bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Latent Partially Ordered Classification Models and Normal Mixtures
Authors: Tatsuoka Curtis , Varadi Ferenc , Jaeger Judith
Published: October 2012

Latent partially ordered sets (posets) can be employed in modeling cognitive functioning, such as in the analysis of neuropsychological (NP) and educational test data. Posets are cognitively diagnostic in the sense that classification states in these models are associated with detailed profiles of cognitive functioning. These profiles allow for deeper insight into how functioning can be affected by neurological conditions or by interventions that impact cognition or learning. Responses to NP measures or test items are used as a basis for classification. A natural and useful extension for response models that can be employed in cognitively diagnostic modeling is the implementation of nonparametric density estimation methods. For instance, an issue with NP assessment data is that complex response distributions can arise, such as for populations that are in part comprised of cognitively impaired subjects. To model such complexity, a Dirichlet process prior approach to Bayesian nonparametric density estimation for latent poset models is described. These methods are demonstrated with an analysis of NP data from a study of schizophrenia.
Modeling Achievement Trajectories When Attrition Is Informative
Authors: Feldman Betsy J. , Rabe-Hesketh Sophia
Published: October 2012

In longitudinal education studies, assuming that dropout and missing data occur completely at random is often unrealistic. When the probability of dropout depends on covariates and observed responses (called missing at random [MAR]), or on values of responses that are missing (called informative or not missing at random [NMAR]), inappropriate analysis can cause biased estimates. NMAR requires explicit modeling of the missingness process together with the response variable. In this article, we review assumptions needed for consistent estimation of hierarchical linear growth models using common missing-data approaches. We also suggest a joint model for the longitudinal data and missingness process to handle the situation where data are NMAR. The different approaches are applied to the NELS:88 study, as well as simulated data. Results from the NELS:88 analyses were similar between the MAR and NMAR models. However, use of listwise deletion and mean imputation resulted in significant bias, both for the NELS:88 study and simulated data. Simulation results showed that incorrectly assuming MAR leads to greater bias for the growth-factor variance–covariance matrix than for the growth factor means, the former being severe with as little as 10% missing data and the latter with 40% missing data when departure from MAR is strong.
Recent progress in understanding, diagnosing, and treating hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Maluccio Mary , Covey Anne
Published: October 2012

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the few cancers in which a continued increase in incidence has been observed over several years. As such, there has been a focus on safe and accurate diagnosis and the development of treatment algorithms that take into consideration the unique complexities of this patient population. In the past decade, there have been improvements in nonsurgical treatment platforms and better standardization with respect to the diagnosis and patient eligibility for liver transplant. How to navigate patients through the challenges of treatment is difficult and depends on several factors: 1) patient‐related variables such as comorbid conditions that influence treatment eligibility; 2) liver‐related variables such as Child‐Pugh score; and 3) tumor‐related variables such as size, number, pattern of spread within the liver, and vascular involvement. The objectives of this review are to put into perspective the current treatment options for patients with HCC, the unique advantages and disadvantages of each treatment approach, and the evidence that supports the introduction of sorafenib into the multidisciplinary management of HCC. CA Cancer J Clin 2012;. © 2012 American Cancer Society.
Addressing Social Determinants of Health by Integrating Assessment of Caregiver-Child Attachment into Community Based Primary Health Care in Urban Kenya
Authors: Bryant John H. , Bryant Nancy H. , Williams Susanna , Ndambuki Racheal Nduku , Erwin Paul Campbell
Published: October 2012

A principle strategic insight of the Final Report for WHO’s Commission on Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) is that the nurturant qualities of the environments where children grow up, live, and learn matter the most for their development. A key determinant of early childhood development is the establishment of a secure attachment between a caregiver and child. We report initial field-tests of the integration of caregiver-child attachment assessment by community health workers (CHWs) as a routine component of Primary Health Care (PHC), focusing on households with children under 5 years of age in three slum communities near Nairobi, Kenya. Of the 2,560 children assessed from July–December 2010, 2,391 (90.2%) were assessed as having a secure attachment with a parent or other caregiver, while 259 (9.8%) were assessed as being at risk for having an insecure attachment. Parent workshops were provided as a primary intervention, with re-enforcement of teachings by CHWs on subsequent home visits. Reassessment of attachment by CHWs showed positive changes. Assessment of caregiver-child attachment in the setting of routine home visits by CHWs in a community-based PHC context is feasible and may yield valuable insights into household-level risks, a critical step for understanding and addressing the SDOH.
Lower Salinomycin Concentration Increases Apoptotic Detachment in High-Density Cancer Cells
Authors: Kim Ju-Hwa , Kim Tae , Kim Hyung , Hong Suntaek , Yoon Sungpil
Published: October 2012

