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University of Wollongong

Australian

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Articles 1 - 19 of 19

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Australian Mri-Linac Program: Measuring Profiles And Pdd In A Horizontal Beam, Jarrad Begg, Armia George, Sarah Alnaghy, Trent Causer, T Alharthi, L Glaubes, Bosheng Dong, Gary Goozee, Gary P. Liney, Lois C. Holloway, Paul J. Keall Jan 2017

The Australian Mri-Linac Program: Measuring Profiles And Pdd In A Horizontal Beam, Jarrad Begg, Armia George, Sarah Alnaghy, Trent Causer, T Alharthi, L Glaubes, Bosheng Dong, Gary Goozee, Gary P. Liney, Lois C. Holloway, Paul J. Keall

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The Australian MRI-Linac consists of a fixed horizontal photon beam combined with a MRI. Commissioning required PDD and profiles measured in a horizontal set-up using a combination of water tank measurements and gafchromic film. To validate the methodology, measurements were performed comparing PDD and profiles measured with the gantry angle set to 0 and 90° on a conventional linac. Results showed agreement to within 2.0% for PDD measured using both film and the water tank at gantry 90° relative to PDD acquired using gantry 0°. Profiles acquired using a water tank at both gantry 0 and 90° showed agreement in …


The Impact Of Electronic Health Records On Risk Management Of Information Systems In Australian Residential Aged Care Homes, Tao Jiang, Ping Yu, David M. Hailey, Jun Ma, Jie Yang Jan 2016

The Impact Of Electronic Health Records On Risk Management Of Information Systems In Australian Residential Aged Care Homes, Tao Jiang, Ping Yu, David M. Hailey, Jun Ma, Jie Yang

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

To obtain indications of the influence of electronic health records (EHR) in managing risks and meeting information system accreditation standard in Australian residential aged care (RAC) homes. The hypothesis to be tested is that the RAC homes using EHR have better performance in meeting information system standards in aged care accreditation than their counterparts only using paper records for information management. Content analysis of aged care accreditation reports from the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency produced between April 2011 and December 2013. Items identified included types of information systems, compliance with accreditation standards, and indicators of failure to meet …


Cloud Computing Services Adoption In Australian Smes: A Firm-Level Investigation, Salim Al Isma'ili, Mengxiang Li, Qiang He, Jun Shen Jan 2016

Cloud Computing Services Adoption In Australian Smes: A Firm-Level Investigation, Salim Al Isma'ili, Mengxiang Li, Qiang He, Jun Shen

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Cloud computing services can boost the competitiveness of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and leverage countries' economies. In the Australian context, there is an emerging trend that SMEs begin to embrace cloud technology in their traditional business activities. However, prior studies did not pay much attention to investigating the factors that influence the cloud computing adoption among Australian SMEs. To fill the research gap, this paper investigates the influential factors that affect the decision on adopting cloud computing services for Australian SMEs. Protocol data collected from fifteen firm-level semi-structured interviews with practitioners are presented and discussed. The protocol analysis indicates …


Cloud Computing Adoption Determinants: An Analysis Of Australian Smes, Salim Al Isma'ili, Mengxiang Li, Jun Shen, Qiang He Jan 2016

Cloud Computing Adoption Determinants: An Analysis Of Australian Smes, Salim Al Isma'ili, Mengxiang Li, Jun Shen, Qiang He

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

In Australia, there is an emerging tendency among SMEs towards the adoption of cloud computing. However, there are limited studies investigating the factors that influence cloud computing adoption within Australian SMEs. To fill the research vacuum, we developed a research model based on the diffusion of innovation theory (DOI), the technology-organisation-environment (TOE) framework, and our prior exploratory study to investigate the determinants that influence the adoption of cloud computing. An organizational-level survey was conducted across Australia to collect data from technology decision makers in SMEs. Data collected from 203 firms are used to test the related hypotheses. This study contributes …


Students' Perceived Understanding And Competency In Probability Concepts In An E-Learning Environment: An Australian Experience, M Zamalia, Anne L. Porter Jan 2016

