Informatica Economica Vol. 15 No. 3/2011

Issue Topic: Economic Information Systems

Issue Editor: Gheorghe SABAU, PhD

CONTENTS

Using Spec Explorer for Automatic Checking of Constraints in Software Controlled Systems
Salam AL-EMARI, Izzat Mahmoud ALSMADI 5
In software engineering, several formal models and tools are proposed for defining system requirements and constraints formally. Such formal definitions can help in the automatic checking and verification for them. It can also help in the automatic test case generation, execution and verification. In this paper, we will demonstrate and evaluate the usage of Spec Explorer from Microsoft for defining and checking examples of software controlled system such as cruise control. Such formal requirements can be eventually embedded in the developed system or can help in exposing important elements to test in the testing stage or through the usage of the application.
Keywords: Model-Based Testing, Spec Explorer, FSM Models, Software Controlled Systems

Implementing and Running a Workflow Application on Cloud Resources
Gabriela Andreea MORAR, Cristina Ioana MUNTEAN, Gheorghe Cosmin SILAGHI 15
Scientist need to run applications that are time and resource consuming, but, not all of them, have the requires knowledge to run this applications in a parallel manner, by using grid, cluster or cloud resources. In the past few years many workflow building frameworks were developed in order to help scientist take a better advantage of computing resources, by designing workflows based on their applications and executing them on heterogeneous resources. This paper presents a case study of implementing and running a workflow for an E-bay data retrieval application. The workflow was designed using Askalon framework and executed on the cloud resources. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how workflows and cloud resources can be used by scientists in order to achieve speedup for their application without the need of spending large amounts of money on computational resources.
Keywords: Workflow, Cloud Resource

Role of Learning Styles in the Quality of Learning at Different Levels
Muhammad Shahid FAROOQ, Jean-Claude REGNIER 28
The aim of this descriptive, co-relational investigation was to identify the preferred learning styles and their role in quality of performance at secondary, intermediary and university level for language students from six different fields. The association and differences in students’ learning styles related to their demographics were also explored. Data analysis showed that the majority of the students from all the fields in sample showed the diverging style and the accommodating style as their most preferred learning styles. The learner’s gender and nature of house affected the preference for learning styles. Other variables showed no association with learning styles. The learning styles of language students have no relationship with the grades obtained in their previous exams. This study leads to the fact that it should be replicated on a large sample of language learners and comparison should also be made with their current quality of learning/academic performance.
Keywords: Learning Styles, Academic Performance, Student’s Demographic Profile, Learning Style Preference, Learning Quality

Determinants of Households' Overdue Loans in Romania
Bogdan MOINESCU, Adrian CODIRLAŞU 46
The paper’s target is to identify macroeconomic and financial variables that are relevant for the evolution and forecassting of the household’s overdue loans in Romania. By employing vector autoregression and systems of ecuations using the SUR methodology, the authors are trying to respond to the following questions: (1) Which are the lags and the individual intensities of the macroeconomic relevant indicators when affecting the household overdue loans rate?; (2) What are the characteristics of the loans reimbursement behavior in case of shocks on the labor, monetary, goods and services markets? The empirical analysis is based on monthly data which allows for assessing the quality of household loan repayment, both in terms of number of overdue loans and in terms of overdue loan volumes. The relevant explanatory variables were used in various configurations and lags for constructing several macroeconomic credit risk models.
Keywords: Overdue Loans, Money, FX Markets, Labor, Goods, Services, Financial Stability

A University Knowledge Management Tool for Academic Research Activity Evaluation
Mihaela OPREA 58
The implementation of an efficient university knowledge management system involves the de-velopment of several software tools that assist the decision making process for the three main activities of a university: teaching, research, and management. Artificial intelligence provides a variety of techniques that can be used by such tools: machine learning, data mining, text mining, knowledge based systems, expert systems, case-based reasoning, decision support systems, intelligent agents etc. In this paper it is proposed a generic structure of a university knowledge management system, and it is presented an expert system, ACDI_UPG, developed for academic research activity evaluation, that can be used as a decision support tool by the university knowledge management system for planning future research activities according to the main objectives of the university and of the national / international academic research funding organizations.
Keywords: University Knowledge Management, Research Activity Evaluation, Artificial Intelligence, Expert Systems, Decision Support System

Techniques for Statistical Data Visualization in GIS
Adriana REVEIU, Marian DARDALA 72
This paper proposes an original solution to present statistical data using the facilities provided by the Geographical Information Systems, to improve the means of statistical data figure and distribution inside the territorial profile. The proposed solution allows to represent more statistical data sets, on the same map, using two different methods of data representation: using a color ramp to represent the territorial distribution of an aggregate indicator and a set of charts overlapped to represent the proportions of the variables that form the indicator. On the other hand, there is a way to represent statistical data using 3D cartograms. Thus, in GIS, the users can distinguish the intensity of the studied economic or social phenomenon because of the heights of the administrative units will be different.
Keywords: Geographical Information Systems, Spatial Visualization, ArcObjects, 2D and 3D Cartograms

Smart Cities and Sustainability Models
Lorena BATAGAN 80
In our age cities are complex systems and we can say systems of systems. Today locality is the result of using information and communication technologies in all departments of our life, but in future all cities must to use smart systems for improve quality of life and on the other hand for sustainable development. The smart systems make daily activities more easily, efficiently and represent a real support for sustainable city development. This paper analysis the sus-tainable development and identified the key elements of future smart cities.
Keywords: Intelligent Cities, Sustainability, Indicators, Regional Development, Intelligent Solution

