A location-aware framework for intelligent real-time mobile applications

The Location-Aware Information Systems Client (LAISYC) supports intelligent, real-time, mobile applications for GPS-enabled mobile phones by dynamically adjusting platform parameters for application performance while conserving device resources such as battery life

Conceptualization of Health Among United Methodist Church Clergy in Western Kenya

<p>Abstract</p><p>INTRODUCTION</p><p>Clergy are a dynamic group of the population: they point people to God, navigate social and spiritual waters, provide advice and guidance, and teach and visit parishioners. Research has shown that caregivers often neglect their health to tend to the health and well-being of others. Because of their unique role in society, the health and well-being of the clergy themselves is an important subject of research. While clergy health is a growing topic of interest in the Western world, very little is known. The few studies conducted on the health of clergy have found that in some areas, this group is less healthy than the general population due to their hectic schedules, lacking social support, and job-related stressors. With the exception of the United States, Canada, and Great Britain, almost nothing has been studied internationally regarding clergy health. In Africa, religion is known to play an important role in the daily life of its inhabitants; however, the overall well-being of clergy including mental, spiritual, and physical health remains under-studied. To date, nothing has been reported regarding the health of pastors in Kenya. This exploratory study sought to better understand how United Methodist Church (UMC) clergy in Western Kenya conceptualize health and how that relates to their health seeking behaviors. </p><p>METHODS</p><p>This study partnered with religion and public health researchers at Moi University in Eldoret, Kenya, and utilized qualitative methodology to gather information on the conceptualization of health among UMC clergy in Western Kenya. One hour in-depth oral interviews with seven clergy and two Associate District Superintendents and four focus group discussions were conducted with a total of 52 United Methodist Church clergy in Nyanza Province, Kenya in June and July 2012. </p><p>ANALYSIS</p><p>All transcripts were entered into QSR International's NVivo 10 qualitative data analysis software and coded. Two members of the research team coded an in-depth oral interview and focus group transcription to ensure replicability. A combination of Grounded Theory (GT) analysis and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to interpret the data. </p><p>CONCLUSION</p><p>UMC clergy define health holistically as the complete well-being of a person in their mind, body, and spirit. Indigenous cultural traditions are still present within the UMC; pastors and parishioners will seek care from a magician rather than a medical doctor if they believe the disease stems from evil spirits. Religious beliefs relate to health seeking behavior in one of two ways: first, clergy believe God alone heals, and thereby view medical seeking behavior as unnecessary and second, clergy believe God alone heals, but view the doctor as a permitted conduit of healing. This knowledge learned from this exploratory study may help inform future interventions.</p>Thesi

Documented Impact of Transportation Demand Management Programs Through the Case Study Method

What are the internal and external conditions of a work site that influence the success of its commuter choice program, aside from the trip-reducing services and incentives themselves? This article shares the results of two studies that used a more rigorous case study method for discerning the relative influence of conditions within and outside of the control of a work site. It also discusses the useful application and elements of the case study method as well as the location for finding properly documented case studies that describe successful programs. Recommendations are developed for work sites to implement commuter choice programs for TDM marketing professionals to identify receptive work-site candidates and for TDM researchers to investigate further using the case study method. By understanding the relative importance of various conditions, TDM professionals, employers, and employee transportation coordinators are better equipped to exert influence on factors within their control to develop more effective programs

Transportation Demand Management Guidance For Corridor Planning Studies

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) regional planning programs address current and forecasted deficiencies of State highways through the conduct of corridor studies. This Guidance for the conduct of corridor planning studies is the product of a comprehensive evaluation of how to incorporate the consideration of Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies into several business areas of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). Corridor studies are an integral part of the transportation planning process, which support the State Highway System goals and objectives at the state and regional levels, as well as the vision for the corridor by the communities that the corridor serves. The Moving Washington approach recognizes the importance of using all the tools in the toolbox to cost effectively achieve the state transportation policy goals. This includes the mobility goal of maintaining the predictable movement of goods and people throughout the state of Washington. This Guidance describes a recommended approach to TDM strategies as part of least-cost planning for improving mobility. The Guidance asserts that all three methods: (1) managing travel demand, (2) optimizing traffic flow, and (3) accommodating travel demand by increasing capacity, should be used concurrently. This approach will advance the integration of TDM into the selected solutions aimed at reducing traffic congestion, providing mobility choices, enhancing transportation affordability, and meeting the State of Washington&rsquo;s goals for reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving community livability. This Guidance recommends use of a systematic process for identifying mobility needs, assessing existing TDM programs and resources, and evaluating potential TDM solutions against chosen performance metrics