The present study identified a novel salinomycin (Sal) sensitization mechanism in cancer. We tested whether Sal reduced proliferation in a high-density population by counting attached cell numbers after Sal treatment. Sal reduced proliferation in high-density cell populations. Longer exposure to Sal further reduced proliferation. Sal concentrations of 0.1 and 5 μM had similar sensitization effects, suggesting that Sal toxicity was minimal with longer exposure to a high-density cell population. The results suggest that Sal can be applied at a relatively low concentration for a longer time to overcome drug-resistant solid tumors. The 0.5 μM Sal treatment resulted in fewer attached cells than that of the 5 μM Sal treatment with a longer exposure. The lower Sal concentration mainly increased the number of easily detachable cells on the surface. In particular, 0.5 μM Sal increased cellular detachment of newly produced daughter cells. The easily-detachable cells were undergoing apoptosis. It seems that the 0.5 μM Sal treatment also increased cellular toxicity. These novel findings may contribute to the development of Sal-based therapy for patients with drug-resistant cancer or a high-density solid tumor.
Biosynthetic Studies on Water-Soluble Derivative 5c (DTX5c)
Authors: Vilches Tamara , Norte Manuel , Daranas Antonio , Fernández José
Published: October 2012

The dinoflagellate Prorocentrum belizeanum is responsible for the production of several toxins involved in the red tide phenomenon known as Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP). In this paper we report on the biosynthetic origin of an okadaic acid water-soluble ester derivative, DTX5c, on the basis of the spectroscopical analysis of 13C enriched samples obtained by addition of labelled sodium [l-13C], [2-13C] acetate to artificial cultures of this dinoflagellate.
In Vitro and in Vivo Metabolism of Verproside in Rats
Authors: Kim Min , Hwang Deok-Kyu , Jeong Hyeon-Uk , Ji Hye , Oh Sei-Ryang , Lee Yongnam , Yoo Ji , Shin Dae , Lee Hye
Published: October 2012

Verproside, a catalpol derivative iridoid glycoside isolated from Pseudolysimachion rotundum var. subintegrum, is a biologically active compound with anti-inflammatory, antinociceptic, antioxidant, and anti-asthmatic properties. Twenty-one metabolites were identified in bile and urine samples obtained after intravenous administration of verproside in rats using liquid chromatography-quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Verproside was metabolized by O-methylation, glucuronidation, sulfation, and hydrolysis to verproside glucuronides (M1 and M2), verproside sulfates (M3 and M4), picroside II (M5), M5 glucuronide (M7), M5 sulfate (M9), isovanilloylcatalpol (M6), M6 glucuronide (M8), M6 sulfate (M10), 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (M11), M11 glucuronide (M12), M11 sulfates (M13 and M14), 3-methyoxy-4-hydroxybenzoic acid (M15), M15 glucuronides (M17 and M18), M15 sulfate (M20), 3-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzoic acid (M16), M16 glucuronide (M19), and M16 sulfate (M21). Incubation of verproside with rat hepatocytes resulted in thirteen metabolites (M1–M11, M13, and M14). Verproside sulfate, M4 was a major metabolite in rat hepatocytes. After intravenous administration of verproside, the drug was recovered in bile (0.77% of dose) and urine (4.48% of dose), and O-methylation of verproside to picroside II (M5) and isovanilloylcatalpol (M6) followed by glucuronidation and sulfation was identified as major metabolic pathways compared to glucuronidation and sulfation of verproside in rats.
Synergistic Antibacterial Activity of the Essential Oil of Aguaribay (Schinus molle L.)
Authors: Rocha Pedro , Rodilla Jesus , Díez David , Elder Heriberto , Guala Maria , Silva Lúcia , Pombo Eunice
Published: October 2012

Schinus molle L. (aguaribay, aroeira-falsa, “molle”, family Anacardiaceae), a native of South America, produces an active antibacterial essential oil extracted from the leaves and fruits. This work reports a complete study of its chemical composition and determines the antibacterial activity of Schinus molle L. essential oil and its main components. The results showed that the crude extract essential oil has a potent antibacterial effect on Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, a strong/moderate effect on Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and moderate/weak one on Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853.
Spectral Regression Based Fault Feature Extraction for Bearing Accelerometer Sensor Signals
Authors: Xia Zhanguo , Xia Shixiong , Wan Ling , Cai Shiyu
Published: October 2012

Bearings are not only the most important element but also a common source of failures in rotary machinery. Bearing fault prognosis technology has been receiving more and more attention recently, in particular because it plays an increasingly important role in avoiding the occurrence of accidents. Therein, fault feature extraction (FFE) of bearing accelerometer sensor signals is essential to highlight representative features of bearing conditions for machinery fault diagnosis and prognosis. This paper proposes a spectral regression (SR)-based approach for fault feature extraction from original features including time, frequency and time-frequency domain features of bearing accelerometer sensor signals. SR is a novel regression framework for efficient regularized subspace learning and feature extraction technology, and it uses the least squares method to obtain the best projection direction, rather than computing the density matrix of features, so it also has the advantage in dimensionality reduction. The effectiveness of the SR-based method is validated experimentally by applying the acquired vibration signals data to bearings. The experimental results indicate that SR can reduce the computation cost and preserve more structure information about different bearing faults and severities, and it is demonstrated that the proposed feature extraction scheme has an advantage over other similar approaches.
On-Site Sensor Recalibration of a Spinning Multi-Beam LiDAR System Using Automatically-Detected Planar Targets
Authors: Chen Chia-Yen , Chien Hsiang-Jen
Published: October 2012

