Acoustic Events Semantic Detection, Classification, and Annotation for Persistent Surveillance Applications

Acoustic Events Semantic Detection, Classification, and Annotation for Persistent Surveillance Applications

 Abstract:

Understanding of group activity based on analysis of spatiotemporally correlated acoustic sound events has received a minimum attention in the literature and hence is not well understood. Identification of group sub-activities such as: Human-Vehicle Interactions (HVI), Human-Object Interactions (HOI), and Human-Human Interactions (HHI) can significantly improve Situational Awareness (SA) in Persistent Surveillance Systems (PSS). 

In this paper, salient sound events associated with group activities are preliminary identified and applied for training a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) whose features are employed as feature vectors for training of algorithms for acoustic sound recognition. In this paper, discrimination of salient sounds associated with the HVI, HHI, and HOI events is achieved via a Correlation Based Template Matching (CMTM) classifier. To interlinked salient events representing an ontology-based hypothesis, a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is employed to recognize spatiotemporally correlated events. Once such a connection is established, then, the system generates an annotation of each perceived sound event. This paper discusses the technical aspects of this approach and presents the experimental results for several outdoor group activities monitored by an array of acoustic sensors.

 Author Bio:

 Dr. Amjad Alkilani is a program chair for the Forbes School of Business & Technology™ at Ashford University. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer & Information Systems Engineering from Tennessee State University; M.S. in Software Engineering from California State University-Fullerton, and B.S. in Computer Science from Mutah University. Before he joined Ashford University he worked as an assistant professor with University of Central Missouri, and before that he was a teaching assistant at Tennessee State University. In addition to his teaching experience he held several positions with different software companies and government agencies: Sr. Software Engineer with State of Tennessee, PM & Sr. Technical Trainer with CBM Integrated Software – Irvine CA, Software Developer with Los Angeles County, and Software Analyst/Developer with A-Z Group Inc. in Irvine CA.

Dr. Alkilani is a recognized expert in enterprise software development related subjects, and his research focus is on solving real-life problems through intelligent systems methodologies.

 Link to Research:

http://proceedings.spiedigitallibrary.org/proceeding.aspx?articleid=1884359

 Reference:

 Alkilani, A., and Shirkhodaie, A., “Acoustic Events Semantic Detection, Classification, and Annotation for Persistent Surveillance Applications”, SPIE Defense, Security and Sensing Conference, Baltimore, Maryland, April 2014.

 Linked-In Address:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amjad-alkilani-phd-17b8a3119/

Military Women and Their Use of Voice in the Workplace

Dr. Arlene McConville

Title: Military Women and Their Use of Voice in the Workplace

Abstract: 
Based on the work of Albert O. Hirschman (1970), this paper centers on the assumption that the use of voice in the workplace is a basic function in which employees attempt to change and improve the current functioning of their organization. However, studies show that not everyone is empowered to use voice in the workplace. Tenure is found to influence employees’ decision to use voice (Ashford & Black, 1996; Bauer, Bodner, Erdogan, Truxillo, & Tucker, 2007). Organizations can benefit from the diversity of ideas, and women bring with them new and different sets of ideas. Therefore, it is important to understand the circumstances in which women are empowered to use their voice in the workplace. As the military aims to be more inclusive of women, understanding the relationship between tenure and voice may be a way for the organizations to hear more from their women employees. The results of this study show that military women with less tenure are more empowered to use their voice than those with much longer tenure.

Link to Research: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318970060_Military_Women_and_Their_Use_of_Voice_in_the_Workplace

Reference: McConville, A. (2017, June). Military Women and Their Use of Voice in the Workplace. Paper presented at the meeting of the International Leadership Association, Rhinebeck, NY. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.31762.96967

Author Bio: Dr. Arlene McConville is a retired military veteran and an associate professor at Ashford University. She began teaching in higher education after serving twenty years in the U.S. Coast Guard. Dr. McConville earned a Master of Business Administration in Management from Hawaii Pacific University and a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership from Argosy University. Her research interests are in leadership, motivation, and the military.

The Relationships between Locus of Control, Technology Usage, and Grades among Graduate Students.

Dr. Safavi

The Relationships between Locus of Control, Technology Usage, and Grades among Graduate Students.

Abstract:

Using Rotter‘s (1966) survey, this study determined the level of student personality factor Locus of Control (LOC) and examined whether or not it played a role in student adaptation and usage of technology. In this study, a course website technology was utilized for graduate students in face-to-face classrooms in a university. The student participants had successfully completed the course Economics for Decision Making during the period fall semester of 2013 to fall semester of 2015. The researcher examined the number of times a student used the website by looking at the Learning Management System (LMS) data that showed the frequency of students logging into the course website and then correlated that data to student LOC. The study confirmed that students with internal LOC level used the course website more often than the students with external LOC level; however, the study rejected the assumption that student personality factor Locus of Control had a significant impact on the student final grade.

