Processing Structured Hypermedia : A Matter of Style

With the introduction of the World Wide Web in the early nineties, hypermedia has become the uniform interface to the wide variety of information sources available over the Internet. The full potential of the Web, however, can only be realized by building on the strengths of its underlying research fields. This book describes the areas of hypertext, multimedia, electronic publishing and the World Wide Web and points out fundamental similarities and differences in approaches towards the processing of information. It gives an overview of the dominant models and tools developed in these fields and describes the key interrelationships and mutual incompatibilities. In addition to a formal specification of a selection of these models, the book discusses the impact of the models described on the software architectures that have been developed for processing hypermedia documents. Two example hypermedia architectures are described in more detail: the DejaVu object-oriented hypermedia framework, developed at the VU, and CWI's Berlage environment for time-based hypermedia document transformations

Processing Structured Hypermedia - A Matter of Style

Vliet, J.C. van [Promotor]Eliens, A. [Copromotor

A framework for the visualisation and control of ubiquitous devices, services and digital content

The General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has developed a special feeding program for the students at its institutions. The effects of this program on the nutritional and health status of these students have not been evaluated yet, and since no published dietary research has been performed on Technical and Vocational young adult male students, the present work was undertaken to investigate the nutritional status of this community in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. After a pilot survey, it was decided to use a selfcompleted questionnaire combined with personal interview to investigate the nutritional status of 690 students randomly selected from the study population. Dietary data was collected by two methods: usual weekly intakes "diet history" and actual daily intakes "diet diary". The nutrient intakes were calculated using the unilever Dietary Analysis Program (UNIDAP). The statistical Package for the social Science (SPSS/PC+) was employed to analyse the data; statistical significance of relationships between certain sets of data was determined by chi-square analysis. Some general factors affecting the nutritional status of these students were identified, their nutritional habits and attitudes were investigated, and the average daily intakes of energy, the macronutrients, and selected micronutrients were calculated. The main results of this study shows that the majority of the study population are adolescent, moderately active individuals, and have lower than the standard range of the Body Mass Index; anaemia is the most stated health problem; meal-skipping and eating between meals are common habits amongst the students. Regarding nutrient intake, there was an energy, polyunsaturated fat, and vitamin C deficiency; adequate intake of saturated fat, dietary fibre, retinol, and zinc; more than adequate intake of protein, total fat, cholesterol, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, and iron. Recommendations are given which aim to improve the nutrition of technical and vocational students

Computer Science's Digest Volume 2

This series of textbooks was created for the students of the Systems Engineering Program at the University of Nariño. They have been intentionally written in English to promote reading in a foreign language. The textbooks are a collection of reflections and workshops on specific situations in the field of computer science, based on the authors’ experiences. The main purpose of these textbooks is essentially academic. The way in which the reflections and workshops were constructed follows a didactic structure, to facilitate teaching and learning, making use of English as a second language. This book covers Internet and Multimedia Technology, System Analysis and Design, and Software Engineerin

Methodologies for distributed and higher dimensional geographic information

PhD ThesisIn today's digital era, cartography has changed its role, from that of a pure visual model of the Earth's surface, to an interface to other spatial and aspatial information. Along with this, representationa nd manipulation of graphical information in three-dimensional space is required for many applications. Problems and difficulties must be overcome in order to facilitate the move to three-dimensional models, multimedia, and distributed data. Can accurate measurements, at sufficient resolution, and using affordable resources be obtained? Will application software usefully process, in all aspects, models of the real world, sounds, and videos? Combined with this, the workplace is becoming distributed, requiring applications and data that can be used across the globe as easily as in the office. A distributed, three-dimensional, GIS is required with all the procedural and recording functionality of current two-dimensional systems. Such a GIS would maintain a model, typically comprised of solids of individual buildings, roads, utilities etc. with both external and internal detail, represented on a suitable digital terrain model. This research examines virtual reality software as part of an answer. Alternatively, can technologies such as HTML, VRML, and scripting, along with object-orientation and open systems, allow for the display and interrogation of networked data sets? The particular application of this technology, considered during this research, is the need for accurate reconstruction of historical urban monuments. The construction, manipulation, and exploration of these models is often referred to as virtual heritage. This research constructs an innovative and resource effective methodology, the Phoenix algorithm, which requires only a single image for creating three-dimensional models of buildings at large scale. The development of this algorithm is discussed and the results obtained from it are compared with those obtained using traditional three-dimensional capture techniques. Furthermore, possible solutions to the earlier questions are given and discussed

