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This work presents a feature-oriented taxonomy for commercial electronic voting machines, which focuses on usability aspects. Based on this analysis, we propose a 'Just-Like-Paper' (JLP) classification method which identifies five broad categories of eVoting interface. We extend the classification to investigate its application as an indicator of voting efficiency and identify a universal ten-step process encompassing all possible voting steps spanning the twenty-six machines studied. Our analysis concludes that multi-functional and progressive interfaces are likely to be more efficient versus multi-modal voter-activated machines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much research has been done on the impact of ICT on development in both developed and developing economies. An area though that there is hardly an empirical research is its impact on not-forprofit organisations or the third sector. This research seeks to feel this gap by focusing on the third sector in Nigeria. To theoretically underpin this study, three variables (fun, culture and technology readiness) has been developed and incorporated in existing technology acceptance model. The research is at initial stage and though it develops a research model, the model will be further examined and refined before the full empirical work will be carried out to validate it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to review and classify survey-based research connecting information and communication technology (ICT), supply chain management (SCM), and supply chain (SC) performance. The review evaluates present empirical results and aims at detecting explanations for similarities and differences in reported findings in the current literature. Design/methodology/approach - The paper is based upon a structured literature review of the major journals in the fields of operations management, logistics, and information systems. Findings - The point of departure in this paper is the possible inconsistency in reported findings within this field of research. The paper finds that measurements and constructs in all three major variables (ICT, SCM, SC performance) are different and often incomparable, and contextual factors are not systematically considered. Surprisingly, despite these differences, the papers reviewed show that generally, there is a positive direct or indirect effect of ICT on performance and SCM. Research limitations/implications - The paper aims at reviewing the survey-based literature only. Findings from case studies and other types of studies are not considered. An implication of this paper might be to reconsider how future survey studies should be designed and what constructs and issues need to be incorporated. Specifically, the relationships between single technologies, aspects of SCM and performance dimensions need specific attention in future research. Originality/value - The paper offers a systematic review that helps to further develop our understanding of the relationship of SCM, ICT, and SC performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is an important tool to mitigate cybersecurity threats in an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure. The function of the IDS is to detect an intrusion to an ICT system or network so that adequate countermeasures can be adopted. Desirable features of IDS are computing efficiency and high intrusion detection accuracy. This paper proposes a new anomaly detection algorithm for IDS, where a machine learning algorithm is applied to detect deviations from legitimate traffic, which may indicate an intrusion. To improve computing efficiency, a sliding window approach is applied where the analysis is applied on large sequences of network flows statistics. This paper proposes a novel approach based on the transformation of the network flows statistics to gray images on which Gray level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) are applied together with an entropy measure recently proposed in literature: the 2D Dispersion Entropy. This approach is applied to the recently public IDS data set CIC-IDS2017. The results show that the proposed approach is competitive in comparison to other approaches proposed in literature on the same data set. The approach is applied to two attacks of the CIC-IDS2017 data set: DDoS and Port Scan achieving respectively an Error Rate of 0.0016 and 0.0048. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrification of the transport sector has emerged as a game changer in addressing the issues of climate change caused by global warming. However, the unregulated expansion and simplistic approach to electric vehicle (EV) charging pose substantial risks to grid stability and efficiency. Intelligent charging techniques using Information and Communication Technology, known as smart charging, enable the transformation of the EV fleets from passive consumers to active participants within the grid ecosystem. This concept facilitates the EV fleet's contribution to various grid services, enhancing grid functionality and resilience. This paper investigates the optimal infrastructure design for a smart charging system within the Monash microgrid (Clayton campus). We introduce a centralized Grid-to-Vehicle (G2V) algorithm and formulate three optimization problems utilizing linear and least-squares programming methods. These problems address tariff structures between the main grid and microgrid, aiming to maximize aggregator profits or minimize load fluctuations while meeting EV users' charging needs. Additionally, our framework incorporates network-aware coordination via the Newton–Raphson method, leveraging EVs' charging flexibility to mitigate congestion and node voltage issues. We evaluate the G2V algorithm's performance under increasing EV user demand through simulation and analyze the net present value (NPV) over 15 years. The results highlight the effectiveness of our proposed framework in optimizing grid operation management. Moreover, our case study offers valuable insights into an efficient investment strategy for deploying the G2V system on campus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many countries invest in the modernization of court systems and use information and communication technologies to enhance their functioning, quantitatively and qualitatively. This paper presents an evaluation of the quality of the services offered by the Greek Judicial authorities based on the perceptions of 2 target groups: lawyers and court employees. The quality was examined in terms of the existence of up-to-date equipment and ICT applications, the Courts' ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately, the Court employees' knowledge and willingness to help customers and provide prompt services as well as their ability to convey trust and confidence to customers. The results were presented and analysed with the use of various statistical tools. The main findings revealed the level of Courts' service quality and the degree of Court's digitalization in Greece, but they can also provide evidence on the prioritization of future service improvement activities which could be used to inform attempts of improvements and innovations in other countries too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital transformation of society is a reality. Technology is becoming integral to people's daily lives and children are growing up in the digital age. The education systems have to reflect and adapt to the new digital reality to effectively engage and prepare students for the future. Teachers have to possess digital competences at a high level, meaning that they are successfully able to use digital tools and technologies in their teaching practices. Digital competences include digital literacy, experience using educational software and