Transition technologies towards 6G networks

[EN] The sixth generation (6G) mobile systems will create new markets, services, and industries making possible a plethora of new opportunities and solutions. Commercially successful rollouts will involve scaling enabling technologies, such as cloud radio access networks, virtualization, and artificial intelligence. This paper addresses the principal technologies in the transition towards next generation mobile networks. The convergence of 6G key-performance indicators along with evaluation methodologies and use cases are also addressed. Free-space optics, Terahertz systems, photonic integrated circuits, softwarization, massive multiple-input multiple-output signaling, and multi-core fibers, are among the technologies identified and discussed. Finally, some of these technologies are showcased in an experimental demonstration of a mobile fronthaul system based on millimeter 5G NR OFDM signaling compliant with 3GPP Rel. 15. The signals are generated by a bespoke 5G baseband unit and transmitted through both a 10 km prototype multi-core fiber and 4 m wireless V-band link using a pair of directional 60 GHz antennas with 10 degrees beamwidth. Results shown that the 5G and beyond fronthaul system can successfully transmit signals with both wide bandwidth (up to 800 MHz) and fully centralized signal processing. As a result, this system can support large capacity and accommodate several simultaneous users as a key candidate for next generation mobile networks. Thus, these technologies will be needed for fully integrated, heterogeneous solutions to benefit from hardware commoditization and softwarization. They will ensure the ultimate user experience, while also anticipating the quality-of-service demands that future applications and services will put on 6G networks.This work was partially funded by the blueSPACE and 5G-PHOS 5G-PPP phase 2 projects, which have received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 programme under Grant Agreements Number 762055 and 761989. D. PerezGalacho acknowledges the funding of the Spanish Science Ministry through the Juan de la Cierva programme.Raddo, TR.; Rommel, S.; Cimoli, B.; Vagionas, C.; Pérez-Galacho, D.; Pikasis, E.; Grivas, E.... (2021). Transition technologies towards 6G networks. EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking. 2021(1):1-22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13638-021-01973-91222021

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

The Impact of Collaborative Communication on the Physical Distribution Service Quality of Soft Drinks: A Case Study of Beverage Manufacturing Companies in Greece

This research aimed to use the collaborative communication aspects of information sharing, incentive alignment, and decision synchronization to explain physical distribution service quality in the soft drink demand chain. The research was prompted by a desire to learn more about a topic that has received little attention in Greece while also contributing information about the variables that influence the performance of soft drink distribution networks. Manufacturers in Greece provided the data. The aspects of collaborative communication were significant determinants of the physical distribution service quality. Physical distribution service quality was shown to be significantly predicted by incentive alignment and information sharing, but not by decision synchronization. This research shows that collaborative communication aspects such as information sharing, decision synchronization, and incentive alignment enhance physical distribution service quality in soft drink demand chains. The research used a primary sample of 200 study participants from different drink manufacturing plants around Greece. In our research, we focused on vertical cooperation between manufacturers and distributors and its effect on physical distribution service quality. This is a relatively unexplored topic in the developing world. According to the scholars cited in the literature review, information exchange, incentive alignment, and decision synchronization improve physical distribution service quality in demand chains

The Impact of Collaborative Communication on the Physical Distribution Service Quality of Soft Drinks: A Case Study of Beverage Manufacturing Companies in Greece

This research aimed to use the collaborative communication aspects of information sharing, incentive alignment, and decision synchronization to explain physical distribution service quality in the soft drink demand chain. The research was prompted by a desire to learn more about a topic that has received little attention in Greece while also contributing information about the variables that influence the performance of soft drink distribution networks. Manufacturers in Greece provided the data. The aspects of collaborative communication were significant determinants of the physical distribution service quality. Physical distribution service quality was shown to be significantly predicted by incentive alignment and information sharing, but not by decision synchronization. This research shows that collaborative communication aspects such as information sharing, decision synchronization, and incentive alignment enhance physical distribution service quality in soft drink demand chains. The research used a primary sample of 200 study participants from different drink manufacturing plants around Greece. In our research, we focused on vertical cooperation between manufacturers and distributors and its effect on physical distribution service quality. This is a relatively unexplored topic in the developing world. According to the scholars cited in the literature review, information exchange, incentive alignment, and decision synchronization improve physical distribution service quality in demand chains

The contribution of urban and suburban green areas and the sustainable development in the town of Florina

