Wi-Fi security : wireless with confidence

Since the IEEE ratification of the 802.11 standard in 1999, continuous exploits have been discovered compromising the confidentiality, integrity and availability of 802.11 networks. This paper describes the justification for a project to assess the security status of wireless network usage in society. It reviews the status of both commercial and residential approaches to wireless network security in three major Victorian cities, Melbourne, Geelong and Mornington, in Australia. By War Driving these suburbs, actual data was gathered to indicate the security status of wireless networks and give a representation of modern attitudes towards wireless security for the sample population. Preliminary results are presented to demonstrate the extent to which commercial or residential suburbs address wireless security. At this stage in the research further work is required to completely analyse the results. It is anticipated that the results will be useful for providing input into a defence and attack methodology for improving the security of both residential and commercial use of wireless networks

Etude statistique sur l'entrepreneuriat e-commerce belge (édition 2022)

Cette étude révèle une diminution de la croissance de l’entrepreneuriat e-commerce en 2021 ( +23%, au lieu de +45% en 2020) et surtout un très fort tassement au 1e semestre 2022 (3%). Néanmoins le seuil des 10000 assujettis belges actifs principalement en retail online a été dépassé cet été. Plus de 90% des e-commerçants n’ont pas de salariés. Seulement 56 sociétés dépassent les 9 employés, montrant le retard important de la Belgique au niveau de la croissance de l’activité e-commerce par rapport aux pays limitrophes (Luxembourg excepté). De plus, réussir en e-commerce n’est pas évident : Plus d’un e-commerçant belge sur 5 a arrêté son activité en 2021, dans un contexte qui aurait dû être au contraire plutôt prospère. Une carte actualisée au 31/12/2021 indique la répartition des e-commerçants par arrondissement.202

NETCOM : Réseaux, communication et territoires / Networks and Communication Studies Téléports : outils de développement économique. Présentation des téléports en cours de développement en Belgique

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Etude statistique sur l’entrepreneuriat e-commerce belge

La part du commerce à distance par rapport au chiffre d’affaires de l’ensemble du commerce de détail est de 7,2 % en Belgique. Fin 2020 la Belgique comptait 7831 entités juridiques actives comme e-commerçants « pure players » (vendant uniquement en ligne), soit une augmentation de 45 % par rapport à l’année précédente. Mais derrière ces chiffres encourageants se cache une grande disparité entre le nord et le sud du pays

An EPR investigation of binding environments by N-donor chelating exchange resins for Cu extraction from aqueous media

EPR and UV−vis spectroscopy were collectively used to characterize a series of Cu(II) binding environments within two chelating exchange resins, Dowex and CuWRAM, used for Cu(II) extraction from aqueous media. A series of well-defined intra- and intermolecular binding sites have been identified as responsible for Cu(II) uptake

Reservoir computing with the frequency, phase and amplitude of spin-torque nano-oscillators

Spin-torque nano-oscillators can emulate neurons at the nanoscale. Recent works show that the non-linearity of their oscillation amplitude can be leveraged to achieve waveform classification for an input signal encoded in the amplitude of the input voltage. Here we show that the frequency and the phase of the oscillator can also be used to recognize waveforms. For this purpose, we phase-lock the oscillator to the input waveform, which carries information in its modulated frequency. In this way we considerably decrease amplitude, phase and frequency noise. We show that this method allows classifying sine and square waveforms with an accuracy above 99% when decoding the output from the oscillator amplitude, phase or frequency. We find that recognition rates are directly related to the noise and non-linearity of each variable. These results prove that spin-torque nano-oscillators offer an interesting platform to implement different computing schemes leveraging their rich dynamical features

CW EPR investigation of red-emitting CaS:Eu phosphors: rationalization of local electronic structure

A series of commercial and prepared CaS:Eu2+ rare earth activated phosphors are investigated following different post‐synthetic treatments. A number of species directly related to the function of the material are characterized using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Isolated Eu2+ sites are identified and associated with the substitutional doping for Ca2+ in the lattice which are responsible for the 645 nm emission of interest. Another inactive Eu2+ site based within a “EuO” type phase aggregated on the surface of the material is also identified, as well as competitive F+ center defects that are known to reduce emission from the Eu2+ sites. Intrinsic Mn2+ impurities are identified and used as local order probes to determine changes in ordering and symmetry upon cryo‐milling and heating treatments of the samples. X‐ray photoelectron (XPS) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies are also conducted to complement the local structure observations. The reported data is useful in understanding how the nature of the lattice affects ground state electronic structure of functional defective sites, for the development of efficient and selective materials

The use of video vignettes to measure health worker knowledge. Evidence from Burkina Faso

The quality of care is a crucial determinant of good health outcomes, but is difficult to measure. Survey vignettes are a standard approach to measuring medical knowledge among health care providers. Given that written vignettes or knowledge tests may be too removed from clinical practice, particularly where “learning by doing” may be an important form of training, we developed a new type of provider vignette. It uses videos presenting a patient visiting the clinic with maternal/early childhood symptoms. We tested these video vignettes with current and future (students) health professionals in Burkina Faso. Participants indicated that the cases used were interesting, understandable and common. Their performance was consistent with expectations. Participants with greater training (medical doctors vs. nurses and midwives) and experience (health professionals vs. students) performed better. The video vignettes can easily be embedded in computers, tablets and smart phones; they are a convenient tool to measure provider knowledge; and they are cost-effective instruction and testing tools