platforms, and the ability to seamlessly integrate information and communication technologies (ICT) into the organization of educational activities. The current paper aims to study the opinion of teachers in Bulgarian schools regarding the possibilities of using digital technologies to achieve educational goals and the extent to which teachers integrate digital tools in their teaching activities. Teachers' opinions about the need for specific digital competences are important. The results of the survey show that teachers in Bulgaria actively use digital technologies in their daily teaching activities (84.8%) in order to create and provide learning content to students and to provoke their active participation, and is a convenient tool for evaluating their students' knowledge and skills and for providing effective feedback. The conducted research also identifies the necessary competences that teachers of the digital generation of learners need—skills and competences for developing authored electronic resources in various formats for students with different learning styles, as well as for working in online environments—individually and collaboratively with other teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using recent information and communication technologies for monitoring and management initiates a revolution in the smart grid. These technologies generate massive data that can only be processed using big data tools. This paper emphasizes the role of big data in resolving load forecasting, renewable energy sources integration, and demand response as significant aspects of smart grids. Meters data from the Low Carbon London Project is investigated as a case study. Because of the immense stream of meters' readings and exogenous data added to load forecasting models, addressing the problem is in the context of big data. Descriptive analytics are developed using Spark SQL to get insights regarding household energy consumption. Spark MLlib is utilized for predictive analytics by building scalable machine learning models accommodating meters' data streams. Multivariate polynomial regression and decision tree models are preferred here based on the big data point of view and the literature that ensures they are accurate and interpretable. The results confirmed the descriptive analytics and data visualization capabilities to provide valuable insights, guide the feature selection process, and enhance load forecasting models' accuracy. Accordingly, proper evaluation of demand response programs and integration of renewable energy resources is accomplished using achieved load forecasting results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review investigates the evolution of green information systems (ISs) based on an examination of the literature spanning the years 2000 to 2023. Using bibliographic analysis, a method that enables the study of a large volume of sources, this paper establishes connections among pertinent concepts in the green ISs field, outlining the authors' interests in the analysed period. Based on the identification of key trends, primary directions, interdisciplinary initiatives, and emerging areas, the assessment reveals that the interest in minimizing the negative impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on the environment is a relevant research topic, with significant evolution in the analysed period. On this basis, this study emphasizes the need for the integration of environmental protection in all stages of the IS life cycle and in all industries, a holistic approach we consider essential for the sustainable growth of the ICT-based societal domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of e-commerce, bolstered by advances in information and communication technology (ICT), has made it possible for consumers to shop online without the need to physically travel. The unexpected emergence of COVID-19 further accelerated this shift towards online shopping. This paper compares virtual versus physical access to goods, drawing from dual access theory. It aims to offer a comprehensive understanding of the disparities in accessibility between digital and brick-and-mortar shopping experiences. Our results indicate that, when considering the complete private costs — including the intrinsic costs of shopping and those incurred en-route like travel and delivery fees — online shopping typically offers greater accessibility and is more cost-effective than its in-store counterpart. While physical access to shopping displays a pattern where the central city has a distinct advantage over the suburbs, virtual access presents a more uniform distribution throughout the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have recently focused on the importance of the effective integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools in science education and the need for science teachers to receive adequate training and support to use them effectively. This paper aims to explore the Albanian science teachers' perceptions and use of ICTs in teaching processes. The study provides an interpretative analysis of the opinions of science teachers teaching in the middle and high schools of several Albanian regions expressed in an online survey. Overall, the results suggest that the use of ICT by science teachers in Albania is limited by a lack of proper infrastructure, limited access to technology, and training of teachers on integrating technology. However, there are indications that the adoption of ICT in science education may increase in the future, particularly after the boost from the COVID-19 pandemic emergency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the conditions of technological progress and rapid development of information technologies, it is very challenging to prepare specialists in the field of information and communication technologies who would fully possess the knowledge and skills to work with the diverse range of instrumental and software tools and equipment used in the field. This is due to the continuous improvement and updating of programming languages, frameworks, software environments, shells, and hardware. One of the ways to address this issue is through computer-based educational programs, allowing the individualization of the learning process while preserving it’s quality. Currently, there is a large number of computer-based educational programs used in the study of various disciplines. This paper presents the design of a computer-based educational program on the subject "Fundamentals of Computer Modeling," which enables the modeling of random patterns of various natures, ranging from random events to random streams. The educational program consists of three modules, which include a theoretical part on methods of modeling random patterns, testing after each topic, and a calculator for all modeling methods. In each modeling method, you can input any initial data, such as the number of trials, probabilities of events, functions, and parameters of distribution laws. The results of modeling random patterns can be saved as a file. The program interface is available in three languages: Russian, English, and Kazakh. The currently developing educational program aims to improve the learning process in the "Fundamentals of Computer Modeling" discipline and allows learners to study it independently without any interventions from a professor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the economic and societal benefits of digitalisation and digital transformation, it is necessary to map country's digital conditions and identify the digital divide to formulate an effective strategy. The digital divide should be measured periodically to monitor progress and determine continuous improvement. This paper identifies the current digital divide among provinces in Indonesia. The study uses the hierarchical agglomerative