Proposing a Conceptual Model of Customer Knowledge Management: A Study of CKM Tools in British Dotcoms

Although current competitive challenges induced by today-s digital economy place their main emphasis on organizational knowledge, customer knowledge has been overlooked. On the other hand, the business community has finally begun to realize the important role customer knowledge can play in the organizational boundaries of the corporate arena. As a result, there is an emerging market for the tools and utilities whose objective is to provide the intelligence for knowledge sharing between the businesses and their customers. In this paper, we present a conceptual model of customer knowledge management by identifying and analyzing the existing tools in the market. The focus will be upon the emerging British dotcom industry whose customer based B2C behavior has been an influential part of the knowledge based intelligence tools in existence today.

Spray Combustion Dynamics under Thermoacoustic Oscillations

Thermoacoustic instabilities in combustors have remained a topic of investigation for over a few decades due to the challenges it posses to the operation of low emission gas turbines. For combustors burning liquid fuel, understanding the cause-andeffect relationship between spray combustion dynamics and thermoacoustic oscillations is imperative for the successful development of any control methodology for its mitigation. The paper presents some very unique operating characteristics of a kerosene-fueled diffusion type combustor undergoing limit-cycle oscillations. Combustor stability limits were mapped using three different-sized injectors. The results show that combustor instability depends on the characteristics of the fuel spray. A simple analytic analysis is also reported in support of a plausible explanation for the unique combustor behavior. The study indicates that high amplitude acoustic pressure in the combustor may cause secondary breakdown of fuel droplets resulting in premixed pre-vaporized type burning of the diffusion type combustor.

Two-Phase Optimization for Selecting Materialized Views in a Data Warehouse

A data warehouse (DW) is a system which has value and role for decision-making by querying. Queries to DW are critical regarding to their complexity and length. They often access millions of tuples, and involve joins between relations and aggregations. Materialized views are able to provide the better performance for DW queries. However, these views have maintenance cost, so materialization of all views is not possible. An important challenge of DW environment is materialized view selection because we have to realize the trade-off between performance and view maintenance. Therefore, in this paper, we introduce a new approach aimed to solve this challenge based on Two-Phase Optimization (2PO), which is a combination of Simulated Annealing (SA) and Iterative Improvement (II), with the use of Multiple View Processing Plan (MVPP). Our experiments show that 2PO outperform the original algorithms in terms of query processing cost and view maintenance cost.

A Taxonomy of Internal Attacks in Wireless Sensor Network

Developments in communication technologies especially in wireless have enabled the progress of low-cost and lowpower wireless sensor networks (WSNs). The features of such WSN are holding minimal energy, weak computational capabilities, wireless communication and an open-medium nature where sensors are deployed. WSN is underpinned by application driven such as military applications, the health sector, etc. Due to the intrinsic nature of the network and application scenario, WSNs are vulnerable to many attacks externally and internally. In this paper we have focused on the types of internal attacks of WSNs based on OSI model and discussed some security requirements, characterizers and challenges of WSNs, by which to contribute to the WSN-s security research.

Two Decades of Transformation in Higher Educational System of Kazakhstan

This paper explores transformation of higher education system in Kazakhstan since 1991. The research unravels successful experience in the field and challenges. It covers issues of institutional change, faculty, research, university, funding, standards and leadership. The paper offers recommendations in improving state of art in higher educational institutions of Kazakhstan based on international approaches and local realities.

Effect of the Internet on Social Capital

Internet access is a vital part of the modern world and an important tool in the education of our children. It is present in schools, homes and even shopping malls. Mastering the use of the internet is likely to be an important skill for those entering the job markets of the future. An internet user can be anyone he or she wants to be in an online chat room, or play thrilling and challenging games against other players from all corners of the globe. It seems at present time (or near future) for many people relationships in the real world may be neglected as those in the virtual world increase in importance. Internet is provided a fast mode of transportation caused freedom from family bonds and mixing with different cultures and new communities. This research is an attempt to study effect of Internet on Social capital. For this purpose a survey technique on the sample size amounted 168 students of Payame Noor University of Kermanshah city in country of Iran were considered. Degree of social capital is moderate. With the help of the Multi-variable Regression, variables of Iranian message attractive, Interest to internet with effect of positive and variable Creating a cordial atmosphere with negative effect be significant.

A Systems Modeling Approach to Support Environmentally Sustainable Business Development in Manufacturing SMEs

Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in many economies. In New Zealand, for example, 97% of all manufacturing companies employ less than 100 staff, and generate the predominant part of this industry sector-s economic output. Manufacturing SMEs as a group also have a significant impact on the environment. This situation is similar in many developed economies, including the European Union. Sustainable economic development therefore needs to strongly consider the role of manufacturing SMEs, who generally find it challenging to move towards more environmentally friendly business practices. This paper presents a systems thinking approach to modelling and understanding the factors which have an influence on the successful uptake of environmental practices in small and medium sized manufacturing companies. It presents a number of causal loop diagrams which have been developed based on primary action research, and a thorough understanding of the literature in this area. The systems thinking model provides the basis for further development of a strategic framework for the successful uptake of environmental innovation in manufacturing SMEs.

