Distinguishing polymeric insulators PD sources through RF PD measurement

A better performance and consequently the widespread use of polymeric insulators in different parts of the power grid can increase their role in the grid reliability. The accumulation of contamination and housing-erosion are the two most effective factors in undermining the performance of this type of insulators. Therefore, electric utilities need to identify contaminated insulators for washing and cracks in polymeric housing to replace them with healthy specimens. This paper discusses the impact of contamination layer and housing-erosion of polymeric insulators on the partial discharges (PD) at the insulator surface, through RF-PRPD (phase resolved partial discharge) patterns. The existence of different sources of PDs in a real environment (transmission line or station) makes it difficult to use the PRPD patterns to distinguish them from each other. Therefore, using a conical monopole antenna, the simultaneous PD signals and the related RF-PRPD pattern of samples under test are captured. The grayscale image was obtained using the time-frequency matrix of the PD signals transform, by wavelet. Then, features are extracted and selected from grayscale image. By clustering of the PD signals, the resulted RF-PRPD sub-patterns are well separated and provided the necessary means to distinguish among the status of different samples under test

TrivPlat - A monitoring, management and evaluation tool for electronic public procurement

Bad decisions in public procurement processes have two negative effects: price increase of public goods and services with an impact on public expenditure, and adversely effects on competition, with the negative result of loss of efficiency and social welfare. Electronic public procurement (EPP) has been considered an important tool for promoting competition, simplifying and ensuring transparency in decision-making processes, thus ensuring significant time and money gains. In Portugal, EPP replaced paper-based pre-contractual procedures for communication and processing based on information technologies and systems. Interested in this phenomenon, the authors of this paper structured the TrivPlat project, a tool of free access for monitoring, managing and evaluating electronic public procurement. This paper aims to present the TrivPlat project and its contributions to the discussion about additional efforts needed to be implemented in order to efficiently promote a more transparent and accountable governance, in the defense of public interest.This work is funded by FEDER funds through the Operational Program for Competitiveness Factors -COMPETE and National Funds through FCT -Foundation for Science and Technology under the Project: FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-022674 and PEst-OE/CJP/UI0758/2013-1

ICT for development in the context of the closure of Chernobyl nuclear power plant: an activity theory perspective

This paper provides an analysis of a broadband implementation in the town of Slavutych, Ukraine. Slavutych was purposefully built 50 km from Chernobyl shortly after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) disaster in 1986 to house personnel of ChNPP and their families evacuated from the city of Prip'yat. Drawing on activity theory, and in particular the notion of activity systems, we demonstrate how an activity system approach can be used to frame Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICTD) intervention. We highlight the tools used to mediate the activity, the activity motivation and the relevant stakeholders and examine the role of ‘contradictions’. Using the notion of connected activities, we also provide some theoretical basis for understanding the emergence of activities and conceptualising the impact of development projects, arguing that the outcome of an activity leads to/is consumed by other related activities. This paper contributes to scholarship in the field of ICTD using an empirical case in a complex setting and furthers theoretical development by advancing an activity system perspective for understanding and theorising ICTD interventions

SOFTWARE PROCESS IMPROVEMENT: AWARENESS, USE, AND BENEFITS IN CANADIAN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT FIRMS

Since 1982, the software development community has been concerned with the delivery of quality systems. Software process improvement (SPI) is an initiative to avoid the delivery of low quality systems. However, the awareness and adoption of SPI is low. Thus, this study examines the rate of awareness, use, and benefits of SPI initiatives in Canadian software development firms. Using SPSS as the analytical tool, this study found that 59% of Canadian software development firms are aware of SPI programs and 43% of employees use a form of SPI programs to develop software products. Although the sample size is small and the results cannot be generalized, the sample firms that use SPI programs reported an improvement in software product quality as the greatest benefit. These findings confirm the importance of SPI programs as a means of producing higher-quality software products, which can increase the likelihood of software companies winning global contracts

Investigation the quality of services at the Social Security General Office subsidiary branch in the West of Great Tehran

The present study was conducted to investigate the quality of service of social security great organization to the clients, that the rate of clients' satisfaction to this organization will be evaluated by using the Garvin eight dimensions model. Statistical population of this study was to include all clients to the social security general office branches in the west of Great Tehran. Methodology: Due to the geographical distribution of statistical population and the importance of sample representativeness, and to achieve a homogeneous statistical sample, the sampling method in this research is non-probability quota sampling method and sample size should be estimated based on a Morgan table formula equal to 278 people. Data collection tool in this research was a questionnaire that the validity was confirmed using face validity and content methods, and its reliability was confirmed according to Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Results: Results have indicated that the clients' satisfaction to the social security organization branches of the beauty of providing services space, speed in providing services, simplicity and ease of providing services, providing services flexibility and rule of law was undesirable, and in contrast, in dimensions of authenticity in providing services, information and employee behavior that their satisfaction is at desirable level. Conclusion: In this study, the findings indicate that the clients' satisfaction to the Social Security Organization branches from five dimensions of providing services space beauty, speed in providing services, simplicity and ease of providing services, flexibility of providing services and rule of law were undesirable, and in turn, in the dimensions of authenticity in the providing services, informing, and employee behavior are desirable their satisfaction.</jats:p