Computer communication as an aid to independence for older adults

Computer and communication technologies offer the potential of improving die quality of life for older people by providing them with links to information and services outside of the home. This study examined die feasibility of older people using an electronic text message system to perform routine communication tasks. In addition information was gathered to identify design parameters which facilitate the interactions of older people with such computer based systems. A specialized and simplified 'communication computer' was placed in the homes of 36 older women, aged 50-95 years. The system was provided with: a simple text-editor, basic electronic mail functions and access to news/ weather, movie reviews, and health information. Both performance data and user preference data were collected. Results indicated that the participants liked using the system, were able to use it with minimal difficulty, and that it provided a valuable means for social interaction and mental stimulation. The findings suggest that computer-based systems can be a valuable support tool for older adults if they are easy to use, and provide applications that are useful for them.     

程控电话交换系统中的容错计算机实例分析

重点分析了六个用于典型程序控制电话（电子）交换机系统的容错计算机的体系结构和组成等方面的容错特性，这些典型的计算机或交换机系统分别是ESS系统、DEX系统（D10型）、AXE系统、UDET7116处理机、ERICA计算机系统和D70型数字交换系统。它们对于公共电话网络和基于交换的计算机通信网（计算机网络）的容错设计具有良好的参考价值。     

电话举报系统的设计与开发

电话录音和查询系统是现代电信技术与计算机技术高度结合的产物。电话录音和查询系统的设计与开发,关键技术就是把语音信号转换成数字信号然后进行压缩存储,或把压缩的数字信号解压还原成语音信号。语音处理技术越来越广泛受到人们的重视。电话举报系统是集电话录音和查询为一体的语音处理系统。     

Internationalisation of e-commerce: a comparison of online shopping preferences among Korean,Turkish and US populations

Although landmarks are an integral part of navigation, they have rarely been used explicitly within electronic pedestrian navigation aids. We describe a two-part study into the use of landmarks in such aids, using a set of field experiments. The first part investigated whether such devices can be effective for older adults (over 60 years old), who might particularly benefit from them due to declines in sensory, cognitive and motor abilities. The second part compared the effectiveness of different methods of presenting landmark information. We show that a pedestrian navigation aid based around landmarks is particularly useful for older people and demonstrate that text, speech and photographs are all effective ways of presenting landmark information, although speech on its own has some drawbacks. We found that different people prefer information to be presented in different modalities, indicating a need for personalisation, although multi-modality may also help to address this issue.     

Children,computer exposure and musculoskeletal outcomes: the development of pathway models for school and home computer-related musculoskeletal outcomes

Children's computer use is rapidly growing, together with reports of related musculoskeletal outcomes. Models and theories of adult-related risk factors demonstrate multivariate risk factors associated with computer use. Children's use of computers is different from adult's computer use at work. This study developed and tested a child-specific model demonstrating multivariate relationships between musculoskeletal outcomes, computer exposure and child factors. Using pathway modelling, factors such as gender, age, television exposure, computer anxiety, sustained attention (flow), socio-economic status and somatic complaints (headache and stomach pain) were found to have effects on children's reports of musculoskeletal symptoms. The potential for children's computer exposure to follow a dose–response relationship was also evident. Developing a child-related model can assist in understanding risk factors for children's computer use and support the development of recommendations to encourage children to use this valuable resource in educational, recreational and communication environments in a safe and productive manner.

Practitioner Summary: Computer use is an important part of children's school and home life. Application of this developed model, that encapsulates related risk factors, enables practitioners, researchers, teachers and parents to develop strategies that assist young people to use information technology for school, home and leisure in a safe and productive manner.     

Telling the story of older people e-mailing: An ethnographical study

While e-mail is the Internet application most used by older people, very little is known about how they interact with e-mail systems and use them in their daily lives. We undertook a 3-year ethnographical study aimed at revealing and explaining real life e-mailing. We describe and discuss the nature of e-mail use in terms of social circles; frequency, type of content and patterns of communication; relationship with other technologies and activities; motivation and interactive experiences. Within this context of everyday use, we uncover and explain the (relative) importance of several interaction barriers, such as cognitive load, difficulties using input devices and perception of visual information. We claim that cognitive difficulties are much more relevant than difficulties in reading from the screen, for instance, so challenging results of current HCI research with older people. We show and discuss some implications for designing better e-mail systems (and interactive technologies) for older people.     

基于VFP的汽车售票管理系统设计

利用VFP技术开发的汽车售票管理系统,是通过现代计算机与通信技术,将售票/订票这个车站基本业务进行电子化管理的综合信息系统,具备售票、订票、综合查询、收入统计管理决策支持的功能,适应了因现代公路运输客流量剧增而改进售票/订票方式的要求。     

User perceptions and expectations of an information retrieval system

Abstract

Performance measures are frequently used to evaluate user friendliness of a system. An equally important, but often overlooked factor is the users' attitudes towards a system. A prototype interface for information retrieval was developed for presenting engineering manuals online. It was tested on a representative sample of the intended end user community. We found that subjects' expectations were based on their experience with printed materials and other computer systems. Familiar search mechanisms (e.g., table of contents, index) were important for getting them started, even though they switched to other mechanisms as they gained more experience with the system. The fact that the index was more detailed than the one in the printed manual was seen by the subjects as critical for speedy and efficient information retrieval. Keyword search of the database was generally the preferred retrieval mechanism. However, some users preferred the index. The ‘Table of Contents’ which was a tree structured menu based system was found to be of limited use in the electronic medium, in contrast to the printed manual.     

