Engineering Commons^™

Simulation Model To Investigate Flexible Workload Management For Healthcare And Servicescape Environment, Michael Thorwarth, Paul Harper, Amr Arisha

Conference papers

High demand and poor staffing conditions cause avoidable pressure and stress among healthcare personnel which results in burnout symptoms and unplanned absenteeism which are hidden cost drivers. The work environment within an emergency department is commonly arranged in a flexible workload which is highly dynamic and complex for the outside observer. Using detailed simulation modeling within structured modeling methods, a comprehensive model to characterize the nurses' time utilization in such flexible dynamic workload environment was investigated. The results have been used to derive a generalized analytic expression that describes certain settings that lead to an instable queuing system with serious …

A Bandwidth Aware Modification To The Dsr Routing Protocol For Wireless Mesh Networks, Mustafa Ramadhan, Mark Davis

Conference papers

This work proposes a bandwidth aware cross-layer modification to the DSR routing protocol. We include the Access Efficiency Factor (AEF) parameter in addition to the hop-count in the routing discovery mechanism. AEF is a measure to the local availability of bandwidth at a node. Employing the AEF as a metric in the routing discovery mechanism attempts to avoid routing through a congested area in the network. In this modification, we impose a limit on the hop-count in order to control the delay time in the network. The path selection procedure operates by finding a path with the highest minimum AEF …

Ict Innovation Diffusion In Small Logistics Service Providers: An Empirical Survey, Pietro Evangelista, Edward Sweeney, Claudia-Maria Wagner

Conference papers

For companies competing in highly dynamic markets, innovation is considered a fundamental component of a successful business as it allows companies to sustain profit margins, sales growth and reduce competitors’ pressures. Information and communication technology (ICT) is essential innovation enablers especially in service companies. The focus of the paper is on the analysis of the role of ICT in innovation processes of small third-party logistics service providers (3PLs). On the basis of quantitative evidence emerging from a recent survey carried out on the Italian 3PL market, the paper analyses how ICT is used to support innovation and the factors the …

Assessing Third Mission Activities, Mike Murphy

Conference papers

No abstract provided.

Meshscan: Performance Of Passive Handoff And Active Handoff, Yin Chen, Karol Kowalik, Mark Davis

Conference papers

A core problem of fast handoff is when handoff should perform and which Mesh Node (MN) should associated with. We have developed a fast handoff management scheme called MeshScan to provide a novel use of channel scanning latency, by employing open system authentication in both Passive Handoff and Active Handoff. This scheme comprises three steps: firstly a client device takes advantage of the Wireless Mesh Network (WMN) architecture to maintain a list of active MNs. Secondly MeshScan Handoff Sensor performs handoff when it receives a disassociation management frame from the serving MN or when the measured signal strength from the …

Meshscan: Fast And Efficient Handoff In Ieee802.11 Mesh Networks, Yin Chen, Mark Davis

Conference papers

Handoff delay is one of the major problems in Wireless Mesh Network (WMN) that needs to be solved in order to allow time-critical and real-time applications run continuously during handoff. We have developed a fast handoff scheme called MeshScan to provide a novel use of channel scanning latency by employing open system authentication. This scheme comprises two steps: firstly a client device takes advantage of the WMN architecture to maintain a list of active mesh nodes. Secondly when handoff is required, a client transmits Authentication Request frames to all mesh nodes (MNs) from the list instead of broadcasting Probe Request …

Enabling Rfid Technology In Irish Hospitals, Khaled Ismail, Amr Arisha

Conference papers

Hospitals represent a significant part of healthcare systems and account for no less than 60% of the entire healthcare service in most of developed countries. Therefore, improving service in hospitals is an important element to the process of healthcare reform. Better use of resources, more consistent quality, and a higher service level are the keys to rationalise the huge expenditure in healthcare systems due to higher growth in demand. Even though massive spending has been directed towards hospital improvement in Ireland, services provided in Irish hospitals are ranked relatively low comparing to the other European countries. Growth of population, aging, …

The Integrated Control Of The Rotor Side And Grid Side Converters In A Dfig To Reduce Both Power And Torque Pulsations During Network Voltage Unbalance Conditions., Joseph Kearney, Michael Conlon, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

No abstract provided.

Risk Assessment Model For Emergency Departments In Dublin Hospitals, Michael Thorwarth, Amr Arisha

Conference papers

The internal dynamics of emergency departments (ED) in Irish hospitals represent complex non-linear stochastic systems with an environment of uncertainty, variability and limited resources. Planning and managing such systems pose overwhelming demands. To improve operations, patient service, resource planning, and real-time reaction to unexpected events, sophisticated tools to efficiently achieve these goals must be applied.