Approaches Regarding Business Logic Modeling in Service Oriented Architecture
Alexandra FLOREA, Anca ANDREESCU, Vlad DIACONITA, Adina UTA 88
As part of the Service Oriented Computing (SOC), Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a technology that has been developing for almost a decade and during this time there have been published many studies, papers and surveys that are referring to the advantages of projects using it. In this article we discuss some ways of using SOA in the business environment, as a result of the need to reengineer the internal business processes with the scope of moving forward towards providing and using standardized services and achieving enterprise interoperability.
Keywords: Business Rules, Business Processes, SOA, BPM, BRM, Semantic Web, Semantic Interoperability

Information era. Conscience society. Creativity.
Dumitru TODOROI 99
Attendees will learn about the research and development which will be effected by scientists in the branch of Conscience Society creation in next decades of XXI century. Conscience is usually seen as linked to a morality inherent in all humans, to a beneficent universe and/or to divinity. It is increasingly conceived of as applying to the world as a whole and as a main feature of conscience society. It has motivated its numerous models, characteristics and functions of Conscience for creation the societal intelligent adaptable information systems in Conscience Society. The moral life is a vital part for the world to maintain a Conscience (civilized) Society, so always keep in mind to: accept differences in others; respond promptly to others; leave some "free" time; care about others as if they were you; treat everyone similarly; never engage in violent acts; have an inner sense of thankfulness; have a sense of commitment. Creativity is a result of brain activity which differentiates individuals and could ensure an important competitive advantage for persons, for companies, for Society in general, and for Conscience Society in special. Very innovative branches – like software industry, computer industry, car industry – consider creativity as the key of business success. Natural Intelligence’ Creativity can develop basic creative activities, but Artificial Intelligence’ Creativity, and, especially, Conscience Intelligence’ Creativity should be developed and they could be enhanced over the level of Natural Intelligence. The basic idea for present communication represent the research results communicated at the last two annual AESM conferences [1] [2].
Keywords: Conscience, Adaptability, Creativity, Intelligence, Conscience Society

Collaborative Learning and Knowledge Transfer in Consciousness Society
Alina-Mihaela ION, Dragos VESPAN 115
Starting from the expression "workplace learning” which states that the use of personal computers at work or at school reflects learning activities and work activities which are interchangeable at individual level, this paper presents collaborative models dedicated to processes of teaching, learning, assessment and research in education. One of the most important activities is represented by computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) which, from its occurrence, presented a special interest for researchers in informatics. CSCL is based on human-computer interaction (HCI) and on computer supported cooperative work (CSCW). CSCL promotes in turn the development of computer supported collaborative research (CSCR). Information and communications technologies represent not only a media support but, most of all, a mean for accessing resources worldwide. The development of the information technology and of the information society brought benefits both to the traditional form of education, and to the distance education represented by the assisted instruction. The evolution of the information society led to the emergence of the society based on knowledge which represents an intermediary step between information society and consciousness society, who wants to be a moral society. This article highlights the transfer of data, information and knowledge (explicit and implicit) during assisted instruction processes along with the possibility to create collaborative content in consciousness society.
Keywords: CSCW, CSCL, CSCR Assisted Instruction, Consciousness Society

The Modeling of the ERP Systems within Parallel Calculus
Loredana MOCEAN 128
As we know from a few years, the basic characteristics of ERP systems are: modular-design, central common database, integration of the modules, data transfer between modules done automatically, complex systems and flexible configuration. Because this, is obviously a parallel approach to design and implement them within parallel algorithms, parallel calculus and distributed databases. This paper aims to support these assertions and provide a model, in summary, what could be an ERP system based on parallel computing and algorithms.
Keywords: ERP Systems, Modeling, Parallel Calculus, Incremental Model

Quality Analysis of Mobile Applications
Ion IVAN, Alin ZAMFIROIU 136
Mobile applications are defined and different types of mobile applications are identified. Characteristics of quality are defined and their indicators are constructed to measure levels. Take into account 11 parameters analysis for mobile applications, which are arranged using weights and do a detailed analysis of the system of weights. For SMSEncrypt application performance measurement is done using an aggregate indicator based on the obtained weights system.
Keywords: Mobile, Application, Quality, Analysis, Indicator

Consensus Moderation System
Andrei TOMA 153
The present paper formulates a consensus moderation system based on the negotiation of the actors involved. There are a series of steps in the moderation process, the first of which is constructing a front of Pareto optimal solutions. Since this in itself will likely not lead to consensus in a real life scenario, Kaldor-Hicks compromises are then detected. Compromises are recommended at every iteration of the negotiation process which can lead to a lengthy negotiation time, which is addressed by using a recommendation engine based on the previous behavior of the actor.
Keywords: Pareto Optimality, Kaldor-Hicks Compromises, Consensus Model, Consensus Moderation

Android Applications Security
Paul POCATILU 163
The use of smartphones worldwide is growing very fast and also the malicious attacks have increased. The mobile security applications development keeps the pace with this trend. The paper presents the vulnerabilities of mobile applications. The Android applications and devices are analyzed through the security perspective. The usage of restricted API is also presented. The paper also focuses on how users can prevent these malicious attacks and propose some prevention measures, including the architecture of a mobile security system for Android devices.
Keywords: Mobile Application, Security, Malware, Android, Permissions

Publishing Guide for Authors 172


Inforec Association 174