bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Economic and Synergistic Pedestrian Tracking System with Service Cooperation for Indoor Environments
Authors: Ishikawa Tomoya , Kourogi Masakatsu , Kurata Takeshi
Published: January 2012

This paper describes an indoor pedestrian tracking system that can economically improve the tracking performance and the quality and value of services by incorporating other services synergistically. The tracking system obtains position, orientation, and action of pedestrians continuously and accurately in large indoor environments by utilizing surveillance cameras and active RFID tags for security services and 3-D environment models for navigation services. Considering service cooperation and co-creative intelligence cycles, this system can improve both the tracking performance and the quality of services without significant increase of costs by sharing the existing infrastructures and the 3-D models among services. The authors conducted an evaluation of the tracking system in a large indoor environment and confirmed that the accuracy of the system can be improved by utilizing the infrastructures and the 3-D models. Synergistic services utilizing the tracking system and service cooperation can also enhance the quality and value of services.
Multiagent System-Based Simulation of Service Diffusion in Consumer Networks
Authors: Fujii Nobutada , Kaihara Toshiya , Yoshikawa Tomoya
Published: January 2012

Service design methodologies have been discussed mainly in the service engineering research domain. However, service with good quality does not always diffuse because consumers cannot confirm the quality of a service before purchase. Service quality is also heterogeneous because of the nature of service characteristics. Therefore, the service diffusion process must be studied using computer simulations to clarify the process of acceptance among consumers. This paper presents a multiagent system-based model for examining service diffusion among consumer interactions that are modeled as complex networks incorporating heterogeneity of consumer utility. Computer simulation results show that the heterogeneity of consumer utility affects the service diffusion process as well as the network structure of consumers.
Enabling Professional Development with E-Portfolios
Authors: Lygo-Baker Simon , Hatzipanagos Stylianos
Published: January 2012

Portfolios have been used for assessment in higher education as an alternative to exams and assignments. E-portfolios offer staff a digital technology that can be both a personalised learning space, owned and controlled by the learner, and a presentation tool which can be used for formal assessment purposes. However, this can result in a tension between process and product, where e-portfolios become electronic repositories of resources that simply tick boxes for career progression. The paper reports on a project that investigated the use of e-portfolios by teaching practitioners developing a critical portfolio of evidence for an award-bearing academic development programme. An e-portfolio had been adopted to address criticisms that conventional assessment fails to take account of the context in which teaching practitioners operate. The project aimed to enable teaching practitioners to access and gain familiarity with pedagogically sound e-portfolio opportunities. In addition, it aimed to foster a reflective approach, promote critical thinking focused on learning and teaching and enhance continuing professional development.
Does Online Outshine?
Authors: Patterson Belinda , Mallett William , McFadden Cheryl
Published: January 2012

This study examined how the method of instructional delivery, face-to-face or online, affected withdrawal and persistence/completion the rates of students who matriculated in either the campus-based or online track of the same Master’s of Business Administration program. A quantitative investigation was conducted to analyze the academic and demographic characteristics of degree-seeking students at a large university in the United States. Demographic variables included age and gender. Academic-related variables included program delivery mode, undergraduate grade point average, admission test scores, and grade point average at time of withdrawal or completion.
Tool Assisted Analysis of Open Source Projects
Authors: Syeed M.M. Mahbubul , Aaltonen Timo , Hammouda Imed , Systä Tarja
Published: January 2012

Open Source Software (OSS) is currently a widely adopted approach to developing and distributing software. OSS code adoption requires an understanding of the structure of the code base. For a deeper understanding of the maintenance, bug fixing and development activities, the structure of the developer community also needs to be understood, especially the relations between the code and community structures. This, in turn, is essential for the development and maintenance of software containing OSS code. This paper proposes a method and support tool for exploring the relations of the code base and community structures of OSS projects. The method and proposed tool, Binoculars, rely on generic and reusable query operations, formal definitions of which are given in the paper. The authors demonstrate the applicability of Binoculars with two examples. The authors analyze a well-known and active open source project, FFMpeg, and the open source version of the IaaS cloud computing project Eucalyptus.
Healthcare Providers in the English National Health Service
Authors: Allen Pauline , Bartlett Will , Pérotin Virginie , Matchaya Greenwell , Turner Simon , Zamora Bernarda
Published: January 2012

In recent years it has been noted that boundaries between public and private providers of many types of welfare have become blurred. This paper uses three dimensions of publicness to analyse this blurring of boundaries in relation to providers of healthcare in England. The authors find that, although most care is still funded and provided by the state, there are significant additional factors in respect of ownership and social control which indicate that many English healthcare providers are better understood as hybrids. Furthermore, the authors raise concerns about the possible deleterious effects of diminishing aspects of publicness on English healthcare. The most important of these is a decrease in accountability.
The Hybridized Nature of America’s Health Care System
Authors: Gaughan Monica
Published: January 2012

