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Mapping the overdose crisis in Ontario: geographic disparities in opioid-related harms and services
No full textAbstract Background Opioid-related harms and deaths remain a persistent public health crisis across Ontario, Canada, with non-urban regions facing a disproportionate burden. However, discussions of opioid-related harms across Ontario’s geographic regions have provided an oversimplified assessment, contrasting rural and urban regions which mask the unique challenges and true disparities faced by sparsely populated communities, which are commonly located in the Northern regions. Our study aims to provide a more in depth understanding of the opioid crisis in Ontario across different geographic classifications in accordance to population size, such as rural, urban, and sparsely populated regions, presenting data in both absolute numbers and crude rates with contextual grounding of regional characteristics. A number of different opioid-related indicators such as hospitalizations, overdose rates, opioid service provision and harm reduction supply distribution were analyzed across all 34 of Ontario’s public health units (PHUs) to understand the differences in these indicators based on region across the province. The findings can inform the development of targeted interventions and improve service accessibility for those most affected by the overdose crisis in Ontario. Methods Publicly-available secondary data for each PHU was collected from several provincial and national data sources and analyzed between November 2024 and January 2025. Annual data from 2022 to 2023 on opioid-related harms, opioid agonist treatment (OAT) prescribers and engagement, and the distribution of harm reduction supplies, as well as annual data from 2024 on opioid-inclusive service provision, were collected. Using Statistics Canada’s 2023 Health Region Peer Group Classification, the PHUS were grouped into four geographic classifications: sparsely populated, rural, urban/rural mix, and urban. Crude average rates were calculated for all indicators. Statistical analysis was performed to assess significance of indicators between regions. Results Sparsely populated PHUs were primarily located in Northern Ontario, while rural, urban/rural mix, and urban PHUs were mainly concentrated in Southern Ontario. Urban PHUs have the highest number and lowest rate of opioid-related harms (e.g. 947 opioid-related deaths, representing a rate of 12.5 per 100,000 population), while sparsely populated PHUs reflect the opposite trend (e.g. 158 opioid-related deaths, representing a rate of 44.2 per 100,000 population). A similar pattern emerges for harm reduction services and naloxone distribution. The number of treatment services is highest in rural PHUs (n = 237) and lowest in sparsely populated PHUs (n = 83), despite having the highest rate. OAT prescribers, OAT engagement, and needle distribution follow a similar trend. Statistical significance was found between geographic regions for most indicators, except opioid-inclusive support services, harm reduction services, and naloxone distribution. Conclusion Sparsely populated and rural PHUs experience the highest burden of opioid-related harms, coupled with limitations in service accessibility, demonstrating a clear need for additional harm reduction services. Decision-makers may be misled into underestimating the crisis in non-urban areas as a result of oversimplified reporting, resulting in inadequate support for these regions. Addressing these disparities is key to reducing opioid-related mortality and ensuring equitable access to life-saving services across Ontario
Artificial Intelligence-Based Clinical Decision Support in the Emergency Department: Bridging Development to Implementation
No full textBackground: Artificial intelligence (AI)-based clinical decision support (CDS) tools are desired by physicians to augment high-stakes decision-making in the emergency department (ED).
Objective: This thesis evaluates the current field of AI-CDS in the ED and explores barriers and facilitators to their development and implementation.
Methods: We conducted a scoping review of AI-CDS tools for individual ED patient care and categorized them by phase of development. We conducted interviews with expert researchers to identify barriers and potential facilitators for successful implementation.
Results: Despite a rapidly growing number of publications, only 3.5% of AI-CDS tools have been tested or implemented in a live clinical setting. Expert researchers identified challenges regarding data infrastructure, team capacity, defining the clinical problem, regulatory approval, legal and liability concerns, time, and cost.
