bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Potential of E-Participation in Sustainable Development Evaluation
Authors: Lombardi Patrizia , Huovila Pekka , Sunikka-Blank Minna
Published: May 2011

If sustainable development is really to be based on substantive community participation, a change in attitudes, beliefs and values is required. Even these changes will not be sufficient to reach the ambitious goals set across Europe through the Local Agenda 21 and other policy documents. The rigorous adaptation of decision-making processes to include community participation is necessary. Development and specification of indicators play an important role in bridging this gap. The indicators should not only form a technical input in the latter type of assessment tools but act as media to communicate the progress towards sustainable development to the local communities and other stakeholders. This chapter deals with the issue of e-participation in decision making and sustainable development evaluation. It presents first a critical overview of sustainable development and knowledge society indicators, metrics and assessment tools currently in use. Then, it introduces the role of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in urban regeneration processes by using a number of European case studies. Finally, it states the need for a more systematic approach to integrate CSOs earlier in the decision-making process and to ensure a more effective use of sustainable development indicators – with the help of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).
Balancing Green ICT Business Development with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Authors: Garito Marco
Published: May 2011

The debate over green ICT has been triggered by media during the climate change summit in Kyoto in 2007. This was when the industry tried to build up a clean and non-polluting image. While the Copenhagen summit on the environment failed to produce a conclusive decision, it is now clear that its carbon footprint is a remarkable factor in all business decision making. Governments around the world have set up defined programs and targets that companies have to reach. ICT is aimed at achieving reduction in the 2% of CO2 emission levels. The advantage of the positive impact of Green ICT initiatives would be seen in the clear results in management‘s decision making. However, the adoption of green ICT programs gives the opportunity to fully rethink over current business process and develop new solutions. The benefit of environmental friendly companies can also affect the overall performance and deliver measurable results in terms of customer‘s preference, brand value, ROI, not to count the needed change of behaviour at individual and personal level (such as waste disposal). The chapter wants to outline those topics and properly address the issues behind what the author considers as equivalent to the next industrial revolution.
Business Processes Management for a Green Telecommunications Company
Authors: Balachandran Ramesh
Published: May 2011

The concept of Green ICT has been in consideration in almost all industrial sectors. The Telecommunication (Telco) sector in one such major area where Green ICT plays a crucial role. Telcos have opportunities and treats due the Green ICT initiatives. This chapter outlines these implications and proposes a Green Telco business model to match with Green ICT initiatives. This chapter then proposes the way and methodology to achieve Green Telco business model through the Business Processes Management based on more practical aspects. The concept of Business Processes Management (BPM) framework is initially discussed in its four stages. This is then followed by the use of this BPM framework to transform and manage business processes for a Green Telco. The business transformation to Green Telco is discussed as part of a BPM framework made up of the Strategy stage, Design stage, Realization stage and the Operational stage. This chapter finally concludes that the Green Telco business model is not a destination but a continuous journey and the BPM framework provides an excellent basis to achieve those Green Telco goals.
Green Information Technology and Virtualization in Corporate Environmental Management Information Systems
Authors: Chen Edward T.
Published: May 2011

Businesses today must not only be concerned with their day-to-day operations and the making of profit, but also with a set of challenges related to the public perception, the environment, and the costs of energy consumption. The image of the company from the perspective of customers and the public in general must be carefully monitored as it relates to the environment and the use of natural resources and energy. The demonstration of effective strategies that allow for “greener” and more ecological awareness, will gain the respect of customers, businesses, stockholders, and other concerned groups. The protection of our environment is also a major agenda of firms today. This paper discusses how “Green IT” along with the concepts of “Virtualization” can provide for better organizational, operational, and environmental outcomes.
Green Strategic Alignment
Authors: Wang Hui-Ling , Ghose Aditya K.
Published: May 2011

The current business context, characterized by macro-economic incentives for carbon-mitigation, stringent environmental compliance constraints and the need to embrace sustainability as a key element of corporate social responsibility, presents difficult challenges for most organizations. These organizations need to re-align their strategies (and eventually their organizational structures and operations) to a new set of sustainability objectives, but lack the tools to enable this. In this chapter, the authors review some of our recent work on documenting strategies as a means to assessing and achieving strategic alignment. The authors show that these approaches provide an adequate and appropriate basis for documenting both business strategies and “green”/sustainability strategies, and lead to rich vocabulary for analysing strategic alignment. They then address the question of what organizations might do when faced with misalignment between their existing strategies and sustainability imperatives. Depending on the nature of the organizational posture towards sustainability, they outline the kind of analysis organizations might use to decide how to identify compromises between the competing pulls of their existing strategies and green objectives.
Management Instruments for Sustainable Information Systems Management
Authors: Erek Koray , Schmidt Nils-Holger , Zarnekow Rüdiger , Kolbe Lutz M.
Published: May 2011