The theoretical perspective of Bozeman’s publicness work is used to frame a two-part case study of the health insurance system in the United States. It begins with a historical overview of the incremental changes to the system over the past 70 years, illustrating how competing economic and political authorities have combined to create a uniquely expensive and poorly performing system. The empirical lens then focuses on one component of the US system, the Medicare program for the elderly and disabled. It shows how a fully public system has become increasingly privatized through a series of policy reforms starting in the 1990s. This analysis is timely in light of the recent Affordable Care Act of 2010 and the continuing efforts of the US Congress to limit the growth of entitlements such as Medicare.
Focusing Quality Improvement Efforts through Lean Six Methods in Health Information Technology
Authors: Pate Christopher L.
Published: January 2012

The translation of healthcare quality into meaningful and actionable strategies requires use of a holistic, rigorous, and well-organized approach to quality improvement. The framework established through Lean Six Sigma (LSS) has increasing relevance for use within healthcare organizations, particularly for design and redesign of health information technology (HIT). This article presents the central framework of LSS with primary consideration of health information technology (HIT) applications and quality improvement. Through use of statistical principles and methods typically found in statistical quality control, healthcare organizations can begin to understand how HIT applications can facilitate achievement of quality and efficiency-related goals and objectives.
Quality Implications of the Medical Applications for 4G Mobile Phones
Authors: Kastania Anastasia N. , Moumtzoglou Anastasius
Published: January 2012

Existing medical applications for 4G mobile phones include Mobile MIM, MobiUS, Gyromaniac, and FaceTime. Mobile MIM (http://www.mimsoftware.com) allows viewing MRI, PET and CT using iPhones and iPads. MRI, PET, and CT images are broadcasted using software that allows measurement of both the intensity and the distance an image is transferred. MobiUS (MobiSante Inc, 2011) commercial ultrasound imaging system, used in emergencies, is smartphone-based, and cheaper than traditional ultrasound systems which allow sharing images with patients or clinicians. The Gyromaniac application (Subversus Interactive, 2011) uses the iPhone 4 new gyroscope feature to help physicians practice spatial orientation. Moreover, physicians can use iPhone 4's FaceTime (Apple Inc, 2011) video conferencing feature for patient care while other applications include a blood pressure monitor that displays the current pressure reading, simultaneously tracking previous results. The applications reshape the nature and expectations of health care delivery and emphasize active involvement of patients and enable digital proximity and self-care, thus challenging the traditional paternal model of medicine.
Emergent Dynamics of Workforce Program Reductions
Authors: Cavaleri Steven , Labedz Chester S. , Stalker George H.
Published: January 2012

This paper reports on research that explores designing a hybrid system dynamics/agent modeling (HSDAM) simulation methodology to evaluate potential effects of a new human resources policy in a company. The study measures the effect of changes in the company’s pension policies on individual employee retention, promotion and employment longevity. The Delphi method for elicitation of expert views was used, as four expert panels composed of human resource specialists and general managers participated in model design and predicted employee behavior. The model integrates multi-level organizational data inputs from macro-level business data to granular individual-level employee information. Each simulation run used four years of workforce longitudinal data at the start. Initially, the expert panel predictions did not validate simulation results. However, once alteration of a key model parameter recalibrated individual employees as more economically rational, later runs provided strong support for the model and modeling approach. The simulation results confirmed, among several expert panel predictions, that setting a policy that decreased the likelihood of employee willingness to retire due to replacement income concerns could lead to other consequences with potentially adverse strategic implications for the firm.
Use of Remote Sensing Data for Landslide Change Detection
Authors: Pascale Stefania , Pastore Vittoria , Sdao Francesco , Sole Aurelia , Roubis Dimitri , Lorenzo Pietro
Published: January 2012

Remote sensing techniques have been widely used since the 1990s in landslide research, deploying for this purpose different spatial and spectral resolution imagery. This research includes photo-interpretation and inventory of large landslides, determinant factors analysis, stereo-plotting of movements, and automatic detection by textural analysis. The potential or intrinsic factors of landslides include geological and morphological factors, while the external or triggering factors include earthquakes, climate, and hydrological and human activities (deforestation, the expansion of urban areas, and the increase of agricultural activity). In this paper, the variations of land use are analyzed using a historical series of aerial-photographic and satellite data (1988 – 2006). Land use affects the stability of landslides. In this paper the proposed model has been applied in the Montescagliso municipality (Basilicata, Southern Italy).
Geographical Information Systems for Biomass Estimate and the Search for Renewable Energy Sources
Authors: Borruso Giuseppe
Published: January 2012

