Security Challenges in Wireless Sensor Network

Wireless Sensor Networks are a subset of ad hoc networks. Their unique characteristics are smaller node size, high node density, unattended operation in remote areas. Dynamic topology and wireless communication make them vulnerable to numerous types of attacks. In addition to that, memory, processing, and energy constraint make it difficult to incorporate compute-intensive security solutions in these networks. Existing solutions for developing cost and energy efficient algorithms do not fit the security parameters for these resource constrained networks. As a result, these networks remain vulnerable to several types of attacks. This chapter presents a survey of various attacks at the different layers of WSN protocol stack, their detection, and countermeasures. Although every layer of the stack has its own security challenges, the network layer is most vulnerable to many security attacks because it provides an excellent basis for traffic monitoring activities, which helps the attacker form a strategy to perform the attack. The most common attacks on this layer are the Sybil attack, selective forwarding attack, wormhole attack, sinkhole attack, etc. This survey provides a comprehensive view of present attacking strategies to disrupt the normal functioning of WSN.

eLearning X.0

Web technologies evolved from Web 1.0 in early 1990s to Web 3.0 nowadays. Alongside Web technologies, eLearning has been evolving from eLearning 1.0 to eLearning 3.0, which integrates the Web X.0 technologies and tools into educational and institutional practice resulting in eLearning X.0. Universities and schools are investing substantial amounts of time and money in implementing Learning Management Systems (LMS). If not designed with eLearning X.0 support in mind, the LMS can pose difficulty for instructors and students to benefit from these technologies through LMS directly. The aim of this study is to evaluate the readiness of learning management systems to support eLearning X.0. This research reviewed the literature for the most common Web X.0 tools or features used in the eLearning process. Then an evaluation model was developed and applied on two respective learning management systems: BlackBoard and MOODLE. The results of readiness evaluation shows that MOODLE is more ready for eLearning X.0 than BlackBoard. The findings of this study provide several important implications for learning management system research and management.

Web 2.0 in Governance

There has been significant research in the private sector towards systematic exploitation of the emerging Web 2.0/Web 3.0 and social media paradigms. However, not much has been achieved with regards to the embodiment of similar technologies. Currently, governments and organizations are making considerable efforts, trying to enhance citizens' participation in decision-making and policy-formulation processes. This chapter presents a novel policy analysis framework, proposing a Web-based platform that enables publishing content and micro-applications to multiple Web 2.0 social media and collecting citizens' interactions (e.g. comments, ratings) with efficient use of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) of these media. Citizens' opinions and interactions can then be processed through different techniques or methods (Web analytics, opinion mining, simulation modeling) in order to use the extracted conclusions as support to government decision and policy makers.

Discovering Complex Relationships of Drugs over Distributed Knowledgebases

Drug discovery is a lengthy, expensive and difficult process. Indentifying and understanding the hidden relationships among drugs, genes, proteins, and diseases will expedite the process of drug discovery. In this paper, we propose an effective methodology to discover drug-related semantic relationships over large-scale distributed web data in medicine, pharmacology and biotechnology. By utilizing semantic web and distributed system technologies, we developed a novel hierarchical knowledge abstraction and an efficient relation discovery protocol. Our approach effectively facilitates the realization of the full potential of harnessing the collective power and utilization of the drug-related knowledge scattered over the Internet.

How Web 2.0 Shapes Patient Knowledge Sharing

Web 2.0 has totally changed the health communication world. In particular, it has reconfigured peer exchanges about health. These exchanges are important because they allow knowledge sharing and construction between patients, in particular chronic patients. Although their importance is well established, this field of study brings together a variety of theories not uniformly shared or understood. It is not clear how patients use Web for knowledge processes: what kind of knowledge processes happen in Web 2.0 between patients? How does Web 2.0 sustain or impede these processes? The aim of this research is to map virtual exchanges about diabetes in Italy by developing a systematic exploration of Web using the main search engines (Google, Yahoo) and analyzing the site that hosts posts and exchanges about diabetes. According to a psychosocial perspective, findings highlight the main features of online knowledge processes among patients.

