Humancentric Applications of Precise Location Based Services

Mobile technologies, which allow users to move around while maintaining the ability to access a network and its services, now claim a significant degree of attention in both industry and academia. In this vision, one particular attribute gains critical importance: location. The ability to pinpoint a mobile user’s location creates a new class of applications and services. These location based services (LBS) exploit the known location of a user to provide services dependent on their geographic context and personalised needs. However, as newer positioning technologies are introduced into the market with a greater level of location accuracy, and existing technologies are integrated to overcome limitations, issues pertaining to the use and potential misuse of location information rise to the fore. In addition to this, perhaps because LBS are so new, there has been limited investigation into exactly what effects the widespread use of these technologies may have. This thesis aims to rectify a gap in current knowledge by presenting a plausible scenario that describes how humancentric applications of LBS could change the world of tomorrow, based on the current state of development. It also makes several original contributions in an analysis of legal, ethical, social and technological issues that arise from the scenario

Control, trust, privacy, and security: evaluating location-based services

Location-based services (LBS) are those applications that utilize the position of an end-user, animal, or thing based on a given device (handheld, wearable, or implanted), for a particular purpose. This article uses scenario planning to identify the possible risks related to location-based services in the context of security and privacy. The original contribution of this article is that the dilemma has been related specifically to LBS, under the privacy-security dichotomy. Here, each side of the dichotomy is divided into three key components that combine to greatly magnify risk. Removing one or more components for each set decreases the privacy or security risk. Where more elements are present in conjunction, the risk is increased

"Characteristics of initial biofilm formation on selected types of plastic material in the sea"

U ovom radu istraţivan je početni obraštaj na četiri vrste plastičnih vrećica: polivinil klorid (PVC), polietilen visoke gustoće (HDPE), polietilen niske gustoće (LDPE) i dvije vrste biorazgradivih vrećica, jedna koja sadrţi EPI aditiv (Earth Rated®) dok je druga na bazi škroba (Profissimo kompostabilna). Eksperiment je proveden tijekom ljetne i zimske sezone. Vrijeme potrebno da plastika počne tonuti je 11 dana u ljetnoj sezoni i 13 dana u zimskoj sezoni. Na pet različitih vrsta plastike je utvrĎena prisutnost 38 svojti praţivotinja (od kojih 36 svojti dijatomeja, jedna vrsta cilijata i jedna vrsta dinoflagelata). Razlika u broju svojta i biovoluemenu izmeĎu sezona je zanemariva, međutim razlika u prosječnoj gustoći stanica po sezoni je 15 puta veća ljeti (20509 stanica/cm2) nego zimi (1342 stanica/cm2). Najbrojnije svojte su male dijatomeje reda Pennales. UtvrĎena je statistički značajna razlika izmeĎu materijala PELD i ostalih vrsta plastičnih materijala po morfologiji i biovolumenu svojti.The initial biofilm formation on four types of plastic was investigated. The plastic bags used in this experimentwere made from: polyvinyl chloride (PVC), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and two biodegradable types, one containing an EPI additive (Earth Rated) and the other was starch based (Profissimo compostable). The experiment was carried outduring two seasons (summer and winter). The plastic started sinking after 11 days in the summer season and 13 days in the winter.On five different types of plastic 38 taxa of protozoa were identified (36 diatom taxa, one taxa of ciliate and one of dinoflagellate). The difference in the number of taxa and biovolumen per season is negligible. However, the difference in total abundance per season was significant, in the summer (20509 cells/cm2) was 15 times higher than in winter (1342 cells/cm2). The most abundant species were small diatoms from Pennales order. A statistically significant difference was found between PELD and other plastic materials regarding the morphology and biovolume of the taxa

Diet of the common pandora, Pagellus erythrinus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Sparidae), in the northern Adriatic sea

U ovom radu istraživan je sastav i intenzitet ishrane arbuna, Pagellus erythrinus na području sjevernog Jadrana, ukupno, prema sezonama i veličini ribe. Sadržaj probavnog trakta analiziran je na 360 jedinki, ukupne dužine (TL) od 119 do 207 mm, uzorkovanih metodom ribolova štapom iz usidrene brodice od svibnja 2013. do svibnja 2014. Odnos spolova, mužjaka prema ženkama bio je 1:3,9. Glavne svojte plijena bile su školjkaši, mnogočetinaši i razne svojte rakova. Porast intenziteta hranjenja u veljači može biti povezan s intenzivnom ishranom prije mrijesta, dok tokom i poslije mrijesta intenzitet hranjenja opada. Intenzitet hranjenja je veći u manjim primjercima, a manji kod većih primjeraka. Može se zaključiti da je arbun mesojed i neselektivni prebirač. Somatski indeks kondicije opada ljeti zbog ubrzanog metabolizma. Dužinsko-maseni odnos ukazuje na blago pozitivno alometrijski rast (b=3,067).The diet composition and feeding intensity of Common pandora, Pagellus erythrinus, from the Northern Adriatic Sea was studied, including seasonal and ontogenetic shifts. The gut contents was analyzed on 360 fish with total length (TL) ranging from 119 to 207 mm. The samples were collected by recreational boat fishing from May 2013 to May 2014. The sex ratio of males to females was 1:3.9. The main food items were bivalves, polychaetes and different Crustaean taxa. The feeding intensity could be related with spawning, being intensive before it (Febraury), and decreasing during and after spawning. The feeding intensity is larger in smaller specimens, decreasing in large specimens. The species is carnivore and non-selective picker. The somatic condition factor decreases during summer due to increase rate of metabolism. Length-weight relationship show weakly positive alometric growth (b=3.067)

