Design and implementation of a cloud-based platform for unleashing the personal and communal Internet of Things

Internet of Things (IoT) concept has attracted a lot of attention in recent years and it is foreseen as one of the technologies that will leverage the Future Internet. It is seen as a major enabler of novel applications and services that will foster efficiency and will ease every day´s life. However, current IoT solutions are mainly focusing on the development of centralized solutions that do not promote the democratization of the IoT but rather concentrate the IoT around a set of cloud-based platforms which pretend to be open but limit the capacity of the people to tailor their Personal and Communal IoT. This paper describes a software platform based on available generic enablers as defined by the FIWARE initiative. It extends the existing architecture models to accommodate the requirements stemming from the vision of people-sourced IoT devices which are shared to create applications and services in smart communities where the owners of the shared devices are always empowered to control who, and in which circumstances, has access to the shared information.This work has been partially funded by the research project SOCIOTAL, under FP7-ICT-2013.1.4 (ref. 609112) of the 7th Framework Programme of the European Community. This work has been also supported by the Spanish Government (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional, FEDER) by means of the project ADVICE “Dynamic Provisioning of Connectivity in High Density 5G Wireless Scenarios” (TEC2015-71329-C2-1-R)

Values and Vision: Perspectives on Philanthropy in 21st Century China

Values and Vision: Perspectives on Philanthropy in 21st Century China is an exploratory study of philanthropic giving among China's very wealthy citizens. Recognizing the increasing number of successful entrepreneurs engaged in philanthropic activity in China, the study explores the economic and policy contexts in which this philanthropy is evolving; the philanthropic motivations, aspirations and priorities of some of the country's most engaged philanthropists; and the challenges and opportunities for increasing philanthropic engagement and impact in China

The Future of Blended Learning: My Foray onto Twitch

The dawn of the Digital Age has and will continue to change how we approach education. With the widespread availability of new tools and resources at our disposal, it is time to begin exploring these new digital frontiers through the lens of writing studies. Unlike former studies which primarily focused on incorporating text-based social media, this study incorporates Twitch and Discord into a weekly student-lead study group. This study group was developed with the intention to fill a much-needed hole in Twitch’s platform: education. After reviewing attendance and participation statistics, results suggest that if appropriately structured, Twitch and Discord are viable options to increase self-directed learning. Moreover, as Twitch is a public platform, it would cast a wider demographic net than simply those physically in the classroom. Results showed participants sharing their works, tutoring one another, and using the practices role-modelled during Study Group streams in their own communities. Limitations discovered include lack of internet access, digital illiteracy, lack of real face-to-face interaction, and insufficient incentives

Modernizing medical waste management: unleashing the power of Internet of Things (IoT)

The rapid technological advancements of modern times have brought about the need for an innovative and contemporary approach to medical waste management procedures. This arises from the inadequacy of conventional manual techniques in ensuring the safety of employees and the environment from infections. The increasing amount of waste produced each day can exacerbate the situation if no action is taken to address the current issue. This article presents a systematic review of the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) in medical waste management, utilizing the PRISMA approach. The adoption of the IoT in waste and medical waste monitoring is analyzed for its potential to enhance the overall waste monitoring procedure and contribute to achieving net-zero goals. Empirical evidence from studies conducted in the last five years has revealed the benefits of employing waste bin sensors as a digital surveillance tool for real-time waste status monitoring. While a few researchers have proposed the use of the IoT in medical waste monitoring, the application is currently limited to either monitoring storage facilities, waste transportation, or disposal processes, specifically. These limitations are discussed to understand the barriers that hinder further development. Among the selected analyzed studies are published articles and conference papers that offer solutions for addressing waste management issues and facilitating further development. This paper also aims to identify IoT technologies for monitoring waste and medical waste management. The digitalization of medical waste can ensure that the entire monitoring procedure is conducted directly and in real time. The collected data can be easily shared, and the condition of the waste can be updated periodically

The Creation of Virtual Online Small Groups To Increase Member Participation and Build Community at the Redding Seventh-day Adventist Church

Problem Many churches have struggled to continue to accomplish mission in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic while complying with the mandated restrictions. The Redding Seventh-day Adventist Church already struggled with no small group ministry prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the “stay at home” requirements for churches only increased feelings of isolation in the Redding Church members. These feelings of isolation created a hindrance to mission and resulted in a severe lack of biblical community. Method The research method employed in the design of this project was a qualitative one. It explored the question under examination by using NCD surveys to assess the eight characteristics of church health. The initiative started by having the church complete a Natural Church Development (NCD) survey to assess the eight characteristics of church health. The initial survey provided baseline NCD scores in all eight categories, and specifically in Holistic Small Groups (HSGs). I provided the Northern California Conference a list of all email addresses on file with the Redding Church office. The total number of addresses in the email list was around 80. The email list was forwarded to NCD, and each email address was sent a digital NCD survey to complete. The survey closed upon completion of the first 30 responses. The church then launched a small group ministry which started with VSGs. After nine months, a second NCD survey was conducted. This second survey measured the impact small groups had on NCD in the areas involving HSGs. Results The NCD results showed improvement in almost all areas. The most dramatic increase in the eight categories of health was in the category of HSGs. All but one specific question relating to HSGs improved dramatically, indicating that the addition of HSGs to the Redding Church did make significant improvements in the area of biblical community and to the overall health of the church and its members. Conclusion The study has revealed that in the absence of HSGs, church members often suffered a wide range of consequences because of the lack of biblical community. It is evident from this study that it would be beneficial for the church to refocus and realize that small groups are not an end in themselves, but rather, a vehicle to foster healthy biblical community. Therefore, there is a need to encourage the denomination as a whole to increase the emphasis on HSG ministries

The Fourth Industrial Revolution: Inclusiveness, Affordability, Cultural Identity, and Ethical Orientation

Discussions on the impact and future directions of technology often proceed from an empirical point of view that seems to presume that the ebb and flow of technological developments is beyond the control of humankind, so that all that humanity can do is adjust to it. However, such an approach easily neglects several crucial normative considerations that could enhance the standing of individual human beings and whole communities as rational users of technology rather than its slaves. Besides, more often than not, technological products are designed in ways that neglect the needs of persons with disabilities, thereby perpetuating their exclusion from society. Consequently, this article proposes four normative considerations to guide the initiatives of African societies in their deployment of the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, namely, inclusiveness to meet the needs of all human beings, affordability to bridge the digital divide, respect for cultural identity to guard against cultural imperialism, and an ethical orientation as the overarching guide to building a truly human society

Electrification in Peer-to-Peer Society – A New Narrative for Sustainable Futures

’Electrification in Peer-to-Peer Society – A New Narrative for Sustainable Futures’ is a time travel journey to a future when renewable energy, electrification, and a peer-to-peer ethos are intertwined. The use of fossil fuel resources is ending. An emission-free vision for 2050 is illustrated through four transformational scenarios: Radical Startups, Value-Driven Techemoths, Green Do-It-Yourself Engineers, and New Consciousness. The scenarios serve as testbeds for what kind of futures we want to live in. Futures have to be explored with a long perspective, but the decisions for preferred futures have to be made today. All major sectors in society have to be transformed to stay within the limits of the Paris climate goals. This book highlights results from the Neo-Carbon Energy project, addressing all those interested in future visions, societal changes and technological advances. It can also be used as teaching material, or as inspiration for concrete steps towards the post-fossil era and a carbonneutral circular economy – for governments, companies, and citizens