The purpose of this thesis is to discuss the current situation and evaluate the viability of the city of Florina in relation to the urban and suburban green. The role of urban and peri-urban green spaces is highlighted in accordance with the principles of Forestry (Multipurpose and Sustainable), while exploring existing practices of managing the natural environment as well as the concepts of modern bioclimatic urban planning and wider sustainable urban development. The thesis analyzes the dynamics resulting from ecosystem services created in urban and peri-urban green spaces and the impact these services have on residents living near these sites.The thesis explores underlying theoretical concepts and addresses perceived contemporary problems by resorting to primary data (291 questionnaires). The Contingent Valuation Method (CVM), which can economically evaluate the economic value of a specific, non-measurable environmental asset, is applied to capture the opinion of users or potential users of Florina’s green spaces (both urban and suburban), the above-mentioned approach therefore aspires to furnish this study with an important social dimension. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is applied to gauge spatial synergies - relationships between ecosystem services already provided.The concepts of ecosystem services, biodiversity, green spaces and sustainability have received increased attention over the past decades in the fields of politics and in academia, and have attracted the attention of funding bodies around the world. An increased awareness of the impact of human beings on the natural environment has also resulted in the emergence of global initiatives aimed at assessing the state of the ecosystem services provided in different societies and locales. Such intensified interest in environmental matters has also occasioned the integration of the above-mentioned concepts into the targets for sustainable development promoted by the United Nations with a view to achieving said targets by 2030. Despite credible efforts, the sustainable development envisaged has virtually not been achieved at any spatial level (peripheral, national, global). Humanity has entered a new era of sustainability and sustainability challenges, as there is increasing evidence indicating that human activities have adversely affected Earth’s climate.Urban and peri-urban ecosystems are becoming increasingly important as they both pose challenges and offer possible solutions to the environmental issues that arise. Therefore, in order for satisfactory environmental regulation of the urban and peri-urban landscape to be achieved, proper management and sound decision-making should be pursued, as both become increasingly relevant to ecosystem services and human welfare. Such an approach, however, has not been well integrated into spatial planning and the decisions taken do not incorporate the concepts of ecosystem services and the natural environment more generally.Thus, in order to fill the research gap identified above, the town of Florina is used as an apt example.Σκοπός της παρούσας διατριβής είναι η ανάλυση της υφιστάμενης κατάστασης και η αξιολόγηση της βιωσιμότητας της πόλης της Φλώρινας σε σχέση με το αστικό και περιαστικό πράσινο. Αναδεικνύεται ο ρόλος των αστικών και περιαστικών χώρων πρασίνου, σύμφωνα με τις αρχές της Δασολογίας (πολλαπλών σκοπών και αειφορίας) και ερευνώνται, παράλληλα, οι υφιστάμενες πρακτικές διαχείρισης του φυσικού περιβάλλοντος, καθώς και οι αντιλήψεις του σύγχρονου βιοκλιματικού πολεοδομικού σχεδιασμού και της ευρύτερης βιώσιμης - αειφόρου αστικής ανάπτυξης. Αναλύεται η δυναμική που απορρέει από τις οικοσυστημικές υπηρεσίες που δημιουργούνται στους αστικούς και περιαστικούς χώρους πρασίνου, και η επίδραση που έχουν στους κατοίκους που διαβιούν πλησίον αυτών των χώρων. Διερευνάται, ουσιαστικά, το θεωρητικό υπόβαθρο που υφίσταται, και απαντώνται με πρωτογενή δεδομένα (291 ερωτηματολόγια) οι προβληματισμοί που απασχολούν τον σύγχρονο άνθρωπο. Εφαρμόζεται η Μέθοδος της Υποθετικής Αξιολόγησης (ΜΥΑ), η οποία μπορεί να αποτιμήσει με οικονομικούς όρους την οικονομική αξία ενός αγαθού, ειδικά μη μετρήσιμου περιβαλλοντικού, προκειμένου να αποτυπωθεί η γνώμη των χρηστών ή εν δυνάμει χρηστών των πράσινων χώρων της πόλης (αστικών και περιαστικών) και να δοθεί, έτσι, μια σεβαστή κοινωνική διάσταση στην έρευνα. Επιπλέον, εφαρμόζεται η Ανάλυση Κύριων Συνιστωσών (ΑΚΣ), προκειμένου να αναζητηθούν χωρικές συνέργειες - σχέσεις μεταξύ των παρεχόμενων οικοσυστημικών υπηρεσιών. Τις τελευταίες δεκαετίες δόθηκε αυξημένη βαρύτητα στις έννοιες των οικοσυστημικών υπηρεσιών, της βιοποικιλότητας, των πράσινων χώρων και της βιωσιμότητας, εντός της πολιτικής, του ακαδημαϊκού κόσμου αλλά και της χρηματοδότησης παγκοσμίως. Αυξημένη, όμως, είναι και η συνειδητοποίηση των επιπτώσεων του ανθρώπου στο φυσικό περιβάλλον, με αποτέλεσμα την εμφάνιση παγκόσμιων πρωτοβουλιών που αποσκοπούν στην εκτίμηση της κατάστασης των υπηρεσιών οικοσυστήματος που παρέχονται στην κοινωνία. Αυτή η έκρηξη ενδιαφέροντος συνέβαλε, επίσης, στην ενσωμάτωση των παραπάνω εννοιών στους στόχους της αειφόρου ανάπτυξης των Ηνωμένων Εθνών μέχρι το 2030. Παρά τις φιλότιμες προσπάθειες, η ποθούμενη βιώσιμη ανάπτυξη δεν έχει επιτευχθεί, σχεδόν σε κανένα επίπεδο, περιφερειακό, εθνικό, παγκόσμιο. Η ανθρωπότητα έχει εισέλθει σε μια νέα φάση προκλήσεων βιωσιμότητας και αειφορίας, καθώς αυξάνονται τα στοιχεία που καταδεικνύουν ότι οι ανθρώπινες δραστηριότητες επηρέασαν δυσμενώς το κλίμα της γης. Τα αστικά και περιαστικά οικοσυστήματα καθίστανται όλο και πιο σημαντικά, καθώς συμβάλλουν τόσο στα προβλήματα όσο και στις πιθανές λύσεις των περιβαλλοντικών ζητημάτων που εμφανίζονται. Κατά συνέπεια, για να επιτευχθεί μια ικανοποιητική περιβαλλοντική ρύθμιση του αστικού και περιαστικού τοπίου, θα πρέπει να επιδιωχθεί η ενδεδειγμένη διαχείριση και η ορθή λήψη αποφάσεων, που όλο και περισσότερο σχετίζονται με τις οικοσυστημικές υπηρεσίες και την ανθρώπινη ευημερία. Η προσέγγιση, όμως, αυτή δεν έχει ενσωματωθεί ικανοποιητικά στον χωροταξικό σχεδιασμό και οι αποφάσεις που λαμβάνονται, δεν ενσωματώνουν τις έννοιες των οικοσυστημικών υπηρεσιών και, γενικότερα, του φυσικού περιβάλλοντος.Προς αυτήν την κατεύθυνση και στο πλαίσιο έρευνας - διαχείρισης μιας απομακρυσμένης, πράσινης, ημιορεινής περιοχής με στόχο τη βιώσιμη - αειφόρο ανάπτυξη, αναλύεται και προτείνεται ως παράδειγμα η πόλη της Φλώρινας

