Stack-based genetic programming uses variable length, linear programs executing on a virtual stack machine. This concept was proposed and evaluated by Timothy Perkis. The Java programming language uses a stack-based virtual machine to perform operations. This paper examined the possibility of performing stack-based genetic programming directly using the stack on the Java virtual machine. The problems of combining stack based genetic programming with the Java virtual machine stack were explored. Excessive runtime delay on bytecode verification of the chromosome carrying classes undergoing fitness evaluation was identified. Another problem is that the Java virtual machine stack must be tightly controlled and cannot have illegal operands. Direct comparison of stack-based genetic programming on the Java virtual machine to common tree-based genetic programming was not performed due to discovered flaws in the architecture. A practical model to implement stack-based genetic programming on the Java virtual machine using a class bytecode assembler was proposed. This model combines the GPsys genetic programming system with the JAS bytecode assembler resulting in an architecture called GPsys-JAS. A further recommendation to compare stack-based genetic programming on the Java virtual machine against stack-based genetic programming using the Java Stack class was suggested.

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Information security is an important part of business in today's connected society. In the effort to keep assets safe, security professionals continuously add to their company's security profile, and in some cases, are not reviewing how these additional countermeasures are impacting the business users. Business users are generally the most affected by security countermeasures, either in positive, or in some cases, negative ways. While the goal of keeping assets more secure is an important one, there is a point of diminishing returns, depending on the negative impact to users once the countermeasure is in place. In cases where there is negative impact, it is usually discovered during a post implementation review. This negative impact often "costs" the company more in lost productivity, etc. than the increase in the protection of the company assets. While some companies retain experienced security professionals that may look to avoid these unnecessary negative outcomes, research shows that this negative impact happens often. After a review of many of the popular security and risk models and methodologies, it was discovered that this business impact review step is largely absent from them. Those that mention this activity at all do so in an indirect way, and it is not an established part of the methodology. The key result is that there is no standardized methodology in the industry that calls for a review of the impact of security implementations on the business users, before the countermeasures are implemented. This report describes a methodology that was created, provides the theory of how it was approached, and the plan that was used to solve this problem. The methodology that was created is called the Pre-Implementation Countermeasure Impact Review (PIClR) Method. This serves as a "plug-in" to currently established methodologies, and enables security professionals to follow a repeatable, predictable procedure to identify impact issues before implementation begins. The methodology was implemented at two organizations. Through a combination of surveys, completed by both business users and security teams that executed the methodology, and a review of historical decisions, the theory has been validated that the PIClR method is a value-added activity.

Many academic libraries today have created World Wide Web sites as a way for students, faculty, and others to utilize information resources such as online catalogs, bibliographic and full-text databases, and other Internet sites. However, no reliable and validated method exists for evaluating these library Web sites. This dissertation created an instrument that can evaluate academic library Web sites based on the mission of the academy, the role of libraries, hypermedia theory, and extant principles of Web page design. This instrument was constructed in the form of a single score inventory or checklist. The author demonstrated evidence of usability, validity, and reliability for the instrument. Evidence of usability was presented through the results of a pilot study. Evidence of content validity was presented through a literature review, which provided the items on the instrument with a scholarly basis in the literature. Further evidence of content validity was presented through a critique of the item pool by a panel of experts. Evidence of reliability was presented through a separate field test, which demonstrated correlation between the raters of the instrument (interrater reliability).

