IGI Publishing
Advanced analytics for green and sustainable economic development; supply chain models and financial technologies.
Engineers and other technical professionals, and economists and others from business backgrounds describe how companies can form relationships to improve and secure their supply chains while helping protect the environment. Among their topics are low-carbon economy-finance and technology models, contrasting renewable energy investment strategies between the World Bank and poor customers in developing countries, Nepalese forests as a case of low-carbon economy and developing countries, the transition to a low-carbon hydrogen economy in America, modeling closed-loop supply chain systems, and a bike transportation system design. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Advancements in distributed computing and Internet technologies; trends and issues.
This collection of eighteen articles on distributed computing and next generation networking presents current scholarship in several areas of sensor and Internet technologies. The volume is divided into sections covering Internet-based systems design, wireless sensor networks, and next generation distributive computing systems, and individual papers address such topics as end-to-end dataflow parallelism for transfer throughput optimization, service provision in self managed internet environments, data gathering with multi-attribute fusion in wireless sensor networks, P2P based distributed network polling solutions and service level provisioning for cloud based applications. Individual entries include abstracts, illustrations, bibliographies and notes and a volume-wide compilation of reading resources is provided. Contributors are academics in computer and communications fields from institutions around the world. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Advances in monolithic microwave integrated circuits for wireless systems; modeling and design technologies.
Researchers from Malaysia and Tunisia describe monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC) being developed for multi-band multi-standard systems that allow users to access different cellular and wireless standards with one mobile device. The 11 contributions discuss several different designs for low noise amplifiers, power amplifiers, and variable signal generators. The closing chapter illustrates the characterization of a monolithic, integrated low noise amplifier and mixer on bench instruments and automated test equipment. B&w circuit schematics and diagrams are provided. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Advanced methods and applications in chemoinformatics; research progress and new applications.
Chemists and other physical scientists and engineers, along with computer scientists and related researchers and practitioners describe the current status of cheminformatics, which uses computational techniques and methods to study and solve complex chemical problems. The topics include the structural classification of complex molecules by artificial intelligence techniques, a new stochastic methodology for discovering high-through-put materials, a homotopy pertuburation approach to the analytical solution of cubic autocatalytic reaction-diffusion equations, applying macromolecular QSAR (quantitative structure-activity relationships) theory, and computational techniques to predict binding affinity in drugs. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Biologically inspired networking and sensing; algorithms and architectures.
Lio (U. of Cambridge) and Verma (IBM) gather 13 papers exploring new architectures, resource optimization techniques, and routing protocols for computer networks that are based on biological mechanisms and natural phenomena. The contributing researchers demonstrate the potential of a dendritic cell algorithm for addressing intrusion detection problems, describe an organic network control system for adapting network protocols to dynamically changing environments, and compare three neural networks for cognitive modeling. Other topics include TCP congestion control, network energy driven wireless sensor networks, genetic algorithms for delay and disruption tolerant networks, and a scented node protocol for MANET routing. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Blogging in the global society; cultural, political and geographical aspects.
International contributors in communication, journalism, law, and religion present current research on blogging around the world and outline approaches for analyzing blogs. Each chapter begins with an abstract summarizing major findings, then gives the context behind the research, reviews the literature, and discusses major political, cultural, legal, and ethical issues and trends. Each chapter ends with notes on future research directions, references, and a glossary of key terms and definitions. Some specific areas examined include blogs as a source of democratic deliberation, citizen media and political conflict in Thailand, blogging among estranged and questioning Hasidim, the motivations of Latin American bloggers, and the First Amendment's impact on bloggers. Dumova teaches communication at Point Park University. Fiordo teaches communication at the University of North Dakota. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Business intelligence and agile methodologies for knowledge-based organizations; cross-disciplinary applications.
Contributors in business, information, computers, and related fields discuss business intelligence from perspectives of methodologies, architecture, components, technology, agility, adaptability, tools, strategies, applications, knowledge, and history. Their topics include knowledge management in agile methods context, agile methodologies for business intelligence, enhancing business intelligence systems by integrating information technology governance and knowledge capabilities of the organization, measuring a brand lift from a display advertising campaign, and an ontological approach to business intelligence in higher education. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Business intelligence applications and the web; models, systems and technologies.
