Wong Ka Ho. / Thesis submitted in: October 2005. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 163-170). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.2 / Acknowledgements --- p.5 / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.10 / Chapter 1.1 --- Multi-modal and Multi-media --- p.10 / Chapter 1.2 --- Overview --- p.11 / Chapter 1.3 --- Thesis Goal --- p.13 / Chapter 1.4 --- Thesis Outline --- p.15 / Chapter 2 --- Background --- p.16 / Chapter 2.1 --- Multi-modal Fission --- p.17 / Chapter 2.2 --- Multi-modal Data collection --- p.21 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Collection Time --- p.21 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Annotation and Tools --- p.21 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Knowledge of Multi-modal Using --- p.21 / Chapter 2.3 --- Text-to-audiovisual Speech System --- p.22 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Different. Approaches to Generate a Talking Heading --- p.23 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Sub-tasks in Animating a Talking Head --- p.25 / Chapter 2.4 --- Modality Selection --- p.27 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Rules-based approach --- p.27 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Plan-based approach --- p.28 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- Feature-based approach --- p.29 / Chapter 2.4.4 --- Corpus-based approach --- p.30 / Chapter 2.5 --- Summary --- p.30 / Chapter 3 --- Information Domain --- p.31 / Chapter 3.1 --- Multi-media Information --- p.31 / Chapter 3.2 --- "Task Goals, Dialog Acts, Concepts and Information Type" --- p.32 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Task Goals and Dialog Acts --- p.32 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Concepts and Information Type --- p.36 / Chapter 3.3 --- User's Task and Scenario --- p.37 / Chapter 3.4 --- Chapter Summary --- p.38 / Chapter 4 --- Multi-modal Response Data Collection --- p.41 / Chapter 4.1 --- Data Collection Setup --- p.42 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Multi-modal Input Setup --- p.43 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Multi-modal Output Setup --- p.43 / Chapter 4.2 --- Procedure --- p.45 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Precaution --- p.45 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Recording --- p.50 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Data Size and Type --- p.50 / Chapter 4.3 --- Annotation --- p.52 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Extensible Multi-Modal Markup Language --- p.52 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- "Mobile, Multi-biometric and Multi-modal Annotation" --- p.53 / Chapter 4.4 --- Problems in the Wizard-of-Oz Setup --- p.56 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Lack of Knowledge --- p.57 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Time Deficiency --- p.57 / Chapter 4.4.3 --- Information Availability --- p.58 / Chapter 4.4.4 --- Operation Delay --- p.59 / Chapter 4.4.5 --- Lack of Modalities --- p.59 / Chapter 4.5 --- Data Optimization --- p.61 / Chapter 4.5.1 --- Precaution --- p.61 / Chapter 4.5.2 --- Procedures --- p.61 / Chapter 4.5.3 --- Data Size in Expert Design Responses --- p.63 / Chapter 4.6 --- Analysis and Discussion --- p.65 / Chapter 4.6.1 --- Multi-modal Usage --- p.67 / Chapter 4.6.2 --- Modality Combination --- p.67 / Chapter 4.6.3 --- Deictic term --- p.68 / Chapter 4.6.4 --- Task Goal and Dialog Acts --- p.71 / Chapter 4.6.5 --- Information Type --- p.72 / Chapter 4.7 --- Chapter Summary --- p.74 / Chapter 5 --- Text-to-Audiovisual Speech System --- p.76 / Chapter 5.1 --- Phonemes and Visemes --- p.77 / Chapter 5.2 --- Three-dimensional Facial Animation --- p.82 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Three-dimensional (3D) Face Model --- p.82 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- The Blending Process for Animation --- p.84 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Connectivity between Visemes --- p.85 / Chapter 5.3 --- User Perception Experiments --- p.87 / Chapter 5.4 --- Applications and Extension --- p.89 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- Multilingual Extension and Potential Applications --- p.89 / Chapter 5.5 --- Talking Head in Multi-modal Dialogue System --- p.90 / Chapter 5.5.1 --- Prosody --- p.93 / Chapter 5.5.2 --- Body Gesture --- p.94 / Chapter 5.6 --- Chapter Summary --- p.94 / Chapter 6 --- Modality Selection and Implementation --- p.98 / Chapter 6.1 --- Multi-modal Response Examples --- p.98 / Chapter 6.1.1 --- Single Concept-value Example --- p.99 / Chapter 6.1.2 --- Two Concept-values with Different Information Types --- p.102 / Chapter 6.1.3 --- Multiple Concept-values with Same Information Types Example --- p.103 / Chapter 6.2 --- Heuristic Rules for Modality Selection --- p.105 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- General Principles --- p.106 / Chapter 6.2.2 --- Heuristic rules --- p.107 / Chapter 6.2.3 --- Temporal Coordination for Synchronization --- p.109 / Chapter 6.2.4 --- Physical Layout --- p.110 / Chapter 6.2.5 --- Deictic Term --- p.111 / Chapter 6.2.6 --- Example --- p.111 / Chapter 6.3 --- Spoken Content Generation --- p.113 / Chapter 6.4 --- Chapter Summary --- p.115 / Chapter 7 --- Conclusions and Future Work --- p.117 / Chapter 7.1 --- Summary --- p.117 / Chapter 7.2 --- Contributions --- p.118 / Chapter 7.3 --- Future work --- p.119 / Chapter A --- XML Schema for M3 Markup Language --- p.123 / Chapter B --- M3ML Examples --- p.128 / Chapter C --- Domain-Specific Task Goals in the Hong Kong Tourism Do- main --- p.131 / Chapter D --- Dialog Acts for User Request in the Hong Kong Tourism Do- main --- p.133 / Chapter E --- Dialog Acts for System Response in the Hong Kong Tourism Domain --- p.137 / Chapter F --- Information Type and Concepts --- p.141 / Chapter G --- Concepts --- p.143 / Bibliography --- p.149

