Wap: Transitional Technology for M-Commerce

Wireless application protocol (WAP) is the most popular Internet-enabling technology being adopted en masse by handset manufacturers and service providers alike. This article discusses the fast-growing trend for WAP tools to access the Internet versus the current predominant use of personal computers. the article also describes the importance of WAP in the fields of E-commerce and M-commerce.     

Evaluation of permeability characteristics of a geosynthetic-reinforced soil through laboratory tests

The objective of this paper is to examine the permeability characteristics of geosynthetic layers under confinement with soils having relatively low permeability. For this purpose, a large permeameter was custom designed and a series of permeability tests were carried-out by varying soil type and number of geosynthetic layers. Further, effect of provision of sand cushion and the thickness of sand cushion on permeability characteristics was also examined. Normal stress was increased in intervals of 50 kPa up to 200 kPa. With an increase in normal stress, a decrease in the permeability characteristics of a geosynthetic-reinforced soil was observed. The permeability characteristics were found to improve significantly with the provision of sand cushion and an increase in its thickness. Based on the definition of equivalent coefficient of permeability of stratified soils for parallel flow, an equation for estimating coefficient of permeability of soil–geosynthetic system with and without sand cushion is proposed. Considering the application of geosynthetics in reinforced slopes and walls with low-permeable backfill soils, a suitable geosynthetic with a thin layer of sand cushion is recommended. This in turn can also help in enhancing the pore-water pressure dissipation.     

Infrahepatic interruption of the inferior vena cava with azygos continuation: a potential mimicker of aortic pathology

Infrahepatic interruption of the inferior vena cava (IVC) with azygos or hemiazygos continuation is a rare finding. In this anatomic entity, the intrahepatic segment of the IVC is absent, and the hepatic veins empty directly into the right atrium. Venous blood flow from the lower body is directed from the IVC into the azygos system at the level of the renal veins, with resultant dilation of the azygos and/or hemiazygos veins. Because these enlarged vessels lie parallel to the descending thoracic aorta, they may be mistaken for aortic pathology (dissection, aneurysm, or rupture) during transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). We describe a case of azygos continuation of the IVC initially misdiagnosed by TEE as partial aortic rupture. Repeat TEE with intravenous agitated saline injection correctly identified the condition, and the echocardiographic features are described.     

Parameter estimation of an aeroelastic aircraft using neural networks

Application of neural networks to the problem of aerodynamic modelling and parameter estimation for aeroelastic aircraft is addressed. A neural model capable of predicting generalized force and moment coefficients using measured motion and control variables only, without any need for conventional normal elastic variables or their time derivatives, is proposed. Furthermore, it is shown that such a neural model can be used to extract equivalent stability and control derivatives of a flexible aircraft. Results are presented for aircraft with different levels of flexibility to demonstrate the utility of the neural approach for both modelling and estimation of parameters.     

Strategic e-Business Decision Analysis Using the Analytic Network Process

The rapid global deployment of electronic business (e-business) and information systems has required managers to make decisions that seek to balance technical factors with strategic business goals. This research utilizes the analytic network process (ANP) to provide insight into optimum-seeking decision processes by managers, as investments are made to utilize e-commerce technologies. The nonlinear network approach of ANP was used to study the "systems with feedback" where the e-commerce strategy may both dominate and be dominated, directly and indirectly, by the business-level strategy. This study analyzes e-business decisions in organizations, based on management heuristics and perceptions of expected contributions of e-commerce strategies, as well as the business-level strategies. The ANP research methodology process is employed since it is well suited for the study of a multi-attribute decision problem to explore qualitative and quantitative preferences of top managers in independent, nondiversified firms involved in e-business. ANP is used to model decision complexities involved in integrating e-commerce innovation into the overall strategic planning of firms. Optimal e-business strategies are chosen by using systems-with-feedback, where interdependencies between four virtual e-commerce domains and two generic business level strategies are explored. This study obtained significant results and identified several important avenues for further research. Implications for theory and research are discussed.     

Cross-layer feedback architecture for mobile device protocol stacks

Applications using traditional protocol stacks (e.g., TCP/IP) from wired networks do not function efficiently in mobile wireless environments. This is primarily due to the layered architecture and implementation of protocol stacks. One mechanism to improve the efficiency of the stack is cross-layer feedback, that is, making information from within one layer available to another layer of the stack. For example, TCP retransmissions can be reduced by making it aware of network disconnections or handoff events. We highlight the need for a cross-layer feedback architecture and identify key design goals for an architecture. We present our ECLAIR architecture, which satisfies these design goals. We describe a prototype implementation that validates ECLAIR. We also discuss other cross-layer architectures and provide a cross-layer design guide.     

Measuring Roi in E-Business: A Practical Approach

The research in this article aims to provide an overview of how to calculate the ROI for E-commerce applications so that this information, and the attached ROI Calculator Tool Template, can be used by organizations to reduce the time in preparing the ROI for a project. Although there is much written about ROI, there is not that much said about how to prepare one specifically for an E-commerce project. By reading this article and using the annexed ROI Calculator Tool, any IT group or organization that is going to deploy E-commerce applications will have a starting point for calculating ROIs.     

The contributing factors of continuance usage of social media: An empirical analysis

The problem of leveraging social media for establishing and sustaining consistent policies, procedures and methods of online communication can be challenging for busy professionals. To address this issue and to contribute to the literature we develop our research model to gain a deeper upstanding of the factors that influence social media continuance usage. The theoretical background for our research model are technology acceptance model and diffusion of innovation. We collected our data from college students that are enrolled in a large public university located in North America. We analyze our data using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The results of our data analysis show that ease of use, usefulness, and satisfaction of social media have a positive and significant influence on social media continuance usage. Also, our results show that relative advantage, compatibility, information quality, and risk of social media have a positive influence on the usefulness of social media. We discussed the results implications for theory development and practice.