Engineering Commons^™

Leading Firms As Knowledge Gatekeepers In A Networked Environment, Deogratias Harorimana Mr

Dr Deogratias Harorimana

This chapter introduces the role of the knowledge gatekeeper as a mechanism by which knowledge is created and transferred in a networked environment. Knowledge creation and transfer are essential for building a knowledge based economy. The chapter considers obstacles that inhibit this process and argues that leading firms create a shared socio-cultural context that enables the condivision of tacit meanings and codification of knowledge. Leading firms act as gatekeepers of knowledge through the creation of shared virtual platforms. There will be a leading firm that connects several networks of clients and suppliers may not interact directly with one another, but …

Regional And Municipal Governance Of Public Private Partnerships, Louis Gunnigan

Louis Gunnigan

This module concentrates on the issues important to those who will be setting up PPPs and who are involved in government at a regional or municipal level. The module is centred on five tasks, namely:

• How to identify PPP opportunities and to find the best private sector partners for a PPP;

• How to organize a PPP programme within a government by enhancing cooperation amongst the relevant departments and ministries, local, regional and national authorities;

• How to be an effective manager and leader in a dynamic PPP unit;

• How to engage public support for PPPs;

• How …

European Climate Policy And The Position Of Cyprus, Theodoros Zachariadis

Theodoros Zachariadis

No abstract provided.

Travel Behaviour Of The Park And Ride Users And The Factors Influencing The Demand For Theuse Of The Park And Ride Facility, Jamilah Mohammad

Jamilah Mohammad

Park and ride scheme acts as an important component of the parking management strategies of a city. Exploring the significant attributes that influence the utilization of such scheme can provide a better understanding of its application among the urban users. The three main areas of concern towards understanding the characteristics of the park and ride users are the socioeconomic, trip and the parking-related characteristics. Through linear regression, this study identified that the significant attributes that were found to significantly influence the utilization of the facility in the Kuala Lumpur conurbation are total travel time by rail (via the park-and-ride), income, …

The Dependence Of Measured Modulation Error Ratio On Phase Noise, Ron D. Katznelson

Ron D. Katznelson

This paper reviews the algorithms used by Vector Signal Analyzers to measure Modulation Error Ratio (MER) and derives the explicit functional dependence of measured MER on phase noise of digital transmitters. The modulation error model is introduced and the analytical expression for key estimated parameters required to obtain MER measure are derived. The essential elements of algorithms employed by MER measurement instruments to estimate amplitude scale, frequency offset, and initial phase intercept and the resulting MER are identified. The frequency response of the effective phase-noise rejection filtering action associated with a given measurement epoch is derived. It is shown that …

Investigation Of Stun Guns As Intentional Electromagnetic Interference (Emi) Sources, George H. Baker, Ryan C. Tuttle

George H Baker

Because the operation and control of most critical infrastructures are highly dependent on electronics, it is important to understand the vulnerability of those electronics to intentional electromagnetic interference (EMI). The possibility of interference using readily available consumer devices is a particular concern. We investigated the feasibility and effectiveness of using compact stun guns to intentionally interfere with electronic systems. Test articles included individual computers and computers networked through a central hub. 60KV and 600KV devices were used in the experiments. Results indicate that stun guns are effective in disabling digital electronic systems.

Report Of The Commission To Assess The Threat To The United States From Emp Attack: Critical National Infrastructures, William R. Graham

George H Baker

The physical and social fabric of the United States is sustained by a system of systems; a complex and dynamic network of interlocking and interdependent infrastructures (“critical national infrastructures”) whose harmonious functioning enables the myriad actions, transactions, and information flow that undergird the orderly conduct of civil society in this country. The vulnerability of these frastructures to threats — deliberate, accidental, and acts of nature — is the focus of greatly heightened concern in the current era, a process accelerated by the events of 9/11 and recent hurricanes, including Katrina and Rita. This report presents the results of the Commission’s …

Summary Of 2008 Homeland Security Symposium At The National Academies: Fostering Public-Private Partnerships, George H. Baker, Cheryl J. Elliott

George H Baker

Recent U.S. high consequence events have made clear the importance of government collaboration with industry. The benefits of such collaboration were clearly seen as a lesson from Hurricane Katrina. The resources owned and controlled by American industry dwarf those available to local, state and even the federal government departments. Better agreements and incentives to bring the full capabilities of industry squarely into the national response agenda will be indispensable in effectively responding to large-scale catastrophes. General Russel Honoré who led the National Guard response to Katrina has said, “We need the partnering between local, state, and federal governments; but the …

Fuel Taxation And Social Policy, Theodoros Zachariadis

Theodoros Zachariadis

No abstract provided.

The Corporate Assault On Democracy, Sharon Beder

Sharon Beder

The revolutionary shift that we are witnessing at the beginning of the 21st Century from democracy to corporate rule is as significant as the shift from monarchy to democracy, which ushered in the modern age of nation states. It represents a wholesale change in cultural values and aspirations.

Writing Research Proposal: Literature Review And Database Search, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof.