This study investigated the information needs of agricultural researchers and extension agents in addressing farmers' production-related constraints and information needs in The Gambia. The overall objective of the study was to identify the types of farmers' production-related problems faced by the above agents of change, which were translated into information needs, types of information providers and delivery systems used, and to assess their effectiveness. Coupled with this was the need to gauge the status of the T & V (Training & Visit) model of extension in the country as well as the linkage between research and extension. The sample comprised 32 researchers from NARI who were all included because of their small number and 68 extension agents selected through stratified random sampling from the Departments of Agricultural Services, Livestock Services, Fisheries and Forestry. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed among the respondents located in the five divisions across the country. The findings indicated that out of a total of 54 respondents, 63% represented the extension agents while 37% were researchers. Of the same figure, 92.6% were male while 7.4% were female. The researchers' ages ranged from 31 to 56 years old, while the extension agents were between 25 to 55 years old. With regard to educational qualifications, most of the highly qualified staff were within the research services while extension had the least. It was also revealed that 59.3% of the respondents have more than 15 years of work experience. In respect to language proficiency, it was observed that 98.1% could speak more than one local language, that is to say, ranging from two to four languages. The findings also established 44 cases of information needs, which Gambian researchers and extension personnel experienced with only 11 information providers used to satisfy those needs. Of these information providers, professional forums (96.3%) and personal sources (81.5%) featured prominently as the most frequently used and effective sources. Personal contact (81.5%) was the most common delivery system employed to disseminate information and technical advice to farmers. As regards the respondents' perceptions about the T & V (Training & Visit) model of extension in the country and the linkage status between research and extension, 68.5% believed that T & V is non-existent while 79.6% attested to the current weakness of the research-extension linkages in the country. Finally, it was recommended that an agricultural library be established in each division to cater for the information needs of all the stakeholders. Also, the unit for the Research-Extension Liaison Officer (RELO) should be reinstated to further strengthen the linkage, coordination and interactive communication between research and extension services. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

The research sought to examine the effect of literacy on access to, and utilization of agricultural information for household food security at Chirau Communal lands in Zimbabwe. The study was influenced by the diffusion of innovations approach based on interviews, observation and document study. Selected female farmers from Chirau communal lands were respondents to the self administered interviews and focus group discussions. Representatives from, Agriculture Extension and the Ministry of Agriculture were key informants. Systematic Random sampling was used to select 100 female respondents from the age of 18 to above 80 from wards 1 to 10 of Chirau Rural District in Zimbabwe. Data was analyzed into themes and coded for statistical analysis using the SPSS. The country is faced with food insecurity and the main findings of this study support the view that women play an active role in food production but their potential is limited by inadequate levels of literacy that affect the way they access and utilize resources for sustainable agriculture and household food security among other factors. This may be generalized to the situation of female farmers in Zimbabwe. Improved literacy competencies among the female farmers in Zimbabwe lends itself as one of the interventions that may assist in improving access to information and its effective utilization.. This calls decision-makers to boost literacy for women, develop available agricultural information resources and harness effort towards making them accessible. While interventions may be multi-sectored, the role of government is stressed in this report.

