Enhancement of user level controls in cloud databases

Industries in developed countries are moving quickly to ensure the rapid adoption of cloud computing. At this stage, several outstanding issues exist, particularly related to Service Level Agreements (SLAs), security and privacy. Consumers and businesses are willing to use cloud computing only if they can trust that their data will remain private and secure. Our review of research literature indicates the level of control that a user has on their data is directly correlated to the level of data privacy provided by the cloud service. We considered several privacy factors from the industry perspective, namely data loss, data storage location being unknown to the client, vendor lock-in, unauthorized secondary use of user's data for advertising, targeting secured backup and easy restoration. The level of user control in database models were identified according to the level of existence in these privacy factors. Finally, we focused on a novel logical model that might help to bring the level of user control of privacy in cloud databases into a higher level.

A ring-based architectural model for middle agents in agent-based system

In agent-based systems, the performance of middle agents not only relies on the matchmaking algorithms employed by them, but also the architecture that organizes them with suitable organizational structure and coordination mechanism. In this paper, we contribute a framework and develop a couple of middle agents with logical ring organizational structure to match requester agents with service provider agents. The middle agent is of the features of proliferation and self-cancellation according to the sensory input from its environment. The token-based coordination mechanism of middle agents is designed. Two kinds of middle agents, namely, host and duplicate, are designed for promoting the scalability and robustness of agent-based systems. We demonstrate the potentials of the architecture by case study.

Risk allocation in public-private partnership projects : an innovative model with an intelligent approach

Both the increasing private participation in public projects and the critical importance of appropriate risk allocation to the success of Public-private partnership (PPP) projects justify specific research on how to establish effective risk allocation strategies in PPP projects. Partner’s risk management capability is currently the main concern to risk allocation in PPP projects. Following the transaction cost economics, it is argued that factors such as partner’s commitment and risk management structure should be considered simultaneously in order to develop effective risk allocation strategies. Based on the holistic capability-commitment governance-driven view, this paper proposed a model for generating an optimal risk allocation strategy in PPP projects. The model is demonstrated and described. An artificial intelligent technique integrated with fuzzy logic for model testing and validation is then introduced and justified. The innovative model is expected to provide a logical and complete understanding of the risk allocation strategy selection process, and to provide stakeholders with a richer framework than previously existing ones to guide their decision-making on risk allocation strategies.

Instructional strategies integrating cognitive style construct : a meta-knowledge processing model

The overarching goal of this dissertation was to evaluate the contextual components of instructional strategies for the acquisition of complex programming concepts. A meta-knowledge processing model is proposed, on the basis of the research findings, thereby facilitating the selection of media treatment for electronic courseware. When implemented, this model extends the work of Smith (1998), as a front-end methodology, for his glass-box interpreter called Bradman, for teaching novice programmers. Technology now provides the means to produce individualized instructional packages with relative ease. Multimedia and Web courseware development accentuate a highly graphical (or visual) approach to instructional formats. Typically, little consideration is given to the effectiveness of screen-based visual stimuli, and curiously, students are expected to be visually literate, despite the complexity of human-computer interaction. Visual literacy is much harder for some people to acquire than for others! (see Chapter Four: Conditions-of-the-Learner) An innovative research programme was devised to investigate the interactive effect of instructional strategies, enhanced with text-plus-textual metaphors or text-plus-graphical metaphors, and cognitive style, on the acquisition of a special category of abstract (process) programming concept. This type of concept was chosen to focus on the role of analogic knowledge involved in computer programming. The results are discussed within the context of the internal/external exchange process, drawing on Ritchey's (1980) concepts of within-item and between-item encoding elaborations. The methodology developed for the doctoral project integrates earlier research knowledge in a novel, interdisciplinary, conceptual framework, including: from instructional science in the USA, for the concept learning models; British cognitive psychology and human memory research, for defining the cognitive style construct; and Australian educational research, to provide the measurement tools for instructional outcomes. The experimental design consisted of a screening test to determine cognitive style, a pretest to determine prior domain knowledge in abstract programming knowledge elements, the instruction period, and a post-test to measure improved performance. This research design provides a three-level discovery process to articulate: 1) the fusion of strategic knowledge required by the novice learner for dealing with contexts within instructional strategies 2) acquisition of knowledge using measurable instructional outcome and learner characteristics 3) knowledge of the innate environmental factors which influence the instructional outcomes This research has successfully identified the interactive effect of instructional strategy, within an individual's cognitive style construct, in their acquisition of complex programming concepts. However, the significance of the three-level discovery process lies in the scope of the methodology to inform the design of a meta-knowledge processing model for instructional science. Firstly, the British cognitive style testing procedure, is a low cost, user friendly, computer application that effectively measures an individual's position on the two cognitive style continua (Riding & Cheema,1991). Secondly, the QUEST Interactive Test Analysis System (Izard,1995), allows for a probabilistic determination of an individual's knowledge level, relative to other participants, and relative to test-item difficulties. Test-items can be related to skill levels, and consequently, can be used by instructional scientists to measure knowledge acquisition. Finally, an Effect Size Analysis (Cohen,1977) allows for a direct comparison between treatment groups, giving a statistical measurement of how large an effect the independent variables have on the dependent outcomes. Combined with QUEST's hierarchical positioning of participants, this tool can assist in identifying preferred learning conditions for the evaluation of treatment groups. By combining these three assessment analysis tools into instructional research, a computerized learning shell, customised for individuals' cognitive constructs can be created (McKay & Garner,1999). While this approach has widespread application, individual researchers/trainers would nonetheless, need to validate with an extensive pilot study programme (McKay,1999a; McKay,1999b), the interactive effects within their specific learning domain. Furthermore, the instructional material does not need to be limited to a textual/graphical comparison, but could be applied to any two or more instructional treatments of any kind. For instance: a structured versus exploratory strategy. The possibilities and combinations are believed to be endless, provided the focus is maintained on linking of the front-end identification of cognitive style with an improved performance outcome. My in-depth analysis provides a better understanding of the interactive effects of the cognitive style construct and instructional format on the acquisition of abstract concepts, involving spatial relations and logical reasoning. In providing the basis for a meta-knowledge processing model, this research is expected to be of interest to educators, cognitive psychologists, communications engineers and computer scientists specialising in computer-human interactions.