Students' Perceived Understanding And Competency In Probability Concepts In An E-Learning Environment: An Australian Experience, M Zamalia, Anne L. Porter

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Student understanding and competency in probability have been investigated from different perspectives. Competency is often measured in the form of tests. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether perceived understanding and competency can be calibrated and assessed together using Rasch measurement tools. The study comprised 44 students who enrolled in the STAT131 Understanding Uncertainty and Variation course at University of Wollongong, Australia. Their voluntary participation in the study was through the e-learning Moodle platform where tests and assessment were administered online. Data were analysed using the Rasch measurement models. The study revealed majority of the students had little …


Using Online And Multimedia Resources To Enhance The Student Learning Experience In A Telecommunications Laboratory Within An Australian University, Peter J. Vial, Sasha Nikolic, Montserrat Ros, David Stirling, Parviz Doulai Jan 2015

Using Online And Multimedia Resources To Enhance The Student Learning Experience In A Telecommunications Laboratory Within An Australian University, Peter J. Vial, Sasha Nikolic, Montserrat Ros, David Stirling, Parviz Doulai

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

A laboratory component of an undergraduate telecommunications course consistently scored poorly for student learning experience on student surveys at an Australian university. Consultation with experienced academic staff revealed the need to modify the teaching resources available for the laboratory to include web-based multimedia and interactive resources. This new material was developed and made available to students and teaching staff in early 2011 via an Australian university e-learning package which was used to deliver the subject. The students and demonstrators were then encouraged to use this new resource to prepare for the three hour laboratory sessions. Surveys of students who took …


Time Spent On Daytime Direct Care Activities By Personal Carers In Two Australian Residential Aged Care Facilities: A Time-Motion Study, Siyu Qian, Ping Yu, David M. Hailey, Zhenyu Zhang, Pam Davy, Mark I. Nelson Jan 2014

Time Spent On Daytime Direct Care Activities By Personal Carers In Two Australian Residential Aged Care Facilities: A Time-Motion Study, Siyu Qian, Ping Yu, David M. Hailey, Zhenyu Zhang, Pam Davy, Mark I. Nelson

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Objective. To examine the time, frequency and duration of each direct care activity conducted by personal carers in Australian residential aged care homes. Methods. A time-motion study was conducted to observe 46 personal carers at two high-care houses in two facilities (14 days at Site 1 and 16 days at Site 2). Twenty-three direct care activities were classified into eight categories for analysis. Results. Overall, a personal carer spent approximately 45% of their time on direct care, corresponding to 3.5 h in an 8-h daytime shift. The two sites had similar ratios of personal carers to residents, and each resident …


How To Attract Foreign Firms To Do Australian Infrastructure, Garry Bowditch Jan 2014

How To Attract Foreign Firms To Do Australian Infrastructure, Garry Bowditch

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Australia's two biggest construction companies, Leighton and Lend Lease, control a significant share of construction - up to 75% in cases such as major rail projects. The recent Productivity Commission draft report on public infrastructure found their combined "market shares would appear sufficient to allow them to exercise market power to inflate prices and/or profits". At the same time, the Commission noted that no evidence exists to support such a proposition. A more important unanswered question remains - what conditions are necessary to attract foreign firms to help Australia deliver cheaper, faster and better infrastructure? Looking abroad for solutions can …


Effects Of Mesh Size And Escape Gaps On Discarding In An Australian Giant Mud Crab (Scylla Serrata) Trap Fishery, Matt Broadhurst, Paul Butcher, Brian R. Cullis Jan 2014

Effects Of Mesh Size And Escape Gaps On Discarding In An Australian Giant Mud Crab (Scylla Serrata) Trap Fishery, Matt Broadhurst, Paul Butcher, Brian R. Cullis

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

In response to concerns over excessive discarding from Australian recreational round traps (with four funnel entrances) used to target giant mud crabs, Scylla serrata, an experiment was done to assess the independent and cumulative utility of paired, bottom-located horizontal escape gaps (46x120 mm) and increasing mesh size (from 51 to 101 mm). Compared to conventional traps comprising 51-mm mesh throughout, those with the same mesh size and escape gaps caught significantly fewer (by 95%) undersize (- CL) crabs while maintaining legal catches. Traps made from 101-mm mesh (but with the same funnel entrances as conventional designs) and with and without …