Conclusion: To bridge the gap between development and implementation, researchers must incorporate implementation science principles in the earliest stages of AI-CDS tool development
Predictive factors associated with sexual activity and consistent condom use during travel abroad: a cross-sectional survey of young Canadian adults
No full textAbstract Background For young adults seeking new experiences, international travel provides opportunities for casual sexual encounters. The aim of this study was to identify the predictive factors associated with travel-associated sex and consistent condom use in a non-random sample of single and partnered young travelers. Methods Sexually-active Canadians, aged 18–25 years, who traveled abroad in 2016, were purposively recruited to participate in an online survey. Two binomial logistic regressions were performed to examine the demographic, sexual health and lifestyle factors associated with (1) having sex abroad (N = 646), or (2) consistent external condom use abroad (n = 271 sexually-active travelers). Results Packing condoms for international travel was associated with more than twice the odds of both having sex abroad (AOR: 2.58, 95% CI: 1.47–4.51 p < 0.001) and using condoms consistently during intercourse (AOR: 2.62, 95% CI: 1.62–5.32, p = 0.008). Sex under the influence of alcohol at-home, history of sexually transmitted infections, travel-related plans to have sex and drug consumption were also associated with sex abroad. Consistent external condom use abroad was associated with prior condom use at-home and penetrative sexual practices abroad. Unlike previous studies, gender, sexual orientation and relationship status were not significantly associated with either travel-associated sex nor condom use. Conclusion Travelers’ characteristics and domestic sexual behaviors will inform travel health interventions, but our findings support universal promotion of barrier protection during travel regardless of relationship status, sexual orientation or gender identity. Given the increasingly open and fluid nature of sexual expressions and relationships, pre-travel sexual health interventions should be sex-positive, broadly inclusive and promote strategies for safe sexual behaviors while travelling.Plain English summary The experience of international travel is often accompanied by risky behaviors including substance use and casual sex. Packing condoms for international travel was associated with a higher likelihood of travel-related sexual activity and consistent condom use. Behaviors at home including sex under the influence of alcohol, and history of sexually transmitted infections, were also linked with travel-related sex, whereas domestic condom use was associated with consistent condom use abroad. These factors can be incorporated in sex-positive, travel-sexual health promotion to ensure safe and responsible sexual activity abroad
Bayesian Validation Based Fault Tree Analysis for Enhancing Autonomous Vehicle Safety
No full textEnsuring the safety of autonomous vehicles in complex and uncertain environments remains a critical challenge. While ISO 26262 provides a robust framework for functional safety, it primarily focuses on hazards arising from hardware or software malfunctions. The Safety of the Intended Functionality (SOTIF), defined in ISO 21448, extends the traditional ISO 26262 safety framework by addressing hazards that arise from performance limitations and functional insufficiencies, even in the absence of system faults. Addressing such hazards requires methodologies that go beyond traditional fault-based analysis and are capable of representing uncertainty and causal dependencies. Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) is a widely used safety assessment method within ISO 26262 Functional Safety (FuSa) framework. However, traditional FTA is limited by its binary event structure, static assumptions and inability to capture probabilistic dependencies between variables. These limitations constrain its applicability in SOTIF-related safety analysis, where context-dependent and performance-driven hazards are critical. By integrating FTA with Bayesian Network (BN), these limitations can be addressed, that enabling probabilistic inference, representation of causal dependencies, and dynamic risk quantification. This thesis proposes an integrated methodology that combines FTA with BN to support probabilistic safety analysis in alignment with SOTIF principles. The approach remains the deductive, structured hierarchy of FTA while incorporating the probabilistic reasoning capabilities of BN. This integration enables the representation of multi-state variables, explicit modeling of interdependencies, and dynamic risk quantification through Bayesian inference. The proposed methodology is validated through two case studies. The first focuses on collision scenarios in autonomous driving to demonstrate the integration of FTA with BN, the result shows the perception system is the main contributor to collision risk in autonomous vehicles. The second case study examines object detection failure to evaluate the framework's alignment with SOTIF principles by modeling performance limitations and triggering conditions. Results show that adverse weather and occlusion are the most significant contributors to object detection failures, with posterior probabilities of 45.76% and 58.72%, respectively. The findings demonstrate the framework's ability to capture causal relationships and provide both qualitative and quantitative insights of SOTIF-related hazards. By aligning with ISO 26262 and ISO 21448, this research advances a comprehensive and extensible safety assessment approach that accounts for both fault-based and performance-based hazards in autonomous vehicle systems
The Security of Self: A Human-Centric Approach to Cybersecurity
No full textCybersecurity is a powerful concept often examined through the lens of national security and organizational risks. It however demands a deeper understanding to empower our societies—and ourselves—to thrive in the digital context.
This edited collection explores a new approach to human-centric cybersecurity: the security of self. It invites a paradigm shift where cybersecurity’s core purpose is to protect people—and society—from harm, and where empowering individual and collective rights defines what it means to provide a secure cyber environment.