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

Proceedings From Scientific Conference On Green Energy And It, Dr. Erik Dahlquist

Dr. Erik Dahlquist

This conference is part of the annual Energitinget, a national arena for energy in Sweden, with some 2500 participants. The focus with this session is to give a forum for researchers to present scientific results, and also to discuss these with other researchers. It contains papers in the area of Energy and IT as well as Green energy generally

A Hybrid Approach To Projects In Gaming Courses, Amber Settle, Joe Linhoff, André Berthiaume

Amber Settle

Space Settlements, Property Rights, And International Law: Could A Lunar Settlement Claim The Lunar Real Estate It Needs To Survive?, Alan Wasser, Douglas Jobes

Alan Wasser

The settlement of space and the expansion of the habitat of humanity beyond Earth will benefit all mankind but will be astronomically expensive. Private enterprise would do it if there were a sufficient profit potential, something only Lunar and Martian real estate is valuable enough to provide. Utilization of this tremendous potential value as an incentive has been prevented by the mistaken assumption that the 1967 Outer Space Treaty's prohibition of "national appropriation" and requirement of national supervision of private activities prohibit private property in space. This paper attempts to demonstrate, by expert legal consensus, that the 1967 Outer Space …

Do R&D Programs Of Different Government Levels Overlap In The European Union?, Andrea Fernandez-Ribas, Isabel Busom

Andrea Fernandez-Ribas

Multiple levels of government currently design and implement research and innovation programs both in the US and in Europe. Empirical analysis of interdependencies among programs has not been fully explored, however. Our contribution is a first step in understanding potential complementarities across R&D programs. Using a sample of Spanish manufacturing firms, we study the determinants of firms’ participation in national and in European level research programs and test for differences across programs. Our results suggest that firms’ participation in European and national R&D programs is largely driven by different factors. We interpret these results as suggesting that, ex-post, there is …

Towards A Business Model For Cellular Network And Telecommunication Operators: A Theoretical Framework, Mutaz M. Al-Debei, Ramzi El-Haddadeh, David Avison

Dr. Mutaz M. Al-Debei

Cellular networks and telecommunications bring major change to the way businesses are conducted. Mobility has become one of the main priorities for users and this has impacted on cellular networks and telecommunication operators (CNTOs). However, entrants into the cellular industry have been confounded primarily by inexistent or weak Business Models (BMs). Designing a BM for a CNTO is complex and requires multiple actors to balance different and often conflicting design requirements. Nevertheless, most research about CNTOs has been technically oriented and has mainly addressed the technological and engineering issues related to their infrastructure. Less attention has been given to the …

Defining The Business Model In The New World Of Digital Business, Mutaz M. Al-Debei, Ramzi El-Haddadeh, David Avison

Dr. Mutaz M. Al-Debei

Recent rapid advances in ICTs, specifically in Internet and mobile technologies, have highlighted the rising importance of the Business Model (BM) in Information Systems (IS). Despite agreement on its importance to an organization’s success, the concept is still fuzzy and vague, and there is no consensus regarding its definition. Furthermore, understanding the BM domain by identifying its meaning, fundamental pillars, and its relevance to other business concepts is by no means complete. In this paper we aim to provide further clarification by first presenting a classification of definitions found in the IS literature; second, proposing guidelines on which to develop …

Use Of Modeling And Simulation In Pulp And, Dr. Erik Dahlquist

Dr. Erik Dahlquist

The book is a handbook for operators and process engineers in primarily pulp and paper industry, but also other process industries about how to utilise simulation as a tool for enhanced process operations. The book has been written as part of a EU COST action on Process Simulation, with 14 countries and 50 researchers and process industry representatives involved.

Achieving Urban Resilience: Understanding And Tackling Disasters From A Local Perspective, Christine Wamsler

Christine Wamsler

The damage caused by a dramatic worldwide increase in so-called natural disasters is staggering, with the poor in developing countries being most at risk. This paper analyses: (a) the key variables and their causal relations that underlie the complex system of risk and disaster occurrence in slums; (b) the impacts of disasters on slums; (c) the strategies used by local people to cope with risk and disasters; and (d) the reasons for weak coping. The views and knowledge of slum dwellers in El Salvador are the focus of this analysis. On this basis, five complementary ex ante risk-reduction measures have …

Epa And The Venture Capital Community: Building Bridges To Commercialize Technology, Joann Slama Lighty

JoAnn S. Lighty

Cascading Infrastructure Failures: Avoidance And Response, George H. Baker, Cheryl J. Elliott

George H Baker

No critical infrastructure is self-sufficient. The complexity inherent in the interdependent nature of infrastructure systems complicates planning and preparedness for system failures. Recent wide-scale disruption of infrastructure on the Gulf Coast due to weather, and in the Northeast due to electric power network failures, dramatically illustrate the problems associated with mitigating cascading effects and responding to cascading infrastructure failures once they have occurred.

The major challenge associated with preparedness for cascading failures is that they transcend system, corporate, and political boundaries and necessitate coordination among multiple, disparate experts and authorities. This symposium brought together concerned communities including government and industry …