A concept and implementation of higher-level XML transformation languages

In the software development (e.g. with product lines or refactoring) transformations play an increasing role. To ease and automate these transformations, we propose a solution based on the operator hierarchy concept. It allows to define transformation operator hierarchies containing different levels of transformation operators. The operators capture reusable knowledge units. The concrete realization of such a higher-level transformation language construction is demonstrated by an application of the XML operator hierarchy concept to the transformation language XSLT. XSLT serves as an example which is employed to provide the elementary transformation operators. On top of these elementary operators the layered concept allows the definition of new higher-level operators, e.g. domain-independent and domain-specific ones. In an application example the construction of the higher-level language XML2DSV is presented. This is a stand-alone domain-specific transformation language, which can be used to create delimiter-separated values (DSV) files from XML documents, on the base of XSLT. We developed XTC (XML Transformation Coordinator) to automate the multi-level transformation process.     

A novel TFT‐OLED integration for OLED‐independent pixel programming in amorphous‐Si AMOLED pixels

Abstract— The direct voltage programming of active‐matrix organic light‐emitting‐diode (AMOLED) pixels with n‐channel amorphous‐Si (a‐Si) TFTs requires a contact between the driving TFT and the OLED cathode. Current processing constraints only permit connecting the driving TFT to the OLED anode. Here, a new “inverted” integration technique which makes the direct programming possible by connecting the driver n‐channel a‐Si TFT to the OLED cathode is demonstrated. As a result, the pixel drive current increases by an order of magnitude for the same data voltages and the pixel data voltage for turn‐on drops by several volts. In addition, the pixel drive current becomes independent of the OLED characteristics so that OLED aging does not affect the pixel current. Furthermore, the new integration technique is modified to allow substrate rotation during OLED evaporation to improve the pixel yield and uniformity. The new integration technique is important for realizing active‐matrix OLED displays with a‐Si technology and conventional bottom‐anode OLEDs.     

Critical success factors revisited: success and failure cases of information systems for senior executives

The literature suggests the existence of critical success factors (CSFs) for the development of information systems that support senior executives. Our study of six organizations gives evidence for this notion of CSFs. The study further shows an interesting pattern, namely that companies either “get it right”, and essentially succeed on all CSFs, or “get it completely wrong”, that is, fall short on each of the CSFs. Among the six cases for which data were collected through in-depth interviews with company executives, three organizations seemed to manage all the CSFs properly, while two others managed all CSFs poorly. Only one organization showed a mixed scorecard, managing some factors well and some not so well. At the completion of the study, this organization could neither be judged as a success, nor as a failure. This dichotomy between success and failure cases suggests the existence of an even smaller set of “meta-success” factors. Based on our findings, we speculate that these “meta-success” factors are “championship”, “availability of resources”, and “link to organization objectives”.     

Three Rules Suffice for Good Label Placement

The general label-placement problem consists in labeling a set of features (points, lines, regions) given a set of candidates (rectangles, circles, ellipses, irregularly shaped labels) for each feature. The problem arises when annotating classical cartographical maps, diagrams, or graph drawings. The size of a labeling is the number of features that receive pairwise nonintersecting candidates. Finding an optimal solution, i.e., a labeling of maximum size, is NP-hard. We present an approach to attack the problem in its full generality. The key idea is to separate the geometric part from the combinatorial part of the problem. The latter is captured by the conflict graph of the candidates. We present a set of rules that simplify the conflict graph without reducing the size of an optimal solution. Combining the application of these rules with a simple heuristic yields near-optimal solutions. We study competing algorithms and do a thorough empirical comparison on point-labeling data. The new algorithm we suggest is fast, simple, and effective. Received December 21, 1998; revised October 13, 1999.     

Application of autoregressive spectral analysis to cepstral estimation of mean scatterer spacing

The problem of estimation of mean scatterer spacing in an object containing regularly spaced structures is addressed. An autoregressive (AR) spectral estimation method is compared with a conventional fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based approach for this task. Regularly spaced structures produce a periodicity in the power spectrum of ultrasonic backscatter. This periodicity is manifested as a peak in the cepstrum. A phantom was constructed for comparison of the two methods. It contained regularly spaced nylon filaments. It also contained randomly positioned glass spheres that produced incoherent backscatter. In an experiment in which this target was interrogated using broadband ultrasound, the AR spectral estimate offered considerable improvement over the FFT when the analysis gate length was on the order of the structural dimension. Advantages included improved resolution, reduction in bias and variance of scatterer spacing estimates, and greater resistance to ringing artifacts. Data were also acquired from human liver in vivo. AR spectral estimates on human data exhibited a decreased dependence on gate length. These results offer promise for enhanced spatial resolution and accuracy in ultrasonic tissue characterization and nondestructive evaluation of materials.     

Will virtual education initiatives succeed?

The use of information technology to enhance teaching and learning processes has been practiced for a number of years now. However, the rapid growth in the use of the Internet has led to a new dimension in interactive and collaborative learning anytime and anyplace dynamically. With the explosion of “virtual education initiatives”, the question of the feasibility and success criteria for such projects quickly arises. To address the question in an organized way, we propose a project assessment based on critical success factors. Hence, in this article, we draw on a widely recognized critical success factor framework. We (slightly) adjust the framework to fit the special characteristics of virtual education initiatives, and apply to one case study, namely the virtual education initiative at the Faculty of Business at the City University of Hong Kong. The results suggest that the past success of the case is due to the adherence to the large majority of critical success factors. However, it also outlines some areas of concern. The paper concludes with a discussion on the strength and limitations of virtual learning environment as well as future directions. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Low temperature photoluminescence and infrared dielectric functions of pulsed laser deposited ZnO thin films on silicon

C-axis oriented ZnO thin films were grown on silicon (100) and (111) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Low temperature photoluminescence spectra show besides the peaks of free excitons, of defect bound excitons, and of a donor-acceptor pair transition a new doublet at 3.328/3.332 eV. The doublet seems to originate from the columnar textured ZnO film structure. A corresponding structural dependence of the broadening parameter of the infrared dielectric functions was derived from spectroscopic ellipsometry in the spectral range from 380 to 1200 cm^− 1. The wave numbers of the E₁ transverse optical and A₁ longitudinal optical phonon modes of the ZnO films on silicon are determined to be 406 and 573 cm^− 1, respectively. These values are slightly smaller than those of single-crystalline ZnO thin films on sapphire.     

Quality and Reliability Problems from a Consumer's Perspective: an Increasing Problem Overlooked by Businesses?

Currently, many businesses in the consumer electronics industry are facing an increasing number of consumer complaints, despite the application of quality tools that proved to be very powerful in the past. We assessed over 20 new product development projects, to understand the reasons behind the rising number of consumer complaints. We found that businesses are developing more innovative products that are brought to the market faster, with inherently higher uncertainties on the consumer expectations of these products. Current analyses of consumer complaints solely focus on checking if the product is functioning according to the technical specification, and these analyses show a rising number of consumer complaints where no failure could be established. When looking at product quality and reliability from a consumer's perspective, we found that consumers complain not only about technical product failures but also when the product does not satisfy their expectations. In this paper we will take the perspective of the consumer to analyse dissatisfaction with new products from various available sources, which were not set‐up for quality and reliability purposes. We will show that analysing information from these sources gives better information, especially on the non‐technical failures compared with the traditional quality and reliability sources. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.