Job Design and Work Performance: A Study of Health Care Personnel in Tripoli Medical Centre (TMC)

The main purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between job design and work performance among 156 randomly selected healthcare personnel in Tripoli Medical Centre, Libya. The study also examined statistically significant differences in the respondents' work performance when grouped by gender, age, marital status, tenure, number of years working in the current hospital, number of years working in other hospitals, and place of residence. In assessing job design, the Multimethod Job Design Questionnaire (Cronbach Alpha=0.9064) developed by Campion (1988) was adopted, pilot-tested, and used in the research. In describing work performance, job evaluation records from the Human Resource Office in Tripoli Medical Centre were taken for the purpose of this study. Statistical tools used were frequency counts, percentages, means, t-test, One-Way ANOVA, Pearson's r, and Multiple Regression Analysis. Analyses were set at 0.05 level of significance using the SPSS (Version 14.0) computer software. Overall, the respondents "agreed" on the job design in the hospital. Across the sub-dimensions of job design, the respondents "agreed" on Motivational Approach, Biological Approach, and Perceptual-Motor Approach. However, respondents were "not sure" on Mechanistic Approach. The respondents experienced "high" level of work performance. There were statistically significant differences between work performance and (a) age, (b) marital status, (c) tenure, (d) number of years working in the current hospital, and(e) number of years working in other hospitals

On Monetizing Personal Wearable Devices Data: A Blockchain-based Marketplace for Data Crowdsourcing and Federated Machine Learning in Healthcare

Machine learning advancements in healthcare have made data collected through smartphones and wearable devices a vital source of public health and medical insights. While wearable device data helps to monitor, detect, and predict diseases and health conditions, some data owners hesitate to share such sensitive data with companies or researchers due to privacy concerns. Moreover, wearable devices have been recently available as commercial products; thus large, diverse, and representative datasets are not available to most researchers. In this article, we propose an open marketplace where wearable device users securely monetize their wearable device records by sharing data with consumers (e.g., researchers) to make wearable device data more available to healthcare researchers. To secure the data transactions in a privacy-preserving manner, we use a decentralized approach using Blockchain and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). To ensure data originality and integrity with secure validation, our marketplace uses Trusted Execution Environments (TEE) in wearable devices to verify the correctness of health data. The marketplace also allows researchers to train models using Federated Learning with a TEE-backed secure aggregation of data users may not be willing to share. To ensure user participation, we model incentive mechanisms for the Federated Learning-based and anonymized data-sharing approaches using NFTs. We also propose using payment channels and batching to reduce smart contact gas fees and optimize user profits. If widely adopted, we believe that TEE and Blockchain-based incentives will promote the ethical use of machine learning with validated wearable device data in healthcare and improve user participation due to incentives.

A firefly-inspired scheme for energy-efficient transmission scheduling using a self-organizing method in a wireless sensor network

Various types of natural phenomena are regarded as primary sources of information for artificial occurrences that involve spontaneous synchronization. Among the artificial occurrences that mimic natural phenomena are Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) and the Pulse Coupled Oscillator (PCO), which utilizes firefly synchronization for attracting mating partners. However, the PCO model was not appropriate for wireless sensor networks because sensor nodes are typically not capable to collect sensor data packets during transmission (because of packet collision and deafness). To avert these limitations, this study proposed a self-organizing time synchronization algorithm that was adapted from the traditional PCO model of fireflies flashing synchronization. Energy consumption and transmission delay will be reduced by using this method. Using the proposed model, a simulation exercise was performed and a significant improvement in energy efficiency was observed, as reflected by an improved transmission scheduling and a coordinated duty cycling and data gathering ratio. Therefore, the energy-efficient data gathering is enhanced in the proposed model than in the original PCO-based wave-traveling model. The battery lifetime of the Sensor Nodes (SNs) was also extended by using the proposed model

Ethiopian Dam Optimum Hydraulic Operating Conditions to Reduce Unfavorable Impacts on Downstream Countries