In this paper the attention is drawn on GIS as a support for energy choices for a sustainable development. Given the growing pressures for respecting the environment on one side and on limited non-renewable energy sources, mainly oil-based, on the other side, there is a need to evaluate different alternative sources for integrating those already available and to foster energy saving. This paper is focused on biomasses, and particularly on those originating from cattle and swine breeding. An example is given of localization and quantification of energy potential deriving from animal breeding in Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (North Eastern Italy), focusing on cattle and swine ones, from the analysis of local units and animals registered at municipality level. In this stage of the research, the GIS environment is used to analyse statistical data at municipality level and for computing the theoretical output in energy terms, hypothesising different scenarios.
A Generalization of the Orthogonal Regression Technique for Life Cycle Inventory
Authors: Marvuglia Antonino , Cellura Maurizio , Pucci Marcello
Published: January 2012

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a method used to quantify the environmental impacts of a product, process, or service across its whole life cycle. One of the problems occurring when the system at hand involves processes delivering more than one valuable output is the apportionment of resource consumption and environmental burdens in the correct proportion amongst the products. The mathematical formulation of the problem is represented by the solution of an over-determined system of linear equations. The paper describes the application of an iterative algorithm for the implementation of least square regression to solve this over-determined system directly in its rectangular form. The applied algorithm dynamically passes from an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) problem to the regression problems known as Total Least Squares (TLS) and Data Least Squares (DLS). The obtained results suggest further investigations. In particular, the so called constrained least squares method is identified as an interesting development of the methodology.
Estimating Potential Woody Biomass in Communal Savanna Woodlands from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)
Authors: Paradzayi Charles , Annegarn Harold J.
Published: January 2012

Recent developments in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technologies have shown their potential for assessing and quantifying above-ground biomass (AGB) at landscape levels in different biomes. This paper examines the application of full polarimetric data to retrieve information related to potential woody biomass in sparse communal savanna woodlands in southern Africa using the Advanced Land Observation Satellite’s Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (ALOS PALSAR). Woody vegetation classes were obtained from the unsupervised entropy/alpha Wishart classification of the full polarimetric ALOS/PALSAR data. A combination of Differential GPS and conventional surveying techniques was used for a field inventory survey to estimate plot-level biomass densities in Welverdiend communal woodlands of South Africa. Regression analysis was used to derive the logarithmic relationship between the sampled plot AGB densities and the mean backscatter intensity of the microwave signal, which is transmitted in the horizontal plane and received in the vertical plane (HV). The AGB density for each woody vegetation class is estimated by solving the logarithmic equation after extracting the mean HV backscatter intensity for the particular vegetation class. The potential woody biomass is estimated from the derived AGB densities and the areal extent of the respective woody vegetation classes.
Examining the Differential Responses of Shippers and Motor Carriers to Travel Time Variability
Authors: Goodchild Anne V. , Pitera Kelly , McCormack Edward
Published: January 2012

Shippers and motor carriers are impacted by and react differently to travel time variability due to their positions within the supply chain and end goals. Through interviews and focus groups these differences have been further examined. Shippers, defined here as entities that send or receive goods, but do not provide the transportation themselves, are most often concerned with longer-term disruptions, which are typically considered within the context of transportation system resilience. Motor carriers, defined here as entities engaged in transporting goods for shippers, are most often concerned with daily travel time variability from events such as congestion. This paper describes the disparity in concerns and the strategies shippers and motor carriers are likely to engage in to address time travel variability. This knowledge allows for a better understanding of how investments to mitigate travel time variability will impact shippers and motor carriers.
Orbit of an Image Under Iterated System II
Authors: Singh S. L. , Mishra S. N. , Jain Sarika
Published: January 2012

An orbital picture is a mathematical structure depicting the path of an object under Iterated Function System. Orbital and V-variable orbital pictures initially developed by Barnsley (2006) have utmost importance in computer graphics, image compression, biological modeling and other areas of fractal geometry. These pictures have been generated for linear and contractive transformations using function and superior iterative procedures. In this paper, the authors introduce the role of superior iterative procedure to find the orbital picture under an IFS consisting of non-contractive or non-expansive transformations. A mild comparison of the computed figures indicates the usefulness of study in computational mathematics and fractal image processing. A modified algorithm along with program code is given to compute a 2-variable superior orbital picture.
Constructing the Collaborative Supply Logistics Operation Mode in Assembly System under JIT Environment
Authors: Li Guo , Gao Tao , Ran Lun
Published: January 2012

