Connection Cost Research Articles

The Dark Side of Artificial Intelligence in Education: A Critical Analysis of its Impact on Learners Aged 12-14 Years

This research explores the connections between Teacher-Led Instruction (TLI), Peer Collaboration (PC), and Artificial Intelligence Assistance (AIA) in influencing Student Cognitive and Social-Emotional Development (SCED). Through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, the study found that TLI and PC are important positive predictors of SCED, highlighting the crucial role of collaborative and teacher-led approaches in promoting overall student development. Contrastingly, there is a negative association between AIA and SCED, underscoring the potential disadvantages of excessive dependence on technology at the cost of meaningful human connections. The results indicate that educational settings should give precedence to incorporating effective teaching approaches while utilizing technology as an auxiliary instrument rather than a replacement for conventional teaching methods. By embracing a multifaceted approach to instruction, this study contributes to the ongoing discourse on enhancing educational practices in an increasingly digital landscape, ultimately advocating for a future where students thrive both academically and emotionally while studying with Artificial Intelligence cautiously.

Enhancing Clinical Data Quality to Improve Patient Care in Rural Health Facilities

WHO recognizes that high-quality research is not just a scientific pursuit but a crucial factor in achieving global health, health equity, and economic development. It is not just about the numbers but about the lives we can save and improve. In this context, four research priority areas have been identified: prioritizing health needs, building research capacity, ensuring good research practice, and ensuring good evidence is translated into practice. Local health research tailored to local needs remains an important global health goal, with the potential to revolutionize patient care in rural health facilities. Researchers and policymakers in low- and middle-income countries have expressed serious concerns about the limited access to high-quality data, a fundamental requirement for reliable and valid research. The assessment of data quality is typically categorized into five key areas: availability, usability, dependability, relevance, and presentation quality. This concept is further clarified by demonstrating how a robust healthcare data environment can enhance patient management through research efforts. The term ‘health data environment' encompasses the entire process of gathering, storing, managing, analysing, and utilizing health-related data to improve patient care and healthcare policies through informed decision-making. In this context, we present the challenges that undermine the quality of research data and propose solutions. Specifically, we identify the lack of adequate human resources, reliance on paper-based records systems, and the high costs of internet connectivity as the primary barriers to collecting and sharing high-quality data for research in low-resource settings. To tackle these challenges, we advocate for governments and funding institutions to invest in data management and communication systems, recruit and train data management staff to support clinicians, and reduce connectivity costs. Furthermore, we propose the deployment of a decentralized system as a cost-effective and less labor-intensive solution that only requires data entry staff at health facilities in resource-limited settings. This article explores current data collection, storage, and interpretation challenges and proposes innovative improvement solutions. It emphasizes the transformative potential of digitization, standardization, and staff training to enhance data quality. It further addresses the impact of quality data on evidence-based practice, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes. Focusing on rural healthcare facilities sheds light on the unique barriers these settings face, proposing tailored strategies that can bridge the gap between urban and rural health service delivery. These insights offer valuable guidance for policymakers, healthcare administrators, and practitioners striving to improve patient care in rural areas through data-driven strategies.

Steps for the Realization of a Medium-power Photovoltaic Park

The design of photovoltaic parks has become in Romania, now, one of the most profitable and safe investments in the field of renewable energy sources, not only at present, but even more so in the future. Solar photovoltaic parks are favored by maximum exposure to solar radiation, a minimal impact on the environment, allowing the production of energy with a cost per kWp lower than that of other installations. The execution period of a photovoltaic park varies between 3-6 months depending on location and weather conditions. Romania has a high degree of solar radiation, suitable for investment in photovoltaic parks. There are three categories of documents required for the establishment of a photovoltaic park: those related of the land on which the park is build, the solution study for obtaining the technical approval for connection (ATR) to the electrical grid and obtaining the establishment authorization. The realization costs involved in building and designing a photovoltaic park are between 1.1-1.9 Euro/Watt. The quality of the equipment used in construction, the shape of the land, the costs of connection to the national electrical grid, are factors that can constitute the cost of realization. Another important factor in terms of income is the level of operational expenses, which is between 2% and 8% of the annual income and includes security, equipment and land maintenance, system monitoring. The paper will present a technical and economic calculation for a photovoltaic park with a power of 400 kW.