As noted by several researchers, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile River is expected to have unfavorable consequences for downstream countries like Egypt and Sudan. To limit GERD's negative effects on downstream countries, its operation should be secure, and its upstream water level should be ideal. However, none of the studies carried out the ideal operating scenarios from the perspective of controlling the number of gate openings. Accordingly, this study evaluates the optimal operating scenarios of the GERD and its impact on downstream countries by adopting a mathematical model to analyze the number of gates that can be opened and the depth of opening during different filling years. The paper also presents an environmental impact assessment of some GERD significant factors during construction, filling, and operation, with the goal of developing a mitigation strategy. The results showed that opening 5 gates at 4.56 m over a 10-year filling period would be the safest, most accepted, and most advantageous for Ethiopia and downstream countries. Moreover, creating a water-saving management plan in Egypt to overcome GERD's negative impacts would cost 877 billion Egyptian pounds. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2022-08-09-011 Full Text: PD

Understanding the Significance of Urban Lingering Factor of Built Environments in the Socio-Climatic Decision-Making Process for Urban Open Spaces: Field Survey Alexandria University Campus

Urban lingering is the practice of spending time in public spaces for leisure, socializing, or simply being outdoors. It is a critical urban factor that is influenced by various factors related to the built environment and climate. Urban open spaces, such as University campuses, plazas, and streetscapes, play a bilateral role with the lingering factor in promoting social and environmental sustainability. However, it is highlighted that the urban space’s lingering factor understanding process is essentially affected by the aspects of the built environment especially the climatic considerations, to ensure their resilience and future adaptability. This paper provides a literature review on urban lingering factor with the built environment and their role behind the climatic-based decision-making of urban spaces. The review is structured around several key themes that provide a comprehensive overview of urban lingering, illustrating its causes, effects, and potential solutions. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the complex and multifaceted phenomenon of urban lingering, which is shaped by a range of social, environmental, and economic factors. The research also discusses the implications of urban lingering for urban design, public policy, and community development, and identifies key areas for future research. Overall, this review emphasizes the importance of considering the lingering factor and built environment on the climatic design and management of urban open spaces, and how this approach of design can support urban lingering behavior and promote social and environmental sustainability. The findings have implications for urban policy and well-being in urban open spaces especially on university campuses as been the focus of the research. Overall, this research review paper provides comprehensive insights into urban lingering factor and the built environment's potential impact on climatic-based decision-making. then, offers essential recommendations for addressing this crucial issue. The review research is aided by a preliminary comparative field survey that supports the research hypothesis

Biophilic Design Approach: Towards Better User's Urban Open Spaces Experience and Improve the Lingering Factor in the University Campus – Case study Faculty of Engineering Campus, Alexandria University, Egypt

Students spend most of their time in the university campus where they either study inside the internal spaces (lecture halls, studios,...) or in the external spaces around the campus buildings. Most universities provide well-designed external spaces inside their campus that allow students to spend their time there for any purpose they want, such as studying, waiting, or spending free time. After observing those outdoor spaces, it has been found that some of those spaces are crowded and others are abandoned at the same complex. This study aims to find out the impact of natural elements and the biophilic approach of landscaping the outdoor university campus spaces on the students lingering and sense of the experience of such spaces. Moreover, to highlight the relation between using the biophilic approach and the livability of students’ campus open spaces, a field study was conducted with several students of the Faculty of Engineering campus, Alexandria University in which the biophilic theory is applied as one of bringing nature into the space forms. It also aims to study whether this approach will affect the students’ well-being and lingering factor. Through observation, dialogues, and public questionnaires, the study ended up with several results describing the effects of implementing the theory of biophilia in the design of the campus’ urban spaces. The results illustrate changes of the students lingering factors, as well as how biophilic design was affecting students’ well-being and how the biophilic urbanism approach was influencing the vitality of the space

Impact of Urban Attributes on Human Happiness and Health in Alexandria as an Egyptian City