No description available.

Text in English with abstracts in English, Zulu and Sepedi / The objective of this qualitative case study was to determine the information needs of rural farmers in Bungoma County, Western Kenya. The study explored various literature on information needs of rural farmers and the information services available to them. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews with twenty lead farmers who are hosts of Farmers’ Field Schools. The findings show that farmers in Bungoma County are mostly interested in information that helps them to generate quick incomes from their agribusinesses. They access agricultural information mostly from verbal messages passed on by extension officers and local administration leaders. The farmers confessed that the information accessed from electronic sources like local FM radios is very useful in enhancing their agricultural enterprises and therefore agricultural development partners, policy makers and stakeholders in Western Kenya should use local FM radio often to disseminate information on agricultural development. The challenges encountered by the farmers in their quest for information relates to affordability. This study contributes to social change by recommending agricultural development partners, policy makers and stakeholders in Western Kenya implement programmes for reducing the distances that farmers travel to access agricultural information and the costs they incur in applying the knowledge gained from the various information channels. / Lolu cwaningo lokuthola kabanzi ngesimo belugxile ekuqaguleni izidingo kwezolwazi nokusetshenziswa kwalo kubalimi basemakhaya endaweni yaseBungoma County, esentshonalanga Kenya. Kulolu cwaningo kuye kwabhekisiswa izincwadi nemibhalo ehlukahlukene maqondana nezidingo zolwazi zabalimi basemakhaya kanye nalezo zinsiza zolwazi abakwaziyo ukufinyelela kuzo. Ulwazi lwedatha luye lwaqoqwa ngokuthi kwenziwe izingxoxo-mibuzo nabalimi abangamashumi amabili okuyibona abavelele futhi abaye basingathe uhlelo lwabalimi olubizwa nge-Farmers’ Field Schools. Okutholakele kukhomba ukuthi intshisekelo yabalimi baseBungoma County ikakhulukazi imayelana nokuthola ulwazi oluzobasiza ekwakheni ngokushesha imali eyingeniso kumabhizinisi abo ezolimo. Kuvamise ukuthi ulwazi lwezolimo baluthole ngemibiko edluliswa ngomlomo ivela kubalimisi (extension officers) nakubaholi bezokuphatha basendaweni. Balibeke ngembaba abalimi elokuthi luwusizo kakhulu ekwesekeni amabhizinisi abo ezolimo ulwazi oluvela emithonjeni ye-elekthronikhi efana nesiteshi somsakazo we-FM sasendaweni, ngakho-ke kungaba ngcono uma labo okubanjiswene nabo (partners) kwezokuthuthukisa ezolimo, futhi nabakhi benqubomgomo kanye nalabo ababambe iqhaza entshonalanga Kenya bengasebenzisa isiteshi somsakazo we-FM sasendaweni ukusabalalisa ulwazi lokuthuthukisa ezolimo. Ukubhekana nezindleko yilona hlangothi abahlangabezana nezinselelo kulo abalimi, ekuphokopheleni kwabo ukuthola ulwazi. Lolu cwaningo luyigalelo ekuguquleni ezenhlalo yomphakathi ngokuphakamisa ukuthi labo okubanjiswene nabo ekuthuthukiseni ezolimo, abakhi benqubomgomo kanye nalabo ababambe iqhaza entshonalanga Kenya mabaqalise ukusebenzisa izinhlelo zokunciphisa amabanga amade okudinga ahanjwe ngabalimi ukuze bafinyelele kulwazi lwezolimo kanye nezindleko abangena kuzo uma sebesebenzisa lolo lwazi abaluthole ngemizila eyehlukene yolwazi. / Nepo ya nyakišišo ye ya khwalithethifi e be e le go laetša dinyakwa tša tshedimošo le ditšhomišo tša balemi ba dinagamagae go la Bungoma County, bodikela bja Kenya. Nyakišišo e nyakišišitše dingwalwa tša go fapana mabapi le dinyakwa tša balemi ba dinagamagae le ditirelo tša tshedimošo tše ba di hwetšago. Datha e kgobokeditšwe ka dipoledišano tša go dirwa thwii le balemi ba go eta pele ba masomepedi bao e lego benggae ba Dikolo tša Tlhabollo ya Balemi. Dikutullo di laetša gore balemi go la Bungoma County ba na le kgahlego gagolo go tshedimošo yeo e ba thušago go tšweletša letseno la ka pela go tšwa go dikgwebotemo tša bona. Ba hwetša tshedimošo ya temo gagolo ka melaetša ya molomo ye e fetišwago ke balemiši le baetapele ba selegae ba tshepedišo. Balemi ba dumetše gore tshedimošo ye e