Driving industrial symbiosis: Evaluating policy intervention effects on waste heat utilization in local district heating networks

This study aims to quantitatively assess the required policy support level to ensure economic viability for all stakeholders in the context of using industrial waste heat as source of local district heating (DH). Additionally, the research explores the potential of industrial symbiosis to support district-level energy transition in the context of Positive Energy Districts and Smart Cities. The proposed approach combines energy modelling tools, namely the Multi Energy System Simulator (MESS) model and financial concepts (i.e. Cash Flow Analysis, Net Present Value Evaluation) typical of industry’s project evaluation. It is then tested in the area of Bolzano, Italy. The study examines various policy scenarios, including financial incentives and the involvement of district heating operators (DHOs). Initial findings indicate that district heating offers significant cost advantages (up to –23%) over electrified systems. However, industries face challenges meeting standard payback periods without policy intervention in the context of projects using waste heat as a source of DH. A combined scenario involving DHOs handling connection costs with a 60% incentive and industries receiving a 15% Feed-In Premium shows promising results in achieving economic feasibility. The results underscore the critical role of policy support in overcoming barriers. Consequently, it is possible to strengthen cooperation between industries and districts fostering local energy transition. Nonetheless, the achievement of positive energy balance requires a stronger presence of RES particularly on the electricity side. The study highlights the broader implications for similar projects in other regions and the essential role of policy interventions in facilitating such industrial symbiosis.

Barriers to Meaningful Connectivity

Community networks risk failure when they attempt to emulate models from elsewhere without engaging the community in the process and making appropriate adaptations. These ‘build it and they will come’ models rarely work over the long term. This research project explored claims from residents of a low-income neighbourhood in the “North End” of Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada, that inadequate and unaffordable Internet connectivity limits their access to critical communication tools, resources, and information. Through the research, we identified the need for a sustainable model of affordable, accessible Internet connectivity that centers on building a cooperative-owned and operated community network with Indigenous and newcomer families at its heart. Findings revealed that high connectivity costs, limited digital literacy, and inadequate infrastructure are the primary barriers to meaningful connectivity in the community. The intent of the “North End Connect” research project was to work directly with the residents, to learn about their connectivity needs and wants, inform the project’s technical team as to how and where to build a solution that works for the community, removing explicit and implicit barriers to access. Through our research, we validated that digital connectivity is a problem in the community. Utilizing a CBPAR approach provided a more nuanced understanding of the barriers to access from the resident’s perspective and lived experience. This allowed for the development of a strengths-based roadmap that utilized existing assets to provide affordable, accessible, trustworthy, and secure Internet access to anyone who wants it. The research acted as the catalyst to motivate the community and led to ongoing interventions aimed at addressing each of the identified barriers. As we investigate these barriers, it becomes evident that addressing these issues is not just a matter of technological access but a crucial step toward fostering a more inclusive and equitable society. The project serves as a model for community-driven digital inclusion efforts and contributes to global conversations about equitable access to the internet.

A security-aware dynamic hosting capacity approach to enhance the integration of renewable generation in distribution networks

Hosting capacity (HC) describes the electricity network’s ability to accommodate distributed generation (DG) without deteriorating electrical performance indicators. Distribution system operators typically express their networks’ HC as a single threshold, called static hosting capacity (SHC). SHC is determined via conservative regulatory criteria, increasing connection costs and time. This paper explores the potential for additional energy injection into the network via dynamic hosting capacity (DHC). A network node’s DHC is derived from the hourly operation of the network, accounting for the time variability of existing distributed generation (DG) output and demand. The methodology considers the network assets’ N-1 contingencies and their probabilities, defining the security-aware DHC (SDHC). The SDHC definition is technologically neutral. Through a case study of a radial medium voltage distribution network, the paper highlights the significant limitations of SHC due to conservative calculation criteria mandated by regulators. Annual injectable energy is increased by 62% to 76% when comparing DHC to SHC. Variations between average DHC and SDHC are below 0.01% due to low N-1 probabilities. This finding points out the potential of dynamic hosting capacity definitions, allowing more efficient use of the existing network and facilitating the integration of new DG capacity with reduced connection costs and time.