Interactive Books in Augmented Reality for Mobile Devices

One of the methods of teaching that has brought significant contributions to the field of education is augmented reality. This technology transformed learning into a more motivating, enjoyable, fun, and interesting activity. This chapter contributes an augmented reality application for mobile devices that complements and supports the learning of geometric figures. The application, called AGeRA, consists of a geometry book and software capable of reading special markers inserted into the book's content. When this book is placed in front of the camera of a mobile device, 3D objects, sounds, animations, and other interactive elements leap from book pages making learning more fun and exciting. Preliminary tests were made with teachers and students and showed good acceptance of the application to support the teaching of geometry.

Applications of Independent Component Analysis in Cognitive Radio Sensor Networks

Independent component analysis is extensively used for blind source separation of different signals in various engineering disciplines. It has its applications in several areas of communication, multiple input multiple output, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, wireless sensor networks, and cognitive radio networks. In this chapter, the authors discuss the general theory of independent component analysis, wireless sensor networks, cognitive radio networks, and cognitive radio sensor networks. The main focus of the chapter is the application of independent component analysis in cognitive radio networks, wireless sensor networks, and cognitive radio sensor networks. The issues and challenges of these emerging technologies are discussed while applying independent component analysis. Cognitive radio sensor network is a promising technology to efficiently resolve the issues of spectrum usage in sensor networks. The authors are the first to discuss the applications of independent component analysis in cognitive radio sensor networks. At the end of this chapter, they discuss some future research problems regarding the applications of independent component analysis in cognitive radio sensor networks.

Augmented Reality Interfaces for Smart Objects in Ubiquitous Computing Environments

It is the goal of ubiquitous computing (UbiComp) to hide computers from the users. Instead, everyday objects embedded with computer processing capability become smart objects that act as interfaces to computer software. A challenge with this new paradigm of computing is to create natural and obvious ways for people to interact with objects and receive output from the computer software that these objects serve as interfaces to. In this chapter, a solution is proposed whereby virtual user interfaces are added to smart objects. These virtual interfaces are viewed in augmented reality through personal viewing devices which also allow people to interact directly with them. The implementation of UbiComp environments and personal viewing devices is described in order to illustrate the use of current technology in creating user-friendly UbiComp environments.

Sporting Safe in the Liminal Sphere

Facebook, like any other social networking site, troubles the traditional categories of private and public spheres. As it complicates (and transcends) the distinction, it can be called a different space, or a liminal space, which falls somewhere in-between private and public spheres. The author argues that this recognition of Facebook as a liminal sphere has important implications to the (re) definition of public and private spheres and to the ways rhetoric should work or be used in the Web 2.0 sites like Facebook. The author also proposes that Michael de Certeau's notions of “strategy” and “tactics” can be powerful rhetorical tools to deal with Facebook's liminality and to enhance the rhetorical performance of self in Facebook and other similar new media forums.

Towards Semantic Mashups

Semantic Mashups constitute a relatively new genre of applications that illustrate the combination of the current trends of the Web, i.e. the Semantic Web and Web 2.0. The great benefit of Semantic mashups lies in the ability to aggregate different and heterogeneous data with rich semantic annotations and due to this, an additional ease of integration. In this paper, the authors attempt to outline the transition from conventional to semantic mashups, analyzing the former's limitations and identifying improvements and contributions which can come in with the advent of the later. Furthermore, the authors survey the background technologies on which semantic mashups are based, like Semantic Web Services and the process of data triplification. The authors also investigate the current trends and efforts put into developing tools and frameworks, which are designed to support users with little programming knowledge in semantic mashup application development, such as Semantic Pipes or Jigs4OWL. After presenting and illustrating the theoretical and technological background of this genre of mashups, the authors look into some use cases and systems. Among others, the authors present their mashup, called Books@HPClab, in which they introduce a personalized semantic service for mashing up information from different on-line bookstores.