A M-Service Implementation in Large Government Organisation: A Case Study on an M-app in Australia

With the rapid diffusion of smartphones among citizens, government service providers have shifted their service-delivery focus toward mobile applications. However, its applications and implementations remained uneven throughout various public sectors. The scarce research in the area prevented the generation of a sound knowledge base for m-service implementation. This paper reports the investigation of a mobile application service in a large government organisation in Australia. Findings show that an m-service implementation, which does not follow a stage-wise model, is a complex phenomenon, wherein multiple actions and players are involved at different levels. This study indicates that the cumulative knowledge and experience of various stakeholders within an organization contribute to getting an innovation off the ground, wherein the conducive environment supported by appropriate policies and strategies, the readiness of customers and organizations, and the capability of the internal Information and Communication Technology (ICT) team and the influence of management are important drivers

Effect of spatially variable effective mass on static and dynamic properties of resonant tunneling devices

The effect of incorporating a spatially variable effective mass in the Schrödinger equation method of resonant tunneling device modeling is investigated. It is shown that inclusion of this effect can produce an order of magnitude difference in the calculated peak current density of the static current voltage (I‐V) curve for the resonant tunneling diode. Results for a particular In0.53Ga0.47As‐AlAs structure show that much better agreement between theory and experiment is obtained by including this effect. Also, comparison of transient results for an In0.53Ga0.47As‐In0.52Al0.48As structure shows a significant change in the diode switching transients.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69977/2/APPLAB-55-25-2631-1.pd

Effect of spacer layer thickness on the static characteristics of resonant tunneling diodes

A self‐consistent quantum mechanical simulation is used to study the effect of spacer layer thickness on such resonant tunneling diode properties as the peak current and peak‐to‐valley current ratio. It is found that with a low cathode doping the peak current is insensitive to the commonly used spacer layer thickness. However, for higher cathode doping the peak current decreases with increasing spacer layer thickness. This phenomenon is explained on the basis of the junction potential between the heavily doped cathode contact region and the undoped double‐barrier region. Thus, for device applications where a high current density is desired the cathode spacer layer should be designed as thin as possible.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/70349/2/APPLAB-57-9-899-1.pd

Terahertz local oscillator sources: performance and capabilities

Frequency multiplier circuits based on planar GaAs Schottky diodes have advanced significantly in the last decade. Useful power in the >1 THz range has now been demonstrated from a complete solid-state chain. This paper will review some of the technologies that have led to this achievement along with a brief look at future challenges

Microfluidic Extraction of Biomarkers using Water as Solvent

A proposed device, denoted a miniature microfluidic biomarker extractor (mu-EX), would extract trace amounts of chemicals of interest from samples, such as soils and rocks. Traditionally, such extractions are performed on a large scale with hazardous organic solvents; each solvent capable of dissolving only those molecules lying within narrow ranges of specific chemical and physical characteristics that notably include volatility, electric charge, and polarity. In contrast, in the mu-EX, extractions could be performed by use of small amounts (typically between 0.1 and 100 L) of water as a universal solvent. As a rule of thumb, in order to enable solvation and extraction of molecules, it is necessary to use solvents that have polarity sufficiently close to the polarity of the target molecules. The mu-EX would make selection of specific organic solvents unnecessary, because mu-EX would exploit a unique property of liquid water: the possibility of tuning its polarity to match the polarity of organic solvents appropriate for extraction of molecules of interest. The change of the permittivity of water would be achieved by exploiting interactions between the translational states of water molecules and an imposed electromagnetic field in the frequency range of 300 to 600 GHz. On a molecular level, these interactions would result in disruption of the three-dimensional hydrogen-bonding network among liquid-water molecules and subsequent solvation and hydrolysis of target molecules. The mu-EX is expected to be an efficient means of hydrolyzing chemical bonds in complex macromolecules as well and, thus, enabling analysis of the building blocks of these complex chemical systems. The mu-EX device would include a microfluidic channel, part of which would lie within a waveguide coupled to an electronically tuned source of broad-band electromagnetic radiation in the frequency range from 300 to 600 GHz (see figure). The part of the microfluidic channel lying in the waveguide would constitute an interaction volume. The dimensions of the interaction volume would be chosen in accordance with the anticipated amount of solid sample material needed to ensure extraction of sufficient amount of target molecules for detection and analysis. By means that were not specified at the time of reporting the information for this article, the solid sample material would be placed in the interaction volume. Then the electromagnetic field would be imposed within the waveguide and water would be pumped through the interaction volume to effect the extraction

On time dependent MHD nanofluid dynamics due to enlarging sheet with bioconvection and two thermal boundary conditions

