List of Top 25 Articles of Computer Science

Jan-Mar 2014



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Sr. No Title
1 High temperature long term stability of SiC Schottky diodes
Abstract
Reliability of Silicon Carbide (SiC) power devices is still an open problem, preventing a wider application of such a promising technology.
Moreover, specific reliability assessment procedures must be developed for SiC devices, as they are designed to work at temperatures well
beyond those of standard Silicon devices. A detailed investigation about the reliability of 600 V, 6 A Silicon Carbide Schottky diodes is
accomplished along this paper. It is based on an extensive set of high temperature reverse bias endurance tests, performed on devices
featuring different packages. Only small forward voltage drop and reverse current drifts have been recorded after a 1000 h long test,
confirming the parametric stability and the reliability level reached by last generation SiC Schottky diodes. Moreover, devices assembled in
TO220 package without flame retardant components in the molding compound performed better than devices assembled in other TO220
packages, or assembled in hermetic TO3 package, pointing out the role played by the interface between the green molding compound and the
top passivation layer in the long term parametric stability.

2 A review on market power in deregulated electricity market
Abstract
The concept of market power has gained its importance after the electric power industry started a process of transition and restructuring since
early 1990s or so. In this competitive electricity market, the operational and the physical constraints of the network possess major threat to
the market by the generation companies in exercising its market power. This paper presents a comprehensive review on market power with
various indices which were used in market power analysis and the evolution of research and development in the field of market power. The
literature work presented in this paper has been divided into various sections to facilitate the upcoming researchers who carry out their
research in the area of market power under various environments.


3 Addressing cloud computing security issues

Abstract:

The recent emergence of cloud computing has drastically altered everyones perception of infrastructure architectures, software delivery
and development models. Projecting as an evolutionary step, following the transition from mainframe computers to client/server deployment
models, cloud computing encompasses elements from grid computing, utility computing and autonomic computing, into an innovative
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deployment architecture. This rapid transition towards the clouds, has fuelled concerns on a critical issue for the success of information
systems, communication and information security. From a security perspective, a number of unchartered risks and challenges have been
introduced from this relocation to the clouds, deteriorating much of the effectiveness of traditional protection mechanisms. As a result the
aim of this paper is twofold; firstly to evaluate cloud security by identifying unique security requirements and secondly to attempt to present a
viable solution that eliminates these potential threats. This paper proposes introducing a Trusted Third Party, tasked with assuring specific
security characteristics within a cloud environment. The proposed solution calls upon cryptography, specifically Public Key Infrastructure
operating in concert with SSO and LDAP, to ensure the authentication, integrity and confidentiality of involved data and communications. The
solution, presents a horizontal level of service, available to all implicated entities, that realizes a security mesh, within which essential trust is
maintained.


4 Who interacts on the Web?: The intersection of users' personality and social media use
Abstract
In the increasingly user-generated Web, users personality traits may be crucial factors leading them to engage in this participatory media.
The literature suggests factors such as extraversion, emotional stability and openness to experience are related to uses of social applications
on the Internet. Using a national sample of US adults, this study investigated the relationship between these three dimensions of the Big-Five
model and social media use (defined as use of social networking sites and instant messages). It also examined whether gender and age played
a role in that dynamic. Results revealed that while extraversion and openness to experiences were positively related to social media use,
emotional stability was a negative predictor, controlling for socio-demographics and life satisfaction. These findings differed by gender and
age. While extraverted men and women were both likely to be more frequent users of social media tools, only the men with greater degrees
of emotional instability were more regular users. The relationship between extraversion and social media use was particularly important
among the young adult cohort. Conversely, being open to new experiences emerged as an important personality predictor of social media use
for the more mature segment of the sample.

5 Cloud computing - The business perspective

Abstract:

The evolution of cloud computing over the past few years is potentially one of the major advances in the history of computing. However, if
cloud computing is to achieve its potential, there needs to be a clear understanding of the various issues involved, both from the perspectives
of the providers and the consumers of the technology. While a lot of research is currently taking place in the technology itself, there is an
equally urgent need for understanding the business-related issues surrounding cloud computing. In this article, we identify the strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the cloud computing industry. We then identify the various issues that will affect the different
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stakeholders of cloud computing. We also issue a set of recommendations for the practitioners who will provide and manage this technology.
For IS researchers, we outline the different areas of research that need attention so that we are in a position to advice the industry in the
years to come. Finally, we outline some of the key issues facing governmental agencies who, due to the unique nature of the technology, will
have to become intimately involved in the regulation of cloud computing.

