Digital Commons Network^™

Information Technology And The Future Of Librarianship, Emmanuel Omeiza Momoh

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

There is a growing concern by scholars in the field of library and Information science on the way technology is gradually taking over certain jobs performed by librarians and Information professionals. This may be the reason why many of the scholars have submitted that the discipline of librarianship may cease to exist in a couple of years if nothing is done to solve the problem.

In the light of this, this article seeks to identify ways in which technology has taken over certain aspects of the field of librarianship with the aim of proffering solutions and identifying other means in …

Social Media And Digital Natives, Rose Ojohwoh

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study examined the level of awareness of digital natives of social media platforms and associated issues with digital natives’ viz-a-viz social media platforms. The study adopted the survey method. The population consist of 716 fresh undergraduate students of department of electrical/electronic of three selected Universities in the South-South region of Nigeria namely Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun covering Edo/Delta; University of Port Harcourt covering Rivers/Bayelsa and University of Uyo covering Cross River/Akwa-Ibom States. The study further adopted a sample size of 251 respondents from the population through the use of the National Statistical Service Size Calculator of Australia. …

International Coalition Of Library Consortia (Icolc): Exploring The Diversity And Strength Of Participating Library Consortia, Arshia Ayoub, Sumeera Amin, Zahid Ashraf Wani Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

In this era of Cyberage, the information needs of the users have grown so enormously that no individual library can fulfill their information needs on its own. This has urged the need for cooperation between libraries and information centers for sharing of available resources and information through networking. Thus consortia are considered as a vital move towards library cooperation. A library consortium combines the purchasing power of its members and reduces the repetitive, laborious process of acquiring resources from each member. In a short span of time, numerous consortia have been formed all over the globe. As more and more …

Debut Online Library Registration At The Federal University Of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria, Patrons’ Opinions Survey And The Good News, Olufunmilayo I. Fati

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Introducing a self-service online library registration to a higher educational institution presents an opportunity for technology adoption evaluation, which may be useful to other institutions. This paper presents the experience of the deployment of online library registration built on koha library management software (KLMS), to ‘Nimbe Adedipe Library, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Nigeria. The system was built on Koha Circulation module and before it was commissioned, it was presented to three categories of prospective users for observations. Firstly, to the members of library’s automation department’s staff, then to the library management which also includes the Readers’ Services Librarian, and …

Healthy Lifestyles And Job Performance Of Academics: A Theoretical Perspectives, Idayat Odunola Agboola Mrs, Chinyere Nkechi Ikonne Dr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The health related lifestyle behavior has been neglected in Nigerian Universities and as such causing deaths among the lecturers. Living a healthy lifestyle could reduce heart diseases, blood pressure and diabetes. The study adopted survey method. The population of the study was 5,310 lecturers across the six Federal Universities in South West, Nigeria. From the population, 372 were sampled. Structured questionnaire were used to collect data. From the 372 copies of questionnaire distributed; 278 were returned which gave 75% response rate. Data were analyzed using percentages, mean, standard deviation as well as relationship. Findings revealed that all information gathered on …

Indian Research Output In Immunology And Microbiology 2012-2016: A Scientometric Study, Jyoti Rana Ph.D. Scholar, Rakesh Kumar Bhatt Associate Professor

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Background: The study examines India’s research productivity in immunology and microbiology during 2012-2016, depending on various parameters, including India’s annual average research growth rate, institutional output profile of institutions and profiles of some of the most productive authors.

Aim: The focus of this study is to analyze performance of India’s research output in immunology and microbiology, the quality and productivity of major institutions participating in research in microbiology and immunology and the productivity and quality of leading authors in research in immunology and microbiology.

Methods: The study in the area of immunology and microbiology using 5 years publications data from …

Collaborative Fall Detection Using Smartphone And Kinect, Xue Li, Lanshun Nie, Hanchuan Xu, Xianzhi Wang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Humanfall detection has attracted broad attentions as sensors and mobile devices are increasingly adopted in real-life scenarios such as smart homes. The complexity of activities in home environments pose severe challenges to the fall detection research with respect to the detection accuracy. We propose a collaborative detection platform that combines two subsystems: a threshold-based fall detection subsystem using mobile phones and a support vector machine (SVM)-based fall detection subsystem using Kinects. Both subsystems have their respective confidence models and the platform detects falls by fusing the data of both subsystems using two methods: the logical rules-based and D-S evidence fusion …

A Distributed Intrusion Detection Model Via Nondestructive Partitioning And Balanced Allocation For Big Data, Xiaonian Wu, Chuyun Zhang, Runlian Zhang, Yujue Wang, Jinhua Cui

