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Hearing loss is one of the most common health problems which is manifested by a subjective feeling of impaired hearing, the impossibility of listening in noise, intermittent or constant tinnitus. It can be conductive or sensorineural type (SNHL). Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by degeneration of the cochlea, which is responsible for the transduction of sound stimuli into nerve impulse. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the applied vasoactive and hemokinetic therapy in people with sensorineural hypoacusis who refused embedding hearing AIDS. This retrospective study included 51 patients, which were in a three-year period in Clinic of Otorhinolaryngology KC Nis diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss. Patients were clinically evaluated on the basis of the findings of otoscopy and tonal audiometry. Patients were treated with pentoxifylline, vitamins B1 and B6, cinnarizine (older than 50 years) and betahistine (younger than 50 years), for 28 days. After the treatment, using pure tone audiometry, we monitored the frequency of 125-8000 Hz and improvements in decibels. Controls were in 3 to 4 weeks. For analyzing and processing we used the worst finding and the best answer. Applied therapy led to improvements in all frequencies, particularly at high frequencies (2-8 kHz) (p < .001). Subjective symptoms such as tinnitus were absent, or were losing their intensity. Patients had a subjective feeling of better auditory functionality (better communication, better hearing experience of environment). In our study, we demonstrated that administration of vasodilators and hemokinetics in the treatment of patients with SNHL has positive effects in all frequencies, especially at high frequencies (2-8 kHz).

Purpose This paper aims to deal with the previously unknown prediction accuracy of students’ activity pattern in a blended learning environment. Design/methodology/approach To extract the most relevant activity feature subset, different feature-selection methods were applied. For different cardinality subsets, classification models were used in the comparison. Findings Experimental evaluation oppose the hypothesis that feature vector dimensionality reduction leads to prediction accuracy increasing. Research limitations/implications Improving prediction accuracy in a described learning environment was based on applying synthetic minority oversampling technique, which had affected results on correlation-based feature-selection method. Originality/value The major contribution of the research is the proposed methodology for selecting the optimal low-cardinal subset of students’ activities and significant prediction accuracy improvement in a blended learning environment.

In this paper, statistical characteristics of a wireless 5G communication system with an L-branch selection combining (SC) receiver, are studied. The signal undergoes a small-scale κ-μ fading and Nakagami-m co-channel interference (CCI). We implement the SC receiver to reduce the effects of multipath fading to both outage probability and bit error probability. For the given conditions, level crossing rate (LCR) of the signal to interference ratio at the output of SC receiver is evaluated. The derived expression can be used to evaluate average fade duration (AFD) of the proposed radio communication system. The impact of the Rician factor and the short-term Nakagami-m fading severity parameter on the level crossing rate is discussed. Furthermore, we implement the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)-accelerated simulation and linear optimization for planning the optimal 5G mobile network within a smart city. The programme results in noticeable increase in the rate of calculations of LCR for the communication channel under described conditions.

Nowadays, wireless sensor networks (WSN) are widely used in agriculture monitoring to improve the quality and productivity of farming. In this application, sensors gather different types of data (i.e., humidity, carbon dioxide level, and temperature) in real-time scenarios. Thus, data gathering, transmission, and rapid response to new circumstances require a secured data mechanism to avoid malicious adversaries. Therefore, this paper focuses on data security from the data origin source to the end-user, and proposes a general data security model that is independent of the network topology and structure, and can be widely used in the agriculture monitoring application. The developed model considers practical aspects, the architecture of the sensor node, as well as the necessity to save energy while ensuring data security, and optimize the model through the application of organizational and technical measures. The model evaluation is conducted through simulation in terms of energy consumption. The result shows that the proposed model ensures good data security at the cost of a slight increase in energy consumption at receiver and sender nodes, and energy consumption per bit, up to 2%, 7%, and 1.3%, respectively, due to overhead added for authentication in the network.