The increasing dissemination of information systems (IS) into all areas of business and personal life has drawn attention to its economic, environmental and social effects. IS organizations are becoming aware that they have to take up their responsibility by thinking seriously about sustainability management for information systems. While measures for using computing resources efficiently have received considerable attention, the topic of sustainability in IS management is still lacking theoretical and conceptual foundation. As a contribution to the ongoing discussion of “Green IT”, the purpose of this chapter is to apply the concept of sustainability into the field of IS management using practical concepts such as a procedural model, the balanced scorecard and a maturity model.
Diffusion of the Clean Development Mechanism
Authors: Rahman Shaikh M. , Dinar Ariel , Larson Donald F.
Published: May 2011

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol is an innovation that combines greenhouse gas abatement targets with sustainable development objectives. This chapter provides an estimate of the overall growth pattern of the CDM and makes projections about CDM activity during and beyond the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol commitments under current rules. The results imply that if the emission reduction targets remain unchanged beyond the first commitment period, further expansion of the CDM pipeline is unlikely.
Sustainable Water Provision
Authors: Lee Shinyi , Yigitcanlar Tan , Egodawatta Prasanna , Goonetilleke Ashantha
Published: May 2011

As a result of rapid urbanisation, population growth, changes in lifestyle, pollution and the impacts of climate change, water provision has become a critical challenge for planners and policy-makers. In the wake of increasingly difficult water provision and drought, the notion that freshwater is a finite and vulnerable resource is increasingly being realised. Many city administrations around the world are struggling to provide water security for their residents to maintain lifestyle and economic growth. This chapter reviews the global challenge of providing freshwater to sustain lifestyles and economic growth, and the contributing challenges of climate change, urbanisation, population growth and problems in rainfall distribution. The chapter proceeds to evaluate major alternatives to current water sources such as conservation, recycling and reclamation, and desalination. Integrated water resource management is briefly looked at to explore its role in complementing water provision. A comparative study on alternative resources is undertaken to evaluate their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and constraints, and the results are discussed.
Innovation and Sustainable Development
Authors: von Hauff Michael , Jörg Andrea
Published: May 2011

Many economic roundtables have proclaimed innovation as the key to economic growth. The theoretical basis for this view is amply demonstrated by today’s modern innovation theory. However, the fact that innovation also carries ecologic risk was, until recently, largely ignored. The potential for ecologic risk occurs when technologies are developed that threaten environmental damage that perhaps, does not become significant until well into the future. Risk may also occur indirectly when new technologies generate higher productivity but are also responsible for an additional burden on the environment. In principle, within the context of the sustainable development paradigm, innovation must be compatible with the three dimensions: Ecology, Economy and Society. The aim of this paper is to discuss the deficits of the mainstream innovation theory in the context of sustainability in addition to the role and significance of innovation in environmental engineering. This especially includes the opportunities and limitations of eco-innovation with respect to the current environmental policies for sustainable economic growth. A future challenge for research from a business perspective is to align eco-innovation as an integral component of an environmental management information system (CEMIS). In this context, eco-innovation can make a major contribution to environmental protection. However, within the scope of this paper, the focus is primarily on the rationale for sustainable innovation, in particular, eco-innovation.
Paving the Way towards Virtual Biorefineries
Authors: Rapp Barbara , Bremer Jörg
Published: May 2011

Biomass nowadays gets an ever increasing importance as a substitute for fossil fuels and as a source of energy as well as of materials for chemical products. In comparison with other raw materials, biomass has distinguishing and additional production or rather clearing characteristics that have to be taken into account for sustainable and successful biomass supply chains. This chapter explores the drawbacks and opportunities of existing approaches to biomass logistics and continues with a detailed description of an advanced procurement system, which has been developed as a proof-of-concept by the authors. Procurement driven by meta-data based data acquisition will be discussed as a starting point for a variety of missing features in today’s environmental information system’s support for forming inter-business linkages in regional biomass networks. These ideas are further developed into a concept for a virtual biorefinery as an advanced system for an appropriate treatment of biomass concerning economical, ecological and sociological sustainability issues at the same time.
Planning for Sustainable Urban Futures
Authors: Dizdaroglu Didem , Yigitcanlar Tan , Dawes Les
Published: May 2011