This paper presents a fully-automated method to establish a calibration dataset from on-site scans and recalibrate the intrinsic parameters of a spinning multi-beam 3-D scanner. The proposed method has been tested on a Velodyne HDL-64E S2 LiDAR system, which contains 64 rotating laser rangefinders. By time series analysis, we found that the collected range data have random measurement errors of around ±25 mm. In addition, the layered misalignment of scans among the rangefinders, which is identified as a systematic error, also increases the difficulty to accurately locate planar surfaces. We propose a temporal-spatial range data fusion algorithm, along with a robust RANSAC-based plane detection algorithm to address these issues. Furthermore, we formulate an alternative geometric interpretation of sensory data using linear parameters, which is advantageous for the calibration procedure. The linear representation allows the proposed method to be generalized to any LiDAR system that follows the rotating beam model. We also confirmed in this paper, that given effective calibration datasets, the pre-calibrated factory parameters can be further tuned to achieve significantly improved performance. After the optimization, the systematic error is noticeable lowered, and evaluation shows that the recalibrated parameters outperform the factory parameters with the RMS planar errors reduced by up to 49%.
Serological Assays Based on Recombinant Viral Proteins for the Diagnosis of Arenavirus Hemorrhagic Fevers
Authors: Fukushi Shuetsu , Tani Hideki , Yoshikawa Tomoki , Saijo Masayuki , Morikawa Shigeru
Published: October 2012

The family Arenaviridae, genus Arenavirus, consists of two phylogenetically independent groups: Old World (OW) and New World (NW) complexes. The Lassa and Lujo viruses in the OW complex and the Guanarito, Junin, Machupo, Sabia, and Chapare viruses in the NW complex cause viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) in humans, leading to serious public health concerns. These viruses are also considered potential bioterrorism agents. Therefore, it is of great importance to detect these pathogens rapidly and specifically in order to minimize the risk and scale of arenavirus outbreaks. However, these arenaviruses are classified as BSL-4 pathogens, thus making it difficult to develop diagnostic techniques for these virus infections in institutes without BSL-4 facilities. To overcome these difficulties, antibody detection systems in the form of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and an indirect immunofluorescence assay were developed using recombinant nucleoproteins (rNPs) derived from these viruses. Furthermore, several antigen-detection assays were developed. For example, novel monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to the rNPs of Lassa and Junin viruses were generated. Sandwich antigen-capture (Ag-capture) ELISAs using these mAbs as capture antibodies were developed and confirmed to be sensitive and specific for detecting the respective arenavirus NPs. These rNP-based assays were proposed to be useful not only for an etiological diagnosis of VHFs, but also for seroepidemiological studies on VHFs. We recently developed arenavirus neutralization assays using vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-based pseudotypes bearing arenavirus recombinant glycoproteins. The goal of this article is to review the recent advances in developing laboratory diagnostic assays based on recombinant viral proteins for the diagnosis of VHFs and epidemiological studies on the VHFs caused by arenaviruses.
Misconceptions About Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Abuse
Authors: Kanayama Gen , Pope Harrison G.
Published: October 2012

CME Educational Objectives

1.

Recognize which patient populations are most likely to abuse anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS).

2.

Identify and understand the frequently underestimated adverse symptoms of AAS.

3.

Become familiar with ways patients avoid detection of AAS use.

Although anabolic-androgenic steroids were widely used by elite athletes as early as the 1950s, it was not until the 1980s that anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse began to spread beyond the elite athletic world and into the general population. Because widespread anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse is so new, many clinicians and researchers are not nearly as familiar with this form of substance abuse as they are with other, more venerable drugs.
The Impact of Health-Related Quality of Life on Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempts among Korean Older Adults
Authors: Kwon Jin-Won , Kim Jong-Hee
Published: October 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine the risk factors for suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among Korean older adults and to provide evidence for nursing intervention with respect to health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Data from adults 60 and older obtained through the Fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (
2007–2009
) were used. Self-report questionnaires assessed suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and EuroQoL 5D (EQ-5D) scores. Survey logistic regression was used to reflect the complex survey design. Among the sample of 4,506 individuals, 27.3% had thought about and 1.7% had attempted suicide. Older adults with EQ-5D index scores <0.7 had a 9.1-fold greater odds ratio for suicidal ideation than those with scores of 1 (denotes completely healthy status) (95% confidence interval [CI] [5.3, 15.8]). For suicide attempts, older adults with EQ-5D index scores <0.7 had a 3.4-fold greater odds ratio (95% CI [1.3, 8.9]) than those with index scores of 0.8 to 1. Decreased HRQoL strongly affected suicidal ideation, regardless of disease status. Due to its comprehensiveness and simplicity, the EQ-5D may be useful for identifying older individuals in nursing homes at risk of attempting suicide.
Transitions in Care among Older Adults Receiving Long-Term Services and Supports
Authors: Toles Mark P. , Abbott Katherine M. , Hirschman Karen B. , Naylor Mary D.
Published: October 2012