Универсальная централизованная защита от однофазных замыканий на землю в кабельных сетях напряжением 6–10 кВ

Selective protection against single phase earth faults in distribution 6–10 kV cable networks can be performed both with the use of individual (per connection) and centralized devices covering all connections of the protected object. The advantages of centralized devices are reduction of specific (per connection) costs of protection, simplification of its operation and design. Well-known technical solutions in terms of centralized protection devices against this type of damage do not always provide versatility (the possibility to use neutral cables of 6–10 kV in various grounding modes) and high technical perfection (selectivity and stability of operation). Thus, it is relevant to develop a universal centralized protection against single-phase earth faults, ensuring high technical perfection for all types of earth faults in 6–10 kV cable networks with different neutral grounding modes. The authors have used a comprehensive simulation model "cable network – protection device" to study the selectivity and stability of the developed principles of implementation and algorithms for centralized protection against earth faults. The model is designed in SimPowerSystems and Simulink software. The configuration and parameters of the cable network model have been selected considering the key features of 6–10 kV distribution cable networks of industrial and urban power supply systems. A universal centralized protection against all types of earth faults in 6–10 kV cable networks with various neutral grounding modes has been developed. The results of functional tests on the simulation model have confirmed the effectiveness of the developed algorithms of the developed centralized protection for all types of earth faults both in uncompensated and compensated cable networks of 6–10 kV. The proposed technical solution implements a multifunctional multiparametric centralized protection against earth faults. It has such properties as versatility, selectivity, and high stability of operation for all types of earth faults, recognition of types of single-phase earth faults, continuity of action in stable and most dangerous arc intermittent earth faults.

Review of Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Deployment Techniques and Challenges

Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs) have become increasingly important due to their critical roles in marine life monitoring, communication, ocean data collection, sampling, and military security operations. The success of UWSNs largely depends on efficient node deployment techniques that ensure optimal coverage, connectivity, cost-effectiveness, network lifetime, and energy utilization. This paper presents a comprehensive review of various node deployment types and techniques specifically designed for UWSNs. It covers depth-adjustment, movement-assisted, self-movement, and soft-computing techniques, highlighting their advantages, limitations, and application scenarios. Each technique is evaluated based on key performance metrics such as network coverage, connectivity, energy consumption, network lifetime, and deployment cost. Additionally, the paper discusses the challenges and identifies open research directions in the field, providing valuable insights for researchers and practitioners in selecting appropriate node deployment techniques for UWSNs.

Toward Using Technology for Instructional Purposes in Lesotho

Preparing both teachers and students for the technological world is very challenging, requiring a total shift of the entire education system to accommodate the thorough use of technology. Studies show that technological competence is the key factor that holds the entire modern education structure together. However, the use of technology in teacher education is still delayed as student-teachers engage in technology for activities without meaningful learning purposes, such as fun-related activities. This calls for thorough training meant to remove the physical barriers that hinder student-teachers’ use of technology in the classroom. This study examined factors that influence student- teachers’ self-efficacy in using technology in learning in one teacher education institution in Lesotho. A systematic review approach was adopted to select and analyze studies on student-teachers and the use of technology in tertiary education. After screening for relevance, some studies were excluded. The themes that emerged from the selected studies were analyzed to build themes that are relevant to student-teachers' self-efficacy in using technology in learning. Findings indicate that student-teachers’ self-efficacy in using technology is influenced by the lack of technological tools in classrooms and computer laboratories, lack of professional development, lack of information and communication technology (ICT) policy, cost of connectivity, and the benefits of technology in learning entrepreneurship education. These findings imply that teacher education is required to restructure its curriculum and offer adequate support to student- teachers and lecturers. In addition, teacher education must restructure their classrooms and computer laboratories to shape student-teachers for future roles.

A Bi-Level Optimized Dispatching Method for Grids with High Penetration of New Energy Considering Ancillary Service Costs

To address the issue of high auxiliary service costs caused by the grid connection of new energy generation, a dual layer optimization scheduling method for high penetration new energy power grids is proposed, taking into account the auxiliary service costs of grid connection. The correlation between the output fluctuations and load fluctuations of new energy generation is analyzed, and a calculation model for auxiliary service costs caused by grid connection of new energy generation is established. Taking into account the timescale division requirements for grid energy trading and auxiliary service market transactions, a new high penetration energy grid two-level optimization scheduling model is established. The upper level scheduling model aims to minimize the sum of grid energy procurement costs and auxiliary service costs caused by new energy generation and completes the optimization scheduling of the grid for several hours. The lower level scheduling model aims to closely follow the upper level scheduling plan for new energy power plants/groups. Optimization and scheduling of the power grid for tens of minutes is completed, taking into account the balanced allocation of wind and solar losses among various power plants within the new energy power plant group. The simulation results show that the method proposed in this paper can reduce the energy transaction costs and auxiliary service transaction costs of the power grid during low and peak load periods.