In recent years, cities have shown increasing signs of environmental problems due to the negative impacts of urban activities. The degradation and depletion of natural resources, climate change, and development pressure on green areas have become major concerns for cities. In response to these problems, urban planning policies have shifted to a sustainable focus and authorities have begun to develop new strategies for improving the quality of urban ecosystems. An extremely important function of an urban ecosystem is to provide healthy and sustainable environments for both natural systems and communities. Therefore, ecological planning is a functional requirement in the establishment of sustainable built environment. With ecological planning, human needs are supplied while natural resources are used in the most effective and sustainable manner and ecological balance is sustained. Protecting human and environmental health, having healthy ecosystems, reducing environmental pollution and providing green spaces are just a few of the many benefits of ecological planning. In this context, this chapter briefly presents a short overview of the importance of the implementation of ecological planning into sustainable urban development. Furthermore, it presents a conceptual framework for a new methodology for developing sustainable urban ecosystems through ecological planning approach.
The Optimizing WEB
Authors: Ghose Aditya K. , Billiau Graham
Published: May 2011

There is a global consensus on the need to reduce our collective carbon footprint. Improving the efficiency of how we use our infrastructure is central to reducing energy consumption. Optimization is fundamental to any approach to climate change mitigation. While optimization technology has been on offer for almost 70 years, most applications of optimization technology have been in piecemeal, monolithic optimization systems. Yet the climate change crisis requires optimization on a large-scale, and in manner that permits entities in a massive planetary supply chain to collaborate to achieve the commonly agreed upon carbon mitigation objective. Traditional stand-alone “batch” optimization will also not be adequate for this setting, but will need to be tightly coupled with networks of planners and controllers. This chapter presents a vision for the Optimizing Web – a large global network of interoperating optimizers that is as ubiquitous as the present-day web, and that leverages it‘s existing infrastructure for green ICT.
Automatic Categorization of Web Database Query Results
Authors: Meng Xiangfu , Yan Li , Ma Z. M.
Published: May 2011

Web database queries are often exploratory. The users often find that their queries return too many answers and many of them may be irrelevant. Based on different kinds of user preferences, this chapter proposes a novel categorization approach which consists of two steps. The first step analyzes query history of all users in the system offline and generates a set of clusters over the tuples, where each cluster represents one type of user preference. When a user issues a query, the second step presents to the user a category tree over the clusters generated in the first step such that the user can easily select the subset of query results matching his needs. The problem of constructing a category tree is a cost optimization problem and heuristic algorithms were developed to compute the min-cost categorization. The efficiency and effectiveness of our approach are demonstrated by experimental results.
Pattern-Based Schema Mapping and Query Answering in Peer-to-Peer XML Data Integration System
Authors: Pankowski Tadeusz
Published: May 2011

This chapter addresses the problem of data integration in a P2P environment, where each peer stores schema of its local data, mappings between the schemas, and some schema constraints. The goal of the integration is to answer queries formulated against a chosen peer. The answer must consist of data stored in the queried peer as well as data of its direct and indirect partners. The chapter focuses on defining and using mappings, schema constraints, query propagation across the P2P system, and query answering in such scenario. Schemas, mappings, constraints (functional dependencies) and queries are all expressed using a unified approach based on tree-pattern formulas. The chapter discusses how functional dependencies can be exploited to increase information content of answers (by discovering missing values) and to control merging operations and propagation strategies. The chapter proposes algorithms for translating high-level specifications of mappings and queries into XQuery programs, and it shows how the discussed method has been implemented in SixP2P (or 6P2P) system.
Data Broadcast Management in Wireless Communication
Authors: Verma Seema , Kulshrestha Rakhee , Kumari Savita
Published: May 2011

