47,675 research outputs found

    Rover-II: A Context-Aware Middleware for Pervasive Computing Environment

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    It is well recognized that context plays a significant role in all human endeavors. All decisions are based on information which has to be interpreted in context. By making information systems context-aware we can have systems that significantly enhance human capabilities to make critical decisions. A major challenge of context-aware systems is to balance usability with generality and extensibility. The relevant context changes depending on the particular application. The model used to represent the context and its relationship to entities must be general enough to allow additions of context categories without redesign while remaining usable across many applications. Also, while efforts are put in by application designers and developers to make applications context-aware, these efforts are customized to specific needs of the target application, and only certain common contexts like location and time are taken into account. Therefore, a general framework is called for that can (i) efficiently maintain, represent and integrate contextual information, (ii) act as an integration platform where different applications can share contexts and (iii) provide relevant services to make efficient use of the contextual information. This dissertation presents: * a generic and effective context model - Rover Context Model (RoCoM) that is structured around four primitives: entities, events, relationships, and activities; and practically usable through the concept of templates, * a flexible, extensible and generic ontology - Rover Context Model Ontology (RoCoMO) supporting the model, that addresses the shortcomings of existing ontologies, * an effective mechanism of modeling the context of a situation, through the concept of relevant context, with the help of situation graph, efficiently handling and making best use of context information, * a context middleware - Rover-II, which serves as a framework for contextual information integration, that could be used not just to store and compile the contextual information, but also integrate relevant services to enhance the context information; and more importantly, enable sharing of context among the applications subscribed to it, * the initial design and implementation of a distributed architecture for Rover-II, following a P2P arrangement inspired from Tapestry, The above concepts are illustrated through M-Urgency, a context-aware public safety system that has been deployed at the University of Maryland Police Department

    VALUE-INSPIRED ELDERLY CARE SERVICE DESIGN FOR AGING-IN-PLACE

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    Most current projects aimed at in-home monitoring for the elderly appear to focus on demonstrating technical feasibility and ensuring safety. In doing so, they often overlook the complexity of the interactions between the elderly and the caregivers. This study explores this complexity by adopting a value-inspired design perspective. Following an action design method, we describe the (re)design of the system and service protocol for an elderly-home monitoring effort. The work requires that we leverage the capabilities (of the technological infrastructure system as well as the service providers) to reconcile the values held by the participants (the elderly and their caregivers). We report design principles developed via this effort, and show that they can enhance the outcomes in such projects

    Triage Nursing Practice in Australian Emergency Departments 2002-2004: An Ethnography

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    This ethnographic study provides insight and understanding, which is needed to educate and support the Triage Nursing role in Australian Emergency Departments (EDs). The triage role has emerged to address issues in providing efficient emergency care. However, Triage Nurses and educators have found the role challenging and not well understood. Method: Sampling was done first by developing a profile of 900 nurses who undertake the triage role in 50 NSW EDs through survey techniques. Purposive sampling was then done with data collected from participant observation in four metropolitan EDs (Level 4 and 6), observations and interviews with 10 Triage Nurses and the maintenance of a record of secondary data sources. Analysis used standard content and thematic analysis techniques. Findings: An ED culture is reflected in a standard geography of care and embedded beliefs and rituals that sustain a cadence of care. Triage Nurses to accomplish their role and maintain this rhythm of care used three processes: gatekeeping, timekeeping and decision-making. When patient overcrowding occurred the three processes enabled Triage Nurses to implement a range of practices to restore the cadence of care to which they were culturally oriented. Conclusion: The findings provide a framework that offers new ways of considering triage nursing practice, educational programs, policy development and future research

    Skill competency development strategies by a contractor

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    Construction skills are one of the vital aspects of construction work which is growing in importance due to skill gaps and skill shortages during different economic cycles. The aim of this study was to investigate competence development strategies by a traditional construction company within its own pool of skill resources and among its supply chain members. The study was carried out via literature review, empirical studies involving a focus study, analysis of documentary evidence supported by unstructured interviews and a report of skill development/supply chain conference. The study demonstrates how long-term skill development can be achieved through: (a) strategic capacity planning which allows high retention, continuous training, and balanced construction demand and contractor’s supply capacity over the long term; (b) updating and upgrading the knowledge base of the supply chain through conferences and training schemes; (c) strategic investment in the workforce through training, vocational and higher degrees; and (d) acquaintance with different sources of finance. This study will assist small traditional firms in building competencies in skill development and improvement. It will assist an international audience who may face similar issue with their construction firm

    Unravelling decision making about the future developments of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

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    The time that airports were merely infrastructural works for supporting air transportation is no more. Over the years, especially the major airports have developed from airfields into multi-modal transportation nodes and cities of their own. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is a perfect example of this. The airport has developed into an attractive pool for urban and economic development, known as an AirportCity. Airports like Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, took up their newfound position in the emerging network society and implemented new business strategies to cope with the increasing volatility of future transport volumes. The search for additional finances has lead to further commercialization of the airport and gave rise to Airport-city like concepts. However, this evolving form of airports did not find its way into Dutch national planning policy. An analysis of Dutch national spatial strategies shows an increased interest for Amsterdam Airport Schiphol as being of major importance for the national economy, but the emphasis is still mainly on the airport as an important piece of physical infrastructure. With fierce competition of cities like Barcelona and Dublin in mind, the Amsterdam region needs a strong, widely supported, development strategy to maintain and strengthen its concurrence position. A strategy that acknowledges the new airport day-to-day realities and that goes beyond the narrow definition of the airport as merely infrastructural. Such a widely accepted strategy does not exist at this moment, which causes serious problems if policies are willing to strengthen the role of Schiphol for the national economy in the future. This paper explores the newfound position of airports in the network society. It links this position to an analysis of the processes of policy making to identify reasons why there is currently no strong development strategy for Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (region). A comparison is made between the policy development process in the late 80’s and early 90’s, which did result in a widely accepted development policy for the airport, and the policy development process that currently takes place. Interviews with primary stakeholders and analyses of policy documents shed light on the success factors that made the reach of an agreement possible in the early 90’s as well as the reasons for not being able to reach such agreement today.

    Comparing Three Countries’ Higher Education Students’ Cyber Related Perceptions and Behaviours during COVID-19

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    In 2020, a global pandemic led to lockdowns, and subsequent social and business restrictions. These required overnight implementation of emergency measures to permit continued functioning of vital industries. Digital technologies and platforms made this switch feasible, but it also introduced several cyber related vulnerabilities, which students might not have known how to mitigate. For this study, the Global Cyber Security Index and the Cyber Risk literacy and education index were used to provide a cyber security context for each country. This research project—an international, cross-university, comparative, quantitative project—aimed to explore the risk attitudes and concerns, as well as protective behaviours adopted by, students at a South African, a Welsh and a Hungarian University, during the pandemic. This study’s findings align with the relative rankings of the Oliver Wyman Risk Literacy and Education Index for the countries in which the universities reside. This study revealed significant differences between the student behaviours of students within these universities. The most important differences were identified between students’ risk attitudes and concerns. It was also discovered that South African students reported having changed their protective online behaviours to the greatest extent, since the pandemic commenced. Recommendations are made suggesting that cyber security training and education, as well as improving the digital trust and confidence in digital platforms, are critical
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