Impact of media-related SIFs on QoE for H.265/HEVC video streaming

Long term evolution (LTE) is the fastest-deployed mobile broadband technology driven by demand for improved user experience. It has distinguished itself compared to other mobile broadband technologies in its ability to handle the growth of video traffic that has become an important part of user’s mobile broadband experience. Growing trend of video consumption implies that that media-related system influence factors (SIFs) should be identified and well-understood in order to determine how they affect the user’s quality of experience (QoE). Therefore, this paper aims to provide a deeper understanding of media-related SIFs and their impact on QoE for video streaming. Experimental study has included two phases, i.e., H.265/ high efficiency video coding (HEVC) coded video streaming emulation over LTE network and end-user survey for collecting mean opinion score (MOS). Results obtained from statistical analysis imply that there exists strong and statistically significant impact of individual media-related SIFs and their interaction on QoE for video streaming

Simulation-based optimization of signaling procedures in IP multimedia subsystem

This paper presents a simulation-based optimization of signaling procedures in Internet protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). The aim is to improve the performance of signaling procedures by applying an algorithm for Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message classification and prioritization that is proposed in our previous work. This three-priority level classification of SIP messages is implemented in Network Simulator version 2 (ns-2). Its effectiveness is verified through the simulation-based study of SIP signaling procedures under different conditions. The simulation results are analyzed in terms of Registration Request Delay (RRD), Session Request Delay (SRD), and Session Disconnect Delay (SDD). These SIP performance metrics are improved if IMS is configured to process SIP messages using the proposed algorithm. Differentiated handling of SIP messages reduces the overload in IMS and thereby improves the overall Quality of Service (QoS). This encourages our next step in research activity, i.e., implementation and incorporation of SIP message classification and prioritization algorithm into experimental environment

Smart furniture as a component of a smart city-definition based on key technologies specification

There are dozens of definitions of smart furniture with meanings that vary greatly. Thus, the aim of this paper is to provide an exact definition of the phrase ``smart furniture'' based on literature and patent analysis. Why a definition? Because by providing a good definition, we have a statement that captures the meaning, the use, the function, and the essence of a term or a concept and allows the impacts on stakeholders to be described. A literature search was undertaken between 20 July 2018 and 31 August 2018, and the databases searched included SCOPUS, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore (1998 2017), which were searched by keywords that included the phrase ``smart furniture.'' Patent searching was performed in the ESPACENET database, where 226 articles from scientific databases and 737 patent applications were examined. After the application of strict criteria, we obtained 23 articles and six patents containing meaningful definitions of smart furniture. Based on the results, smart furniture should be defined as designed, networked furniture that is equipped with an intelligent system or is controller operated with the user's data and energy sources. Smart furniture needs to have the ability to communicate and anticipate a user's needs using a plurality of sensors and actuators inside the user's environment, resulting in user-adapted furniture. The research results and discussion presented in this paper are based on the recognition that the smart furniture research has great policymaking, technological, and economy potential while contributing to the user's wellbeing and Quality of Life (QoL). This paper indicates that the collaboration between the ICT and social-economic research has to be initiated and consolidated in a sustainable way or in an environment that satisfies the needs expressed by the user.This work supported in part by the LTC INTER COST, Evaluation of the Potential for Reducing Health and Social Expenses for Elderly People Using the Smart Environment, through the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Czech Republic, under Project LTC18035, in part by the Spanish Ministry of Science and University under Project TIN2016-75850-R, in part by the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) under Research University Grant Vot-20H04, in part by the Malaysia Research University Network (MRUN) under Grant Vot 4L876, and in part by the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) through the Ministry of Education Malaysia under Grant Vot 5F073