Link to Research:

Click Here

Reference:

Safavi, N., (2016) The Relationships Between Locus of Control, Technology Usage, and Grades Among Graduate Students (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. (Accession Order No. AAT 10196437)

Author Bio:

Nazila Safavi is a telecommunications consultant and instructor of Information Technology, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering courses and subjects. Nazila Safavi has earned her PhD in the field of Information Technology Management. Her undergraduate studies in Computer Science were conducted at the Oxford Brooks University, Oxford, England. She has earned her MS in Telecommunications at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas. Nazila is currently serving as a program chair for the TECH program Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and as an assistant professor at the Forbes School of Business & Technology at Ashford University. Safavi has served as an adjunct faculty at the University of California, Los Angeles and University of California, Irvine Extended School as well as National University and University of La Verne, where she has also been a member of advisory committee and program and course developer. Safavi is a recognized expert in Information Technology, Computer Science and Engineering related subjects. Her work has been published in the academic and practitioner journals. She has published a few scholarly articles. Her work is presented in several academic seminars and conferences. In addition, Safavi has wide-ranging practical experience. She has served to some of the world's leading Wireless and Telecommunication firms. Safavi specializes in the construction of Code Division Multiple Access as well as other Wireless Communication areas. Safavi received a scholarship from Oxford Brooks University in 1992. This award is usually given to the person that is most likely to establish a new area of research. Safavi successfully conducts a series of online seminars, has earned a number of awards, including the one she is most proud of: The best teacher award.

Linked-In Address:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazila-safavi-267ba65/

Arrogance at the Top

Abstract: In the recent past, there has been a plethora of media reports citing corporate scandals.   Mr. John Rigas, the founder of Adelphia Communications, the fifth largest cable operator in the United States, is one of the many corporate officers removed by Federal Authorities in handcuffs. The elderly Mr. Rigas, along with his sons, and other top leadership at Adelphia were indicted. This paper will center on the application of business ethics and inappropriate decisions that Mr. Rigas may have made when he was at the helm of Adelphia Communications. This paper will also demonstrate examples of business practices that may not be illegal; however, they allow serious ethical concerns to remain when inaccurate financial reporting is not questioned in public companies. Ethics is "the study of the general nature of morals and specific moral choices an individual makes in relating members of a profession..." not only when making professional decisions but personal choices as well (Dictionary, 2011, p. 385). Researchers tie the concept of business ethics with a concept of constant struggle and pursuit of moral behavior which sometimes appears to be in a direct conflict with both business and human nature (Weaver, 2011).   Sometimes it is hard to make the right choice, especially when pleasure is involved in choosing a behavior that seems to be good for us, but it may not be the right thing to do as it is described by the deontology theory "the good is defined independently of the right" meaning not everything that is good is right or vice-verse.

Link to Research: http://www.jaabc.com/brcv18n2preview.html

Reference: Murphy, R. & Zelihic, M. (2011) Arrogance at the Top. Business Review, Cambridge. Retrieved from http://www.jaabc.com/brcv18n2preview.html

Author Bio: Dr. Maja Zelihic is a Program Chair for the Masters of Organizational Management, in the Forbes School of Business at Ashford University. She has a Ph.D in General Business with an emphasis in Organizational Management. In addition to being a Program Chair in the MAOM program, Dr. Zelihic is a Chair of Professional Development and Scholarship committee at Ashford University, which is a committee that recommends professional development content and provides recommendations concerning faculty research. She is a Program Chair; Innovation Track at ABSEL (Association for Business Simulation & Experiential Learning).

Dr. Zelihic is the recipient of Western International University Excellence Award for Contributions to Faculty Peer Development, two-time recipient of the University of Phoenix Faculty Scholarship award, was recognized as one of the top 10 Forbes School of Business faculty members in 2013, recipient of the University Fellows grants award in 2014(as part of a team of four), and again the recipient of the University Fellows Grant award in 2016 as the principal investigator.

In 2016 Dr. Zelihic was honored to be the recipient of both The 2016 Excellence in Scholarship Award (nominated by her peers) and Forbes School of Business President's Award for the Excellence in Scholarship.

To name just a few of her international presentation endeavors, Dr. Zelihic presented at the International Symposium of the New Technologies in Sports, delivering a lecture on sports management in April, 2011 in Sarajevo, Bosnia; 2015 IX International GUIDE Conference -Buenos Aires, Argentina; 2015 Multidisciplinary Academic Conference, Orlando, Florida; and she is a three time attendee and presenter at the Finance, Economics, MIS, & Global Business Research Conference, Miami, Florida. This year Dr. Zelihic is going to be presenting at the XI International GUIDE Conference and IX International EdTech IKASNABAR Congress in Madrid, Spain.

Dr. Zelihic was the key speaker at the Economics, Finance, MIS & International Business Research Conference, London presenting her research on Biculturalism in the US workforce.