Sufficiency Economy: A Contribution to Economic Development

The Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy, bestowed by His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej to the people of Thailand, highlights a balanced way of living. Three principles of moderation reasonableness, and immunity, along with the conditions for morality and knowledge, can be applied to any level of the society–from an individual to the nation. The Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy helps address the current development challenges, which are issues on institutions, environmental sustainability, human well-being, and the role of the government.

Anomaly Detection using Neuro Fuzzy system

As the network based technologies become omnipresent, demands to secure networks/systems against threat increase. One of the effective ways to achieve higher security is through the use of intrusion detection systems (IDS), which are a software tool to detect anomalous in the computer or network. In this paper, an IDS has been developed using an improved machine learning based algorithm, Locally Linear Neuro Fuzzy Model (LLNF) for classification whereas this model is originally used for system identification. A key technical challenge in IDS and LLNF learning is the curse of high dimensionality. Therefore a feature selection phase is proposed which is applicable to any IDS. While investigating the use of three feature selection algorithms, in this model, it is shown that adding feature selection phase reduces computational complexity of our model. Feature selection algorithms require the use of a feature goodness measure. The use of both a linear and a non-linear measure - linear correlation coefficient and mutual information- is investigated respectively

Greek Compounds: A Challenging Case for the Parsing Techniques of PC-KIMMO v.2

In this paper we describe the recognition process of Greek compound words using the PC-KIMMO software. We try to show certain limitations of the system with respect to the principles of compound formation in Greek. Moreover, we discuss the computational processing of phenomena such as stress and syllabification which are indispensable for the analysis of such constructions and we try to propose linguistically-acceptable solutions within the particular system.

Can We Secure Security?

Until recently it would have been unusual to consider classifying population movements and refugees as security problem. However, efforts at shaping our world to make ourselves secure have paradoxically led to ever greater insecurity. The feeling of uncertainty, pertinent throughout all discourses of security, has led to the creation of security production into seemingly benign routines of everyday life. Yet, the paper argues, neither of security discourses accounted for, disclosed and challenged the fundamental aporias embedded in Western security narratives. In turn, the paper aims to unpick the conventional security wisdom, which is haunted with strong ontologies, embedded in the politics of Orientalism, and (in)security nexus. The paper concludes that current security affair conceals the integral impossibility of fulfilling its very own promise of assured security. The paper also provides suggestions about alternative security discourse based on mutual dialogue.

Oxygen-Interstitials and Group-V Element Doping for p-Type ZnO

In realizing devices using ZnO, a key challenge is the production of p-type material. Substitution of oxygen by a group-V impurity is thought to result in deep acceptor levels, but a candidate made up from a complex of a group-V impurity (P, As, Sb) on a Zn site coupled with two vacant Zn sites is widely viewed as a candidate. We show using density-functional simulations that in contrast to such a view, complexes involving oxygen interstitials are energetically more favorable, resulting in group-V impurities coordinated with four, five or six oxygen atoms.

Faculty-Industry R&D Joint Ventures: Barriers VS Incentives for Developing Nations

The aspiration of this research article is to target and focus the gains of university-Industry (U-I) collaborations and exploring those hurdles which are the obstacles for attaining these gains. University-Industry collaborations have attained great importance since 1980 in USA due to its application in all fields of life. U-I collaboration is a bilateral process where academia is a proactive member to make such alliances. Universities want to ameliorate their academic-base with the technicalities of technobabbles. U-I collaboration is becoming an essential lane for achieving innovative goals in this century. Many developed nations have set successful examples to prove this phenomenon as a catalyst to reduce costs, efforts and personnel for R&D projects. This study is exploits amplitudes of UI collaboration incentives in the light of success stories of developed countries. Many universities in USA, UK, Canada and various European Countries have been engaged with enterprises for numerous collaborative agreements. A long list of strategic and short term R&D projects has been executed in developed countries to accomplish their intended purposes. Due to the lack of intentions, genuine research and research-oriented environment, the mentioned field could not grow very well in developing countries. During last decade, a new wave of research has induced the institutes of developing countries to promote R&D culture especially in Pakistan. Higher Education Commission (HEC) has initiated many projects and funding supports for universities which have collaborative intentions with industry. Findings show that rapid innovation, overwhelm the technological complexities and articulated intellectual-base are major incentives which steer both partners to establish faculty-industry alliances. Everchanging technologies, concerned about intellectual property, different research environment and culture, research relevancy (Basic or applied), exposure differences and diversity of knowledge (bookish or practical) are main barriers to establish and retain joint ventures. Findings also concluded that, it is dire need to support and enhance cooperation among academia and industry to promote highly coordinated research behaviors. Author has proposed a roadmap for developing countries to promote R&D clusters among faculty and industry to deal the technological challenges and innovation complexities. Based on our research findings, Model for R&D Collaboration for developing countries also have been proposed to promote articulated R&D environment. If developing countries follow this phenomenon, rapid innovations can be achieved with limited R&D budget heads.