Aging at work: A review of recent trends and future direction

Demographic data suggest a rapid aging trend in the active workforce. The concept of aging at work comes from the urgent requirement to help the aging workforce of the contemporary industries to maintain productivity while achieving a work and private life balance. While there is plenty of research focusing on the aging population, current research activities on policies covering the concept of aging at work are limited and conceptually different. This paper aims to review publications on aging at work, which could lead to the creation of a framework that targets governmental decision-makers, the non-governmental sector, the private sector, and all of those who are responsible for the formulation of policies on aging at work. In August 2019 we searched for peer-reviewed articles in English that were indexed in PubMed, IEEE Xplore, and Springer and published between 2008 and 2019. The keywords included the following phrases: “successful aging at work”, “active aging at work”, “healthy aging at work”, “productive aging at work”, and “older adults at work”. A total of 47,330 publications were found through database searching, and 25,187 publications were screened. Afterwards, 7756 screened publications were excluded from the further analysis, and a total of 17,431 article abstracts were evaluated for inclusion. Finally, further qualitative analysis included 1375 articles, of which about 24 are discussed in this article. The most prominent works suggest policies that encourage life-long learning, and a workforce that comprises both younger and older workers, as well as gradual retirement.V.T., E.Z., I.C. and P.L. acknowledge the support of Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, North Macedonia. In addition, this manuscript is funded by FCT/MEC through portuguese national funds and when applicable co-funded by FEDER—PT2020 partnership agreement under the project UIDB/EEA/50008/2020 (Este trabalho é financiado pela FCT/MEC através de fundos nacionais e quando aplicável cofinanciado pelo FEDER, no âmbito do Acordo de Parceria PT2020 no âmbito do projeto UIDB/EEA/50008/2020). This manuscript is based upon work from COST Action IC1303-AAPELE-Architectures, Algorithms, and Protocols for Enhanced Living Environments and COST Action CA16226-SHELD-ON-Indoor living space improvement: Smart Habitat for the Elderly, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). COST is a funding agency for research and innovation networks. Our actions help connect research initiatives across Europe and enable scientists to grow their ideas by sharing them with their peers. This boosts their research, career and innovation. More information in www.cost.eu. Based on CA16226 project, LTC18035 INTER COST was proposed for national funding support of COST ACTION Framework by MEYS, Czech Republic. This work was also supported in part by the project (2020/2206), Grant Agency of Excellence, University of Hradec Kralove, Faculty of Informatics and Management, Czech Republic

Consequences of chronic diseases and other limitations associated with old age - A scoping review

Funding Information: This work supported in part by the LTC INTER COST, Evaluation of the Potential for Reducing Health and Social Expenses for Elderly People Using the Smart Environment, through the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Czech Republic, under Project LTC18035; and in part by the project of Excellence, University of Hradec Kralove, FIM, Czech Republic (ID: 2205–2019). First author – Petra Maresova is principle investigator of LTC18035 INTER COST project, from which Petra Maresova, Ondrej Krejcar and Kamil Kuca are funded for all expenses including personal costs. Ehsan Javanmardi is funded from project of Excellence ID: 2205–2019 for personal costs. Sabina Barakovic, Jasmina Barakovic Husic and Signe Tomsone are members of COST ACTION 16226 of which also Petra Maresova and Ondrej Krejcar are paticipants, while this article also ACKnowledge this project CA16226. Funding Information: The authors would like to hereby acknowledge COST Action CA16226 for their networking support. The Indoor Living Space Improvement: Smart Habitat for the Elderly played a role of networking platform for knowledge sharing and interchanging ideas for joint research and publication, what was the base for creating this study. Based on CA16226 project LTC18035 INTER COST was proposed for national funding support of COST ACTION Framework. COST is a funding agency that helps innovation and research networks. Our Action was instrumental in connecting research programmes throughout the EU region. Their contribution has made it possible for scientists to connect with each other and share their ideas and findings. This allows for more research and better innovation. More information can be found at www.cost.eu. The authors would also like to acknowledge the Excellence 2019 internal research project, Faculty of Informatics and Management, University of Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. Publisher Copyright: © 2019 The Author(s).Background: The phenomenon of the increasing number of ageing people in the world is arguably the most significant economic, health and social challenge that we face today. Additionally, one of the major epidemiologic trends of current times is the increase in chronic and degenerative diseases. This paper tries to deliver a more up to date overview of chronic diseases and other limitations associated with old age and provide a more detailed outlook on the research that has gone into this field. Methods: First, challenges for seniors, including chronic diseases and other limitations associated with old age, are specified. Second, a review of seniors' needs and concerns is performed. Finally, solutions that can improve seniors' quality of life are discussed. Publications obtained from the following databases are used in this scoping review: Web of Science, PubMed, and Science Direct. Four independent reviewers screened the identified records and selected relevant publications published from 2010 to 2017. A total of 1916 publications were selected. In all, 52 papers were selected based on abstract content. For further processing, 21 full papers were screened." Results: The results indicate disabilities as a major problem associated with seniors' activities of daily living dependence. We founded seven categories of different conditions - psychological problems, difficulties in mobility, poor cognitive function, falls and incidents, wounds and injuries, undernutrition, and communication problems. In order to minimize ageing consequences, some areas require more attention, such as education and training; technological tools; government support and welfare systems; early diagnosis of undernutrition, cognitive impairment, and other diseases; communication solutions; mobility solutions; and social contributions. Conclusions: This scoping review supports the view on chronic diseases in old age as a complex issue. To prevent the consequences of chronic diseases and other limitations associated with old age related problems demands multicomponent interventions. Early recognition of problems leading to disability and activities of daily living (ADL) dependence should be one of essential components of such interventions.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Innovation and socio-economic development of smart furnitures by patent applications analysis