In the JIT assembly system, if any supplier does not deliver the raw materials or components on time, or in the right quantity, the core manufacturers will not assemble on the schedule, which will bring great loss to the whole supply chain and greatly reduce the competitiveness and collaboration of the entire supply chain. Based on a survey on supply chain collaboration and operation model, supply logistics in JIT environment are analyzed from both the inside and outside system with the research goal of coordinating the upstream supply logistics. In order to help manufacturers implement the JIT production, the VMI-Hub operation mode is proposed from the aspect of inside system, and from outside system, cross-docking dispatch operation mode is considered to coordinate the supply logistics in assembly system.
Residential Load Pattern Analysis for Smart Grid Applications Based on Audio Feature EEUPC
Authors: Wang Yunzhi , Wang Xiangdong , Qian Yueliang , Luo Haiyong , Ge Fujiang , Yang Yuhang , Xia Yingju
Published: January 2012

The smart grid is an important application field of the Internet of things. This paper presents a method of user electricity consumption pattern analysis for smart grid applications based on the audio feature EEUPC. A novel similarity function based on EEUPC is adapted to support clustering analysis of residential load patterns. The EEUPC similarity exploits features of peaks and valleys on curves instead of directly comparing values and obtains better performance for clustering analysis. Moreover, the proposed approach performs load pattern clustering, extracts a typical pattern for each cluster, and gives suggestions toward better power consumption for each typical pattern. Experimental results demonstrate that the EEUPC similarity is more consistent with human judgment than the Euclidean distance and higher clustering performance can be achieved for residential electric load data.
The Design of Portable Integration Strengthening Machine
Authors: Yuan Li , Lu Ximing , Huang Ruifang
Published: January 2012

This paper investigates briefly the integrated portable reinforcement machine structure design and introduces its design and train of thought. The authors also discuss design methods in engineering applications, as well as how to achieve good heat dissipation effect and enhance the electromagnetic compatibility. The whole machine, with its small volume, good adaptability to environment, and electromagnetic compatibility, can be used as a reference for similar engineering design.
Timely Autonomic Adaptation of Publish/Subscribe Middleware in Dynamic Environments
Authors: Hoffert Joe , Gokhale Aniruddha , Schmidt Douglas C.
Published: January 2012

Quality-of-service enabled publish/subscribe (pub/sub) middleware provides powerful support for scalable data dissemination. It is difficult to maintain key quality of service properties (such as reliability and latency) in dynamic environments for distributed real-time and embedded systems (such as disaster relief operations or power grids). Managing quality of service manually is often not feasible in dynamic environments due to slow response times, the complexity of managing multiple interrelated quality of service settings, and the scale of the systems being managed. For certain domains, distributed real-time and embedded systems must be able to reflect on the conditions of their environment and adapt accordingly in a bounded amount of time. This paper describes an architecture of quality of service-enabled middleware and corresponding algorithms to support specified quality of service in dynamic environments.
IoT-IMS Communication Platform for Future Internet
Authors: Chen Chi-Yuan , Chao Han-Chieh , Wu Tin-Yu , Fan Chun-I , Chen Jiann-Liang , Chen Yuh-Shyan , Hsu Jenq-Muh
Published: January 2012

In recent years, Internet of Things (IoT) and Cloud Computing are the hottest issues of Future Internet. However, there is a lack of common fabric for integrating IoT and Cloud. In telecommunications, the IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem), based on the All-IP and Open Services Architecture, has been regarded as the trend for Next Generation Network (NGN). The IMS communication platform is the most suitable fabric for integrating IoT and Cloud. This paper focuses on different aspects including Cloud Service Framework, Data Sensing and Communication Technology, Collaborative Authentication and Privacy Protection Mechanism, Operation, Administration, and Maintenance (OA&M), Mobility and Energy-Saving Management, and Application Services. This paper not only provides the discussion of open challenges, but also proposes a possible solution based on the above-mentioned aspects for Future Internet.
The Semantics of Project Knowledge Management
Authors: Dayan Rony
Published: January 2012

This paper suggests a new approach to the knowledge management aspect of project management. The approach taken constructs on the structured building of the New Product Development method that divides the development project into a multitude of predefined phases performed by pre-assigned personnel with specific professional characteristics. The model proposed correlates knowledge modules to the combination of a project phase with the profession of the project team involved in it. These modules include information necessary for the project team for the performance of the specific phase, as well as a collection of the team’s experience that would enrich the company’s intellectual data-base. This model would create a practical solution to the never ending quest for knowledge sharing within and between projects and would also ensure the usage of necessary standards and directives by the project teams. The originality of the model proposed is in the semantic tagging of the knowledge modules that enables navigating through the events described by project phases and teams characteristics to retrieve necessary information and document newly experienced knowledge.
Sharing Work Practice in the Distributed Organization
Authors: Hermanrud Inge
Published: January 2012

