2023- The Twenty-seventh Annual Symposium of Student Scholars

The full program book from the Twenty-seventh Annual Symposium of Student Scholars, held on April 18-21, 2023. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/sssprograms/1027/thumbnail.jp

Quadrature spatial modulation aided single-input multiple-output-media based modulation: application to cooperative network and golden code orthogonal super-symbol systems.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.SIMO-MBM (single-input multiple-output media-based modulation) overcomes the limitations of SIMO (single-input multiple-output) systems by reducing the number of antennas required to achieve a high data rate and improved error performance. In this thesis, the quadrature dimension of the spatial constellation is used to improve the overall error performance of the conventional SIMO-MBM and to achieve a higher data rate by decomposing the amplitude/phase modulation (APM) symbol into real and imaginary components, similar to quadrature spatial modulation (QSM). The average bit error probability of the proposed technique is expressed using a lower bound approach and validated using the results of Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). The proposed system also investigates the effect of antenna correlation in combination with channel amplitude to select a sub-optimal mirror activation pattern. The results of MCS show a 3.5dB improvement at 10b/s/Hz with m =2 and a 7dB improvement at 12b/s/Hz with =2 over the traditional SIMO-MBM scheme. The effect of imperfect channel estimation on the proposed scheme is investigated, with a trade-off of 2dB in coding gain due to channel estimation errors. Cooperative Networking (CN) improves wireless network reliability, link quality, and spectrum efficiency by collaborating among nodes. The decode and forward relaying technique is used in this thesis to investigate the performance of QSM aided SIMO-MBM in a Cooperative Network (CN). This technique uses two source nodes that simultaneously transmit a unique message block on the same time slot to the relay node, which then decodes the received message block from both transmitting nodes before re-encoding and re-transmitting the decoded message block in the next time slot to the destinations in order to significantly improve the QSM aided SIMO-MBM’s error performance. Using network coding (NC) techniques, each Node can decode the data of the other Node. To enhance network performance, complexity, robustness, and minimize delays, data is encoded and decoded in NC; algebraic techniques are applied to the detected message to collect the various transmissions. The proposed scheme's theoretical average error probability was defined using a lower bound technique, and the results of Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) validated the result. The MCS results achieved exhibit a significant improvement of 8 dB at 6 b/s/Hz and 12 dB at 8 b/s/Hz over the conventional QSM aided SIMO-MBM scheme. The media-based modulation (MBM) technique can achieve significant throughput, increase spectrum efficiency, and improve bit-error-rate performance (BER). In this thesis, the use of MBM in single-input multiple-output systems is examined using radio frequency (RF) mirrors and Golden code (GC-SIMO). The goal is to lower the system's hardware complexity by maximizing the linear relationship between RF mirrors and spectral efficiency in MBM in order to achieve a high data rate with less hardware complexity. The GC scheme's encoder uses orthogonal pairs of the super-symbol, each transmitted via a separate RF mirror at a different time slot to achieve full rate full diversity. In the results of MCS obtained, at a BER of 10−5, the GC-SIMO-MBM exhibits a significant performance of approximately 7dB and 6.5 dB SNR gain for 4 b/s/Hz and 6 b/s/Hz, respectively, compared to GC-SIMO. The proposed scheme's derived theoretical average error probability is validated by the results of the Monte Carlo simulation

The 2nd International Electronic Conference on Applied Sciences

This book is focused on the works presented at the 2nd International Electronic Conference on Applied Sciences, organized by Applied Sciences from 15 to 31 October 2021 on the MDPI Sciforum platform. Two decades have passed since the start of the 21st century. The development of sciences and technologies is growing ever faster today than in the previous century. The field of science is expanding, and the structure of science is becoming ever richer. Because of this expansion and fine structure growth, researchers may lose themselves in the deep forest of the ever-increasing frontiers and sub-fields being created. This international conference on the Applied Sciences was started to help scientists conduct their own research into the growth of these frontiers by breaking down barriers and connecting the many sub-fields to cut through this vast forest. These functions will allow researchers to see these frontiers and their surrounding (or quite distant) fields and sub-fields, and give them the opportunity to incubate and develop their knowledge even further with the aid of this multi-dimensional network

Ecosystem services, sustainable rural development and protected áreas

Enhancing social and economic development while preserving nature is one of the major challenges for humankind in the current century. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment showed an alarming degradation of ecosystems and exacerbated poverty for many groups of people across the world due to unprecedented changes in ecosystems caused by human activities in the 20th century. Sustainable Rural Development is key to maintaining active local communities in rural and semi-natural areas, avoiding depopulation, and preserving high-ecological-value sites, including protected areas. Establishing protected areas is the most common strategy to preserve biodiversity around the world with the advantage of promoting the supply of ecosystem services. However, depending how it affects economic opportunities and the access to natural resources, it can either attract or repel human settlements. The convergence of development and conservation requires decision-making processes capable of aligning the needs and expectations of rural communities and the goals of biodiversity conservation. The articles compiled in this Special Issue (nine research papers and two review papers) make important contributions to this challenge from different approaches, disciplines and regions in the world.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Investigation and development of a tangible technology framework for highly complex and abstract concepts

