A GeoSocial Intelligence Framework for Studying & Promoting Resilience to Seasonal Flooding in Jakarta, Indonesia

PetaJakarta.org is a web-based platform developed to harness the power of social media to gather, sort, and display information about flooding for Jakarta residents in real time. The platform runs on the open source software CogniCity—an OSS platform developed by the SMART Infrastructure Facility, University of Wollongong—which allows data to be collected and disseminated by community members through their location-enabled mobile devices. The project uses a GeoSocial Intelligence Framework to approach the complexity of Jakarta’s entangled hydraulic, hydrological and meteorological systems and thereby converts the noise of social media into knowledge about urban infrastructure and situational conditions related to flooding and inundation. In this paper, PetaJakarta.org co-directors Dr Tomas Holderness, Geomatics Research Fellow at the SMART Infrastructure Facility, Dr Etienne Turpin, Vice-Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the SMART Infrastructure Facility, and Dr Rohan Wickramasuriyam, GIS Research Fellow at the SMART Infrastructure Facility, will discuss their GeoSocial Intelligence Framework as it applies to their current research in Jakarta. They will also present their preliminary findings from their 2014 Twitter #DataGrant, which has allowed them to develop a correlative analysis between historic social media information, the Jakarta government’s flood maps, and the infrastructure used to manage critical flood emergencies. Finally, they will speculate on several future applications of the CogniCity OSS and suggest how it might be developed to further promote an integrated civic co-management platform with the support of business, industry, government and community organizations

Tour-based Travel Mode Choice Estimation based on Data Mining and Fuzzy Techniques

This paper extends tour-based mode choice model, which mainly includes individual trip level interactions, to include linked travel modes of consecutive trips of an individual. Travel modes of consecutive trip made by an individual in a household have strong dependency or co-relation because individuals try to maintain their travel modes or use a few combinations of modes for current and subsequent trips. Traditionally, tour based mode choice models involved nested logit models derived from expert knowledge. There are limitations associated with this approach. Logit models assumes i) specific model structure (linear utility model) in advance; and, ii) it holds across an entire historical observations. These assumptions about the predefined model may be representative of reality, however these rules or heuristics for tour based mode choice should ideally be derived from the survey data rather than based on expert knowledge/ judgment. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a novel data-driven methodology to address the issues identified in tour based mode choice. The proposed methodology is tested using the Household Travel Survey (HTS) data of Sydney metropolitan area and its performances are compared with the state-of-the-art approaches in this area

Cost minimization analysis of different growth hormone pen devices based on time-and-motion simulations

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Numerous pen devices are available to administer recombinant Human Growth Hormone (rhGH), and both patients and health plans have varying issues to consider when selecting a particular product and device for daily use. Therefore, the present study utilized multi-dimensional product analysis to assess potential time involvement, required weekly administration steps, and utilization costs relative to daily rhGH administration.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Study objectives were to conduct 1) Time-and-Motion (TM) simulations in a randomized block design that allowed time and steps comparisons related to rhGH preparation, administration and storage, and 2) a Cost Minimization Analysis (CMA) relative to opportunity and supply costs. Nurses naïve to rhGH administration and devices were recruited to evaluate four rhGH pen devices (2 in liquid form, 2 requiring reconstitution) via TM simulations. Five videotaped and timed trials for each product were evaluated based on: 1) Learning (initial use instructions), 2) Preparation (arrange device for use), 3) Administration (actual simulation manikin injection), and 4) Storage (maintain product viability between doses), in addition to assessment of steps required for weekly use. The CMA applied micro-costing techniques related to opportunity costs for caregivers (categorized as wages), non-drug medical supplies, and drug product costs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Norditropin^®NordiFlex and Norditropin^®NordiPen (NNF and NNP, Novo Nordisk, Inc., Bagsværd, Denmark) took less weekly Total Time (p < 0.05) to use than either of the comparator products, Genotropin^®Pen (GTP, Pfizer, Inc, New York, New York) or HumatroPen^®(HTP, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana). Time savings were directly related to differences in new package Preparation times (NNF (1.35 minutes), NNP (2.48 minutes) GTP (4.11 minutes), HTP (8.64 minutes), p < 0.05)). Administration and Storage times were not statistically different. NNF (15.8 minutes) and NNP (16.2 minutes) also took less time to Learn than HTP (24.0 minutes) and GTP (26.0 minutes), p < 0.05). The number of weekly required administration steps was also least with NNF and NNP. Opportunity cost savings were greater in devices that were easier to prepare for use; GTP represented an 11.8% drug product savings over NNF, NNP and HTP at time of study. Overall supply costs represented <1% of drug costs for all devices.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Time-and-motion simulation data used to support a micro-cost analysis demonstrated that the pen device with the greater time demand has highest net costs.</p