Organizations today are looking for new ways to support knowledge-sharing and learning activities among their employees by the use of IT. The case describes how inspectors share their work experiences, reflect upon them, and learn from each other at a distance by using stories, pictures, and documents, which is made possible by the GoToMeeting™ tool. In this case the GoToMeeting™ tool supports learning activities across geographical and organizational boundaries and contributes to efficient conditions for sharing inspection practices. The issues covered are learning activities facilitated by IT as well as the limitations of the tool in use.
A Blind Image Watermarking Scheme Utilizing BTC Bitplanes
Authors: Yang Chun-Ning , Lu Zhe-Ming
Published: January 2012

This paper presents a novel image watermarking scheme utilizing Block Truncation Coding (BTC). This scheme uses BTC to guide the watermark embedding and extraction processes. During the embedding process, the original cover image is first partitioned into non-overlapping 4×4 blocks. Then, BTC is performed on each block to obtain its BTC bitplane, and the number of ‘1’s in the bitplane is counted. If the watermark bit to be embedded is ‘1’ and the number of ‘1’s is odd, or the watermark bit to be embedded is ‘0’ and the number of ‘1’s is even, then no change is made. Otherwise, by changing at most three pixels in the original image block, the number of ‘1’s (or ‘0’s) in the renewed bitplane are forced to be odd for the watermark bit ‘1’ or to be even for the watermark bit ‘0’. During the extraction process, BTC is first performed on each block to obtain its bitplane. If the number of ‘1’s in the bitplane is odd, then the embedded watermark bit is ‘1’. Otherwise, the embedded watermark bit is ‘0’. The experimental results show that the proposed watermarking method is semi-fragile except for the changes in brightness and contrast; therefore, the proposed method can be used for image authentication.
A Collaborative Augmented Campus Based on Location-Aware Mobile Technology
Authors: De Lucia A. , Francese R. , Passero I. , Tortora G.
Published: January 2012

Mobile devices are changing the way people work and communicate. Most of the innovative devices offer the opportunity to integrate augmented reality in mobile applications, permitting the combination of the real world with virtual information. This feature can be particularly useful to enhance informal and formal didactic actions based on student collaboration. This paper describes a “collaborative campus”, originated in the physical architectural space, but exposing learning contents and social information structured as augmented virtual areas. ACCampus, a mobile augmented reality system, supporting the sharing of contextualized information is proposed. This system combines the world perceived by the phone camera with information concerning student location and community, enabling users to share multimedia information in location-based content areas. User localization is initially detected through QR codes. The successive positions of the user are determined using the mobile device sensors. Each augmented area is univocally spatially associated to a representative real wall area. Selective content sharing and collaboration are supported, enabling a user to distribute his/her augmented contents to specific users or groups. An evaluation of the proposed environment is also conducted, which considers that learning in collaborative environments is related to perceived member contribution, enjoinment, motivation, and student participation.
Using Precision Teaching Method to Improve Foreign Language and Cognitive Skills in University Students
Authors: Cuzzocrea Francesca , Murdaca Anna Maria , Oliva Patrizia
Published: January 2012

Learning a foreign language takes time and effort. In the last few years, too much emphasis has been placed on oral communication skills and English teachers make their students speak English without paying enough attention to grammatical accuracy. As a result, while students’ ability in terms of fluency has improved, they often cannot communicate appropriately in English due to a lack of grammatical knowledge. The aim of the study was to explore the potential of Precision Teaching software developed for the improvement of English grammar rules. Two groups were compared, one having used the software and the other following a traditional textbook-based approach. The students who used the software showed significantly higher learning scores than students who did not. In addition, after using the software students show increased scores in some cognitive abilities that are related to foreign language learning.
An Interpreter Approach for Exporting Relational Data into XML Documents with Structured Export Markup Language
Authors: Fong Joseph , Shiu Herbert
Published: January 2012

Almost all enterprises use relational databases to handle real time business operations and most need to generate various XML documents for data exchanges internally among various departments and externally with business partners. Exporting data in a relational database to an XML document can be considered a data conversion process. Based on the four approaches for data conversion: Customized program, Interpretive transformer, Translator generator, and Logical level translation, this paper proposes a new interpretive approach using Structured Export Markup Language (SEML) interpreter for converting relational data into XML documents. The frameworks and languages proposed by other researchers are neither generic nor able to generate arbitrary XML documents. Therefore, SEML interpreter is a simple, user friendly, and complete solution with a new mark-up language ? SEML ? for data conversion. The solution can be used as a generic tool for extracting, transforming, and loading (ETL) purposes. In other words, the SEML interpreter is a solution for relational databases similar to what X-Query is for XML databases.
A Unified Fuzzy Data Model
Authors: Meged Avichai , Gelbard Roy
Published: January 2012

