Process model comprehension : the effects of cognitive abilities, learning style, and strategy

Process models are used to convey semantics about business operations that are to be supported by an information system. A wide variety of professionals is targeted to use such models, including people who have little modeling or domain expertise. We identify important user characteristics that influence the comprehension of process models. Through a free simulation experiment, we provide evidence that selected cognitive abilities, learning style, and learning strategy influence the development of process model comprehension. These insights draw attention to the importance of research that views process model comprehension as an emergent learning process rather than as an attribute of the models as objects. Based on our findings, we identify a set of organizational intervention strategies that can lead to more successful process modeling workshops.

Acticoat™ : A cost-effective and evidence-based dressing strategy [Letter to the Editor]

We thank Dr. Burd et al. for taking an interest in our paper [1]. The retrospective cohort study was performed and published for two reasons. Firstly, we wished to compare and contrast the use of Acticoat™ and Silvazine™, and secondly we wished to demonstrate how one's practice can be dramatically altered by a change in dressing used. We found that Acticoat™ was safe and easy to use, caused less trauma to patients, required less frequent dressing changes and enabled treatment to be conducted on an outpatient, rather than an inpatient basis. During the period of Acticoat™ treatment we also saw a dramatic reduction in grafting requirements and also in the need for long-term scar management. Burd et al. correctly state that silver-based dressings are now more widely available, however many burn centres in the world continue to use silver sulphadiazine with daily baths. We therefore feel that a comparison is very relevant and useful. Prospective, randomised clinical trials of a range of silver-based dressings would indeed be useful, and hopefully Dr. Burd and colleagues will take up their own suggestion and perform these studies...

Media and information literacy : policy and strategy guidelines

In the evolving knowledge societies of today, some people are overloaded with information, others are starved for information. Everywhere, people are yearning to freely express themselves,to actively participate in governance processes and cultural exchanges. Universally, there is a deep thirst to understand the complex world around us. Media and Information Literacy (MIL) is a basis for enhancing access to information and knowledge, freedom of expression, and quality education. It describes skills, and attitudes that are needed to value the functions of media and other information providers, including those on the Internet, in societies and to find, evaluate and produce information and media content; in other words, it covers the competencies that are vital for people to be effectively engaged in all aspects of development.

Conceptualizing the interplay of knowledge accumulation and integration capabilities in service innovation-based competitive strategy : a project-oriented firm context

While past knowledge-based approaches to service innovation have emphasized the role of integration of knowledge in the provisioning of solutions, these approaches fail to address complexities involved with knowledge integration in project-oriented context, specifically, how the firm’s capability to acquire new knowledge from clients and past project episodes influence the development of new service solutions. Adopting a dynamic capability framework and building on knowledge-based approaches to innovation, this paper presents a conceptual model that captures the interplay of learning capabilities and the knowledge integration capability in the service innovation-based competitive strategy. Implications to theory and directions for future research are discussed.

A coordinated voltage support strategy for LV network with multiple DSTATCOMs

Voltage rise and drop are the main power quality challenges in Low Voltage (LV) network with Renewable Energy (RE) generators. This paper proposes a new voltage support strategy based on coordination of multiple Distribution Static Synchronous Compensators (DSTATCOMs) using consensus algorithm. The study focuses on LV network with PV as the RE source for customers. The proposed approach applied to a typical residential LV network and its advantages are shown comparing with other voltage control strategies.

Taxonomic analysis of marine phytoplankton

Samples of sea water contain phytoplankton taxa in varying amounts, and marine scientists are interested in the relative abundance of each taxa. Their relative biomass can be ascertained indirectly by measuring the quantity of various pigments using high performance liquid chromatography. However, the conversion from pigment to taxa is mathematically non trivial as it is a positive matrix factorisation problem where both matrices are unknown beyond the level of initial estimates. The prior information on the pigment to taxa conversion matrix is used to give the problem a unique solution. An iteration of two non-negative least squares algorithms gives satisfactory results. Some sample analysis of data indicates prospects for this type of analysis. An alternative more computationally intensive approach using Bayesian methods is discussed.