Recipients of long-term services and supports (LTSS) frequently transition between LTSS settings (e.g., assisted living facilities, nursing homes) and hospitals for acute changes in health. In this qualitative study, we analyzed findings from interviews with 57 recently hospitalized LTSS recipients and their family caregivers and described barriers and facilitators to high-quality care to support older adults through these care transitions. The themes that emerged strongly suggest that LTSS recipients and family caregivers do not receive needed information about the reasons for their transfers to hospitals, medical diagnoses, and planned treatments to address acute changes in health. Our findings indicate an urgent need for nurses and other health care team members to talk with LTSS recipients (and family caregivers) and ensure they are engaged and informed participants in care. We also found the need for research to test evidence-based transitional care for high-risk LTSS recipients and their family caregivers.
EXPLORING THE DIVERSITY OF GREEN BUILDINGS
Authors: Bornais Crystal
Published: October 2012

INTRODUCTION

25 years of experience in sustainable architecture and 10 years of experience in designing LEED-certified buildings and providing LEED consulting to projects has allowed our firm, Prairie Architects Inc., to collect a great deal of experience on green buildings. Through the years, we have come to realize the great diversity of what it means to be a green building and the multitude of avenues that can be followed in order to pursue that end goal.

Factors such as building type, location, and owner representation can have a dramatic impact on what sustainability opportunities are available to a project. This article examines the process of determining the path to a green building through three case studies of recently constructed projects in Manitoba, Canada. Through each case study we will reflect on the challenges encountered as well as highlight the successes and opportunities that were found.
Des inégalités garantes de la protection des Calanques ?
Authors: Deldrève Valérie , Hérat Arlette
Published: October 2012

Le futur Parc national des calanques, aux portes d’une agglomération de près de deux millions d’habitants, est porteur de nombreux enjeux liés à la proximité de la ville. Ceux-ci sont mis en débat dans des arènes instituées par le GIP, et dans celles plus spontanées qu’animent des collectifs de résidents — usagers locaux, dont les pratiques et la nécessaire implication sont reconnues par la nouvelle loi sur les parcs (2006). L’objectif de notre article est de montrer comment au nom de la protection de la nature sont finalement renforcées des formes plurielles d’inégalités environnementales. Ni la dimension périurbaine du parc national, ni sa mission d’accueil n’ont permis de faire valoir des préoccupations en termes d’égalité d’accès ou d’ouverture au public. L’occultation de cette périurbanité, voire son assimilation à ses seuls impacts négatifs sur le milieu naturel (sur ou mal-fréquentation, pollutions), ainsi que la délégitimation des usages du plus grand nombre (« non-traditionnels » et « moins méritants ») l’explique en grande partie. Afin de compléter notre réponse et de mieux mettre en exergue l’articulation entre ville et nature dans le projet de parc, nous focalisons ensuite sur l’exemple du quartier de la Cayolle, porte d’accès viaire de la calanque habitée de Sormiou (cabanons). Les interactions entre politique de préservation et stratégie de requalification urbaine y sont patentes. Mais l’évitement des questions qu’elles posent en termes d’inégalités n’a pas permis au parc en constitution d’être un catalyseur de développement social pour le quartier.
Harnessing Information and Communication Technologies for Diffusing Connected Government Applications in Developing Countries
Authors: Ruhode E. , Owei V.
Published: October 2012

Improving information management practices is a key focus for many organisations across both the public and private sectors. An information society begins with a connected government and ICTs are the bedrock and founding pillars of such societies. To assist public administrators think beyond traditional e-government, this study describes a concept of connected government, whose philosophy rests on the integration story that happens behind the scenes of the visible web interface as well as the collaboration among government agencies. Diffusion of Innovations theory is the conceptual framework underpinning this study. The connected government phenomenon is also put into perspective by the systems theory that is explained in this study. This article describes a case study of an organisation in a developing country environment where even the basic e-government services are barely extant. This study was done to determine the connectedness within and across government agencies, with the idea of stimulating some thinking within and among public administrators, around the possibility that a connected government can indeed be established in a developing country setting. The study exposes shortcomings to e-government diffusion not only of the organisation under investigation, but also of other similar enterprises in developing countries within the same context. The paper concludes by proposing a set of recommendations toward diffusing connected government applications as an antidote to identified problems.
Adoption of Short Messaging Service (SMS) in Malaysia
Authors: Sulaiman Ainin , Zolait Ali Hussein Saleh
Published: October 2012