Displaced and dismayed: how ICTs are helping refugees and migrants,and how we can do better

ABSTRACT

Employing ICT platforms has the potential to improve efforts to assist displaced people, or to liberate them in being more able to help each other, or both. And while platform development has resulted in a patchwork of initiatives – an electronic version of ‘letting a thousand flowers bloom’ – there are patterns emerging as to which flowers grow and have ‘staying power’ as compared to ones that wilt and die. Using a partial application of grounded theory, we analyze 47 platforms, categorizing the services they provide, the functionalities they use, and the extent to which end users are involved in initial design and ongoing modification. We found that 23% offer one-way communication, 72%, provide two-way communication, 74% involve crowdsourcing and 43% use artificial intelligence. For future developers, we offer a preliminary list of what leads to a successful ICT initiative for refugees and migrants. Finally, we list ethical considerations for all stakeholders.     

计算机便携式取证系统的设计与实现

目前,以计算机信．g-系统为犯罪对象和工具的新型犯罪活动越来越多,造成的危害也越来越大。侦破这些案件必须要用到计算机取证技术,而电子证据本身和取证过程有许多不同于传统物证和取证的特点,给司法工作和信息安全领域都提出了新的挑战。为此,文章设计开发了一款基于WindowsPE系统的便捷、实用、安全、有效的计算机便携式取证系统。电子证据的收集与处理是通过内置于u盘的WindowsPE系统来完成的;利用OpenSSL提供的编程接口和PKI相关技术实现对电子证据的保密、认证与保存等功能。最后通过测试与分析,表明该系统能实现对电子证据的收集、处理和电子证据的安全有效保存。     

Eine modulare gesundheitsakte als antwort auf kommunikationsprobleme im gesundheitswesen

Since 2000 the University of Muenster has developed an electronic health record (EHR) called ?akteonline.de“. Several clinics and departments use the EHR in routine. ?akteonline.de“ in its current structure supports patients as well as health care professionals and aims at providing a collaborative health information system which perfectly supports the clinical workflow even across institutional boundaries. In order to fulfill high data security and data protection requirements strictly, complex encryption, authorization and access control components have been developed. The IT-structure of the German health care system is very heterogeneous and peripheral. The thereby generated additional costs in the economic and social area are comprehensible and the patient is unable to claim the central position intended by politics and society. The development effort of ?akteonline.de“ currently focuses on the introduction of an electronic foundation for an ?integrated care“. For that communication possibilities for different clinical systems, like systems for physician or clinical information systems as well as communication possibilities between different departments in a hospital or networking between Institutions and the patient himself, have to be provided. The various needs of the institutions and people involved, have to be considered individually within one concept. Based on gathered experiences and with regard to increasing requirements in the areas of interoperability, integration and international cooperation the system architecture and the basic data model underwent several evolutionary enhancements. The focus of this paper lies on describing the use of new technologies and open standards in order to create and enhance a loosely coupled, modular and flexible EHR, that represents a common information and communication tool for patients and health care professionals.     

THE GRID-E-CARD: ARCHITECTURE TO SHARE COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE ON THE GRID

Using the Grid for electronic learning can be considered a major innovation that increases the potential of the Internet for collaborative learning and transforms it into a gigantic high speed network of knowledge and services. Furthermore, with the refinement of peer-to-peer communication, the emerging network models will allow thousands of learners to access these solutions, regardless of their different computer systems. These solutions can be compared to storage devices that share learning resources according to the user' s needs. With the substantial increase of information nodes and the multiplicity of computers making use of this complex network, cognitive overload or transactional distance inherent to the technology can quickly become an obstacle to the learning process. Therefore, the Grid requires the development of appropriate learning tools and services. This paper presents an approach to reduce cognitive overload and transactional distance for a virtual learning community (VLC) on the Grid. This paper proposes a computer-Grid communication device called “Grid-e-Card.” Its goal is to bring users together according to their signature to share collective intelligence in a social context: the knowledge they have acquired, the objectives they wish to meet, or the learning services that correspond to their needs. This methodology is based on a set of P2P-agents who handle users' electronic portfolios (e-Portfolios) as knowledge prosthesis and exploit e-Learning qualification (e-Qualification) processes as aggregation methods to dynamically organize people in relevant virtual learning communities.     

