Knowledge Based Diffusion - A Case Study Experience

This paper builds upon the previous research of Beynon-Davies and Williams (2003) and their knowledge-based model of the diffusion of Information Systems Development Methods (ISDMs). Through the lens of the implementation of a UK government IS development project we consider how a Rapid Application Development approach was unbundled and contextualized and highlight the problems experienced. We further reflect how evidence from this empirical case confirms the efficacy of many of the elements of the diffusion model and suggest a number of directions for extending this framework, enabling better understanding of the practical application of ISDMs within organizations

System Dynamics Modeling Of Ict Diffusion

IS scholars have been studying the diffusion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for some time now and certain research methods have emerged as the dominant ones in this body of literature. In this paper, we first note these methods citing representative studies and then present an alternate approach to studying ICT diffusion using systems dynamics (SD). Any diffusion, by nature, is a temporal phenomenon. The essence of SD is to uncover the underlying network of cause-effect relationships that is generating a temporally evolving behaviour. Thus it is a natural for studying ICT diffusion, particularly when diffusion is driven by complex interactions among contextual variables. SD has not received much attention in the ICT diffusion literature, but this method has strengths that complement those of the other methods currently in common use, thereby enhancing our understanding of the phenomenon. The characteristics of SD also make it particularly appropriate for studying ICT diffusion in the Pacific Asia region which is characterized by substantial differences in contextual variables that drive ICT diffusion, such as literacy rates, economic development and infrastructure sophistication, besides having wide diversity in cultural norms

Algebraic Multigrid for the Multi-Ion Transport and Reaction Model - A Physics-Aware Approach

Electrochemical processes are essential in the manufacturing of a very broad range of products. The multi-ion transport and reaction model (MITReM) is used to simulate such electrochemical processes. The governing partial differential equations (PDEs) are discretized in space by a combined finite element and residual-distribution scheme. The discrete system is linearized with Newtons method which results in a series of linear systems. The focus of this work is on the development of a stable and efficient point-based algebraic multigrid (PAMG) method for the solution of the linear systems which arise in the MITReM simulation. The new PAMG approach makes use of physics-aware smoothing and coarse-grid correction techniques. This means that it, explicitly, takes important physical propertie s of the PDE system into account. We introduce a reordering framework which makes it possible to use physics-oriented matrix-based measures for strength of connectivity to derive application-specific point orderings for smoothing. The frameworks generality not only allows the determination of suited permutations of the variables for the electrochemical simulations considered, but also for other convection- and/or migration-dominated simulation tasks. We introduce a heuristic Peclet number to locate areas causing numerical difficulties within the hierarchy of the algebraic multigrid (AMG) method for scalar PDEs as well as systems of PDEs. We investigate several coarse-grid correction techniques which take this information into account and show results for the convection-diffusion equation, the migration-diffusion system and the MITReM. We motivate the use of the physics-aware PAMG components and apply the approach for a range of geometries and chemical setups with scientific and industrial relevance. Our numerical experiments illustrate, in particular, that physical properties of the underlying problem have to explicitly be considered for constructing efficient and robust AMG-based methods

Finnish consumers' expectations on developments and changes in payment habits. Survey in connection with the research project 'Finnish payment habits 2010'

The Bank of Finland’s Finnish Payment Habits 2010 project predicts that Finnish payment habits will face substantial changes. The causes for these changes include: the standardisation and integration of European payment systems, development of payment services-related legislation and regulation at EU level, changes in payment services-related cost factors and pricing, and new opportunities offered by technological advances. The last few years have seen a surge in new payment instruments and services. Increasing reliance on information and communication technology is characteristic to the development of these payment instruments, the vast majority of which have however failed to entice consumers. To increase our understanding of changes in payment patterns, this report analyses consumer needs, tastes and payment habits as new payment systems are adopted. Research data was collected in September 2005 using a mail-survey covering the central payment methods and addressed to 2,000 randomly-sampled Finnish consumers. According to our findings, security and trustworthiness are the most important characteristics of any new payment instrument. Other essential characteristics are the ability to produce good transaction-related information, compatibility with shopping and payment habits, accessibility, ease of use, time and cost savings, as well as time and place independence. New payment instruments – electronic billing and paying for shopping by mobile phone – are not likely to supersede conventional payment methods by 2010 when judged by the aforementioned characteristics: Trust and cost factors do not separate consumers well-disposed towards electronic bills and mobile payments from those set against these payment methods. A relatively restricted group of differentiating factors was found. Ease of use is a common differentiating factor for both electronic bills and mobile payments adoption. Additionally, accessibility is a differentiating characteristic in mobile payments adoption.payment habits; payment services to consumers; consumer behaviour; diffusion of innovations; theory of planned behaviour (TPB)

Exploiting Semantics for Filtering and Searching Knowledge in a Software Development Context