hwetšwago methopong ya elektroniki bjalo ka setiši sa FM sa radio ya tikologo e na le mohola matlafatšong ya dikgwebo tša bona tša temo gomme ka go realo bašomišani ba tlhabollo ya temo, bangwaladipholisi le bakgathatema ka bodikela bja Kenya ba swanela gore ba upše ba šomiše setiši sa FM sa radio go phatlalatša tshedimošo ka ga tlhabollo ya temo. Ditlhohlo tše balemi ba kopanago natšo mošomong wa bona wa tshedimošo di amana le phihlelelego. Nyakišišo ye e kgatha tema go phetogo ya leago ka go eletša bašomišani ba tlhabollo ya temo, bangwaladipholisi le bakgathatema go la borwa bja Kenya gore ba phethagatše mananeo go fokotša bokgole bjoo balemi ba bo sepelago go hwetša tshedimošo ya temo le ditshenyegelo tše ba di dirago tšhomišong ya tsebo ye e hweditšwego go tšwa dikanaleng tša go fapana tša tshedimošo. / Information Science / M.A. (Information Science)

This study was a user oriented evaluation of the South African Non-government Organizations Network (SANGONeT), a regional electronic information and communication network for development and human rights workers. SANGONeT emphasizes the need for integrating a variety of information related tasks through the use of information and communication technologies (lCT). Its mission is to facilitate the effective and empowering use of ICTs by development and social justice actors in Southern Africa. While SANGONeT is one of the oldest networks for development and human rights sectors in South Africa, no other evaluations of this particular network, from the users' perspective could be traced. The study sought to determine SANGONeT's intended users' perceptions of the network, in terms of their level of awareness and, utilization, accessibility, relevance of the network and its level of facilitation in networking. SANGONeT was evaluated using effectiveness indicators. The respondents were the development and human rights organizations in K waZulu-Natal which subscribed to SANGONeT, or those which use certain services provided by the network as well as those which do not use the network but which are potential users. The SANGONeT subscribers formed only a small proportion of the population. They were all included in the study. A number of potential subscribers who were nonsubscribers were added. According to the findings, the subscribers were satisfied with the services that SANGONeT provides and they do see it as a networking facilitator. The nonsubscribers and the nonusers were not aware of the network's existence or the services it provides. Underutilisation does not result from the problems of accessibility and relevance. Lack of awareness emerged as the main reason for the underutilisation of SANGONeT in KwaZulu-Natal. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations are made for SANGONeT as well as suggestions for further study. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is widely regarded as a key tool for bringing about development to people who live in underserved areas. Technologies such as mobile phones and Wi-Fi are seen as advantageous because they can be made available to poor places without the cost of building extensive physical infrastructure. However, researchers argue that ICTs have failed to live up to their potential in the context of development. Researchers point out developing countries lack frameworks to guide them through the implementation of ICTs in this context. The objective of this study is to come up with a framework that can be used in rural areas in South Africa to implement ICT projects. The researcher interviewed individuals who have been directly involved in an ICT initiative in a rural setting in the Eastern Cape Province to learn from their experiences. The researcher also studied publications that have been produced from these initiatives in order to gain a richer understanding. The findings of the study show that participants share similar views about how ICT projects should be approached and implemented in rural areas in South Africa. The views are grouped according to similarity into themes and discussed in detail in the study. From these themes a framework that can help implement ICT projects in rural areas is developed.