Dispatch Strategy To Minimise Uncertainty In Wind Power Generation In The Australian National Electricity Market, Amila Wickramasinghe, Lasantha G. Meegahapola, Ashish P. Agalgaonkar, Sarath Perera Jan 2014

Dispatch Strategy To Minimise Uncertainty In Wind Power Generation In The Australian National Electricity Market, Amila Wickramasinghe, Lasantha G. Meegahapola, Ashish P. Agalgaonkar, Sarath Perera

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

2014 ACPE. With increased penetration of wind power, scheduling generators to meet the forecast demand of a power system is becoming an increasingly challenging task for the system operators. Uncertainty associated with the generation expected from wind plants adds to the load demand uncertainty, making it necessary to retain additional reserves to maintain the balance between demand and supply of power. In the Australian national electricity market (NEM), sophisticated wind forecasting techniques are employed to reduce the uncertainty in wind generation. Despite being able to project the contribution of wind power to a reasonable accuracy, wind power plants are currently …


Description And Comparison Of Quality Of Electronic Versus Paper-Based Resident Admission Forms In Australian Aged Care Facilities, Ning Wang, Ping Yu, David Hailey Jan 2013

Description And Comparison Of Quality Of Electronic Versus Paper-Based Resident Admission Forms In Australian Aged Care Facilities, Ning Wang, Ping Yu, David Hailey

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Purpose To describe the paper-based and electronic formats of resident admission forms used in several aged care facilities in Australia and to compare the extent to which resident admission information was documented in paper-based and the electronic health records. Methods Retrospective auditing and comparison of the documentation quality of paper-based and electronic resident admission forms were conducted. A checklist of admission data was qualitatively derived from different formats of the admission forms collected. Three measures were used to assess the quality of documentation of the admission forms, including completeness rate, comprehensiveness rate and frequency of documented data element. The associations …


Model Medication Management Process In Australian Nursing Homes Using Business Process Modeling, Siyu Qian, Ping Yu Jan 2013

Model Medication Management Process In Australian Nursing Homes Using Business Process Modeling, Siyu Qian, Ping Yu

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

One of the reasons for end user avoidance or rejection to use health information systems is poor alignment of the system with healthcare workflow, likely causing by system designers' lack of thorough understanding about healthcare process. Therefore, understanding the healthcare workflow is the essential first step for the design of optimal technologies that will enable care staff to complete the intended tasks faster and better. The often use of multiple or "high risk" medicines by older people in nursing homes has the potential to increase medication error rate. To facilitate the design of information systems with most potential to improve …


Hard Automation Trends In Australian Underground Coal Mines, Stephen Van Duin, Luke Meers, Gary Gibson Jan 2013

Hard Automation Trends In Australian Underground Coal Mines, Stephen Van Duin, Luke Meers, Gary Gibson

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

As productivity in coal extraction demands increase in underground coal mines, the industry is faced with finding new ways to support production without jeopardising safety. In modern mines the capacity and scale of longwall coal extraction has steadily increased to a point that support processes are failing to keep pace. In particular, roadway development is continually placed on the critical path of activities which maintain mine production, so any inefficiency in this area is quickly exposed. Original equipment manufacturers are under immense pressure to modify their machines to be more interconnected with each other, with machine communication and logistical sharing …


Estimation Of Capacity Credits For Wind Generation Plants In The South East Australian Power Grid, Md Abu Abdullah, Kashem Muttaqi, Ashish Agalgaonkar, Darmawan Sutanto Jan 2013

Estimation Of Capacity Credits For Wind Generation Plants In The South East Australian Power Grid, Md Abu Abdullah, Kashem Muttaqi, Ashish Agalgaonkar, Darmawan Sutanto

