Evolution of telecommunications and mobile communications in India: a synthesis in the transition from electronic to mobile business

This books tackles issues of e-business with a vision to the future on how to bridge these gaps and close down the barriers between the different corners of the world"--Provided by publisher.

Accessing database information using mobile agents

Many real-world applications on the Internet require accessing database information and typical technology employed is client/server plus Web (C/S + Web). Although past few years saw many success applications by using this technique, there are still some drawbacks that need to be overcome. One of the drawbacks is that the transaction often fails if the network connection is unstable. Another disadvantage is high bandwidth requirement and latency. This paper argues that mobile agent technology provide an easy way to overcome the shortcomings in CIS + Web in database access on the Internet. A success case study using mobile agents to admit new students to China's institutions is then presented. The mobile agent was created by using IBM's Aglets Software Development Kit (SDK). Based on the experimental results, it is evident that mobile agent technology is well suited for such applications.

Critical success factors in mobile communictions: a comparative roadmap for Germany and India

The world of telecommunications, especially mobile communications, continues to evolve with innovative technologies and high-speed data services. In many economies, mobile phones have overtaken fixed lines. In this dynamic context, we have envisaged to study mobile communication diffusion in Germany and India, from a historical comparative perspective. The basic standard for comparison has been Global Systems for Mobile Communications (GSM) and its data services, which was adopted by both economies. Subsequently, critical success factors in each economy is drawn and compared with the other, to elicit future directions.

Node localization using mobile robots in delay-tolerant sensor networks

We present a novel scheme for node localization in a Delay-Tolerant Sensor Network (DTN). In a DTN, sensor devices are often organized in network clusters that may be mutually disconnected. Some mobile robots may be used to collect data from the network clusters. The key idea in our scheme is to use this robot to perform location estimation for the sensor nodes it passes based on the signal strength of the radio messages received from them. Thus, we eliminate the processing constraints of static sensor nodes and the need for static reference beacons. Our mathematical contribution is the use of a Robust Extended Kalman Filter (REKF)-based state estimator to solve the localization. Compared to the standard extended Kalman filter, REKF is computationally efficient and also more robust. Finally, we have implemented our localization scheme on a hybrid sensor network test bed and show that it can achieve node localization accuracy within 1m in a large indoor setting.

Prediction based location aided routing for mobile ad hoc networks

Routing in ad hoc networks faces significant challenges due to node mobility and dynamic network topology. In this work we propose the use of mobility prediction to reduce the search space required for route discovery. A method of mobility prediction making use of a sectorized cluster structure is described with the proposal of the Prediction based Location Aided Routing (P-LAR) protocol. Simulation study and analytical results of P-LAR find it to offer considerable saving in the amount of routing traffic generated during the route discovery phase.

Mobile Architecture and Built Environment Laboratory (MABEL) - a building performance evaluation tool

This paper describes the Mobile Architecture and Built Environment Laboratory (MABEL) and its application for systematic building performance evaluation for compliance testing, commissioning, strategic and operational facility management and continuous improvement in the built environment.

The first part of the paper introduces the application areas of on-site building performance evaluation and discusses the shortcomings in this regard in current practice. It emphasises the need for on-site investigations to generate information on 'as built performance' for the 'feedback' loop between design, operation and occupancy of new buildings, retrofit or adjustment.

The second part introduces the Energy-Comfort-Behaviour Framework for 'across-the-board' building evaluation and discusses MABEL's role in this scheme. MABEL's objectives, procedures and the performance measurement matrix are explained and discussed.

A novel data replication and management protocol for mobile computing systems

Mobile computing has enabled users to seamlessly access databases even when they are on the move. Mobile computing environments require data management approaches that are able to provide complete and highly available access to shared data at any time from any where. In this paper, we propose a novel replicated data protocol for achieving such goal. The proposed scheme replicates data synchronously over stationary sites based on three dimensional grid structure while objects in mobile sites are asynchronously replicated based on commonly visited sites for each user. This combination allows the proposed protocol to operate with less than full connectivity, to easily adapt to changes in group membership and not require all sites to agree to update data objects at any given time, thus giving the technique flexibility in mobile environments. The proposed replication technique is compared with a baseline replication technique and shown to exhibit high availability, fault tolerance and minimal access times of the data and services, which are very important in an environment with low-quality communication links.

