RFID Technology in Intelligent Tracking Systems in Construction Waste Logistics Using Optimisation Techniques

Construction waste disposal is an urgent issue for protecting our environment. This paper proposes a waste management system and illustrates the work process using plasterboard waste as an example, which creates a hazardous gas when land filled with household waste, and for which the recycling rate is less than 10% in the UK. The proposed system integrates RFID technology, Rule-Based Reasoning, Ant Colony optimization and knowledge technology for auditing and tracking plasterboard waste, guiding the operation staff, arranging vehicles, schedule planning, and also provides evidence to verify its disposal. It h relies on RFID equipment for collecting logistical data and uses digital imaging equipment to give further evidence; the reasoning core in the third layer is responsible for generating schedules and route plans and guidance, and the last layer delivers the result to inform users. The paper firstly introduces the current plasterboard disposal situation and addresses the logistical problem that is now the main barrier to a higher recycling rate, followed by discussion of the proposed system in terms of both system level structure and process structure. And finally, an example scenario will be given to illustrate the system’s utilization

Security and Privacy of Radio Frequency Identification

Tanenbaum, A.S. [Promotor]Crispo, B. [Copromotor

The impact of regulatory change on pharmacy practice: the implementation of the European Union falsified medicines directive in the United Kingdom

The use of technological solutions within the healthcare environment is becoming widespread. The implementation of the Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) is a large-scale regulatory mandated example of this innovation to impact pharmacy practice in modern times. At the core of the innovation lies the practice of visual and digital authentication and verification by clinicians supported by the digital systems. Few implementation studies for policy-driven digital health system changes of this magnitude have taken place previously in the area of pharmacy practice. A preliminary literature review found that existing digital solutions focusing on prevention and detection of falsified medicines were limited, with little evidence of integrated national and international policy supported initiatives. In the empirical component of this study, I sought to i) explore the implementation process within community pharmacy; ii) understand the challenges and opportunities pertaining to adoption, scale-up and sustainability of FMD technologies at the local level; iii) place findings within a wider national and international policy context; and vi) inform clinicians’ and policy makers’ practice for future policy-driven driven innovations. Fieldwork consisted of a three phased approach including 10 elite and expert participant semi-structured interviews, semi-structured interviews with 17 clinicians at each study site, and 112 hours of ethnographic observations in participating community pharmacies. Analysis was informed by a multi-level theoretical lens known as the Non-adoption or Abandonment of technology by individuals and difficulties achieving Scale-up, Spread and Sustainability (NASSS) framework alongside Shiffman’s Political Priority Framework (PPF). My approach has generated a rich qualitative dataset comprising of interviews, ethnographic fieldnotes, video and digital imagery, and extracts from documents. My findings support a number of provisional conclusions. Primarily that my chosen framework, NASSS, is a suitable model in explaining the complexities with large-scale system implementation within pharmacy, becoming the first ever study to utilise this framework within this context. Secondly, for a digital solution of high complexity to be adopted, embedded, maintained, and interacted with by clinicians, the digital infrastructure must have capabilities to provide added value for clinical work. Thirdly, policy-driven reform is only an instigator for change, which also requires expert and clinician input to shape and develop policy at the front line of implementation

1-D broadside-radiating leaky-wave antenna based on a numerically synthesized impedance surface

A newly-developed deterministic numerical technique for the automated design of metasurface antennas is applied here for the first time to the design of a 1-D printed Leaky-Wave Antenna (LWA) for broadside radiation. The surface impedance synthesis process does not require any a priori knowledge on the impedance pattern, and starts from a mask constraint on the desired far-field and practical bounds on the unit cell impedance values. The designed reactance surface for broadside radiation exhibits a non conventional patterning; this highlights the merit of using an automated design process for a design well known to be challenging for analytical methods. The antenna is physically implemented with an array of metal strips with varying gap widths and simulation results show very good agreement with the predicted performance