clustering method based on The Indonesian Digital Society Index data from the Ministry of Communication and Informatics. It also analyses some key factors of the digital divide based on data from the Indonesian Bureau of Statistics using the multiple linear regression model. The results show three types of the digital divide across Indonesian provinces related to access, usage, and outcomes of information and communication technology. Gross Regional Domestic Product per capita, Wage/Salary, Proportion of Formal Labor, and Size of the Working-Age Population are identified as factors significantly affecting the digital divide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of communication disturbances on microgrids (MGs) needs robust and scalable Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure for efficient MG control. This work builds on advances in the Internet of Things (IoT) to provide a practical platform for testing the impact of various cyber-attacks on a distributed control scheme for a Multi-Agent System (MAS). This paper presents a Controller Hardware-in-the-Loop (CHIL) testbed to investigate the impact of various cyber-attacks and communication disruptions on MGs. A distributed consensus secondary control scheme for a MAS within an MG cyber-physical system (CPS) is proposed. The proposed cyber-physical testbed integrates a real-time islanded AC microgrid on RT-Lab, secondary controllers implemented on single-board computers, and an attacker agent on another single-board computer. Communication occurs via a UDP/IP network between OPAL-RT and controller agents, as well as between the agents. Through meticulous experimentation, the efficacy of the proposed control strategy using the developed platform is validated. Various attacks were modeled and launched including deception attacks on sensors, actuators, and their combinations, as well as disruption attacks. The ramifications of both deception and disruption cyber-attacks on system performance are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of Television as a means of communication came with many challenges as it sought to distinguish itself from the already existing radio and print media. To effectively win viewership, TV production has to constantly battle with both the existing technologies and the emerging ones. Starting with analogue to the present digital form of broadcasting, TV programmes, most especially, televised debates or talk shows make constant use of ICT tools in the design, production, and transmission processes. The utilisation of these tools inevitably transforms the programmes into more interesting and sophisticated ones, though, the content can be lacking. This paper delves into the aesthetic presentation of ICTs on television programmes in Cameroon particularly on two renowned televised debates: Press Hour and Canal Presse. It adopts a content analysis method to examine the place of ICTs in the amelioration of TV programmes. From the study, it is seen that the advent of the TV was analogue, and the arrival of New Information and Communication Technologies completely changed the production landscape to digital thereby giving a completely different aesthetic look to the programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment encompasses essential concepts and their related measures about the information gathered. The conceptualization within a study becomes imperative to ascertain the corresponding variables and establish appropriate methodologies for their measurement. The willingness to communicate (WTC) concept, an individual's engagement in communication when given the opportunity, has become a crucial point in second language (L2) learning due to language use and communication. While studies have rendered valuable insights into the differing presentations of L1 WTC and L2 WTC, the subject remains largely unexplored concerning the conceptualization and assessment of L2 WTC in the digital settings and English as a foreign language (EFL) context. The scoping review can aid in advancing our knowledge in this area of investigation by exploring the scope of available research literature on a topic by identifying key concepts and sources of evidence as well as identifying strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in the research that inform practice in the field, deepen assessors' knowledge in the field, and highlight areas that require further inquiry. This study conducted a five-stage scoping review, including (1) establishing the scoping review questions, (2) identifying the related research, (3) determining the inclusion criteria of studies, (4) outlining the data, and (5) analyzing and reporting the results. Six databases, ERIC (ProQuest), APA PsycINFO, JSTORE, Elsevier (Scopus), Web of Science Core Collection, and Semantic Scholar, were used for scoping data. Forty-seven studies were included in the final analysis. The results discuss the WTC conceptualizations and their directions in L1, L2, and EFL contexts. Furthermore, the results discuss the conceptualization of classroom-centered and context-bounded WTC, operationalization of WTC in digital and EFL contexts, methodological approaches applied for evaluating WTC, the evaluation of teachers' status in WTC conceptualization, and future directions. The discussions would prove useful in expanding our understanding of how to act toward L2 WTC and the assessment knowledge. Moreover, they would have significant implications for teachers, researchers, assessors, and practitioners in this field. Further, we hope this paper sparks renewed interest in L2 WTC by generating new ideas for researchers to conduct further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalization and the increasing interconnectivity of the international system has brought about changes in the nature of state relations and newer trends in security threats within the international system. Security threats that hitherto did not exist are now made manifest with the aid of globalization particularly as a result of advancement in information, communication and transportation technologies. Cyber-crime, transnational crimes, money laundry, human trafficking, terrorism financing, proliferation of small arms and light weapons amongst several other security threats now characterize the global system. This paper therefore attempts to interrogate globalization as a driver for insecurity. It is the position of this paper that national and international security dynamics have changes because of globalization. It is desk research and relies basically on secondary data. The paper therefore recommends the need for states to adopt security strategies that are in line with global trends so as to address security challenges. It also recommends the application of technology in addressing national security challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of public administrations after COVID-19, this paper formulates and validates a digital model of tutoring (e-tutoring) for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by public administrations or PAs to help the former reduce their risks to fold in their first few years of existence and with the support of private professionals (economists, accountants, business advisors, managers, etc.). The model draws on ideas about relational administration (RA), a concept that is yet to be fully exploited or assessed in the literature. Several hypotheses derived from the model are formulated and tested using a polytomic-nominal logistic regression. A questionnaire was sent to and returned by 236 small and medium entrepreneurs in Spain facing insolvency proceedings to identify main reasons for business failure and if or how they would accept online tutoring from private professionals associated with PAs. Findings suggest that SM entrepreneurs agree with receiving selected forms of tutoring, requiring