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Adaptive landslide monitoring in wireless sensor networks using FLPSO-based MIP systems
Get PDFLandslides are one of the most significant natural geological hazards, capable of causing extensive damage to
lives, infrastructure, and property. These events are often triggered by specific geological and environmental
conditions that can be monitored utilizing advanced technologies such as Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). This
study introduces a novel itinerary planning approach for WSNs, employing the Fuzzy Logic-based Particle Swarm
Optimization (FLPSO) technique, which integrates Fuzzy Logic and Particle Swarm Optimization methodologies.
The primary objective of this approach is to minimize the energy consumption in large-scale WSNs, thereby
enhancing their efficiency for landslide detection systems. The proposed method improves on traditional network
grouping methods by optimizing energy usage across sensor nodes. A case study was conducted in Shiradi village,
Mangalore, India, an area characterized by high annual rainfall and changing climatic patterns. Over a year,
data was collected and analyzed to evaluate the system’s potential for accurate landslide hazard predictions.
The soil suction stress was calculated using laboratory tests, incorporating various geotechnical and unsaturated
soil parameters specific to the study area. The experimental results demonstrated that energy-e˙icient nodes
not only have a longer operational lifespan and greater adaptability to environmental changes, but also exhibit
superior performance compared to current methods, with improvements of 14.15% in Packet Delivery Ratio
(PDR), 11.15% in Energy Delay Product (EDP), 10.15% in Packet Loss Ratio (PLR), 22.1% in task delay, and
20.1% in throughput.peer-reviewe
Colorectal cancer patients’ experiences with antineoplastic agents from the perspective of their significant others : a longitudinal qualitative study
Get PDFBackground: Colorectal cancer and its treatment deeply impact patients' lives. Significant others, often family members, play crucial pre-existing roles in patients’ lives and are closely involved in their care. However, there is limited understanding of the patients’ treatment journey from the significant others’ perspective. Aim: To explore colorectal cancer patients’ experiences with antineoplastic agents from the perspective of significant others over 24 weeks. Method: This involved a longitudinal qualitative study with 16 significant others nominated by patients with colorectal cancer. Two in-depth interviews were conducted: one at start and another after 24 weeks of treatment. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed by 2 researchers independently. Results: Five themes were identified: Patients’ perceptions and knowledge of the illness and treatment, the healthcare system in relation to the illness and treatment, patients’ involvement in treatment decision-making and their experience of medicine taking, medicine and illness-related impact on patients and others and personal support structures. Significant others observed that patients initially viewed treatment as curative but later perceived as means to extend life-expectancy. While significant others considered that concerns about aesthetics were initially prominent for the patient, fatigue and peripheral neuropathy became most impactful effects. They considered patients' experiences with cancer services to remain overall positive, particularly regarding personalised support from nurse navigators. Significant others noted that early establishment of support network was crucial for fostering resilience throughout the treatment journey. Conclusion: This study provides insights from significant others highlighting the complex evolution of patients’ experiences and importance of establishing a personalised support network early in treatment journey.peer-reviewe
Analysis of mobile applications supporting public transport in smart cities on the example of Poland
Get PDFPURPOSE: The main purpose of this article is to present the role played by urban mobility
apps, as well as to learn about their functions and the impact they have on public
transportation. In addition, the social survey conducted in the article made it possible to
learn about the opinions of mobile app users, as well as to identify areas for improvement.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A social survey based on an online survey of people using
public transportation services. The survey sample included travelers living in different areas
of Poland, which enabled more accurate inferences to be made about the general population.FINDINGS: The results of the survey showed that the vast majority of respondents use mobile
applications to support public transportation, the most frequently used application by
respondents is Jakdojade, it is also the best rated by them. The most important functionalities
for users are determining the route from point A to point B, the availability of timetables and
the ability to determine the total travel time. The survey also indicated areas for
improvement, such as increasing the availability of the app to include more cities and
expanding the function of purchasing various types of tickets.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The results can be a valuable source of knowledge not only for
application developers, but also for transportation carriers, city decision-makers, as well as
anyone interested in the topic of smart cities.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The original study was based on a proprietary online survey with a
sample of 1,000 respondents.peer-reviewe
The EU : Mercosur agreement in agriculture, opportunities and threats for European producers
Get PDFPURPOSE: The paper tackles the problem of opportunities versus threats resulting from the
Agreement between European Union and Mercosur countries in the agricultural sphere.
