Current Mobile Research Articles

Transport Mobility Analysis for Informal Settlements in Dar es salaam, Tanzania

Dar es Salaam is one of the world’s fastest growing cities and is expected to be the third largest by 2100 with a population of 76 million. Dar es Salaam city is made of multiple neighbourhoods that are very diverse in terms of socio-economic status, gender, age and prevalent activities. One of the biggest challenges facing the city of Dar es Salaam is urban sprawl due to informal settlements that in turn leads to very long travel time and hinders equal mobility and accessibility of labour and goods. This study found that the current mobility vision for Dar es Salaam city that bases on transit-oriented development can help to alleviate transit pressure to the current mono-centric city, although integration of the vision to informal settlements that are the current majority of the land use is still lacking. The study also found that the current regularisation strategies of informal settlements provide an opportunity for urban mobility. However, the resulting mobility networks are not sufficient to meet the demand of the government mobility vision. To capture the future rapid population growth in the city, this study recommends a back casting strategy that looks on the future needs of the population including residency vis-à-vis mobility to establish current new transit corridors passing though redeveloped informal settlements.

A Trustworthy and Untraceable Centralised Payment Protocol for Mobile Payment

Current mobile payment schemes gather detailed information about purchases customers make. This data can then be used to infer a customer’s spending behaviour, potentially violating their privacy. To tackle this problem, we propose an untraceable mobile payment scheme that strikes a better balance, preserving user privacy while allowing the Third-Party Service Provider (TPSP) to collect necessary information such as card details and transaction amount for regulatory compliance. Our scheme offers untraceability for legitimate users from malicious adversaries and curious TPSPs using cryptographic primitives such as partially blind signatures, zero-knowledge proofs and identity-based signatures. It also guarantees that only authorised TPSPs can issue valid payment tokens, and even with limited data the TPSP can still prevent dishonest customers/merchants from double-spending a payment token. We also propose a comprehensive evaluation framework to assess the untraceable payment schemes against seven key criteria such as untraceability, exculpability - merchant double-spending, exculpability - customer double-spending, unforgeability, confidentiality, message authenticity, efficiency and regulatory compliance. We rigorously benchmark the security and privacy of our proposed payment scheme against this framework and other established schemes. Furthermore, we formally verify these properties using complexity-based analysis and Proverif modelling.

TRANSPORTE AQUAVIÁRIO: AVALIAÇÃO DE UMA NOVA ALTERNATIVA DE MOBILIDADE INTERURBANA PALMAS-TO/PORTO NACIONAL-TO

Waterway transportation between Palmas and Porto Nacional on the Tocantins River is a promising alternative to foster regional development. This study aims to assess the feasibility of a waterway transportation system connecting these two cities, highlighting benefits such as reduced dependence on road transportation, logistical efficiency, economic development, and tourism potential. The research employed a quantitative approach through questionnaires administered to residents of both cities to capture perceptions of current mobility and acceptance of the new mode. Results indicate a strong public acceptance of waterway transportation (78.4%) and a perception that the accessibility, mobility, and infrastructure of the current road transport system are limited, underscoring the positive potential impact of implementing a waterway system.

Enhancing Urban Surveillance with Fog Computing, Mobile Cloud, and Big Data Analytics in 5G Networks

The new emerging applications in 5G network, in the context of the Internet of Everything (IoE), will introduce high mobility, high scalability, real-time, and low latency requirements that raise new challenges on the services being provided to the users. Fortunately, Fog Computing and Cloud Computing, with their service orchestration mechanisms offer virtually unlimited dynamic resources for computation, storage and service provision, that will effectively cope with the requirements of the forthcoming services. 5G will use the benefits of centralized high performance computing cloud centers, cloud and fog RANs and distributed peer-to-peer mobile cloud that will create opportunities for companies to deploy many new real-time services that cannot be delivered over current mobile and wireless networks. This paper evaluates a model for fog and cloud hybrid environment service orchestration mechanisms for 5G network in terms of energy efficiency per user for different payloads.