A novel fuzzy data representation model which enables data mining with standard tools is introduced. Many data elements in the world are fuzzy in nature. There is an obvious need to represent and process such data effectively and efficiently, using the same standard tools for crisp data that are popular with researchers and practitioners alike. Currently, however, standard tools cannot process or analyze data that are not adequately represented. The comprehensive data representation model put forward here extends principles of binary databases and provides a unified approach to all types of data: discrete and continuous, crisp and fuzzy. The model is illustrated on a baseline dataset and tested in clustering experiments matched against controlled groupings and a real dataset. The tests confirm that the implementation of the model not only enables the use of standard tools but also yields better results as regards segmentation and clustering of fuzzy datasets.
A Model of Error Propagation in Conjunctive Decisions and its Application to Database Quality Management
Authors: Gelman Irit Askira
Published: January 2012

This study centers on the accuracy dimension of information quality and models the relationship between input accuracy and output accuracy in a popular class of applications. These applications consist of dichotomous decisions that are implemented through conjunction of selected criteria. In particular, the model provides the tools for quantifying the effect of errors in each decision input on the accuracy of a decision. Application of the model is illustrated through the example of a residential real estate database, where users’ preferences are captured by conjunctive decision rules. This example demonstrates how the new model can be utilized for quantifying the aggregate damage that errors in different database attributes inflict on property selection decisions. Finally, this paper reports on an initial empirical validation of the proposed model through a series of Monte Carlo simulations. Numerical estimates of the model that have been developed through this inquiry can be useful for data and information quality assessments or policy-making purposes. Mainly, they can be integrated into cost-benefit analyses that assess alternative data accuracy enhancements or process and system designs.
Development and Application of a Spreadsheet-Based Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS)
Authors: Oryspayev Dossay , Sugumaran Ramanathan , DeGroote John
Published: January 2012

Spatial decision support systems (SDSS) are decision support tools which have been used widely in addressing complicated issues involving a spatial component. The use of SDSS has increased greatly over the last few decades especially in fields such as planning, natural resources management, and environmental science. Traditionally, SDSS have been developed with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology as a major component and used in application areas in which the use of GIS technology has been common. GIS software is often expensive and requires significant expertise, which can lead to under-utilization of GIS-based SDSS. In this paper, we describe the development of a freely available SDSS extension developed for Microsoft Excel, a very commonly used spreadsheet application. The purpose of this SDSS is to expand potential SDSS use to a wider potential audience for research, management, and teaching purposes.
From Online to Offline Through Brand Extensions and Alliances
Authors: Bravo Rafael , Hem Leif E. , Pina José M.
Published: January 2012

This paper studies the expansion of an online brand towards an offline product category through brand extensions and alliances. Specifically, it analyses the effects on the online brand image as a consequence of this expansion, and it analyses them under different conditions of image and fit. An empirical study was conducted to 407 undergraduates in a Spanish University, and data are analyzed through multivariate analysis of variance. Main results lead us to conclude that: (1) the effects of extensions and alliances are mainly negative on the online brand image, (2) the impact is focused specially on the functional and emotional dimensions of brand image (3) The effect is more negative for online brands with high image than for online brands with low image, and (4) the effect is more negative in the case of an alliance with an offline brand with low image than in the case of an alliance with an offline brand with high image or in a brand extension.
Analyzing the Intention to Use Mobile Coupon and the Moderating Effects of Price Consciousness and Gender
Authors: Jayasingh Sudarsan , Eze Uchenna Cyril
Published: January 2012

Research on the development, intention to use, and the use of mobile coupons is scanty, particularly in developing countries such as Malaysia. Therefore, this paper examines consumers’ intention to use mobile coupon (m-coupon). The authors considered several factors and developed the conceptual framework underpinned on an extended Technology Adoption Model (TAM). The data analysis was based on 781 valid responses from four locations in Malaysia. The results indicate that perceived usefulness, attitude, and social factor influence the behavior and intention of consumers to use mobile coupons. The results also indicate that gender and price consciousness emerged significant as moderating variables. The findings in this paper could be useful in extending existing knowledge on what matters most to those considering the use of mobile coupons, and eventually provide a deeper insight into what are needed for consumers to deploy this innovation. This knowledge would also help to design and develop improved mobile coupon applications. Finally, the authors discussed several research and management implications, and suggestions for future research.
A Policy-Based Team Collaboration
Authors: Hwang Jae W. , Rotenstreich Shmuel
Published: January 2012

