Smart Camp: A Sustainable Digital Ecosystems Environment

Seamlessly integrating energy saving with the habits of daily life is an ambitious goal. It becomes even a bigger challenge in a remote area, like the Western-Australian Outback. Harsh environment, high temperatures and hard working conditions demand great exertion from humans and make one’s well-being an integral part of life. To bring both together – environmental sustainability and life quality – is a new interdisciplinary approach in the field of computer science. A “Smart Camp” is a new low rate wireless personal area network (LR-WPAN)-based solution, which provides accommodations in a remote mining site with a smart automation and information system to contribute toenvironmental sustainability and to provide amenities for its inhabitants. The Smart Camp intends to monitor and control household appliances with the aim to reduce the overall energy consumption. Additionally, multi-media components will be implemented, which aim to make the occupants life more pleasant by adding value to their habitat

Reconfigurable web service integration in the extended logistics enterprise

Transportation and warehousing logistics are activities that require strong information systems and computer support. This requirement has grown with the advent of e-commerce. Companies such as FedEx and UPS now allow their customers to track and monitor the fulfilment of their requested services on the Internet. In order for such a system to be effective, the goods need to be handled by the one corporation, with an integrated system. This is rare in the case of Small to Medium sized Enterprise (SME). With the advent of Business to Business (B2B), and Partner to Partner (P2P) e-commerce, there has been an increasing tendency for SMEs to set up consortia that represent several players in a given field in order to contend with larger competitors. This paper deals with the concept of an extended logistics enterprise and explores the software engineering issues underlying the development of such complex systems

SMART CAMP: Environmental Sustainability Through Intelligent Automation Technologies

A "Smart Camp" solution is a new approach to provide a mining community consisting of multiple households in a remote area in Western Australia with a intelligent wireless network and automated information system. This system intends to automate, control and monitor numerous household devices; supplies the tenants with multi-media services and aims to reduce energy consumption as well as improving the workers habitat. This paper theorizes the big picture with considerations on: how to set up, integrate and create a cost-effective "smart" wireless home automation network solution. It attempts to improve employee quality of life while simultaneously reducing energy consumption and the related emissions. Therefore, the latest Wireless Technologies in the field of domotics will be discussed and the importance of environmental sustainability and energy awareness will be outlined

Online interventions for problem gamblers with and without co-occurring mental health symptoms: protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND Comorbidity between problem gambling and depression or anxiety is common. Further, the treatment needs of people with co-occurring gambling and mental health symptoms may be different from those of problem gamblers who do not have a co-occurring mental health concern. The current randomized controlled trial (RCT) will evaluate whether there is a benefit to providing access to mental health Internet interventions (G + MH intervention) in addition to an Internet intervention for problem gambling (G-only intervention) in participants with gambling problems who do or do not have co-occurring mental health symptoms. METHODS Potential participants will be screened using an online survey to identify participants meeting criteria for problem gambling. As part of the baseline screening process, measures of current depression and anxiety will be assessed. Eligible participants agreeing (N = 280) to take part in the study will be randomized to one of two versions of an online intervention for gamblers – an intervention that just targets gambling issues (G-only) versus a website that contains interventions for depression and anxiety in addition to an intervention for gamblers (G + MH). It is predicted that problem gamblers who do not have co-occurring mental health symptoms will display no significant difference between intervention conditions at a six-month follow-up. However, for those with co-occurring mental health symptoms, it is predicted that participants receiving access to the G + MH website will display significantly reduced gambling outcomes at six-month follow-up as compared to those provided with G-only website. DISCUSSION The trial will produce information on the best means of providing online help to gamblers with and without co-occurring mental health symptoms.This research was funded by the Manitoba Gambling Research Program of Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries

Developing logistic software platforms: e-market place, a case study

This paper describes a framework for software development with emphasis on logistics platforms. Specifically, a case study is presented regarding the Logport program in Colombia’s Caribbean coast. The software development is based on the merging of modeling, design, and agile development techniques aimed towards software production. The agile methodologies discussed herein include Scrum, XP, and Crystal among others, and specific verification and validation aspects of CMMI 1.3 are evaluated. Furthermore, the integration of emerging technologies including elastic computing in cloud computing that allows scaled integration, security, load balancing, process speed, and high concurrency among other features are discussed. Finally, the proposed solutions cover actual and emergent needs in a B2B or B2C electronic commerce dynamic environment where suppliers and clients offer and demand transport, storage, and customs services. In this environment, their goal is to ensure there is added value to their logistics processes starting at the inputs and all the way to the outputs of the commercial business processes. Colombia’s Caribbean region is one such multimodal and multiport environment in which there is constant demand for low cost, time and storage optimization, and customs reliability for the businesspersons of this region, which serves as a Hub for the American Caribbean

Health literacy and long-term health outcomes following myocardial infarction: protocol for a multicentre, prospective cohort study (ENHEARTEN study)