The Transition Pathways to Sustainable Urban Mobility: Could They Be Extended to Megacities?

Population concentration in urban areas has placed cities at the forefront of the global struggle to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Within cities, current mobility patterns are responsible for a significant proportion of environmental emissions. As a result, cities across the world are seeking to develop transitions towards new and greener mobility systems. This paper analyses the different pathways that explain the readiness, or otherwise negation, of cities in achieving sustainable mobility. Based on a sample of 65 cities from all over the world, and with the application of Set-Theoretic Multi-Method Research and Necessary Conditions Analysis, it is demonstrated that there are necessary conditions for the achievement of sustainable mobility, as well as different terms that explain its achievement and its denial. Moreover, the analysis confirms that both the necessary conditions for sustainable mobility and one of the terms explaining its denial reflect the existence of causal mechanisms. The paper confirms the necessity for an analysis of the transitions towards sustainable mobility to take into account the characteristics of the context. Furthermore, it is not possible to explain the behaviour of megacities on the basis of generalised statements.

Effects of Water Injection in Diesel Engine Emission Treatment System—A Review in the Light of EURO 7

Water in the engine/combustion chamber is not a novel phenomenon. Even humidity has a major effect on internal combustion engine emissions and can thus be considered the first invisibly present emission technology. With modern techniques, the problematic aspects of water, such as corrosion and lubrication issues, seem to disappear, and the benefits of water’s effect in combustion may also be enhanced in the context of EURO 7. The current study examines the literature on the effects of water on diesel combustion in chronological sequence, focusing on changes over the last three decades. Then it analyzes and re-evaluates the water effect in the current technology and the forthcoming Euro 7 regulatory context, comparing the conclusions with current automotive applications and mobility trends, in order to show the possible benefits and prospective research avenues in this sector. Techniques introducing water to combustion could be a major approach in terms of the EURO 7 retrofit mandate, as well as a feasible technique for concurrent nitrogen oxides and particulate reduction.

Connecting modernist university campuses and their cities. From current mobility patterns to sustainable mobility scenarios for the university of Buenos Aires campus, Argentina

ABSTRACT Many university campuses inspired by modernist architectural ideals were built in locations peripheral to their city contexts, leading to current unsustainable car-dependent mobility patterns. This paper explores this problem through a study of the main campus of the University of Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria (CU), in Argentina. The aim is to estimate the environmental benefits associated with shifting to a more sustainable modal split. To do this an online survey was conducted to generate baseline information on current travel patterns and associated CO2 emissions. Then, research-by-design methods were applied to create two scenarios of incremental levels of transportation sustainability. Finally, the CO2 emissions associated with each scenario’s mobility pattern were evaluated. Compared to the baseline, it was estimated that the first scenario would result in 7.1% of CO2 emissions reductions, while the second scenario would yield a reduction of 27.7%.

Project approach to control system creating for modernizing traffic control at territorial communities’ reconstruction