The ubiquitous integration of computer-supported learning tools within the educational domain has led educators to continuously seek effective technological platforms for teaching and learning. Overcoming the inherent limitations of traditional educational approaches, interactive and tangible computing platforms have consequently garnered increased interest in the pursuit of embedding active learning pedagogies within curricula. However, whilst Tangible User Interface (TUI) systems have been successfully developed to edutain children in various research contexts, TUI architectures have seen limited deployment towards more advanced educational pursuits. Thus, in contrast to current domain research, this study investigates the effectiveness and suitability of adopting TUI systems for enhancing the learning experience of abstract and complex computational science and technology-based concepts within higher educational institutions (HEI)s. Based on the proposal of a contextually apt TUI architecture, the research describes the design and development of eight distinct TUI frameworks embodying innovate interactive paradigms through tabletop peripherals, graphical design factors, and active tangible manipulatives. These computationally coupled design elements are evaluated through summative and formative experimental methodologies for their ability to aid in the effective teaching and learning of diverse threshold concepts experienced in computational science. In addition, through the design and adoption of a technology acceptance model for educational technology (TAM4Edu), the suitability of TUI frameworks in HEI education is empirically evaluated across a myriad of determinants for modelling students’ behavioural intention. In light of the statistically significant results obtained in both academic knowledge gain (μ = 25.8%) and student satisfaction (μ = 12.7%), the study outlines the affordances provided through TUI design for various constituents of active learning theories and modalities. Thus, based on an empirical and pedagogical analyses, a set of design guidelines is defined within this research to direct the effective development of TUI design elements for teaching and learning abstract threshold concepts in HEI adaptations

The Structural Characteristics of Robustness in Large-Scale Complex Engineered Systems

Modern engineered systems are increasingly integrated into society, decentralized, and interconnected. However, scale and complexity create unique challenges in system design, such as emergent behavior and unintended consequences. This work investigates the structural characteristics of robustness in complex engineered systems by identifying patterns of under-recognized vulnerabilities at various levels of hierarchy. The work begins at the highest level of hierarchy, taking a system of systems view in order to investigate unintended consequences. Then, this work investigates the system architectures that make them prone to certain types of failures using different network modeling perspectives. Finally, this work uses network modeling to identify system elements that are key to controlling system robustness from a system behavior perspective. Altogether, this research provides a novel perspective on robustness of complex systems and presents empirical findings on general patterns of system vulnerabilities that can be used in future system-level architecture design. Applications of the work are focused on aerospace systems but can be applied in a diverse range of domains, including energy and transportation

An Empirical Investigation Of Information Technology Mediated Customer Services In China

Information technology mediated customer service is a reality of the 21st century. More and more companies have moved their customer services from in store and in person to online through computer or mobile devices. Using 208 respondents collected from two Chinese universities, this paper investigates customer preference over two service delivery model (either in store or online) on five type of purchasing (retail, eating-out, banking, travel and entertainment) and their perception difference in customer service quality between those two delivery model. Results show that a majority of Chinese students prefer in store and in person for eating out. For ordering tickets for travel and entertainment, they prefer computer/mobile device. For retail purchasing and banking, less than half of the students prefer in person services. In general, the results show that ordering through computer/mobile devices has become more popular in China and has received higher rating for most of customer service quality except security compared to ordering in store. In addition, it is found that there exist a gender difference in purchasing preference and perception in service delivery quality in China

Environmental Sustainability in Maritime Infrastructures

This Special Issue is entitled “Environmental Sustainability in Maritime Infrastructures”. Oceans and coastal areas are essential in our lives from several different points of view: social, economic, and health. Given the importance of these areas for human life, not only for the present but also for the future, it is necessary to plan future infrastructures, and maintain and adapt to the changes the existing ones. All of this taking into account the sustainability of our planet. A very significant percentage of the world's population lives permanently or enjoys their vacation periods in coastal zones, which makes them very sensitive areas, with a very high economic value and as a focus of adverse effects on public health and ecosystems. Therefore, it is considered very relevant and of great interest to launch this Special Issue to cover any aspects related to the vulnerability of coastal systems and their inhabitants (water pollution, coastal flooding, climate change, overpopulation, urban planning, waste water, plastics at sea, effects on ecosystems, etc.), as well as the use of ocean resources (fisheries, energy, tourism areas, etc.)