Abstract: The 3D body movement signals captured during
human-human conversation include clues not only to the content of
people’s communication but also to their culture and personality.
This paper is concerned with automatic extraction of this information
from body movement signals. For the purpose of this research, we
collected a novel corpus from 27 subjects, arranged them into groups
according to their culture. We arranged each group into pairs and
each pair communicated with each other about different topics.
A state-of-art recognition system is applied to the problems of
person, culture, and topic recognition. We borrowed modeling,
classification, and normalization techniques from speech recognition.
We used Gaussian Mixture Modeling (GMM) as the main technique
for building our three systems, obtaining 77.78%, 55.47%, and
39.06% from the person, culture, and topic recognition systems
respectively. In addition, we combined the above GMM systems with
Support Vector Machines (SVM) to obtain 85.42%, 62.50%, and
40.63% accuracy for person, culture, and topic recognition
respectively.
Although direct comparison among these three recognition
systems is difficult, it seems that our person recognition system
performs best for both GMM and GMM-SVM, suggesting that intersubject
differences (i.e. subject’s personality traits) are a major
source of variation. When removing these traits from culture and
topic recognition systems using the Nuisance Attribute Projection
(NAP) and the Intersession Variability Compensation (ISVC)
techniques, we obtained 73.44% and 46.09% accuracy from culture
and topic recognition systems respectively.
Abstract: Currently, there is excessively growing information
about places on Facebook, which is the largest social network but
such information is not explicitly organized and ranked. Therefore
users cannot exploit such data to recommend places conveniently and
quickly. This paper proposes a Facebook application and an Android
application that recommend places based on the number of check-ins
of those places, the distance of those places from the current location,
the number of people who like Facebook page of those places, and
the number of talking about of those places. Related Facebook data is
gathered via Facebook API requests. The experimental results of the
developed applications show that the applications can recommend
places and rank interesting places from the most to the least. We have
found that the average satisfied score of the proposed Facebook
application is 4.8 out of 5. The users’ satisfaction can increase by
adding the app features that support personalization in terms of
interests and preferences.
Abstract: Stator elements «Vane diffuser + crossover + return
channel» of stages with different specific speed were investigated by
CFD calculations. The regime parameter was introduced to present
efficiency and loss coefficient performance of all elements together.
Flow structure demonstrated advantages and disadvantages of design.
Flow separation in crossovers was eliminated by its shape
modification. Efficiency increased visibly. Calculated CFD
performances are in acceptable correlation with predicted ones by
engineering design method. The information obtained is useful for
design method better calibration.
Abstract: The use of information tools is a common activity for
students of any educational stage when they encounter online
learning activities. Finding the relevant information for particular
learning tasks is the topic of this paper as it investigates the use of
information tools for a group of student participants. The paper
describes and discusses the results with particular implications for
use in higher education, and the findings suggest that improvement in
assessment design and subsequent student learning may be achieved
by structuring the purposefulness of information tools usage and
online reading behaviors of university students.
Abstract: One image is worth more than thousand words.
Images if analyzed can reveal useful information. Low level image
processing deals with the extraction of specific feature from a single
image. Now the question arises: What technique should be used to
extract patterns of very large and detailed image database? The
answer of the question is: “Image Mining”. Image Mining deals with
the extraction of image data relationship, implicit knowledge, and
another pattern from the collection of images or image database. It is
nothing but the extension of Data Mining. In the following paper, not
only we are going to scrutinize the current techniques of image
mining but also present a new technique for mining images using
Genetic Algorithm.
Abstract: The aim of this study is to develop an anterior lumbar
interbody fusion (ALIF) PEEK cage suitable for Korean people. In this
study, CT images were obtained from Korean male (173cm, 71kg) and
3D Korean lumbar models were reconstructed based on the CT images
to investigate anatomical characteristics. Major design parameters of
anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) PEEK Cage were selected
using the morphological measurement information of the Korean
Lumbar models. Through finite element analysis and mechanical tests,
the developed ALIFPEEK Cage prototype was compared with the
Fidji Cage (Zimmer. Inc, USA) and it was found that the ALIF
prototype showed similar and/or superior mechanical performance
compared to the FidJi Cage. Also, clinical validation for the ALIF
PEEK Cage prototype was carried out to check predictable troubles in
surgical operations. Finally, it is considered that the convenience and
stability of the prototype was clinically verified.