The data broadcast policies have been developed for single channel and multi channel with various scheduling and indexing techniques. For the data management policies which consider the different broadcast cycles for different broadcast operators, it can be said that traditional types of data management policies are known previously, and the policies of Central Server (CS) and Unified Index Hub (UIH), which consider single broadcast cycle for all operators, are recent. This chapter presents both strategies very simply for better understanding, discusses the work done in the past and present on data broadcast management, along with suggestions for the future possibilities to explore the field.
Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometry Based Plant Disease Detection
Authors: Zhang F. , Ghaffari R. , Iliescu D. , Hines E. , Leeson M. , Napier R.
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents the initial studies on the detection of two common diseases and pests, the powdery mildew and spider mites, on greenhouse tomato plants by measuring the chemical volatiles emitted from the tomato plants as the disease develops using a Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometry (FAIMS) device. The processing on the collected FAIMS measurements using PCA shows that clear increment patterns can be observed on all the experimental plants representing the gradual development of the diseases. Optimisation on the number of dispersion voltages to be used in the FAIMS device shows that reducing the number of dispersion voltages by a factor up to 10, preserves the key development patterns perfectly, though the amplitudes of the new patterns are reduced significantly.
The Analysis of Plant’s Organic Volatiles Compounds with Electronic Nose and Pattern Recognition Techniques
Authors: Ghaffari Reza , Zhang Fu , Iliescu Daciana , Hines Evor , Leeson Mark , Napier Richard
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, the authors introduce the principles of some of the most widely used supervised and unsupervised Pattern Recognition (PR) techniques and assess behaviour and performances. A dataset acquired from a set of experiments conducted at University of Warwick is employed to construct a case study in which the techniques will be applied. The chapter will also evaluate the integration of PR methods with an Electronic Nose (EN) device to develop and implement a plant diagnosis tool based on discriminating the Organic Volatile Compounds (VOC) released by plants when attacked by pest. The chapter concludes with a performance comparison and a brief discussion of how an appropriate PR technique can be coupled with an EN to produce a greenhouse plant pest and disease diagnosis system for day-to-day utilisation. Some consideration of further work is also presented.
Facial Image Processing in Computer Vision
Authors: Yap Moi Hoon , Ugail Hassan
Published: May 2011

The application of computer vision in face processing remains an important research field. The aim of this chapter is to provide an up-to-date review of research efforts of computer vision scientist in facial image processing, especially in the areas of entertainment industry, surveillance, and other human computer interaction applications. To be more specific, this chapter reviews and demonstrates the techniques of visible facial analysis, regardless of specific application areas. First, the chapter makes a thorough survey and comparison of face detection techniques. It provides some demonstrations on the effect of computer vision algorithms and colour segmentation on face images. Then, it reviews the facial expression recognition from the psychological aspect (Facial Action Coding System, FACS) and from the computer animation aspect (MPEG-4 Standard). The chapter also discusses two popular existing facial feature detection techniques: Gabor feature based boosted classifiers and Active Appearance Models, and demonstrate the performance on our in-house dataset. Finally, the chapter concludes with the future challenges and future research direction of facial image processing.
Automated Solar Feature Detection for Space Weather Applications
Authors: Pérez-Suárez David , Higgins Paul A. , Bloomfield D. Shaun , McAteer R.T. James , Krista Larisza D. , Byrne Jason P. , Gallagher Peter. T.
Published: May 2011

The solar surface and atmosphere are highly dynamic plasma environments, which evolve over a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. Large-scale eruptions, such as coronal mass ejections, can be accelerated to millions of kilometers per hour in a matter of minutes, making their automated detection and characterisation challenging. Additionally, there are numerous faint solar features, such as coronal holes and coronal dimmings, which are important for space weather monitoring and forecasting, but their low intensity and sometimes transient nature makes them problematic to detect using traditional image processing techniques. These difficulties are compounded by advances in ground- and space- based instrumentation, which have increased the volume of data that solar physicists are confronted with on a minute-by-minute basis; NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory for example is returning many thousands of images per hour (~1.5 TB/day). This chapter reviews recent advances in the application of images processing techniques to the automated detection of active regions, coronal holes, filaments, CMEs, and coronal dimmings for the purposes of space weather monitoring and prediction.
Real-Time Primary Image Processing
Authors: Dobrescu Radu , Popescu Dan
Published: May 2011

Keywords: real time image processing, local operators, noise rejection, edge detection, directional filtering, median filter, binary filter, pipeline architecture, parallel platforms.
Recent Advances in Corneal Imaging
Authors: Elbita A. , Qahwaji R. , Ipson S. , Ahmed T. Y. , Ramaesh K. , Colak T.
Published: May 2011

This chapter details work with sequences of corneal images from a confocal microscope to develop enhancement methods to improve the visual quality of the images. Due to involuntary movements of the subject’s eye during image capture, the images suffer both lateral and longitudinal translations, and work is ongoing to attempt to register adjacent images in the sequence. Currently this registration uses an approach based on the Scale Invariant Feature Transforms (SIFT) algorithm. Registration is a necessary stage in the construction of a 3D model of the subject’s cornea for use as a diagnostic aid. The algorithms, results, progress and suggestions for future work are presented in this chapter.
Towards Rapid 3D Reconstruction using Conventional X-Ray for Intraoperative Orthopaedic Applications
Authors: Prakoonwit Simant
Published: May 2011