Smart Home and Smart City are nowadays frequently used terms which most of the smartphone users and modern urban residents are familiar with. Both these terms cover many of other subterms like Smart Energy, Smart Street, Smart Economy, etc., where one of the most closer for people is furnitures - in a digital world in the form of Smart Furnitures. The goal of this paper is to provide an analysis of innovation and socio-economic development in the area of these Smart Furnitures by the use of patent application analysis and an economic evaluation based on the valuable research in the field. We analyzed 100 patents from Espacenet database, showed the trend in the field including most valuable companies in the area and also the value of patents confirming the investment potential of the field

Quality of Life Framework for Personalised Ageing: A Systematic Review of ICT Solutions

Given the growing number of older people, society as a whole should ideally provide a higher quality of life (QoL) for its ageing citizens through the concept of personalised ageing. Information and communication technologies (ICT) are subject to constant and rapid development, and can contribute to the goal of an improved QoL for older adults. In order to utilise future ICT solutions as a part of an age-friendly smart environment that helps achieve personalised ageing with an increased QoL, one must first determine whether the existing ICT solutions are satisfying the needs of older people. In order to accomplish that, this study contributes in three ways. First, it proposes a framework for the QoL of older adults, in order to provide a systematic review of the state-of-the-art literature and patents in this field. The second contribution is the finding that selected ICT solutions covered by articles and patents are intended for older adults and are validated by them. The third contribution of the study are the six recommendations that are derived from the review of the literature and the patents which would help move the agenda concerning the QoL of older people and personalised ageing with the use of ICT solutions forward. Original article at MDPI; DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17082940 (This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers "Age-Friendly Cities & Communities: State of the Art and Future Perspectives"

A Shortage in the Number of Nurses—A Case Study from a Selected Region in the Czech Republic and International Context

A lack of nurses in the Czech Republic is an issue that has been under discussion for several years. The aim of this paper is to analyze the lack and need of general nurses and midwives in the Hradec Kralove region where the shortage is higher than the national average. The used methods are quantitative research and structured interviews, to determine the number of nurses in healthcare institutions. The study uses data obtained from publicly available sources, i.e., Czech Statistical Office (CSO) and the National Institute of Education (NIE). The shortage of nurses in the Hradec Kralove region can be expected by 2030 to be in the range between 647.6 and 667.1 nurses while maintaining the existing conditions, that is, five times more than at present. In addition to the commonly considered measures that appear in the country’s strategies—such as improving the quality of conditions during studies and during employment, specifying or adjusting the role and competency of nurses and midwives in the healthcare system, or unifying employment standards— a focus on promoting the nursing profession can be recommended. Schools and ministries should be encouraged to focus on and invest in the promotion of this profession, so as to play a key role in recruiting new students for the nursing field of study at a time when the nursing profession is perceived positively, as an embodiment of solidarity and selflessness

Aging at Work: A Review of Recent Trends and Future Directions

Demographic data suggest a rapid aging trend in the active workforce. The concept of aging at work comes from the urgent requirement to help the aging workforce of the contemporary industries to maintain productivity while achieving a work and private life balance. While there is plenty of research focusing on the aging population, current research activities on policies covering the concept of aging at work are limited and conceptually different. This paper aims to review publications on aging at work, which could lead to the creation of a framework that targets governmental decision-makers, the non-governmental sector, the private sector, and all of those who are responsible for the formulation of policies on aging at work. In August 2019 we searched for peer-reviewed articles in English that were indexed in PubMed, IEEE Xplore, and Springer and published between 2008 and 2019. The keywords included the following phrases: “successful aging at work”, “active aging at work”, “healthy aging at work”, “productive aging at work”, and “older adults at work”. A total of 47,330 publications were found through database searching, and 25,187 publications were screened. Afterwards, 7756 screened publications were excluded from the further analysis, and a total of 17,431 article abstracts were evaluated for inclusion. Finally, further qualitative analysis included 1375 articles, of which about 24 are discussed in this article. The most prominent works suggest policies that encourage life-long learning, and a workforce that comprises both younger and older workers, as well as gradual retirement

On the subjective assessment of the perceived quality of medical images and videos

Medical professionals are viewing an increasing number of images and videos in their clinical routine. However, various types of distortions can affect medical imaging data, and therefore impact the viewers' experienced quality and their clinical practice. Thus it is necessary to quantify this impact and understand how the viewers, i.e., medical experts, perceive the quality of (distorted) images and videos. In this paper, we present an up-to-date review of the methodologies used in the literature for the subjective quality assessment of medical images and videos and discuss their merits and drawbacks depending on the use case