Software development is still considered a bottleneck for SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) in the advance of the Information Society. Usually, SMEs store and collect a large number of software textual documentation; these documents might be profitably used to facilitate them in using (and re-using) Software Engineering methods for systematically designing their applications, thus reducing software development cost. Specific and semantics textual filtering/search mechanisms, supporting the identification of adequate processes and practices for the enterprise needs, are fundamental in this context. To this aim, we present an automatic document retrieval method based on semantic similarity and Word Sense Disambiguation (WSD) techniques. The proposal leverages on the strengths of both classic information retrieval and knowledge-based techniques, exploiting syntactical and semantic information provided by general and specific domain knowledge sources. For any SME, it is as easily and generally applicable as are the search techniques offered by common enterprise Content Management Systems (CMSs). Our method was developed within the FACIT-SME European FP-7 project, whose aim is to facilitate the diffusion of Software Engineering methods and best practices among SMEs. As shown by a detailed experimental evaluation, the achieved effectiveness goes well beyond typical retrieval solutions

Evaluating the Stability of Double Emulsions—A Review of the Measurement Techniques for the Systematic Investigation of Instability Mechanisms

Double emulsions are very promising for various applications in pharmaceutics, cosmetics, and food. Despite lots of published research, only a few products have successfully been marketed due to immense stability problems. This review describes approaches on how to characterize the stability of double emulsions. The measurement methods are used to investigate the influence of the ingredients or the process on the stability, as well as of the environmental conditions during storage. The described techniques are applied either to double emulsions themselves or to model systems. The presented analysis methods are based on microscopy, rheology, light scattering, marker detection, and differential scanning calorimetry. Many methods for the characterization of double emulsions focus only on the release of the inner water phase or of a marker encapsulated therein. Analysis methods for a specific application rarely give information on the actual mechanism, leading to double emulsion breakage. In contrast, model systems such as simple emulsions, microfluidic emulsions, or single-drop experiments allow for a systematic investigation of diffusion and coalescence between the individual phases. They also give information on the order of magnitude in which they contribute to the failure of the overall system. This review gives an overview of various methods for the characterization of double emulsion stability, describing the underlying assumptions and the information gained. With this review, we intend to assist in the development of stable double emulsion-based products

Factors Influencing the Efficacy of Agile Usage

Agile techniques that utilize iterative development are broadly used in various industry projects as a lightweight development technique which can satisfy the continuous changes of requirements. Short repetitions are used that are required for efficient product delivery. Traditional and old software development methods are not much efficient and effective to control the rapid change in requirements. Despite the benefits of Agile, criticism on agile methodology states that it couldn’t succeed to pay attention to architectural and design issues and therefore is bound to produce small design-decisions. The past decade has observed numerous changes in systems development with many organizations accepting agile techniques as a viable methodology for developing systems. An increase in the number of research studies reveals the growing demand and acceptance of agile methodologies. While most research has focused on acceptance rate and adaptation of agile practices, there is very limited knowledge of their post-adoption usage and incorporation within organizations. Several factors explain the effective usage of agile methodologies. A combination of previous research in Agile Methodologies, Diffusion of Innovations, Information Systems implementation, and Systems Development has been carried out to develop a research model that identifies the main factors relevant to the propagation and effective usage of agile methodologies in organizations

Epidemic spreading with awareness and different time scales in multiplex networks

One of the major issues in theoretical modeling of epidemic spreading is the development of methods to control the transmission of an infectious agent. Human behavior plays a fundamental role in the spreading dynamics and can be used to stop a disease from spreading or to reduce its burden, as individuals aware of the presence of a disease can take measures to reduce their exposure to contagion. In this paper, we propose a mathematical model for the spread of diseases with awareness in complex networks. Unlike previous models, the information is propagated following a generalized Maki-Thompson rumor model. Flexibility on the timescale between information and disease spreading is also included. We verify that the velocity characterizing the diffusion of information awareness greatly influences the disease prevalence. We also show that a reduction in the fraction of unaware individuals does not always imply a decrease of the prevalence, as the relative timescale between disease and awareness spreading plays a crucial role in the systems' dynamics. This result is shown to be independent of the network topology. We finally calculate the epidemic threshold of our model, and show that it does not depend on the relative timescale. Our results provide a new view on how information influence disease spreading and can be used for the development of more efficient methods for disease control

A web information system for the management and the dissemination of Cultural Heritage data.

Safeguarding and exploiting Cultural Heritage induce the production of numerous and heterogeneous data. The management of these data is an essential task for the use and the diffusion of the information gathered on the field. Previously, the data handling was a hand-made task done thanks to efficient and experienced methods. Until the growth of computer science, other methods have been carried out for the digital preservation and treatment of Cultural Heritage information. The development of computerized data management systems to store and make use of archaeological datasets is then a significant task nowadays. Especially for sites that have been excavated and worked without computerized means, it is now necessary to put all the data produced onto computer. This allows preservation of the information digitally (in addition with the paper documents) and offers new exploitation possibilities, like the immediate connection of different kinds of data for analyses, or the digital documentation of the site for its improvement. Geographical Information Systems have proved their potentialities in this scope, but they are not always adapted to the management of features at the scale of a particular archaeological site. Therefore this paper aims to present the development of a Virtual Research Environment dedicated to the exploitation of intra-site Cultural Heritage data. The Information System produced is based on open-source software modules dedicated to the Internet, so users can avoid being software driven and can register and consult data from different computers. The system gives the opportunity to do exploratory analyses of the data, especially at spatial and temporal levels. The system is compliant to every kind of Cultural Heritage site and allows management of diverse types of data. Some experimentation has been done on sites managed by the Service of the National Sites and Monuments of Luxembourg