Abstract: The western Tombolo of the Giens peninsula in
southern France, known as Almanarre beach, is subject to coastal
erosion. We are trying to use computer simulation in order to propose
solutions to stop this erosion. Our aim was first to determine the main
factors for this erosion and successfully apply a coupled hydrosedimentological
numerical model based on observations and
measurements that have been performed on the site for decades.
We have gathered all available information and data about waves,
winds, currents, tides, bathymetry, coastal line, and sediments
concerning the site. These have been divided into two sets: one
devoted to calibrating a numerical model using Mike 21 software, the
other to serve as a reference in order to numerically compare the
present situation to what it could be if we implemented different
types of underwater constructions.
This paper presents the first part of the study: selecting and
melting different sources into a coherent data basis, identifying the
main erosion factors, and calibrating the coupled software model
against the selected reference period.
Our results bring calibration of the numerical model with good
fitting coefficients. They also show that the winter South-Western
storm events conjugated to depressive weather conditions constitute a
major factor of erosion, mainly due to wave impact in the northern
part of the Almanarre beach. Together, current and wind impact is
shown negligible.
Abstract: The use of technology in the classroom is an issue that
is constantly evolving. Digital age students learn differently than their
teachers did, so now the teacher should be constantly evolving their
methods and teaching techniques to be more in touch with the
student. In this paper a case study presents how were used some of
these technologies by accompanying a classroom course, this in order
to provide students with a different and innovative experience as their
teacher usually presented the activities to develop. As students
worked in the various activities, they increased their digital skills by
employing unknown tools that helped them in their professional
training. The twenty-first century teacher should consider the use of
Information and Communication Technologies in the classroom
thinking in skills that students of the digital age should possess. It
also takes a brief look at the history of distance education and it is
also highlighted the importance of integrating technology as part of
the student's training.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to forecast the influences
of information and communication technology (ICT) on the structural
changes of Japanese economies. In this study, input-output (IO) and
statistical approaches are used as analysis instruments. More
specifically, this study employs Leontief IO coefficients and
constrained multivariate regression (CMR) model in order to achieve
the purpose. The periods of initial and forecast in this study are 2005
and 2015, respectively. In this study, ICT is represented by ICT capital
stocks. This study conducts two levels of analysis, namely macro and
micro. The results of macro level analysis show that the dynamics of
Japanese economies on the forecast period, relative to the initial period,
are not so high. We focus on (1) commerce, (2) business services and
office supplies, and (3) personal services sectors when conducting the
analysis of the micro level. Further, we analyze its specific IO
coefficients when doing this analysis. The results of the analysis
explain that ICT gives a strong influence on the changes of these
coefficients from initial to forecast periods.
Abstract: The present paper summarizes the analysis of the
request for consultation of information and data on industrial
emissions made publicly available on the web site of the Ministry of
Environment, Land and Sea on integrated pollution prevention and
control from large industrial installations, the so called “AIA Portal”.
As a matter of fact, a huge amount of information on national
industrial plants is already available on internet, although it is usually
proposed as textual documentation or images.
Thus, it is not possible to access all the relevant information
through interoperability systems and also to retrieval relevant
information for decision making purposes as well as rising of
awareness on environmental issue.
Moreover, since in Italy the number of institutional and private
subjects involved in the management of the public information on
industrial emissions is substantial, the access to the information is
provided on internet web sites according to different criteria; thus, at
present it is not structurally homogeneous and comparable.
To overcome the mentioned difficulties in the case of the
Coordinating Committee for the implementation of the Agreement
for the industrial area in Taranto and Statte, operating before the
IPPC permit granting procedures of the relevant installation located
in the area, a big effort was devoted to elaborate and to validate data
and information on characterization of soil, ground water aquifer and
coastal sea at disposal of different subjects to derive a global
perspective for decision making purposes. Thus, the present paper
also focuses on main outcomes matured during such experience.