Negotiations on the establishment of the EU-Mercosur free trade area are certainly one of
the main integration processes of the current decade in the global economy. Mercosur deal
could lead to a shift in world trade flows. Mercosur countries have enormous potential in
the field of agriculture, as well as different standards in terms of production techniques,
plant and animal health in comparison to the European Union. The South American
exports may cause significant imbalances on the EU market in different spheres (economic,
environmental and even social). That is why those prospects are worth examining.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: In the article, apart from statistical information, reports
of the European Commission and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) were
examined. The study analyzes trade statistics as well as reviews literature on the Mercosur
Agreement. Document analysis, comparative methods, and partial SWOT techniques were
employed.FINDINGS: The research clearly shows that in the agricultural sector, the benefits of
concluding the Agreement are illusory, while the risks may be significant. The threats
concern, apart from economic/social problems, environmental and animal welfare issues.
In terms of export benefits, even the promising wine and olive sectors face significant nontariff barriers on the Mercosur market. By contrast, many sectors of European agriculture
(beef, cereals, poultry, biofuels) could be allowed to freely import South American
products, most of which do not meet European standards.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The results of the research shall be of interest for scientists,
students, politicians and decision makers.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: In this research not only results of European and North American
research were analyzed, but also economic literature originating from Mercosur countries
were studied and quoted. It is a comprehensive study covering both some opportunities
and real threats for European producers and consumers. It is clearly stated, without any
camouflage, that threats can even weaken the crucial issue of European food safety.peer-reviewe
Testing the Vogt-Bailey index using task-based fMRI across pulse sequence protocols
Get PDFLocal connectivity analyses in fMRI such as the Vogt-Bailey Index, investigate the prevalence of co-fluctuations in the time-series
of adjacent voxels. While there have been in silico assessments of the VB Index, this technique has not yet been assessed in
vivo. This study has two aims: first, to assess the VB Index using a task paradigm with well established a priori expectations
on the brain region predominantly responsible for executing this task to determine whether the VB Index highlights this area.
Second, we investigate if, and how, the spatial resolution of the sequence protocols employed, with their inherent effects on the
signal-to-noise ratio, affect the resultant VB maps. A cohort of 10 research volunteers underwent fMRI acquisitions utilising
a block design finger tapping experiment. Each volunteer was scanned with three sequence protocols, with all parameters
equivalent except for the volume of the voxels. The resulting parametric maps derived using the VB Index were compared with
those obtained from the conventional General Linear Model approach. Particular emphasis was placed on the identification of
the hand portion of the motor homunculus. Across sequence protocols, the VB Index consistently identified elevated local
connectivity in, qualitatively, the same portion of the motor cortex as that yielded by the General Linear Model based on the
task paradigm. However, the VB Index also detected elevated local connectivity outside the motor cortex while the General
Linear Model results were mostly restricted to the motor cortex. The consistently high VB Index, across sequence protocols, in
the cortical region associated with an fMRI task paradigm, despite the approach’s agnosticism to that task, provides support for
the biological relevance of such local connectivity measures.peer-reviewe
Waging war on feminism through jiaoqi discourse : Chinese tradwife influencers on Douyin
Get PDFToday, the ‘tradwife’ (traditional wife) aesthetic, often embodied by female influencers who celebrate returning to the domestic sphere, has gained popularity across Euro-American societies. Mirroring this phenomenon, a comparable jiaoqi (娇妻, meaning young, beautiful wife) aesthetic has emerged within China’s influencer economy, valorizing women’s withdrawal from public life. In this article, we draw on Teun van Dijk’s sociocognitive approach to analyse Douyin videos posted by a female influencer who has brought jiaoqi discourse to the forefront of public attention on the Chinese-language internet. We contend that jiaoqi discourse operates as a nuanced form of therapeutic governance, establishing a discursive apparatus tailored to uphold gender asymmetry in China. Commercially, the discourse enables lifestyle influencers to construct appealing personas that resonate most with heterosexual, middle-class women living in cities. Politically, it dovetails with the party-state’s post-socialist governing doctrines by assisting the depoliticization of gender issues, as well as legitimizing state-sanctioned fertility policies and beyond. Therefore, the proliferation of jiaoqi discourse should be interpreted as both a localized adaptation of a global reactionary trend and a vernacular manifestation of the state–market nexus under party-state rule.peer-reviewe
Driving regional sustainability through smart specialization : insights from Podlaskie Voivodeship
Get PDFPURPOSE: The aim of this article is to characterize the areas of smart specialization selected by the