This paper presents a policy-based coordination model for team collaboration. Team collaboration requires an agreement that utilizes a negotiation protocol to find candidate teams and to decide on a collaboration partner. The decision relies on policies that are rules governing team situations in an organization. Contexts and rules allow reasoning about team situations. The authors describe a policy-based negotiation protocol. It introduces an ontology-based whiteboard component that uses the Semantic Web technologies such as Web Ontology Language (OWL), Semantic Web Rule Language (SWRL), and Semantic Query-enhanced Web Rule Language (SQWRL). The negotiation protocol facilitates whiteboards as a computational foundation for awareness of situations and policies, and it assists with the final decision using a measure based on the combination of rule-based queries and functions.
Supporting Secure Information Flow
Authors: Bracher Shane , Krishnan Padmanabhan
Published: January 2012

The authors describe a model to provide access control for information flow that crosses organisational boundaries. The model specifies a distributed access control enforcement approach for workflow objects (e.g., a document assigned to a pre-defined workflow) using software agents and data encryption techniques. Access to restricted content within the workflow object is based on the possession of encryption keys and role enactment. The model relies on trusted software agents to verify and ensure the validity of the workflow object. The authors construct a prototype and report on a case study that demonstrates the feasibility of the proposal.
Does National Culture Affect E-Procurement Implementations?
Authors: Genis-Gruber Ahu , Tas Bedri Kamil Onur
Published: January 2012

In the past decade, electronic mechanisms have started to overtake the conventional methods of procurement for both governments and enterprises because of the cost and time saving effects of e-procurement. Economic theory suggests that the success of e-procurement depends on the number of bidders who participate in procurement auctions. In this paper, the authors investigate the cultural factors that affect the usage and perceived acceptance of e-procurement process. This study identifies cultural barriers for adoption of e-procurement, which is essential for the success of e-procurement systems. The authors analyze extensive Eurostat datasets using Panel Data regression methods. Based on the empirical findings of the paper, the authors develop the Unified E-procurement Model (UEM). This model describes the cultural perspective for a successful e-procurement system by combining cultural dimensions, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and the Competition in Auctions Theory (CAT). The UEM exposes the working dynamics of cultural factors that affect participation to online procurement auctions and presents total savings achieved through higher participation of enterprises. The empirical findings of the paper have practical implications and provide a road map for an efficient e-procurement system implementation.
Visualization and Simulation for the Analysis of Business Intelligence Products
Authors: Janakova Milena
Published: January 2012

This paper analyzes information technology products for improvement existing solutions and implementations. Selected products are Business Intelligence (BI) applications in comparison with Customer Relationship Management (CRM), database and operating systems. The subject of interest is the architecture. BI architecture is less sophisticated in regard to adopted arrangements for other products. The best resolution offers an Oracle database system. This arrangement helps provide extraordinary stability to the given system. Operating systems have minimalist architecture with necessary processes and configuration files; similarly as for CRM products. BI architecture is without order, with items as tools for end users, component analysis, database components, components for data transformation and integration, and system sources. The solution is to merge the system source with methods for their transformation, and tools for end users with component analysis. Presented analysis is based on Petri Nets.
Low-Cost Methods for Generating Panoramic Views for a Mobile Virtual Heritage Application and its Application to the Heritage Zone of George Town Malaysia
Authors: Lim Chen Kim , Tan Kian Lam , Talib Abdullah Zawawi bin Haji
Published: January 2012

With rapid advancement of technology, people can roam around the virtual world through the aid of the Internet. One of these advances is a photographic technique called panoramic view where the images are captured with elongated field of view using specialized software or equipments. One popular software for generating panoramic views is Apple Inc.’s QuickTime VR (QTVR). However, iphone Operating System (iOS) does not support the existing QTVR software. Therefore, a low-cost method for generating panoramic views on mobile platform is proposed. The proposed method is to store finite images in an array in order to generate a 360o panoramic view from different angles of the heritage sites. This method can be supported various platforms and can be installed in any mobile device without using intermediate software to convert the image file format. The key aspects of the iOS User Experience (UX) are also explored from the perspectives of Model-View-Control (MVC) strategies. The outcome is 360o cylindrical panoramic views that allow the user to gain a clear vision around historical monuments with standardize iOS interface design on a mobile platform using lower computational cost but with similar quality of production. The results of the evaluation have shown that the application is successfully implemented in George Town, Malaysia.
Cross-Border Medical Care and Telemedicine
Authors: Nakajima Isao
Published: January 2012