This paper presents initial results of a research towards statistical description of diversity-combined wireless signals that propagate over different environments. This kind of situation is encountered when receiver has multiple input antennas which are positioned in such a way that the fading environment cannot be considered uniform for all propagating paths of signals. We consider a three-input selection combining (SC) combiner with three different fading statistics on each of them, and derive the probability density function and cumulative distribution for the output signal. The results can be further used for calculating various system performance measures.

The paper takes into account second order statistics (SOS) of the ratio of the product of two squared-Nakagami-m (s-N-m) random processes (RPs). The obtained results can find their application in variety of wireless communication systems (WCSs). Mathematical apparatus has been developed for deriving fast computing, closed form, approximative expression for level crossing rate (LCR) using Laplace integration formula. The influence of s-N-m fading severity parameters for the proposed RP on the LCR is investigated and graphically presented for radio frequency (RF) WCS as well as optical WCS (OWCS) scenarios.

In this paper was proposed the simple concept and realization of the technical system, for physical objects spatial location detection, with optimization methods for low quality hardware. This computer system consists of computers, software applications, video cameras, computer network, active and passive network equipment. The basic idea of the system is the principle of triangulation by the visual images and time data from at least 4 cameras with high number of frames per second. The system then creates photorealistic graphical 3D animation of object trajectory and space, using the calculated spatial location data. Experimental results and a computer simulation of a real system indicated that the proposed concept improves objects spatial location detection and 3D graphics on medium quality technical equipment.

The paper presents an educational data mining model for predicting students’ final grades based on realized activities in different educational environments. The proposed model was generated through the stages of the data mining process: data set generation, preprocessing and application of appropriate classifiers. A training set was created by integrating multiple data sources. The concept of selecting appropriate discretization method and the classifier is based on a small training set consisting of different value domain data and a multidimensional class label. Accuracy of the proposed model was improved using unsupervised histogram discretization method and combining a classifier into an ensemble with majority voting algorithm. The unsupervised histogram discretization method reduced the effect of ignoring the class label. Significant results were achieved in individual class prediction using different classifiers. The contribution of the research presented in this paper is development of an efficient multidimensional class label prediction model for a blended learning environment case study.

This paper discusses the integration of three-dimensional 3D geographic information systems GIS and video surveillance systems using augmented reality AR techniques. The motivation for this integration is to overcome problems faced by conventional video surveillance systems. Explicit information concerning which camera currently monitors what area in such systems is missing; therefore, insight into the situation depends heavily on the operator’s training and experience. To ensure the complete coordination and monitoring of a situation in a system with multiple cameras, it is necessary to introduce a single reference system. GIS arises as a natural solution because it not only provides a solid ground truth but also provides semantic information that can be highly important in certain video surveillance applications. To integrate information into a GIS application, that information must be georeferenced. Based on our previous research regarding the addition of georeferencing information to surveillance video, this paper introduces models that can be applied to help integrate video and GIS. With an analogy to Milgram’s continuum between the real world and virtual reality, and analogous to the augmented reality and augmented virtuality in Milgram’s continuum, two models of integration are defined here: GIS-augmented video and video-augmented GIS. Then, we define the architecture of GIS-based video surveillance based on these proposed integration models, and finally, a prototype is implemented. The implemented prototype serves as a basis for analysing possible applications of real-world systems based on the integration of GIS and video.

The integration of a surveillance camera video with a three-dimensional (3D) geographic information system (GIS) requires the georeferencing of that video. Since a video consists of separate frames, each frame must be georeferenced. To georeference a video frame, we rely on the information about the camera view at the moment that the frame was captured. A camera view in 3D space is completely determined by the camera position, orientation, and field-of-view. Since the accurate measuring of these parameters can be extremely difficult, in this paper we propose a method for their estimation based on matching video frame coordinates of certain point features with their 3D geographic locations. To obtain these coordinates, we rely on high-resolution orthophotos and digital elevation models (DEM) of the area of interest. Once an adequate number of points are matched, Levenberg–Marquardt iterative optimization is applied to find the most suitable video frame georeference, i.e., position and orientation of the camera.