Abstract: In this paper we describe one critical research
program within a complex, ongoing multi-year project (2010 to 2014
inclusive) with the overall goal to improve the learning outcomes for
first year undergraduate commerce/business students within an
Information Systems (IS) subject with very large enrolment. The
single research program described in this paper is the analysis of
student attitudes and decision making in relation to the availability of
formative assessment feedback via Web-based real time conferencing
and document exchange software (Adobe Connect). The formative
assessment feedback between teaching staff and students is in respect
of an authentic problem-based, team-completed assignment. The
analysis of student attitudes and decision making is investigated via
both qualitative (firstly) and quantitative (secondly) application of the
Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) with a two statistically-significant
and separate trial samples of the enrolled students. The initial
qualitative TPB investigation revealed that perceived self-efficacy,
improved time-management, and lecturer-student relationship
building were the major factors in shaping an overall favorable
student attitude to online feedback, whilst some students expressed
valid concerns with perceived control limitations identified within the
online feedback protocols. The subsequent quantitative TPB
investigation then confirmed that attitude towards usage, subjective
norms surrounding usage, and perceived behavioral control of usage
were all significant in shaping student intention to use the online
feedback protocol, with these three variables explaining 63 percent of
the variance in the behavioral intention to use the online feedback
protocol. The identification in this research of perceived behavioral
control as a significant determinant in student usage of a specific
technology component within a virtual learning environment (VLE)
suggests that VLEs could now be viewed not as a single, atomic
entity, but as a spectrum of technology offerings ranging from the
mature and simple (e.g., email, Web downloads) to the cutting-edge
and challenging (e.g., Web conferencing and real-time document
exchange). That is, that all VLEs should not be considered the same.
The results of this research suggest that tertiary students have the
technological sophistication to assess a VLE in this more selective
manner.
Abstract: Different tools and technologies were implemented
for Crisis Response and Management (CRM) which is generally
using available network infrastructure for information exchange.
Depending on type of disaster or crisis, network infrastructure could
be affected and it could not be able to provide reliable connectivity.
Thus any tool or technology that depends on the connectivity could
not be able to fulfill its functionalities. As a solution, a new message
exchange framework has been developed. Framework provides
offline/online information exchange platform for CRM Information
Systems (CRMIS) and it uses XML compression and packet
prioritization algorithms and is based on open source web
technologies. By introducing offline capabilities to the web
technologies, framework will be able to perform message exchange
on unreliable networks. The experiments done on the simulation
environment provide promising results on low bandwidth networks
(56kbps and 28.8 kbps) with up to 50% packet loss and the solution is
to successfully transfer all the information on these low quality
networks where the traditional 2 and 3 tier applications failed.
Abstract: This paper presents modeling of an Alternating
Current (AC) Photovoltaic (PV) module using Matlab/Simulink. The
proposed AC-PV module model is simple, realistic, and application
oriented. The model is derived on module level as compared to cell
level directly from the information provided by the manufacturer data
sheet. DC-PV module, MPPT control, BC, VSI and LC filter, all
were treated as a single unit. The model accounts for changes in
variations of both irradiance and temperature. The AC-PV module
proposed model is simulated and the results are compared with the
datasheet projected numbers to validate model’s accuracy and
effectiveness. Implementation and results demonstrate simplicity and
accuracy, as well as reliability of the model.
Abstract: Fast changing knowledge systems on the Internet can
be accessed more efficiently with the help of automatic document
summarization and updating techniques. The aim of multi-document
update summary generation is to construct a summary unfolding the
mainstream of data from a collection of documents based on the
hypothesis that the user has already read a set of previous documents.
In order to provide a lot of semantic information from the documents,
deeper linguistic or semantic analysis of the source documents were
used instead of relying only on document word frequencies to select
important concepts. In order to produce a responsive summary,
meaning oriented structural analysis is needed. To address this issue,
the proposed system presents a document summarization approach
based on sentence annotation with aspects, prepositions and named
entities. Semantic element extraction strategy is used to select
important concepts from documents which are used to generate
enhanced semantic summary.
Abstract: The research presented in this paper has been focused
on analysing the impact of traffic on the sustainable development of
tourism in Croatia's Dubrovacko-Neretvanska County by the year
2020, based on the figures and trends reported in 2014 and using the
relevant variables that characterise the synergy of traffic and tourism
in, speaking from the geographic viewpoint, the most problematic
county in the Republic of Croatia. The basic hypothesis has been
confirmed through scientifically obtained research results, through
the quantification of the model's variables and the direct growth rates
of the designed model. On the basis of scientific insights into the
sustainable development of traffic and tourism in Dubrovacko-
Neretvanska County, it is possible to propose a new information
model for traffic at the service of the sustainable development of
tourism in the County for the period 2014-2020.