A rapid 3D reconstruction of bones and other structures during an operation is an important issue. However, most of existing technologies are not feasible to be implemented in an intraoperative environment. Normally, a 3D reconstruction has to be done by a CT or an MRI pre operation or post operation. Due to some physical constraints, it is not feasible to utilise such machine intraoperatively. A special type of MRI has been developed to overcome the problem. However, all normal surgical tools and instruments cannot be employed. This chapter discusses a possible method to use a small number, e.g. 5, of conventional 2D X-ray images to reconstruct 3D bone and other structures intraoperatively. A statistical shape model is used to fit a set of optimal landmarks vertices, which are automatically created from the 2D images, to reconstruct a full surface. The reconstructed surfaces can then be visualised and manipulated by surgeons or used by surgical robotic systems.
The Use of Asynchronous Video Communication to Improve Instructor Immediacy and Social Presence in a Blended Learning Environment
Authors: Borup Jered , Graham Charles R. , Velasquez Andrea
Published: May 2011

Instructors in a blended learning format struggle to find an effective balance between face-to-face instruction that is high in fidelity and online instruction that is high in flexibility. This chapter presents three cases where asynchronous video communication was used to help offer students instruction high in fidelity and flexibility. Although the medium for sharing asynchronous video varied between the three cases, findings indicate that video was a useful tool to improve instructor immediacy and/or social presence with a minimum amount of face-to-face instruction. The instructors in all three cases saw asynchronous video communications as an effective way to communicate with students, and the majority of students responded positively to asynchronous video communications.
Blended Learning Revisited
Authors: Ortega Gil Pablo , Arcos García Francisco
Published: May 2011

The universe of blended learning started uncertainly, as all new ventures, amid overt resistance of traditionalist teachers, but boosted by the drive of a few enthusiasts that wanted to bring novel perspectives into education. Everyday practice, together with the growing services it is rendering, has turned blended learning into the mainstay of education. The authors review some of the projects they have been carrying out in later years, all of them involving the use of Learning Management Systems for different target groups. They provide details about students’ response, teachers’ attitudes, and parents’ opinions. They also show how their model has grown richer and richer thanks to the feedback obtained from all parts. Finally, future lines of development are suggested, among which mobile learning stands out. A recently launched mobile learning project is summarized.
Blended Learning Examples in Education and Chemistry
Authors: Hogan Robert
Published: May 2011

The blended revolution that has empowered students in developing nations is just now spreading to developing countries. With improved Internet access, students in these regions now have opportunities to experience blended and mobile learning, creating new markets in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific for universities that offer blended programs. Unlike the e-learning revolution of the 90s that was dominated by for-profit institutions, public universities will be major competitors for international students wishing to earn foreign degrees. The Asian Development Bank report (2008) emphasizes that it is essential for economic development to provide increased numbers of skilled workers. Blended and mobile learning can assist countries with increased educational access and online providers opportunities to reach new international markets. Another emerging market for blended and mobile learning in developing countries is the untrained teacher. Until recently, adequate Internet access was not available to some regions most needing increased educational access. Now, the technology is falling into place to support blended and mobile learning. This chapter discusses two international blended and mobile learning courses—an undergraduate chemistry course and a graduate education course for teachers in online learning—being delivered to developing countries in the Pacific. The chapter focuses on instructional design, cultural considerations, technical issues, and initial findings.
Blended and Mobile Learning
Authors: Tappenden Sue
Published: May 2011

In New Zealand, law schools are constrained as to what they can do to incorporate blended or mobile learning into the core programme. There are two major factors to take into consideration when designing any course: a conservative profession, and the cultural needs of Maori students. This chapter will focus on the author’s personal experiences of the practical applications of blended and mobile learning within the Law Faculty and will discuss student expectations of technologically aided teaching practices.
A Case Study of a Blended Doctoral Program in Educational Technology
Authors: Jacobsen Michele
Published: May 2011

