Quintin Gee

Implementation Challenges for Nastaliq Character Recognition

Character recognition in cursive scripts or handwritten Latin script has attracted researchers’ attention recently and some research has been done in this area. Optical character recognition is the translation of optically-scanned bitmaps of printed or written text into digitally editable data files. OCRs developed for many world languages are already in use but none exists for Urdu Nastaliq – a calligraphic adaptation of the Arabic script, just as Jawi is for Malay. Urdu Nastaliq has 39 characters against Arabic 28. Each character then has 2-4 different shapes according to its position in the word: initial, medial, final and isolated. In Nastaliq, inter-word and intra-word overlapping makes optical recognition more complex. Character recognition of the Latin script is relatively easier. This paper reports research on Urdu Nastaliq OCR, discusses challenges and suggest a new solution for its implementation.

Wireless Networks, Information Processing and Systems

Keynote Speech: Role of PCSIR in Industrial Development of Pakistan -- Keynote Speech: Computer Vision: Object Recognition and Scene Interpretation -- Electronic Automatic Gear Shifting System for a Motorcycle -- Segmentation of Arabic Text into Characters for Recognition -- Improved Texture Description with Features Based on Fourier Transform -- Optimization of Projections for Parallel-Ray Transmission Tomography Using Genetic Algorithm -- Seasonal to Inter-annual Climate Prediction Using Data Mining KNN Technique -- Application of a Proposed Efficient Smoothing Algorithm on Directional Vectors for Isolated Handwritten Characters -- Architecture Based Reliability and Testing Estimation for Mobile Applications -- A Framework to Achieve Reverse Channel Multicast in IEEE 802.16 Based Wireless Broadband Networks for Interoperability with IP Networks -- A Dynamical System and Neural Network Perspective of Karachi Stock Exchange -- A Novel Approach to Non Coherent UWB Reception -- Load Balancing in EAMC to Integrate Heterogeneous Wireless Systems -- A Speech Recognition System for Urdu Language -- The Future of Satellite Communications in Pakistan -- The Small World of Web Network Graphs -- Application of Color Segmentation Using Online Learning for Target Tracking -- Iterative Learning Fuzzy Gain Scheduler -- Comparative Analysis of Mobile IP and HAWAII -- Video Transport over Heterogeneous Networks Using SCTP and DCCP -- Implementing Constructivist Pedagogical Model in Dynamic Distance Learning Framework -- Effect of Schedule Compression on Project Effort in COCOMO II Model for Highly Compressed Schedule Ratings -- The Concept of Bio-fitness in Bio-inspired Computational Metaphor Abstraction -- Analysis of MANET Routing Protocols under TCP Vegas with Mobility Consideration -- CMMI and OPM3: Are They Compatible? -- Impact of Cluster Size on Efficient LUT-FPGA Architecture for Best Area and Delay Trade-Off -- Effects of Social Status on Foetal Growth Using Obstetric Ultrasonography – A Biometric Approach -- Bioinformatics Awareness System for Skin Diseases Using Stem Cells Therapy in the Perspective of eHealth -- How to Build an Open Source Render Farm Based on Desktop Grid Computing -- Implementation Challenges for Nastaliq Character Recognition -- Enhancing Business Decisions with Neurofuzzy Technology -- A System Design for a Telemedicine Health Care System -- Performance Analysis of PDC-OCDMA System with APD Mismatch -- Blocking Probabilities in WDM Switching Networks Using Overflow Analysis Method -- Design and Implementation of a Selective Harmonic Elimination SPWM Strategy-Based Inverter -- Case Study: Investigating the Performance of Interactive Multiple Motion Model Algorithm for a Crossing Target Scenario -- A Novel Approach for the Control of Dual-Active Bridge DC-DC Converter -- Importance of Data Center Philosophy, Architecture and Its Technologies -- Keynote Address: Is It Right and Is It Legal? -- Practical Optimal Caching Using Multiple Virtual Caches in Multiple Query Optimization -- A Design and Chronological Survey of Decision Feedback Equalizer for Single Carrier Transmission Compared with OFDM -- Speaker Verification Based on Information Theoretic Vector Quantization -- Detecting Trojans Using Data Mining Techniques -- Enabling MPSoC Design Space Exploration on FPGAs -- Range Based Real Time Localization in Wireless Sensor Networks -- PrISM: Automatic Detection and Prevention from Cyber Attacks -- A Pretty Safe Strategy for Analyzing Discrete Security Assessment Framework in Wireless Sensor Networks -- Renewable Energy for Managing Energy Crisis in Pakistan.