Advanced solution techniques (e.g. simulation and optimisation) have been successfully applied in manufacturing operations to improve the delivery, cost-effectiveness and service quality. Yet, random arrival of patients, limited resources and multitasking are challenges in EDs that add more complexity to this critical area. This study …

Optimisation Methods In Supply Chain Applications: A Review, Amr Arisha, Waleed Abo Hamad

Conference papers

The competitiveness and dynamic nature of today’s marketplace is due to rapid advances in information technology, short product life cycles and the continuing trend in global outsourcing. Managing the resulting supply chain networks effectively is a complex and challenging task which is imputable to high level of uncertainty in supply-demand, conflict objectives, vagueness of information, numerous decision variables and constraints. With such level of complexity in the environment, supply chain optimisation has a potential to make a significant contribution to resolve the challenges. In this paper, a literature review – based on more than one hundred peer-reviewed articles – of …

An Experimental Study Of The Impact Of Using Multi-Radio In Wlan Mesh Networks, Chenzhe Zhang, Karol Kowalik, Mark Davis

Conference papers

Next-generation wireless mobile communications will be driven by converged networks that integrate disparate technologies and services. Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) are expected to be one of the next generation of wireless interconnection technologies, providing flexible high bandwidth wireless backhaul over large geographical areas. While single radio mesh nodes operating on a single channel suffer from capacity constraints, equipping mesh routers with multiple radios using multiple non-overlapping channels can significantly alleviate the capacity problem and increase the aggregate bandwidth available to the network. However, it is well known that multi-radio Mesh platforms face many limitations such as interference, radiation leakage, crosstalk …

Self-Authentication Of Audio Signals By Chirp Coding, Jonathan Blackledge, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

This paper discusses a new approach to ‘watermarking’ digital signals using linear frequency modulated or ‘chirp’ coding. The principles underlying this approach are based on the use of a matched filter to provide a reconstruction of a chirped code that is uniquely robust in the case of signals with very low signal-to-noise ratios. Chirp coding for authenticating data is generic in the sense that it can be used for a range of data types and applications (the authentication of speech and audio signals, for example). The theoretical and computational aspects of the matched filter and the properties of a chirp …

Learning Without Default: A Study Of One-Class Classification And The Low-Default Portfolio Problem, Kenneth Kennedy, Brian Mac Namee, Sarah Jane Delany

Conference papers

This paper asks at what level of class imbalance one-class classifiers outperform two-class classifiers in credit scoring problems in which class imbalance, referred to as the low-default portfolio problem, is a serious issue. The question is answered by comparing the performance of a variety of one-class and two-class classifiers on a selection of credit scoring datasets as the class imbalance is manipulated. We also include random oversampling as this is one of the most common approaches to addressing class imbalance. This study analyses the suitability and performance of recognised two-class classifiers and one-class classifiers. Based on our study we conclude …

Pilot Rainwater Harvesting Study Ireland, Liam Mccarton, Sean O'Hogain, Anna Reid, Niamh Mcintyre, Jenny Pender

Conference papers

There are no National Water Quality Standards for Rainwater Harvesting supply in Ireland. The Development Technology Centre (DTC) at the Technological University Dublin was commissioned by the National Rural Water Monitoring Committee in 2005 to assess the feasibility of using rainwater harvesting to supplement treated mains water for non-potable uses. The project involved the design, installation, commissioning and monitoring of rainwater harvesting facilities for rural domestic and agricultural water supply. This paper will present the results from the domestic pilot rwh project. A dual water supply system was designed and installed to use rainwater collected from the roof surface to …

A Reference Model For Ground Coupled Heat Transfer, Michael Crowley

Conference papers

A recently completed extension to IEA BESTEST includes further work on tests suitable for the validation of ground coupled heat transfer modules within building energy simulation software. The model described here forms part of this work. A finite difference model was prepared and applied to ground coupled heat transfer in the environs of a building for a range of geometries and boundary conditions. The model was verified by demonstrating close agreement with an analytical solution and with two independent models; it is therefore fit for purpose. A fundamental modelling limitation, applying to ground coupled heat transfer, emerged from the work.

