Digital Commons Network^™

Ict And Innovation Processes In Small Italian Logistics Companies, Edward Sweeney

Conference papers

No abstract provided.

Music Structure Segmentation Using The Azimugram In Conjunction With Principal Component Analysis, Dan Barry, Mikel Gainza, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

A novel method to segment stereo music recordings into formal musical structures such as verses and choruses is presented. The method performs dimensional reduction on a time-azimuth representation of audio which results in a set of time activation sequences, each of which corresponds to a repeating structural segment. This is based on the assumption that each segment type such as verse or chorus has a unique energy distribution across the stereo field. It can be shown that these unique energy distributions along with their time activation sequences are the latent principal components of the time-azimuth representation. It can be shown …

The Protean Career: Exemplified By First World Foreign Residents In Western Europe?, Marian Crowley-Henry

Articles

This article presents findings from a qualitative study exploring the career-related motivations and experiences of a sample of 20 expatriates living and working on a permanent basis in the South of France (Sophia Antipolis) and in Germany (Munich). By virtue of their having established local links in the host country, either in having local working contracts or being installed in the area on a permanent basis (home owners; children born/being schooled in the host country), these expatriates could also be termed foreign residents in the host country. The study’s sample of highly educated workers originating from the United States of …

Training Module In Regional And Municipal Governance Of Public Private Partnerships, Louis Gunnigan

Conference papers

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 to use international instruments to …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Water Savings And Rainwater Harvesting – Pilot Project In Ireland, Sean O'Hogain, Anna Reid, Liam Mccarton, Jenny Pender, Niamh Mcntyre

Conference papers

A pilot project to harvest rainwater was set up in Ireland in 2005 to examine the potential of using rainwater harvesting systems to replace treated mains water, for non-potable uses. The Project has two strands to it. The agricultural application assessed the feasibility of incorporating rainwater supply to supplement/replace mains or other water supplies for farms. The second strand involves rural water supply to domestic dwellings. Here the project installed rainwater harvesting and water conservation devices as part of a pilot project to assess the reduction in domestic demand. This paper will examine the water use recorded on both sites. …

Analysis Of A Variable Speed Double-Fed Induction Generator Wind Turbine During Network Voltage Unbalance Conditions., Joseph Kearney, Michael Conlon

Conference papers

The behaviour of Double-Fed Induction Generators to supply network voltage unbalance is investigated. The paper shows the effects that voltage unbalance can have on a DFIG, using Matlab/Simulink. The results from simulations show that voltage unbalance affects both the induction generator and the rotor converter, due to the high unbalanced currents generated. The ability to modify the control strategy of a DFIG to compensate for voltage unbalance is outlined and simulations show the improvements to the performance of the DFIG.

Video Frame Differentiation For Streamed Multimedia Over Heavilty Loaded Ieee 802.11e Wlan Using Txop, Nicola Cranley, Mark Davis

Conference papers

In this paper we perform an experimental investigation of using video frame differentiation in conjunction with the TXOP facility to enhance the transmission of parallel multimedia streaming sessions in IEEE 802.11e. The delay constraints associated with the audio and video streams that comprise a multimedia session pose the greatest challenge since real-time multimedia is particularly sensitive to delay as the packets require a strict bounded end-to-end delay. Video streaming applications are considered to be bursty. This burstiness is due to the frame rate of vide., the intrinsic hierarchical structure of the constituent video frame types. The TXOP facility is particularly …

Supply Chain Management Diffusion Among Firms In The Republic Of Ireland, Edward Sweeney, Claudia-Maria Wagner, Bernd Huber

Conference papers

The changing business environment has sharpened the focus on the need for robust approaches to supply chain management (SCM). This is particularly the case for Ireland which has a natural disadvantage of a location peripheral to significant markets and sources of raw material which result in higher transport costs. Therefore, in order to gain unique insights of current levels of awareness / diffusion of SCM and the potential impact SCM could have on the competitiveness, a survey was conducted among 776 firms in the Republic of Ireland. The empirical results suggest that there is a need for more widespread adoption …

Resolution Investigation Of A Ratiometric Wavelength Measurement System, Qian Wang, Ginu Rajan, Pengfei Wang, Gerald Farrell

Articles

Theoretical analysis and experimental investigations are presented on the resolution of a ratiometric wavelength measurement system. Theoretical modeling indicates that the resolution of a ratiometric wavelength measurement system is determined by the signal-to-noise ratio of the input signal and the noise of the photodetectors associated with optical-to-electronic conversion. For experimental verification, a ratiometric system employing a macrobending standard single-mode fiber is developed and corresponding results are in good agreement with the theoretical prediction.

