Ethical and professional issues: Reflections on course evolution, innovation and student engagement.

At INSPIRE 2013 we outlined our efforts to develop a core first year undergraduate course entitled ‘Computing Technology in Society’. A primary course objective is to demonstrate the potential impact that ever more complex, interconnected digital systems may have on the both the individual and on society in general. This provides the backdrop against which we endeavour to foster an ethos in which students are encouraged to establish a personal ethical position in relation to the application and deployment of digital systems. Here we reflect on further progress in developing this course with particular reference to ongoing curriculum development, student evaluation and, most crucially, student engagement. Additionally, we outline developments relating to our integration of technologies into the educational experience. We draw on our experience with the CTIS course to consider broader ramifications of technology infusion, particularly in relation to increased VLE integration and the streaming/recording of lectures.n/

Influential Article Review - Using Parsons’ Social Action Theory in Evaluating Auditing, Marketing and Corporate Governance Perceptions

This paper examines governance. We present insights from a highly influential paper. Here are the highlights from this paper: Auditing develops within a social context. On the basis of Parsons’ social action theory, we examine whether auditors’ attitude toward marketing activities influences the time balance between auditing and marketing activities and attitude toward the importance of corporate governance mechanisms. We use survey responses from 257 auditors in Iran. We conducted our analysis by applying a binary Probit regression and for additional analysis, we utilize neural networks. Attitude toward marketing has a positive significant relationship with balance time between auditing and marketing activities. And the attitude of auditors toward marketing has a positive significant relationship with attitude toward corporate governance. Also, the results showed a significant difference between industry expert auditors’ attitude and other auditors toward marketing activities. Finally the results of this paper generally suggest that if artificial neural networks are employed in the prediction process, more reliable results will be achieved. The paper provides important insights into emerging issues and developments in auditing and marketing that have clear relevance to auditing research and practice. Drawing on our analytical framework, we provide directions for further opportunities for research of social theories and auditing. For our overseas readers, we then present the insights from this paper in Spanish, French, Portuguese, and German

Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate: Developing Technology to Protect America

In response to a congressional mandate and in consultation with Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), the National Academy conducted a review of S&T's effectiveness and efficiency in addressing homeland security needs. This review included a particular focus that identified any unnecessary duplication of effort, and opportunity costs arising from an emphasis on homeland security-related research. Under the direction of the National Academy Panel, the study team reviewed a wide variety of documents related to S&T and homeland security-related research in general. The team also conducted interviews with more than 200 individuals, including S&T officials and staff, officials from other DHS component agencies, other federal agencies engaged in homeland security-related research, and experts from outside government in science policy, homeland security-related research and other scientific fields.Key FindingsThe results of this effort indicated that S&T faces a significant challenge in marshaling the resources of multiple federal agencies to work together to develop a homeland security-related strategic plan for all agencies. Yet the importance of this role should not be underestimated. The very process of working across agencies to develop and align the federal homeland security research enterprise around a forward-focused plan is critical to ensuring that future efforts support a common vision and goals, and that the metrics by which to measure national progress, and make changes as needed, are in place

Influence of cavity lifetime on high-finesse microcavity two-photon absorption photodetectors

For optical pulse incidence as compared with continuous-wave incidence, the enhancement of two-photon absorption inside a high-finesse planar microcavity is reduced, the pulse inside the cavity and the cavity spectrum are broadened. The analysis shows that for transform-limited pulse incidence, the true pulsewidth and the cavity frequency resolution can be estimated if the cavity lifetime or the cavity bandwidth has been obtained from the reflection or transmission spectrum of the cavit

Nano-particle labelling of nucleic acids for enhanced detection by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)

Oligonucleotides containing biotin functionality were successfully labelled with a streptavidin nanogold conjugate and subsequently separated and analysed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography–Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS)

Design and fabrication of highly efficient non-linear optical devices for implementing high-speed optical processing