public administrations to enhance capabilities for joint information provision and decision making through the use of information and communication technologies or ICTs. These findings have important implications for the potential restructuring of public administrations, their collaborations with professionals, and the future co-design and implementation of e-government services by PAs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interpersonal disagreement among employees in the workplace is an important predictor of perceived stress, especially in virtual and digitally connected workplaces. Such perceived stress has the potential to lead employees toward social undermining. This study is quantitative in nature, and data were collected from various organizations primarily relying on information and communication technology (ICT)-based systems. The study aimed to test a serial mediation model containing task conflict and relationship conflict as serial mediators. Statistical analysis reveals a significant indirect effect on the outcome variable of social undermining through the serial mediators. The PROCESS Macro version 3.3 was utilized for the analysis of hypotheses. Discussions have been framed with reference to contextual factors, such as those within the mindfulness theory, and other elements that might have influenced the relationship between variables. This relationship between variables has not been previously tested on employees working in a virtual and digital setup, where psychological contracts also play a role in conflict generation and its handling, leading to associated job stress. Finally, this paper recommends useful directions for future research [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of information and communication technology could increase the quantity and quality of small medium enterprises (SME) production, including batik industry. This study focuses on the development of batik 4.0, a custom batik mobile-based interface that makes it easier for customer which can be used to quickly produce high-quality digital batik designs. The findings of this study simplify the ordering process for potential clients who want to acquire custom batik designs. Ease of transactions, namely down payments (DP) where users can make advance payments, so that users are relieved in terms of payment transactions. In designing mobile devices, applications, and user interfaces (UI), it is important to consider the user experience (UX). This paper focuses on UX design rooted in the usercentered design (UCD) approach, placing emphasis on understanding user requirements and prioritizing empathy for users. This ensures the recognition of user needs and the creation of a high-fidelity prototype. Then it was validated by the UI experts to identify problems and user difficulties in interacting with the UI. The experts responded positively towards the application and suggest for prototype improvement. Lastly, UX testing; based on the user experience questionnaire (UEQ)-S benchmark results, the batik 4.0 mobile is included in the "Excellent" category. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The escalating reliance of modern society on information and communication technology has rendered it vulnerable to an array of cyber-attacks, with distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks emerging as one of the most prevalent threats. This paper delves into the intricacies of DDoS attacks, which exploit compromised machines numbering in the thousands to disrupt data services and online commercial platforms, resulting in significant downtime and financial losses. Recognizing the gravity of this issue, various detection techniques have been explored, yet the quantity and prior detection of DDoS attacks has seen a decline in recent methods. This research introduces an innovative approach by integrating evolutionary optimization algorithms and machine learning techniques. Specifically, the study proposes XGB-GA Optimization, RF-GA Optimization, and SVM-GA Optimization methods, employing Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) Optimization with Tree-based Pipelines Optimization Tool (TPOT)-Genetic Programming. Datasets pertaining to DDoS attacks were utilized to train machine learning models based on XGB, RF, and SVM algorithms, and 10-fold cross-validation was employed. The models were further optimized using EAs, achieving remarkable accuracy scores: 99.99% with the XGB-GA method, 99.50% with RF-GA, and 99.99% with SVM-GA. Furthermore, the study employed TPOT to identify the optimal algorithm for constructing a machine learning model, with the genetic algorithm pinpointing XGB-GA as the most effective choice. This research significantly advances the field of DDoS attack detection by presenting a robust and accurate methodology, thereby enhancing the cybersecurity landscape and fortifying digital infrastructures against these pervasive threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of "smart cities" has gained recognition in the last few years because of the increasing urban population coupled with rise in the number of urban problems. Smart cities - usage of information and communication technology (ICT) to enhance the standard of living, thereby, represents a digital solution for the urban communities that aims for economic growth and sustainability. The present paper offers an overview of this innovative concept. Smart Mobility, Smart Economy, Smart People, Smart Environment, Smart Living and Smart Governance are the six pillars of a smart city. However, the article puts an emphasis on smart governance, while providing a brief description of all the other dimensions. By highlighting some of the benefits and challenges that smart governance offers to urban citizens, it presents the significance of collaboration between different stakeholders including citizens, public institutions and government officials. In conclusion, the study argues smart governance is essential for promoting good governance practices but there is a need to consider the other factors such as social inclusion and basic human rights while adopting this new method in decisionmaking process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the findings of a scoping review that maps exploratory evidence and gaps in research on information and communication technology (ICT) access and use among older persons in the Arab region. This review is part of a larger project that studies ICT access and use and related challenges faced by older adults in Qatar. A search was conducted in eleven scientific databases and search engines covering empirical studies published in English and Arabic between January 2016 and June 2021. Eleven studies were retrieved in the final corpus. A thematic analysis alongside the PRISMA for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) was used to retrieve the findings. Our analysis identifies smartphones and social media applications for communication and information sharing as the most accessed and used technologies by older persons in the region. Moreover, our review highlighted the importance of the sociocultural factors in shaping ICT access and use by older persons in the region. The functional limitations of older persons in interaction with certain technology factors such as usability, functionality, and accessibility were also highlighted as major challenges inhibiting ICT access and use by this population segment. This scoping review provides a comprehensive overview of ICT access and use, and the factors affecting them among older persons in the Arab region. It highlights the scarcity of research on the subject in the region. It also stresses the fact that there is a need for more research on older persons and their caregivers in the context of the Arab world. More culturally appropriate need-based and adapted