This collection of fourteen articles on business software showcases current scholarship in the development of web applications for informatics and business intelligence processes. Divided into sections covering business intelligence using web data and building custom business intelligence applications for the web, papers cover topics such as extraction and analysis tools for data mining, semantic approaches to news and information filtering, building business intelligence networks and ad-hoc and collaborative information networks. Chapters include illustrations, tables, abstracts and bibliographies. Contributors are academics and business software professionals from primarily European and South American universities and technology firms. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Cases on developing countries and ICT integration; rural community development.
Contributors in education, economics, and other fields recount their experiences in bringing information and communication technology to rural areas, mostly in non-industrialized countries, as an alternative to conventional development strategies. They cover agriculture, health, and tourism; infrastructure, communication, and community informatics/knowledge; economic empowerment and small scale entrepreneurship; policies, strategies, and electronic governance; and theoretical, educational, and general issues. Most of the case studies are set in Africa, particularly Botswana. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Computational and data grids; principles, applications, and design.
Computer scientists, electronic engineers, and physicists explore a technology for making use of idle time on networked computers. In sections on principles of grid infrastructures, grid network designs, and applications for grid computing, they consider such aspects as desktop grids and volunteer computing systems, grid data handling, grid access control models and architectures, applying grid computing for meteorological assessment of wind and solar resources in sub-Saharan Africa countries, and enhancing the grid with multi-agent and semantic capabilities. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Computer-enhanced and mobile-assisted language learning; emerging issues and trends.
Augmenting and extending the 2008 Handbook of Research on Computer-Enhanced Language Acquisition and Learning, researchers and practicing teachers of language survey successful translations of language learning designs that take advantage of information and communication technology and mobile technology into practical learning contexts. Their topics include interaction in Google wave sends chat rooms out with the tide, the effect of feedback in teaching Thai as a foreign language, effects of an electronic learning platform for Chinese learners of English as a foreign language, performance and anxiety in video-conferencing, combining the body and mobile technology to teach English pronunciation, and text input and editing as a bottleneck in mobile devices for language learning. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Continuous authentication using biometrics; data, models, and metrics.
In order to avoid weaknesses such static authentication, such as a computer password entered only at the beginning of a session, computer scientists and engineers describe continuous authentication, which repeats the authentication process several times during the session, focusing on the use of biometrics. After setting out fundamentals, they cover continuous authentication based on physiological and cognitive metrics, and using behavioral biometrics. The topics include performance metrics and models for continuous authentication systems, multimodal biometric hand-off for robust unobtrusive authentication, low-level multi-spectral palm print image fusion, sitting postures and electrocardiograms, keystroke analysis as a tool for detecting intrusion, and personal identification and authentication based on keyboard dynamics in Japanese long-text input. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Customer-centric knowledge management; concepts and applications.
Researchers in management, information, and information management describe strategies to increase competitive advantage that center on customers in a market where the criteria for success has shifted from price and products to speed, quality, flexibility, and customer intimacy. Writing for both academics and practitioners, they consider such topics as perceived risks of customer knowledge management, the relevance of customers as a source of knowledge in information technology firms, effective tools for customer knowledge management, micro-level stickiness as a threat to client-centric knowledge transfer among information and communication technology firms in Malaysian technology parks, and a knowledge management approach to marketing and the advent of customer knowledge management. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Customer relationship management and the social and semantic web; enabling cliens conexus.
Researchers explore how the move of social networking to the Internet provides both challenges and opportunities for business. Among their topics are a socio-engineering approach to knowledge-driven customer support services, a case study of semantic web applications to enhance the market opportunities of small to medium companies, customer relationship management implementation intensity and performance among web-hosting companies, sales force automation usage and performance, sentiment analysis in business intelligence, and social network analysis in marketing. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Cyber security standards, practices and industrial applications; systems and methodologies.
Researchers and practitioners in computer science, electrical engineering, information, and other fields discuss the current state of cyber security, which encompasses the security of both information and the networks it is on. They cover mobile and wireless security; social media, botnets, and intrusion detection; formal methods and quantum computing; embedded systems and SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) security; and industrial and applications security. Among their topics are protecting smartphone data using mobile usage pattern matching, cyber security and privacy in the age of social networks, practical quantum key distributions, embedded systems security, and cyber security in liquid petroleum pipelines. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
E-reference context and discoverability in libraries; issues and concepts.