International Study Abroad In Engineering/Industrial Technology: Through The Eyes Of Students, Michael Dyrenfurth, Robert Herrick, Donal Mchale, Richard Hayes, James Barnes

Conference papers

Faculty and programs in engineering/industrial technology often promote international exchange and study abroad as a desirable component of a university experience— particularly in this increasingly globalized world. But, what do students who have actually had such experiences perceive? How do they view such experiences, before, during and after the event? The following paper evolved from the experiences of four universities collaborating on an EU-FIPSE funded Atlantis project called DETECT that consist of the partnerships of four Engineering/Technology Educational institutions; Hochschule Darmstadt in Germany, Technological University Dublin in Ireland, and Pennsylvania State University & Purdue University from the USA.

Information Hiding By Stochastic Diffusion And Its Application To Printed Document Authentication, Jonathan Blackledge, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

The use of image based information exchange has grown rapidly over the years in terms of both e-to-e image storage and transmission and in terms of maintaining paper documents in electronic form. Further, with the dramatic improvements in the quality of COTS (Commercial-Off-The-Shelf) printing and scanning devices, the ability to counterfeit electronic and printed documents has become a widespread problem. Consequently, there has been an increasing demand to develop digital watermarking, information hiding and covert encryption methods which can be applied to both electronic and printed images (and documents) for the purposes of authentication, prevent unauthorized copying and, in the …

Performance Monitoring Of Cover-Zone Concrete, Niall Holmes, John Mccarter, Malcolm Chrisp, Gerry Starrs, Sreejith Nanukuttan, Lulu Basheer, Niall Holmes, Muhammed Basheer

Conference papers

The concrete cover-zone is a major factor governing the degradation of concrete structures as it provides the only barrier to aggressive agents which initiate corrosion of the reinforcement. Knowledge of the protective qualities of cover-zone concrete is critical in attempting to make predictions as to the in-service performance of the structure with regard to likely deterioration rates for a particular exposure condition and compliance with specified design life. To this end, a multi-electrode array was used to study the surface 50mm of concrete specimens thereby allowing a detailed picture of the response of the covercrete to the changing environment. In …

Conductivity Sensors To Monitor Cover-Zone Performance, W. J. Mccarter, T. M. Chrisp, G. Starrs, E. Owens, Niall Holmes, L. Basheer, S. V. Nanukuttan, M. Basheer

Conference papers

This paper presents developments in the use of an embedded, multi-electrode conductivity sensor to study the response of the concrete cover-zone to environmental action. The sensor enables an evaluation of the temporal and spatial variation of electrical conductivity thereby allowing an integrated assessment of the cover-zone. Conductivity sensors were embedded within concrete samples to study the cover-zone response to cyclic wetting and drying under laboratory conditions. This work was extended to include the use of remote interrogation methods to study samples placed at a marine exposure site and preliminary results are presented.

Performance Study Of A Cross-Layer Optimization To The Dsr Routing Protocol In Wireless Mesh Networks, Mustafa Ramadhan, Mark Davis

Conference papers

A cross-layer modification to the DSR protocol is presented in this work which is intended to enhance the global throughput performance of wireless mesh networks. This modification involves the use of an access efficiency factor (which is a measure of the local availability of bandwidth at a node) as an alternative metric to the hop-count metric in order to allow for improved routing selection. The key feature of this modified route selection procedure is that it attempts to discover paths that have a large availability of bandwidth which can support high throughputs. In this work we have employed the OPNET …

Diffusion And Fractional Diffusion Based Image Processing, Jonathan Blackledge

Conference papers

We consider the background to describing strong scattering in terms of diffusive processes based on the diffusion equation. Intermediate strength scattering is then considered in terms of a fractional diffusion equation which is studied using results from fractional calculus. This approach is justified in terms of the generalization of a random walk model with no statistical bias in the phase to a random walk that has a phase bias and is thus, only ‘partially’ or ‘fractionally’ diffusive. A Green’s function solution to the fractional diffusion equation is studied and a result derived that provides a model for an incoherent image …

Inverse Scattering Solutions For Side-Band Signals, Jonathan Blackledge, Timo Hamalainen, Jyrki Joutsensalo

Conference papers

When a signal is recorded that has been physically generated by some scattering process (the interaction of electromagnetic waves with an inhomogeneous dielectric, for example), the `standard model' for the signal (i.e. information content convolved with a characteristic Impulse Response Function) is usually based on a single scattering approximation. An additive noise term is introduced into the model to take into account a range of non-deterministic factors including multiple scattering that, along with electronic noise and other background noise sources, is assumed to be relatively weak. Thus, the standard model is based on a `weak field condition' and the inverse …

Testing And Monitoring Concrete Using Novel Methods For Predicting Their Long Term Behaviour, Sreejith Nanukuttan, Lulu Basheer, Muhammed Basheer, Niall Holmes, John Mccarter, Malcolm Chrisp, Gerry Starrs