Educational technology is a hands-on, minds-on discipline that emphasizes knowing and doing. In this field, doctoral education needs to reflect digital and communication realities in the twenty-first century. In this case study, a blended learning approach to graduate education in educational technology is explored from the perspective of the author’s own classroom. The course design and blended delivery of an Advanced Concepts in Educational Technology seminar is described in detail. Active learning opportunities, using wikis, blogs, avatars and virtual worlds, learning managements systems, email, and face-to-face learning experiences engaged doctoral students in the collaborative investigation and critique of educational technology trends and research ideas. Doctoral students investigated their emerging digital lives as scholars and developed a personal cyberinfrastructure that they can continue to build, modify, and extend throughout their educational technology careers.
Short Message Services for Supporting Student Learning
Authors: Ng’ambi Dick
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses the blending of anonymous short message services (SMS) with a learning management system (LMS) to support non-traditional postgraduate learners in a block release programme at a higher education institution. The personal ownership of the mobile phone, coupled with its consistent presence and connectivity, was enhanced through the provision of anonymous communication via SMS. The seamless integration allowed for optimal use by learners who had limited access to the LMS but greater access to the mobile device. The mobile phone enhanced with anonymity created a safe learning environment based on andragogical principles. The postgraduate programme made extensive use of the learning management system (LMS). In block release programmes, learners may be distributed in developing countries and have one contact week per module. During both pre and post-contact sessions, learners are located in contexts where mobile connectivity is more guaranteed than Internet access. Most resources are downloaded during the contact week for reading offline. As learners interact with resources they engage in internal dialogue and mobile phones can facilitate a way to artefact internal dialogues through blogging. The use of anonymous communication using SMS creates a safe and equal socially networked knowledge production environment.
Wildfire Activities
Authors: Engeström Yrjö
Published: May 2011

The article argues for a historical perspective on mobility and learning. In social production or peer production, mobility takes the shape of expansive swarming, sideways transitions and boundary-crossing. The notion of wildfire activities is proposed to point out that activities such as birding, skateboarding, and disaster relief of the Red Cross have characteristics similar to those of peer production but predate internet and take place mainly outside the sphere of digital virtuality. Wildfire activities pop up in unexpected locations at unexpected times and expand very rapidly. They become extinguished from time to time, yet they reappear and flare up again. Learning in wildfire activities is learning by swarming that crosses boundaries and ties knots between actors. It is also learning by building mycorrhizae communities by means of cognitive trails and social bonds that make the terrains knowable and livable. The mechanism of stigmergy is foundational in mycorrhizae communities. [Article copies are available for purchase from InfoSci-on-Demand.com]
M-Learning Generations and Interview Study Results of a Mobile Context-Aware Learning Schedule Framework
Authors: Yau Jane Yin-Kim , Joy Mike
Published: May 2011

Mobile learning applications can be categorized into four generations – ‘non-adaptive’, ‘learning-preferences’-based adaptive, ‘learning-contexts’-based adaptive and ‘learning-contexts’-aware adaptive. The research on our Mobile Context-aware and Adaptive Learning Schedule framework is motivated by some of the challenges within the context-aware mobile learning field. These include being able to create and enhance students’ learning opportunities in different locations by considering different learning contexts and using these as the basis for selecting appropriate learning materials for students. The authors have adopted a pedagogical approach for evaluating this framework – an exploratory interview study with potential users consisting of 37 university students. The authors targeted primarily undergraduate computing students, as well as students within other departments and postgraduate students, so that a deep analysis of a wider variety of users’ thoughts regarding the framework can be gained. The observed interview feedback gives us insights into the use of a pedagogical m-learning suggestion framework deploying a learning schedule subject to the five proposed learning contexts. Their data analysis is described and interpreted leading to a personalized suggestion mechanism for each learner and each scenario, and a proposed model for describing mobile learning preferences dimensions.
A Model of Collaborative Learning Scripts Instantiated with Mobile Technologies
Authors: Dillenbourg Pierre , Crivelli Zeno
Published: May 2011

Scripts are pedagogical methods for triggering productive interactions during computer-supported collaborative learning. SWISH is a pedagogical design model for constructing scripts: it articulates the nature of expected interactions to the nature of task division enforced by the script. This model is applied to mobile learning: different task divisions are supported by a distributed simulation environment, in which the client runs on mobile phones or PDAs. This contribution maps the computational architecture of the learning environment to a model of collaborative learning.
Adaptive and Activity-Oriented Pervasive Learning Systems at Workplace Based on Service Oriented Architecture
Authors: Pham-Nguyen Cuong , Garlatti Serge , Lau B.-Y.-Simon , Barbry Benjamin , Vantroys Thomas
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, the authors’ main work is to propose a development process of pervasive work-based learning systems from design to execution based on an activity-oriented approach. The authors focus especially on pervasive TEL (technology-enhanced learning) systems in learning situations at the workplace. They introduce a context-aware scenario model of corporate learning and working activities in e-retail environments such as shops and hypermarkets. This model integrates contextual information into scenarios and select how to perform activities according to the current situation. In order to execute their scenario, they outline the semantic description of learning components (resources, services and activities) to enable their selection to achieve the goals specified for learning and working activities. Thus, an adaptive mechanism enables the selection of the relevant learning components for the current situation. This can be solved thanks to a service oriented architecture that consists of an infrastructure for service management and execution in e-retail environments.
Affective Tutoring System for Better Learning
Authors: Sarrafzadeh Abdolhossein , Alexander Samuel T.V. , Shanbehzadeh Jamshid
Published: May 2011

Intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) are still not as effective as one-on-one human tutoring. The next generation of intelligent tutors are expected to be able to take into account the emotional state of students. This paper presents research on the development of an Affective Tutoring System (ATS). The system called “Easy with Eve” adapts to students via a lifelike animated agent who is able to detect student emotion through facial expression analysis, and can display emotion herself. Eve’s adaptations are guided by a case-based method for adapting to student states; this method uses data that was generated by an observational study of human tutors. This paper presents an analysis of facial expressions of students engaged in learning with human tutors and how a facial expression recognition system, a life like agent and a case based system based on this analysis have been integrated to develop an ATS for mathematics.
M-Learning and Y Generation
Authors: Ciussi Melanie , Rosner Gill , Augier Marc , Suder Gabriele
Published: May 2011

This chapter explores “Y generation” students’ attitudes to mobile technologies in the context of education, and use of podcasts on their handhelds in particular. The authors’ intention is to investigate how students use mobile devices to support their formal and informal learning practices. One of the “Big Issues” in mobile learning that the authors address here is the co-existence of personal informal learning and traditional classroom education. After conducting two experiments and a survey, they conclude that the diversity of student attitudes towards using podcasts in education means that they are in the time of “in between years”. Learning “anytime/anywhere” and “digital natives” prove as yet to be a myth for many. The current challenge for podcasting in education is to move from information transmission to knowledge construction and sharing within a formal setting.
Facial Reconstruction as a Regression Problem
Authors: Berar Maxime , Tilotta Françoise , Glaunès Joan A. , Rozenholc Yves , Desvignes Michel , Bucki Marek , Payan Yohan
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents a computer-assisted method for facial reconstruction. This method provides an estimation of the facial outlook associated with unidentified skeletal remains. Current computer-assisted methods using a statistical framework rely on a common set of points extracted form the bone and soft-tissue surfaces. Facial reconstruction then attempts to predict the position of the soft-tissue surface points knowing the positions of the bone surface points. This chapter proposes to use linear latent variable regression methods for the prediction (such as Principal Component Regression or Latent Root Root Regression) and to compare the results obtained to those given by the use of statistical shape models. In conjunction, the influence of the number of skull landmarks used was evaluated. Anatomical skull landmarks are completed iteratively by points located upon geodesics linking the anatomical landmarks. They enable artificial augmentation of the number of skull points. Facial landmarks are obtained using a mesh-matching algorithm between a common reference mesh and the individual soft-tissue surface meshes. The proposed method is validated in terms of accuracy, based on a leave-one-out cross-validation test applied on a homogeneous database. Accuracy measures are obtained by computing the distance between the reconstruction and the ground truth. Finally, these results are discussed in regard to current computer-assisted facial reconstruction techniques, including deformation based techniques.
Predictive Dynamical Modelling MicroRNAs Role in Complex Networks
Authors: Nikolova Elena V. , Herwig Ralf , Nikolov Svetoslav G. , Petrov Valko G.
Published: May 2011

The aim of this chapter is to give an extended analytical consideration of mathematical modelling of the microRNA role in cancer networks. For this purpose, ordinary and partial differential equations are used for synthesizing and analyzing the models of gene, microRNAs and mRNAs concentration alterations as time-dependent variables related by functional and differential relations. The architecture of the models and the definitions of their components are inspired by the qualitative theory of differential equations. This chapter’s analysis shows that it is able to ensure the authenticity and validity of the following qualitative conclusions: (a) the rates of protein production decrease with the increasing constant production rate of microRNA at microRNA-mediated target regulation on mRNAs; (b) time delay has a stabilizing role in the interaction between the miRNA-17-92 cluster and the transcription factors E2F and Myc.
Verification of e-Commerce Business Processes
Authors: Feja Sven , Speck Andreas , Pulvermüller Elke , Schulz Marcel
Published: May 2011

Nevertheless distinctive improvements are necessary before this technology can be applied in the real system development. Graphical formal requirement notations for different kinds of process model notations as representations of the specification of rules are also crucial, along with the ability to present the positive and especially negative results to the different types of stakeholders. And finally, the model checking technique has to be improved in order to deal with different types of model elements which are typical for business process models.
Context-Sensitive Ontology Matching in Electronic Business
Authors: Huang Jingshan , Dang Jiangbo
Published: May 2011