Globalization is making cross-border medical care a reality. Cross-border medical care has three aspects: information, patients, and practitioners. The outsourcing of diagnostic imaging via communication lines has begun, and information on treatment poised to cross borders. However, the latter possibility raises issues concerning legal medical qualifications. Japanese legislation bans medical practice by persons not licensed by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare recently issued a bulletin regarding the medical activities of foreign licensed physicians and an interpretation of Article 17 of the Medical Practitioner’s Act, permitting foreign licensed physicians to provide medical care in the event of disasters. European countries have established a system for mutual recognition of national medical licenses, and cross-border medical care has achieved a solid foothold there. Based on these societal factors, Japan must revise its legal systems or conclude bilateral medical license recognition agreements. This paper describes the various difficulties and obstacles confronting Japan as it modifies its legal systems to achieve cross-border remote medical care and medical tourism and proposes some concrete solutions.
News as a Service
Authors: Rasmussen Soley
Published: January 2012

This article presents a longitudinal study of the utilization of Social Web features by the thirteen main Danish online newspapers from 2008-2010. The current shift from mass media and print products to social media and web-services forms the background for the study. The aim of the study is to produce a baseline of information for media professionals and scholars engaged in identifying the added value of Social Web features in online newspapers. The research approach is mainly exploratory and descriptive. The analysis of the empirical material, which consists of content analysis of the websites, is supported by two recently developed theoretical frameworks for studying interactivity (Chung, 2008) and user participation (Domingo et al., 2008) in online newspapers. The empirical data reveal increasing utilization of the Social Web. The analysis indicates that newspaper organizations are primarily interpreting the emerging “media-as-a-service” paradigm as a way to engage news users in the distribution and interpretation of news. The production of news remains controlled by the media. However, recent developments (e.g., Facebook tools, Google ads, mash-ups and mobile apps) indicate that major new changes are indeed on the way.
Theoretical Analysis on Powers-of-Two Applied to JSP
Authors: Mahesh V. , Krishna L. Siva Rama , Dulluri Sandeep , Rao C. S. P.
Published: January 2012

This paper discusses the scheduling of precedence-related jobs non-preemptively in a job shop environment with an objective of minimizing the makespan. Due to the NP-hard nature of the scheduling problems, it is usually difficult to find an exact optimal schedule and hence one should rely on finding a near to optimal solution. This paper proposes a computationally effective powers-of-two heuristic for solving job shop scheduling problem. The authors prove that the makespan obtained through powers-of-two release dates lies within 6% of the optimal value. The authors also prove the efficacy of powers-of-two approach through mathematical induction.
Technology Integration into Pre-service Teacher Training
Authors: Koch Anne , Heo Misook , Kush Joseph C.
Published: January 2012

This study evaluated the perceptions of pre-service teachers in their ability to integrate technology into a learning environment based on coursework and student teaching experiences. Pre-service teachers were surveyed using the 2008 ISTE/NETS*T standards as a framework. Results were collected across four academic years at a university that has identified technology as an underlying theme. Conclusions from the study provide an insight into technology savvy characteristics of pre-service teachers. Results also show that technology modeling and program design within a teacher education program can have a significant impact on pre-service teachers, thus improving their perceptions about their ability to integrate technology.
Technology Integration Curriculum Framework for Effective Program Evaluation
Authors: Wilsey Biljana Belamaric , Keengwe Jared
Published: January 2012

This article explores whether and to what extent a doctoral program in Instructional Technology in the College of Education at a public Midwestern university reflects technology integration curricular framework principles, including those about the nature of the Net Generation learners and their learning process. This evaluation model is grounded on the constructivist and social knowledge construction theoretical framework. By outlining a systematic approach and procedures for conducting this evaluation, the researchers provide the groundwork for similar evaluations at other institutions. This framework could be used by potential students to determine whether specific academic programs provided by different academic institutions are well suited to their learning needs as digital natives.
Using Instructional Technology Tools to Teach Informational Texts in Thailand
Authors: Keengwe Jared , Traore Moussa , Schnellert Gary
Published: January 2012

This article examines the teaching of English as a Second Language (ESL) to medical personnel (nurses and doctors) in a hospital in Northern Thailand. The study shows that using technological devices like listening and comprehension CDs, tape recorders and the Internet to teach informational texts can help ESL learners overcome some of their learning difficulties. Evidence from the study suggests that such a pedagogical approach not only improves the comprehension of informational texts but also students’ mastery levels of spoken and written English. The findings also reveal that such a pedagogical approach exposes students to the various nuances and differences associated with Global English awareness and understanding.