The main goal of the CARPATCLIM (Climate of the Carpathian Region) project is to construct the gridded climatological database for the region in a daily temporal resolution for the period 1961–2010 by using 0.1° spatial resolution. The solution of this requirement as well as one of the final products of the CARPATCLIM project is a Digital Climate Atlas which is designed as the main entry point for all the gridded data and maps generated during the project, together with metadata for all data sets (original data as well as data created during the project). With respect to the INSPIRE (Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community) directive, the Digital Climate Atlas is developed as a rich Web GIS (Geographic Information System) application based on modern Web standards offering all necessary tools for climate data visualization and extraction. Another important product of the CARPATCLIM project is the Metadata Catalog which is designed as a tool for searching of climate metadata by various parameters (i.e. period, variable, region etc.).

This research aims to gain insight into evaluation methodology and to contribute to a higher standard of Web-based GIS applications evaluation in practice. We explored existing usability standards and published usability models to determining an appropriate model for evaluating the usability of WebGIS. The main goal of this study is to propose a comprehensive methodology for usability evaluation and identify the most serious usability problems of special purpose Web-based geographic information system. The proposed methodology should lead to decreasing time necessary for evaluation of applications and results processing.

The data about routes of ambulances in period of extensive number of days, extracted from the database connected to GPS system, are used in the calculations of coordinates related to the locations where these vehicles should be parked during „waiting for call” time. The mathematic problem known as „p-median” is resolved by apropriate algorithm implemanted in three steps. Defined optimisation method is tested and implemnted on site. In addition to the description of the implemented system for relocation of resources in road traffic, certain side effects of the project are analyzed. Focus of attention was drawn to the importance of the project as an example of the innovative entrepreneurship.

Macro-diversity (MaD) system with MaD selection combining (SC) receiver and two micro-diversity (MiD) SC structures in the shadowed multipath fading channel in the presence of co-channel interference (CCI) is investigated. The received signal propagates through Gamma shadowed Rayleigh fading channel while CCI propagates through Gamma shadowed Nakagami-m multipath fading channel. Novel, infinite series expression for cumulative distribution functions (CDF) is efficiently calculated and used for derivation of outage probability (OP) at the output of MaD system. The effect of the system parameters on the MaD system are presented and analyzed.

E-GOVERNANCE Abstract: The implementation of emergency vehicles relocation, as part of the overall optimization process, looking for some in advance adopted guidelines. One of the most important issues is to decide between single, double or other multiple coverage of service points. A comprehensive algorithm based on the data extracted from huge archive of vehicle moving history is used to ana- lyze the influence of different types of coverage to the efficiency of obtained solutions. In order to perform comparison and evaluation of the quality of semi-optimal solutions, a parameter named savings ratio is used.

Many researchers have taken a great deal of effort to promote high quality game-based learning applications, such as educational games, animations, simulations, animated or interactive simulation mechanisms in learning management system (LMS), and so on. The Bloom’s taxonomy strategy was successfully implemented as effective gaming model in two different game-based learning applications (puzzle and platformer games) that motivate and actively engage college students in order to make learning process more enjoyable. During using the game-based modules in LMS Moodle, special attention was paid both to the integration of game-play aspects and the relationship between learning styles and game genres. In this paper we shall describe the proposed approach and introduce an adaptation and personalization of player as student model based on game genres. We have analyzed learning styles and teaching strategies that match the game features which resulted in embedding the analysis personalization and teaching strategies into the game. This article presents the effectiveness of agent-based approach in teaching strategies of Moodle gaming education resources.