technologies are also recommended. Our review is a comprehensive source for researchers and technology developers interested in targeting and engaging older adults in the Arab region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are still in the side-lines of the emerging literature on innovation in international development cooperation, although the topic has been gaining prominence since the 2000s, accompanying the wider transformation of the development cooperation field. The present paper presents the results of a mixed methods research that involved a broad geographic sample of 20 NGO national co-ordinating bodies through an online survey and semistructured interviews. The goal was to map and analyse innovation perspectives, motivations, and practices in these organisations, understand their relationship with mainstream views of innovation in the field and uncover their potential to promote inclusive innovation. Results suggest that these actors have potential to promote inclusive innovation practices in the field, since they approach innovation with social change as an end goal, as opposed to having an overly solutionist and problem-solving view of social innovation. The paper also highlights the key role of information and communications technologies, as well as digital tools, as both a reason to innovate and enablers of innovation in these organisations. Finally, the conclusion leaves questions open for further research on innovation in development NGOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology is recognised as one of the most important factors in world economic development, particularly contributing to the trade growth of information and communications technology (ICT) products. The decomposition of export growth has been a popular way to analyse how trade has been influenced since 2000. However, there is little investigation regarding the structure of ICT product trading of China, which is the de facto largest trader of ICT goods export and import. This paper contributes to the existing methods with a non-parametric model. The coefficient estimates which functions of their factors represent a dynamic analysis of the factors' influence on decomposed trade growth. The empirical study shows that China's strategy tends to be conservative, as the growth of trade to developed countries mostly came from the volume increase of existing trade lines instead of the increase of trade varieties. Suggestions include that the trade growth could benefit from resource reallocation in ICT industries and the procedure simplification of exporting ICT products. This paper also provides empirical evidence that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) increased the trading volume and frequency by completing the transportation chain and decreasing the variable trade costs. Furthermore, suggestions are provided on improving the impact on the globalisation of ICT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As information communication technology (ICT) has advanced, the healthcare industry has embraced it to reduce medical costs, improve health outcomes, and increase patient satisfaction. Healthcare ICT revolutionizes pediatric healthcare. This study aimed to categorize and synthesize findings from the literature regarding the application of ICT in pediatric patients. This systematic review is based on a comprehensive search of Embase, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar. Study selection and coding were performed independently by 2 researchers, followed by narrative categorization. To reflect current trends in ICT for pediatrics, we adopted the Hype cycle technology classification developed by the advisory and information technology firm, Gartner, and the classification of digital health interventions by the World Health Organization. This study included a total of 135 studies. The analysis revealed 7 main types of ICT for pediatrics: (1) telehealth (39 papers), (2) precision medicine (2 papers), (3) automated decision support systems (17 papers), (4) electronic health records (7 papers), (5) patient portals (7 papers), (6) artificial intelligence (AI) (39 papers), and (7) mobile and wearable technologies (20 papers). In particular, we consistently found references to ICT for pediatrics as well as changing and improving healthcare for children. Further studies are required to determine how we can improve ICT productivity for pediatrics, particularly through AI. This study's results will help healthcare delivery organizations and technology companies consider the future direction of pediatric healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facing global market competition and supply chain risks, many production companies are leaning towards distributed manufacturing because of their ability to utilize a network of manufacturing resources located around the world. Deriving from information and communication technologies and artificial intelligence, the digital twin shop-floor (DTS) has received great attention from academia and industry. DTS is a virtual shop-floor that is almost identical to the physical shop-floor. Therefore, multiple physical shop-floors located in different places can easily be interconnected to realize a DT that is a distributed digital twin shop-floor (D2TS). However, some challenges still hinder effective and efficient resource allocation among D2TSs. In order to attempt to address the issues, firstly, this paper proposes an information architecture for D2TSs based on cloud–fog computing; secondly, a novel mechanism of D2TS resource allocation (D2TSRA) is designed. The proposed mechanism both makes full use of a digital twin to support dynamic allocation of geographic resources and avoids the centralized solutions of the digital twin which lead to a heavy burden on the network bandwidth; thirdly, the optimization problem in D2TSRA is solved by a BP neural network algorithm and an improved genetic algorithm; fourthly, a case study for distributed collaborative manufacturing of aero-engine casing is employed to validate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method of resource allocation for D2TS; finally, the paper is summarized and the relevant research directions are prospected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information Communication Technologies (ICT) research projects are important in generating breakthrough technologies that translate into solutions for numerous societal grand challenges through research and innovation (R&I). However, to ensure that such solutions are socially desirable, there is a concerted drive for the engagement of different stakeholders, including industry, academia, public and government. In the face of the growing recognition of stakeholder engagement in ICT research projects, particularly as part of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), there is a limited discourse on how its consequence could be evaluated. This paper suggests and uses a Theory of Change approach to evaluate the value of stakeholder engagement on the attainment of socially desirable and responsible outcomes in projects, particularly ICT research projects. Using a multi-case study approach, the paper appraises the value of stakeholder engagement in ICT research projects by elucidating the linkages between stakeholder activities and socially desirable outcomes. The findings from the paper could apply to other types of projects apart from ICT research projects in understanding some of the roles stakeholders play in ensuring responsible innovation as an outcome of the projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses the current trends in cataloging and classification of library materials in the information and communication technology era. There is outstanding evidence that ICT has improved cataloging activities, but has at the same time given rise