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

There are two key issues in distributed intrusion detection system, that is, maintaining load balance of system and protecting data integrity. To address these issues, this paper proposes a new distributed intrusion detection model for big data based on nondestructive partitioning and balanced allocation. A data allocation strategy based on capacity and workload is introduced to achieve local load balance, and a dynamic load adjustment strategy is adopted to maintain global load balance of cluster. Moreover, data integrity is protected by using session reassemble and session partitioning. The simulation results show that the new model enjoys favorable advantages such as …

A Generalized Deep Learning-Based Diagnostic System For Early Diagnosis Of Various Types Of Pulmonary Nodules, Ahmed Shaffie, Ahmed Soliman, Luay Fraiwan, Mohammed Ghazal, Fatma Taher, Neal Dunlap, Brian Wang, Victor Van Berkel, Robert Keynton, Adel Elmaghraby, Ayman El-Baz

All Works

© The Author(s) 2018. A novel framework for the classification of lung nodules using computed tomography scans is proposed in this article. To get an accurate diagnosis of the detected lung nodules, the proposed framework integrates the following 2 groups of features: (1) appearance features modeled using the higher order Markov Gibbs random field model that has the ability to describe the spatial inhomogeneities inside the lung nodule and (2) geometric features that describe the shape geometry of the lung nodules. The novelty of this article is to accurately model the appearance of the detected lung nodules using a new …

Media Narratives Of Gender In The Contentious Conservative Age Of Trump, Pam Creedon

All Works

© 2018 Taylor & Francis. Trump’s (s)election 1 has reinvigorated feminism around the globe. He has ignited the fourth wave of feminism - a “rebirth” of the movement for equality, gender equity, and the abolishment of discrimination. 2 Jodi Enda, assistant managing editor for special projects at CNN Politics, described Trump’s election as both the best and worst time for the future of feminism: The election of a president whom detractors view as misogynistic and backward-thinking has done nothing less than spark a wholesale resurgence of feminism. His defeat of the first woman who might have been president - coupled …

Secure Smart Metering Based On Lora Technology, Yao Cheng, Hendra Saputra, Leng Meng Goh, Yongdong Wu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Smart metering allows Substation Automation System (SAS) to remotely and timely read smart meters. Despite its advantages, smart metering brings some challenges. a) It introduces cyber attack risks to the metering system, which may lead to user privacy leakage or even the compromise of smart metering systems. b) Although the majority of meters are located within a regional power supply area, some hard-to-reach nodes are geographically far from the clustered area, which account for a big portion of the entire smart metering operation cost. Facing the above challenges, we propose a secure smart metering infrastructure based on LoRa technology which …

Securing Display Path For Security-Sensitive Applications On Mobile Devices, Jinhua Cui, Yuanyuan Zhang, Zhiping Cai, Anfeng Liu, Yangyang Li

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

While smart devices based on ARM processor bring us a lot of convenience, they also become an attractive target of cyber-attacks. The threat is exaggerated as commodity OSes usually have a large code base and suffer from various software vulnerabilities. Nowadays, adversaries prefer to steal sensitive data by leaking the content of display output by a security-sensitive application. A promising solution is to exploit the hardware visualization extensions provided by modern ARM processors to construct a secure display path between the applications and the display device. In this work, we present a scheme named SecDisplay for trusted display service, it …

Efficient And Privacy-Preserving Outsourced Calculation Of Rational Numbers, Ximeng Liu, Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo, Robert H. Deng, Rongxing Lu, Jian Weng

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this paper, we propose a framework for efficient and privacy-preserving outsourced calculation of rational numbers, which we refer to as POCR. Using POCR, a user can securely outsource the storing and processing of rational numbers to a cloud server without compromising the security of the (original) data and the computed results. We present the system architecture of POCR and the associated toolkits required in the privacy preserving calculation of integers and rational numbers to ensure that commonly used outsourced operations can be handled on-the-fly. We then prove that the proposed POCR achieves the goal of secure integer and rational …

Smartwatch-Based Early Gesture Detection & Trajectory Tracking For Interactive Gesture-Driven Applications, Tran Huy Vu, Archan Misra, Quentin Roy, Kenny Tsu Wei Choo, Youngki Lee

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The paper explores the possibility of using wrist-worn devices (specifically, a smartwatch) to accurately track the hand movement and gestures for a new class of immersive, interactive gesture-driven applications. These interactive applications need two special features: (a) the ability to identify gestures from a continuous stream of sensor data early–i.e., even before the gesture is complete, and (b) the ability to precisely track the hand’s trajectory, even though the underlying inertial sensor data is noisy. We develop a new approach that tackles these requirements by first building a HMM-based gesture recognition framework that does not need an explicit segmentation step, …