The most important functionality of the hail suppression information system in Serbia is to enable timely and reliable detection of the formation of hail-containing clouds. Improvement of this functionality can be achieved by adequate visualization of air flow (wind) inside the cloud system. This was the motivation for implementing a 2D steady vector field visualization method, based on the streamlines method. The choice of this method is dictated by the requirements for the given appliance: efficiency (a crucial requirement in hail suppression systems), generality of use, an accurate and easily understandable display. By implementing algorithms for streamlines seeding strategy and streamlines points distance control, the infinite loop problem that occurs due to the existence of field vortices is eliminated and evenly spaced streamlines are obtained. For analyzing the influence of the implemented method?s parameters on performance and image quality, a framework for visualization is developed. The implemented method is successfully applied for visualization of data obtained from meteorological radars.

The heart of a modern and efficient information system is a computer database that can be accessed from all over the world. The system demands a strong protection and cryptography, due to a large number of threats in the electronic era. In the well organized transplant programs, all transplantation centers have access to the central computer database. In this important database, the transplantation centers enter information of their recipients along with the recipient profile and the donor profile. This is the basic principle of making the best match between donated organ and recipient. This paper elaborates the SetNet information system with potential criminal activities and malpractice regarding central computer database.

Registration in augmented reality is a process that merges virtual objects generated by a computer with real-world images captured by a camera. In this article, we present a method for registration of geospatial data applicable to outdoor video surveillance systems consisting of several PTZ cameras. PTZ is an abbreviation for pan-tilt-zoom, and in the terminology of video surveillance it indicates cameras that can rotate in the horizontal (pan) and vertical planes (tilt) and change their level of magnification (zoom). Registration is based on transforming these relative camera view parameters into the absolute position, orientation and field of view required by the three-dimensional geographic information systems (3D GISs). Once the 3D GIS and camera views are aligned, it is possible to identify geospatial objects from the camera image, as well as to overlap the virtual scene with the real one. In addition, inverse transformation of the view parameters allows for selecting and pointing the appropriate camera to some geo-referenced feature or event. Based on the proposal, we developed GeoScopeAVS, a GIS-based system for augmented video surveillance and suggested application of such a system in emergency situation management and urban planning.

If we intent to realize the serious optimization task and if the main goal is the location and relocation of the ambulance vehicles based on the data archived in the history of the movement of these vehicles, at the very beginning we have to make several important decisions. One of the dilemmas is how far to go in the past, or how many destinations to which the vehicle traveled in the past we had to take in account and use as starting point of the analysis. In this paper we try to estimate influence of the different number of destinations to the quality of the optimization solution. For this purpose a specifically defined optimization coefficient is defined and introduced. We use the data extracted from the actual use of the emergency ambulance vehicles in real life and the optimization calculations are carried out using software module made during a live project implementation. The results obtained during this analysis of different scale of input data are illustrated and discussed in several aspects. Addition attention is directed to the most important analysis and that is the behavior and the comparison of the different optimization coefficient values.

The paper describes MapEdit, MS WindowsTM software for georeferencing and rectification of scanned paper maps. The software produces continuous raster maps which can be used as background in geographical information systems. Process of continuous raster map creation using MapEdit "mosaicking" function is also described as well as the georeferencing and rectification algorithms which are used in MapEdit. Our approach for georeferencing and rectification using four control points and two linear transformations for each scanned map part, together with nearest neighbor resampling method, represents low cost--high speed solution that produce continuous raster maps with satisfactory quality for many purposes (± 1 pixel). Quality assessment of several continuous raster maps at different scales that have been created using our software and methodology, has been undertaken and results are presented in the paper. For the quality control of the produced raster maps we referred to three wide adopted standards: US Standard for Digital Cartographic Data, National Standard for Spatial Data Accuracy and US National Map Accuracy Standard. The results obtained during the quality assessment process are given in the paper and show that our maps meat all three standards.