6 Cloud computing and emerging IT platforms: Vision, hype, and reality for delivering computing as the 5th utility

Abstract:

With the significant advances in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) over the last half century, there is an increasingly
perceived vision that computing will one day be the 5th utility (after water, electricity, gas, and telephony). This computing utility, like all other
four existing utilities, will provide the basic level of computing service that is considered essential to meet the everyday needs of the general
community. To deliver this vision, a number of computing paradigms have been proposed, of which the latest one is known as Cloud
computing. Hence, in this paper, we define Cloud computing and provide the architecture for creating Clouds with market-oriented resource
allocation by leveraging technologies such as Virtual Machines (VMs). We also provide insights on market-based resource management
strategies that encompass both customer-driven service management and computational risk management to sustain Service Level
Agreement (SLA)-oriented resource allocation. In addition, we reveal our early thoughts on interconnecting Clouds for dynamically creating
global Cloud exchanges and markets. Then, we present some representative Cloud platforms, especially those developed in industries, along
with our current work towards realizing market-oriented resource allocation of Clouds as realized in Aneka enterprise Cloud technology.
Furthermore, we highlight the difference between High Performance Computing (HPC) workload and Internet-based services workload. We
also describe a meta-negotiation infrastructure to establish global Cloud exchanges and markets, and illustrate a case study of harnessing
Storage Clouds for high performance content delivery. Finally, we conclude with the need for convergence of competing IT paradigms to
deliver our 21st century vision.

7 Structured Sparse Method for Hyperspectral Unmixing
Abstract
Hyperspectral Unmixing (HU) has received increasing attention in the past decades due to its ability of unveiling information latent in
hyperspectral data. Unfortunately, most existing methods fail to take advantage of the spatial information in data. To overcome this
limitation, we propose a Structured Sparse regularized Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (SS-NMF) method based on the following two
aspects. First, we incorporate a graph Laplacian to encode the manifold structures embedded in the hyperspectral data space. In this way, the
highly similar neighboring pixels can be grouped together. Second, the lasso penalty is employed in SS-NMF for the fact that pixels in the same
manifold structure are sparsely mixed by a common set of relevant bases. These two factors act as a new structured sparse constraint. With
this constraint, our method can learn a compact space, where highly similar pixels are grouped to share correlated sparse representations.
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Experiments on real hyperspectral data sets with different noise levels demonstrate that our method outperforms the state-of-the-art
methods significantly.

8 A survey on security issues in service delivery models of cloud computing
Abstract
Cloud computing is a way to increase the capacity or add capabilities dynamically without investing in new infrastructure, training new
personnel, or licensing new software. It extends Information Technologys (IT) existing capabilities. In the last few years, cloud computing
has grown from being a promising business concept to one of the fast growing segments of the IT industry. But as more and more information
on individuals and companies are placed in the cloud, concerns are beginning to grow about just how safe an environment it is. Despite of all
the hype surrounding the cloud, enterprise customers are still reluctant to deploy their business in the cloud. Security is one of the major
issues which reduces the growth of cloud computing and complications with data privacy and data protection continue to plague the market.
The advent of an advanced model should not negotiate with the required functionalities and capabilities present in the current model. A new
model targeting at improving features of an existing model must not risk or threaten other important features of the current model. The
architecture of cloud poses such a threat to the security of the existing technologies when deployed in a cloud environment. Cloud service
users need to be vigilant in understanding the risks of data breaches in this new environment. In this paper, a survey of the different security
risks that pose a threat to the cloud is presented. This paper is a survey more specific to the different security issues that has emanated due to
the nature of the service delivery models of a cloud computing system.

9 Facebookr and academic performance
Abstract
There is much talk of a change in modern youth often referred to as digital natives or Homo Zappiens with respect to their ability to
simultaneously process multiple channels of information. In other words, kids today can multitask. Unfortunately for proponents of this
position, there is much empirical documentation concerning the negative effects of attempting to simultaneously process different streams of
information showing that such behavior leads to both increased study time to achieve learning parity and an increase in mistakes while
processing information than those who are sequentially or serially processing that same information. This article presents the preliminary
results of a descriptive and exploratory survey study involving Facebook use, often carried out simultaneously with other study activities, and
its relation to academic performance as measured by self-reported Grade Point Average (GPA) and hours spent studying per week. Results
show that Facebook users reported having lower GPAs and spend fewer hours per week studying than nonusers.