Integrated Reward Scheme And Surge Pricing In A Ride Sourcing Market, Hai Yang, Chaoyi Shao, Hai Wang, Jieping Ye

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Surge pricing is commonly used in on-demand ride-sourcing platforms (e.g., Uber, Lyft and Didi) to dynamically balance demand and supply. However, since the price for ride service cannot be unlimited, there is usually a reasonable or legitimate range of prices in practice. Such a constrained surge pricing strategy fails to balance demand and supply in certain cases, e.g., even adopting the maximum allowed price cannot reduce the demand to an affordable level during peak hours. In addition, the practice of surge pricing is controversial and has stimulated long debate regarding its pros and cons. In this paper, to address the …

Paid Parental Leave: An Investigation And Analysis Of Australian Paid Parental Leave Frameworks With Reference To Selected European Oecd Countries, Greg Lynn

Theses

xiii ABSTRACT In 2010, the Australian federal government introduced a national scheme of taxpayer-funded paid parental leave. This legislation was introduced only after much political debate and came after more than 100 years of reform to Australian industrial law to make employment laws work better for employees with families. These reforms occurred on the back of a long history of relatively slow female legal emancipation in Australia and the concept of employment rights for women having children is a relatively new legal concept. Australian employment law has traditionally been conceptualised in terms of the paradigm of ‘the male breadwinner,’ supported …

Real-World Large-Scale Iot Systems For Community Eldercare: A Comparative Study On System Dependability, Hwee-Pink Tan, Austin Zhang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The paradigm of aging-in-place — where the elderly live and age in their own homes, independently and safely, with care provided by the community — is compelling, especially in societies that face both shortages in institutionalized eldercare resources, and rapidly-aging populations. Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies, particularly in-home monitoring solutions, are commercially available, and can be a fundamental enabler of smart community eldercare, if they are dependable. In this paper, we present our findings on system performance of solutions from two vendors, which we have deployed at scale for technology-enabled community care. In particular, we highlight the importance of quantifying actual system …

Assessing The Size Of A Twin-Cylinder Wave Energy Converter Designed For Real Sea-States, Dali Xu, Raphael Stuhlmeier, Michael Stiassnie

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Practical Powerful Wavelet Packet Tests For Second-Order Stationarity, Alessandro Cardinali, Guy P. Nason

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Stochastic Evolutionary-Based Optimization For Rapid Diagnosis And Energy-Saving In Pilot- And Full-Scale Carrousel Oxidation Ditches, L. Li, L. Lei, M. S. Zheng, A. G.L. Borthwick, J. R. Ni

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Maximising The Contributions Of Phd Graduates To National Development: The Case Of The Seychelles, Marina Fatima Confait

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree is the pinnacle of educational attainment and the most respected of the doctoral programs. The degree certifies the holder as an independent researcher, an expert with extensive knowledge about the chosen field of study, and a professional with a wide range of transferable skills . As such, PhD graduates have the capability to make important contributions to knowledge and drive change in society. Furthermore, PhD graduates represent accumulated human capital, a valuable human resource with potential for making significant contributions to a country’s development. This can materialise through enhancing the knowledge of others, performing …

Caught In The Frame: A Critical Analysis Of Australian Media Representations Of The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 2014–2015, Mayyada Mhanna

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Despite the many current conflicts in the Middle East and the world, the Israeli- Palestinian conflict is still one of the most significant conflicts of the modern era. The reasons for this include the history and violence of this conflict and the lack of practical solutions for it. The significance of this conflict is reflected in its prevalence in many disciplines, such as political science and media studies. Related literature shows that Australian media coverage of this conflict has not been investigated thoroughly. Hence, this study attempts to bridge this gap in literature, aiming to identify how Australian media portray …

An Integrated System To Design Machine Layouts For Modular Special Purpose Machines, Uday Hameed Farhan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis introduces the development of an integrated system for the design of layouts for special purpose machines (SPMs). SPMs are capable of performing several machining operations (such as drilling, milling, and tapping) at the same time. They consist of elements that can be arranged in different layouts. Whilst this is a unique feature that makes SPMs modular, a high level of knowledge and experience is required to rearrange the SPM elements in different configurations, and also to select appropriate SPM elements when product demand changes and new layouts are required. In this research, an integrated system for SPM layout …

Using Agricultural Wastes To Treat Lead-Contaminated Water In Western Australia, Hanie Hashtroudi

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Aqueous solutions are becoming increasingly contaminated in all parts of the world (2015). Heavy metals are toxic contaminants that are mainly distributed in urban stormwater run-off and industrial wastewaters as a result of some mining operations, electronic assembly planting, battery manufacturing, and etching operations (Kadirvelu et al. 2001). Pb (II) is a heavy metal that causes significant damage in the human body. Drinking lead-contaminated water even at low concentrations may cause lifethreatening conditions such as cancer, kidney damage, brain damage, and liver problems (El-Said 2010). Therefore, it is necessary to remove lead from aqueous solutions.