The Impact of digitalization in supporting the performance of circular economy: A case study of Greece

Digitalization has the potential to hasten the economic transition towards a more resource-efficient as well as robust circular production system. However, there is a paucity of empirical research on the influence that digitalization has on the ability of a circular economy to function effectively. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect that digitalization has on the performance of the circular economy. The research was based on an empirical analysis of quantitative data obtained from a sample size of 200 investors and entrepreneurs in the financial sector of Kozani, Greece. Regression results showed that there is a positive relationship between digital practices and performance of a circular economy, and that digital business innovations have a positive effect on performance of a circular economy. Even while a sizeable proportion of Greek companies apply new business innovations to support the strategy of resource efficiency, it is abundantly obvious that this percentage is far higher among industrial organizations that place a heavy focus on digitalization. According to the findings of the research, there is a favorable correlation between the adoption of digital business practices and innovations and the success of circular economies. This demonstrates very clearly that digitalization has the potential to function as a driving force behind the development of circular business models

Willingness to Pay for Urban and Suburban Green

Peri-urban and urban green are considered among the basic priorities of the local government’s regional policy agenda, in line with the principles of spatial planning. This agenda is promoted at both the national and European levels through a variety of technical and institutional measures. Green spaces in urban and suburban areas are directly linked to the quality of life of urban residents and their environment. In this context, the purpose of this study is to investigate and identify the characteristics and factors that influence the residents of a small Greek city in terms of the value they attach to urban and suburban green spaces. These factors are identified through the residents’ willingness to pay (WTP) using the contingent valuation method (CVM). In general, the analysis aims to document the value of environmental economic methods as a tool in the management of natural heritage. According to the research, income and knowledge of environmental issues (global and local) as well as the benefits of green spaces (urban and suburban) are the key factors that drive residents to place a higher value on them. Future work may explore whether or how the COVID-19 pandemic affected city residents’ willingness to pay for green spaces

Urbanization and Land Use Planning for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A Case Study of Greece

Sustainable development has attracted the attention of social-economic, spatial well-being, and cultural continuity advocates across the world. However, the processes involved in land use as well as urban development have continued to affect the attainment of sustainable development. This study assessed the effects of urbanization and land use planning on achieving sustainable development goals. The data were collected using a survey questionnaire from 384 different government leaders in Greece. The study showed that the indicators of urbanization quality have a positive effect on sustainable development goals. It was revealed that there is a significant relationship between integrated land use strategies and sustainable development goals. The study showed that indicators of urbanization quality are very key to achieving different SDGs. This indicates that sustainable urbanization entails more than just converting agricultural land and forests without making any changes to them into cities, and it is equally one of the answers to the problem of the world’s population growth if it is done with vision and dedication. The study clearly shows that integrated land use strategies are important in achieving the SDGs. In this case, land use planning is mostly a local effort, though some nations employ guiding land use plans created at the regional or inter-municipal level. Furthermore, urbanization opportunities and land-use plans have a great influence on the achievement of sustainable development goals. Notably, the goal of sustainable urban development is to make urban areas “sustainable” as well as to build or reinforce the city’s sustainability-related economic, social, cultural, and environmental aspects. It then goes on to discover how to spread that idea and why it is important to be focused, using various definitions. The fundamental idea of sustainable urban development is then realized by reviewing the ideas and principles of sustainable development. Finally, some general recommendations are made regarding urban planning, sustainable urban development, and the significance of establishing the necessary conditions for its realization. Urban sustainability and proper use of land require structural changes as well as significant, fundamental shifts at all societal levels