Short Messaging Service (SMS) being an almost instantaneous communication medium that connects people is now a phenomenon that has grown and spread around the globe at an amazing speed. Given the current trend of SMS usage and its potential growth, this paper provides an insight into SMS adoption. The study attempts to delineate the demographics and usage profile of SMS users in Malaysia, as well as explaining the factors influencing SMS adoption in Malaysia by using a modified version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which was originally introduced by Davis (1989). The study presents the demographic and usage profile in terms of gender, age, occupation, monthly personal income, extent of SMS usage and so forth of 489 SMS users from four institutions of education in the Klang Valley and Selangor. The present research uses and validates the scales for variables developed by earlier studies, namely perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived enjoyment, and perceived fees, which are hypothesized to be fundamental determinants of behavioural intention. The scale items for the said variables were tested for reliability, correlation and regression. The application of correlation analysis reveals a significant relationship among the independent variables, namely, perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, and perceived ease of use with the dependent variable that is behavioural intention. With regards to the level of importance derived from regression analysis, usefulness ranks the highest, followed by ease of use and enjoyment in explaining SMS adoption in Malaysia. Perceived fees do not seem to have a significant relationship with behavioural intention. Some implications, limitations and recommendations for future research are also discussed.
A Study of the Systemic Relationship Between Worker Motivation and Productivity
Authors: Haefner J. J. , Makrigeorgis Christos
Published: October 2012

Three well known theories on worker motivation have proliferated in the literature and practice over the past 50 years, namely Theories X, Y, Z, Expectancy Theory, Equity Theory, Justice Theory, and Goal-Setting Theory, to name a few. We propose a Fourth Theory that is based on the fundamental principles of open systems theory that function in holistic fashion into the phenomenon of systemic motivation. When fully engaged, systemic motivation can influence workers to become more productive than in a system that does not engage. It is the central construct that has been missing in motivation theory. This paper briefly explains systemic motivation and demonstrates its potential in a case study where a motivation effect resulted in an additional $1 million in product throughput.
Mobile Commerce Use among UK Mobile Users
Authors: Moqbel Asem , Yani-De-Soriano Mirella , Yousafzai Shumaila
Published: October 2012

In this paper, the authors examine UK mobile users’ perceptions of m-commerce utilization. For this purpose, the authors devise a Mobile Network Utilization Model empirically tested in experimental settings. The empirical findings reveal strong support for the capability of the proposed utilization model in measuring the concept of Mobile Task-Technology Fit (MTTF) and explaining the utilization of m-commerce services among UK mobile users. In particular, their research finds that MTTF and m-commerce utilization are dependent on the interactions between the key components of a wider mobile network, namely mobile users, mobile devices, mobile tasks, mobile operators, as well as mobile vendors. The authors identify 15 factors as a result of such interaction and the importance of these factors in explaining MTTF and the utilization of m-commerce services.
Saving DBMS Resources While Running Batch Cycles in Data Warehouses
Authors: Rahman Nayem
Published: October 2012

In a large data warehouse, thousands of jobs run during each cycle in dozens of subject areas. Many of the data warehouse tables are quite large and they need to be refreshed at the right time, several times a day, to support strategic business decisions. To enable cycles to run more frequently and keep the data warehouse environment stable the database system’s resource utilization must be optimal. This paper discusses refreshing data warehouses using a metadata model to make sure jobs under batch cycles run on an as-needed basis. The metadata model limits execution of the stored procedures in different analytical subject areas to source data changes in the source staging subject area tables, and then implements refreshes of analytical tables for which new data has arrived from the operational databases. The load is skipped if source data has not changed. Skipping unnecessary loads via this metadata driven approach enables significant database resources savings. The resource savings statistics based on an actual production data warehouse demonstrate an excellent reduction of computing resources consumption achieved by the proposed techniques.
Internet Adoption from Omani Organizations’ Perspective
Authors: Al-Gharbi Khamis , AlBulushi Ahlam Abdullah
Published: October 2012

In this paper, to the authors determine the motivations and reservations for Internet/E-business adoption within the organizations in Oman. For this purpose, questionnaires were used to collect the data from the organizations that have adopted Internet and the organizations that have not adopted Internet applications. The results and analysis of the data show that the main reasons for adopting Internet applications in Oman are to simplify process, improve communication with staff, keep up with competitors, and reduce the use of paper. The lack of skill and security problems is the main reservation for not adopting the Internet.
Problems of Initiating International Knowledge Transfer
Authors: Lepik Katri-Liis , Krigul Merle , Terk Erik
Published: October 2012