The current study pertains to heat and mass transportation of magnetic fluid flow having dilute diffusion of nanoparticles and motile microorganisms over a permeable stretched sheet to examine the influence of thermal radiation and activation energy. Similarity functions are utilized to convert the highly mixed non-linear partial differential equations into higherorder non-linear ordinary differential equations. Five coupled equations are derived to be resolved numerically by employing a computing function Bvp4c, built-in Matlab. Two sets of thermal boundaries prescribed surface temperature (PSF) and prescribed heat flux (PHF) are considered. Basic physical quantities, temperature distribution, concentration, velocity field, and motile micro-organism profiles are observed as influenced by emerging parameters. The microorganisms distribution undergoes decreasing behavior against growing values of bio-convection Lewis number and Peclet number. These results are highly useful in the application of heat-transmitting devices and microbial fuel cells. It is seen that decreasing trend is observed in velocity profile when parameters Nr and Nc are uplifted. Also, the motility of the nanofluid decreases when the Lb parameter is raised. On the other hand, an increase in Peclet number Pe showed a rising trend in motility profile. Additionally, the implications of Brownian motion, Rayleigh number, Bioconvection Lewis number thermophoresis parameter, Peclet number, and buoyancy ratio parameter are discussed. Moreover, the obtained outcomes are validated as compared to the existing ones as limiting cases. Representative findings for microorganism concentration, skin friction coefficient, temperature gradient, local Sherwood number and density number of motile microorganisms, velocity field, temperature, the volumetric concentration of nanoparticles, are discussed in tabulated and graphical form

Penetrating 3-D Imaging at 4- and 25-m Range Using a Submillimeter-Wave Radar

We show experimentally that a high-resolution imaging radar operating at 576–605 GHz is capable of detecting weapons concealed by clothing at standoff ranges of 4–25 m. We also demonstrate the critical advantage of 3-D image reconstruction for visualizing hidden objects using active-illumination coherent terahertz imaging. The present system can image a torso with <1 cm resolution at 4 m standoff in about five minutes. Greater standoff distances and much higher frame rates should be achievable by capitalizing on the bandwidth, output power, and compactness of solid state Schottky-diode based terahertz mixers and multiplied sources

Current Approaches to Improve Balance in Down Syndrome Population-A Systematic Review

Down syndrome is one of the most common chromosomal disorders in pediatrics characterized by variable intellectual disability, generalized joint laxity, and hypotonia that compromises their function and causes a delay in developing gross motor skills, poor balance, and coordination. Thus, this study aims to determine the current yet effective treatment approaches to improve balance in the Down syndrome population. The studies were explored across seven electronic databases that include MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Scopus, PEDro, and Web of Science from inception till October 2020 comprised of experimental studies published in English language investigating the effects on balance in children and adults diagnosed with DS considering different interventions. A total of 1,570 records were retrieved from seven electronic databases published between the year's tenure of 2013-2020. 144 full-text papers were extracted to be reviewed, of which only 18 experimental studies were selected on the basis of inclusion criteria that involved 493 Down syndrome patients, investigated the effects of therapeutic exercises, manual therapy techniques, and patient-related instructions on standardized balance scales/tests. It was concluded that all the included trials demonstrated significantly profound effects in improving the static and dynamic balance of Down syndrome patients. Therefore, none of the interventions is declared as superior to another in terms of obtained results. Furthermore, these diverse interventions need to be investigated more for better understating and generalizability of outcomes

A Speculative Study on 6G

While 5G is being tested worldwide and anticipated to be rolled out gradually in 2019, researchers around the world are beginning to turn their attention to what 6G might be in 10+ years time, and there are already initiatives in various countries focusing on the research of possible 6G technologies. This article aims to extend the vision of 5G to more ambitious scenarios in a more distant future and speculates on the visionary technologies that could provide the step changes needed for enabling 6G.Comment: This work has been submitted to the IEEE for possible publication. Copyright may be transferred without notice, after which this version mayno longer be accessibl

Assessment of Seed Priming Effect on Germination and Cotton Productivity of Two Cotton Varieties in Multan

Background: Cotton is one of the important cash crops for fiber production globally. It is highly sensitive to abiotic stresses such as temperature, drought and salinity resulting in poor seedling germination and emergence leading to a decline in cotton productivity. Seed germination can be improved through physiological techniques mainly seed priming, which is a pre-sowing treatment that enables the seed to germinate more efficiently. Therefore, to assess the effects of seed priming on growth and yield production an in vivo study was performed with two different cotton cultivars (namely, BS-13 and FH-Lalazar).Methods: A field trial was conducted at Multan that comprised six treatments including T1: non-primed seeds (control) and treated seeds such as T2: hydro-priming (water), T3 & T4: hormonal priming (two different concentrations of indole acetic acid) and T5 & T6: halo-priming (two different concentrations of KNO3). The data were collected to evaluate the rate of seed germination, growth and yield of cotton under the effect of seed priming.Results: The study revealed that halo priming treatment with KNO3 enhanced the rate of seed germination by 83% as well as seedling emergence by ~90% in both cotton cultivars. Results showed that seed priming with KNO3 (3 g L-1) had the most promising effect on growth traits up to a variant extent as compared to the control plant. Meanwhile, yield attributes such as the number of cotton bolls and boll weight per plant significantly increased by 45% as compared to non-primed plants. Similarly, priming with KNO3 treatment displayed a significantly high cotton yield by 17% (767 kg ha-1) in both cotton cultivars as compared to their respective control treatment.Conclusion: Current study concluded that seed priming is an efficient and cost-effective technique that plays a vital role in better crop establishment consequently increasing germination rate, plant growth attributes and productivity of the cotton crop.Keywords: Multan; Cotton; Seed germination; Seed priming; Yield; KNO3