to some issues of concern to the library, librarian and the users. Such defined concerns include a threat to the cataloguer's role, competencies needed, facilities, training, software etc. Suggestions given on how to derive maximum benefits include capacity building through self-development, curriculum review, constant power supply, and bibliographic instructions for regular users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every year, plant diseases cause a significant loss of valuable food crops around the world. The plant and crop disease management practice implemented in order to mitigate damages have changed considerably. Today, through the application of new information and communication technologies, it is possible to predict the onset or change in the severity of diseases using modern big data analysis techniques. In this paper, we present an analysis and classification of research studies conducted over the past decade that forecast the onset of disease at a pre-symptomatic stage (i.e., symptoms not visible to the naked eye) or at an early stage. We examine the specific approaches and methods adopted, pre-processing techniques and data used, performance metrics, and expected results, highlighting the issues encountered. The results of the study reveal that this practice is still in its infancy and that many barriers need to be overcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main goal of this study is to review several previously published papers about the relationship between Information and Communication Technology and competitiveness in the tourism industry, to determine trends, research approaches and contextualization of former studies. Ninety papers were selected from the most visited journal databases of scientist papers related to tourism and technology: ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, EBSCO, DOAJ, and Emerald. Once applied the Systematic Mapping Review methodology, it was found that there are four major categories in which the relationship between the constructs can be grouped competitiveness and Information and Communication Technology; direct positive relationship, negative relationship, no relationship and positive relationship through other factors. Currently, there is consensus between researchers and professionals about the positive relationship between Information and Communication Technology and competitiveness on the tourism industry from the macroeconomic point of view. However, at a microeconomic level, the discussion has not yet been resolved since the adoption of technology or any other type of resource can generate dissimilar results in different companies given the characteristics of each firm. Future lines of research should focus on determining what the factors are, and under what conditions the digitalization of firms translates into improvements in their productivity and competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the rapid onset of Robotic process automation (RPA) technologies in the Czech financial sector between 2015-2020. The development and experience from the "hype-and-fear" phase contributed to business process integration and technological spillovers are expected in the future. If ICT capabilities are the source of performance differences, then most likely candidates are inventory and finances business process integration and implemented Enterprise Resource Planning and Customer Relationship Management systems. The RPA should not be seen only as simple automation but as a complex instrument offering a lot of advantages with a focus on benefits for internal and external stakeholders. PURPOSE. The goal is to qualitatively analyze the experience with RPA implementation and quantitatively assess ICT capabilities via analysis of differences between various organizational ICT activities and types of companies in the Czech financial sector. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH. The qualitative case study was performed in the bank ČSOB, a.s. in 2019, respondents, owners of processes in the final part of automation, were chosen randomly from different departments of the bank. Data for the quantitative part comes from the ICT survey (Czech Statistical Office), business performance dataset (EMIS) and a case study about ICT capability implementation. Differences are assessed and indirectly interpreted using goodness-of-fit approach. FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS. The results from the RPA case study revealed that the Czech financial sector is past the "hype and fear" phase and many companies focused on their return on investment and are beginning to focus more on other stakeholders. According to this development, the requirements and outputs are suggested in the phases of RPA implementation. The possible source of profitability performance differences are integrated business processes. LIMITATIONS. Financial sector data are anonymized in ICT surveys and the measurement of the competitive advantage of ICT capabilities is only indirect. Qualitative approach is suggested with focus on technological efficiency measurement using data envelopment approach. ORIGINALITY. This paper provides an understanding of the strong experience in RPA in Czech financial sector. Certain initial setbacks in RPA are expected and this paper suggest to focus on knowledge management (lessons learned) and other requirements influencing the successful RPA prototyping and implementation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemic diseases patients need constant monitoring of their health, whether in the hospital or at home, and this requires great costs. The employment of information and communication technologies and artificial intelligence concepts helps reduce these costs. This paper introduces a real-time monitoring system for monitoring pneumonia patients that will allow doctors to monitor the health of their patients remotely through smartphones or internetconnected devices. To verify the proper functioning of this system, a real-time monitoring device was developed. A secure mechanism is designed to establish a wireless connection to the monitoring unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This conceptual paper attempts to understand the necessity of intertwining Democracy and e-Democracy for the success of institutionalization of e-Democracy. In this respect, it proposes the "Four-Forces Framework of Democracy" and their Drivers. The paper also explores the challenges that e-Democracy may face in its growth and evolution, highlights the risks involved in ignoring the challenges, and suggests the future direction. In the present scenario, there is a considerable push for Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The paper discusses whether this will lead to the strengthening of people's voice and empowerment of the individual and collective aspirations. Societies in their evolution develop cultural contexts, social and ethnic values. It is a challenge for any e-Democracy to integrate them into its mechanisms. In the Indian context, it is essential to develop foresight on how e-Democracy gears-up to also address various contradictions and conflicts, which are possible due to the digital-divide, multitude of people's aspirations, socio-cultural diversity, space for democratic thinking, etc. Keeping many aspects of Democracy and governance into consideration, the paper focuses on how ICT and e-Democracy will honour people's aspirations in the coming years, to keep the public, individual, and society, vibrant and democratically functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As health care becomes more fragmented, it is even more important to focus on the provision of integrated, coordinated care between health and social care systems. With the aging population, this coordination is even more vital. Information and communication