Modern handheld devices, i.e. smartphones, have gone beyond their basic purpose for some time now. Beside powerful screens, which usually surpass those we use on our desktops, powerful cameras, and internet connectivity, these devices usually integrate many sensors. In this paper, we discuss how we can combine smart phone’s camera, connectivity, GPS receiver, accelerometer, and magnetometer in order to transform this kind of a device into geospatial video source. To validate and test suggested solution, we implemented a simple mobile app that fetches frames and sensors’ data, calculates georeference and streams geospatial video. In the paper, we also discussed limitations that are caused by the limited precision of used sensors.

In this paper, performance analysis of wireless communication over α−η−μ fading channels has been investigated. First, analysis has been carried out for the case when communication is subjected to the influence of co-channel interference. Closed-form expressions have been derived for the probability density function and cumulative distribution function of the received signal-to-interference ratio. Outage probability has been obtained for this case, in the function of various values of system parameters, and also for the case when selection diversity has been presented at the reception. Further, simultaneous multipath fading and shadowing occurrence has been analyzed, through deriving novel composite Gamma long-time faded α−η−μ fading distribution. First-order statistical parameters have been obtained in closed form, for this novel composite distribution, and capitalizing on them, standard performance measures have been efficiently evaluated, graphically presented and discussed in the function of system parameters.

This paper provides an overview of current initiatives for the development of e-government originating from Europe and United States of America. This study emphasizes the importance of transformation of e-government, from government-oriented services (e-Government 1.0), through the user-oriented (e-Government 2.0), to an open, transparent administration that involves citizens and legal entities in the process decision-making. In this paper we propose configurable framework for fast development of systems that covers defined process of exchanging information and documents among citizens and legal entity on one side and employer in government institution on other side. Proposed framework is build around atomic building block named state with defined requirements, connections between blocks and loops. Based on proposed framework we developed system for issuing B integrated permits. Developed system serves as a confirmation of successful implementation of the open government concept.

Nowadays, game-based learning environments are very common environments for studying major scientific fields such as mathematics, computer science, electronics and electrical engineering. This chapter presents a game-based modules system called the game-based modules (GBMs). It combines the characteristics of computer game elements with the existing interactive multimedia environments for learning mathematics, physics and electronics. This module presents a new type of game-learning environment for teaching units of Computer Science courses. Bearing in mind that the GBMs includes interactive tasks as a form of a multi-level approach to problem solving, we have also shown an approach to evaluating student’s knowledge necessary for upgrading him/her to the higher level of learning. To assess a student’s knowledge level needed for the next game level in the GBMs, we have developed an intelligent agent. This illustrates how intelligent agents and fuzzy logic can help increase the quality and quantity of the most important element of e-learning and that is making a decision. The results of student’s knowledge diagnosis by means of agent within the GBMs e-learning system demonstrate the possibility of applying the presented agent model in various game-based learning systems for the determination of the knowledge level performance. On the basis of the data obtained through the exams, as well as through the use of statistical reasoning methods, we have shown the efficiency of the GBMs in the learning process.

Replication of geospatial data for mobile GIS in field work is important because it allows field workers access to geospatial data even in situations when a server providing that data is unavailable. Due to limitations of mobile devices, it is important to create a specific data set for each specific task. In this way, mobile GIS can always maintain the highest level of performance. This paper presents a module for efficient replication of geospatial data, as part of a previously developed GIS architecture.

This study considers the usability of Web Portals in terms of their quality of use for specific end users seeking to achieve work goals in particular environments. The method described is particularly aimed at non-experts in the area of user-centered design and evaluation. The objective of this study is to use a weighting approach to determine the relative importance of the usability factors for Web Portals from the perspective of key potential users. Analytical Network Process (ANP) was used to analyze the relative importance of the factors.

A very rare case of a mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the external auditory canal in an 80-years-old man is presented. Two years ago the tumor of the left external auditory canal appeared, involving facial nerve. Metastatic lesions, composed of squamous cells only, appeared in the ipsilateral cervical lymph nodes. One year after surgical treatment the patient is alive and well.

