis
Authors: Baghel Vijay , Chanda Reshmi , Jadia Shalini , Rai Garjesh , Kapoor Anil
Published: October 2011

In this paper, the authors examine and discuss a recent diabetic who presented with hyperglycemia and facial swelling along with nose-bleeding. A prompt diagnostic and therapeutic intervention allowed a rewarding recovery.
Caught in the Middle
Authors: Young Joan W. , Thapaliya Prakash , Sapkota Santosh
Published: October 2011

This paper begins with a patient perspective from the first author. Faced with cascading health problems, this author describes her gradual embrace of alternative treatments. While these improved her health, they also set her apart and prompted antagonism from those in conventional medicine. She found she was not alone in benefiting from a more open view of healing, and not alone in being buffeted by the opposing medical views. Two invited commentaries from medical professionals follow, as well as the first author’s response.
The Scope of Adaptation of HIV Prevention Policy Actions by UNAIDS in the Context of Bangladesh
Authors: Dey Sovan
Published: October 2011

HIV/AIDS, a worldwide epidemic, affects Bangladesh, not only among the high risk groups, but also the general population. The number of HIV cases has increased recently, especially among injecting drug users, men who have sex with men, and female sex workers. Furthermore, unsafe blood supplies to hospitals and cross-border migration have worsened the current situation in the country. It is necessary for the Government and policy makers to consider revising the existing HIV/AIDS policy. Comparative content analysis is employed to analyze the National Policy on HIV/AIDS Prevention of Bangladesh (1997) with The Essential Policy Actions for Prevention proposed by UNAIDS (2005) in its policy position paper, `Intensifying HIV Prevention’. Recommendations are made for amendments to the Bangladesh policy after the analysis; the inclusion of religious leaders, people living with HIV/AIDS involved in policy making and programme implementation, and review and reform in some of the current legal frameworks regarding gender equity and stigma.
Mobile WiMAX Bandwidth Reservation Thresholds
Authors: Khemiri Sondes , Boussetta Khaled , Achir Nadjib , Pujolle Guy
Published: October 2011

This paper addresses the issue of wireless bandwidth partitioning of a Mobile WiMAX cell. The authors consider a Complete Partitioning strategy, where the wireless bandwidth capacity of a cell is divided into trunks. Each partition is strictly reserved to a particular type of connection. Four IEEE 802.16e 2005 service classes are distinguished: UGS, rtPS, nrtPS, and ErtPS. The authors consider mobility and differentiate new call request from handoffs. In addition, the authors take into consideration the Adaptive Modulation and Coding (AMC) scheme, through the partition of the cell into different areas associated to a particular modulation and coding scheme. The purpose of the paper is to determine, using an analytical model and a heuristic approach, the nearly optimal sizes of the partition sizes dedicated to each type of connection, which is characterized by its service class, type of request and modulation, and coding scheme.
IP Paging for Mobile Hosts in Distributed and Fixed Hierarchical Mobile IP
Authors: Upadhyay Paramesh C. , Tiwari Sudarshan
Published: October 2011

The concept of Paging has been found useful in existing cellular networks for mobile users with low call-to-mobility ratio (CMR). It is necessary for fast mobility users to minimize the signaling burden on the network. Reduced signaling, also, conserves scarce wireless resources and provides power savings at user terminals. However, Mobile IP (MIP), a base protocol for IP mobility, does not support paging concept in its original form. Several paging schemes and micro-mobility protocols, centralized and distributed, have been proposed in literature to alleviate the inherent limitations of Mobile IP. In this paper, the authors propose three paging schemes for Distributed and Fixed Hierarchical Mobile IP (DFHMIP) and develop analytical models for them. Performance evaluations of these schemes have been carried out and results have been compared with DFHMIP without paging and with Dynamic Hierarchical Mobile IP (DHMIP) for low CMR values.
Bundling Processes Between Private and Public Organizations
Authors: Sharafi Armin , Jurisch Marlen , Ikas Christian , Wolf Petra , Krcmar Helmut
Published: October 2011

Businesses are aching under the burdens entailed by public reporting duties while public administrations are faced with rising cost pressures. Fostered by the diffusion and maturation of information technology, businesses put forth growing demands in regard to the quality, integration and usability of public services. An effective means of meeting these challenges is through the identification and bundling of processes caused by reporting duties. Incorporating corresponding concepts from the business sector, to the authors develop an approach for process bundling tailored to public organizations. The authors demonstrate the approach on waste management reporting duties. This paper provides guidance for practitioners striving to optimize information flows and reduce redundancies within B2G contacts. As a result, both public administrations and businesses benefit from a more straightforward and cost-efficient provision of public services.
Challenges Faced by Megacities in the Future
Authors: Assadian Ali , Nejati Mostafa
Published: October 2011

