Privacy-friendly User Location Tracking with Smart Devices: The BeaT Prototype

Customers use smart devices to share their location data with service providers to co-create personalized, location-based services. However, mobile apps that record movement profiles not only yield value-added service but also bear potential for abuse. Especially apps utilizing GPS-based tracking pose a privacy risk because they could–once enabled–unnoticeably record data in private situations. In response, we developed a privacy-friendly solution, called BeaT, that tracks user locations without GPS and gives users full control over the time and scope of data collection. We leverage Bluetooth Beacon technology to confine the perimeter in which tracking takes place. This paper presents the requirements, algorithmic design, prototypical implementation, real-world use case, and evaluation setting for BeaT

Exploring Audience’s Attitudes Towards Machine Learning-based Automation in Comment Moderation

Digital technologies, particularly the internet, led to unprecedented opportunities to freely inform oneself, debate, and share thoughts. However, the reduced level of control through traditional gatekeepers such as journalists alsoled to a surge in problematic (e.g., fake news), straight-up abusive, and hateful content (e.g., hate speech). Being under ethical and often legal pressures, many operators of platforms respond to the onslaught of abusive user-generated content by introducing automated, machine learning-enabled moderation tools. Even though meant to protect online audiences, such systems have massive implications regarding free speech, algorithmic fairness, and algorithmic transparency. We set forth to present a large-scale survey experiment that aims at illuminating how the degree of transparency influences the commenter’s acceptance of the machine-made decision, dependent on its outcome. With the presented study design, we seek to determine the necessary amount of transparency needed for automated comment moderation to be accepted by commenters

Fast and Federal—Policies for Next-Generation Federalism in Germany

Federalism and e-government are important to many countries across the globe but come up with two contradicting characteristics that are especially existent in Germany. First, citizens and businesses want to receive e-government services easily but the identification of government entities that are responsible for service delivery in federal states is difficult. Second, e-government has to react to fast developments but decision-making is distributed and rather slow in federal states. To address the area of tension between federalism and e-government, we suggest seven polices that raise internal efficiency and external simplicity of federalism in Germany. We transfer existing policies of e-government literature and practice to our research problem in the course of discussions in a research group of five people. The policies are evaluated in semi-structured interviews with eleven leaders from the German government. The evaluation reveals the appropriateness of the policies to address the issues of federalism in e-government

Mirroring E-service for Brick and Mortar Retail: An Assessment and Survey

The digital transformation increasingly impacts the competitive retail market structure in favor of e-commerce and digital business models, while many Brick and Mortar (BaM) retailers are struggling to meet customers’ expectations. Supported by the customer adaption of e-commerce and digital technologies, this paper applies the lens of channel complementary theory to BaM. We examine, which e-service touchpoints from e-commerce can be transferred to the physical servicescape of BaM retail to complement customer journeys. Drawing from the dominant design theory, we first assess leading e-commerce solutions to identify dominant e-service touchpoints, which are then mirrored for their application in BaM retail. Second, we surveyed 250 shoppers to elicit the likeliness of use regarding these touchpoints. Our results provide a foundation for both academia and retail to advance the knowledge of relevant e-service touchpoints in BaM

The role of personal relationships in supply chain risk information sharing : perspectives from buyers and suppliers of logistics services

BACKGROUND: The frequent occurrence of supply chain disruptions highlights the importance of sharing supply chain risk information (SCRI) among buyers and suppliers in third-party logistics (3PL) services. Business relationships and long-term collaboration among supply chain partners (SCP), such as 3PLs and their clients, lead to the sharing of SCRI. Risk information sharing (RIS) cannot be effectively carried out unless these relationships are based on more than just transactional information sharing. Therefore, a better understanding is needed of how personal relationships influence RIS among these partners. AIM: The purpose of this study was to explore the role of personal relationships in supply chain RIS from the perspective of buyers and suppliers in 3PL services in South Africa. SETTING: The study was conducted among buyers and suppliers in 3PL services in South Africa. METHOD: A generic qualitative research approach was followed to conduct 18 semi-structured interviews with senior managers, employed by buyers and suppliers of 3PL services. FINDINGS: A personal relationship among buyers and suppliers of logistics services is the cornerstone to ensure that risk information is shared effectively. Accountability, reliability, and approachability are the main behavioural attributes required to ensure RIS among SCPs. Supply chain partners struggle to determine where the boundaries of a personal relationship lie, especially when risk information is shared. The most common mitigation strategies, when dealing with RIS, are the use of a code of conduct, a code of ethics and a standard non-disclosure agreement (NDA). CONCLUSION: The study provides insight into the role of personal relationships in supply chain RIS, the behavioural attributes required for RIS, and the challenges associated with RIS when a personal relationship is present. The study is, arguably, among the first empirical studies in the South African logistics services context to investigate the role of personal relationships in supply chain RIS.http://www.sajems.orgBusiness Managemen

System Identification Method for Brake Particle Emission Measurements of Passenger Car Disc Brakes on a Dynamometer

