Abstract: An international cooperation between educators in
Australia and the US has led to a reconceptualization of the teaching
of a library science course at Appalachian State University. The
pedagogy of Action Learning coupled with a 3D virtual learning
environment immerses students in a social constructivist learning
space that incorporates and supports interaction and reflection. The
intent of this study was to build a bridge between theory and practice
by providing students with a tool set that promoted personal and
social reflection, and created and scaffolded a community of practice.
Besides, action learning is an educational process whereby the fifty
graduate students experienced their own actions and experience to
improve performance.
Abstract: This paper proposes a VPN Accelerator Board
(VPN-AB), a virtual private network (VPN) protocol designed for
trust channel security system (TCSS). TCSS supports safety
communication channel between security nodes in internet. It
furnishes authentication, confidentiality, integrity, and access control
to security node to transmit data packets with IPsec protocol. TCSS
consists of internet key exchange block, security association block,
and IPsec engine block. The internet key exchange block negotiates
crypto algorithm and key used in IPsec engine block. Security
Association blocks setting-up and manages security association
information. IPsec engine block treats IPsec packets and consists of
networking functions for communication. The IPsec engine block
should be embodied by H/W and in-line mode transaction for high
speed IPsec processing. Our VPN-AB is implemented with high speed
security processor that supports many cryptographic algorithms and
in-line mode. We evaluate a small TCSS communication environment,
and measure a performance of VPN-AB in the environment. The
experiment results show that VPN-AB gets a performance throughput
of maximum 15.645Gbps when we set the IPsec protocol with
3DES-HMAC-MD5 tunnel mode.
Abstract: The following paper shows an interactive tool which
main purpose is to teach how to play a flute. It consists of three
stages the first one is the instruction and teaching process through a
software application, the second is the practice part when the user
starts to play the flute (hardware specially designed for this
application) this flute is capable of capturing how is being played the
flute and the final stage is the one in which the data captured are sent
to the software and the user is evaluated in order to give him / she a
correction or an acceptance
Abstract: This paper describes a platform that faces the main
research areas for e-learning educational contents. Reusability tackles
the possibility to use contents in different courses reducing costs and
exploiting available data from repositories. In our approach the
production of educational material is based on templates to reuse
learning objects. In terms of interoperability the main challenge lays
on reaching the audience through different platforms. E-learning
solution must track social consumption evolution where nowadays
lots of multimedia contents are accessed through the social networks.
Our work faces it by implementing a platform for generation of
multimedia presentations focused on the new paradigm related to
social media. The system produces videos-courses on top of web
standard SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language)
ready to be published and shared. Regarding interfaces it is
mandatory to satisfy user needs and ease communication. To
overcome it the platform deploys virtual teachers that provide natural
interfaces while multimodal features remove barriers to pupils with
disabilities.
Abstract: An implementation of a design for a game based
virtual learning environment is described. The game is developed for a course in analogue electronics, and the topic is the design of a
power supply. This task can be solved in a number of different ways, with certain constraints, giving the students a certain amount of
freedom, although the game is designed not to facilitate trial-and error approach. The use of storytelling and a virtual gaming environment provides the student with the learning material in a
MMORPG environment. The game is tested on a group of second
year electrical engineering students with good results.
Abstract: In this paper, we investigate a class of fuzzy Cohen- Grossberg neural networks with time delays and impulsive effects. By virtue of stochastic analysis, Halanay inequality for stochastic differential equations, we find sufficient conditions for the global exponential square-mean synchronization of the FCGNNs under noise perturbation. In particular, the traditional assumption on the differentiability of the time-varying delays is no longer needed. Finally, a numerical example is given to show the effectiveness of the results in this paper.
Abstract: This paper presents a VLSI design approach of a highspeed
and real-time 2-D Discrete Wavelet Transform computing. The
proposed architecture, based on new and fast convolution approach,
reduces the hardware complexity in addition to reduce the critical
path to the multiplier delay. Furthermore, an advanced twodimensional
(2-D) discrete wavelet transform (DWT)
implementation, with an efficient memory area, is designed to
produce one output in every clock cycle. As a result, a very highspeed
is attained. The system is verified, using JPEG2000
coefficients filters, on Xilinx Virtex-II Field Programmable Gate
Array (FPGA) device without accessing any external memory. The
resulting computing rate is up to 270 M samples/s and the (9,7) 2-D
wavelet filter uses only 18 kb of memory (16 kb of first-in-first-out
memory) with 256×256 image size. In this way, the developed design
requests reduced memory and provide very high-speed processing as
well as high PSNR quality.