technology (ICT) can support integrated care if the form of technology follows and supports functional integration. Health TAPESTRY (Teams Advancing Patient Experience: Strengthening Quality) is a program centered on the health of older adults, supported by volunteers, primary care teams, community engagement and connections, and an ICT known as the Health TAPESTRY application (TAP-App), a web-based application that supports volunteers in completing client surveys, volunteer coordinators in managing the volunteer program, and primary care teams in requesting and receiving information. Objective: This paper describes the development, evolution, and implementation of the TAP-App ICT to share the lessons learned. Methods: A case study was conducted with the TAP-App as the case and the perspectives of end users and stakeholders as the units of analysis. The data consisted of researchers' perspectives on the TAP-App from their own experiences, as well as feedback from other stakeholders and end user groups. Data were collected through written retrospective reflection with the program manager, a specific interview with the technology lead, key emailed questions to the TAP-App developer, and viewpoints and feedback during paper drafting from other research team members. There were 2 iterations of Health TAPESTRY and the TAP-App and we focused on learnings from the second implementation (2018-2020) which was a pragmatic implementation scale-up trial using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance framework at 6 primary care sites across Ontario, Canada. Results: TAP-App (version 1.0), which was iteratively developed, was introduced as a tool to schedule volunteer and client visits and collect survey data using a tablet computer. TAP-App (version 2.0) was developed based on this initial experience and a desire for a program management tool that focused more on dual flow among users and provided better support for research. The themes of the lessons learned were as follows: iterative feedback is valuable; if ICT will be used for research, develop it with research in mind; prepare for challenges in the integration of ICT into the existing workflow; ask whether interoperability should be a goal; and know that technology cannot do it alone yet--the importance of human touch points. Conclusions: Health TAPESTRY is human-centered. The TAP-App does not replace these elements but rather helps enable them. Despite this shift in supporting integrated care, barriers remained to the uptake of the TAP-App that would have allowed a full flow of information between health and social settings in supporting patient care. This indicates the need for an ongoing focus on the human use of ICT in similar programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Innovar: Revista de Ciencias Administrativas y Sociales is the property of Universidad Nacional de Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper highlights the psychological and pedagogical conditions for the use of ICT tools in teaching syntax and reveals the ways of introducing the experience of using them in the professional training of future language teachers within the course "Modern Ukrainian Literary Language: Syntax". The research literature on the didactic principles of ICT use in the educational process of future teachers, the application of ICT in the process of language training of students-philologists was reviewed. The study stresses the significant role of syntax in the linguistic hierarchy. Syntax helps students get aware of the laws of phrase and sentence structure, their expressive potential and means, and ways of their implementation in any discourse. It is important to follow the provisions developed by M. Zhaldak and S. Selian, N. Berger, Z. Dovedan. The paper outlines didactic principles, methods and techniques of ICT use in the professional training of future language teachers. The paper suggests some criteria for building a system of exercises and assignments with the help of ICT. It describes the ways of applying ICT tools in mixed and distance learning of students-philologists. A system of cognitive, training, research and creative exercises is presented. The study established that the use of digital narrative, mental maps, infographics, flashcards, electronic dictionaries in the training of future teachers of Ukrainian language and literature has a positive effect on students' mastering the educational material, it motivates and stimulates students; encourages students to apply self-cognition, self-learning, reflection, self-improvement; develops critical and creative thinking; offers them different strategies for memorizing information; enables interactive interaction between all participants in the educational process; provides the possibility of interval revision; makes the learning process active and interesting. The prospects of the research are determined in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of digital technologies based on information and communication technology (ICT), some studies suggest that the development of the digital economy is bound to have a significant impact on energy consumption. There are also studies demonstrating from different perspectives that ICT plays an important role in improving energy efficiency. Then, will the rapid development of the digital economy lead to a sharp increase in energy demand (electricity demand), thus affecting China's socio-economic transition to green and low-carbon development? To this end, it is of great practical significance to explore the relationship between the digital economy and energy consumption from theoretical and practical perspectives. Focusing on the issue of ICT and its impacts on energy consumption, this paper clarifies the internal influencing mechanism between ICT and energy consumption. On this basis, this paper compares and analyzes the models, methods, and data in existing studies from the aspects of measurement of ICT's direct energy consumption, empirical research on ICT and energy consumption, and discussions on rebound effects. After a brief summary, this paper identifies their shortcomings and explores future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Geosul is the property of Geosul and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper aims to study the impact of agricultural enterprises' digitization and the performance and bankruptcy risk. Analyzing financial insolvency and predicting bankruptcy risk is a constant focus of research. Company managers and their creditors, auditors, counterparties, etc., are very interested in this issue. Many economists are constantly looking for adequate models and methods by which to establish the financial health of companies with the most significant degree of precision. This paper answers whether some of the most commonly used bankruptcy prediction models also apply in the agricultural sector. For this purpose, a study was made of the annual statistical reports of medium and large Bulgarian agricultural enterprises operating in this sector for five years. Next, the paper's authors also look for evidence that agricultural enterprises with a higher level of digitalization and application of information and communication technologies face a lower risk of bankruptcy and better performance, applying the fixed effect and probit models. The econometric analysis clearly shows a statistically significant relationship between the risk of bankruptcy and the productivity of agricultural enterprises, measured by ROA. Applying the probit model reveals a higher probability of bankruptcy for firms with lower productivity and higher leverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the electrical submersible pump (ESP) is combined with information and communication technologies (ICT) to diagnose the operation status and soundness of the ESP. The