Introduction: Low health literacy is common in people with cardiovascular disease and may be one factor that affects an individual’s ability to maintain secondary prevention health behaviours following myocardial infarction (MI). However, little is known about the association between health literacy and longer-term health outcomes in people with MI. The ENhancing HEAlth literacy in secondary pRevenTion of cardiac evENts (ENHEARTEN) study aims to examine the relationship between health literacy and a number of health outcomes (including healthcare costs) in a cohort of patients following their first MI. Findings may provide evidence for the significance of health literacy as a predictor of long-term cardiac outcomes. Methods and analysis: ENHEARTEN is a multicentre, prospective observational study in a convenience sample of adults (aged >18 years) with their first MI. A total of 450 patients will be recruited over 2 years across two metropolitan health services and one rural/regional health service in Victoria, Australia. The primary outcome of this study will be all-cause, unplanned hospital admissions within 6 months of index admission. Secondary outcomes include cardiac-related hospital admissions up to 24 months post-MI, emergency department presentations, health-related quality of life, mortality, cardiac rehabilitation attendance and healthcare costs. Health literacy will be observed as a predictor variable and will be determined using the 12-item version of the European Health Literacy Survey (HLS-Q12). Ethics and dissemination: Ethics approval for this study has been received from the relevant human research ethics committee (HREC) at each of the participating health services (lead site Monash Health HREC; approval number: RES-21- 0000- 242A) and Services Australia HREC (reference number: RMS1672). Informed written consent will be sought from all participants. Study results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and collated in reports for participating health services and participants. Trial registration number: ACTRN12621001224819.Alison Beauchamp, Jason Talevski, Stephen J Nicholls, Anna Wong Shee, Catherine Martin, William Van Gaal, Ernesto Oqueli, Jaithri Ananthapavan, Laveena Sharma, Adrienne O, Neil, Sharon Lee Brennan-Olsen, Rebecca Leigh Jessu

Barriers and enablers to the implementation of the 6-PACK falls prevention program: A preimplementation study in hospitals participating in a cluster randomised controlled trial

Evidence for effective falls prevention interventions in acute wards is limited. One reason for this may be suboptimal program implementation. This study aimed to identify perceived barriers and enablers of the implementation of the 6-PACK falls prevention program to inform the implementation in a randomised controlled trial. Strategies to optimise successful implementation of 6-PACK were also sought. A mixed-methods approach was applied in 24 acute wards from 6 Australian hospitals. Participants were nurses working on participating wards and senior hospital staff including Nurse Unit Managers; senior physicians; Directors of Nursing; and senior personnel involved in quality and safety or falls prevention. Information on barriers and enablers of 6-PACK implementation was obtained through surveys, focus groups and interviews. Questions reflected the COM-B framework that includes three behaviour change constructs of: capability, opportunity and motivation. Focus group and interview data were analysed thematically, and survey data descriptively. The survey response rate was 60% (420/702), and 12 focus groups (n = 96 nurses) and 24 interviews with senior staff were conducted. Capability barriers included beliefs that falls could not be prevented; and limited knowledge on falls prevention in patients with complex care needs (e.g. cognitive impairment). Capability enablers included education and training, particularly face to face case study based approaches. Lack of resources was identified as an opportunity barrier. Leadership, champions and using data to drive practice change were recognised as opportunity enablers. Motivation barriers included complacency and lack of ownership in falls prevention efforts. Motivation enablers included senior staff articulating clear goals and a commitment to falls prevention; and use of reminders, audits and feedback. The information gained from this study suggests that regular practical face-to-face education and training for nurses; provision of equipment; audit, reminders and feedback; leadership and champions; and the provision of falls data is key to successful falls prevention program implementation in acute hospitals

Jumping into the deep-end: results from a pilot impact evaluation of a community-based aquatic exercise program

This multi-center quasi-experimental pilot study aimed to evaluate changes in pain, joint stiffness, physical function, and quality of life over 12 weeks in adults with musculoskeletal conditions attending ‘Waves’ aquatic exercise classes. A total of 109 adults (mean age, 65.2 years; range, 24–93 years) with musculoskeletal conditions were recruited across 18 Australian community aquatic centers. The intervention is a peer-led, 45 min, weekly aquatic exercise class including aerobic, strength, flexibility, and balance exercises (n = 67). The study also included a control group of people not participating in Waves or other formal exercise (n = 42). Outcomes were measured using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and EuroQoL five dimensions survey (EQ-5D) at baseline and 12 weeks. Satisfaction with Waves classes was also measured at 12 weeks. Eighty two participants (43 Waves and 39 control) completed the study protocol and were included in the analysis. High levels of satisfaction with classes were reported by Waves participants. Over 90 % of participants reported Waves classes were enjoyable and would recommend classes to others. Waves participants demonstrated improvements in WOMAC and EQ-5D scores however between-group differences did not reach statistical significance. Peer-led aquatic exercise classes appear to improve pain, joint stiffness, physical function and quality of life for people with musculoskeletal conditions. The diverse study sample is likely to have limited the power to detect significant changes in outcomes. Larger studies with an adequate follow-up period are needed to confirm effects

SMART CAMP: benefits of media and smart service convergence

The Smart Camp project merges several challenges that we face. Raw materials for generating energy and producing goods are not always extracted where they are needed, namely in the sphere of man settlement. It is likely that growing numbers of workers are required to work in these remote areas. Being in such rural conditions is a complex and difficult undertaking for both, the companies and their labour force. High expenses, mainly caused by off-grid energy generation cause economical issues for the camp operators. Finding a work-life balance and dealing with the concomitant everyday problems in a remote area create human issues. Digital technologies that have evolved in recent years will be implemented using a range of convergent techniques in order to deal with both the energy costs and social challenges. This paper reports the status quo of research that has been done in this area and investigates how a combination of smart, cost effective and easy to implement wireless and media technologies can improve the livelihood of the labour while the energy consumption of the camp is reduced