An empirical and logical exploration of the strategic compatibility of best practice and product innovation : preliminary insights from Australian and New Zealand manufacturing industry

In an attempt to enhance debate focused on an established academic controversy, this study re-investigated selected data from the 1994 AMC survey of Australian and New Zealand manufacturing practices to test the hypothesis that best practice and product innovation may be incompatible generic business strategies. A modification of Robert G. Cooper’s Stage-Gate product development model was used as a theoretical framework to create a measurable construct of ‘product innovation’ as a strategy and compare two groups: firms committed to a best practice strategy (BPs) and firms not utilising best practice (Non-BPs). Eight variables were scrutinised. After logical critique was added to statistical data analysis, four major insights emerged.

(1) Tests yielded several statistically significant but substantively inconclusive results because both studied groups had nearly identical profiles in rating innovation as the factor of lowest importance to commercial success and because the definitional framework which guided construction of the survey instrument treated innovation as a second-order issue. (2) Currently, best practice and product innovation are logically incompatible by definition. (3) Even if the definition of best practice were changed, it is likely that the additional key process of innovation would remain incompatible with the existing key process of benchmarking. (4) However, until the definition of best practice does make an attempt to include innovation as a key process rather than an outcome, testing any hypothesis of strategic compatibility between a best practice focus and an innovation focus will be both empirically difficult and logically unnecessary.

Maternal effects in the Zebra Finch : a model mother reviewed

Birds are a particularly good group with which to examine the importance of maternal effects, as parental contributions can be relatively easily quantified compared with other groups. There have undoubtedly been more studies on maternal effects in the Zebra Finch than any other single bird species. Studies of this species have examined the importance of maternal effects mediated through sex allocation, size, nutrients and hormones of of eggs, incubation behaviour and provisioning levels. A synthesis of all of this work illustrates some contrasting results (e.g. many high-profile results have failed to be replicated), some very common patterns (e.g. investment shifts through the laying sequence), and potentially interesting and complex interactions between traits (e.g. between sex of offspring and hormonal profiles of eggs). This extensive collection of work on the Zebra Finch provides useful general insight into the patterns of maternal investment in birds and the effects on offspring phenotype. However, we caution that the literature is probably littered with studies that have overemphasised the importance of some maternal effects and recent studies have highlighted analytical and logical flaws that have probably led to misplaced confidence in some of the findings reported to date. Finally, it is worth considering that the bulk of the literature is based on studies of captive domesticated birds and ecological and physiological data from individuals in the wild is currently lacking. The biological relevance of maternal effects documented in this model species is therefore unclear.

Virtual haptic cell model for operator training

Microrobotic cell injection is an area of growing research interest. Typically, operators rely on visual feedback to perceive the microscale environment and are subject to lengthy training times and low success rates. Haptic interaction offers the ability to utilise the operator’s haptic modality and to enhance operator performance. Our earlier work presented a haptically enabled system for assisting the operator with certain aspects of the cell injection task. The system aimed to enhance the operator’s controllability of the micropipette through a logical mapping between the haptic device and microrobot, as well as introducing virtual fixtures for haptic guidance. The system was also designed in such a way that given the availability of appropriate force sensors, haptic display of the cell penetration force is straightforward. This work presents our progress towards a virtual replication of the system, aimed at facilitating offline operator training. It is suggested that operators can use the virtual system to train offline and later transfer their skills to the physical system. In order to achieve the necessary representation of the cell within the virtual system, methods based on a particle-based cell model are utilised. In addition to providing the necessary visual representation, the cell model provides the ability to estimate cell penetration forces and haptically display them to the operator. Two different approaches to achieving the virtual system are discussed.

Using Pareto principle plus statistic methodology in establishing a cost estimating model

Previous experience and research indicated that the Pareto Principle (80/20 Principle) has been widely used in many industries to achieve more with less. The study described in this paper concurs that this principle can be applied to improve the estimating accuracy and efficiency, especially in design development stage of projects. In fact, establishing an effective cost estimating model to improve accuracy and efficiency in design development stage has been a subject, which has attracted many research attentions over several decades. For over almost 40 years, research studies indicate that using the 80/20 Principle is one of the approaches. However, most of these studies were built by assumption, theoretical analysis or questionnaire survey. The objective of this research is to explore a logical and systematic method to establish a cost estimating model based on the Pareto Principle. This paper includes extensive literatures review on cost estimating accuracy and efficiency in the construction industry that points out the current gap of knowledge area and understanding of the topical. These reviews assist in developing the direction for the research and explore the potential methodology of using the Pareto Principle in the new cost estimating model. The findings of this paper suggest that combining the Pareto Principle with statistical analysis could be used as the technique to improve the accuracy and efficiency of current estimating methods in design development stage.