10 A feature construction method for general object recognition
Abstract
This paper presents a novel approach for object detection using a feature construction method called Evolution-COnstructed (ECO) features.
Most other object recognition approaches rely on human experts to construct features. ECO features are automatically constructed by
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uniquely employing a standard genetic algorithm to discover series of transforms that are highly discriminative. Using ECO features provides
several advantages over other object detection algorithms including: no need for a human expert to build feature sets or tune their
parameters, ability to generate specialized feature sets for different objects, and no limitations to certain types of image sources. We show in
our experiments that ECO features perform better or comparable with hand-crafted state-of-the-art object recognition algorithms. An analysis
is given of ECO features which includes a visualization of ECO features and improvements made to the algorithm.

11 The relationship between cell phone use, academic performance, anxiety, and Satisfaction with Life in college students
Abstract
While functional differences between todays cell phones and traditional computers are becoming less clear, one difference remains plain
cell phones are almost always on-hand and allow users to connect with an array of services and networks at almost any time and any place.
The Pew Centers Internet and American Life Project suggests that college students are the most rapid adopters of cell phone technology
and research is emerging which suggests high frequency cell phone use may be influencing their health and behavior. Thus, we investigated
the relationships between total cell phone use (N = 496) and texting (N = 490) on Satisfaction with Life (SWL) in a large sample of college
students. It was hypothesized that the relationship would be mediated by Academic Performance (GPA) and anxiety. Two separate path
models indicated that the cell phone use and texting models had good overall fit. Cell phone use/texting was negatively related to GPA and
positively related to anxiety; in turn, GPA was positively related to SWL while anxiety was negatively related to SWL. These findings add to the
debate about student cell phone use, and how increased use may negatively impact academic performance, mental health, and subjective
well-being or happiness.

12 Identity construction on Facebook: Digital empowerment in anchored relationships

Abstract:
Early research on online self-presentation mostly focused on identity constructions in anonymous online environments. Such studies found
that individuals tended to engage in role-play games and anti-normative behaviors in the online world. More recent studies have examined
identity performance in less anonymous online settings such as Internet dating sites and reported different findings. The present study
investigates identity construction on Facebook, a newly emerged nonymous online environment. Based on content analysis of 63 Facebook
accounts, we find that the identities produced in this nonymous environment differ from those constructed in the anonymous online
environments previously reported. Facebook users predominantly claim their identities implicitly rather than explicitly; they show rather
than tell and stress group and consumer identities over personally narrated ones. The characteristics of such identities are described and
the implications of this finding are discussed.


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13 Multi-criteria decision making approaches for supplier evaluation and selection: A literature review

Abstract:
Supplier evaluation and selection problem has been studied extensively. Various decision making approaches have been proposed to tackle
the problem. In contemporary supply chain management, the performance of potential suppliers is evaluated against multiple criteria rather
than considering a single factor-cost. This paper reviews the literature of the multi-criteria decision making approaches for supplier evaluation
and selection. Related articles appearing in the international journals from 2000 to 2008 are gathered and analyzed so that the following three
questions can be answered: (i) Which approaches were prevalently applied? (ii) Which evaluating criteria were paid more attention to? (iii) Is
there any inadequacy of the approaches? Based on the inadequacy, if any, some improvements and possible future work are recommended.
This research not only provides evidence that the multi-criteria decision making approaches are better than the traditional cost-based
approach, but also aids the researchers and decision makers in applying the approaches effectively.


14 Online social networks: Why do students use facebook?

Abstract:
The growth and popularity of online social networks has created a new world of collaboration and communication. More than a billion
individuals around the world are connected and networked together to create, collaborate, and contribute their knowledge and wisdom.
Despite the importance of online social networks, there is relatively little theory-driven empirical research available to address this new type
of communication and interaction phenomena. In this paper, we explored the factors that drive students to use online social networks (e.g.,
Facebook). Specifically, we conceptualized the use of online social networks as intentional social action and we examined the relative impact
of social influence, social presence, and the five key values from the uses and gratification paradigm on We-Intention to use online social
networks. An empirical study of Facebook users (n = 182) revealed that We-Intention to use online social networks is strongly determined by
social presence. Among the five values, social related factors had the most significant impact on the intention to use. Implications for research
and practice are discussed.