Abstract: Construction cost estimation is one of the most
important aspects of construction project design. For generations, the
process of cost estimating has been manual, time-consuming and
error-prone. This has partly led to most cost estimates to be unclear
and riddled with inaccuracies that at times lead to over- or underestimation
of construction cost. The development of standard set of
measurement rules that are understandable by all those involved in a
construction project, have not totally solved the challenges. Emerging
Building Information Modelling (BIM) technologies can exploit
standard measurement methods to automate cost estimation process
and improve accuracies. This requires standard measurement
methods to be structured in ontological and machine readable format;
so that BIM software packages can easily read them. Most standard
measurement methods are still text-based in textbooks and require
manual editing into tables or Spreadsheet during cost estimation. The
aim of this study is to explore the development of an ontology based
on New Rules of Measurement (NRM) commonly used in the UK for
cost estimation. The methodology adopted is Methontology, one of
the most widely used ontology engineering methodologies. The
challenges in this exploratory study are also reported and
recommendations for future studies proposed.
Abstract: The study of organisations’ information security
cultures has attracted scholars as well as healthcare services industry
to research the topic and find appropriate tools and approaches to
develop a positive culture. The vast majority of studies in Saudi
national health services are on the use of technology to protect and
secure health services information. On the other hand, there is a lack
of research on the role and impact of an organisation’s cultural
dimensions on information security. This research investigated and
analysed the role and impact of cultural dimensions on information
security in Saudi Arabia health service. Hypotheses were tested and
two surveys were carried out in order to collect data and information
from three major hospitals in Saudi Arabia (SA). The first survey
identified the main cultural-dimension problems in SA health
services and developed an initial information security culture
framework model. The second survey evaluated and tested the
developed framework model to test its usefulness, reliability and
applicability. The model is based on human behaviour theory, where
the individual’s attitude is the key element of the individual’s
intention to behave as well as of his or her actual behaviour. The
research identified a set of cultural and sub-cultural dimensions in SA
health information security and services.
Abstract: This article is to review and understand the new
generation of students to understand their expectations and attitudes.
There are a group of students on school projects, creative work,
educational software and digital signal source, the use of social
networking tools to communicate with friends and a part in the
competition. Today's students have been described as the new
millennium students. They use information and communication
technology in a more creative and innovative at home than at school,
because the information and communication technologies for
different purposes, in the home, usually occur in school. They
collaborate and communicate more effectively when they are at
home. Most children enter school, they will bring about how to use
information and communication technologies, some basic skills and
some tips on how to use information and communication technology
will provide a more advanced than most of the school's expectations.
Many teachers can help students, however, still a lot of work,
"tradition", without a computer, and did not see the "new social
computing networks describe young people to learn and new ways of
working life in the future", in the education system of the benefits of
using a computer.
Abstract: Parameters of flow are calculated in vaneless diffusers
with relative width 0,014–0,10. Inlet angles of flow and similarity
criteria were varied. There is information on flow separation,
boundary layer development, configuration of streamlines.
Polytrophic efficiency, loss coefficient and recovery coefficient are
used to compare effectiveness of diffusers. The sample of
optimization of narrow diffuser with conical walls is presented. Three
wide diffusers with narrowing walls are compared. The work is made
in the R&D laboratory “Gas dynamics of turbo machines” of the TU
SPb.
Abstract: There is an evident trend to elevate pressure ratio of a
single stage of a turbo compressors - axial compressors in particular.
Whilst there was an opinion recently that a pressure ratio 1,9 was a
reasonable limit, later appeared information on successful modeling
tested of stages with pressure ratio up to 2,8. The authors recon that
lack of information on high pressure stages makes actual a study of
rational choice of design parameters before high supersonic flow
problems solving. The computer program of an engineering type was
developed. Below is presented a sample of its application to study
possible parameters of the impeller of the stage with pressure ratio
3,0. Influence of two main design parameters on expected efficiency,
periphery blade speed and flow structure is demonstrated. The results
had lead to choose a variant for further analysis and improvement by
CFD methods.