JAQM Volume 5, Issue 4 - December 30, 2010

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Contents

Security Evaluation in Collaborative M-Learning Systems (p )
Paul POCATILU, Cristian CIUREA, Mihai DOINEA

The paper analyses the security issues related to m-learning applications. The collaborative systems are classified, emphasizing on collaborative systems from the mobile learning field. The security of informatics applications is analyzed inside an m-learning system in order to reveal vulnerabilities of different applications. M-learning applications are tested in order to discover possible security vulnerabilities. Metrics are built to measure the security level of each application and to achieve the security assessment of collaborative-learning systems.

Secure Architecture for Automatic Ticketing Systems - Online Enabled (p )
Cristian TOMA

The paper presents a solution for endcoding/decoding access to the subway public transportation systems and the quantitative indicators about the validation process. First part of the paper is dedicated through section one to the most used 2D barcodes used in the market – QR and DataMatrix. The sample for DataMatrix is author propietary. The section two presents MMS and Digital Rights Management topics used for issuing the 2D barcodes tickets. The second part of the paper, starting with section three shows the architecture of Subway Ticketing Systems and the proposed procedure for the ticket issuing and the validation tests. The conclusions identify trends of the security topics in the public transportation systems.

Quality-Quantity Paradigm in Assisted Instruction (p )
Gabriel ZAMFIR

The purpose of this article is to introduce and develop an approach educational research oriented, in order to integrate assisted instruction in assisted didactics design, based on a quality-quantity paradigm. In this context, the analysis focuses on a methodological approach, permanently reframed by the conceptual, analytical and theoretical updated frameworks. This manner reflects the versioning process of the hardware and software development, and highlights the educational technology concept integrated in a classical teaching-learning activity.

Considerations about Computer Networks Security under Various Operating Systems (p )
Nicolae Radu MARSANU, Claudiu SICHITIU, George SICHITIU

Importance of security issues in computer networks has increased with the expansion of electronic data processing and transmission via the network. When operating on confidential information, it is important that the benefits of sharing and communication of a computer network to be supported by substantial security facilities. This is essential given that computer networks have come to be used including the development of banking, shopping or fees. Following the implementation of security mechanisms in a computer network, information can not be accessed or intercepted by unauthorized people (or curious, possibly even malicious) and will prevent falsification of transmitted information or illegal use of certain services.

Testing and Security in Distributed Econometric Applications Reengineering via Software Evolution (p )
Cosmin TOMOZEI, Bogdan PATRUT

The objective of this paper is to present the results gathered in research, regarding the testing and the security assurance as key components of distributed econometric applications reengineering. Consequently, the testing and security procedures will be formally shown in order to bring into light the robustness and stability of econometric applications reengineering. The W model for software testing in reengineering will be as well exposed as one of the contributions. Agility and iterative features of software reengineering are to be mentioned, with the intention of revealing their use during the lifecycle.

A Model for the Ex-Ante U.K. Stock Market Risk Premium (p )
Ramaprasad BHAR, Carl CHIARELLA

We propose a model for the aggregate stock market together with its dividend yield and earnings yield so that the ex-ante risk premium could be extracted in an unobserved component modelling framework. We posit the model as a linked stochastic differential equation system and the linking variable is the ex-ante risk premium. By hypothesising a realistic dynamic structure for the ex-ante risk premium, we demonstrate how such a system could be estimated as a filtering problem. As a practical demonstration of the methodology we apply the model to the U.K. stock market data.

Rating Scale Optimization in Survey Research: An Application of the Rasch Rating Scale Model (p )
Kenneth D. ROYAL, Amanda ELLIS, Anysia ENSSLEN, Annie HOMAN

Linacre (1997) describes rating scale optimization as "fine-tuning" to try to squeeze the last ounce of performance out of a test [or survey]”. In the survey research arena, rating scale optimization often involves collapsing rating scale categories and performing additional iterative analyses of the data to ensure appropriate fit to the Rasch model. The purpose of this research is to 1) explore the literature as it pertains to rating scales in survey research, 2) discuss Rasch measurement and its applications in survey research, 3) conduct an iterative Rasch analysis of a sample survey dataset that demonstrates how collapsing rating scale categories can sometimes improve construct, communicative and structural validity and increase the reliability of the measures, and 4) discuss the implications of this technique.

Financial Behavior of Romanians - Preliminary Issues of the Household Budget Survey with an Extension of the Questionnaire (p )
Ileana NICULESCU-ARON, Constanta MIHAESCU, Raluca CAPLESCU

In the context of an unprecedented acceleration of the demographic ageing process the objective of financial stability at different levels of the economy needs economic and social measures that are based on scientific grounds regarding the identification, analysis and forecasting of the changes in the financial behavior of both economic agents and the population. Pertinent data are necessary for the analysis, and since they did not exist to the necessary extent, we came up with the original idea of using the existent infrastructure for projection and implementation of the Household Budget Survey in the territory, to which a pilot section was added. The present approach aims at presenting the preliminary results of the pilot questionnaire, dedicated to financial behavior of the households.