Conference papers

It is widely recognised that durability of concrete depends on its transport properties, viz. absorption, diffusion and permeability. As concrete cover provides the first line of defence against the ingress of many deleterious substances into the concrete, a measure of its transport properties is vital in assessing its long term performance in the given exposure condition. In new structures the rate of ingress of the deleterious substances could be monitored using array of electrical sensors which are embedded in the cover concrete. For structures which are currently in service, two in situ permeability apparatuses, viz. Autoclam Permeability System (for measuring …

The Probabilistic Integration Of Demand-Side Load And Generation In A Representative Irish Distribution Network, Keith Sunderland, Michael Conlon

Conference papers

This paper introduces a methodology for investigating the behaviour of a distribution network incorporating both load variations and variable micro-wind generation output. The probabilistic methodology is applied to a representative model of the Irish Distribution Network. Application of a selection of commercially available micro-wind turbines to the model is investigated for a range of load and generation scenarios based on a standard load profile and varying mean wind speed. Analysis of the results of the analysis forms the basis for defining the limitations of the methodology but also presents the opportunities for future work.

Digital Supply Chains: Towards A Framework For Software Distribution, Colm Ryan, Claudia-Maria Wagner, Edward Sweeney, Emilio Esposito, Pietro Evangelista

Conference papers

This paper assesses the effect of non-physicality of a digital product - software - on SCM practice. A number of in-depth, one-on-one interviews were held in 8 software companies that predominantly supply to enterprise customers on a global scale. The aim was to explore distribution challenges within software supply chains and how companies are addressing these challenges. The research has identified three different classes of software distribution models: One, which tends to rely on traditional physical infrastructures and paradigms, and two others that better exploit the properties of the digital products.

Implications Of Philosophy For Engineering And Engineering Technology Bachelors Programs, Michael Dyrenfurth, Mike Murphy, William Grimson

Conference papers

This paper raises the question: What is philosophy and then, after describing its branches and school, it extends the definitions to implications for the practice of engineering and engineering technology education. It folds the definitions against the work of engineering faculty. The latter was described as including curriculum development, teaching, mentoring/advising, research/scholarship, and engagement. Sample codes of ethics are shared for engineering technology students and professionals.

Localization Quality Assessment In Source Separation-Based Upmixing Algorithms, Dan Barry, Gavin Kearney

Conference papers

In this paper we explore the source localisation accuracy and perceived spatial distortion of a source separation based upmix algorithm for 2 to 5 channel conversion. Unlike traditional upmixing techniques, source separation based techniques allow individual sources to be separated from the mixture and repositioned independently within the surround sound field. Generally, spectral artefacts and source interference generated during the source separation process are masked when the upmixed sound field is presented in its entirety; however, this can lead to perceived spatial distortion and ambiguous source localisation. Here, we use subjective testing to compare the localisation perceived on a purposely …

Creating A Software Marketplace For The Sme Community In The Irish Construction Industry, Alan V. Hore, Roger West, Alan Redmond

Conference papers

The Construction Industry is a sector where Information Communication Technology (ICT) and e-Business are used to a lesser extent than in most other sectors. The high concentration of Small to Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the industry and the typical nature of the service provided, being an on-site and often highly customised service are generally identified as the reason for the low ICT uptake. The majority of Irish companies in the construction sector are SMEs. E-Business has provided the construction SME industry the opportunity to compete globally. The Construction IT Alliance (CITA) has identified a programme that can create a …

Automatic Musical Meter Detection, Mikel Gainza

Conference papers

A method that automatically estimates the metrical structure of a piece of music is presented. The approach is based on the generation of a beat similarity matrix, which provided information about the similarity between any two beats of a piece of music. The repetitive structure of most music is exploited by processing the beat similarity matrix in order to identify similar patterns of beats in different parts of a piece. This principles proves to be equally effective for the detection of both duple and triple meters as awll as complex meters. The use of beat positions and dynamic programming techniques …

Creating A Digital Sme Community In The Irish Construction Industry, Alan V. Hore, Roger West, Alan Redmond

Conference papers

The Construction Industry is a sector where ICT and e-business are used to a lesser extent than in most other sectors. The high concentration of SMEs in the construction industry and the typical nature of the service provided in construction, being an on-site and often highly customised service are generally identi-fied as the reason for the low ICT uptake. The majority of Irish companies in the construction sector are SMEs. It is essential that Irish companies become more effective and efficient with eBusiness technologies in order to compete in the global economy. The Construction IT Alliance in Ireland has identified …