Semantic discovery and reuse of business process patterns

Patterns currently play an important role in modern information systems (IS) development and their use has mainly been restricted to the design and implementation phases of the development lifecycle. Given the increasing significance of business modelling in IS development, patterns have the potential of providing a viable solution for promoting reusability of recurrent generalized models in the very early stages of development. As a statement of research-in-progress this paper focuses on business process patterns and proposes an initial methodological framework for the discovery and reuse of business process patterns within the IS development lifecycle. The framework borrows ideas from the domain engineering literature and proposes the use of semantics to drive both the discovery of patterns as well as their reuse

An Exploration of Rural Small Business Owners Experience with Internet Marketing

This qualitative case study explored how rural small business owners make decisions about using internet marketing as a strategy. To understand the small business owner’s experiences, this study uncovered relevant factors influencing the business owner’s during the decision-making process. The general problem to be addressed is the lack of internet marketing used by small business owners. The project focused on rural small business owners in Sumter and Marengo counties in Alabama, to gain their perspective on internet marketing, the impact that a failure to use internet marketing have on their businesses, and the specific factors that influence them not to use or ineffectively use internet marketing. The owners were the primary decision-makers for their business, and the interviews provided the qualitative data used to develop a list of key factors that influence the decision making process in terms of internet marketing. The research methodology permitted a deeper understanding of the factors contributing to the problem and helped identify potential solutions to the problem. The study concludes with recommendations for future research and application to professional practice

Empirical studies in end-user computer-generated music composition systems

Computer music researchers dream of the perfect algorithm, in which the music generated is indistinguishable from, or even superior to, that composed by the world’s most talented composers. However, the fulfilment of this aim remains ambitious. This thesis pursues a different direction, proposing instead that computer-generated music techniques can be used as tools to support human composers, acting as a catalyst for human creativity, rather than a replacement.Computer-generated music remains a challenge. Techniques and systems are abundant, yet there has been little exploration of how these might be useful for end-users looking to compose with generative and algorithmic music techniques. User interfaces for computer-generated music systems are often inaccessible to non-programmers as they frequently neglect established composition workflow and design paradigms that are familiar to composers in the digital age. For this research, the Interactive Generative Music Environment (IGME) was developed for studying interaction and composition; building on the foundations established in modern music sequencing software, whilst integrating various computer-generated music techniques.Three original studies are presented, based on participatory design principles, and evaluated with a mix-methods approach that involved studying end-users engaged with the IGME software. Two studies were group sessions where 54 participants spent an hour with IGME, in either a controlled (lab) environment or remotely as part of a conference workshop. The third study provided users more time with the software, with interactions studied and analysed with the use of screen recording technologies. In total, over 80 hours of interaction data was captured.It was discovered that users need to understand several threshold concepts before engaging with computer-generated music, and have the necessary skills to debug musical problems within the generative output. The ability to do this requires pre-existing knowledge of music theory. The studies support the conclusion that computer-generated music is used more as a catalyst for composition than as a replacement for it.A range of recommendations and requirements for building computer-generated music systems are presented, and summarise the contributions to knowledge, along with signposts for future work

CAN bus technology for agricultural machine management research and undergraduate education

To evaluate each agricultural operation, we need data to measure and monitor the mechanization unit performance. Many systems have been developed to determine tractor performance monitoring and optimization (TPMO), but the majority of these systems were not fully adequate. In 1986, the Mercedes Corporation collaborated with Robert Bosch and developed Controller Area Network (CAN) Bus technology. This technology is a communication system in vehicles and allows connections between multiple Electrical Control Units (ECUs). Currently, the improvement in electronic technology has made field operational management easier to monitor. This new CAN Bus technique is becoming widely used application in agriculture to help farmers determine and improve field efficiency, while decreasing equipment costs using the data obtained from tractors. Prior to CAN Bus, ECUs were developed to make communication between systems easier, faster, and more efficient without using point to point connection. Modern tractors are supplied with monitors to show engine rpm, forward speed, and slip percentage. CAN messages depend on the broadcast system and can be controlled and filtered through dedicated software such as Vector Canoe and CAN Analyzer. These messages are continuously updating information about the engine, power train, equipment, power take off, hydraulic system, and others. The emergence of the new technology of extensive field monitoring and data collection programs has caused many operational practices to be abandoned. For example, in the last century, the need for measuring fuel consumption at each speed, gear shift and to the whole operation has been reduced with the application of the telemetry systems. Also, we can reduce the amount of labor, tools, operational costs and time required. A major purpose for evaluating agricultural machinery is to obtain accurate information and assessment about different agricultural practices. This information provides the operators with feedback that can assist the operator in acquiring and improving the field data, managing limited resources, and acting accordingly. Such data logging systems will help the users of agricultural machinery have a good understanding of performance activities by gathering and saving the data efficiently and make a significant progress in improving performance parameters

Rapid neural processing of grammatical tone in second language learners

The present dissertation investigates how beginner learners process grammatical tone in a second language and whether their processing is influenced by phonological transfer. Paper I focuses on the acquisition of Swedish grammatical tone by beginner learners from a non-tonal language, German. Results show that non-tonal beginner learners do not process the grammatical regularities of the tones but rather treat them akin to piano tones. A rightwards-going spread of activity in response to pitch difference in Swedish tones possibly indicates a process of tone sensitisation. Papers II to IV investigate how artificial grammatical tone, taught in a word-picture association paradigm, is acquired by German and Swedish learners. The results of paper II show that interspersed mismatches between grammatical tone and picture referents evoke an N400 only for the Swedish learners. Both learner groups produce N400 responses to picture mismatches related to grammatically meaningful vowel changes. While mismatch detection quickly reaches high accuracy rates, tone mismatches are least accurately and most slowly detected in both learner groups. For processing of the grammatical L2 words outside of mismatch contexts, the results of paper III reveal early, preconscious and late, conscious processing in the Swedish learner group within 20 minutes of acquisition (word recognition component, ELAN, LAN, P600). German learners only produce late responses: a P600 within 20 minutes and a LAN after sleep consolidation. The surprisingly rapid emergence of early grammatical ERP components (ELAN, LAN) is attributed to less resource-heavy processing outside of violation contexts. Results of paper IV, finally, indicate that memory trace formation, as visible in the word recognition component at ~50 ms, is only possible at the highest level of formal and functional similarity, that is, for words with falling tone in Swedish participants. Together, the findings emphasise the importance of phonological transfer in the initial stages of second language acquisition and suggest that the earlier the processing, the more important the impact of phonological transfer

Increase your personal marketing power : relationship skills for CPAs

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