Creating livable, safe, healthy, and sustainable urban spaces requires the prioritisation of interactive urban environments (UE) and social connections in city design. Previous studies have examined the relationship between sustainability, health, and happiness, focusing primarily on macro-level factors like air pollution, temperature, wind speed, ambient noise levels, economics, and life satisfaction. Consequently, this research aims to address the following question: How can urban planners establish cities that promote happiness, health, and overall quality of life? This paper specifically explores these aspects in the context of Alexandria, Egypt, with a focus on mental health outcomes and the notions of an "all-inclusive city." Furthermore, the study examines the key elements of inclusive notions for creating happier spaces, as in the case study area (Pharos promenade (PP)), based on Alexandria's historical importance. Methodologically, this paper employs a systematic review approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative indicators to establish measurement tools and design principles for happier cities. Ultimately, the study concludes by presenting design principles relevant to creating a sustainable and healthy city that prioritises the health and happiness of its residents within the scope of Alexandria

Random traveling wave pulse coupled oscillator (RTWPCO) algorithm of energy-efficient wireless sensor networks

Energy-efficient pulse-coupled oscillators have recently gained significant research attention in wireless sensor networks, where the wireless sensor network applications mimic the firefly synchronization for attracting mating partners. As a result, it is more suitable and harder to identify demands in all applications. The pulse-coupled oscillator mechanism causing delay and uncharitable applications needs to reduce energy consumption to the smallest level. To avert this problem, this study proposes a new mechanism called random traveling wave pulse-coupled oscillator algorithm, which is a self-organizing technique for energy-efficient wireless sensor networks using the phase-locking traveling wave pulse-coupled oscillator and random method on anti-phase of the pulse-coupled oscillator model. This technique proposed in order to minimize the high power utilization in the network to get better data gathering of the sensor nodes during data transmission. The simulation results shown that the proposed random traveling wave pulse-coupled oscillator mechanism achieved up to 48% and 55% reduction in energy usage when increase the number of sensor nodes as well as the packet size of the transmitted data compared to traveling wave pulse-coupled oscillator and pulse-coupled oscillator methods. In addition, the mechanism improves the data gathering ratio by up to 70% and 68%, respectively. This is due to the developed technique helps to reduce the high consumed energy in the sensor network and increases the data collection throughout the transmission states in wireless sensor networks

Eco-City as Approach for Sustainable Development

Eco-City is an essential approach for create sustainable development for the time being .The development aspects of Eco-City must be achieved, and it is one of the most effective way to proceed sustainable development of city. Sustainable development is major to improve the quality of life of the citizens and to reduce the effect of cities upon resources outside the urban context. Eco-cities enhance the comfort of citizens and society through integrated urban planning and management that fully harnesses the benefits of ecological systems. Also Eco-City serves as a fundamental catalyst for change, improving environmental quality of the natural and built environments for future generations, and upgrading conditions for sustainable development, the current situation of environmental problems is more serious than we think. Thus, it is very important for us to turn our eyes to the environment and to find out a positive way to live with nature .Therefore, the paper will present analysis for 4 Eco-City pioneer projects in Europe and Asia and then we will get the main features of those Eco- City projects based on a result of analysis

Impact of the deafness problem on clock synchronization in a wireless sensor network

Observations of natural phenomena are considered to be the best information source of spontaneous synchronization. Natural phenomena tend to match wireless sensor network (WSN) responses closely. Such synchronization is vital for the proper coordination of power cycles for energy conservation. A large number of fireflies employ the principle of pulse-coupled oscillators for light flash emission to attract mating partners. With respect to WSNs, the nodes are generally unable to afford packet transmission and reception simultaneously, thus preventing complete network synchronization. This paper presents a literature overview concerning the impact of the deafness problem on clock synchronization in a WSN. Data transmission based on synchronization can also be ensured through the optimization of energy usage periodic data capturing in a WSN. This study serves as a useful information source of clock synchronization to assist WSN researchers and novices in obtaining a better understanding of the impact of the deafness problem on clock synchronization and to enable them to promote effective designs and systems that address this problem