Regional competitiveness is a policy priority of the European Union. This article explores cross-border knowledge transfer for regional integration and development. The focus of this research is the role of cross-border co-operation in development of innovative forms of co-operation, initiating and supporting knowledge transfer. The article presents a theoretical-methodological analysis of new complex tasks and theoretical paradigms emerging in the context of increasing integration and convergence of cross-border co-operation: method’s innovation approach, knowledge and knowledge transfer. A cross-border co-operation organisation’s potential model for enhancement of complex regional co-operation has also been described based on Helsinki-Tallinn Euregio’s case. The article then focuses on investigating the international transferability of the Living Lab’s method. The article concludes by presenting the opportunities and principles of activities of a cross-border co-operation organisation to support the knowledge transfer process.
Mobile Commerce Use among UK Mobile Users Based on a Proposed Mobile Network Utilization Framework
Authors: Moqbel Asem , Yani-Di-Soriano Mirella , Yousafzai Shumaila
Published: October 2012

This paper examines UK mobile users’ perceptions of m-commerce utilization. For this purpose, the study has devised a Mobile Network Utilization Model that was empirically tested in experimental settings. The empirical findings revealed strong support for the capability of the proposed utilization model in measuring the concept of Mobile Task-Technology Fit (MTTF) and explaining the utilization of m-commerce services among UK mobile users. In particular, the research found that MTTF and m-commerce utilization are dependent on the interactions between the key components of a wider mobile network, that is mobile devices, mobile tasks, mobile operators, as well as mobile vendors. Fifteen factors were identified as a result of such interaction and the importance of these factors in explaining MTTF and the actual utilization of m-commerce services was empirically asserted.
A Study on the Internet Security and its Implication for E-Commerce in Yemen
Authors: Zolait Ali Hussein Saleh , Ibrahim Abdul Razak , Farooq Ahmad
Published: October 2012

This study examines the use of the Internet for business purposes in Yemen, where main sectors of banking and private trade organizations are observed. Through interviews, a thorough study is performed concerning the Internet facilities available in Yemen, the literacy and use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in organizations, the level of e-commerce adopted, the main hurdles in the adoption of e-commerce, and measures required to increase the adoption of e-commerce. The study finds that both organizations realize the importance of e-commerce for their business. The main causes in the delay of e-commerce adoption by some are the discrepancies in the infrastructure, high costing of the Internet facilities, bureaucratic hurdles in obtaining the facilities, and the non-availability of a secure environment. Beyond concerns about Internet security, their awareness of security hazards and protection measures is minimal. In light of the data collected, the study has come up with certain recommendations for the interested authorities to improve e-commerce in Yemen.
Supply Chain Management Practices and Firm Performance
Authors: Ibrahim Abdul Razak , Zolait Ali Hussein , Sundram Veera Pandiyan
Published: October 2012

Supply chain management (SCM) is the integration and strategic alliance involving all the value-creating elements in the supply, manufacturing, and distribution processes from raw material extraction, the transformation process, and end user consumption. This paper explores the SCM activities carried out by electronic manufacturing organizations in Malaysia and determines the correlation between SCM practices and firm performance. A self-administrated questionnaire based survey technique was employed to ascertain the status of SCM adoption and the practices in SCM that are significant for Malaysian electronics manufacturers. The findings suggest that the adoption of SCM activities is reasonably moderate.
The Impact of Technology Anxiety on the Use of Mobile Financial Applications
Authors: Lee Cheon-Pyo
Published: October 2012

Mobile Commerce activities will not expand without the proper support of mobile financial applications (MFA), including mobile banking, mobile brokerage service, mobile money transfer, and mobile micro-payments. MFA is expected to have a great impact on the future of mobile commerce industries and makes purchasing activities more flexible and convenient, also creating new markets. However, despite the advent of these MFA technologies and the availability of various mobile services, the adoption of mobile financial applications across the globe is still relatively low. In this regard, this study investigates the role of technology anxiety (TA) in the adoption of MFA and resolves the discrepancy between the apparent interest in and low adoption of MFA. The results of a broad survey of 595 mobile payment users in Korea indicate TA negatively moderates the influence of intention on actual usage in addition to the direct negative influence on intention to use MFA. Also, the author found that TA significantly differs depending on the frequency of use and gender. However, contrary to a common notion that older people are more anxious in context to new technologies, TA has been found to be higher among young people.
The Influence of Internet Security on E-Business Competence in Jordan
Authors: Shaqrah Amin A.
Published: October 2012

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between internet security and e-business competence in Jordan. The proposed conceptual model examined the antecedents and consequences of e-business competence of its empirical validity, the sample of 152 banking and exchange firms, and tests the posited structural equation model. Results consistently support the validity of the proposed conceptual model, finding that both organizations realize the importance of e- business for their business and are willing to proceed further with e- business. In this regard, businesses are highly concerned about internet security, their awareness of security hazards, and minimal internet performance, concluding that public awareness of the ICT is very low. In light of the data collected, the study has proposed certain recommendations for the interested authorities to improve e- business in Jordan.
CDN Modeling and Performance
Authors: Molina Benjamin , Palau Carlos E. , Esteve Manuel
Published: October 2012