by Lee Yue, Wefield. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 105-111). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.I / Abstract (Chinese) --- p.II / Acknowledgement --- p.III / Table of Content --- p.IV / List of Figures --- p.VII / List of Tables --- p.VIII / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Motivation --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3 --- Organization --- p.4 / Chapter 2 --- Literature Review --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1 --- Market Monitoring --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Regulatory Framework --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Surveillance Technology --- p.6 / Chapter 2.2 --- Cross Market Relationship --- p.7 / Chapter 2.3 --- Knowledge Management --- p.9 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- From Data and Information to Knowledge --- p.9 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- From Knowledge to Knowledge Management --- p.10 / Chapter 3 --- Market Activities and Market Surveillance --- p.13 / Chapter 3.1 --- Overview of Market Structure --- p.13 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Monetary Market --- p.13 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Stock and its Derivatives Market --- p.14 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Futures --- p.19 / Chapter 3.2 --- Cross-Market Activities and Manipulation --- p.20 / Chapter 3.3 --- Monitoring and Surveillance --- p.22 / Chapter 3.4 --- Stock Monitoring Systems --- p.23 / Chapter 4 --- Financial Knowledge Management (FKM) Model --- p.27 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.27 / Chapter 4.2 --- Knowledge Management cycle --- p.28 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Information Collection --- p.29 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Information Storage --- p.29 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Knowledge Generation --- p.30 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Knowledge Dissemination --- p.30 / Chapter 4.3 --- The 4 levels of FKM --- p.31 / Chapter 5 --- Level 1: Range Detection --- p.32 / Chapter 5.1 --- Basic idea --- p.32 / Chapter 5.2 --- Detection cycle --- p.32 / Chapter 5.3 --- Mathematical Model --- p.32 / Chapter 5.4 --- Knowledge generation --- p.34 / Chapter 6 --- Level 2: Momentum Detection --- p.36 / Chapter 6.1 --- Basic idea --- p.36 / Chapter 6.2 --- Detection cycle --- p.36 / Chapter 6.3 --- Mathematical Model --- p.37 / Chapter 6.4 --- Knowledge generation --- p.38 / Chapter 7 --- Level 3: Case Detection --- p.40 / Chapter 7.1 --- Basic Idea --- p.40 / Chapter 7.2 --- Technical Analysis --- p.40 / Chapter 7.3 --- Details and Characteristics of Chart Patterns --- p.41 / Chapter 7.3.1 --- Continuation and Reversal Patterns --- p.41 / Chapter 7.3.2 --- Bar Charts --- p.42 / Chapter 7.3.3 --- Different Patterns --- p.42 / Chapter 7.4 --- Mathematical Model --- p.54 / Chapter 7.4.1 --- Smoothing of Data 一 Exponential Smoothing --- p.55 / Chapter 7.4.2 --- Recognition of Different Patterns --- p.57 / Chapter 7.4.3 --- Detection Cycle --- p.59 / Chapter 7.5 --- Knowledge generation --- p.60 / Chapter 8 --- Level 4: Scenario Detection --- p.62 / Chapter 8.1 --- Basic idea --- p.62 / Chapter 8.2 --- Detection cycle --- p.65 / Chapter 8.2.1 --- RETRIEVE --- p.66 / Chapter 8.2.2 --- REUSE --- p.75 / Chapter 8.2.3 --- REVISE --- p.76 / Chapter 8.2.4 --- RETAIN --- p.82 / Chapter 8.3 --- Knowledge Generation --- p.82 / Chapter 9 --- Experiments and Research Findings --- p.85 / Chapter 9.1 --- Experiments on Monitoring and Detection --- p.85 / Chapter 9.1.1 --- Precision and Recall --- p.85 / Chapter 9.1.2 --- Architecture of FKM --- p.86 / Chapter 9.1.3 --- Experiment and Result Analysis --- p.88 / Chapter 9.2 --- Evaluation of Knowledge Management --- p.89 / Chapter 9.2.1 --- Evaluation Design --- p.90 / Chapter 9.2.2 --- Result Analysis --- p.91 / Chapter 10 --- Conclusion and Future Work --- p.94 / Chapter 10.1 --- Conclusion --- p.94 / Chapter 10.2 --- Future Direction --- p.95 / Appendix I A Survey on Investors of Hong Kong --- p.96 / Appendix II Theories on Cross-Market Relation --- p.99 / Appendix III Mathematical Model for Patterns --- p.102 / Bibliography --- p.105

Abstract not available

Univ., Diss.--Frankfurt (Main), 2004.