Constrained control design for dynamic positioning of marine vehicles with control allocation

In this paper, we address the control design problem of positioning of over-actuated marine vehicles with control allocation. The proposed design is based on a combined position and velocity loops in a multi-variable anti-windup implementation together with a control allocation mapping. The vehicle modelling is considered with appropriate simplifications related to low-speed manoeuvring hydrodynamics and vehicle symmetry. The control design is considered together with a control allocation mapping. We derive analytical tuning rules based on requirements of closed-loop stability and performance. The anti- windup implementation of the controller is obtained by mapping the actuator-force constraint set into a constraint set for the generalized forces. This approach ensures that actuation capacity is not violated by constraining the generalized control forces; thus, the control allocation is simplified since it can be formulated as an unconstrained problem. The mapping can also be modified on-line based on actuator availability to provide actuator-failure accommodation. We provide a proof of the closed-loop stability and illustrate the performance using simulation scenarios for an open-frame underwater vehicle.

Marine aerosol hygroscopicity and volatility, measured on the Chatham Rise (New Zealand)

The Surface Ocean Aerosol Production (SOAP) study was undertaken in February/March 2012 in the biologically active waters of the Chatham Rise, NZ. Aerosol hygroscopicity and volatility were examined with a volatility hygroscopicity tandem differential mobility analyser. These observations confirm results from other hygroscopicity-based studies that the dominant fraction of the observed remote marine particles were non-sea salt sulfates. Further observations are required to clarify the influences of seawater composition, meteorology and analysis techniques seasonally across different ocean basins.

Winning the phishing war : a strategy for Australia

Phishing, a form of on-line identity theft, is a major problem worldwide, accounting for more than $7.5 Billion in losses in the US alone between 2005 and 2008. Australia was the first country to be targeted by Internet bank phishing in 2003 and continues to have a significant problem in this area. The major cyber crime groups responsible for phishing are based in Eastern Europe. They operate with a large degree of freedom due to the inherent difficulties in cross border law enforcement and the current situation in Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia and the Ukraine. They employ highly sophisticated and efficient technical tools to compromise victims and subvert bank authentication systems. However because it is difficult for them to repatriate the fraudulently obtained funds directly they employ Internet money mules in Australia to transfer the money via Western Union or Money gram. It is proposed a strategy, which firstly places more focus by Australian law enforcement upon transactions via Western Union and Money gram to detect this money laundering, would significantly impact the success of the Phishing attack model. This combined with a technical monitoring of Trojan technology and education of potential Internet money mules to avoid being duped would provide a winning strategy for the war on phishing for Australia.

Career mentoring : a career development-enhancing strategy for university students in transition to employment

In 1992 the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Convocation initiated the Mentor Scheme to assist students to better prepare for the transition to employment. The scheme has developed over the past six years and in 1998 more than 130 pairs of employers and students from 12 different disciplines participated in it. Evaluations indicate the positive impact the scheme has made on both mentors and mentees, particularly in enhancing mentees' career development.

An ICT Implementation Strategy for Primary Schools in Fiji

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been embraced with hope and optimism in both developing and developed countries. While in the developed countries most citizens have access to one or many of the devices which utilize this technology (e.g. desktop, laptop, tablet, mobile phone), in developing countries this “luxury” can only be afforded by a privileged few. The use of these technologies in primary schools in developing countries is low. This is due to the fact that there are other bigger issues that some of these countries have to grapple with such as meeting the basic health and education needs of its citizens. Quality primary education and global development partnerships are two of the eight Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations (UNDP, 2012). Many Governments, NGO’s, service organizations, and individuals in developing countries are always looking at ways in which the disparity (not just in terms of ICT) can be narrowed. There has to be a greater collaboration between stakeholders in developing and developed countries (Mutonyi & Norton, 2007). How do stakeholders from developed countries engage with partners in developing countries to deliver meaningful and relevant outcomes for primary school students using ICT? As a first step getting the key stakeholders on side is critical. In the Fijian context, schools are managed and run by committees who are members of the community. Therefore, getting the committee on side together with the head-teachers and teachers is critical. Conversations about teaching and learning with technology can then follow with greater ease. The sustainability of any innovative approaches is also an essential element of this equation. Through this lens, this chapter investigates how ICT can be implemented in primary schools in Fiji. It proposes a three-layered approach which focuses on: (1) the community, school leadership, and teachers; (2) content, pedagogy, and technology, and (3) sustainability.

