International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 28-31, 1996 / Town and Country Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, California / Today it is not uncommon to have large contractor teams involved in the design and deployment of even small satellite systems. The larger (and more geographically remote) the team members, the more difficult it becomes to efficiently manage the disbursement of telemetry data for evaluation and analysis. Further complications are introduced if some of the telemetry data is sensitive. An application is described which can facilitate telemetry data sharing utilizing the National Information Infrastructure (Internet).

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Extensible Markup Language (XML) has become the language of choice for any kind of data transfer between different business entities. Technologies based on XML like the Extensible Stylesheet Language, the Extensible Linking Language and SOAP add vital functionality and make the use of XML in many different business application scenarios possible. Companies that start employing XML as their format of choice for data exchange are often faced with the problem of different XML dialects within their company or with their business partners. This research project looks at the different solutions that are available for this problem and evaluates their appropriateness for certain scenarios. The first viable solution is employing the Extensible Stylesheet Language which allows for basic transformation on the basis of stylesheets. Companies that use this technology for simple conversion problems can either develop applications themselves or rely on tools from third-party vendors. For more advanced conversion needs a more flexible solution is appropriate. Custom made conversion frameworks developed by using a fourth generation programming language like Java offer the advantages of scalability by connecting more than one communication partner, platform-independency and a high degree of flexibility. Another option that will payoff in the future is the adherence to one of the developing industry XML standards. Such standards are mostly still in the development phase and have not been adopted widely yet. But once it becomes clear which standards are going to survive for each industry the adoption of such a standard will eliminate the need for any customised conversion and facilitate data exchange between business partners that adhere to the same standard. In general it is recommended to research existing XML standards before developing a proprietary one. When a proprietary format already exists the choice of the conversion tools and methods depends on the complexity of the transformation. Simple transformation needs can be solved by employing the XSLT technology while more advanced needs require the development of a customised conversion framework. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Extensible Markup Language (XML) het die taal van keuse geword vir enige soort van data oordraging tussen verskillende bedryfsentiteite. Tegnologie gebaseer op XML soos die Extensible Stylesheet Language, die Extensible Linking Language en Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) dra by tot betekenisvolle waardetoevoeging en maak die gebruik van XML in 'n groot verskeidenheid van besigheidstoepassings scenarios moontlik. Ondernemings wat XML as hul formaat van keuse vir data oordraging meer en meer begin gebruik, word dikwels met die probleem van verskillende XML dialekte intern tot hul onderneming sowel as ekstern tot hul sakevennote, gekonfronteer. Hierdie studie ontleed die verskillende oplossings wat beskikbaar is vir die probleem en evalueer dan die toepaslikheid vir sekere scenarios. Die eerste uitvoerbare oplossing is die gebruik van die Extensible Stylesheet Language wat toelaat vir basiese transformasie op die grondslag van stylblaaie. Ondernemings wat hierdie tegnologie vir eenvoudige omsettingsprobleme wil gebruik kan óf self toepassings ontwikkel of staatmaak op gereedskap vanaf derde party verskaffers. Vir meer gevorderde omsettingsbehoeftes is 'n meer buigsame oplossing geskik. Doelgemaakte omskakelingsraamwerke wat ontwikkel word deur gebruik te maak van 'n vierde generasie programmeringstaal soos JAVA bied die voordele van skalering deur meer as een kommunikasievennoot te konnekteer, platform onafhanklikheid en 'n hoë graad van buigsaamheid. Nog 'n opsie wat rendement in die toekoms kan lewer is om te bly by een van die ontwikkelende industrie XML standaarde. Sulke standaarde is meesal nog in die ontwikkelingsfase en word nog nie tot nou algemeen aanvaar nie. As dit egter begin duidelik word watter standaarde gaan oorleef vir elke industrie sal die aanvaarding van sulke standaarde die nodigheid vir doelgemaakte omskakeling elimineer en sal dit data uitruiling tussen sakevennote wat hou by dieselfde standaarde bevorder. In die algemeen word dit aanbeveel dat bestaande XML standaarde goed nagevors word alvorens 'n alleenreg een ontwikkel word. Wanneer 'n alleenregformaat alreeds bestaan sal die keuse van transformasiegereedskap en metodes afhang van die kompleksiteit van die transformasie. Eenvoudige transformeerde behoeftes kan bevredig word deur die XSLT tegnologie te gebruik, terwyl meer gevorderde behoeftes die ontwikkeling van 'n doelgemaakte omskakelingraamwerk sal benodig.