In today’s global economy, electronic business has offered great advantages to enhance the capabilities of traditional businesses. In order to satisfy the imposed requirement for businesses to coordinate with each other, electronic business partners are chosen to be represented by service agents. These agents need to understand each others’ service descriptions before successful coordination happens. Ontologies developed by service providers to describe their service can render help in this regard. Unfortunately, due to the heterogeneity implicit in independently designed ontologies, distributed agents are bound to face semantic mismatches and/or misunderstandings. This chapter introduces an innovative algorithm, Context-Sensitive Matching, to reconcile heterogeneous ontologies. This algorithm takes into consideration contextual information, via inference through a formal, robust statistical model based on confidence interval. In addition, an Artificial Neural Network is utilized to learning weights for different semantic aspects. At last, an agglomerative clustering algorithm is adopted to generate the final matching results.
Trade Collaboration Systems
Authors: Denno Peter
Published: May 2011

A trade collaboration system (TCS) is a system designed to coordinate the work of supply chain stakeholders involved in the business processes of global logistics. Using the Software as a Service (SaaS) model, the TCS provides a cohesive, process-oriented viewpoint on the stakeholders’ collaborative work. The stakeholders supported by these systems include a customer and supplier, carriers, third party logistics providers (3PLs), freight forwarders, customs brokers, and government agencies. The National Institute of Standards and Technology, (NIST) through collaboration with the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) is developing an enabling framework for trade collaboration systems. The AIAG Materials Off-Shore Sourcing (MOSS) project performed a pilot investigation of TCS capabilities in cooperation with a software vendor that developed a MOSS-conforming TCS. This chapter reports on the enabling framework, its approach to improving data quality (DQ), and a cost / benefit analysis of trade collaboration systems.1
ebXML-Based Electronic Business Interoperability Framework and Test Platform
Authors: Liang Peng , He Keqing , Li Bing , Feng Zaiwen , Peng Tao , Chen Shuai , Pan Yu’e , Qing Wei , Song Dan
Published: May 2011

Electronic Business (e-business) system is a typical heterogeneous information system, which is concerned with various data types, communication protocols, business processes, and exchanged business contents between these systems. The interoperability assurance between e-business systems is a key issue for the implementation and application of a seamless e-business environment around the world. The ebXML (e-business XML) initiative is one of the most promising standards in the field of e-business, whose mission is to provide an open, XML-based infrastructure to enable the global use of e-business information in an interoperable, secure, and consistent manner by all trading partners, targeting to the B2B market. The ebXML specification itself can not guarantee the interoperability between various ebXML-based B2B implementations since different organizations may understand and implement ebXML specification in a different way. With more and more e-business systems supporting ebXML, the interoperability assurance among them becomes even challenging. This chapter focuses on how to address the interoperability issues in ebXML-based solutions, and how to achieve the interoperability assurance through testing in a cost-effective way. This chapter proposes a two part solution to address these issues: an interoperability framework for ebXML-based e-business solutions, and a platform for automatic interoperability test. The benefit of this approach is that it provides both a conceptual interoperability framework and interoperability test infrastructure for ebXML-based B2B solutions. This allows industrial organizations to introduce the ebXML-based interoperability framework out of the box, with a readily-used interoperability test infrastructure to be incorporated to their own test tools and environment.
On Interoperability Failures in WS-Security
Authors: Gruschka Nils , Jensen Meiko , Kohlar Florian , Liao Lijun
Published: May 2011

The rise in adoption of the Web Services specifications for inter-organizational business processes has led to the development of complex architecture stacks for processing Web Services messages. In particular, the proper use of the WS-Security specification poses a real challenge in terms of manageability and interoperability to adopting companies of today. This chapter is about an example of such complexity causing severe vulnerabilities in terms of security. More precise, it discusses the XML Signature Wrapping attack, which is one of the most severe attack types in Web Services. Starting with a technical description and a real-world attack incident, the chapter explains the rationale and impact of the attack, along with a brief discussion on mitigation and countermeasures.
Interoperability in Identity Management
Authors: Wolf Martin
Published: May 2011

This chapter investigates the requirements for enabling interoperability between systems independent of the standard they support. After providing an overview of current industry and research initiatives in this area, the chapter discusses the main challenges involved and presents a real world scenario from the financial industry as a motivating example. Based on an analysis of two major standards, several theoretical concepts are introduced, including a message meta model, to address the interoperability issue on an abstract level, thereby laying the foundation to support collaborations utilising multiple different standards as well as proprietary solutions. Finally, the chapter describes the implementation of a prototype supporting such a scenario based on the concepts presented in the chapter.