The lack of a physical instructor presence in the online learning environment (OLE) likely provides students with increased opportunities to cheat during a test when compared to the traditional classroom. It is unknown however, if an increase in cheating actually takes place. Accordingly, this investigation sought to determine whether the incidence of cheating in the OLE was greater than in the traditional classroom. Five sections of online community college students were selected for the study. Participants completed an anonymous, Web-based survey following one of two testing procedures: (1) proctor-administered exams at a testing center, or (2) online testing via a course management system (i.e., Blackboard Campus Edition) utilizing three cheating inhibitors: time limit, availability, and randomization. The results were analyzed to determine if there was a significant difference in the ability to cheat, in the intent to cheat, and in the rate of cheating among community college students taking proctor administered and online exams. Findings from the study indicate that students thought the OLE provided more cheating opportunities than the testing center environment (both in the opportunity to use outside resources and collaborate with others). Students also reported that they thought more about cheating in the testing center environment than in the OLE. Neither environment however yielded significant rates of student cheating on tests, but participant concerns about confidentiality may have caused respondents to understate their involvement in unethical behaviors. Overall, the results of this study suggest that administering online tests via a CMS is a valid form of testing; information that may accelerate the implementation of Broward Community College's effort to deliver a fully online, accredited curriculum.

Small businesses have always played important roles in America's economic evolution. They continue to be an important means by which women, minorities, and immigrant enter the American economic mainstream. A review of the relevant literature indicated that information is one of the central resources of a new venture and that there is still much to be learned about the ways in which entrepreneurs gather and utilize the information they need. This study aimed to identify the information needs of the minority small business owner and provide a solution to these information needs through the design and development of a business research information portal that will serve as a gateway to subject specific information for this user group. The researcher first investigated the information needs of the minority small business owner by conducting a needs analysis survey. The survey findings provided an understanding of the information needs, while the focus group and usability study revealed the users' perceptions of Web site usability and content. The results of the needs analysis survey indicated that the minority small business owner has a strong need for information. Subject areas include market research, demographics, funding resources, and industry data. In general, approximately 65% survey respondents rated their computer and Internet competency levels as proficient, advanced, or at mastery. Although participants generally ranked themselves competent in using the Internet the majority were still interested in learning how to research specific business topics. The business information research portal was developed, based on the results of the needs analysis survey, as an online community for the minority small business owner. The goal was to provide business information resources, services, and tools, in an environment that would allow this group to network with one another, share their thoughts and ideas, and learn from each other. This online community brings the minority small business owners together and offers them the opportunity to interact extensively with one another on specific topics. Therefore, this portal will serve the minority small business owners' information research needs.

Currently, given the increase of post-secondary distance learning, pressure is being put upon faculty at colleges and universities in New Jersey to create and teach Web-based courses. The primary problem is the lack of a Web-based distance education training strategy for New Jersey's community college faculty. Often, recommendations for faculty training are based on expert judgement, technical managers, or a review of the literature. In contrast, the purpose of this study was to employ a research design using a quantitative survey instrument to determine faculty perceptions of their own Web-based instruction needs. The research problem of conducting a training needs analysis of faculty regarding their own Web-based instruction needs was seen as significant to ensure that professors can meet the challenges imposed by their technologically skilled students. In addition, the design of in-service training requires the cooperation and participation of the faculty. The sample consisted of full-time New Jersey community college faculty with teaching roles. Data was collected with a survey instrument titled "Faculty Self-Assessment of Web-based Professional Development Needs," developed by the researcher. This instrument identified: a) faculty perceptions of their proficiency in web-based instruction knowledge and skill areas; b) perceptions of faculty regarding their own Web-based instruction training needs (software, hardware, and instructional methodologies); c) preferred methods of training delivery (e.g. one-on-one, mentoring, etc); d) faculty perceptions of impediments to implementing Web-based courses; e) faculty preferences for incentives for implementing online classes; and f) faculty interest in implementing only components of distance education technology. Analysis and synthesis of the questionnaires provided answers to the above questions, and a needs-driven statewide Web-based distance education training strategy was developed to meet the needs of a diverse, urban, suburban, and rural population. A panel of expert Web-based teachers, trainers, and administrators validated this plan. Finally, this proactive model in distance education may serve as a national model for other community colleges.