With a distinct Canadian focus, and case studies spanning the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and social media, this collection charts a path forward for cybersecurity, grounded in law, policy and practices that advance the security of self. This collection serves as a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, regulators and individuals seeking to understand and shape the future of human-centric cybersecurity.About the Cover Art
List of Figures
Acknowledgements
INTRODUCTION
Conceptualizing Security of Self
Emily B. Laidlaw and Florian Martin-Bariteau
PART I: REFRAMING CYBERSECURITY NARRATIVES
Chapter 1
Whose Security Are We Talking About Anyway?
The Case of Amazon Ring
Jane Bailey, Jacquelyn Burkell, and Kristen Thomasen
1.1. Technology-Facilitated Violence as a Matter of Cybersecurity
1.2. Internet-Connected Home “Security” Systems
1.3. Toward Harm-Centric Security Approaches
Chapter 2
Bringing Security Home: The Need for a Human-Centric
Approach to Securing Smart Homes
Matthew Bush and Atefeh Mashatan
2.1. Today’s Smart Home Systems
2.2. The Human Element in Smart Homes
2.3. Gap Analysis Between the State-of-the-Art and User Expectations
2.4. Toward Shared Responsibility and a Proactive Smart Home Security Framework
Chapter 3
The Vulnerability of Emerging Technologies of the Self:
A Critical Analysis of Virtual Reality Through Psychedelic
Self‑Hacking
Jordan Loewen-Colón, Sharday Mosurinjohn, and Amarnath Amarasingam
3.1. The Critical Vulnerabilities of the Self in Virtual Reality
3.2. Hacking from the Outside In
3.3. Hacking from the Inside Out: Foucault’s “Technologies of the Self”
3.4. Securing Technologies of the Self
Chapter 4
Developing Human-Centric Informational Security
Jonathon W. Penney
4.1. Information Manipulation as a Cybersecurity Threat
4.2. The Limits of the Existing Cybersecurity Paradigm
4.3. Framing Human-Centric Informational Security
4.4. Recommendations for Policy and Research
Chapter 5
The Technology-Facilitated Insecurity of Public and Private Selves
Chris Tenove and Heidi Tworek
5.1. Harassment, Technology-Facilitated Violence, and Cybersecurity
5.2. How Platforms Facilitate Insecurity and Harm
5.3. Systemic Suggestions to Address Technology‑Facilitated Insecurity
PART II: TOWARD THE SECURITY OF SELF
Chapter 6
Achieving the Security of Self in Machine Learning: Empowering
Individuals Through Self-Security Enhancing Technologies
Sébastien Gambs
6.1. Machine Learning Privacy and Security
6.2. Auditing and Watermarking Data
6.3. Poisoning Data
6.4. Unlearning Data
6.5. Toward a New Machine Learning Security of Self Paradigm
Chapter 7
Addressing the Harms of Data Security Breaches
Teresa Scassa
7.1. Legislative Context
7.2. Class Action Lawsuits
7.3. Privacy Law and Class Actions
7.4. Private Right of Action
7.5. An Uncertain Future
Chapter 8
Algorithmic Impact Assessment: From Risk Assessments to Community Research
Fenwick McKelvey, Nick Gertler, and Alex Megelas
8.1. Algorithmic Impact Assessments
8.2. Lessons Learned from the Limits of Canada’s AIA
8.3. Toward a Community-Based Approach
8.4. Enhancing the Security of Self with Community‑Based AIA
Chapter 9
Securing Public Interest Cybersecurity Researchers in Canadian Universities
Adam Molnar
9.1. The University as a Locus for Public Interest Cybersecurity Research
9.2. The Ubiquitous Use of Computer Security Methods
9.3. Coordinated Vulnerability Reporting
9.4. Assessing the Legal Risk
9.5. Securing Research
Chapter 10
The Online Mutual Help Practices of Romance Fraud Victims
Pascale-Marie Cantin, Fyscillia Ream, and Benoît Dupont
10.1. Online Mutual Help
10.2. Data and Methods
10.3. Supporting Victims by Helping them Regain a Voice, Overcome Isolation, and Access Personal Advice
10.4. Identifying Fraudulent Profiles
10.5. Raising Awareness
10.6. Incentivizing and Regulating Mutual Help
Chapter 11
When Victims Strike Back: Online Fraud Victims’ Response to their Victimization
Fyscillia Ream, Akim Laniel-Lanani, and Benoît Dupont
11.1. Overview of Online Fraud Victimization
11.2. Vigilantism, Digilantism, and Online Victimization
11.3. Fighting Cyberfraud on Facebook
11.4. From Victim Blaming to Victim Empowerment
Biographies
Editors
Contributor
Poverty and Child Benefits in Canada Through a Child Material Deprivation Lens