Factors Affecting Retailer Adoption Of The Internet In Ireland, Roisin Vize, Joseph Coughlan, Aileen Kennedy

Conference papers

To date, most of the commentary on the impact of the Internet on retailing in Ireland has been anecdotal and there is a paucity of academic empirical research examining the factors affecting Internet adoption by retailers in Ireland. The primary aims of this research are to identify the key factors perceived as being influential in determining the resultant level of adoption among traditional retailers in Ireland and to examine the extent and level of its’ adoption in the Irish retail sector. This paper represents the results from an exploratory investigation employing multiple case studies as the first of a two-stage …

Wideband Printed Monopole Design Using A Genetic Algorithm, Matthias John, Max Ammann

Articles

A method for the design and optimisation of wide-band printed planar monopoles using a genetic algorithm is presented. This novel technique employs overlapping sub-patches which ensures electrical contact in such constellations where two sub-patches are touching only at the corner, hence re-ducing losses. The method was usd optimisation of wide-band printed planar monopoles using a genetic algorithm is presented. This novel technique employs overlapping sub-patches which ensures electrical contact in such constellations where two sub-patches are touching only at the corner, hence re-ducing losses. The method was used to design a wideband monopole antenna with application in higher cellular, WLAN …

Investigation Into The Possible Use Of An Oxygen Ion Transport Membrane Combustion Unit In An Oxyfired Power Plant, Kirsten Foy

Doctoral

It is generally recognised that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions damage the environment. Carbon capture and storage offers the possibility of using fossil fuels for power production without releasing C02. In the proposed ZEITMOP power plant cycle hydrocarbon fuel is burned in a mixture of oxygen and C02, allowing easy separation of combustion products to capture the C02 for sequestration. Oxygen ion transport membranes (OTMs) provide oxygen. The original configuration of the cycle requires an OTM air separation unit, in which oxygen is separated from air and mixed with CO2, and a separate combustion chamber, in which fuel is burned in …

Temporal Factors To Evaluate Trustworthiness Of Virtual Identities, Luca Longo, Pierpaolo Dondio, Stephen Barrett

Conference papers

In this paper we investigate how temporal factors (i.e. factors computed by considering only the time-distribution of interactions) can be used as an evidence of an entity’s trustworthiness. While reputation and direct experience are the two most widely used sources of trust in applications, we believe that new sources of evidence and new applications should be investigated [1]. Moreover, while these two classical techniques are based on evaluating the outcomes of interactions (direct or indirect), temporal factors are based on quantitative analysis, representing an alternative way of assessing trust. Our presumption is that, even with this limited information, temporal factors …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of A Gis-Based Methodology For The Sustainable, Participative Management Of Walking Routes In Ireland, Helen Farrell

Doctoral

This thesis has identified and tested a methodology for the sustainable planning, development, auditing and routing of Waymarked Ways (walking routes). In testing and comparing the methodology on two routes in Ireland, a range of results have been gathered. Findings suggest that the approach is appropriate and effective in managing waling routes in the context of the study and in including community participation in the management process. Two study sites with different landscapes and infrastructures and varying levels of attractiveness for walking were used during research, and they were found to be quite different in their route management procedures. The …

Treating Water Contamination Using Ultraviolet Radiation To Control Cryptosporidium And E.Coli, Michael O'Hehir, David Kennedy, Thomas Dunphy

Articles

Concerns about the quality of drinking water in Ireland have come into sharp focus with the recent Cryptosporidium outbreak in Galway City. This article looks at how ultraviolet radiation can offer a potential solution in the control of Cryptosporidium contamination.

Experimental Tuning Of The Aifsn Parameter To Prioritize Voice Over Data Transmission In 802.11e Wlan Networks, Miroslaw Narbutt, Mark Davis

Conference papers

In this paper we experimentally study the impact of one EDCA parameter, namely AIFSN on a mixed voice/data wireless transmission. In particular we investigate how the tuning of this parameter affects both the voice transmission quality and background data throughput. We predict end-to-end voice transmission quality from time varying transmission impairements using the latest Appendix to the ITU-T E-model. Our experiemental results show that the tuning of the AIFSN parameter can successfully prioritize voice transmission over data in a real 802.11e network. To the best of our knowledge this is the first experimental investigation on tuning of MAC layer parameters …

Experimental Tuning Of Aifsn And Cwmin Parameters To Prioritize Voice Over Data Transmission In 802.11e Wlan Networks, Miroslaw Narbutt, Mark Davis

Conference papers

In this paper we experimentally study the impact of two EDCA parameters, namely AIFSN and CWmin, on a mixed voice/data wireless transmission. In particular we investigate how the tuning of these parameters affects both the voice transmission quality and background data throughput. We predict end-to-end voice transmission quality from time varying transmission impairments using the latest Appendix to the ITU-T E-model. Our experimental results show that the tuning of the EDCA parameters can be used to successfully prioritize voice transmission over data in real 802.11e networks. We also demonstrate that the AIFSN parameter more effectively protects voice calls against background …

Digital Technologies And The Future Of Radio: Lessons From The Canadian Experience., Brian O'Neill

Conference Papers

This paper examines the position of digital radio in Canada. It examines the Canadian experience of digital radio development from its introduction in 1995 to the present and asks whether the approach adopted and the lessons learned provide useful models for application elsewhere. Three main strands form the background to digital radio’s current stage of development: firstly, the introduction and early support for Digital Audio Broadcasting or (DAB) in the mid 1990s; secondly, the response of the radio industry to the internet and new media as complementary to traditional radio broadcasting provision; and thirdly, the more recent experience of the …

A Review Of Fiscal Measures To Benefit Heritage Conservation, Tracy Pickerill, Rob Pickard

Articles

This research paper explores to use of fiscal incentives for heritage conservation in a range of countries in Western Europe (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom) and North America (Canada and USA), to see how they are used and how effective they are.

