Mcommerce - a vision in time

Global mCommerce revenues are expected to grow from $400 million in 2000, to 22.2 billion by 2005 (Raczkowski, 2002) mCommerce is a key driver in developing the global information society, with applications emerging in numerous areas including banking, financial services, security services and shopping (Khalifa and Cheng, 2002). With optimistic projections regarding its growth, many researchers are actively determining the future of mCommerce. In this paper, we have tried to synthesise some predictions and evolving definitions, explored security as a critical impediment and developing solutions; investigated the mPayment scenario; and derived a futuristic research framework. Specifically, we have attempted to capture the moving mCommerce scenario in present time, with a special focus into mPayments.

Recognition of idle resources in time-driven activity-based costing and resource consumption accounting models

Despite its theoretical superiority over traditional volume-based costing models, the Activity-Based Costing (ABC) model has failed to replace traditional volume-based costing models in most organisations. In response to the problems of the model, Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing (TDABC) and Resource Consumption Accounting (RCA) models have been developed as costing models for next generation cost management systems. A key feature that distinguishes TDABC and RCA models from traditional volume-based costing models and the ABC model is the recognition of idle resources in resource pools.

This paper presents a discussion on implications of recognising idle resources in TDABC and RCA models on developments, maintenance and uses of cost management systems. A hypothetical case is presented to illustrate conversions of an ABC-based costing model to ones that are based on the TDABC and RCA models, and the resulting new allocation of resource costs.

Effective pseudonoise sequence and decoding function for imperceptibility and robustness enhancement in time-spread echo-based audio watermarking

This paper proposes an effective pseudonoise (PN) sequence and the corresponding decoding function for time-spread echo-based audio watermarking. Different from the traditional PN sequence used in time-spread echo hiding, the proposed PN sequence has two features. Firstly, the echo kernel resulting from the new PN sequence has frequency characteristics with smaller magnitudes in perceptually significant region. This leads to higher perceptual quality. Secondly, the correlation function of the new PN sequence has three times more large peaks than that of the existing PN sequence. Based on this feature, we propose a new decoding function to improve the robustness of time-spread echo-based audio watermarking. The effectiveness of the proposed PN sequence and decoding function is illustrated by theoretical analysis, simulation examples, and listening test.

Underdetermined blind source separation by parallel factor analysis in time-frequency domain

This paper presents a new time-frequency approach to the underdetermined blind source separation using the parallel factor decomposition of third-order tensors. Without any constraint on the number of active sources at an auto-term time-frequency point, this approach can directly separate the sources as long as the uniqueness condition of parallel factor decomposition is satisfied. Compared with the existing two-stage methods where the mixing matrix should be estimated at first and then used to recover the sources, our approach yields better source separation performance in the presence of noise. Moreover, the mixing matrix can be estimated at the same time of the source separation process. Numerical simulations are presented to show the superior performance of the proposed approach to some of the existing two-stage blind source separation methods that use the time-frequency representation as well.

The social network learning cloud: architectural education for the 21 century

In less than a decade, architectural education has, in some ways, significantly evolved. The advent of computation has not so much triggered the change, but Social Networks (SN) have ignited a novel way of learning, interaction and knowledge construction. SN enable learners to engage with friends, tutors, professionals and peers, form the base for learning resources, allow students to make their voices heard, to listen to other views and much more. They offer a more authentic, inter-professional and integrated problem based, Just-in-Time (JIT), Just-in-Place (JIP) learning. Online SN work in close association with offline SN to form a blended social learning realm-the Social Network Learning Cloud (SNLC)-that greatly enables and enhances students' learning in a far more influential way than any other learning means, resources or methods do. This paper presents a SNLC for architectural education that provides opportunities for linking the academic Learning Management Systems (LMS) with private or professional SN such that it enhances the learning experience and deepens the knowledge of the students. The paper proposes ways of utilising SNLC in other learning and teaching areas of the curriculum and concludes with directions of how SNLC then may be employed in professional settings.

Departure fuel loads in time-minimizing migrating birds can be explained by the energy costs of being heavy

Lindstrom and Alerstam presented a model that predicts optimal departure fuel loads as a function of the rate of fuel deposition in time-minimizing migrants. The basis of the model is that the coverable distance per unit of fuel deposited, diminishes with increasing fuel load. This is an effect of the increasing flight costs associated with increasing body mass. Lindstrom and Alerstam (1992) found that birds left at lower fuel loads than their model predicted for which they considered various ecological explanations. Alternatively, we hypothesize that the difference between prediction and empirical data might be a result of extra resting metabolic and transport costs associated with an increase in fuel load during stopover. We develop a new version of the Lindstrom and Alerstam (1992) model taking fuel load associated costs during stopover into account. We fit empirical data from rufous hummingbirds Selasphorus rufus and bluethroats Luscinia svecica to this new model. Estimated fuel-load costs are discussed in relation to knowledge presently available on variations in basal metabolic costs and transport costs with body mass. We show that fuel-load costs within a reasonable range can explain the observed departure fuel loads when migrating birds are time minimizers.

Expert in my pocket: creating first person POV videos to enhance mobile learning

Worldwide, there has been a rapid increase in both the use of mobile technologies as a conduit for student learning and the use of wearable cameras to record sporting and recreational activities. The Expert in My Pocket project (EiMP) has combined these two technologies to produce a repository of freely available short videos and supporting materials to enhance student development of psychomotor clinical skills. The videos are presented from a first person point of view (1PPOV) with expert health professionals ‘thinking aloud’ as they demonstrate selected skills. Research indicates that students and educators overwhelmingly support the concept of EiMP videos and more importantly value the 1PPOV as an authentic view. This paper demonstrates the techniques and equipment employed to produce these videos, which consisted of a chest or head mounted GoPro camera operated via an iPad. Additionally, the paper explains another innovative feature, Quick Response (QR) Codes, that when linked to the videos placed on equipment assists with “just in time” mobile learning.

Avaliação da aplicação da teoria das restrições no processo de planejamento e controle da produção de obras de edificação

Devido à necessidade de permanecer competitiva e rentável, a indústriada construção civil tem mudado a forma de conduzir seus negócios e adaptado filosofias gerenciais para a suarealidade, como é o casodo Just-in-Time (JIT)e dos Sistemas da Oualidade (por exemplo: TOM e TOC). Dentro deste contexto, encontra-se a aplicação da Teoria das Restrições (TR) no processo de Planejamento e Controle da Produção (PCP) de obras de edificação. A Teoria das Restrições é uma filosofia gerencial fundamentada no conceito de restrição e em como gerenciar as restrições identificadas, fornecendo: (a) um procedimento para os responsáveis pela produção identificarem onde e como concentrar esforços e (b) um processo de melhoria contínua para o sistema produtivo como um todo, buscando sempre o ótimo globalantes do local. O desconhecimento dos possíveis benefícios e dificuldades decorrentes da adaptação e aplicação desta teoria na indústria da construção civil fez com que a aplicação da Teoria das Restrições fosse simulada, usando a técnica STROBOSCOPE (Stateand Resource Based Simulation of Construction Processes), em um empreendimento para analisar os impactos que prazos e custos podem sofrer durante as aplicações em casos reais. Estas simulações mostraram que a Teoria das Restrições e suas técnicas e ferramentas são aplicáveis ao processo de PCP, reduzindo os atrasos e os custos por atraso que um empreendimento pode sofrer.