Future challenges and recommendations

Rapid advances in information technology and telecommunications, and in particular mobile and wireless communications, converge towards the emergence of a new type of “infostructure” that has the potential of supporting a large spectrum of advanced services for healthcare and health. Currently the ICT community produces a great effort to drill down from the vision and the promises of wireless and mobile technologies and provide practical application solutions. Research and development include data gathering and omni-directional transfer of vital information, integration of human machine interface technology into handheld devices and personal applications, security and interoperability of date and integration with hospital legacy systems and electronic patient record. The ongoing evolution of wireless technology and mobile device capabilities is changing the way healthcare providers interact with information technologies. The growth and acceptance of mobile information technology at the point of care, coupled with the promise and convenience of data on demand, creates opportunities for enhanced patient care and safety. The developments presented in this section demonstrate clearly the innovation aspects and trends towards user oriented applications

Integrated Resource Monitoring and Assessment: An Australian Perspective of Current Trends and Future Needs

Trends influencing inventory practice include increasing labour costs, new technology and competing demands for land use. These trends challenge land managers to devise efficient mold-purpose inventories which yield durable data to assist land management rather than just timber management. For maximum utility, inventory design should allow integration of data collected in different places, at different times, by different agencies, or for different reasons. Three things are essential for reliable integration of data: standardization, accuracy and locational information (geocodes). Clear objectives and sufficient resources (funds and staff) are also a prerequisite. Managers should try to anticipate future information requirements, and plan to meet them. Multi-resource inventories cannot be set up overnight. It is natural that ideas and procedures evolve and mature. One should start with the possible, but plan for the future

Managing ubiquitous eco cities: the role of urban telecommunication infrastructure networks and convergence technologies

A successful urban management system for a Ubiquitous Eco City requires an integrated approach. This integration includes bringing together economic, socio-cultural and urban development with a well orchestrated, transparent and open decision making mechanism and necessary infrastructure and technologies. Rapidly developing information and telecommunication technologies and their platforms in the late 20th Century improves urban management and enhances the quality of life and place. Telecommunication technologies provide an important base for monitoring and managing activities over wired, wireless or fibre-optic networks. Particularly technology convergence creates new ways in which the information and telecommunication technologies are used. The 21st Century is an era where information has converged, in which people are able to access a variety of services, including internet and location based services, through multi-functional devices such as mobile phones and provides opportunities in the management of Ubiquitous Eco Cities. This paper discusses the recent developments in telecommunication networks and trends in convergence technologies and their implications on the management of Ubiquitous Eco Cities and how this technological shift is likely to be beneficial in improving the quality of life and place. The paper also introduces recent approaches on urban management systems, such as intelligent urban management systems, that are suitable for Ubiquitous Eco Cities

Role of Media and ICT in Empowering Kenyan Rural Communities with Information in Development

Information is the key to democracy. Information technology measures social integration, participation and performance valuables in any development. Emerging digital techniques, new network alternatives including intelligent networks, high bandwidth communication technology and state-of-the-art software for network functions and services, are the new technology trends evident in the development of electronic communication systems. Yet most of world's population remains untouched by this revolution. The paper discusses the need to focus on Kenyan rural communities to empower them to access information, knowledge and poverty alleviation among them by deploying the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Analyses the factors preventing rural communities from reaping the benefits of ICT s, Kenyan initiatives to overcome the factors, ways and means of poverty alleviation and sustainable development; identifies the bottlenecks and solutions, and lessons learned. The paper will analyze the integration of media and technology in pushing development agenda. Perhaps the inclination of ICT and media as an information resource will bring enormous and diversification in developmental models. Keywords: ICT, MEDIA, DEVELOPMENT, RURAL AND KENYA

Preaching Conversion: The Organic Conversion Information Scheme in Wales, 1996-2001

Organic farming shares many characteristics with other new social movements that emerged in the late twentieth century concerned with environmental conservation and animal rights. In common with these, organic farming has to confront the issues of incorporation and integration that arise when seeking mainstream political support. In the UK, the Organic Conversion Information Scheme (OCIS) and the Organic Farming Scheme are examples of the incorporation and integration of the organic farming movement into government policy. Delivery of the first phase of the Organic Conversion Information Scheme in Wales between 1996 and 2001, involved the setting up and development of a database of all farmers in Wales who requested advice and information under the scheme. This paper, after a brief history and background, presents an analysis of OCIS in Wales using information from the database and other sources to examine trends in conversion to organic farming among the Welsh farming community. It concludes with a consideration of the implications of the scheme for the wider social movemen