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

It is important to estimate the contribution of the wind generation plants in the evaluation of system generation adequacy for power generation planning. Australia has recently proposed to utilize the diversity of the wind energy resources in Southeast Australian power grid through existing inter-State interconnections. This paper aims to present a probabilistic adequacy model for the capacity credit estimation of wind generation plants in interconnected power systems. In particular, the proposed adequacy model will be applied to investigate how sharing of wind energy resource diversity can enhance the capacity credit of the wind generation plants. The impact of the inter-tie …


Development Of The Quality Of Australian Nursing Documentation In Aged Care (Qandac) Instrument To Measure Paper-Based And Electronic Resident Records, Ning Wang, Catrin Bjorvell, Ping Yu Jan 2013

Development Of The Quality Of Australian Nursing Documentation In Aged Care (Qandac) Instrument To Measure Paper-Based And Electronic Resident Records, Ning Wang, Catrin Bjorvell, Ping Yu

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Aim: To develop an Australian nursing documentation in aged care (Quality of Australian Nursing Documentation in Aged Care (QANDAC)) instrument to measure the quality of paper-based and electronic resident records. Methods: The instrument was based on the nursing process model and on three attributes of documentation quality identified in a systematic review. The development process involved five phases following approaches to designing criterion-referenced measures. The face and content validities and the inter-rater reliability of the instrument were estimated using a focus group approach and consensus model. Results: The instrument contains 34 questions in three sections: completion of nursing history and …


Can Australia High Speed Rail Overcome It's Bumpy History?, Philip Laird Jan 2011

Can Australia High Speed Rail Overcome It's Bumpy History?, Philip Laird

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The Australian Government has released an "implementation" study for high speed rail (or HSR) on the east coast with a further study to follow. The proposal looks at corridors between Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. It includes the option of three-hour travel times between Sydney and Melbourne, with tickets costing around $100. With the projected price of the project starting at around $60 billion, and Australia's chequered history with HSR, it is not unreasonable to ask whether the project will commence. In this case, would Sydney to Newcastle take preference over Sydney to Melbourne?


Development Of Hydraulic Fracturing In High Stress Conditions In Australian Underground Coal Mines, Dennis John Black, Naj Aziz Jan 2008

Development Of Hydraulic Fracturing In High Stress Conditions In Australian Underground Coal Mines, Dennis John Black, Naj Aziz

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Hydraulic fracturing has been used extensively in the petroleum and coalbed methane industries as a means of improving access to the reservoir and thereby enhancing production. In the Australian coal mining industry there has been an aversion to the use of hydraulic fracturing. One of the main reasons for the lack of application of this technology has been the perceived risk of damage to the strata and the resulting impact on future mining operations. A number of Australian mines are progressing toward areas where gas drainage is becoming increasingly difficult and these mines are seriously considering the use of hydraulic …


Australian Online Supermarket Usability, Mark Freeman, Peter N. Hyland, Jeffrey Soar Jan 2003

Australian Online Supermarket Usability, Mark Freeman, Peter N. Hyland, Jeffrey Soar

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The issue of usability plays a vital role in the success of an online store. However, to date there has been limited published research into this issue and there has been no research conducted into multiple item purchasing. There is much competition in the grocery shopping industry between the two major physical supermarket chains in Australia, Woolworths and Coles, both in traditional stores and online. Online, the major competitor is ShopFast, which does not have a traditional supermarket storefront to complement its online operations. The purpose of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis into the usability of ordering …


A Three-Dimensional Numerical Model Of The Response Of The Australian North West Shelf To Tropical Cyclones, Song-Ping Zhu, Jorg Imberger Jan 1994

A Three-Dimensional Numerical Model Of The Response Of The Australian North West Shelf To Tropical Cyclones, Song-Ping Zhu, Jorg Imberger

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

A three-dimensional barotropic and baroclinic model is developed to simulate currents and temperature changes induced by tropical cyclones traversing the continental shelf and slope region of the Australian North West Shelf. The model is based on a layered, explicit, finite difference formulation using the nonlinear primitive equations with an embedded entrainment scheme; a mixed-surface-layer interface is defined, which is allowed to shift from one interface to another, depending on the strength of a storm. The model has been tested by simulating the currents and temperature changes induced by tropical cyclones Orson and Ian. The modelled currents and temperatures agreed well …