MediaSync: Handbook on Multimedia Synchronization

This book provides an approachable overview of the most recent advances in the fascinating field of media synchronization (mediasync), gathering contributions from the most representative and influential experts. Understanding the challenges of this field in the current multi-sensory, multi-device, and multi-protocol world is not an easy task. The book revisits the foundations of mediasync, including theoretical frameworks and models, highlights ongoing research efforts, like hybrid broadband broadcast (HBB) delivery and users' perception modeling (i.e., Quality of Experience or QoE), and paves the way for the future (e.g., towards the deployment of multi-sensory and ultra-realistic experiences). Although many advances around mediasync have been devised and deployed, this area of research is getting renewed attention to overcome remaining challenges in the next-generation (heterogeneous and ubiquitous) media ecosystem. Given the significant advances in this research area, its current relevance and the multiple disciplines it involves, the availability of a reference book on mediasync becomes necessary. This book fills the gap in this context. In particular, it addresses key aspects and reviews the most relevant contributions within the mediasync research space, from different perspectives. Mediasync: Handbook on Multimedia Synchronization is the perfect companion for scholars and practitioners that want to acquire strong knowledge about this research area, and also approach the challenges behind ensuring the best mediated experiences, by providing the adequate synchronization between the media elements that constitute these experiences

Interface Fantasies and Futures: Designing Human-Computer Relations in the Shadow of Memex

This dissertation is about how designers, experimental writers, and innovative thinkers have imagined both computer interfaces and the human/machine relations that might emerge through engagement with different kinds of interfaces. Although futuristic thinking about digital media and their interfaces has changed over time, we can isolate some constants that have persisted through almost all mainstream practices of interface design, particularly in American culture. Drawing from a historical trajectory that I associate with Vannevar Bush and his speculative invention, which he called “memex” in a 1945 essay, I name these constants sterilization and compartmentalization. They are two tendencies or values that I identify in mid-20th-century dreams of mastering information spaces by mastering their interfaces. My project shows how individuals and groups have reinforced or resisted these values in the engineering and design of computer interfaces, both speculative and real. The urge to sterilize and compartmentalize computers has directly and indirectly shaped what we expect and demand from our computers (and the things we make with them) today, and these values trace the horizon of what human-computer relations could be possible in the future

Digital Poetry: Comparative Textual Performances in Trans-medial Spaces

This study extends work on notions of space and performance developed by media and poetry theorists. I particularly analyze how contemporary technologies re-define the writing space of digital poetry making by investigating the configuration and the function of this space in the writing of the digital poem. Thus, I employ David Jay Bolter's concept of "topographic" digital writing and propose the term "trans-medial" space to describe the computer space in which the digital poem exists, emerges, and is experienced. With origins in Italian Futurism, the literary avant-garde of the first half of twentieth century, digital poetry extends the creative repertoire of this experimental poetry tradition using computers in the composition, generation, or presentation of texts. Because these poems convey a perception of space as changeable and multiple (made of computer screen and code spaces), this "trans-medial" space is both self-transformative (forms itself as it self-transforms) and transforming (transforms what it contains). Media scholars such as Espen Aarseth and Stephanie Strickland often explain how computer programming makes such digital works become sites of encounter between agencies such as author, text, or readers. Conversely, I show that this "trans-medial" space is also a mediating agent in the performance of the text along with its readers in the sense that it engages in and with the performance of text. I examine three forms of digital poetry: Gianni Toti's video-poetry, Caterina Davinio's net-poetry, and Loss Pequeno Glazier's JavaScript-based poetry. These Italian and United States poet-scholars are leading figures in digital poetry. As scholars, they articulate the theoretical frameworks of this genre in landmark anthologies. As poets, their digital works are similar in that they are indebted to Italian Futurism; and yet they represent distinct visions of and about poetry in new media spaces. I use their works to think through video-graphic spaces, networked spaces, and scripting spaces as expressions of trans-medial space. In this respect, my comparative analysis opens up new venues for the reading of digital poetry by re-fashioning the concept and the function of the writing space of our digitized world