No full textThis research develops Canada’s first child material deprivation scale, which includes 15 items and distinguishes between four levels of deprivation (none, marginal, moderate and severe). We use this scale to compare child poverty with income before taxes and various other indicators of material well-being. We find that, despite having an income above the poverty line, many households with children experience outcomes associated with material deprivation or at least considerable material challenges. We then explore the implications of this partial overlap between the material deprivation and income distributions in the context of the Canadian Child Benefit (CCB), an income-tested child benefit program that was introduced in 2016 and is widely considered successful in reducing child poverty. Our simulation of targeting performance and program spending shows how the CCB’s near universal coverage and low benefit claw back rates are successful in reaching materially deprived children with still relatively generous benefits at higher incomes while also involving considerable spending on non-deprived children. We conclude that even when income is a practical metric to target income transfers it should not be the only one by which such programs are designed and evaluated
Physical, Analytical and Numerical Study of Ship-Generated Waves-Induced Hydrodynamics and Associated Sediment Transport
No full textThe Upper St. Lawrence River, a heavily regulated inland waterway connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, has experienced intensified commercial navigation over the past several decades. This increase in vessel traffic has raised growing concern about the cumulative impact of ship-generated hydrodynamic disturbances—particularly vessel ship-generated waves—on nearshore environments. These disturbances are capable of resuspending bottom sediments, increasing turbidity, and accelerating the degradation of unprotected shorelines. Primary wave components, such as drawdown, and secondary components such as divergent or Kelvin ship-generated waves, can generate high-energy, short-duration events in shallow, sediment-rich areas. Although the ecological and morphological implications of ship-generated waves are widely acknowledged, their specific role in sediment resuspension—especially when isolated from wind-induced forces—remains insufficiently explored in confined, regulated waterways such as the Upper St. Lawrence River.
This research addresses these knowledge gaps through an integrated framework that combines long-term field observations, data-driven modeling, and high-resolution numerical simulations. Two representative nearshore sites—Mariatown and Jacobs Island—were selected based on their contrasting geomorphic features, sediment characteristics, and proximity to the main shipping channel. The sites were monitored for over 300 days using six RBR Duo3 D.TU loggers deployed along shore-normal transects, collecting wave and turbidity data at a 2 Hz sampling frequency. A novel wave separation technique was developed to isolate ship-generated wave signals from overlapping natural waveforms. This approach combined spectral filtering, synthetic Gaussian noise reconstruction of wind and seiche activity, and wavelet-based verification to reliably differentiate anthropogenic from natural forcing events.
Field results showed that secondary ship-generated waves, particularly secondary waves, were responsible for short-lived turbidity spikes up to five times greater than those caused by local wind events. These effects were most pronounced in shallow nearshore zones with fine-grained cohesive sediments and minimal shoreline protection. Spatial variability in turbidity response highlighted the importance of local depth, substrate composition, and logger distance from the navigation channel. By contrast, wind-induced waves produced sustained but lower-intensity turbidity increases, suggesting fundamentally different sediment mobilization mechanisms.
To assess the influence of vessel parameters on wave dynamics and sediment transport, time-delayed multivariate regression and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural networks were applied. These models incorporated ship-specific inputs—such as speed, draft, length, and hull type—alongside wave and turbidity measurements. Both modeling approaches identified vessel speed and draft as the dominant predictors of wave energy and near-bed shear stress. The results confirmed that fast-moving tankers and cargo ships with deep drafts consistently exceeded shear stress thresholds for erosion, particularly during sequences of closely spaced transits.