"Characteristics of initial biofilm formation on selected types of plastic material in the sea"

U ovom radu istraţivan je početni obraštaj na četiri vrste plastičnih vrećica: polivinil klorid (PVC), polietilen visoke gustoće (HDPE), polietilen niske gustoće (LDPE) i dvije vrste biorazgradivih vrećica, jedna koja sadrţi EPI aditiv (Earth Rated®) dok je druga na bazi škroba (Profissimo kompostabilna). Eksperiment je proveden tijekom ljetne i zimske sezone. Vrijeme potrebno da plastika počne tonuti je 11 dana u ljetnoj sezoni i 13 dana u zimskoj sezoni. Na pet različitih vrsta plastike je utvrĎena prisutnost 38 svojti praţivotinja (od kojih 36 svojti dijatomeja, jedna vrsta cilijata i jedna vrsta dinoflagelata). Razlika u broju svojta i biovoluemenu izmeĎu sezona je zanemariva, međutim razlika u prosječnoj gustoći stanica po sezoni je 15 puta veća ljeti (20509 stanica/cm2) nego zimi (1342 stanica/cm2). Najbrojnije svojte su male dijatomeje reda Pennales. UtvrĎena je statistički značajna razlika izmeĎu materijala PELD i ostalih vrsta plastičnih materijala po morfologiji i biovolumenu svojti.The initial biofilm formation on four types of plastic was investigated. The plastic bags used in this experimentwere made from: polyvinyl chloride (PVC), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and two biodegradable types, one containing an EPI additive (Earth Rated) and the other was starch based (Profissimo compostable). The experiment was carried outduring two seasons (summer and winter). The plastic started sinking after 11 days in the summer season and 13 days in the winter.On five different types of plastic 38 taxa of protozoa were identified (36 diatom taxa, one taxa of ciliate and one of dinoflagellate). The difference in the number of taxa and biovolumen per season is negligible. However, the difference in total abundance per season was significant, in the summer (20509 cells/cm2) was 15 times higher than in winter (1342 cells/cm2). The most abundant species were small diatoms from Pennales order. A statistically significant difference was found between PELD and other plastic materials regarding the morphology and biovolume of the taxa

Diet of the common pandora, Pagellus erythrinus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Sparidae), in the northern Adriatic sea

U ovom radu istraživan je sastav i intenzitet ishrane arbuna, Pagellus erythrinus na području sjevernog Jadrana, ukupno, prema sezonama i veličini ribe. Sadržaj probavnog trakta analiziran je na 360 jedinki, ukupne dužine (TL) od 119 do 207 mm, uzorkovanih metodom ribolova štapom iz usidrene brodice od svibnja 2013. do svibnja 2014. Odnos spolova, mužjaka prema ženkama bio je 1:3,9. Glavne svojte plijena bile su školjkaši, mnogočetinaši i razne svojte rakova. Porast intenziteta hranjenja u veljači može biti povezan s intenzivnom ishranom prije mrijesta, dok tokom i poslije mrijesta intenzitet hranjenja opada. Intenzitet hranjenja je veći u manjim primjercima, a manji kod većih primjeraka. Može se zaključiti da je arbun mesojed i neselektivni prebirač. Somatski indeks kondicije opada ljeti zbog ubrzanog metabolizma. Dužinsko-maseni odnos ukazuje na blago pozitivno alometrijski rast (b=3,067).The diet composition and feeding intensity of Common pandora, Pagellus erythrinus, from the Northern Adriatic Sea was studied, including seasonal and ontogenetic shifts. The gut contents was analyzed on 360 fish with total length (TL) ranging from 119 to 207 mm. The samples were collected by recreational boat fishing from May 2013 to May 2014. The sex ratio of males to females was 1:3.9. The main food items were bivalves, polychaetes and different Crustaean taxa. The feeding intensity could be related with spawning, being intensive before it (Febraury), and decreasing during and after spawning. The feeding intensity is larger in smaller specimens, decreasing in large specimens. The species is carnivore and non-selective picker. The somatic condition factor decreases during summer due to increase rate of metabolism. Length-weight relationship show weakly positive alometric growth (b=3.067)