Speed control and policing in a cellular mobile network: speedNet

In this paper, we describe SpeedNet, a GSM network variant which resembles an ad hoc wireless mobile network where base stations keep track of the velocities of mobile users (cars). SpeedNet is intended to track mobile users and their speed passively for both speed policing and control of traffic. The speed of the vehicle is controlled in a speed critical zone by means of an electro-mechanical control system, suitably referred to as VVLS (Vehicular Velocity Limiting System). VVLS is mounted on the vehicle and responds to the command signals generated by the base station. It also determines the next base station to handoff, in order to improve the connection reliability and bandwidth efficiency of the underlying network. Robust Extended Kalman Filter (REKF) is used as a passive velocity estimator of the mobile user with the widely used proportional and integral controller speed control. We demonstrate through simulation and analysis that our prediction algorithm can successfully estimate the mobile user’s velocity with low system complexity as it requires two closest mobile base station measurements and also it is robust against system uncertainties due to the inherent deterministic nature in the mobility model.

Mobile subjectivities positioning the nonunirary self in critical feminist and postmodern research

Most scholarly work is written from the perspective of the author being a unitary subject occupying a sole, rational, and unified position. This article argues that scholarship may be enhanced by the author adopting multiple subject positions as a methodological framework. Such an adoption is advantageous in working against the romance of the notion of a single truth while also maintaining teleological values congruent with critical and feminist agendas. This article outlines the conceptual development of this methodological framework, the rationale for its development, an explication of the concept of multiple subjectivity, and an exemplar of its application within nursing research.

A 'Mobile' technology and waiting for the broadband 'horse trade'

Webcasting in Australia is currently the domain of national broadcasters, independent and community radio stations and the two leading football codes. This paper reports on the findings of a content analysis of 20 leading webcasters as to the content and genres they provide. In examining the factors affecting the 'slow' adoption of webcasting in Australia such as the absence ofa high speed broadband infrastructure, the paper analyses and how its various discourses were framed by the parties concerned, and how the clash of conflicting agendas shaped the negotiations between the main stakeholders, taking on the characteristics of a 'horse trade '. Thereafter, the paper critically examines how other technologies such as mobile phones and Pay TV has begun to take on webcasting, instead of waitingfor the major commercial broadcasters to do so or a new broadband network and a national broadband strategy to be implemented.

Randomized controlled trial comparing traditional with two "mobile" epdural techniques

Background: The authors recently showed that “mobile” epidural analgesia, using low-dose local anesthetic–opioid mixtures, reduces the impact of epidural analgesia on instrumental vaginal delivery, relative to a traditional technique. The main prespecified assessment of pain relief efficacy, women’s postpartum estimates of labor pain after epidural insertion, did not differ. The detailed analgesic efficacy and the anesthetic characteristics of the techniques are reported here.
Methods: A total of 1,054 nulliparous women were randomized, in labor, to receive boluses of 10 ml 0.25% bupivacaine (traditional), combined spinal–epidural (CSE) analgesia, or lowdose infusion (LDI), the latter groups utilizing 0.1% bupivacaine with 2 g/ml fentanyl. Visual analog scale pain assessments were collected throughout labor and delivery and 24 h later. Details of the conduct of epidural analgesia, drug utilization, and requirement
for anesthesiologist reattendance were recorded.
Results: A total of 353 women were randomized to receive traditional epidural analgesia, 351 received CSE, and 350 received LDI. CSE was associated with a more rapid onset of analgesia, lower median visual analog scale pain scores than traditional in the first hour after epidural insertion, and a significant reduction in bupivacaine dose given during labor. Pain scores reported by women receiving LDI were similar to those in the traditional group throughout labor and delivery. Anesthesiologist reattendance was low but greater with each mobile technique.
Conclusions: Relative to traditional epidural analgesia, LDI is at least as effective and CSE provided better pain relief in the early stages after insertion. The proven efficacy of mobile epidurals and their beneficial impact on delivery mode make them the preferred techniques for epidural pain relief in labor.

Mobile commerce (mCommerce) security. An appraisal of current issues and trends

Millions of data capable mobile devices are currently in use around the world enabled by the growing acceptance of Internet over wireless networks. However, security mechanisms still remain nascent. Security plays a crucial role in facilitating the level of trust users place on mobile devices and applications. To effectively diffuse the mobile devices in the marketplace, sufficient levels of trust has to be established in the underlying security of mobile devices and applications. This paper is an appraisal of recent issues and emerging trends regarding mobile security, within the context of conducting mobile commerce via mobile networks by individual consumers and businesses.

Database access on the internet using mobile agent technology

Traditionally. accessing databases on the Internet is based on client/server paradigm (including web-based paradigm). However. there are some drawbacks when using the techniques. Mobile agent technology provides an excellent solution that can easily eliminate those disadvantages. By conducting a series of experiments and analyzing the experimental results, this paper presents in which circumstance mobile agents can outperform traditional client/server paradigm, and how they can overcome the shortcomings in client/server paradigm in database access on the Internet.