Linked-In Address (Optional):

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-maja-zelihic-90905a35

Leadership Role of Executives in Building Customer Relationship Marketing

Dr. Adebowale Onatolu

Abstract:  “If leaders are to be effective in a diverse society, they need to understand their own preferred style and behaviors, and how these may differ from those preferred by others. Otherwise, their interactions with others are likely to be fraught with misattributions, misunderstandings, and misinterpretations,” (Ayman, & Korabik, 2010, p.1). By understanding their own leadership styles, executives can play significant leadership role in transferring their leadership styles to build a long-term relationship with their employees which translates into building Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM); a concept that focuses on establishing long-term relationships with customers. The paper will discuss the role of executives in the customer relationship marketing concept of the company.

Link to Research: https://www.marketing.org/

Reference: Onatolu, A. (2013 June) Leadership Role of Executives in Customer Relationship Marketing. Business Marketing Association. Newsletter.

Author Bio: Adebowale Onatolu (aka Dr.D or Debo) is a full-Time professor and the Acting Chair of the Bachelor of Arts in Marketing program in the Forbes School of Business and Technology at Ashford University. His academic background includes a bachelor’s degree in Business and Management from Northeastern Illinois University, a master’s degree in Marketing Communications from Roosevelt University in Chicago, and a doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from University of Phoenix. Teaching was something that Debo always planned on doing because it would allow him to stay in the classroom and keep him studying forever. His professional experience includes corporate positions and small business ownership. He participates in various conferences and workshops to enhance his business knowledge.

Copyrighted materials used with researcher's permission.

Foreign Direct Investment, Corporate Social Responsibility and Poverty Alleviation: Evidence from African Countries

Efiong Akwaowo, PhD

Abstract: During the past two decades, advances toward a truly global economy were driven by the role of Multinational Enterprises (MNE).  The progress in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has raised many controversies in the ways these foreign investors conduct their businesses in the developing countries.  More attention has been given to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in developing countries.  Despite such attention, Africa is much less represented than any other continent.  MNEs, which embark on FDI, are faced with an important decision on how to enhance CSR in order to reduce poverty in their host countries. The authors reviewed peer-reviewed literature exploring FDI, CSR and how FDI contributed to the reduction of poverty in the African developing countries of Nigeria, Ghana, and Cameroon.

Link to Research: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2801750

Reference: Akwaowo, Efiong and Swanson, Andree. (2016) Foreign Direct Investment, Corporate Social Responsibility and Poverty Alleviation: Evidence from African Countries. Review of Business & Finance Studies, Vol. 7(2), p. 21-33, 2016.

 Author Bio:

This is Efiong Akwaowo, PhD, an Assistant Professor in the Forbes School of Business. Dr. Akwaowo holds a PhD in Business Administration with a specialization in International Business from Northcentral University and a Master of Business Administration in Management along with a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing both from Texas Southern University. He focuses on areas in International Business, Entrepreneurship and Global Strategic Management. He has worked in the corporate world for more than 15 years in the area of strategic planning and has been teaching traditional and online classes for more than seven years.

1.858.436.6056 or via email: Efiong.Akwaowo@ashford.edu

Linked-In Address: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akwaowo

Copyrighted materials used with researcher's permission.

Virtual Teams – Individual Perceptions of Effective Project Management that Contribute to a Collective Effort in Project Success

Title:  Virtual Teams – Individual Perceptions of Effective Project Management that Contribute to a Collective Effort in Project Success

Abstract:  How do effective project managers use team communication, relationship building, and project management elements in dispersed virtual project teams to influence overall project success when team members have little face-to-face interaction? This article focuses on research conducted on distributed project management teams that had to rely on a virtual, technologically-driven environment for coordination and communication of project tasks and objectives throughout the life of the project. This investigation concentrated on seeking the dispersed project team member who could function effectively as an interconnected and cooperative team member in order to achieve project success even though not co-located with other team members.

Link to Research: www.pmi.org

Reference:  Toler, L. (2014).  Virtual Team – Individual Perceptions of Effective Project Management that Contribute to a Collective Effort in Project Success. Project Management Institute.  Retrieved http://www.pmi.org/

Author Bio:  Dr. Lisa Toler is a Manager and certified Project Management Professional at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) where she has been employed for 33 years.  She currently leads the Nonproliferation Policy and Safeguards Implementation Team and serves as the BNL point-of-contact for the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative under the NNSA Nuclear Safeguards and Security program and the U.S. Program of Technical Assistance to IAEA Safeguards (POTAS) U.S. Laboratory Coordinator at BNL.  Dr. Toler participates in program development activities, and provides ongoing response to the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative’s call for proposals

Dr. Toler also teaches Organizational Behavior at the graduate and undergraduate level and Organizational Change at the undergraduate level as an online adjunct Associate Professor with Ashford University, Forbes School of Business. 

Linked-In Address: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toler-lisa-t-70650a46 

Copyrighted materials used with researcher's permission.