Association of waterpipe smoking and road traffic crashes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The purpose of this research was to examine whether waterpipe smokers experience increased risk of motor vehicle crashes.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In a telephone survey, a random sample of Iranian drivers were asked to report their age, gender, vehicle age, whether their vehicles were equipped with anti-lock braking system (ABS), average daily drive time (DDT), whether they smoked cigarette or waterpipe, whether they had diabetes mellitus (DM), number of traffic crashes during the last calendar year and whether the crash involved a pedestrian or another vehicle.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 2070 motor vehicle owners with the mean age of 41.6 ± 11.45 were interviewed. The annual incidence of Road Traffic Crashes (RTC) was 14.9%; 14.0% involved a collision/s with other vehicles and 0.9% with pedestrians. There was an association between the RTC and male gender, DDT, being a cigarette smoker, being a waterpipe smoker and DM in univariable analysis. The association between RTC and being a waterpipe smoker and also cigarette smoker was significant in multivariable analysis after adjustment for DDT.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Being waterpipe and/or cigarette smoker and DDT were the independent predictors of the number of traffic crashes in Poisson regression model. If the increased risk of RTC among waterpipe or cigarette smokers is seen in other studies, it would be beneficial to promote tobacco cessation and control strategies through injury prevention initiatives.</p

The prevalence of waterpipe tobacco smoking among the general and specific populations: a systematic review

Abstract Background The objective of this study was to systematically review the medical literature for the prevalence of waterpipe tobacco use among the general and specific populations. Methods We electronically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the ISI the Web of Science. We selected studies using a two-stage duplicate and independent screening process. We included cohort studies and cross sectional studies assessing the prevalence of use of waterpipe in either the general population or a specific population of interest. Two reviewers used a standardized and pilot tested form to collect data from each eligible study using a duplicate and independent screening process. We stratified the data analysis by country and by age group. The study was not restricted to a specific context. Results Of a total of 38 studies, only 4 were national surveys; the rest assessed specific populations. The highest prevalence of current waterpipe smoking was among school students across countries: the United States, especially among Arab Americans (12%-15%) the Arabic Gulf region (9%-16%), Estonia (21%), and Lebanon (25%). Similarly, the prevalence of current waterpipe smoking among university students was high in the Arabic Gulf region (6%), the United Kingdom (8%), the United States (10%), Syria (15%), Lebanon (28%), and Pakistan (33%). The prevalence of current waterpipe smoking among adults was the following: Pakistan (6%), Arabic Gulf region (4%-12%), Australia (11% in Arab speaking adults), Syria (9%-12%), and Lebanon (15%). Group waterpipe smoking was high in Lebanon (5%), and Egypt (11%-15%). In Lebanon, 5%-6% pregnant women reported smoking waterpipe during pregnancy. The studies were all cross-sectional and varied by how they reported waterpipe smoking. Conclusion While very few national surveys have been conducted, the prevalence of waterpipe smoking appears to be alarmingly high among school students and university students in Middle Eastern countries and among groups of Middle Eastern descent in Western countries

Using scenario planning in the evaluation of information security applications

This paper provides a broad overview of the scenario approach as it relates to the evaluation of location based services (LBS) technologies and their appl ication. A scenario is a plausible vision of the future, based around a particular technology or application and developed via a scenario planning methodology. The main worth of the scenario planning approach is that it allows an application to be evaluated in terms of potential social impacts as well as technical merit and commercial viability. A sample scenario is presented within the paper to illustrate how the scenario planning methodology can be used. This scenario is analysed via deconstruction to draw out major issues presented regarding the use of LBS. The major contribution of this paper is a demonstration of the merits of scenarios in evaluating new technologies

The Importance of Scenarios in Evaluating the Socio-ethical Implications of Location-based Services

Location-based services (LBS) are those applications that utilize the position of an end-user, animal or thing based on a given device (handheld, wearable, interwoven into fabric or implanted), executed for a particular purpose. LBS applications range from those that are mission-critical to those that are used for convenience, from those that are mandatory to those that are voluntary, from those that are targeted at the mass market to those that cater for the needs of a niche market. Location services can be implemented using a variety of access mediums including global positioning systems and radio-frequency identification, rendering approximate or precise position details. The introduction of location-based services, which are growing in sophistication and complexity, has brought with it a great deal of uncertainty. Unaddressed topics include: who is accountable for the accuracy and availability of location information, prioritization for location frequency reporting, the user’s freedom to opt-in and opt-out of services, caregiver and guardian rights and responsibilities, the transparency of transactions, the duration of location information storage. Some of these controversies are the focus of court cases across the United States, usually between service providers and disgruntled end-users or law enforcement agencies and suspected criminals. While we can wait for the courts to set precedence and then take legislative action to learn about how we should act and what we should accept as morally right or wrong, this is only a small part in considering the emerging ethics of an innovation such as location-based services. Laws, similar to global technical standards take a long time to enact. A more holistic approach is required to analyze technology and social implications. This paper uses scenarios in the form of short stories to summarize and draw out, the likely issues that will arise from widespread adoption of LBS. It is a plausible future scenario, grounded in the realism of today’s technological capabilities