Semantic adaptability for the systems interoperability

In the current global and competitive business context, it is essential that enterprises adapt their knowledge resources in order to smoothly interact and collaborate with others. However, due to the existent multiculturalism of people and enterprises, there are different representation views of business processes or products, even inside a same domain. Consequently, one of the main problems found in the interoperability between enterprise systems and applications is related to semantics. The integration and sharing of enterprises knowledge to build a common lexicon, plays an important role to the semantic adaptability of the information systems. The author proposes a framework to support the development of systems to manage dynamic semantic adaptability resolution. It allows different organisations to participate in a common knowledge base building, letting at the same time maintain their own views of the domain, without compromising the integration between them. Thus, systems are able to be aware of new knowledge, and have the capacity to learn from it and to manage its semantic interoperability in a dynamic and adaptable way. The author endorses the vision that in the near future, the semantic adaptability skills of the enterprise systems will be the booster to enterprises collaboration and the appearance of new business opportunities

TeachandLearn.net: Using new technology to support D&T teachers

During 2003/2004, The Open University in the United Kingdom, in association with he BBC, will launch a wholly on-line continual professional development environment for teachers to be known as TeachandLearn.Net. Focusing on the example of the materials developed for Design and Technology teachers, this paper will consider the rationale, design and learning purposes of this novel approach to teacher development. The line of pedagogical development of on-line technologies from the Learning Schools Programme (see paper in PATT-11) to the current flexible Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course, through to the proposed TeachandLearn.net will be explored

Development of fast and radiation hard Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors (MAPS) optimized for open charm meson detection with the CBM - vertex detector

The work presented in this thesis addresses a key issue of the CBM experiment at FAIR, which aims to study charm production in heavy ion collisions at energies ranging from 10 to 40 AGeV . For the first time in this kinematical range, open charm mesons will be used as a probe of the nuclear fireball. Despite of their short decay length, which is typically in the order of few 100 µm in the laboratory frame, those mesons will be identified by reconstructing their decay vertex

DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION OF SIMULTANEOUS WIRELESS INFORMATION AND POWER TRANSFER SYSTEMS

The recent trends in the domain of wireless communications indicate severe upcoming challenges, both in terms of infrastructure as well as design of novel techniques. On the other hand, the world population keeps witnessing or hearing about new generations of mobile/wireless technologies within every half to one decade. It is certain the wireless communication systems have enabled the exchange of information without any physical cable(s), however, the dependence of the mobile devices on the power cables still persist. Each passing year unveils several critical challenges related to the increasing capacity and performance needs, power optimization at complex hardware circuitries, mobility of the users, and demand for even better energy efficiency algorithms at the wireless devices. Moreover, an additional issue is raised in the form of continuous battery drainage at these limited-power devices for sufficing their assertive demands. In this regard, optimal performance at any device is heavily constrained by either wired, or an inductive based wireless recharging of the equipment on a continuous basis. This process is very inconvenient and such a problem is foreseen to persist in future, irrespective of the wireless communication method used. Recently, a promising idea for simultaneous wireless radio-frequency (RF) transmission of information and energy came into spotlight during the last decade. This technique does not only guarantee a more flexible recharging alternative, but also ensures its co-existence with any of the existing (RF-based) or alternatively proposed methods of wireless communications, such as visible light communications (VLC) (e.g., Light Fidelity (Li-Fi)), optical communications (e.g., LASER-equipped communication systems), and far-envisioned quantum-based communication systems. In addition, this scheme is expected to cater to the needs of many current and future technologies like wearable devices, sensors used in hazardous areas, 5G and beyond, etc. This Thesis presents a detailed investigation of several interesting scenarios in this direction, specifically concerning design and optimization of such RF-based power transfer systems. The first chapter of this Thesis provides a detailed overview of the considered topic, which serves as the foundation step. The details include the highlights about its main contributions, discussion about the adopted mathematical (optimization) tools, and further refined minutiae about its organization. Following this, a detailed survey on the wireless power transmission (WPT) techniques is provided, which includes the discussion about historical developments of WPT comprising its present forms, consideration of WPT with wireless communications, and its compatibility with the existing techniques. Moreover, a review on various types of RF energy harvesting (EH) modules is incorporated, along with a brief and general overview on the system modeling, the modeling assumptions, and recent industrial considerations. Furthermore, this Thesis work has been divided into three main research topics, as follows. Firstly, the notion of simultaneous wireless information and power transmission (SWIPT) is investigated in conjunction with the cooperative systems framework consisting of single source, multiple relays and multiple users. In this context, several interesting aspects like relay selection, multi-carrier, and resource allocation are considered, along with problem formulations dealing with either maximization of throughput, maximization of harvested energy, or both. Secondly, this Thesis builds up on the idea of transmit precoder design for wireless multigroup multicasting systems in conjunction with SWIPT. Herein, the advantages of adopting separate multicasting and energy precoder designs are illustrated, where we investigate the benefits of multiple antenna transmitters by exploiting the similarities between broadcasting information and wirelessly transferring power. The proposed design does not only facilitates the SWIPT mechanism, but may also serve as a potential candidate to complement the separate waveform designing mechanism with exclusive RF signals meant for information and power transmissions, respectively. Lastly, a novel mechanism is developed to establish a relationship between the SWIPT and cache-enabled cooperative systems. In this direction, benefits of adopting the SWIPT-caching framework are illustrated, with special emphasis on an enhanced rate-energy (R-E) trade-off in contrast to the traditional SWIPT systems. The common notion in the context of SWIPT revolves around the transmission of information, and storage of power. In this vein, the proposed work investigates the system wherein both information and power can be transmitted and stored. The Thesis finally concludes with insights on the future directions and open research challenges associated with the considered framework