We present the design and fabrication of micro-cavity semiconductor devices for enhanced Two-Photon-Absorption response, and demonstrate the use of these devices for implementing sensitive autocorrelation measurements on pico-second optical pulses

High-sensitivity two-photon absorption microcavity autocorrelator

A GaAs-AlAs microcavity device has been used as a photodetector in an autocorrelator for measuring the temporal pulsewidth of 1.5-/spl mu/m optical pulses. Enhancement of the two-photon absorption photocurrent due to the microcavity structure results in an autocorrelation (average power times peak power) sensitivity of 9.3/spl times/10/sup -4/ (mW)/sup 2/, which represents two orders of magnitude improvement when compared with conventional autocorrelators

Two-photon absorption in microcavities for optical autocorrelation and sampling

We have designed novel semiconductor microcavity structures for the enhancement of the two-photon absorption (TPA) photocurrent. We report a TPA autocorrelation technique for short optical pulses that uses the microcavity structure instead of a second harmonic generation crystal. Knowledge of these characteristics is important for implementation in applications such as optical switching and sampling in optical time division multiplexed (OTDM) communications systems

Two-photon-induced photoconductivity enhancement in semiconductor microcavities: a theoretical investigation

We describe a detailed theoretical investigation of two-photon absorption photoconductivity in semiconductor microcavities. We show that high enhancement (by a factor of >10, 000) of the nonlinear response can be obtained as a result of the microcavity effect. We discuss in detail the design and performance (dynamic range, speed) of such a device with the help of the example of an AlGaAs/GaAs microcavity operating at 900 nm. This device shows promise for low-intensity, fast autocorrelation and demultiplexing applications

Contributions to the theory and practice of technology selection : the case of projects to ensure a sustainable energy base for Africa

Energy is essential for economic development in Africa. The current electrification figures show that countries in sub-Saharan Africa are facing major challenges in reaching positive economic growth and supplying basic energy services to rural communities. Sustainable energy technologies are available and can be used to great effect in Africa to alleviate this problem. Sustainable energy technologies can contribute to job creation and economic development. The implementation of renewable energy technologies in sub-Saharan Africa to date however has not always been successful due to both technical and non-technical factors. Prior to this study a comprehensive framework of factors to select renewable energy technologies did not exist. The purpose of this research was to develop such a framework and to validate it by means of empirical research. Triangulation of methodologies was used to determine the framework of factors. The analysis of the literature investigated renewable energy technologies and their application, the challenges in renewable energy technologies for implementation in Africa and the selection methods in the fields of project, portfolio, programme and technology management. This was followed by a focus group with three experts in which thirty eight factors that need to be taken into account during the selection of renewable energy technologies in Africa were identified. The factors identified by the focus group were confirmed and the eleven most applicable factors were selected during a two-round Delphi study. Finally case studies on the implementation of renewable energy technologies were undertaken in three countries. These case studies confirmed the eleven factors identified during the Delphi study and identified a further two factors which needed to be added to the framework. The final framework proposed in this study consists of thirteen factors that need to be considered before deciding on the technology appropriate for a specific implementation. For the implementation of the technology to succeed, it must be ensured that the technology can be maintained and supported on site over the life cycle of the technology, and that sufficient skills and resources exist to implement and maintain the technology. Sites for implementation of the technology must be selected in places where local champions exist to continue supporting the technology after the implementing agency has left, the community has the will to adopt the technology in the long term, sites are available for implementing pilot sites and sufficient sites with the correct characteristics are available for long term implementation. The technology must also contribute to economic development by creating jobs or improving the economic situation of households, and financing must be made available to ensure large scale adoption. Local businesses which aid with implementation need to have business management and technical skills as well as the financial capacity to implement the technology. Government support of the implementation of the technology is essential and the environmental benefits of the technology must be clear from the outset. This report presents a framework that includes both the criteria and measures to be used for the selection of renewable energy technologies in Africa. Further work is required to implement these criteria and measures in a selection methodology.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011.Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM)unrestricte