The Particularities and Specifics of Civil Servants’ Opinions on some Characteristic of Public Administration Segmented by Religion (p )
Tudorel ANDREI, Ani MATEI, Bogdan Vasile ILEANU, Monica Viorica NEDELCU

In order to collect the statistical data necessary in performing this analysis we used a sample of employees from the public administration. Then, we projected a statistical survey to obtain the statistical information. For the elaboration of the survey, we identified major themes in the field of public administration, such as: institution management, public function, system transparency, decentralization process, corruption at the level of the system as well as the society, the quality of the public administration reformation. The statistical sample, for which we gathered statistical values based on the survey, has a dimension of 560 units. It is representative for the national level, and the error interval is ± 3%.

Ordinal Regression to Analyze Employees’ Attitudes towards the Application of Total Quality Management (p )
Elsayed A. H. ELAMIR, Hassan E. SADIQ

The ordinal regression method was used to model the relationship between the ordinal outcome variable, e.g. different levels of employees' attitude regarding the overall working experience in the application of Total Quality Management (TQM) in University of Bahrain (UOB), and the explanatory variables concerning demographics and employees working environment in UOB. The outcome variable for employees' attitudes was measured on an ordered, categorical five-point Likert scale. The major decisions involved in the model building for ordinal regression were deciding which explanatory variables should be included in the model and choosing the link function (e.g. logit link, probit link, negative log-log link and complementary log-log link) that demonstrated the model appropriateness. In addition, the model fitting statistics, the accuracy of the classification results and the validity of the model assumptions, e.g., parallel lines, were essentially assessed for selecting the best model. One of our main finding is that suitable environment for development of staff capabilities and opportunities to train on the skills of solving routine and non-routine problems are highly significant with the employee's attitude toward the application of TQM.

Monte Carlo Analysis of Change Point Estimators (p )
Gregory GUREVICH, Bar RAZ

We consider several estimators for the change point in a sequence of independent observations. These are defined as the maximizing points of usually used statistics for nonparametric change point detection problems. Our investigations focus on the non asymptotic behaviour of the proposed estimators for sample sizes commonly observed in practice. We conducted a broad Monte Carlo study to compare these change point estimators, also investigating their properties and potential practical applications.

Statistical Modeling of Mortality Risk for Congenital Heart Defects (p )
Khoa DINH, Vasileios MAROULAS

This paper, retrieving surgical data recorded in the Pediatric Cardiac Care Consortium between 1985-2004, identifies an inverse relationship between in-hospital mortality and pediatric cardiac surgical volume in small and medium-sized centers. Similar inverse relationship was found for both low and high complexity cases after stratifying the data by risk category using the Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery (RACHS). Given the relationship, a threshold on the volume to reach the lowest attainment of surgical mortality is suggested when is attainable.

Adapt Business Processes to Service Oriented Environment to Achieve Business Agility (p )
Marinela MIRCEA

In the modern economy, creating agile business processes is one of the conditions to obtain/ maintain competitive advantage on the market. In addition, the agility of business processes, combined with the agility of employees and that of information technology are prerequisites for achieving business agility. Using a service-oriented architecture can provide numerous benefits to the organization, enabling it to reduce complexity and increase flexibility of business processes. This paper presents an approach on adaptation to the service-oriented architecture of tools and methodologies for modeling and management of business processes. Thus, in the paper 1: is analyzed the aligning of BPM with SOA to achieve business agility, 2: is provided a perspective view on the management of service-oriented business processes and 3: is presented a case study on agility of acquisition process in higher education institutions of Romania.

Open Source and Free Software Concepts Implemented in Publication of Academic Research (p )
Emanuel Eduard HERTELIU

This paper aims to point the importance of Open Access, Open Source and Free Software in academic research and publication. Not being known by many, the differences between the concepts exists and their creators want them to be public. There are presented as well international catalogues and directories of open access research, and some Romanian journals are described as example.

Determination of Optimum Maintenance Method based on Maintenance Cost (p )
Vasile DEAC, Gheorghe CARSTEA, Constantin BAGU, Florea PARVU

The present economical and financial crisis that affects all industrial organizations, have also large impact on the maintenance activity .Unfortunately, due to the pressure of costs reduction, this activity still continues at a very low level, with important effects in the future. The decision to adapt a maintenance method should be the result of a scientific analysis, taking into account a series of technical and security factors, as well as, economic ones, and certainly, all the other costs this activity includes.