15 Personality and motivations associated with Facebook use

Abstract:
Facebook is quickly becoming one of the most popular tools for social communication. However, Facebook is somewhat different from other
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Social Networking Sites as it demonstrates an offline-to-online trend; that is, the majority of Facebook Friends are met offline and then added
later. The present research investigated how the Five-Factor Model of personality relates to Facebook use. Despite some expected trends
regarding Extraversion and Openness to Experience, results indicated that personality factors were not as influential as previous literature
would suggest. The results also indicated that a motivation to communicate was influential in terms of Facebook use. It is suggested that
different motivations may be influential in the decision to use tools such as Facebook, especially when individual functions of Facebook are
being considered.

16 Social network use and personality
Abstract
Studies have shown a connection between the individual personality of the user and the way he or she behaves on line. Today many millions
of people around the world are connected by being members of various Internet social networks. Ross et al. (2009) studied the connection
between the personality of the individual users and their behavior on a social network. They based their study on the self-reports of users of
Facebook, one of the most popular social networks, and measured five personality factors using the NEO-PI-R (Costa & McCrae, 1992)
questionnaire. They found that while there was a connection between the personalities of surfers and their behavior on Facebook, it was not
strong. This study is based on that ofRoss et al. (2009), but in our study the self-reports of subjects, were replaced by more objective criteria,
measurements of the user-information upload on Facebook. A strong connection was found between personality and Facebook behavior.
Implications of the results are discussed.
of the results are discussed.

17 A tale of two sites: Twitter vs. Facebook and the personality predictors of social media usage
Abstract
Social networking sites (SNS) are quickly becoming one of the most popular tools for social interaction and information exchange. Previous
research has shown a relationship between users personality and SNS use. Using a general population sample (N = 300), this study furthers
such investigations by examining the personality correlates (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness-to-Experience, Agreeableness,
Conscientiousness, Sociability and Need-for-Cognition) of social and informational use of the two largest SNS: Facebook and Twitter. Age and
Gender were also examined. Results showed that personality was related to online socialising and information seeking/exchange, though not
as influential as some previous research has suggested. In addition, a preference for Facebook or Twitter was associated with differences in
personality. The results reveal differential relationships between personality and Facebook and Twitter usage.

18 A generic ballast water discharge assessment model as a decision supporting tool in ballast water management
Abstract
One of the critical issues in species invasion ecology is the need to understand and evaluate the dimensions and processes of aquatic
organisms transfer with vessels ballast water. The assessment of the quantity of ballast water discharged as the medium of transfer is one of
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the basic elements of the decision making process in ballast water risk assessment and management. The possibility to assess this in advance
of the vessel's arrival to a port enhances the management process and gives port authorities a decision supporting tool to respond in time with
adequate measures. A new generic ballast water discharge assessment model has been prepared. The model is based on vessel cargo
operation and vessel dimensions. The model was tested on real shipping traffic and ballast water discharge data for the Port of Koper,
Slovenia. The results show high confidence in predicting whether a vessel will discharge ballast water, as well in assessing the quantity of
ballast water (to be) discharged.

19 Quantitative models for sustainable supply chain management: Developments and directions
Abstract
Sustainability, the consideration of environmental factors and social aspects, in supply chain management (SCM) has become a highly relevant
topic for researchers and practitioners. The application of operations research methods and related models, i.e. formal modeling, for closed-
loop SCM and reverse logistics has been effectively reviewed in previously published research. This situation is in contrast to the
understanding and review of mathematical models that focus on environmental or social factors in forward supply chains (SC), which has seen
less investigation. To evaluate developments and directions of this research area, this paper provides a content analysis of 134 carefully
identified papers on quantitative, formal models that address sustainability aspects in the forward SC. It was found that a preponderance of
the publications and models appeared in a limited set of six journals, and most were analytically based with a focus on multiple criteria
decision making. The tools most often used comprise the analytical hierarchy process or its close relative, the analytical network process, as
well as life cycle analysis. Conclusions are drawn showing that numerous possibilities and insights can be gained from expanding the types of
tools and factors considered in formal modeling efforts.

20 The Internet of Things: A survey

Abstract:
This paper addresses the Internet of Things. Main enabling factor of this promising paradigm is the integration of several technologies and
communications solutions. Identification and tracking technologies, wired and wireless sensor and actuator networks, enhanced
communication protocols (shared with the Next Generation Internet), and distributed intelligence for smart objects are just the most relevant.
As one can easily imagine, any serious contribution to the advance of the Internet of Things must necessarily be the result of synergetic
activities conducted in different fields of knowledge, such as telecommunications, informatics, electronics and social science. In such a
complex scenario, this survey is directed to those who want to approach this complex discipline and contribute to its development. Different
visions of this Internet of Things paradigm are reported and enabling technologies reviewed. What emerges is that still major issues shall be
faced by the research community. The most relevant among them are addressed in details.