The goal of this research was to design a collaborative contract initiation system that protects sensitive information, and uses the ebXML service oriented architecture to provide web services, while utilizing the internal systems currently in place. The system was designed to use the Elemica trading exchange and to send CIDX Chern eStandard XML payloads across the Internet. The Elemica trading exchange was not permitted to store any sensitive data at their site, such as price, quantities or delivery dates. The contract initiation system was a combination of ebXML-based services that are executed utilizing intelligent agents. The use of software agents to implement the web services was an important component of the design. The integration with a back end ERP system at the buyer and supplier sites was specifically designed for use with SAP version 4.6. The design used the UNICEF ACT Modeling Methodology (UMM), which defines a series of steps to be followed in order to design public business processes. The public business processes were constructed to form a Business Process Specification Schema (BPSS). Once the BPSS was created the Collaboration Protocol Profiles (CPP) I Collaboration Protocol Agreements (CPA) were created. At this point the agent design took place based upon the public processes designed in the prior steps. The validation of the system relied upon: (a) The creation of test cases based on the use case scenarios; (b) syntax validation by generating XMI; (c) tracing of requirements to assure coverage; (d) a static and dynamic analysis of the model artifacts against the use cases, and (e) a walkthrough of the test cases. The development and implementation of the contract initiation system design would contribute to the elimination of the manual contract setup efforts and would significantly reduce the amount of time needed to build a trading partner relationship between a buyer and a seller. Implementation of the contract initiation process through the Elemica trading exchange can be used as a model for other trading exchanges or similar technologies.

Proliferation of new technologies has greatly increased the complexity of copyright and intellectual property issues faced by higher education institutions. Colleges and universities have an obligation to effectively manage their intellectual assets and minimize institutional liability by ensuring that their faculty, staff, and students have access to informational materials that accurately describe, and promote compliance with, copyright and intellectual property laws and regulations, and are aware of their rights and responsibilities. In order to manage the growing complexity and minimize risk, many higher education institutions are adopting a two-pronged approach: developing comprehensive copyright and intellectual property policies, and providing customized, relevant and highly accessible training on copyrights. Although implementing a copyright policy does not by itself eliminate liability, implementing a well-drafted copyright policy is probably the best insurance against institutional liability, and providing ongoing copyright and intellectual property training is an effective way to reduce the risk of infringement. The policy and training developed must be customized to fit the needs, mission and culture of the institution. Furthermore, the policy and the training must be widely disseminated and accessible. The purpose of this study was to develop a comprehensive Copyright and Intellectual Property Policy and relevant online copyright training for the College of Southern Idaho, a community college in south central Idaho. The policy and online training were based on current intellectual property laws and regulations, and reflect the college's mission, needs, and culture.

There are few telephone lines available in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the vast majority of people in the DRC do not have access to basic telecommunications services. The obstacles to the sufficient development of the telecommunications infrastructure by either public or private sector organizations are not well understood. The three major goals of this project were: (a) to determine what telecommunications stakeholders perceive to be the primary factors that would encourage or inhibit investment in the DRC by surveying individuals who have direct knowledge of the telecommunications sector in the DRC; (b) to explore solutions for the lack of adequate investments in the telecommunications infrastructure by using a qualitative research approach based on an open-ended questionnaire with potential investors in the region; and (c) to provide recommendations for the development of an environment conducive to a successful telecommunications infrastructure in the DRe. The following three research methods were used in this study: (a) a survey of telecommunications stakeholders and scholars, (b) an open-ended questionnaire with potential telecommunications investors, and (c) a triangulation of the data collected from the survey, open-ended questionnaire, and the review of the literature. The findings indicated that telecommunications stakeholders perceive financially oriented obstacles to be the greatest obstacles to the development of telecommunications in the DRC; potential investors and domestic partners perceive organizational/policy obstacles to be the greatest issues. This gap in perceptions between the stakeholders and investors must be overcome in order to develop the sector. This study concluded that the government of the DRC should implement the following strategies to attract foreign investment and develop the sector: (a) maintain economic and political stability, (b) privatize the national operator, (c) create new legislation to promote investment and incentives in the sector, and (d) improve basic infrastructures in rural areas.