Measuring the Impacts of Employer-based Transportation Demand Management Programs on an Interstate Corridor

This article is based on a study that analyzed the impacts of employer-based transportation demand management (TDM) strategies and the performance of a transportation system. The study simulated the effects of the Washington State Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) programs implemented by 189 employers on an 8.6-mile segment of I-5 in the Seattle downtown area. This comprehensive dataset included before/after employer trip reduction plans and the origins/destinations of nearly 63,000 commuters working for those 189 employers. The current performance of the selected network was compared to that of a scenario with reduced vehicle trips due to CTR programs added back onto the network. The hypothesis of the research was that a widescale adoption of employer-based strategies is likely to have a measurable difference on the performance of a transportation system. The analysis found the reduction in AM peak delay due to TDM programs implemented in the study area was 152,489 vehicle-minutes and 17,297 vehicle-miles of travel. Savings in PMpeak delay were 169,486 vehicle-minutes and 14,510 vehicle-miles were reduced. Fuel saved in the AM and PM peaks were 3,489 and 4,314 gallons, respectively. Some segments and periods saw significant improvement. The study proved that comprehensive TDM programs could have a significant impact on the operation of a major Interstate corridor

Smart Phone Application to Influence Travel Behavior (TRAC-IT Phase 3)

This three-phase research study focuses on using innovative technology to better understand and pattern household travel behavior for the purposes of educating, promoting, and encouraging households to utilize other alternatives to driving alone. The scope of Phase 1 called for preliminary development and testing of a portable unit consisting of a personal digital assistant (PDA), a global positioning system (GPS) device, and a wireless card, all-in-one unit nicknamed “TRAC-IT.” Phase 2 investigated the impact of the travel feedback advisory system on household travel behavior. The objective of Phase 3 was to determine the capabilities of GPS-enabled mobile phones in tracking person movements across modes (car, bike, bus, etc.) and over extended time periods (e.g., weekly versus daily). A basic requirement of the system was that the mobile device selected had to be a commercially available, low cost, off-the-shelf, and a widely used device. The device also had to be equipped with embedded GPS capabilities for highly accurate position data, able to communicate this information wirelessly back to a server, and able to receive user input allowing the manual entry of survey data by participants that cannot be extracted from GPS data. Wireless communication features of the mobile phone were envisioned to offer the user with real-time information that could influence their current travel behavior. The use of GPS-enabled mobile phones and an application such as TRAC-IT presents a unique opportunity to collect high-resolution individual travel behavior data that are instantly transferred to a server for analysis by transportation professionals. As more “indoor GPS” (high-sensitivity) chips become available in the mobile phone market, it is expected that GPS data from mobile phones that are more accurate will be collected and these should be able to obtain location fixes where current phones cannot. Based on the continuous research of new innovative approaches to travel data collection using location-based approaches, the TRAC-IT research team concluded that GPS-enabled mobile phones will continue to be a vital tool in travel behavior data collection

Travel Assistance Device (TAD) to Help Transit Riders - Deployment to transit agencies

The ability to travel where and when one desires is a basic requirement for independent living that most people take for granted. To travel independently, a transit rider practices at least 23 skills including finding the route, arriving at the correct stop on time, and determining when to exit at destination. Travel trainers who provide one-on-one instruction on public transportation, report that recognizing a landmark near the desired bus stop, requesting a stop at the proper time, and exiting the bus at the destination stop are among the most challenging skills to master for individuals with cognitive disabilities. Parents/guardians are often reluctant to encourage the use of fixed-route transit due to their own hesitations about a person\u27s abilities and well being. Prior studies by the research team developed the Travel Assistance Device (TAD) mobile phone software application that addresses these challenges and supplements the trainer’s instruction. TAD provides various informational prompts including the audio messages “Get ready” and “Pull the cord now!” and vibrates to alert the rider to pull the stop cord. These prompts are delivered to the rider in real-time as he or she rides the bus using the embedded global positioning system (GPS) technology in off-the-shelf cell phones