Political connections and greenwashing: Chinese evidence

ABSTRACT Many firms are engaging in greenwashing, misleading claims about their Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performances, which make the inclusion of ESG factors in investment decisions becomes challenging. However, little research has been conducted on its drivers. Given the prevalence of political connections and the impacts on firms’ behaviour, this paper investigates the unknown relationship between political connections and greenwashing in Chinese A-listed companies from 2011 to 2020. The study finds that firms with political connections exhibit a greater degree of greenwashing than those without, indicating that political connections significantly improve greenwashing. Moreover, analysis suggests that the lower external pressure from government regulations and media contributes to the greater degree of greenwashing in politically connected firms. Finally, the positive effects of political connections on greenwashing vary significantly depending on politician characteristics, political connection costs, marketization degree, and industry features. This study contributes to a better understanding of the business ethics and the impacts of political connections on greenwashing and the mechanisms for firms in transitional economies like China. The findings highlight the importance of strengthening market-supporting institutions to reduce greenwashing. Policymakers should take measures to reduce the prevalence of political connections and promote a more transparent and equitable business environment.

Social Media in the Aftermath of the 2016 US Presidential Election: Disruption at the Cost of Connection

This data captures people’s experiences as unknowing targets of disinformation. Participants were US citizens naive to the actions of the different entities using social media to target Americans with disinformation in the months leading up to the 2016 US presidential election. Results indicated participants reported notable changes in their interactions on social media in the form of disruptions to existing relationships. Specifically, participants reported that they argued with their connections more, observed others disagree more, and reported an increase in the loss of friends and family connections through the unfriending or unfollowing features of social media. While, some participants found these changes amusing, most reported increased psychological distress. Not one participant mentioned Russian election interference or disinformation as the cause of these interpersonal difficulties. Analysis of text responses did not include any mention of disinformation, Cambridge Analytica, or Russia as causes of these disruptions. These results suggest that social media use has implications for individuals’ social relationships and these disruptions may impact their psychological functioning. Implications of these results for the psychological impacts of social media use will be discussed.

A secured and energy-efficient system for patient e-healthcare monitoring using the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)

Introduction: The Internet of Things (IoT) is gaining popularity in several industries owing to the autonomous and low-cost functioning of its sensors. In medical and healthcare usage, IoT gadgets provide an environment to detect patients' medical problems, such as blood volume, oxygen concentration, pulse, temperatures, etc. and take emergency action as necessary. The problem of imbalanced energy usage across biosensor nodes slows down the transmission of patient data to distant centres and has a detrimental effect on the health industry. In addition, the patient's sensitive information is sent through the insecure Internet and is exposed to potential threats. For clinical uses, information privacy and stability against hostile traffic constitute a further research challenge. Methods: This article proposes a Secured and Energy-Efficient System (SEES-IoMT) e-healthcare utilizing the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) monitoring, the main goal of which is to reduce the connectivity cost and energy usage between sensing devices while feasibly forwarding the medical data. SEES-IoMT also guarantees the clinical data of the patients against unverified and malevolent nodes to enhance the privacy and security of the system.Result and Discussion: In consideration of the memory and power limitations of healthcare IoT gadgets, this approach is designed to be very lightweight. A thorough examination of this system's safety is performed to demonstrate its reliability.Conclusion: In terms of computing speed and security, the research compares SEES-IoMT to relevant methods in the IoT medical environment to demonstrate its applicability and resilience.

Attracting Customers to District Heat Supply: The Case of Riga

District heating will be important in achieving future climate goals. Possibilities of using waste heat from different sources, e.g. subways, hospitals, shops, data centers, rivers are often discussed. Many district heating companies face the challenge of sufficient coverage of connected consumers in a city or region. To expand the operating area, companies should initially attract objects which are close to heat networks to lower the connection costs. The research question is how to attract existing buildings under construction to the district heating system. The present work uses system dynamics modeling for studying the possibilities of the Riga district heat supply company to increase consumer network. Modeling is based on historical data of residential buildings. The results show that old buildings choose to connect to the district heat supply when these are being renovated, or the individual heat supply equipment is out of order. The older the buildings, the more likely these will be connected to the district heating, however this decision may take at least 70 years. Renovation increases the probability of connection to the district heating, so the impact of subsidies for renovation is important. Regulation that requires connection to the district heating as a priority choice in case of renovation is also important.