Ship Motion Control : Course Keeping and Roll Stabilisation Using Rudder and Fins

Motion control systems have a significant impact on the performance of ships and marine structures allowing them to perform tasks in severe sea states and during long periods of time. Ships are designed to operate with adequate reliability and economy, and in order to achieve this, it is essential to control the motion. For each type of ship and operation performed (transit, landing a helicopter, fishing, deploying and recovering loads, etc.), there are not only desired motion settings, but also limits on the acceptable (undesired) motion induced by the environment. The task of a ship motion control system is therefore to act on the ship so it follows the desired motion as closely as possible. This book provides an introduction to the field of ship motion control by studying the control system designs for course-keeping autopilots with rudder roll stabilisation and integrated rudder-fin roll stabilisation. These particular designs provide a good overview of the difficulties encountered by designers of ship motion control systems and, therefore, serve well as an example driven introduction to the field. The idea of combining the control design of autopilots with that of fin roll stabilisers, and the idea of using rudder induced roll motion as a sole source of roll stabilisation seems to have emerged in the late 1960s. Since that time, these control designs have been the subject of continuous and ongoing research. This ongoing interest is a consequence of the significant bearing that the control strategy has on the performance and the issues associated with control system design. The challenges of these designs lie in devising a control strategy to address the following issues: underactuation, disturbance rejection with a non minimum phase system, input and output constraints, model uncertainty, and large unmeasured stochastic disturbances. To date, the majority of the work reported in the literature has focused strongly on some of the design issues whereas the remaining issues have been addressed using ad hoc approaches. This has provided an additional motivation for revisiting these control designs and looking at the benefits of applying a contemporary design framework, which can potentially address the majority of the design issues.

Port-Hamiltonian control of fully actuated underwater vehicles

This chapter presents a novel control strategy for trajectory tracking of underwater marine vehicles that are designed using port-Hamiltonian theory. A model for neutrally buoyant underwater vehicles is formulated as a PHS, and then the tracking controller is designed for the horizontal plane-surge, sway and yaw. The control design is done by formulating the error dynamics as a set-point regulation port-Hamiltonian control problem. The control design is formulated in two steps. In the first step, a static-feedback tracking controller is designed, and the second step integral action is added. The global asymptotic stability of the closed loop system is proved and the performance of the controller is illustrated using a model of an open-frame offshore underwater vehicle.

Motion Control of Marine Craft

Marine craft (surface vessels, underwater vehicles, and offshore rigs) perform operations that require tight motion control. During the past three decades, there has been an increasing demand for higher accuracy and reliability of marinecraft motion control systems. Today, these control systems are an enabling factor for single and multicraft marine operations. This chapter provides an overview of the main characteristics and design aspects of motion control systems for marine craft. In particular, we discuss the architecture of the control system, the functionality of its main components, the characteristics of environmental disturbances, control objectives, and essential aspects of modeling and motion control design.

Dynamic positioning of marine craft using a port-Hamiltonian framework

Dynamic positioning of marine craft refers to the use of the propulsion system to regulate the vessel position and heading. This type of motion control is commonly used in the offshore industry for surface vessels, and it is also used for some underwater vehicles. In this paper, we use a port-Hamiltonian framework to design a novel nonlinear set-point-regulation controller with integral action. The controller handles input saturation and guarantees internal stability, rejection of unknown constant disturbances, and (integral-)input-to-state stability.