Cooperating broadcast and cellular conditional access system for digital television

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.The lack of interoperability between Pay‐TV service providers and a horizontally integrated business transaction model have compromised the competition in the Pay‐TV market. In addition, the lack of interactivity with customers has resulted in high churn rate and improper security measures have contributed into considerable business loss. These issues are the main cause of high operational costs and subscription fees in the Pay‐TV systems. This paper presents a novel end‐to‐end system architecture for Pay‐TV systems cooperating mobile and broadcasting technologies. It provides a cost‐effective, scalable, dynamic and secure access control mechanism supporting converged services and new business opportunities in Pay‐TV systems. It enhances interactivity, security and potentially reduces customer attrition and operational cost. In this platform, service providers can effectively interact with their customers, personalise their services and adopt appropriate security measures. It breaks up the rigid relationship between a viewer and set‐top box as imposed by traditional conditional access systems, thus, a viewer can fully enjoy his entitlements via an arbitrary set‐top box. Having thoroughly considered state‐of‐the‐art technologies currently being used across the world, the thesis highlights novel use cases and presents the full design and implementation aspects of the system. The design section is enriched by providing possible security structures supported thereby. A business collaboration structure is proposed, followed by a reference model for implementing the system. Finally, the security architectures are analysed to propose the best architecture on the basis of security, complexity and set‐top box production cost criteria

Holoscopic 3D imaging and display technology: Camera/ processing/ display

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonHoloscopic 3D imaging “Integral imaging” was first proposed by Lippmann in 1908. It has become an attractive technique for creating full colour 3D scene that exists in space. It promotes a single camera aperture for recording spatial information of a real scene and it uses a regularly spaced microlens arrays to simulate the principle of Fly’s eye technique, which creates physical duplicates of light field “true 3D-imaging technique”. While stereoscopic and multiview 3D imaging systems which simulate human eye technique are widely available in the commercial market, holoscopic 3D imaging technology is still in the research phase. The aim of this research is to investigate spatial resolution of holoscopic 3D imaging and display technology, which includes holoscopic 3D camera, processing and display. Smart microlens array architecture is proposed that doubles spatial resolution of holoscopic 3D camera horizontally by trading horizontal and vertical resolutions. In particular, it overcomes unbalanced pixel aspect ratio of unidirectional holoscopic 3D images. In addition, omnidirectional holoscopic 3D computer graphics rendering techniques are proposed that simplify the rendering complexity and facilitate holoscopic 3D content generation. Holoscopic 3D image stitching algorithm is proposed that widens overall viewing angle of holoscopic 3D camera aperture and pre-processing of holoscopic 3D image filters are proposed for spatial data alignment and 3D image data processing. In addition, Dynamic hyperlinker tool is developed that offers interactive holoscopic 3D video content search-ability and browse-ability. Novel pixel mapping techniques are proposed that improves spatial resolution and visual definition in space. For instance, 4D-DSPM enhances 3D pixels per inch from 44 3D-PPIs to 176 3D-PPIs horizontally and achieves spatial resolution of 1365 × 384 3D-Pixels whereas the traditional spatial resolution is 341 × 1536 3D-Pixels. In addition distributed pixel mapping is proposed that improves quality of holoscopic 3D scene in space by creating RGB-colour channel elemental images