This paper is research on presentation of statistical data using Web technologies. This work is an exploration of the GIS project in Electronic Engineering but research results are not strictly applicable only to the GIS systems, but can be used in any web application. There are several different client and server library used to display graphs on the Web.

Hail suppression information systems must successfully solve two major problems: detecting hail threatening clouds and efficient seeding of the clouds. Accurate and efficient representation of clouds in real space is a crucial requirement for successful classification of the cloud as hail threatening. Data about clouds are collected by weather radar. Radar creates regular 3D data grid in spherical space, which imposes the problem of designing the method for converting obtained data to Cartesian space. In this paper, we propose new methods for 2D visualization of clouds that solve this problem keeping the performance high. Weather radar data are visualized in three orthogonal cross sections. Developed methods create cross section directly from spherical space, avoiding conversion of the part of 3D dataset into Cartesian space. This fact enabled fast and accurate visualization several meteorological 2D products. The methods incorporate the Earth's curvature and refraction of radar rays necessary to display weather radar data in real geographical space. Proposed methods are embedded in the HASIS 3D hail suppression system. They provide more efficient monitoring of situation in atmosphere and faster detection of hail threatening clouds. Furthermore, they improve precision of cloud parameters measurements and increase accuracy of cloud seeding zones extraction.

Research results from the past several years indicate significant influence of humancomputer interaction (HCI) on computer system development, which, combined with technological development, enabled their application in almost every branch of human activity (Jacob et al., 2007). HCI can be defined as “a field of study related to design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computer systems used by humans, which also includes research of the main phenomena that surround it” (Dix et al., 1998). Multidisciplinary nature of human-computer interaction requires contribution from different science disciplines, especially from computer science, cognitive psychology, social and organizational psychology, ergonomics and human factors, computer-aided design and engineering, artificial intelligence, linguistics, philosophy, sociology and anthropology. Main goal of HCI is to improve interaction between the user and the computer in order to make computers more user friendly and designed systems more usable. Understanding physical, intellectual and personal differences between potential users defines the level of understanding and fulfilling user needs. Regarding different human perceptual, cognitive and motor abilities can lead to universally usable interface development. In HCI, knowledge of the capabilities and hitations of the human operator is used for the design of systems, software, tasks, tools, environments, and organizations. The purpose is generally to improve productivity while providing a safe, comfortable and satisfying experience for the operator (Helander et al., 1997). In this Chapter, we have presented some new research results on HCI methodologies. An extension of cognitive model for HCI XUAN/t, based on decomposition of user dialogue into elementary actions (GOMS) is described. Using this model, descriptions of elementary (sensor, cognitive and motor) actions performed by user and system are introduced sequentially, as they will happen. In order to evaluate user performance in interaction with interface, based on the described model and psychometric concepts, we have developed software CASE tool for testing sensomotor abilities of user in human-computer interaction. Software CASE tool arranges tests into test groups for psychosensomotor and memory capabilities. Test construction is based on recognition of activities in user-computer interaction, prominent user characteristics and the measurement method of individual production results. Taking into account different aspects of user profiles confronts us with the challenges of physical

This paper presents an extension of cognitive model for Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) - XUAN/t, based on decomposition of user dialogue into elementary actions (GOMS). Using this model, descriptions of elementary actions performed by user and system are introduced sequentially, as they will happen. Based on the described model and psychometric concepts, we developed software tool for testing sensomotor abilities of users for HCI. Software tool arranges tests into test groups for psychosensomotor and memory capabilities. User test results are stored in a database and available for further statistical analysis.

Multimedia enters all computer applications bringing new and powerful capabilities. It has also found its natural place in Geographical Information Systems (GIS). In this paper, basic principles of including multimedia into GIS and several capabilities for applying multimedia and GIS in tourism are discussed. Also, MS Windows multimedia support mechanisms and their application in GINIS-Agency, a multimedia GIS software for tourism, is presented.