In the final phase, a numerical modeling framework was developed by coupling the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Vessel Wake Prediction Tool (VWPT) with the DHI MIKE 21/3 Flow Model (FM) modeling suite. A nested large-domain hydrodynamic model was first created to generate boundary conditions based on river-scale flow, wind, and water level data. This was followed by high-resolution spectral wave and coupled wave-sediment transport simulations at both study sites. The model simulated the propagation of ship-generated waves into the nearshore zone, computed wave orbital velocities and shear stress, and predicted suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and bed-level changes over a synthetic annual time series representing approximately 2,500 ship passages.
Model validation against field data demonstrated strong agreement in spatial wave energy distribution and SSC patterns. Results revealed that energy focusing occurred along concave shoreline segments, resulting in localized erosion and sediment mobilization. However, under current vessel traffic conditions, long-term morphological changes were predicted to be minimal, indicating that ship-generated wave-induced erosion is primarily episodic and site-specific rather than widespread or cumulative at the reach scale.
This novel study contributes a validated, multi-scale framework for quantifying ship wave-induced sediment resuspension in confined inland waterways. The novel wave separation method enhances the classification of hydrodynamic drivers in mixed environments, while the integration of data-driven and numerical modeling provides mechanistic insights into the relationship between vessel traffic and shoreline processes. The findings support the development of evidence-based shoreline protection policies, including speed restrictions, hull design considerations, and localized structural interventions to ensure the sustainable management of navigation corridors subject to increasing anthropogenic pressure
Puis-je entrer en relation avec les imaginaires musicaux de Laura Niquay, Kanen et Elisapie ? : auto-ethnographie sensorielle d'une descendante du peuplement colonial français au Québec
No full textMa recherche remonte dans mon parcours de vie et révèle comment cette question a émergé en moi : est-il possible d'entrer en relation avec les imaginaires musicaux de Laura Niquay, Kanen et Elisapie, à partir de ma position de descendante du peuplement colonial français ? Cette recherche relate un parcours où la musique devient jalon relationnel, me transformant en auditrice consciente de ses propres limites. J'utilise l'auto-ethnographie évocatrice pour documenter la déconstruction de mon imaginaire colonial, puis ma rencontre avec trois autrices-compositrices-interprètes ayant été actives sur la scène musicale populaire autochtone, québécoise, canadienne et internationale post-2015, soit à la suite de la publication du rapport de la Commission vérité et réconciliation du Canada. À travers un journal d'écoute, je documente ma trajectoire sensorielle, émotionnelle et politique me menant d'un récit de déni et d'harmonie vers le questionnement de mes privilèges et l'ouverture à l'autre, traversant des émotions complexes ; notamment la normalité de la dépossession, la curiosité, la honte et la gratitude. Mon projet suit une méthodologie qui reconnaît les espaces de l'inaudible, c'est-à-dire ce qui m'échappe culturellement et linguistiquement, ainsi que de l'indicible, soit ce que j'ai peine à énoncer à cause de ma propre complicité coloniale. Avec humilité, cette approche explore comment mon corps écoute, comment mes oreilles portent l'histoire de mes privilèges, et comment l'art peut créer des ponts sans effacer les différences. Cette thèse propose l'écoute comme praxis, comme un apprentissage patient de la coexistence dans l'inconfort des asymétries. Ma trajectoire d'écoute démontre que devenir une meilleure alliée commence peut-être par apprendre à entendre ce qu'on ne voit pas, mote mote, comme chante Laura Niquay. Il s'agit d'une contribution modeste aux réflexions sur l'écoute située, où la vulnérabilité peut devenir rigueur académique et où la transformation personnelle rejoint l'engagement politique et l'imaginaire collectif
Adaptive Policy Smoothing in Reinforcement Learning: Applications to Wavefront Sensorless Adaptive Optics and Robotics
No full textOptical communication between low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and the ground is an emerging form of free-space data transmission. It offers significantly faster data transfer and supports higher bandwidths than radio frequency communication. However, atmospheric turbulence distorts the optical beam wavefront, leading to reduced data transfer rates. Adaptive Optics (AO) can correct these distortions by using real-time control commands, informed by data from a wavefront sensor, to adjust a deformable mirror.
Traditional AO systems, however, suffer from high complexity and cost, with a significant portion of the cost attributed to wavefront sensors. Additionally, the wavefront sensors are limited in dynamic range, consume a fraction of the incident beam intensity, and introduce latency between the measurement and actuation of the deformable mirror. These factors can cause discrepancies between the measured and actual atmospheric characteristics as the satellite traverses the sky.