The epidemiology of postpartum malaria: a systematic review

Pregnant women are more susceptible to malaria than their non-pregnant counterparts. Less is known about the risk of malaria in the postpartum period. The epidemiology of postpartum malaria was systematically reviewed. Eleven articles fitted the inclusion criteria. Of the 10 studies that compared malaria data from the postpartum period with pregnancy data, nine studies suggested that the risk for malaria infection decreased after delivery. All three studies that compared postpartum data with non-pregnant non-postpartum women concluded that the risk did not return to pre-pregnancy levels immediately after delivery. The results of this review have to be carefully interpreted, as the majority of studies were not designed to study postpartum malaria, and there was large variability in study designs and reported outcomes. Current evidence suggests an effort should be made to detect and radically cure malaria during pregnancy so that women do not enter the postpartum period with residual parasites

IDENTIFICATION OF INTERNAL ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS CAUSING RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

The external environment is subjected to frequent changes. Therefore, organizations must continuously change in order to remain competitive. But often changes are obstructed by internal resistance. The objective of this study was to identify internal organizational factors causing resistance to change and to research on their nature of relationship with the level of resistance. The study involved four independent variables and one dependent variable. Data was gathered by way of a questionnaire and from discussions held with the respective management personnel. The analysis proved that there’s a strong positive relationship between negative employee attitudes and the level of resistance. Lack of employee knowledge too showed a strong positive relationship with the level of resistance. But both communication barriers and cultural barriers demonstrated a weak relationship with the level of resistance. This study has contributed in bridging the research gap in terms of change and resistance in Sri Lankan context. Keywords: Resistance, Attitudes, Knowledge, Communication, CultureFor full paper: [email protected]

Cyber extension: past experiences and future prospects

This paper attempts to analyze the recently implemented cyber agricultural extension project of the Department of Agriculture, providing some insight on farmers’ responses to the computer based learning resources. It explains farmers’ perception towards cyber extension approach, their willingness to obtain information through cyber extension approach compared to other agriculture information sources, and problems and limitations in implementing cyber extension. At the end a brief overview of the future prospectus of the cyber extension project is included

Energy Efficiency Dashboard for Small Businesses in the Illawarra

Abstract: Energy consumption by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is increasingly becoming a matter of profitability for many businesses and a source of concern for Government agencies. Recognizing the need to improve SME’s energy consumption, the NSW - Office of Environment and Heritage (NSW-OEH) has successfully implemented a business-focused energy efficiency program. The program involved individual audits conducted by certified assessors, estimating actual energy use by appliances and providing recommendations for retrofitting of more energy efficient equipment. The SMART Infrastructure Facility and the NSW-OEH have partnered to create an online and interactive data portal (the Energy Efficiency Dashboard – EED) that brings together information collected throughout the energy efficiency program in order to better inform other business managers about the opportunities to improve their profitability and sustainability. This paper demonstrates how the Energy Efficiency Dashboard, a fusion between Business Intelligence and Geographic Information Systems, can provide a robust, highly interactive, online analytical dashboard to evaluate the effectiveness of the energy savings program. Uses of the EED include identification of business-specific best energy saving appliances and practices, business types with high potential for saving energy, and benchmarking energy use across business types. Citation: Safadi, M., Ma, J., Wickramasuriya, R., Somashekar, V., El Fakih, O. & Yalan, L. (2014). Energy Efficiency Dashboard for Small Businesses in the Illawarra. In: Campbell P. and Perez P. (Eds), Proceedings of the International Symposium of Next Generation Infrastructure, 1-4 October 2013, SMART Infrastructure Facility, University of Wollongong, Australia

The price of a view: Estimating the impact of view on house prices

© 2019 Pacific Rim Real Estate Society. Houses with desired aesthetic views have a price premium over similar houses without such views. This article raises the following questions in relation to view as a location-specific amenity: How can we calculate a reliable indicator for view using available information? Are dwellings with a view sold for a premium compared to otherwise similar properties? Using more than 5,000 house transactions in the Illawarra region in Australia, and applying hedonic price method, the study analyses the price effects of key aesthetic views. Due to unavailability of view as a housing characteristic within historical records, spatial analysis tools were used to estimate views for housing locations. The results confirm the significance of aesthetic views in explaining house prices. Beach view is the most important aesthetic view. An increase of 1% of beach view drives house prices up by nearly 2–3%. Significant positive contributions to prices are also evident from sea, conservation area and inland water views. In addition to the views, other location-specific attributes also influence house prices. Methods developed in this study to quantify the value of aesthetic views and location-specific characteristics associated with residential locations form an important contribution to urban planning and policy development