Abstract: Global competitiveness has recently become the
biggest concern of both manufacturing and service companies.
Electronic commerce, as a key technology enables the firms to reach
all the potential consumers from all over the world. In this study, we
have presented commonly used electronic payment systems, and then
we have shown the evaluation of these systems in respect to different
criteria. The payment systems which are included in this research are
the credit card, the virtual credit card, the electronic money, the
mobile payment, the credit transfer and the debit instruments. We
have realized a systematic comparison of these systems in respect to
three main criteria: Technical, economical and social. We have
conducted a fuzzy multi-criteria decision making procedure to deal
with the multi-attribute nature of the problem. The subjectiveness
and imprecision of the evaluation process are modeled using
triangular fuzzy numbers.
Abstract: The main issue discussed is on the role of education system in the process of nation building as a means in uniting different community ethnics which later on, hoped to shape the future ethnic relation of this country. It is generally known that political socialization experienced by each ethnic community has given birth to a vernacular education system, separated along the ethnic line. Every community shapes their own education system based on their respective mother tongue language, however all are based on the same curriculum. As a result the role of education as a uniting force is not significantly effective. Historically, it has been shown that government efforts to unite the country education system under the wing of national education system (national school) is not that successful since every community (Chinese) will defend the existence of their community education system because they want to spur their mother tongue language. The clash between national education system and vernacular education system is the root cause of stalemate in the ethnic relation in Malaysia and it always becomes a flash point when the issue is raised. The question now is what is the best solution to enhance the national education system in multiethnic Malaysia?
Abstract: There are many virtual payment systems available to
conduct micropayments. It is essential that the protocols satisfy the
highest standards of correctness. This paper examines the Netpay
Protocol [3], provide its formalization as automata model, and prove
two important correctness properties, namely absence of deadlock
and validity of an ecoin during the execution of the protocol. This
paper assumes a cooperative customer and will prove that the
protocol is executing according to its description.
Abstract: Today, transport and logistic systems are often tightly
integrated in the production. Lean production and just-in-time delivering create multiple constraints that have to be fulfilled. As transport networks often have evolved over time they are very
expensive to change. This paper describes a discrete-event-simulation
system which simulates transportation models using real time
resource routing and collision avoidance. It allows for the
specification of own control algorithms and validation of new
strategies. The simulation is integrated into a virtual reality (VR)
environment and can be displayed in 3-D to show the progress.
Simulation elements can be selected through VR metaphors. All data
gathered during the simulation can be presented as a detailed summary afterwards. The included cost-benefit calculation can help to optimize the financial outcome. The operation of this approach is shown by the example of a timber harvest simulation.
Abstract: This paper presents a simplified version of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) - a conventional approach to evaluating the performance and ranking of competitive objects characterized by two groups of factors acting in opposite directions: inputs and outputs. DEA with a Perfect Object (DEA PO) augments the group of actual objects with a virtual Perfect Object - the one having greatest outputs and smallest inputs. It allows for obtaining an explicit analytical solution and making a step to an absolute efficiency. This paper develops this approach further and introduces a DEA model with Partially Perfect Objects. DEA PPO consecutively eliminates the smallest relative inputs or greatest relative outputs, and applies DEA PO to the reduced collections of indicators. The partial efficiency scores are combined to get the weighted efficiency score. The computational scheme remains simple, like that of DEA PO, but the advantage of the DEA PPO is taking into account all of the inputs and outputs for each actual object. Firm evaluation is considered as an example.
Abstract: The paper analyzes the large power transformer unit regimes, indicating the criteria for the management of the voltage operating conditions, as well as the change in the operating conditions with the load connected to the secondary winding of the transformer unit. Further, the paper presents the software application for the evaluation of the transformer unit operation under different conditions. The software application was developed by means of virtual instrumentation.
Abstract: There are some existing Java benchmarks, application benchmarks as well as micro benchmarks or mixture both of them,such as: Java Grande, Spec98, CaffeMark, HBech, etc. But none of them deal with behaviors of multi tasks operating systems. As a result, the achieved outputs are not satisfied for performance evaluation engineers. Behaviors of multi tasks operating systems are based on a schedule management which is employed in these systems. Different processes can have different priority to share the same resources. The time is measured by estimating from applications started to it is finished does not reflect the real time value which the system need for running those programs. New approach to this problem should be done. Having said that, in this paper we present a new Java benchmark, named FHOJ benchmark, which directly deals with multi tasks behaviors of a system. Our study shows that in some cases, results from FHOJ benchmark are far more reliable in comparison with some existing Java benchmarks.