Librarians, publishers, and others concerned with reference information, explore ways to harmonize reference services at libraries with the resources now available and with the approaches and techniques that researchers are now using. They cover the changing landscape of electronic reference, the value of information literacy in research, the design and delivery of reference content, solutions for electronic reference discovery, and case studies. Among the topics are the impact of electronic reference content and discovery on publishers, the research habits of graduate students and faculty, medical electronic reference as a benchmark for other disciplines, discovering authoritative reference material, easing restrictions and partnering with the users, and change in customer behavior at the Santa Monica Public Library in California. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Global hospitality and tourism management technologies.
Editor Ordóñez de Pablos (business administration, The U. of Oviedo, Spain) unites international contributors in tourism, management, educational psychology, sustainable development, and computer science to survey perspectives and emerging trends in the hospitality and tourism industry, especially trends related to the use of IT. Some specific topics include virtual tourism in China, implementing electronic customer relationship management in the Australian hospitality and tourism sector, and gaming and tourism. Other subjects explored include tourism in Oman, management of World Heritage Sites, and tourism management in China using radio frequency identification (RFID). The book will be of interest to practitioners, policy makers, and students. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Higher education institutions and learning management systems; adoption and standardization.
Learning management systems are platforms on the Internet in which teachers and learners can plan, facilitate, and manage a whole course. Researchers mostly in computer and technical sciences, but also some in education, discuss generalities and perspectives about them, implementing and evaluating them, trends and challenges, and case studies. Among the topics are knowledge sharing in a learning management system environment using social awareness, critical factors influencing the acceptance and use of such systems by instructors, enhancing electronic examinations through advanced multiple-choice questionnaires, disability standards and guidelines, and the effective use of electronic learning for improving student skills. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Hybrid algorithms for service, computing and manufacturing systems; routing and scheduling solutions.
Operations research, industrial and mechanical engineering, and computer science are among the perspectives contributors bring as they discuss the design, implementation, and experimental evaluation of hybrid meta-heuristic methods for approximating solutions to large-scale optimization problems. The topics include vehicle routing models and algorithms for winter road spreading operations, strategies for an integrated distribution problem, a hybrid particle swarm algorithm for resource-constrained project scheduling, hybrid heuristics for the territory alignment problem, and a hybrid Lagrangian relaxation and Tabu search method for interdependent-choice network design problems. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Informed design of educational technologies in higher education; enhanced learning and teaching.
Contributors from education and from technical fields explore research into designing educational technologies for higher education that take both dimensions into account. They cover aspects of the research field, integrating arenas through designed learning and teaching, emerging educational technologies, informed design models and educational technology, and changing educational practices through informed choices of design. Among specific topics are instructional design for technology-based systems, using online data for student investigations in biology and ecology, three-dimensional virtual worlds in higher education, design for learning with educational technology informed by social networks, and pedagogies for high performance learning spaces. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Innovation in power, control, and optimization; emerging energy technologies.
Mostly electrical, but also mechanical, industrial, and other engineers explore some of the approaches to designing controls for an electrical power distribution system that displays considerable variability during its normal operation. Writing for fellow professionals, they provide theoretical frameworks and empirical research findings on such matters as a Hopefield Lagrange network for economic load dispatch, demand-side response smart grid techniques for optimizing energy use, the dynamic analysis and stability improvement concerning the integration of wind farms in Kurdistan, the optimal configuration and reconfiguration of electric distribution networks, and analyzing and monitoring a power grid. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Innovations, standards, and practices of Web services; emerging research topics.
In this context, a web service is a software system designed to use standard protocols to support interoperable machine-to-machine interactions over a network. Computer scientists and related researchers survey the state of the field, emphasizing best practices, standards, and new ideas. Their topics include privacy preserving trust establishment with web service enhancements, a model-based approach to diagnosing fault in web service processes, issues on the compatibility of web service contracts, a framework and protocols for service contract agreements based on international contract law, an integrated framework for web services orchestration, and a web service enabled online laboratory. (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