The impact of computer-based procedures on team performance,communication, and situation awareness

In nuclear power plants, operating procedures are adopted to aid the operators in performing their tasks. With the evolution of computer hardware and software, the analog human-machine systems of the main control room in the nuclear power plant have been replaced with digital systems. Moreover, automated operations now outnumber manual operations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of computer-based procedures on the team performance, communication, and situation awareness of operators in the main control room. To achieve the purpose, a within-subjects experiment was designed and then a survey was conducted. The results showed that the teams had better objective performance and higher situation awareness when using computer-based procedures. In addition, the teams also had lower human error and lower communication rates when using computer-based procedures. This study proposes that computer-based procedures are advantageous to the operation of the systems of the main control rooms in nuclear power plants.Relevance to industryComputerized procedures system is one of the specific features for advanced nuclear power plant. This study explores and analyzes the team performance, communication, and situation awareness difference between paper-based, electronic, and computer-based procedures in detail. It may provide practical information for how to apply computer-based procedures to perform the tasks in the main control room of the advanced nuclear power plant.     

Impact of computer training courses on reduction of loneliness of older people in Finland and Slovenia

Previous research has shown loneliness as a threat for the quality of life of older people; therefore the goal of the intervention in a quasi-experimental study was to evaluate and discuss the self-reported level of loneliness of older people in Finland and Slovenia before and after a computer intervention. Intervention in a quasi-experimental study was conducted among 58 older participants at the baseline (M = 72.4 years) and 45 older participants at the follow-up research study (M = 72.9 years). Inferential statistics showed a significant difference in the reduction of loneliness between the countries, and a decreased level of loneliness of older people after completing the computer training course. Although older people experience many age-related problems which may reduce their interest in learning information and communication technology (ICT) skills, it is important that they are computer-proficient, because computer engagement can reduce the level of loneliness of older people and in this way has a positive effect on their quality of life.     

商业银行安全保障体系设计

随着计算机及网络通信等新技术在银行业的广泛应用,金融电子化、网上银行、现金支付系统等新的业务系统为客户提供方便快捷服务的同时,给银行自身带来了众多安全隐患,还由此引发了诸多金融风险。基于现代信息安全理论,采取信息技术和管理相结合,静态设计与动态管理相结合,应用系统工程的观点和方法,分析网络的安全措施,按照突出重点、讲求实效、加强管理、保证安全的原则,构筑商业银行信息系统网络和信息安全保障体系。     

试谈离散制造型企业物流信息管理系统设计与实现

现代化的物流信息管理系统与现代制造企业越来越紧密地联系在一起,物流信息管理系统为企业降低成本、提高效率、服务客户提供了强大的技术支持,其正确的实施已成为提升制造企业竞争力的关键所在。物流信息管理系统是综合运用计算机及网络通信技术和管理决策方法,对与物流相关的信息进行加工处理,实现对企业物流、资金流的有效控制与管理,辅助管理人员进行物流业务管理、分析和决策的系统。     

Multimodality and interactional differences in older adults

Many age-associated impairments such as loss of memory and vision make computer use difficult for older adults. This paper is concerned with interface design in a voice Web browser, which compensates for age-associated impairments, particularly loss of memory and vision. It describes a special Voice Help facility talking to older adults through their browser interaction, and reports experiments to establish the mixes of output media (text and speech) that are most effective for information transfer. In particular, the paper demonstrates that older adults retention of spoken output is different to that of younger people. The paper provides information on absorption rates for different media for older adults, which supports the design of multimodal systems suited to older adults. This is important for the development of systems that enable older adults to absorb information easily.     

Improving Customer Retention in E-Commerce through a Secure and Privacy-Enhanced Loyalty System

Loyalty systems provide an interesting possibility for vendors in customer relationship management. This holds for both real world and online vendors. Many vendors apply loyalty systems to collect customer-specific data that may be exploited for many reasons, e.g., price discrimination and direct marketing. As a consequence, beside some potential benefits of a loyalty system, customers may also fear an invasion of privacy, and thus often refuse to participate in such programs. Thus, a vendor may have problems to turn privacy sensitive people into loyal customers using a typical loyalty system. In this paper, we present two variants of a privacy-friendly loyalty system to be used by online vendors for issuing loyalty points. The systems prevent vendors from exploiting data for the creation of customer profiles by providing unconditional unlinkability of loyalty points with regard to purchases. We propose a simple token-based approach and a counter-based approach which is much more efficient while preserving the privacy and security properties. Furthermore, the counter-based loyalty system prevents pooling of loyalty points which were issued to distinct customers. Matthias Enzmann received his diploma in computer science from the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany, in 1999. In 1996, he started working with the TKT institute of GMD - German National Research Centre for Information Technology GmbH which in 2001 became Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Telecooperation due to the merger of GMD and Fraunhofer Gesellschaft. Since 1999 he holds the position of a regular researcher at Fraunhofer SIT. Currently, his research interests focus on privacy protection in electronic business processes, agent based mediation, and pseudonym systems. Markus Schneider received his diploma in electrical engineering with specialization on communications engineering. Afterwards, he started to work in the area of information and communication security and received his Doctor degree in electrical engineering. Currently, he is with the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Telecooperation (SIT) in Darmstadt, Germany. His research interests include the development and application of security technologies in communications, and security and privacy issues in electronic business processes.