Content Distribution Networks (CDN) appeared a decade ago as a method for reducing latencies, improving performance experienced by Internet users, and limiting the effect of flash-crowds, so as balance load in servers. Content Distribution has evolved in different ways (e.g. cloud computing structures and video streaming distribution infrastructures). The solution proposed in early CDN was the location of several controlled caching servers close to clients, organized and managed by a central control system. Many companies deployed their own CDN infrastructure– and so demonstrating the resulting effectiveness. However, the business model of these networks has evolved from the distribution of static web objects to video streaming. Many aspects of deployment and implementation remain proprietary, evidencing the lack of a general CDN model, although the main design concepts are widely known. In this work, the authors represent the structure of a CDN and the performance of some of its parameters, using queuing theory, simplifying the redirection schema and studying the elements that could determine the improvement in performance. The main contribution of the work is a general expression for a CDN environment and the relationship between different variables like caching hit ratios, network latency, number of surrogates, and server capacity; this proves that the use of CDN outperform the typical client/server architecture.
Quality Guaranteed Media Delivery over Advanced Network
Authors: Zhao Zhiming , Grosso Paola , van der Ham Jeroen , de Laat Cees Th. A.M.
Published: October 2012

Moving large quantities of data between distributed parties is a frequently invoked process in data intensive applications, such as collaborative digital media development. These transfers often have high quality requirements on the network services, especially when they involve user interactions or require real time processing on large volumes of data. The best effort services provided by IP-routed networks give limited guarantee on the delivery performance. Advanced networks such as hybrid networks make it feasible for high level applications, such as workflows, to request network paths and service provisioning. However, the quality of network services has so far rarely been considered in composing and executing workflow processes; applications tune the execution quality selecting only optimal software services and computing resources, and neglecting the network components. In this chapter, the authors provide an overview on this research domain, and introduce a system called NEtWork QoS Planner (NEWQoSPlanner) to provide support for including network services in high level workflow applications.
Optimizing Content Delivery in QoS-Aware Multi-CDNs
Authors: Ranaldo Nadia , Zimeo Eugenio
Published: October 2012

Broadband network technologies have improved the bandwidth of the edge of the Internet, but its core is still a bottleneck for large file transfers. Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), built at the edge of the Internet, are able to reduce the workload of network backbones, but their scalability and network reach is often limited, especially in case of QoS-bound delivery services. By using the emerging CDN internetworking, a CDN can dynamically exploit resources of other cooperating CDNs to face peak loads and temporary malfunctions without violating QoS levels negotiated with content providers. In this chapter, after a wide discussion of the problem, the authors propose an architectural schema and an algorithm, based on the divisible load theory, which optimizes delivery of large data files by satisfying an SLA, agreed with a content provider, while respecting the maximum budget that the delivering CDN can pay to peer CDNs to ensure its revenue.
Mechanisms for Parallel Data Transport
Authors: Okyere-Benya Jewel , Exarchakos Georgios , Menkovski Vlado , Liotta Antonio , Giaccone Paolo
Published: October 2012

Evolving paradigms of parallel transport mechanisms are necessary to satisfy the ever increasing need of high performing communication systems. Parallel transport mechanisms can be described as a technique to send several data simultaneously using several parallel channels. The authors’ survey captures the entire building blocks in designing next generation parallel transport mechanisms by firstly analyzing the basic structure of a transport mechanism using a point to point scenario. They then proceed to segment parallel transport into four categories and describe some of the most sophisticated technologies such as Multipath under Point to Point, Multicast under Point to Multipoint, Parallel downloading under Multipoint to Point, and Peer to Peer streaming under Multipoint to Multipoint. The Survey enables the authors to stipulate that high performing parallel transport mechanisms can be achieved by integrating the most efficient technologies under these categories, while using the most efficient underlying Point to Point transport protocols.
Estimating the Completeness of Range Queries over Structured P2P Databases
Authors: Cuzzocrea Alfredo , Karnstedt Marcel , Hauswirth Manfred , Sattler Kai-Uwe , Schmidt Roman
Published: October 2012