Abstract: While OCD is one of the most commonly occurring
psychiatric conditions experienced by older adults, there is a paucity
of research conducted into the treatment of older adults with OCD.
This case study represents the first published investigation of a
cognitive treatment for geriatric OCD. It describes the successful
treatment of an 86-year old man with a 63-year history of OCD using
Danger Ideation Reduction Therapy (DIRT). The client received 14
individual, 50-minute treatment sessions of DIRT over 13 weeks.
Clinician-based Y-BOCS scores reduced 84% from 25 (severe) at
pre-treatment, to 4 (subclinical) at 6-month post-treatment follow-up
interview, demonstrating the efficacy of DIRT for this client. DIRT
may have particular advantages over ERP and pharmacological
approaches, however further research is required in older adults with
OCD.
Abstract: Current advancements in nanotechnology are dependent on the capabilities that can enable nano-scientists to extend their eyes and hands into the nano-world. For this purpose, a haptics (devices capable of recreating tactile or force sensations) based system for AFM (Atomic Force Microscope) is proposed. The system enables the nano-scientists to touch and feel the sample surfaces, viewed through AFM, in order to provide them with better understanding of the physical properties of the surface, such as roughness, stiffness and shape of molecular architecture. At this stage, the proposed work uses of ine images produced using AFM and perform image analysis to create virtual surfaces suitable for haptics force analysis. The research work is in the process of extension from of ine to online process where interaction will be done directly on the material surface for realistic analysis.
Abstract: One of the essential requirements of a realistic
surgical simulator is to reproduce haptic sensations due to the
interactions in the virtual environment. However, the interaction need
to be performed in real-time, since a delay between the user action
and the system reaction reduces the immersion sensation. In this
paper, a prototype of a coronary stent implant simulator is present;
this system allows real-time interactions with an artery by means of a
specific haptic device. To improve the realism of the simulation, the
building of the virtual environment is based on real patients- images
and a Web Portal is used to search in the geographically remote
medical centres a virtual environment with specific features in terms
of pathology or anatomy. The functional architecture of the system
defines several Medical Centres in which virtual environments built
from the real patients- images and related metadata with specific
features in terms of pathology or anatomy are stored. The searched
data are downloaded from the Medical Centre to the Training Centre
provided with a specific haptic device and with the software
necessary both to manage the interaction in the virtual environment.
After the integration of the virtual environment in the simulation
system it is possible to perform training on the specific surgical
procedure.
Abstract: Webcam systems now function as the new privileged
vantage points from which to view the city. This transformation of
CCTV technology from surveillance to promotional tool is significant
because its'scopic regime' presents, back to the public, a new virtual
'site' that sits alongside its real-time counterpart. Significantly,
thisraw 'image' data can, in fact,be co-optedand processed so as to
disrupt their original purpose. This paper will demonstrate this
disruptive capacity through an architectural project. It will reveal how
the adaption the webcam image offers a technical springboard by
which to initiate alternate urban form making decisions and subvert
the disciplinary reliance on the 'flat' orthographic plan. In so doing,
the paper will show how this 'digital material' exceeds the imagistic
function of the image; shiftingit from being a vehicle of signification
to a site of affect.
Abstract: In this paper, a decision aid method for preoptimization
is presented. The method is called “negotiation", and it
is based on the identification, formulation, modeling and use of
indicators defined as “negotiation indicators". These negotiation
indicators are used to explore the solution space by means of a classbased
approach. The classes are subdomains for the negotiation
indicators domain. They represent equivalent cognitive solutions in
terms of the negotiation indictors being used. By this method, we
reduced the size of the solution space and the criteria, thus aiding the
optimization methods. We present an example to show the method.
Abstract: Three-dimensional reconstruction of small objects has
been one of the most challenging problems over the last decade.
Computer graphics researchers and photography professionals have
been working on improving 3D reconstruction algorithms to fit the
high demands of various real life applications. Medical sciences,
animation industry, virtual reality, pattern recognition, tourism
industry, and reverse engineering are common fields where 3D
reconstruction of objects plays a vital role. Both lack of accuracy and
high computational cost are the major challenges facing successful
3D reconstruction. Fringe projection has emerged as a promising 3D
reconstruction direction that combines low computational cost to both
high precision and high resolution. It employs digital projection,
structured light systems and phase analysis on fringed pictures.
Research studies have shown that the system has acceptable
performance, and moreover it is insensitive to ambient light.
This paper presents an overview of fringe projection approaches. It
also presents an experimental study and implementation of a simple
fringe projection system. We tested our system using two objects
with different materials and levels of details. Experimental results
have shown that, while our system is simple, it produces acceptable
results.