Οι πολιτισμικοί αλγόριθμοι είναι εξελικτικοί αλγόριθμοι εμπνευσμένοι από την κοινωνική εξέλιξη. Περιλαμβάνουν ένα χώρο πεποιθήσεων, ένα πληθυσμό και ένα πρωτόκολλο επικοινωνίας που περιέχει συναρτήσεις που επιτρέπουν την ανταλλαγή γνώσης μεταξύ του πληθυσμού και του χώρου πεποιθήσεων. Στην παρούσα εργασία οι πολιτισμικοί αλγόριθμοι χρησιμοποιούνται για την ανάλυση της ελληνικότητας του παγκόσμιου ιστού. Είναι γνωστό πως η ελληνική γλώσσα αποτελεί πηγή άντλησης πληθώρας λέξεων για τα λεξιλόγια πολλών γλωσσών. Ο παγκόσμιος ιστός αποτελεί πλέον κλαθολικό μέσο επικοινωνίας, χώρο διακίνησης τεράστιου όγκου πληροφορίας και δεδομένων και σύγχρονο μέσο οικονομικής, πολιτικής και κοινωνικής δραστηριοποίησης. Με άλλα λόγια, ο παγκόσμιος ιστός αποτελεί σήμερα το χώρο εκείνο όπου η επίδραση του πολιτισμού, μέσω της γλώσσας, είναι εμφανής στα διάφορα κείμενα που φιλοξενούνται σε αυτόν. Η παρούσα διπλωματικής επιχειρεί να "μετρήσει" το ποσοστό των λέξεων με ελληνική προέλευση που χρησιμοποιούνται στα κάθε είδους κείμενα που εμφανίζονται στις ιστοσελίδες του παγκόσμιου ιστου. Στόχος της εργασίας είναι η διερεύνηση του κατά πόσον είναι εφικτός ο σχεδιασμός κατάλληλου μοντέλου και αντίστοιχων αλγορίθμων που θα επιτρέψουν να εκτιμηθεί η "ελληνικότητα" του παγκόσμιου ιστού. Η μεθοδολογία προσέγγισης του θέματος περιλαμβάνει το σχεδιασμό και την υλοποίηση ενός πολιτισμικού αλγορίθμου και χρήση του περιβάλλοντος προγραμματισμού Python για σχεδιασμό και υλοποίηση κατάλληλης εφαρμογής και για πειραματικό έλεγχο. / Cultural Algorithms are Evolutionary Αlgorithms inspired from societal evolution. They involve a belief space, a population space and a communication protocol which provides functions that enable exchange of knowledge between population and belief space. In this thesis cultural algorithms are used in order to analyze how greek the web is. It is commonly known that the greek language is the source of a plethora of words for other languages' dictionaries. The World Wide Web is, nowadays, a universal means of communication, a place where huge amounts of information and data are transmitted and a modern means of economical, political and social activity. In other words, the world wide web has emerged as a new kind of society. As such, it has become the place where any culture's in uence, throuh their language, is obvious in hosted texts. This thesis attempts to "count" the percentage of words with greek origin used in web hosted texts of any kind. The main objective is to investigate whether it is possible to design a proper model and corresponding algorithms that allow to evaluate how greek the web is. The methodology followed in this approach consists of the design and implementation of a Cultural Algorithm and of the use of the programming language Python for designing and implementing a proper application and for experimental evaluation.

Thesis (PhD (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / In the economic paradigm of the previous century a well-crafted strategy delivered successful competitive advantage. This research questions whether, with the advent of the internet and its networked economy, this premise remains valid. In the past, technological shocks such as the telephone, railroads and electricity changed the way markets worked. Noting this, some astute practitioners developed effective patterns of competitive behaviour and achieved results of lasting value. The internet has precipitated a similar disturbance and may be consigned to a matching destiny. Today’s internet pioneers are the electronic businesses competing at the frontiers of strategy by learning, innovating and doing. This study, conducted at the early, emergent phase of the internet, endeavours to determine the strategy characteristics of winning firms. Once the competitive advantages accruing to online businesses through the deployment of internet technologies disappear, all business will inevitably find itself in the networked economy - the findings of this work may prove of timeous benefit to such as these.