State-of-the-art in control engineering

AbstractThe paper deals with new trends in research, development and applications of advanced control methods and structures based on the principles of optimality, robustness and intelligence. Present trends in the complex process control design demand an increasing degree of integration of numerical mathematics, control engineering methods, new control structures based of distribution, embedded network control structure and new information and communication technologies. Furthermore, increasing problems with interactions, process non-linearities, operating constraints, time delays, uncertainties, and significant dead-times consequently lead to the necessity to develop more sophisticated control strategies. Advanced control methods and new distributed embedded control structures represent the most effective tools for realizing high performance of many technological processes. Main ideas covered in this paper are motivated namely by the development of new advanced control engineering methods (predictive, hybrid predictive, optimal, adaptive, robust, fuzzy logic, and neural network) and new possibilities of their SW and HW realizations and successful implementation in industry

Globalization, Worker Insecurity, and Policy Approaches

[Excerpt] Today’s global economy, or what many call globalization, has a growing impact on the economic futures of American companies, workers, and families. Increasing integration with the world economy makes the U.S. and other economies more productive. For most Americans, this has translated into absolute increases in living standards and real disposable incomes. However, while the U.S. economy as a whole benefits from globalization, it is not always a win-win situation for all Americans. Rising trade with low-wage developing countries not only increases concerns of job loss, but it also leads U.S. workers to fear that employers will lower their wages and benefits in order to compete. Globalization facilitated by the information technology revolution expands international trade in a wider range of services, but also subjects an increasing number of U.S. white collar jobs to outsourcing and international competition. Also, globalization may benefit some groups more than others, leading some to wonder whether the global economy is structured to help the few or the many. The current wave of globalization is supported by three broad trends. The first is technology, which has sharply reduced the cost of communication and transportation that previously divided markets. The second is a dramatic increase in the world supply of labor engaged in international trade. The third is government policies that have reduced barriers to trade and investment. Whether these trends are creating new vulnerabilities for workers is the subject of increasing research and debate

MOCURIS - Modern Curriculum in Information Systems at Master Level

A lot of curricula in information systems, also at master level, exists today. However, the strong need in new approaches and new curricula still exists, especially, in European area. The paper discusses the modern curriculum in information systems at master level that is currently under development in the Socrates/Erasmus project MOCURIS. The curriculum is oriented to the students of engineering schools of technical universities. The proposed approach takes into account integration trends in European area as well as the transformation of industrial economics into knowledge-based digital economics The paper presents main characteristics of the proposed curriculum, discuses curriculum development techniques used in the project MOCURIS, describes the architecture of the proposed curriculum and the body of knowledge provided by it

Coordination of Supply Webs Based on Dispositive Protocols

A lot of curricula in information systems, also at master level, exists today. However, the strong need in new approaches and new curricula still exists, especially, in European area. The paper discusses the modern curriculum in information systems at master level that is currently under development in the Socrates/Erasmus project MOCURIS. The curriculum is oriented to the students of engineering schools of technical universities. The proposed approach takes into account integration trends in European area as well as the transformation of industrial economics into knowledge-based digital economics The paper presents main characteristics of the proposed curriculum, discuses curriculum development techniques used in the project MOCURIS, describes the architecture of the proposed curriculum and the body of knowledge provided by it

Material Distribution and Transportation in a Norwegian Hospital:A Case Study

Automated Guided Vehicles have shown significant importance in material transportation and distribution in today’s hospitals. The increasing trends of shorter hospital stays and increase of treatments and surgeries in clinics, present new challenges for the supply of goods. The rise in patients in hospitals, and consequently the increase of treatments and surgeries, cause a growth of material usage and goods movement. This study used the Control Model methodology to analyze the material and information flow within the case hospital. Information sharing and integration is still a major issue in the case hospital. The study aims to stimulate further research in material handling and distribution in hospitals