Beam scanning by liquid-crystal biasing in a modified SIW structure

A fixed-frequency beam-scanning 1D antenna based on Liquid Crystals (LCs) is designed for application in 2D scanning with lateral alignment. The 2D array environment imposes full decoupling of adjacent 1D antennas, which often conflicts with the LC requirement of DC biasing: the proposed design accommodates both. The LC medium is placed inside a Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW) modified to work as a Groove Gap Waveguide, with radiating slots etched on the upper broad wall, that radiates as a Leaky-Wave Antenna (LWA). This allows effective application of the DC bias voltage needed for tuning the LCs. At the same time, the RF field remains laterally confined, enabling the possibility to lay several antennas in parallel and achieve 2D beam scanning. The design is validated by simulation employing the actual properties of a commercial LC medium

Accountants' acceptance of a cashless monetary system using an implantable chip

A logical control extension surrounding cashless means of exchange is a permanent personal verification mark. An implanted micro chip such as ones that have been successfully implanted into humans could identify and store information. Connected with global positioning satellites and a computer system, a cashless monetary system could be formed in the future. The system would provide complete and continual real time records for individuals, businesses and regulators. It would be possible for all trading to occur in this way in the future. A modified Technology Acceptance Model was developed based on Davis' (1989) model and Fishbein and Ajzen's (1975) theory to test the acceptance level of the new monetary system by professional accountants in Australia. The model includes perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, perceived risk, and a subjective norm component. 523 accountants were surveyed in December 2003 with a response rate of 27%. 13% either strongly agreed or agreed that they would accept the implantable chip. The analysis showed that Perception of Risk, Subjective Norm and Perception of Usefulness were all significant in explaining the dependent variable at the 95% confidence level. The Perception of Ease of Use was not proved to be significant. In consideration of response bias, it was found that with respect to the perception of usefulness at the 0.01 level, two elements were not significant, those being "not having cards" and "having medical information". The difference here was not seen as fundamental for the credibility of the research given the main theme of the research is a monetary system based on the "mark" rather than the convenience factors of the two elements where there were differences. The perceived risk variable was not significant for early responders. The responses were also used to analyse the Technology Acceptance Model developed by Davis (1989). The m odel had a significance of 0.327 compared to 0.000 giving validation to the contributions of the modified Technology Acceptance Model. Davis' (1989) model found Perception of Ease of Use was significant at the 95% confidence level and Perception of Usefulness was not proven to be significant. In further analyzing the developed model, each of the elements in the model used as independent variables were separately regressed against contributions established in open questions relating to them. Subjective norm had a regression R-squared of 0.403 and of the thirty-four explanatory variables the only significant contribution, at the 95% confidence level was "clients". Significant at the 10% level, were religion, public figures and friends. The professional bodies variable was not significant in determining the subjective norm. Perceived Ease of Use and the nine explanatory variables had an R-squared of 0.143. There were only two significant contributions for ease of use, at the 95% confidence level being "privacy" and "technology". Perceived Usefulness and the eleven explanatory variables had an R-squared of 0.205. There were only two significant contributions for usefulness, at the 95% confidence level being "privacy" and "easy". Perceived Risk and the eleven explanatory variables had an R-squared of 0.054 and no significant contributions

Cyber-Human Systems, Space Technologies, and Threats

CYBER-HUMAN SYSTEMS, SPACE TECHNOLOGIES, AND THREATS is our eighth textbook in a series covering the world of UASs / CUAS/ UUVs / SPACE. Other textbooks in our series are Space Systems Emerging Technologies and Operations; Drone Delivery of CBNRECy – DEW Weapons: Emerging Threats of Mini-Weapons of Mass Destruction and Disruption (WMDD); Disruptive Technologies with applications in Airline, Marine, Defense Industries; Unmanned Vehicle Systems & Operations On Air, Sea, Land; Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems Technologies and Operations; Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the Cyber Domain: Protecting USA’s Advanced Air Assets, 2nd edition; and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the Cyber Domain Protecting USA’s Advanced Air Assets, 1st edition. Our previous seven titles have received considerable global recognition in the field. (Nichols & Carter, 2022) (Nichols, et al., 2021) (Nichols R. K., et al., 2020) (Nichols R. , et al., 2020) (Nichols R. , et al., 2019) (Nichols R. K., 2018) (Nichols R. K., et al., 2022)https://newprairiepress.org/ebooks/1052/thumbnail.jp