Range queries are a very powerful tool in a wide range of data management systems and are vital to a multitude of applications. The hierarchy of structured overlay systems can be utilized in order to provide efficient techniques for processing them, resulting in the support of applications and techniques based on range queries in large-scale distributed information systems. On the other hand, due to the rapid development of the Web, applications based on the P2P paradigm gain more and more interest, having such systems started to evolve towards adopting standard database functionalities in terms of complex query processing support. This goes far beyond simple key lookups, as provided by standard distributed hashtables (DHTs) systems, which makes estimating the completeness of query answers a crucial challenge. Unfortunately, due to the limited knowledge and the usually best-effort characteristics, deciding about the completeness of query results, e.g., getting an idea when a query is finished or what amount of results is still missing, is very challenging. There is not only an urgent need to provide this information to the user issuing queries, but also for implementing sophisticated and efficient processing techniques based on them. In this chapter, the authors propose a method for solving this task. They discuss the applicability and quality of the estimations, present an implementation and evaluation for the P-Grid system, and show how to adapt the technique to other overlays. The authors also discuss the semantics of completeness for complex queries in P2P database systems and propose methods based on the notion of routing graphs for estimating the number of expected query answers. Finally, they discuss probabilistic guarantees for the estimated values and evaluate the proposed methods through an implemented system.
Secure Communications over Wireless Networks
Authors: Sarkar Md. Zahurul Islam
Published: October 2012

Nakagami-m fading channel is chosen to analyze the secrecy capacity for fading channels since the Nakagami-m distribution can model fading conditions, which are more or less severe than that of Rayleigh and has the advantage of including Rayleigh as a special case. At first, secrecy capacity is defined in case of full channel state information (CSI) at the transmitter, where transmitter has access to both the main channel and eavesdropper channel gains. Secondly, secrecy capacity is defined with only main channel CSI at the transmitter. Then, optimal power allocation at the transmitter that achieves the secrecy capacity is derived for both the cases. Moreover, secrecy capacity is defined under open-loop transmission scheme, and the exact closed form analytical expression for the lower bound of ergodic secrecy capacity is derived for Nakagami-m fading single-input multiple-output (SIMO) channel. In addition, secrecy capacity is defined for the AWGN channel in order to realize the information-theoretic security of wireless channels with no fading. Finally, analytical expressions for the probability of non-zero secrecy capacity and secure outage probability are derived in order to investigate the secure outage performance of fading channels.
Adaptation of Algebraic Space Time Codes to Frequency Selective Channel
Authors: Bannour Ahmed , Ammari Mohamed Lassaad , Sun Yichuang , Bouallegue Ridha
Published: October 2012

The Algebraic Space Time Codes (ASTC) are constructed based on cyclic algebras; they showed a good spectral efficiency, a full diversity, and a full rate under non selective channel condition. However, the radio - mobile channel is a selective channel whose features vary during the time. This selectivity is owed to the multi-path phenomenon and generates interferences between symbols (IES). The overall objective of this chapter is to proof that ASTC is adapted to channel selectivity, in order to analyze and improve its performances in wide-band system.
Creating Realistic Vehicular Network Simulations
Authors: Lan Kun-chan , Chou Chien-Ming , Wu Che-Chun
Published: October 2012

A key component for Vehicular Ad-Hoc Network (VANET) simulations is a realistic vehicular mobility model, as this ensures that the conclusions drawn from simulation experiments will carry through to the real deployments. Node mobility in a vehicular network is strongly affected by the driving behavior such as route choices. While route choice models have been extensively studied in the transportation community, the effects of preferred route and destination on vehicular network simulations have not been discussed much in the networking literature. In this chapter, the authors describe the effect of route choices on vehicular network simulation. They also discuss how different destination selection models affect two practical ITS application scenarios: traffic monitoring and event broadcasting. The chapter concludes that selecting a sufficient level of detail in the simulations, such as modeling of route choices, is critical for evaluating VANET protocol design.
Spectrum Sensing and Throughput Analysis for Cognitive Radio An Overview
Authors: Matin M. A. , Ahmed M , Ferdous N.
Published: October 2012

Cognitive radio (CR) is a new technology introduced to deal with the issues of spectrum scarcity and underutilization. Since the spectrum is limited, the unlicensed secondary users (CR users) opportunistically access the underutilized spectrum allocated to the licensed primary users (PUs) of the network. This chapter first gives a brief overview on spectrum sensing and its impact on the system throughput in a cognitive radio network. Later, cooperative relays are introduced in the network to improve spectrum efficiency and mitigate interference to PU. A detailed analysis of power allocation is demonstrated where the transmit power of CR is kept within such limit so that it can maintain low interference to PU. This optimal power allocation can achieve high throughput, which is also presented in this chapter.
A Collaborative Inquiry
Authors: Divas Diversity
Published: October 2012

This chapter describes a Collaborative Inquiry (CI) process as experienced by six diverse female participants in a doctoral program. The focus of the inquiry was to deepen individual and group cross-cultural understanding, and to show how holistic learning can be promoted through integrating multiple ways of knowing and spirituality within a multicultural context. The purpose of this chapter is to provide the readers with sufficient information to apply CI in their practice and build on the research presented here. To meet this goal, the authors describe how CI has the potential to foster transformational learning and discuss the relationship between transformational learning, informational learning, global competencies, developmental capacity, and the paradoxical nature of diversity work. Lastly, the chapter ends with recommendations for creating a CI process that supports deep learning and change, and potential topics for future research.