Podlasie region and to assess their impact on the competitiveness of this region.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The article is based on information from secondary sources,
mainly from the Entrepreneurship Development Plan, based on smart specialisations of the
Podlaskie Voivodeship for 2015-2020+ and national and international legal documents and
literature on the subject under study. The study also uses public statistics data published by the
Central Statistical Office. The Regional Competitiveness Index (RCI) 2022 published by the
European Commission and data on the GDP of the regions were used for the assessment.FINDINGS: As it results from the conducted research, the identified smart specialisations in the
Podlaskie Voivodeship have only a small impact on the development of the region.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Although the indicators reflecting the development of the region are
growing, the research results do not indicate a connection between the growth of the discussed
indicators and smart specialisations.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Smart specialisations of the Podlaskie province do not have a direct impact on
the development of the region.peer-reviewe
Managing and measuring performance of health prevention services : a simulation-based approach
Get PDFPurpose – This study focuses on the application of performance management (PM) in health prevention
services. Unlike other healthcare services that focus on individual health results, prevention activities aim at
community-wide benefits, often related to the avoidance of negative health outcomes. This, coupled with
delayed effects of prevention activities, external influences on results and multiple stakeholders, poses
challenges for the management, measurement and accountability of the results achieved by healthcare
organisations and systems. To address these challenges, the research proposes the adoption of simulation
techniques, specifically system dynamics (SD), to enhance PM in the prevention sector.
Design/methodology/approach – SD is a methodological approach developed for modelling and simulating
complex systems and experimenting with the models to design strategies and policies. It provides a systemic
perspective and a set of conceptual tools that enable one to frame the structure and behaviour of complex,
nonlinear, multi-loop feedback systems through an illustrative case focused on the management of primary and
secondary prevention of chronic care conditions within a Beveridge healthcare system.
Findings – By employing SD, the study aims to provide decision-makers with the capability to understand the
link between immediate outputs and long-term outcomes, facilitating the evaluation of alternative policy options
and scenarios that are otherwise untestable due to the long latency of diseases, delayed impact of preventive
actions and systemic fragmentation.
Originality/value – Through the development of an SD model, this research contributes to the field by offering a
novel approach to overcoming the measurement and accountability obstacles in prevention as part of
healthcare PM.peer-reviewe
Small states’ answers to big questions in law
Get PDFLegal scholars and practitioners have typically paid little attention to the
contribution of small states to the law. This piece argues that while international law’s principle
of state equality regardless of size might at first appear to hamper small states by turning a
blind eye to their relative lack of power, small states have been able to use the law to seek
justice and accountability for one of the foremost crises of our times: the climate emergency.peer-reviewe
Assessment of workforce availability, staffing, and education, and training requirements for radiographers across Europe as part of EU-REST project
Get PDFIntroduction: The European Union Radiation, Education, Staffing and Training (EU-REST) project assessed workforce availability of professionals involved in medical applications of ionising radiation across European Union (EU) Member States. It developed guidelines for staffing, education and training to ensure radiation safety and quality in medical practices. This paper focuses on the current status of workforce availability, education and training requirements of radiographers across the 27 EU Member States. Methods: A multi-phase survey was employed, consisting of a pre-survey and a main survey. The presurvey gathered information from relevant national authorities and professional bodies, followed by the main survey distributed to these bodies to complete across all Member States. The survey covered workforce availability, staffing levels, workforce planning, education and training, and quality and safety. Data were cleaned and analysed to focus on radiographers' workforce statistics, education and training in countries that completed the relevant section of the survey. Results: The study found significant variation in radiographer workforce availability, with a total of 171,306 working radiographers across Europe. The number of radiographers per million inhabitants ranged from 86 (Belgium) to 613 (Finland). About 7 % of radiographers were expected to retire in the next five years, with some countries facing higher projections. Variations in education systems, workforce distribution, and radiation protection practices were observed. Conclusion: There is a need for harmonisation of how workforce data is collected and reported across Member States. Establishing centralised registries and standardised data collection methods is crucial for improving workforce management and ensuring radiation safety in medical settings. Implications for practice: Unless coordinated actions are taken to address issues related to the radiography workforce, staffing levels, and associated education and training, optimal standards will remain unattainable.peer-reviewe