Design and analysis of the security assessment framework for achieving discrete security values in wireless sensor networks

The paper presents a ready-to-use security assessment framework for wireless sensor networks (WSNs). The parameters in the proposed security assessment framework perform independent security assessment of WSNs and of their applications. Our proposed framework uses actual responses of the entities (such as nodes, communication link and network response) to assign numerical values for security assessment of WSNs. The method for calculating the optimal values for each security parameter of the framework is also discussed. Our proposed framework is designed to avoid unwanted impacts of the complexities of security algorithms, communication protocols and strong cryptography. Usually, the complexity of algorithms disguises the actual assessment of the WSN, but the independence of the proposed framework from these security-disguising objects makes this framework better than other assessment frameworks in terms of scalability.

An Inquiry-led Personalised Navigation System (IPNS) using multi-dimensional linkbases

The simplicity of the hypertext model behind the World Wide Web is a factor in its success, but this simplicity brings limitations. One of these limitations is embedding links in documents. Open Hypermedia addresses this by instead storing them in separate link databases. Meanwhile, the Adaptive Hypermedia approach seeks to enhance a users experience by inserting personalised additional content and links on the web page. However, these techniques do not offer the user any control over the adaptation. In this paper, we propose the concept of a multi-dimensional linkbase for adaptive links presentation. Links are created and stored in a single, multi-dimensional, linkbase that provides presentation links based on the users preferences and profile. We present a web-based system Inquiry-led Personalised Navigation System that implements this multi-dimensional concept for controlling its personalisation of hyperlinks. We give the results of our evaluation, which confirm that user-controlled adaptation is a satisfactory approach to providing users with control over personalisation, and can alleviate the link overload problem.

Towards grid services for a virtual research environment

VOEU is a virtual university which we designed, implemented and deployed in the Wessex Region of the UK for use by higher surgical trainees in the orthopaedic domain. A particularly original part of this virtual university is the virtual research environment (VRE) which provides the infrastructure to support trainee surgeons in carrying out and publishing research and clinical trails. The current implementation of the VRE is tightly coupled, but we are now engaged in a new project to redeploy the VRE as loosely coupled grid services. This paper describes the VRE, and discusses the advantages that will be achieved by implementing it as grid services.

The dynamic review journal: a scholarly archive

A digital archive, together with its users and its contents, does not exist in isolation—there is a cycle of activity which provides the context for the archives existence, and which the archive supports through its various roles of information access, discovery, storage, dissemination and preservation. This paper describes an extended digital library environment that we have developed for orthopaedic surgeons which assists in collating and analysing patient data, organizing internal project discussions, and producing articles. By bridging the gap between the undertaking of experimental work (surgical trials) and the dissemination of its results through electronic publication, this work addresses the cycle of activity in which a digital archive rests.

Review of script displays of African languages by current software

All recorded African languages that have a writing system have orthographies which use the Roman or Arabic scripts, with a few exceptions. While Unicode successfully handles the encoding of both these scripts, current software, in particular Web browsers, take little account of users wishing to operate in a minority script. Their use for displaying African languages has been limited by the availability of facilities and the desire to communicate with the ‘world’ through major languages such as English and French. There is a need for more use of the indigenous languages to strengthen their language communities and the use of the local scripts in enhancing the learning, teaching, and general use of their own languages by their speaking communities.

An insight on decision-making and commercial software solutions

This paper reviews the need for strategic information by the business enterprise, the business executive and the information service provider, and answers the question whether commercially available software fulfils the organizational requirements. We also summarize how those requirements have been evolving throughout the past four decades.

Keynote Address: Is It Right and Is It Legal?

Should the rules for IT practitioners be the same as are self-imposed by society in general, or something extra? Engineers, and in particular IT professionals, are being called on to take more and more consideration of non-technical factors when designing their systems. Every system they design is meant to be used (ultimately) by people, and yet people are very diverse and work in unexpected ways. We see this in the manager’s role in dealing with his employees, where he now has to cater for their safety, recruitment terms, and what facilities they can and cannot use within the business, for example private e-mail. Information technology itself provides new problems, such as zombies, spam and identity theft. Most importantly, businesses now accumulate vast quantities of digital personal data on their customers. Who is to say how they may or may not use this? Does the IT professional not have a say in what is right, even what is legal? The solutions to this have to be worldwide, and yet most of us can only create a local effect. The best place for an academic to start is in training the future engineers. The paper outlines the background thinking to a Professional & Legal Issues course, given to all second year students of Information Systems, Electronics, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Science, at the University of Southampton, UK.