Facilitating enterprise application integration adoption: An empirical analysis of UK local government authorities     

Muhammad Mustafa Kamal  Ray Hackney  Maged Ali 《International Journal of Information Management》2013

local government authorities (LGAs) are organised around operational structures with business processes spanning within departments and across other government organisations. In such an organisational setting, the harmonisation of Information Technology (IT) operations, integration of cross-departmental processes and the underlying Information Systems (IS) signifies a challenge in delivering integrated services. This paper attempts to explore enterprise application integration (EAI) adoption in the UK local government authorities (LGAs). Despite the hype of EAI adoption in private domain, its application in LGAs is inadequate as there is a lack of adoption models/frameworks that can be used by the public sector. The context of the study is to consider the transformation of IT infrastructure management and operations with EAI technologies. The empirical findings, generated through a detailed case analysis, manifestly exemplify that EAI predominantly acts as a ‘back-office’ technology that facilitates operations by developing a flexible and maintainable integrated IT infrastructure. Our proposed framework is believed to be imperative and unique as it provides a more systematic way to examine the adoption of integration technologies, extends the established norms for EAI adoption by utilising a prioritisation technique to classify the importance of factors. The contribution of the research extends the literature on EAI and identifies theoretical and practical opportunities that facilitate LGAs in their decision-making process to produce more robust proposals for EAI adoption.  相似文献   

Flatness-based adaptive fuzzy output tracking excitation control for power system generators     

Hassan A. Yousef  Mohamed Hamdy  Muhammad Shafiq 《Journal of The Franklin Institute》2013

In this paper, a novel approach for the design of an indirect adaptive fuzzy output tracking excitation control of power system generators is proposed. The method is developed based on the concept of differentially flat systems through which the nonlinear system can be written in canonical form. The flatness-based adaptive fuzzy control methodology is used to design the excitation control signal of a single machine power system in order to track a reference trajectory for the generator angle. The considered power system can be written in the canonical form and the resulting excitation control signal is shown to be nonlinear. In case of unknown power system parameters due to abnormalities, the nonlinear functions appearing in the control signal are approximated using adaptive fuzzy systems. Simulation results show that the proposed controller can enhance the transient stability of the power system under a three-phase to ground fault occurring near the generator terminals.  相似文献   

The effect of chalk on the finger–hold friction coefficient in rock climbing     

Arif Mithat Amca  Laurent Vigouroux  Serdar Aritan  Eric Berton 《Sports biomechanics / International Society of Biomechanics in Sports》2013,12(4):473-479

The main purpose of this study was to examine the effect of chalk on the friction coefficient between climber's fingers and two different rock types (sandstone and limestone). The secondary purpose was to investigate the effects of humidity and temperature on the friction coefficient and on the influence of chalk. Eleven experienced climbers took part in this study and 42 test sessions were performed. Participants hung from holds which were fixed on a specially designed hang board. The inclination of the hang board was progressively increased until the climber's hand slipped from the holds. The angle of the hang board was simultaneously recorded by using a gyroscopic sensor and the friction coefficient was calculated at the moment of slip. The results showed that there was a significant positive effect of chalk on the coefficient of friction (+18.7% on limestone and +21.6% on sandstone). Moreover sandstone had a higher coefficient of friction than limestone (+15.6% without chalk, +18.4% with chalk). These results confirmed climbers' belief that chalk enhances friction. However, no correlation with humidity/temperature and friction coefficient was noted which suggested that additional parameters should be considered in order to understand the effects of climate on finger friction in rock climbing.  相似文献   

Personal Review： Sources of sulfide in waste streams and current biotechnologies for its removal   总被引：6，自引：0，他引：6  

MAHMOOD Qaisar ZHENG Ping CAI Jing HAYAT Yousaf HASSAN Muhammad Jaffar WU Dong-lei HU Bao-lan 《浙江大学学报(A卷英文版)》2007,8(7):1126-1140

Sulfide-containing waste streams are generated by a number of industries. It is emitted into the environment as dis- solved sulfide (S2- and HS-) in wastewaters and as H2S in waste gases. Due to its corrosive nature, biological hydrogen sulfide removal processes are being investigated to overcome the chemical and disposal costs associated with existing chemically based removal processes. The nitrogen and sulfur metabolism interacts at various levels of the wastewater treatment process. Hence, the sulfur cycle offers possibilities to integrate nitrogen removal in the treatment process, which needs to be further optimized by appropriate design of the reactor configuration, optimization of performance parameters, retention of biomass and optimization of biomass growth. The present paper reviews the biotechnological advances to remove sulfides from various environments.  相似文献   

Segmentation techniques for recognition of Arabic-like scripts: A comprehensive survey     

Saeeda Naz  Arif I. Umar  Syed H. Shirazi  Saad B. Ahmed  Muhammad I. Razzak  Imran Siddiqi 《Education and Information Technologies》2016,21(5):1225-1241

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Students’ intention to take online courses in high school: A structural equation model of causality and determinants     

Masood Badri  Asma Al Rashedi  Guang Yang  Jihad Mohaidat  Arif Al Hammadi 《Education and Information Technologies》2016,21(2):471-497

Offering an online integrated high-school course or subject for the first time involves many challenges. Better understanding the factors that affect students’ willingness to participate in the experience could provide support for better implementation of such a strategic initiative. In addition, it is important to understand how personal factors can influence the success of such an endeavour. This study develops a comprehensive structural equation model that captures most causal factors related to offering a high-school course online for the first time. A sample of public and private secondary school students (Grades 10, 11 and 12) in Abu Dhabi were administered an online survey regarding offering free online courses. The instrument was reviewed by other experts in curriculum, information technology and teaching and learning. The final instrument contained dimensions related to student perception of ease of use of e-learning, usefulness, self-efficacy, skills, style, student self-reported performance in certain subjects, use of social media, school support, teacher support, general support, access to the internet, and preferences behavioural intentions to use e-learning. The analysis provides a structural equation model with acceptable statistical fits and with many significant causal relationships. The paths representing direct and indirect effects of the construct predictors on intention to use provided statistical evidence of the validity of the 13 component predictors. Results show significant links between intention to use e-learning, perception of easiness, perception of usefulness, and other factors such as user characteristics and support. Use of social network affect intention to use e-learning indirectly thorough other variables. Limitations and implications of the study in general and as it concerns Abu Dhabi are highlighted.  相似文献   

Anatomy practical examinations: How does student performance on computerized evaluation compare with the traditional format?     