Several conventional physical, chemical, and …

How Do National Employment Policies Influence Human Resource Practices? A Comparative Study Of The Integrated Resort And Hotel Industry In Macau And Singapore, Poh Chong Danny Ng

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Asia’s growth in prominence over the last decade is a phenomenon that has seen some governments and international financial institutions defining the twenty-first century as the Asian Century, in which Asia will be the focus of economic growth (Kohli, Sharma & Sood, 2011). The wealth in the major economies of Asia will see an increase in a dominant middle-income group, with strong spending power not only in terms of lifestyle domestically, but also internationally. This group’s quest for the finer things in life will transform the hospitality industry in countries such as Singapore and Macau: both are international metropolises with …

Epidemiological Model Of The Transmission And Spread Of Hepatitis B Pandemic In Ghana, Kwaafo Akoto Awuah-Mensah

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The world's attention to the burden and spread of hepatitis B has increased signicantly in the recent past. A number of interventions by way of treatment and immunisation have been initiated to fight the pandemic, especially in high prevalence regions such as Africa and Asia. Lack of good quality information about hepatitis B is a major hindrance to policy direction and comprehensive implementation of interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa designated as an endemic region. Limited studies on hepatitis B, coupled with lack of adequate health care systems and infrastructure, have led to ignorance or misconceptions and stigmatisation about the disease and …

Evolving Gameplay Elements Into Virtual Terrains, Andrew Pech

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

With advancements in technology, consumers are expecting higher quality and more detailed video game content. This puts a strain on video game companies and their developers as they are required to manually design and create increasingly complex video game content. Procedural content generation can alleviate this burden by using technology to automatically generate video game content, effectively reducing development time and budget. This thesis presents a novel approach towards procedurally generating video game terrains that meet a set of gameplay requirements as specified by the user. This approach uses a genetic algorithm to evolve a set of modifications that, when …

Aid For Trade And Africa’S Trade Performance: Evidence From Bilateral Trade Flows With China And Oecd Countries☆, Adugna Lemi

Journal of African Trade

The optimism surrounding aid for trade (AfT) led scholars and practitioners to probe its link with trade performance of aid-recipient countries in Africa. In the absence of formal evaluation guidelines, most previous studies, using aggregate data, have looked into the impacts of AfT on exports and imports and found results consistent with the stated objectives of AfT. The present study investigates the nature of the link for the case of African countries using disaggregated AfT data from China and OECD member countries. The results show that flows of OECD aid to all sectors and to economic infrastructure have increased both …

Adaptive Dynamic Programming With Eligibility Traces And Complexity Reduction Of High-Dimensional Systems, Seaar Jawad Kadhim Al-Dabooni

Doctoral Dissertations

"This dissertation investigates the application of a variety of computational intelligence techniques, particularly clustering and adaptive dynamic programming (ADP) designs especially heuristic dynamic programming (HDP) and dual heuristic programming (DHP). Moreover, a one-step temporal-difference (TD(0)) and n-step TD (TD(λ)) with their gradients are utilized as learning algorithms to train and online-adapt the families of ADP. The dissertation is organized into seven papers. The first paper demonstrates the robustness of model order reduction (MOR) for simulating complex dynamical systems. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering based on performance evaluation is introduced for MOR. This method computes the reduced order denominator of the transfer …

Behavior And Temporal-Based Effects Of Sustainable Self-Consolidating Concrete In Bridge Structures, Hayder Hussein Alghazali

Doctoral Dissertations

"The main objective of this study was to investigate the performance of sustainable self-consolidating concrete (SCC) for highway bridge structures. Two types of concrete were utilized in this study: high volume fly ash-self consolidating concrete (HVFA-SCC) and high strength-self consolidating concrete (HS-SCC). This dissertation consists of two major parts: a laboratory study developing and investigating the overall performance of HVFA-SCC and a field study of time-dependent field-based behavior of HS-SCC in Bridge A7957 MO, USA. In the first part, an experimental program was conducted to develop a new class of SCC incorporating up to 70% cement replacement with fly ash. …