The advancement of science, industry, and digital technologies has shaped the lives of many people and has encouraged more people to live in cities. Since 2007, the urban population has exceeded the rural, and this amount is estimated to increase up to 60% of world habitants by 2030, according to the United Nations. Considering that these changes in people’s lifestyle can create various challenges to society, identifying and managing the potential future challenges is a vital step to ensure a dignified living without conflicts. This paper studies the challenges that cities and megacities may face in the future and provides solutions to manage and handle them. Reports and statistics from international organizations and the authors’ critical analysis have been applied to collect the necessary data. The research findings emphasize the importance of enhanced competitiveness and the quality of life and environment on the development of the city. Moreover, the major infrastructural problems facing cities in the digital world are discussed and the importance of strategic planning and sustainable approach toward resolving urban issues are emphasized.
Social Engineering
Authors: Luo Xin , Brody Richard , Seazzu Alessandro , Burd Stephen
Published: October 2011

Effective information systems security management combines technological measures and managerial efforts. Although various technical means have been employed to cope with security threats, human factors have been comparatively neglected. This article examines human factors that can lead to social engineering intrusions. Social engineering is a technique used by malicious attackers to gain access to desired information by exploiting the flaws in human logic known as cognitive biases. Social engineering is a potential threat to information security and should be considered equally important to its technological counterparts. This article unveils various social engineering attacks and their leading human factors, and discusses several ways to defend against social engineering: education, training, procedure, and policy. The authors further introduce possible countermeasures for social engineering attacks. Future analysis is also presented.
A Decision Table for the Cloud Computing Decision in Small Business
Authors: Mahesh Sathiadev , Landry Brett J. L. , Sridhar T. , Walsh Kenneth R.
Published: October 2011

An issue facing the manager of a small business is the use of cloud computing to meet the information technology (IT) needs of the firm. These businesses typically have limited in-house IT capabilities and often outsource much of their IT. This paper discusses this rapidly evolving technology and provides a framework for businesses to decide on harnessing the power of cloud computing. It recommends the appropriate decision based on the way in which IT is currently used in the enterprise and future needs to meet competitive challenges. The potential cost savings, technology insurance from cloud computing, and security risks are discussed and factored into the decision.
Information Technology and Supply Chain Collaboration
Authors: Iyer Karthik N. S.
Published: October 2011

The utilization of advanced information technologies (IT) in interfirm collaboration has been thematic in current literature. Although conventional wisdom perceives that IT systems facilitate supply chain collaboration, this research provides an alternative perspective. Drawing on resource-based view and contingency ‘fit’ theory, the study investigates a model of relationships that specify how environmental uncertainty factors influence the nature of the association of two critical but distinctive IT capabilities with collaboration. Findings corroborate the positive association between collaboration and B2B e-commerce and IT analytic capability. However, demand unpredictability enhances the IT analytic capability-collaboration relationship while detracting from the B2B e-commerce-collaboration association. Notably, the study did not find any moderating influence of another critical uncertainty factor, technological turbulence. The findings reveal the complex nature of IT-collaboration relationships and provide managers a framework for understanding the uncertainty contexts under which specific information technologies with various functionalities may be more appropriately leveraged to derive benefits.
General Enterprising Tendency (GET) and Recommendations to Boost Entrepreneurship Education in Sarawak
Authors: Ha Lee Ming , Ling Edith Lim Ai , Muniapan Balakrishnan , Gregory Margaret Lucy
Published: October 2011

This paper explores the General Enterprising Tendency (GET) test used to examine the enterprising tendency among business students in Sarawak. The findings from a sample of 75 final year business students indicate low scores in five key enterprising tendencies, namely: need for achievement, need for autonomy, calculated risk taking, drive and determination and creative tendency (innovativeness). To explore the reasons for these low scores, focus group interviews with the students were conducted and reasons for the low enterprising tendencies and barriers for entrepreneurial development were identified. The authors provide some recommendations to rejuvenate the interest in entrepreneurship culture among business students and eliminate entrepreneurial barriers. This paper has a practical implication for universities and business schools to re-examine their current business and entrepreneurship curriculum, as one of the purposes of a business school is to produce entrepreneurs or business leaders to contribute to economic growth and development.
East and West, Past and Present
Authors: Zheng Connie
Published: October 2011

