The use of genetic algorithms to maximize the performance of a partially lined screened room

This paper shows that it is possible to use genetic algorithms to optimize the layout of ferrite tile absorber in a partially lined screened enclosure to produce a "best" performance. The enclosure and absorber are modeled using TLM modeling techniques and the performance is determined by comparison with theoretical normalized site attenuation of free space. The results show that it is possible to cover just 80% of the surface of the enclosure with ferrite absorber and obtain a response which is within +/-4 dB of the free space response between 40 and 200 MHz

New techniques for the measurement of radiated emissions in a screened room for frequencies up to 200MHz.

This thesis describes the work carried out to develop measurement techniques for the assessment of electromagnetic emissions within screened rooms for frequencies up to 200 MHz. A general introduction into the techniques presently used to assess the radiated emissions from a piece of equipment is given. Improved models to describe propagation mechanisms in a screened room in the frequency range below 30MHz are described. These are then used to develop two measurement A techniques for describing a small source in terms of its equivalent dipole moment for the frequency range up to 30 MHz. This includes techniques to identify the type of source present (i.e. magnetic or electric dipole). The propagation mechanisms in a screened room in the frequency range 30 to 200 MHz are then discussed and the effect of the cavity resonances on the measured fields is shown. A technique for reducing the Q of the resonances is presented and the results of measurements using this technique with two types of material are given. This thesis concludes that it is possible to obtain the moment of an equivalent dipole for sources below 30 MHz and that is possible to reduce the effect of resonances on measurements made at frequencies where the screened room acts as a cavity resonator. The measurements are also more repeatable because there is a reduced dependence on source and antenna positioning

Doing it Tough: Factors Impacting on Local e-Government Maturity

As growing numbers of citizens seek to use the Internet to do business, governments across the world have moved into the area of electronic service delivery. For the last decade significant advancements have been made in the area of e-Government. Today, e-Government is often assumed to be well-established. However, ongoing support is often missing, particularly at the local government level. The multi-level nature of government often means that citizens are frustrated when accessing services that span many levels of bureaucracy. This paper describes an empirical study which explores the factors influencing local e-government maturity and identifies the barriers, enablers, priorities and objectives that impact on local e-government maturity in Australia. It concludes by presenting a model that describes both the internal and external factors that impact on local government maturity

Over-Age, Under-Credited Students and Public Charter Schools: An Exploration of Successes, Strategies, and Opportunities For Expansion

This report examines how public charter schools are effectively serving students who have fallen behind in school or dropped out all together. The report released by OPP, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools  and SIATech, offers examples of successes and key policy recommendations to better serve these students, often called over-age, under-credited (or OU) youth

Women in ICT : guidelines for evaluating intervention programmes

Many intervention programmes to increase the number of women in theInformation and Communications Technology (ICT) profession have been implemented over the last twenty years. Detailed evaluations help us to determine the effectiveness of these programmes yet few comprehensive evaluations appear in the literature.The research reported here describes an investigation of the evaluation of the intervention programmes focusing on increasing the enrolment and retention of females in ICT in Australia. This paper describes an empirical study which explores how evaluation has been and might be conducted and concludes with guidelines for evaluation for those developing programmes for increasing the participation of women in ICT.The guidelines encourage evaluation to be considered early, highlight the importance of establishing objective outcomes and promote the publication of results to build knowledge for those planning programmes in the future. Further, the developed guidelines could adapted and used with other ICT intervention programs.<br /

Measuring the success of intervention programmes designed to increase the participation rate by women in computing

Many intervention programmes to encourage greater female participation in computer education and careers have been conducted in the last twenty years. These intervention programmes take considerable time, effort and money to design and implement. If success were to be measured by an increase in the percentage of female students undertaking computing courses then these programmes would have to be considered a failure. This paper describes a research project which examined fourteen intervention programmes in detail. From the perspective of the programme champions each of the intervention programmes was considered successful, even when this success was restricted to specific areas or limited to small groups of individuals. Formal evaluation appeared to have been an afterthought rather than a priority of many of the programme champions. Some programmes appeared to be less effective due to the lack of targeted and clear goals or predetermined evaluation criteria. It is recommended that during the initial planning phase for intervention programmes a clear objective is to consider what a successful programme would look like and what the evaluation criteria would be. Further work is needed to understand how intervention programmes can be better designed and evaluated so that their impact and success can be expanded.<br /

A systematic review of speech recognition technology in health care

BACKGROUND To undertake a systematic review of existing literature relating to speech recognition technology and its application within health care. METHODS A systematic review of existing literature from 2000 was undertaken. Inclusion criteria were: all papers that referred to speech recognition (SR) in health care settings, used by health professionals (allied health, medicine, nursing, technical or support staff), with an evaluation or patient or staff outcomes. Experimental and non-experimental designs were considered. Six databases (Ebscohost including CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE including the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, OVID Technologies, PreMED-LINE, PsycINFO) were searched by a qualified health librarian trained in systematic review searches initially capturing 1,730 references. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were retained. RESULTS The heterogeneity of the studies made comparative analysis and synthesis of the data challenging resulting in a narrative presentation of the results. SR, although not as accurate as human transcription, does deliver reduced turnaround times for reporting and cost-effective reporting, although equivocal evidence of improved workflow processes. CONCLUSIONS SR systems have substantial benefits and should be considered in light of the cost and selection of the SR system, training requirements, length of the transcription task, potential use of macros and templates, the presence of accented voices or experienced and in-experienced typists, and workflow patterns.Funding for this study was provided by the University of Western Sydney. NICTA is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Communications and the Australian Research Council through the ICT Centre of Excellence Program. NICTA is also funded and supported by the Australian Capital Territory, the New South Wales, Queensland and Victorian Governments, the Australian National University, the University of New South Wales, the University of Melbourne, the University of Queensland, the University of Sydney, Griffith University, Queensland University of Technology, Monash University and other university partners

A rectangular waveguide cell for measurement of the shielding effectiveness of anisotropic materials

A method for measuring the shielding effectiveness of planar anisotropic materials using a rectangular waveguide cell is proposed. Computational models are used to verify the behaviour of the cell and validate its ability to measure shielding effectiveness. Results of measurements on a control sample and three carbon-fibre composite laminates in a GTEM cell are presented. A dynamic range of 70 dB with a capability to discriminate 20 dB of anisotropy is achieved in the frequency range 400-1600 MHz using cubic cells of side length 200 mm and 300 mm

Understanding IT adoption and consumption within the social structure of a consumer’s economy

Research into adoption, acceptance and consumption of Information Technology (IT) within its diffusion cycle has been extensively studied in Information Systems (IS) and marketing. However, research often focused too narrowly on technology adoption rates and drivers leading to technology adoption and acceptance. This paper discusses how understanding the social structure of a consumer’s economy, a consumer’s portfolio of capital resources, can reveal the individual’s approach and experiences towards technology adoption and consumption present and future. It provides a novel multi-disciplinary and practical approach into understanding the technology consumer by looking at how economic, cultural, social, educational, technological and political capital resources differentiates consumer coping with complex technology consumption experiences. The cultural capital of three technology consumers is specifically compared in this paper. Outcomes from this research will assist designers and marketers in enhancing the future design and promotion of personal technologies