Deployment characterization of a floatable tidal energy converter on a tidal channel, Ria Formosa, Portugal

This paper presents the results of a pilot experiment with an existing tidal energy converter (TEC), Evopod 1 kW floatable prototype, in a real test case scenario (Faro Channel, Ria Formosa, Portugal). A baseline marine geophysical, hydrodynamic and ecological study based on the experience collected on the test site is presented. The collected data was used to validate a hydro-morphodynamic model, allowing the selection of the installation area based on both operational and environmental constraints. Operational results related to the description of power generation capacity, energy capture area and proportion of energy flux are presented and discussed, including the failures occurring during the experimental setup. The data is now available to the scientific community and to TEC industry developers, enhancing the operational knowledge of TEC technology concerning efficiency, environmental effects, and interactions (i.e. device/environment). The results can be used by developers on the licensing process, on overcoming the commercial deployment barriers, on offering extra assurance and confidence to investors, who traditionally have seen environmental concerns as a barrier, and on providing the foundations whereupon similar deployment areas can be considered around the world for marine tidal energy extraction.Acknowledgements The paper is a contribution to the SCORE project, funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT e PTDC/ AAG-TEC/1710/2014). Andre Pacheco was supported by the Portu- guese Foundation for Science and Technology under the Portuguese Researchers' Programme 2014 entitled “Exploring new concepts for extracting energy from tides” (IF/00286/2014/CP1234). Eduardo GGorbena has received funding for the OpTiCA project from the ~ Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions of the European Union's H2020- MSCA-IF-EF-RI-2016/under REA grant agreement n [748747]. The authors would like to thank to the Portuguese Maritime Authorities and Sofareia SA for their help on the deployment.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Wireless and Physical Security via Embedded Sensor Networks

Wireless Intrusion Detection Systems (WIDS) monitor 802.11 wireless frames (Layer-2) in an attempt to detect misuse. What distinguishes a WIDS from a traditional Network IDS is the ability to utilize the broadcast nature of the medium to reconstruct the physical location of the offending party, as opposed to its possibly spoofed (MAC addresses) identity in cyber space. Traditional Wireless Network Security Systems are still heavily anchored in the digital plane of "cyber space" and hence cannot be used reliably or effectively to derive the physical identity of an intruder in order to prevent further malicious wireless broadcasts, for example by escorting an intruder off the premises based on physical evidence. In this paper, we argue that Embedded Sensor Networks could be used effectively to bridge the gap between digital and physical security planes, and thus could be leveraged to provide reciprocal benefit to surveillance and security tasks on both planes. Toward that end, we present our recent experience integrating wireless networking security services into the SNBENCH (Sensor Network workBench). The SNBENCH provides an extensible framework that enables the rapid development and automated deployment of Sensor Network applications on a shared, embedded sensing and actuation infrastructure. The SNBENCH's extensible architecture allows an engineer to quickly integrate new sensing and response capabilities into the SNBENCH framework, while high-level languages and compilers allow novice SN programmers to compose SN service logic, unaware of the lower-level implementation details of tools on which their services rely. In this paper we convey the simplicity of the service composition through concrete examples that illustrate the power and potential of Wireless Security Services that span both the physical and digital plane.National Science Foundation (CISE/CSR 0720604, ENG/EFRI 0735974, CIES/CNS 0520166, CNS/ITR 0205294, CISE/ERA RI 0202067

Integrating Sensor-Network Research and Development into a Software Engineering Curriculum

The emergence of a sensor-networked world produces a clear and urgent need for well-planned, safe and secure software engineering. It is the role of universities to prepare graduates with the knowledge and experience to enter the work-force with a clear understanding of software design and its application to the future safety of computing. The snBench (Sensor Network WorkBench) project aims to provide support to the programming and deployment of Sensor Network Applications, enabling shared sensor embedded spaces to be easily tasked with various sensory applications by different users for simultaneous execution. In this report we discus our experience using the snBench research project as the foundation for semester-long project in a graduate level software engineering class at Boston University (CS511)

Telework during COVID-19: exposing ableism in U.S. higher education

Abelism, like the many other ‘isms,’ pervades the rules and norms within the U.S. higher education system. Through a first person narrative, this article explores one person’s perspective and experience with the accommodation process - first, as a person without a dis/ability serving as an Americans with Dis/abilities coordinator and then as a faculty member with a dis/ability. It also documents the miraculous ability to institute telework accommodations within weeks when people without dis/abilities needed it due to COVID-19 and consequently exposes one form of ableism in the U.S. post-secondary educational system. The article concludes with a call to anti-ableism and intersectional activism to expand higher education

Supporting regional coastal and ocean managers: Linking ocean observing tools and capabilities to the priority needs of managers and users in the southeast region

Ocean observing has been recognized by the US Commission on Ocean Policy, the Ocean Research and Resources Advisory Panel, the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative, and many other ocean policy entities and initiatives as foundational to meeting the nation’s need for more effective coastal and ocean management. The Interim Report of the Interagency Task Force on Ocean Policy (September 2009) has called for strengthening the nation’s capacity for observing the nation’s ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes systems. (PDF contains 3 pages

The Impact of EHR Usability Issues on the Perceived Efficiency of Non-Clinical Hospital-Based EHR Users

A survey-based study of the impact of the EHR systems usability issues on the perceived efficiency of work among non-clinical users in the hospital settings was performed June 20th to July 24th 2015. There were 160 valid responses. The results were processed in SPSS (IBM statistical application) and I determined the usability dimensions with the greatest impact on efficiency, for all EHRs and for the major EHRs (Meditech, Epic and Cerner). Helpfulness was the most frequent problem for users of all EHRs. The survey is experimental and cross-sectional. The format was 20 Likert-type questions, along with screening and demographic questions. Due to the nature of data collected (ordinal) the non-parametric analysis was performed in SPSS. The goal of the study was to figure out the main usability issues among non-clinical users of the EHR systems and to generate actionable insights for designers and developers of EHR systems

Managing the unmanageable: perceptions of structural barriers and external influences on the educational attainment of Pell Grant eligible community college students

Community college students often have more complex needs and access to fewer resources than their four-year university counterparts. While there is some research on community colleges, it tends to be narrowly focused on students' initial degree aspirations, previous academic record, and demographic characteristics and less on the students’ experiences and perceptions. This dissertation identifies and illuminates the gaps between the existing research and the perceptions of community college students. This research draws on empowerment theory and the theory of democratization and diversion to comprehensively explore the complexities of community college students' lives. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with two groups of current Pell Grant eligible community college students: 1) those who meet their institution's criteria for satisfactory academic progress towards an Associates in Arts degree (n=31); and 2) those who do not meet the criteria (n=31). The purpose of these interviews was to uncover barriers and enablers contributing to students' abilities to meet their educational goals. Braun & Clarke's (2006) six phases of iterative thematic analysis were followed to analyze the data and ATLAS.ti software was used to assist in the coding. The data were grouped so that the overlapping experiences of participants could be clearly noted without losing the unique perceptions and words of the participants. Four major themes were identified: sources of motivation; responsibilities to resources ratio and external barriers; informational capital and knowledge; and powerlessness. Motivation and access to sufficient resources in order to meet a student's responsibilities were noted by participants as requirements to enable educational attainment. Additionally, the need for students to decode the rules of higher education in the institution and classroom were identified, and different levels of powerlessness were noted between groups. These findings have implications for theory including updating Brint & Karabel's democratization and diversion theory and presenting an emerging theoretical construct. Recommendations for policy and practice are made. Further, areas of further exploration for community college students and employees are presented in order to continue to add these expert voices in to the larger community college conversation