This thesis demonstrates that reinforcement learning (RL) can serve as a viable, low-cost, and low-latency alternative by eliminating the wavefront sensor and its associated processing electronics. This can be accomplished by developing a control policy learned through interactions with a cost-effective and ultra-fast readout of a low-dimensional photodetector array rather than relying on a wavefront phase profiling camera.
Inspired by the application of an RL-based wavefront sensorless AO system for optical LEO satellite-to-ground communication downlinks, this thesis recognizes and addresses a general limitation in standard deep RL controllers. A significant limitation of policies trained using standard deep RL algorithms is the presence of high-frequency components in the control signal, which can lead to oscillations that increase actuator amplitudes. This limitation results in decreased correction speed and the system's inability to keep pace with rapidly changing wavefronts. Existing action regularization methods mitigate these oscillations but often reduce performance, particularly in fast-evolving dynamic environments, where they restrict the policy from quickly adjusting to account for large state changes.
To address this challenge, a novel State-Adaptive Proportional Policy Smoothing (SAPPS) method is proposed for RL. SAPPS reduces high-frequency components in the control signal in continuous environments through policy smoothing proportionally to the magnitude of state changes, ensuring the policy remains responsive to environmental changes without compromising performance.
The proposed SAPPS method is integrated with the on-policy deep RL algorithm Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) and compared against standard PPO and the state-of-the-art smoothing methods CAPS and LipsNet, both implemented within the PPO framework for fair comparison. To assess the generality of the proposed approach, it is evaluated across standard MuJoCo continuous-control tasks, which serve as widely used benchmarks for RL, and a real-world quadcopter hovering experiment that demonstrates its hardware applicability. In addition, the method is evaluated on a complex wavefront sensorless AO system for optical satellite communication, highlighting its effectiveness in highly dynamic environments. To address the challenges of AO systems and facilitate the evaluation of RL algorithms, an RL environment for a simulated wavefront sensorless AO system is also developed.
The results show that PPO+SAPPS performs comparably to PPO+CAPS, and both outperform standard PPO in MuJoCo tasks. Specifically, PPO+SAPPS improves performance by 11% and policy smoothness by 28%. In the physical quadcopter experiment, PPO+SAPPS outperforms PPO+CAPS and standard PPO, achieving a 17% higher average return and a 29% improvement in policy smoothness. In the wavefront sensorless AO system, PPO+SAPPS achieves performance comparable to PPO+CAPS, reaching the maximum performance attained by the Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor in a quasi-static atmosphere. Moreover, under dynamic conditions, PPO+SAPPS surpasses standard PPO, PPO+CAPS, and PPO (LipsNet) in high-velocity conditions.
These findings highlight the contribution of the proposed SAPPS method in reducing high-frequency control fluctuations in proportion to environmental changes, while enabling more responsive performance compared to state-of-the-art smoothing methods across multiple simulated and real-world systems. In particular, it demonstrates strong potential for optical satellite communication, which could effectively serve rural and remote communities by enabling high-speed connectivity with reduced costs
A New Employment Model for the Older Population
No full textThe purpose of this thesis is to conceptually develop a Socio-Economic Smart Employment Model (SESEM) that could help older adults (aged 50 and above) who wish to remain socially active and share their knowledge and expertise.
The development of the SESEM builds on two steps: first, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to better understand older adults' work and life experiences, theories and applications of the sharing economy, and related concepts including social entrepreneurship, social innovation, collaborative spaces, open sources, information and communication technologies (ICTs), history of work, and social housing. The second step relied on an inductive approach and action research strategy to conceptually develop SESEM, which integrates three foundational pillars: sharing principles, social assets, and innovative technologies.
The model is explored through three case studies: Case 1 applies the model in the self-employment domain; Case 2 applies it to task-based employment (gig work); and Case 3 shows how SESEM could apply in a mega-project venture - the Smart Social Housing Ecosystem (SSHE) - that involves society as a whole as well as the private and public sectors, which could be a nucleus for smart social village megaprojects and smart cities.
The argument in this thesis is that this model is designed to simplify the process of engaging older adults in later life, keep them socially active and productive, and benefit the economy by maximizing the utilization of human and natural resources without compromising the environment.
From a sociological and economic perspective, the SESEM could help reduce the barriers from discriminatory attitudes and behaviours that older adults often face in the labour market