Pragmatic approach to Arab gulf states development cooperation: the conceptual and practical basis

In designing a viable approach to development cooperation, on two planes, horizontal (geo-economic circles) and vertical (function and form of cooperation) analysis was conducted of AGS' development structural needs for development. Forms of cooperation found both in development literature and in practice were surveyed. Analysis of the opportunities and constraints associated with the structural characteristics of the AGS' Sub-region, indicated that, whilst current development is concentrated on material production i.e. 'quantitative' aspects, the need for structural change demands priority for 'qualitative' development. Quantitative development is concerned with the structural and infra- structural base, in broad terms, including fields such as human-resources development, training, research, science and technological base, development administration, the industry of finance, environment preservation, and the socio-cultural values necessary for 'mobilized development' rather than 'passive pseudo-development'. The present situation can be more accurately described as 'development diversion' rather than 'development creation'. Development determinants of the AGS produce strong motivations to, even the necessity for cooperation. Such cooperation, between relevant geo-economic zones - the 'horizontal' element - is found to be viable if based on a Trilateral approach involving three circles: the Sub-region stimulates the AGS to pooling their financial surpluses within an investment strategy, which is based upon the qualitative needs within the Sub-region, wider opportunities for AGS investment on productive activities and which will also benefit the recipients of investment motivate cooperation within the Regional and International circles. To achieve the structural change necessary for self-sustaining development, a viable, functional 'vertical' approach is necessary, identified as: piece-meal, partial, development-oriented and based upon programmed cooperation within an integratory realm. This approach, within the Trilateral framework, would create new development forces, counteracting the limitations of absorptive capacity and other constraints inhibiting AGS economic diversification. It would establish the platform on which to build self- sustaining economic development onward into the post-oil era. OAPEC projects and the AAAID programme on food security within the Region are especially significant operational examples of the applicability of our approach, since the food security issue is identified as a strong motivation for trilateral cooperation. The operational side of the proposed approach is determined by an investment strategy which is based upon the principles of equitable distribution of costs and benefits, reciprocity, additionality, and, through cooperation the harmonious relationships within all three circles which are necessary for but also created by successful development cooperation