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21 Mobile cloud computing: A survey
Abstract
Despite increasing usage of mobile computing, exploiting its full potential is difficult due to its inherent problems such as resource scarcity,
frequent disconnections, and mobility. Mobile cloud computing can address these problems by executing mobile applications on resource
providers external to the mobile device. In this paper, we provide an extensive survey of mobile cloud computing research, while highlighting
the specific concerns in mobile cloud computing. We present a taxonomy based on the key issues in this area, and discuss the different
approaches taken to tackle these issues. We conclude the paper with a critical analysis of challenges that have not yet been fully met, and
highlight directions for future work.
22 Why people use social networking sites: An empirical study integrating network externalities and motivation theory
Abstract
Fast-developing social networking sites (SNS) have become the major media by which people develop their personal network online in recent
years. To explore factors affecting users joining SNS, this study applies network externalities and motivation theory to explain why people
continue to join SNS. This study used an online questionnaire to conduct empirical research, and collected and analyzed data of 402 samples
bystructural equation modeling (SEM) approach. The findings show that enjoyment is the most influential factor in peoples continued use of
SNS, followed by number of peers, and usefulness. The number of peers and perceived complementarity have stronger influence than the
number of members on perceived benefits (usefulness and enjoyment). This work also ran clustering analysis by gender, which found notable
difference in both number of peers and number of members between men and women. The number of peers is an important factor affecting
the continued intention to use for women but not for men; the number of members has no significant effect on enjoyment for men. The
findings suggest that gender difference also produces different influences. The implication of research and discussions provides reference for
SNS operators in marketing and operation.

23 Who uses Facebook? An investigation into the relationship between the Big Five, shyness, narcissism, loneliness, and Facebook usage

Abstract:
The unprecedented popularity of the social networking site Facebook raises a number of important questions regarding the impact it has on
sociality. However, as Facebook is a very recent social phenomenon, there is a distinct lack of psychological theory relating to its use. While
research has begun to identify the types of people who use Facebook, this line of investigation has been limited to student populations. The
current study aimed to investigate how personality influences usage or non-usage of Facebook. The sample consisted of 1324 self-selected
Australian Internet users (1158 Facebook users and 166 Facebook nonusers), between the ages of 18 and 44. Participants were required to
complete an online questionnaire package comprising the Big Five Inventory (BFI), the Narcissistic Personality Inventory 29-item version
(NPI-29), the Revised Cheek and Buss Shyness Scale (RCBS), and the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults Short version (SELSA-S).
Facebook users also completed a Facebook usage questionnaire. The results showed that Facebook users tend to be more extraverted and
narcissistic, but less conscientious and socially lonely, than nonusers. Furthermore, frequency of Facebook use and preferences for specific
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features were also shown to vary as a result of certain characteristics, such as neuroticism, loneliness, shyness and narcissism. It is hoped that
research in this area continues, and leads to the development of theory regarding the implications and gratifications of Facebook use.
24 Wireless sensor network survey

Abstract:
A wireless sensor network (WSN) has important applications such as remote environmental monitoring and target tracking. This has been
enabled by the availability, particularly in recent years, of sensors that are smaller, cheaper, and intelligent. These sensors are equipped with
wireless interfaces with which they can communicate with one another to form a network. The design of a WSN depends significantly on the
application, and it must consider factors such as the environment, the applications design objectives, cost, hardware, and system
constraints. The goal of our survey is to present a comprehensive review of the recent literature since the publication of [I.F. Akyildiz, W. Su, Y.
Sankarasubramaniam, E. Cayirci, A survey on sensor networks, IEEE Communications Magazine, 2002]. Following a top-down approach, we
give an overview of several new applications and then review the literature on various aspects of WSNs. We classify the problems into three
different categories: (1) internal platform and underlying operating system, (2) communication protocol stack, and (3) network services,
provisioning, and deployment. We review the major development in these three categories and outline new challenges.
25

Wireless sensor networks: a survey

Abstract:
This paper describes the concept of sensor networks which has been made viable by the convergence of micro-electro-mechanical systems
technology, wireless communications and digital electronics. First, the sensing tasks and the potential sensor networks applications are
explored, and a review of factors influencing the design of sensor networks is provided. Then, the communication architecture for sensor
networks is outlined, and the algorithms and protocols developed for each layer in the literature are explored. Open research issues for the
realization of sensor networks are also discussed.