ICT convergence provides users with maintenance and repair information through history management and remote control in case of failure. The proposed system includes a monitoring unit (MU) that senses the operating state of the ESP, a monitoring control unit (MCU) that transmits the sensed information to internal and external databases, and a monitoring system that allows users to check the status information. The server and embedded system can monitor the operation status of the submersible pump by storing sensor values in the database and displaying them on the screen. The embedded system retrieves the sensor values stored in the database and performs individual and complex diagnoses. The diagnosis results are sent to the server and status information to the monitoring control unit. The diagnosis of the submersible pump was divided into 23 individual sensor classifications, and a multilayer perceptron was implemented. Weights were set through learning and testing. The proposed ICT-converged Smart ESP is considered to be competitive as it greatly improves the existing system in terms of status and maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Internet of Things (IoT) and smart manufacturing (SM) are mutually reinforcing. The establishment of IoT-based common facilities for SM is the premise of building SM system. Industrial IoT (IIoT) infrastructure for SM refers to common facilities based on IoT that support SM in industries or sectors, and plays a dominant role and faces severe challenges in the intelligence of SM. The infrastructure is independent of the products and production process in a specific factory. This paper develops conceptual and capability frameworks of IIoT infrastructure from a unified perspective of IIoT-related SM industries. These frameworks reflect relationships between IIoT and SM with in-depth relationships among basic facilities of IIoT infrastructure and lay the foundation of SM. In this paper the common characteristics and high-level requirements with respect to the different IoT layers of IIoT infrastructure are analyzed, and the capability framework and relevant capabilities of IIoT infrastructure are summarized according to the characteristics and requirements. In order to help service providers implement their systems to meet the needs of SM, the existing and newly developed IIoT infrastructure are integrated partially or in whole according to the intelligence level, so as to provide technical guidance for stakeholders to apply emerging ICTs to SM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth in fully online mathematics education has been steady for decades. This is where essentially all interactions associated with the teaching and learning process are mediated via the online medium. Initially spurred on by technological innovation and a variety of socio-cultural forces, growth has more recently rapidly accelerated due to pandemic restrictions. Many suggest we are on the precipice of profound transformation in mathematics education, the outlines of which remain unknown. In leveraging online education possibilities and advancing online mathematics education, this paper considers aesthetic experiences associated with learning mathematics fully online. First, three assumptions are made to highlight the importance of these experiences. Second, three challenges are identified regarding the current state of fully online mathematics education. Finally, specific instructional design and online teaching strategies are outlined that potentiate experiences of wonder and beauty often associated with mathematical discovery. As its central theme, the paper seeks to answer how we may take advantage of this technology in delivering quality mathematics education without allowing it to diminish our human essence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Instilling good privacy practices to developers and users appears to be a difficult and daunting task. TheWorldWideWeb encompasses a panspermia of different technologies, commercial and open source APIS, evolving security standards and protocols that can be deployed towards the implementation of complex, powerful, web applications. At the same time, the proliferation of applications and services on all types of devices has also increased the attack surface for privacy threats. In this paper, we present the Privacy Flag Observatory, a platform which is one of the main tools produced by the Privacy Flag EU funded research project. The goal of this initiative is to raise awareness among European citizens of the potential privacy threats that beset the software and services they trust and use every day, including websites and smartphone applications. The Privacy Flag Observatory is one of the components that contributed to a large extent, to the success of the project's goals. It is a real-time security and privacy threat monitoring platform whose aim is to collect, archive, analyze and present security and privacy-related information to the broader public as well as experts. Although the platform relies on crowdsourcing information gathering strategies and interacts with several other components installed on users' devices or remote servers and databases, in this paper, we focus on the observatory platform referring only cursorily to other components such as the mobile phone add-on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arduino is an open-source electronics platform based on cheap hardware and the easy-to-use software Integrated Development Environment (IDE). Nowadays, because of its open-source nature and its simple and accessible user experience, Arduino is ubiquitous and used among hobbyist and novice programmers for Do It Yourself (DIY) projects, especially in the Internet of Things (IoT) domain. Unfortunately, such diffusion comes with a price. Many developers start working on this platform without having a deep knowledge of the leading security concepts in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Their applications, often publicly available on GitHub (or other code-sharing platforms), can be taken as examples by other developers or downloaded and used by non-expert users, spreading these issues in other projects. For these reasons, this paper aims at understanding the current landscape by analyzing a set of open-source DIY IoT projects and looking for potential security issues. Furthermore, the paper classifies those issues according to the proper security category. This study's results offer a deeper understanding of the security concerns in Arduino projects created by hobbyist programmers and the dangers that may be faced by those who use these projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are witnessing that the healthcare system of the Republic of Croatia is faced with numerous challenges, especially financial ones. Many activities are needed to improve the condition. In this paper, the emphasis is on the application of information and communication technology (ICT) as a tool for reducing costs and increasing income. The hypothesis of the work is that with the help of ICT we can directly, but also indirectly, by applying ICT through the so-called Dynamic Balanced Scorecard (DBSC) to influence business improvement. The DBSC method enables the evaluation of financial operations indirectly through employee education, optimization of business processes and increased patient satisfaction. In addition to the DBSC method, analysis of the collected literature, cost-benefit method and case studies are used to test the hypothesis. Regarding structure of the work, the introduction explains the context of the hospital's operations, defines the goals, hypothesis and research methods. This is followed by a description of the conducted research. The conclusion contains final considerations as well as suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]