1522 research outputs found
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Anaesthetising ourselves: Engineering and technology education as a barrier to an ethical technology programme
Get PDFThis paper proposes the idea of ‘engineering consent’ as an important ethical consideration for engineers. The paper illustrates the notion of techno-culture, emphasising the non-neutrality of technology in the world and how technology can be used in cultural and economic colonialisation by the west. It advocates a fundamental review of engineering education theory and practice. In this review, the paper argues that engineers must enter new spaces of thought and learning including the post-colonial ‘Third Space’ advocated by Homi K. Bhaba. The review of education must be based on current ideas as to professional competence, as well as a healthy approach to dissidence through innovative and creative thought processes. In this way a new community of practice will emerge which is centred not upon technological progress but social responsibility
The effect of processing conditions on varistors prepared from nanocrystalline ZnO
Get PDFNanoparticles of ZnO were prepared by the reaction of ethanolic solutions of zinc acetate and oxalic acid
followed by drying (80 uC) and calcination (500 uC). Subsequently varistor materials were fabricated from this
nanoparticular ZnO via two separate routes:- a) from a ‘‘core shell’’ material using metal salts as additives; b)
by using a conventional solid state mixing of metal oxides. Sintering (1050 uC) and subsequent electrical studies
were carried out for each of these samples and they were compared with commercial varistor samples prepared
under similar conditions. ‘‘Core shell’’ type varistor material showed considerably higher breakdown voltage
(Vc ~ 850 ¡ 30 V mm21) as compared to a sample prepared by mixing with metal oxides (Vc ~ 683 ¡
30 V mm21) or commercial varistor discs (Vc ~ 507 ¡ 30 V mm21). The high breakdown voltage obtained is
attributed to the formation of more varistor-active grain boundaries per unit area
Managing empowerment and control in an intranet environment
Get PDFAn intranet increases in sophistication and complexity as it evolves. This evolution leads to an increasing need for control over the intranet. However, this is a contentious issue, as an intranet is deemed to be an empowering technology. Consequently, intranet control systems must balance empowerment and control so as not to negate each other. This paper investigates intranet control activities and their effect on users' perceptions of empowerment throughout the evolution of an intranet in Hewlett Packard (Ireland). The growth of the intranet is charted as a six-stage model that illustrates an evolution of purpose, control and empowerment. The control strategies for managing the intranet implemented at each stage are investigated, and their resultant effects on empowerment are evaluated. The study reveals the importance of balancing control strategies with empowerment initiatives in managing intranet environments. Based on the evidence available, the study recommends the implementation of specific controls at particular stages in the evolution of an intranet in order to achieve control systems that balance empowerment and control
Harvest: We are the Church
Get PDFArticle reflecting on the preliminary analysis of the data from the Waterford Sacred Heart Parish Survey. 1215 Church-goers responded to questions about the meaning of Church, Religion and Spirituality in their lives
Next Generation Context Aware Adaptive Services
Get PDFSituational information can enrich the interactions between a user and the services they wish to utilize. Such information encompasses details about the user, the physical environment and the computing resources. There are at least three key aspects in addressing this issue. Firstly, it is important to accurately capture or infer the requirements of the users in a timely fashion. Without precise information on what the users are hoping to achieve it is difficult to identify suitable services or sub-services that may fulfill (in part or fully) their information needs.
Secondly, the nature of the available services determines the modes in which they may be adapted to the users’
needs. Rigid, inflexible services may be difficult to tune to the information requirements of the users. Adaptive
services, on the other hand, are well suited to dynamically modifying their behavior, within defined constraints.
The third issue to be addressed is the on-the-fly combination of services to meet the users’ requirements. This paper argues that current modeling (both of users and services) techniques, adaptive axes and personalization
techniques used in current personalized information services, such as Adaptive Hypermedia Systems, may supply
the basis for next generation adaptive collaborative services
Present and Future Organisational Models for Wireless Networks
Get PDFThe paper examines organisational structures that are used across networks and proposes some potential future organisational structures that may help guide the deployment of largescale wireless networks. The following structure is used. Firstly, the current state of Wireless networks is surveyed with respect to GPRS [1], WLAN [2], and UMTS [3]. Next, a brief historical look at telecommunications organisational structures is taken. After this, some possible future strategies are explored, first in the near future and then more long-term prospects. The value of content and services and their effect on networks is then discussed. Finally, conclusions are drawn
Do you think that your local area is a good place for young people to grow up? The effects of traffic and car parking on young people’s views
Get PDFThe damaging effects on well-being of the increasing number of motor vehicles on the roads, accidents and emissions aside, are often overlooked. Among 11–16 year olds in Wales, those who reported living with busy traffic and car parking were found to be less likely to have positive perceptions of the safety, friendliness, appearance, play facilities and helpfulness of the people in their local area. This was independent of the effect of socio-economic circumstance. Results are discussed in terms of the potential negative effect on sense of community identity, health and well-being, and the need for good environmental design and development of more pedestrian-friendly living areas. r 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved
After von Hippel: The State of User Involvement Research in New Product Development (RIKON Group)
Get PDFIn the late 1970s, a new research impetus occurred in the new product development literature with the publications of Eric Von Hippel's two seminal investigations (1976; 1977), where he advocated the involvement of users in the idea generation stage of the new product development process. Von Hippel’s conceptualisation of a customer active paradigm (1978) gave focus to a new generation of researchers and an emerging field of study into the involvement of users not only in the creation of ideas but to the whole new product development process. Over the last 25 years an impressive body of research has accumulated on the topic of user involvement and the purpose of this article is to synthesise and analyse that literature in order to assess the research progress in the area and also to assess our understanding of involving users in the development process. Based on the evidence reviewed, observations are drawn for future theoretical and empirical development in the field of user involvement
The effect of physical activity and its interaction with nutrition on bone health
Get PDFPhysical activity (PA) is a popular therapy for the prevention and treatment of bone loss and osteoporosis because it has no adverse side effects, it is low cost, and it confers additional benefits such as postural stability and fall prevention. Bone mass is regulated by mechanical loading, and is limited but not controlled by diet. The mechanism by which strain thresholds turn bone remodelling 'on' and 'off' is known as the mechanostat theory. Research in animals has shown that optimal strains are dynamic, with a high change rate, an unusual distribution and a high magnitude of strain, but the results of randomized controlled trials in human subjects have been somewhat equivocal. In the absence of weight-bearing activity nutritional or endocrine interventions cannot maintain bone mass. Biochemical markers of bone turnover predict bone mass changes, and findings from our research group and others have shown that both acute and chronic exercise can reduce bone resorption. Similarly, Ca intervention studies have shown that supplementation can reduce bone resorption. Several recent meta-analytical reviews concur that changes in bone mass with exercise are typically 2-3%. Some of these studies suggest that Ca intake may influence the impact of PA on bone, with greater effects in Ca-replete subjects. Comparative studies between Asian (high PA, low Ca intake) and US populations (low PA, high Ca intake) suggest that PA may permit an adaptation to low Ca intakes. Whether Ca and PA interact synergistically is one of the most important questions unanswered in the area of lifestyle-related bone health research
The Fourier Analysis of Bezier Curves
Get PDFWe use the Discrete Fourier Transform to analyze Bezier curves