The Web has come a long way. It started as a distributed document repository and quickly became the spring board for a new type of application. Propped on top of the original HTML+HTTP architecture, this new application platform shifted the way the architecture was used so that commands and functionality were embedded in the form data of Web requests rather than in the HTTP command conveying the request. This approach enabled Web requests to convey any type of data, not just document operations. This is occurring because the Web provides such a powerful platform on which to create applications. This is occurring because web development methods are still evolving toward the structure and stability required taking on this enormous new role. As the needs of developers change, certain themes that arise more frequently than others become embedded into new environments to support those needs. Until recently, Web application programming has largely been done with a set of keywords and metaphors developed long before the Web became a popular place to program. APIs have been developed to support Web specific features, but they are no replacement for fundamental changes in the programming environment itself. The growth of Web applications requires a new type of programming designed specifically for the needs of the Web. This thesis aims to contribute towards the development of an abstract framework to generate abstract and dynamic Web user interfaces that are not developed to a specific platform. To meet this aim, this thesis suggests a general implementation of a prototype system that uses the information in database metadata in conjunction with PHP. Database metadata is richer in providing the information needed to build dynamic user interfaces. This thesis uses PHP and the abstract library ADOdb to provide us with a generalised database metadata based prototype. PHP does not have any restrictions on accessing and extracting database metadata from numerous database management systems. As a result, PHP and relational database were used to build the proposed framework. Additionally, ADOdb was used to link the two mentioned technologies. The implemented framework in this thesis demonstrates that it is possible to generate different automatic Web entry forms that are not specific at any platform.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Electrical and Electronic Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Sociology / Master / Master of Philosophy

<p>Today’s electrical transmission & distribution systems, are facing a number of challenges related to changing environmental, technical and business factors. Among these factors are, increased environmental restrictions leading to higher share of production from renewable and uncontrollable sources as well as local environmental concerns regarding construction of new transmission and distribution lines. The re-regulation of the electricity market has created a dynamic environment in which multiple organizations have to coordinate and cooperate in the operation and control of the power system. Finally, the high rate of devel-opment within the ICT field is creating many new opportunities for power system opera-tion and control, thanks to introduction of new technologies for measurement, communi-cation and automation.</p><p>As a result of these factors, Wide Area Monitoring and Control (WAMC) systems have been proposed. WAMC systems utilize new ICT based technologies to offer more accurate and timely data on the state of the power system. WAMC systems utilize Phasor Measure-ment Units (PMUs) that have higher data rates and are time synchronised using, GPS satel-lites. This allows synchronized observation of the dynamics of the power system, making it possible to manage the system at a more efficient and responsive level and apply wide area control and protection schemes. The success WAMC systems, on the other hand, are largely dependent on the performance of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure that would support them.</p><p>This thesis investigates the requirements on, and suitability of the ICT systems that support WAMC systems. This was done by identifying WAMC applications and the elicitation of their requirements. Furthermore, a set of simulation projects were carried out to determine the communication system characteristics such as delay and the impact of this delay on the WAMC system.</p><p>This thesis has several contributions. First, it provides summary and analysis of WAMC application priorities and requirements in the Nordic region. Secondly it provides simula-tion based comparison and evaluation of communication paradigms for WAMC systems. The research documented in this thesis addresses these paradigms by providing a compari-son and evaluation through simulation. Thirdly, the thesis provides insight to the possible sources of delay in WAMC architecture and the impact of these delays on data quality specifically data incompleteness. This provides insight on what applications are important to practitioners and what is the expected performance of these applications, as seen from the power system control and operation point of view.</p>

This item is not the definitive copy. Please use the following citation when referencing this material: Dillon and Vaughan (1997) It's the journey and the destination: Shape and the emergent property of genre in digital documents. New Review of Multimedia and Hypermedia, 3, 91-106. Introduction: To anyone versed in the literature on hypermedia, it is clear that the last 10 yearsâ worth of research on usability since Conklinâ s (1987) seminal article has largely been ignored by web designers. Surfing web sites even casually will likely expose a user to screens of badly formatted text, superfluous graphics, mixed fonts, unreadable color combinations, and dangling or dead links. While the issue of knowledge transfer between research disciplines and design practice is fraught with problems and is a fascinating topic in and of itself (see e.g., Klein and Eason, 1993), this is not the focus of the present paper. Instead we wish to extend work that started with the birth of hypertext systems and continues to demand attention in these days of free-for-all web design: the evaluation of user behaviour in electronic space. Specifically, this paper will extend the analysis of â user navigationâ to the evaluation of user behaviour in web environments.

This study reports an experiment that examines whether librarians provide equitable virtual reference services to diverse user groups. The relative absence of social cues in the virtual environment may mean greater equality of services though at the same time greater inequalities may arise as librarians can become less self-aware online. Findings indicate that the quality of service librarians provide to African Americans and Arabs is lower than the quality of service they provide to Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian, and Jewish students. This study adds to the knowledge of subjective bias in the virtual environment by specifying those that are discriminated against online, identifying the kinds of discriminatory actions of virtual reference librarians, and identifying the type of queries that more frequently result in unbiased service.