Besides particulate emissions from engine exhausts, which are already regulated by emission standards, passenger car disc brakes are a source of particulate matter. With the current car fleet it is estimated that up to 21% of the total traffic related PM10 emissions in urban environments originate from brake wear and reduction of brake dust emissions is subject of current research. For the purpose of reducing brake dust emissions by choosing low-emission operating points of the disc brake, the knowledge of the emission behavior depending on brake pressure, wheel speed, temperature and friction history is of interest. According to the current state of research, theoretical white box modeling of the emission behavior is complicated due to the complexity of tribological contact between pad and disc. Thus experimental black box modeling is supposed to describe emission behavior. In order to minimize the influence of disturbances and therefore to improve prediction accuracy of such empirical models, system identification methods based on periodical test signals, such as brake pressure sine, are used for this application. To adopt these test signals, which are established in transfer function measurements, to the application of brake particle measurements and to develop an experimental design, system theoretical quantities, such as cutoff frequency, signal to noise ratio and hysteresis, are determined in dynamometer tests. Therefore measurements of the system’s response to step and sine test signals are analyzed. System identification is executed and the applicability of periodical test signals to brake particle measurements is proven

A novel approach towards skill-based search and services of Open Educational Resources

Ha, K.-H., Niemann, K., Schwertel, U., Holtkamp, P., Pirkkalainen, H., Börner, D. et al (2011). A novel approach towards skill-based search and services of Open Educational Resources. In E. Garcia-Barriocanal, A. Öztürk, & M. C. Okur (Eds.), Metadata and Semantics Research: 5th International Conference MTSR 2011 (pp. 312-323), Izmir, Turkey, October 12-14, 2011. Springer.Open educational resources (OER) have a high potential to address the growing need for training materials in management education and training. Today, a high number of OER in management are already available in a large number of repositories. However, users face barriers as they have to search repository by repository with different interfaces to retrieve the appropriate learning content. In addition, the use of search criteria related to skills, such as learning objectives and skill-levels is not generally supported. The European co-funded project OpenScout addresses these barriers by intelligently connecting leading European OER repositories and providing federated, skillbased search and retrieval web services. On top of this content federation the project supports users with easy-to-apply tools that will accelerate the (re-) use of open content

D1.1 Analysis Report on Federated Infrastructure and Application Profile

Kawese, R., Fisichella, M., Deng, F., Friedrich, M., Niemann, K., Börner, D., Holtkamp, P., Hun-Ha, K., Maxwell, K., Parodi, E., Pawlowski, J., Pirkkalainen, H., Rodrigo, C., & Schwertel, U. (2010). D1.1 Analysis Report on Federated Infrastructure and Application Profile. OpenScout project deliverable.The present deliverable aims to report on functionalities of the first step of the described process. In other words, the deliverable describes how the consortium will gather the learning objects metadata, centralize the access to existing learning resources and form a suitable application profile which will contribute to a proper and suitable modeling, retrieval and presentation of the required information (regarding the learning objects) to the interested users. The described approach is the foundation for the federated, skill-based search and learning object retrieval. The deliverable focuses on reporting the analysis of the available repositories and the best infrastructure that can support OpenScout’s initiative. The deliverable explains the motivations behind the chosen infrastructure based on the study of available information and previous research and literature.The work on this publication has been sponsored by the OpenScout (Skill based scouting of open user-generated and community-improved content for management education and training) Targeted Project that is funded by the European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme. Contract ECP-2008-EDU-42801

Report and preliminary results of SONNE cruise SO175, Miami - Bremerhaven, 12.11 - 30.12.2003 : (GAP, Gibraltar Arc Processes)

Expedition SO175 using FS Sonne aimed for a multidisciplinerary geoscientific approach with an international group of researchers. Methods covered the entire span from geophysical data acquisition (seafloor mapping, echography, seismic reflection), sediment coring at sites of active fluid venting, in situ heat flow measurements across the entire length of the Gibraltar thrust wedge, the deformation front, landslide bodies, and mud volcanoes, and finally the deployment of a long-term pore pressure probe. Video-supported operations helped to identify fluid vent sites, regions with tectonic activity, and other attractive high priority targets. Qualitative and quantitative examinations took place on board and are continued on land with respect to pore pressure variation, geomicrobiology, sediment- and fluid mobilization, geochemical processes, faunal assemblages (e.g. cold water corals), and gas hydrates (flammable methane-ice-crystals). Main focus of the expedition has been a better understanding of interaction between dynamic processes in a seismically active region region with slow plate convergence. In the context of earthquake nucleation and subduction zone processes, the SO175 research programme had a variety of goals, such as: • To test the frictional behaviour of the abyssal plain sediments. • To explore the temperature field of the 1755 thrust earthquake event via heat flow measurements. • To assess the role of fluid venting and gas hydrate processes control slope stability and mud volcanic activity along the Iberian continental margin. • To measure isotope geochemistry of pore waters and carbonates of deep fluids. • To quantify microbial activity in Gibraltar wedge sediments. • To test whether microseismicity in the area corresponds to in situ pore pressure changes. • To find out if enhanced heat flow max be indicative of active subduction. Initial tentative results during the cruise suggest that there is a component of active thrusting at the base of the wedge, as attested by heat flow data. Based on mostly geochemical evidence, mud volcanism was found less active than previously assumed. Highlights from post-cruise research include the successful deployment of the long-term station and high frictional resistance of all incoming sediment on the three abyssal plains