Language and Retrieval Accuracy

One of the major challenges in the Information Retrieval field is handling the massive amount of information available to Internet users. Existing ranking techniques and strategies that govern the retrieval process fall short of expected accuracy. Often relevant documents are buried deep in the list of documents returned by the search engine. In order to improve retrieval accuracy we examine the issue of language effect on the retrieval process. Then, we propose a solution for a more biased, user-centric relevance for retrieved data. The results demonstrate that using indices based on variations of the same language enhances the accuracy of search engines for individual users.

Regional Role of Higher Education Institutions in Croatia

Development of knowledge based society carries multiple challenges to the higher education system. Some of the challenges laid before the higher education sector of countries which aspire to become knowledge based societies are: the entrepreneurial leadership of the higher education institutions, finding new sources of financing in order to minimize dependence on public resources, creating connections with the labor market, commercial utilization of R&D results, promotion of innovations as well as the overall promotion of science excellence relevant to the economic sector. Within a framework of this paper and its main subject of research, the challenge which is being put before the higher education institutions is an effort of establishing regional mission of higher education through the open collaboration with regional key factors, both private and public. Development of the mentioned collaboration and its contribution to the overall regional development in Croatia is the main subject of empirical research in this paper.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Memory Overcommit Techniques on KVM-based Hosting Platform

Determining how many virtual machines a Linux host could run can be a challenge. One of tough missions is to find the balance among performance, density and usability. Now KVM hypervisor has become the most popular open source full virtualization solution. It supports several ways of running guests with more memory than host really has. Due to large differences between minimum and maximum guest memory requirements, this paper presents initial results on same-page merging, ballooning and live migration techniques that aims at optimum memory usage on KVM-based cloud platform. Given the design of initial experiments, the results data is worth reference for system administrators. The results from these experiments concluded that each method offers different reliability tradeoff.

Production Structure Monitoring - A Neurologic Based Approach

Manufacturing companies are facing a broad variety of challenges caused by a dynamic production environment. To succeed in such an environment, it is crucial to minimize the loss of time required to trigger the adaptation process of a company-s production structures. This paper presents an approach for the continuous monitoring of production structures by neurologic principles. It enhances classical monitoring concepts, which are principally focused on reactive strategies, and enables companies to act proactively. Thereby, strategic aspects regarding the harmonization of certain life cycles are integrated into the decision making process for triggering the reconfiguration process of the production structure.

Integrated Approach of Development Communication

Internet application in China has maintained a constant development tendency in the past decade. China is now one of the most populous countries in terms of internet user population. While offering enormous opportunities, the dramatic digitalization also brings about a series of challenges that demand urgent attention. Digital divide is one of the challenges that affect China as well as other countries in the world. This paper examines digital divide in the Chinese context from the perspective of development communication. Through a case study of a rural township under the backdrop of the rapid internet development in China, the paper discusses the economic, psychological and cultural roots of digital divide; and explores development communication strategies addressing the roots of digital divide. It is argued that development communication must be responsive to the potentialities and preferences of the specific society and serve the purposes of participation and sustainability.

Aspect based Reusable Synchronization Schemes

Concurrency and synchronization are becoming big issues as every new PC comes with multi-core processors. A major reason for Object-Oriented Programming originally was to enable easier reuse: encode your algorithm into a class and thoroughly debug it, then you can reuse the class again and again. However, when we get to concurrency and synchronization, this is often not possible. Thread-safety issues means that synchronization constructs need to be entangled into every class involved. We contributed a detailed literature review of issues and challenges in concurrent programming and present a methodology that uses the Aspect- Oriented paradigm to address this problem. Aspects will allow us to extract the synchronization concerns as schemes to be “weaved in" later into the main code. This allows the aspects to be separately tested and verified. Hence, the functional components can be weaved with reusable synchronization schemes that are robust and scalable.

The Challenge of Large-Scale IT Projects

The trend in the world of Information Technology (IT) is getting increasingly large and difficult projects rather than smaller and easier. However, the data on large-scale IT project success rates provide cause for concern. This paper seeks to answer why large-scale IT projects are different from and more difficult than other typical engineering projects. Drawing on the industrial experience, a compilation of the conditions that influence failure is presented. With a view to improve success rates solutions are suggested.