This paper explores the sayings and stories of the ancient Chinese philosophers Guanzi, Hanfeizi, Xunzi and Yanzi. Their way of ruling the state and managing the people are analysed and discussed in line with thoughts from the mainstream and modern Western management gurus, such as Warren Bennis, Peter Drucker, Mary Parker Follett, Douglas McGregor, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Elton Mayo, and Jeffrey Pfeffer. Striking similarities call for addressing key issues in human resource management. East and west thinkers across 3000 years are identified. The principles-based ruling and management were found difficult to be taken seriously in ancient times as it is today. However, these principles must be rekindled to protect organisations and the world from mischievous behaviour that has caused much human suffering.
Making the Case for ”Architectural Informatics”
Authors: Wiberg Mikael
Published: October 2011

Society is undergoing a major digitalization - not at least in the field of architecture. The digitalization of our built environment has also begun to reflect itself in research (see e.g., Cai & Abascal, 2006; Margolis & Robinson, 2007; Greenfield, 2006). At the cross point in-between architecture, urban development, and the digitalization of modern society, there is a major research potential – untapped and ready to be explored. This paper initiates an “architectural informatics” perspective and outlines a research agenda as to address questions of how to better integrate our built environment and digital world. This paper outlines three research themes including: 1) Architectural composition with digital materials (theory development), 2) Architecture for sustainable digitization (development of value ground), and 3) Digitization processes & architecture as social intervention processes (methodology development). Common to these three areas is the overall aim to develop architectural and computational concepts and theories as to address this common area, to find new practice based methods to facilitate new forms of cooperation between engineers, architects and the inhabitants of our built environment, as well as to explore architectural informatics as a phenomenon and opportunity.
A Conceptual Model of Grassland-Based Beef Systems
Authors: Martin Guillaume , Martin-Clouaire Roger , Rellier Jean-Pierre , Duru Michel
Published: October 2011

Fulfilling the production objectives of a grassland-based beef system requires a robust management strategy to secure the best practicable use of forage resources with regard to the cattle demand. To address the challenging issue of designing such strategies, this article describes the application of an ontology of agricultural production systems to the generic conceptual model SEDIVER, which supports the representation and dynamic farm-scale simulation of specific grassland-based beef systems. The most salient and novel aspects of SEDIVER concern the explicit modeling of (a) the diversity in plant, grassland, animal and farmland, and (b) management strategies that deal with the planning and coordination of activities whereby the farmer controls the biophysical processes. By using the SEDIVER conceptual framework, part of the subjective and context-specific knowledge used in farm management can be captured and, in this way, enable scientific investigation of management practices.
On the Use of Abduction as an Alternative to Decision Trees in Environmental Decision Support Systems
Authors: Wotawa Franz
Published: October 2011

Although decision trees are frequently used in environmental decision support systems, they have shortcomings. In the case of an available model, decision trees have to be constructed manually from the model. Moreover, not all knowledge is represented in the decision tree. To overcome this issue, the author proposes the use of abductive reasoning directly applied to the available cause-effect model. In particular the abduction problem the author introduces (i.e., the problem of finding a cause for observed effects), shows how this problem can be extended to allow distinguishing between competing explanations, and discusses the integration of testing and repair actions within the framework. The latter is especially important in case of environmental decision support systems.
Pyroxene
Authors: Maillé Eric , Espinasse Bernard
Published: October 2011

Medium term management of territorial risk increase requires decision support tools able to represent and simulate spatial dynamics. For forest fire risk, simulators of spatial dynamics of both fuel zones and vulnerable zones are produced by specialised disciplines, like ecology and geography. In order to integrate simulators of spatial dynamics of different themes at different scale levels, this paper proposes a spatial agent and GIS based software infrastructure called Pyroxene. This infrastructure is designed to implement “models for models integration”, specified by domain expert users. To do so, end users have to use a specification framework, specifically designed for spatio-dynamic models integration. The purpose of the implemented platform is to execute and synchronise integrated simulations. To operate the semantic and syntax requirements of such integration, the platform is structured in an HLA-like architecture, and implemented as a multi-agents system for models integration, compliant with the FIPA specification. It is also organised around a GIS. First steps of validation confirm the validity of the system at the functional level and precise the limits of using the approach on the operational level.