Inuwa IM  Taranikanti V  Al-Rawahy M  Habbal O 《Anatomical sciences education》2012,5(1):27-32

Practical examinations in anatomy are usually conducted on specimens in the anatomy laboratory (referred to here as the “traditional” method). Recently, we have started to administer similar examinations online using the quiz facility in Moodle?. In this study, we compare student scores between two assessment environments viz. online and traditional environments. We hypothesized that regardless of the examination medium (traditional or online) overall student performance would not be significantly different. For the online medium, radiological images, prosected specimens, and short video clips demonstrating muscle action were first acquired from resources used for teaching during anatomy practical classes. These were optimized for online viewing and then uploaded onto Moodle learning management software. With regards to the traditional format, actual specimens were usually laid out in a circular stream. Identification tags were then attached to specific spots on the specimens and questions asked regarding those identified spots. A cohort of students taking practical examinations in six courses was studied. The courses were divided into three pairs with each pair credit‐weight matched. Each pair consisted of a course where the practical examination was conducted online and the other in the traditional format. There was no significant difference in the mean scores within each course pair. In addition, a significant positive correlation between score in traditional and online formats was found. We conclude that mean grades in anatomy practical examination conducted either online or in the traditional format were comparable. These findings should reassure teachers intending to use either format for their practical examinations. Anat Sci Educ. © 2011 American Association of Anatomists.  相似文献   

Awareness about plagiarism amongst university students in Pakistan     

Muhammad Ramzan  Muhammad Asif Munir  Nadeem Siddique  Muhammad Asif 《Higher Education》2012,64(1):73-84

Research is an original and systematic investigation undertaken to discover new facts and information about a phenomenon. However a variety of empirical and ethical issues are on the rise in academia, especially plagiarism is quickly becoming part of global educational and research culture. More and more students and researchers are turning to the Internet for cooked solutions and shortcuts for writing assignments, research papers and thesis. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the seriousness of plagiarism amongst graduate and post graduate students of Pakistan. It also explores the university students’ level of awareness of plagiarism. A total of 365 graduate and post graduate students of randomly selected public and private sector universities participated in this exploratory empirical study. A self-reported questionnaire survey was used for collection of primary data. Findings revealed that there was a low level of awareness about plagiarism and university plagiarism policies and processes amongst the students. Findings also revealed that many respondents did not understand what plagiarism is? A significant number of students have fairly admitted that they have intentionally plagiarized written materials. Based on the findings of the study this paper puts forward recommendations to create awareness amongst the students regarding plagiarism, plagiarism policies and provides statistical evidences for formulation of policies and guidelines to combat plagiarism in institutions of higher learning in Pakistan. Furthermore, the paper submits recommendations to minimize the plagiarism based on the authors’ experiences.  相似文献   

An improved technique for global daily sunshine duration estimation using satellite imagery     

Muhammad Ali Shamim  Renji Remesan  Da-wei Han  Naeem Ejaz  Ayub Elahi 《浙江大学学报(A卷英文版)》2012,13(9):717-722

This paper presents an improved model for global sunshine duration estimation. The methodology incorporates geostationary satellite images by including snow cover information, sun and satellite angles and a trend correction factor for seasons, for the determination of cloud cover index. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology has been tested using Meteosat geostationary satellite images in the visible band with a temporal resolution of 1 h and spatial resolution of 2.5 km×2.5 km, for the Brue Catchment in the southwest of England. Validation results show a significant improvement in the estimation of global sunshine duration by the proposed method as compared to its predecessor (R ² is improved from 0.68 to 0.83, root mean squared error (RMSE) from 2.37 h/d to 1.19 h/d and the mean biased error (MBE) from 0.21 h/d to 0.08 h/d). Further studies are needed to test this method in other parts of the world with different climate and geographical conditions.  相似文献   

Attitudes toward Face-to-Face and Online Counseling: Roles of Self-Concealment,Openness to Experience,Loss of Face,Stigma, and Disclosure Expectations among Korean College Students     

Geoff J. Bathje  Eunha Kim  Ellen Rau  Muhammad Adam Bassiouny  Taehoon Kim 《International journal for the advancement of counseling》2014,36(4):408-422

This study examined attitudes toward face-to-face (f2f) and online counseling among 228 Korean college students. In addition, it tested a hypothesized model proposing that general propensities (i.e., self-concealment, openness to experience, and loss of face) would influence counseling-specific expectations (i.e., self-stigma and disclosure expectations), which, in turn, would predict attitudes toward f2f and online counseling. Findings mirrored the results of earlier studies revealing that self-concealment was negatively related to attitudes toward both f2f and online counseling, while openness to experience and disclosure expectations were positively related. However, whereas self-stigma was associated with negative attitudes toward f2f counseling, it was not related to attitudes toward online counseling. In addition, disclosure expectations accounted for f2f attitudes more than online attitudes.  相似文献