The main incentives are:

• Income tax deductions and credits for costs incurred in heritage conservation activity;
• Income tax credits for the provision of social housing in heritage buildings;
• Property tax exemption, abatement or freeze for heritage buildings;
• Value added (sales) tax concessions or rebates relating to heritage conservation activity;
• Use of …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Extending And Measuring The Quality Of Fresh-Cut Fruit And Vegetables: A Review, Catherine Barry-Ryan, Ana Belen Martin-Diana, Daniel Rico, J. Barat

Articles

The market sales of ready-to-use fresh vegetables have grown rapidly in recent decades as a result of changes in consumer attitudes, especially consumption of fresh-cut lettuce and carrot due to their use in prepared salads. Chlorine solutions have been widely used to sanitise fruit and vegetables in the fresh-cut industry. However, the association of chlorine with the possible formation of carcinogenic chlorinated compounds in water has called into question the use of chlorine in food processing. There is a real need to find alternatives for preservation of fresh-cut fruit and vegetables in order to improve the efficacy of washing treatments. …

Digital Radio Policy In Canada: Fragmentation Or Evolution Of The Medium, Brian O'Neill

Conference Papers

In December 2006, the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) issued its review of Digital Radio Policy. This replaced the transitional digital radio policy of 1995, and sought to implement a framework designed to support multi-platform digital radio broadcasting in an increasingly complex technological environment for the medium. Drawing on policy analysis, interviews and expert group perspectives, this paper traces the background to the legislative provision for digital radio development in Canada. While Canada was an early adopter of the Eureka-147 or Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), the policy of DAB as a replacement technology approach proved to be mistaken. Subsequent …

Key Skills Framework: Enhancing Employability Within A Lifelong Learning Paradigm, Aidan Kenny, Ray English, Dave Kilmartin

Articles

Employability has become an area of interest among the general public and policy makers alike, with an increasing number of reports in the general media regarding the need for workers in certain sectors to up-skill due to the possible threat of job ‘displacement’. In addition, there has been an increase in education and training policy documents emphasising that citizens should pursue Lifelong Learning /Life Wide Learning to address the increased job-related uncertainty attributed to the globalisation process and the concomitant competitive threats. Academics such as Barnett (2005) claim that we are living in an era of ‘super complexity' and rapid …

Comparative Embodied Energy Analysis Of A Steel And Concrete Structural System In Ireland, Adolf Acquaye, Aidan Duffy, Biswajit Basu

Conference Papers

Engineering building design focuses on optimising operational energy use and ignores the energy required to procure and construct a building. This energy, termed ‘embodied energy’, can be very significant when compared to operational energy. Therefore, it is important to minimise the embodied in buildings; this must be done at the design stage. This paper presents a comparative embodied energy analysis of two structural design solutions for a modern office building: one in concrete and one in steel. Process analysis is used to determine production, transport and construction energy requirements for all system components. Results indicate that the steel solution has …

Rare: Resource Aware Routing For Mesh, Karol Kowalik, Brian Keegan, Mark Davis

Conference papers

An important element of any routing protocol used for Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) is the link cost function used to represent the radio link characteristic. The majority of the routing protocols for WMNs attempt to accurately characterise the radio link quality by constructing the link cost function from the measurements obtained using active probing techniques, which introduces overhead. In this paper we propose a new approach called Resource Aware Routing for mEsh (RARE) which instead employs passive monitoring to gather radio link information. This results in a smaller overhead than the other methods that require active network probing, and is …

A Moveable Feast: The Changing Dynamics Of Food Supply Chains In Ireland, Edward Sweeney

Practitioner Journals

No abstract provided.

The Ditme Project: Interdisciplinary Research In Music Technology, Eugene Coyle, Dan Barry, Mikel Gainza, David Dorran, Charles Pritchard, John Feeley, Derry Fitzgerald

Conference papers

This paper profiles the emergence of a significant body of research in audio engineering within the Faculties of Engineering and Applied Arts at Dublin Institute of Technology. Over a period of five years the group has had significant success in completing a Strand 3 research project entitled Digital Tools for Music Education (DiTME).

Rationales For Collaboration; Implications For The Irish Road Freight Industry, Eoin Plant, Jim Mcgovern

Conference Papers

The European Union has made a commitment to promoting sustainable mobility through advanced transport logistics. One of the principal areas yet to be addressed is that of the potential barriers to advanced transport logistics and the attitudes of industry to this advancement. This paper addresses some of these concerns and argues that competition for high-value contracts can be very tough, especially where the contracts are from large organisations that often prefer to develop a relationship with only one transport service provider. The paper attempts to put the research into a theoretical framework of Resource-Advantage Theory. Empirical evidence is presented from …