Dreaming of seamless interfaces: media and friction from the feuilleton to personal computing

Dreaming of seamless interfaces: media and friction from the feuilleton to personal computing

E-TPE: E fficient T humbnail- P reserving E ncryption for Privacy Protection in Visual Sensor Networks

When visual sensor networks (VSNs) enter daily life in society, they not only bring great convenience but also cause people to worry about privacy. Traditional image encryption uses the snowflake effect to protect the privacy, but this can compromise the usability of directly browsing images captured by nodes in VSNs. Recently, thumbnail-preserving encryption (TPE) has been proposed to balance image usability and privacy. However, the Markov chain’s limited connectivity and high time cost, which result in low efficiency, may preclude its application in VSNs. Motivated by this, we propose a novel TPE scheme to protect the image collected in VSNs’ privacy efficiently. We first deeply study the bijective relationship between the three-pixel group and its rank, and then propose a new number method for both, based on which we design the efficient rank mapping. Subsequently, an efficient thumbnail-preserving image encryption via three-pixel rank mapping (E-TPE) is designed, achieving NR security and enhancing the Markov chain’s connectivity. The experiments demonstrate the scheme’s efficiency; that is, it is currently the quickest ideal-TPE scheme with NR security, and a good balance is achieved between usability and privacy.

Ex ante transparency and corruption by networks

AbstractThis paper explains the structure of corruption networks as response to ex ante transparency, defined as visibility of authorities whose cooperation clients may need, in due course, to execute corrupt transactions. It also characterizes the optimal transparency policy given the network response, as a function of connection costs, sanctions, the corruption surplus and the detection probability (hence the anti‐corruption budget and ex post transparency). Corruption chains may emerge in equilibrium if authority is expected to be shared by multiple offices, where the office with higher solo assignment probability becomes the intermediary. Otherwise, clients penetrate the bureaucracy by inducing the star network, or contend with single connection. I show that the optimal policy always assigns one office, sometimes alone, sometimes jointly with others. It is often possible to deter corruption networks through an ex ante transparent policy that parcels out authority to multiple offices with probability 1—a common feature of many US bureaucracies. Decomposing transparency into its components reveals nuances in the transparency–corruption relationship, suggesting that ex ante transparency is instrumental except in environments in which anti‐corruption enforcement is extremely effective or extremely ineffective.

Analysis of the Influence of Behavioral Aspects on Cost Control (Case Study at PT Ceweng Connection Dander Bojonegoro)

The purpose of this research is to find out whether PT Ceweng Connection's cost management is influenced by behavioral factors. The population of this research are workers at PT Ceweng Connection. Qualitative terminology is the research approach used in this research. These findings indicate that there are behavioral factors that influence cost management in a profitable and statistically meaningful way in companies. The reason is because the organization prioritizes a culture of good behavior. Therefore, workers are expected to be able to follow standard operating processes and procedures (Standard Operating Procedures) using a positive attitude and follow all company protocols in carrying out assigned work without hesitation, to ensure that no emotional conflicts arise again at PT Ceweng Connection Dander.

Long-term land transformation alters potential ecological corridors and increases functional connectivity cost among nature reserves in Guangdong, China

Long-term land transformation alters potential ecological corridors and increases functional connectivity cost among nature reserves in Guangdong, China

Sustainable development goal 6 and the challenge of pipe-borne water connectivity in a growing tropical city: a case study

Water dams have been constructed in various regions across the globe to enhance access to potable water. Among these, the Aiba water reservoir, commissioned in 1957, was envisioned as a pivotal source of treated water for Iwo and its environs. Unfortunately, despite its inauguration, the primary objective of ensuring a sustainable and reliable water supply to the community remains unrealized to date. This research seeks to evaluate the accessibility of the study area to pipe-borne water (PBW) and discern the driving forces through the administration of structured questionnaire across 480 respondents out of which 458 were retrieved for analysis. The study utilized both descriptive and inferential statistics, employing Statistical Product for Service Solutions (SPSS) version 23. The respondent demographic revealed that 83.6% were female, and 18.4% claimed paying water tariffs while 76.2% relied on groundwater as their principal source of water. The data showed revealed diverse factors hindering PBW connectivity namely: Administrative bottlenecks (12%), while 57% cited the availability of alternative water sources as a reason for not connecting to PBW; 9% reported poor infrastructure for PBW, and 18% highlighted the unreliability of water supply from Aiba Water Works (AWW). Further analysis through Factor Analysis (FA) pinpointed three salient variables significantly influencing PBW accessibility. These are proximity to the main network (42.557%); cost of connectivity (22.275%); and availability of other sources (14.480%). These findings underscored the critical importance of expanding the PBW network, given the prevalent non-proximity of most residences to the main water pipes. Moreover, the research suggests that capacity building initiatives should be implemented to enhance the economic well-being of citizens, thereby fostering an improved quality of life for the inhabitants of the studied area. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the complexities surrounding water accessibility and offers practical recommendations to realise SDG 6 by 2030.Graphical