The reform of urban planning activities has opened up opportunities to apply a modern approach to the strategic planning of territorial community development by developing and implementing the Concept of Integrated Territorial Development (CITD) of the territorial community, as well as sectoral plans for the implementation of specific CITD priorities. One of these priorities is the creation of a sustainable transportation system for the community that provides residents with high-quality transportation services, minimizes environmental harm, and ensures long-term socio-economic benefits. To achieve this, a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) is developed and implemented, which includes, among other things, the modernization of traffic control. The full-scale military aggression against Ukraine has necessitated a reevaluation of the concept of sustainable mobility and the implementation of measures to adapt it to the requirements of military and post-war community recovery. The focus is now on the resilience of territorial communities to critical situations (shock events) related to military actions and ongoing threats from the aggressor. Particular attention must be given to large cities, which represent one of the strategic targets for the aggressor. The proposed article examines the peculiarities of implementing a traffic control management modernization project for the military and the post-war recovery of a territorial community in accordance with the principles of sustainable mobility. It justifies the need to develop a version of the SUMP that includes scenarios for the development of sustainable mobility tailored to the requirements of military and post-war recovery. Three main directions are proposed for the implementation of the road traffic management system's responsibilities in developing the transportation system of the territorial community: soft measures, hard measures, and measures to enhance the transportation resilience of the territorial community. The study concludes that there is a need to develop new indicators that characterize the transportation resilience of territorial communities. conducting a SWOT analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of communities and their mobility, considering the impacts of military aggression; adjusting existing SUMPs and developing new ones, particularly for large cities and border communities; adjusting the composition, structure, and functions of the traffic management system to ensure effective current mobility management in response to existing challenges and threats; implementing and providing technical support for the execution of traffic control schemes and traffic signal timing plans according to scenarios that address critical moments (shock events); applying methodologies for managing territorial infrastructure projects with a focus on digitizing traffic control processes.

Understanding the urban mobility challenge: Why shared mobility providers fail to attract car drivers

Reducing urban car traffic has become a global policy objective. A vital element in achieving this objective is the availability of shared mobility providers offering sustainable alternative travel modes such as micromobility, carsharing, and ridehailing. Despite policy and industry efforts, shared mobility options have failed to change the travel patterns of current car users. We explore this urban mobility challenge through an empirical study of 807 urban travelers. Our results show that car drivers estimate travel costs conceptually rather than rationally and consider both trip purpose and length. In particular, car users perceive longer and recreational trips as cheaper per distance driven than shorter and work-related trips. A segmentation analysis reveals that habitual and technology-averse car drivers are particularly susceptible to this skewed cost perception, unlike more frequent transit users. Embedding these results in a case study of current shared mobility options shows that these options are ill-adjusted to the preferences of car travelers but more attractive to current transit users, potentially leading to cannibalization. Based on these findings, we outline several strategies for mobility providers and policymakers to attract car drivers to shared mobility options, thereby contributing to solving the urban mobility challenge.

Analyzing Mobility Patterns at Scale in Pandemic Scenarios Leveraging the Mobile Network Ecosystem

The ubiquity and pervasiveness of mobile network technologies has made them so deeply ingrained in our everyday lives that by interacting with them for very simple purposes (e.g., messaging or browsing the Internet), we produce an unprecedented amount of data that can be analyzed to understand our behavior. While this practice has been extensively adopted by telcos and big tech companies in the last few years, this condition, which was unimaginable just 20 years ago, has only been mildly exploited to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we discuss the possible alternatives that we could leverage in the current mobile network ecosystem to provide regulators and epidemiologists with the right understanding of our mobility patterns, to maximize the efficiency and extent of the introduced countermeasures. To validate our analysis, we dissect a fine-grained dataset of user positions in two major European countries severely hit by the pandemic. The potential of using these data, harvested employing traditional mobile network technologies, is unveiled through two exemplary cases that tackled macro and microscopic aspects.

Written Mobility Communication in Acute Care Medical Wards: An Observational Study of Physical Therapists' and Nurses' Documentation Practice.

Low inpatient mobility is associated with poor hospital outcomes. Poor communication between clinicians has been identified as a barrier to improving mobility. Understanding how mobility is communicated within the multi-disciplinary team may help inform strategies to improve inpatient mobility. The aim of this study was to describe written mobility communication by physical therapists and nurses in acute care medical wards. This cross-sectional observational study was conducted across 4 hospitals in an Australian health service. A survey of physical therapists and nurses identified preferred sources and content of written mobility communication. An audit described and compared written mobility communication in the most strongly preferred documentation sources. Findings were described and compared graphically between discipline and site. Questionnaires were completed by 85 physical therapists and 150 nurses. Twenty-two sources of documentation about mobility were identified. Preferences for sources and content varied between disciplines. Physical therapists nominated several preferred information sources and sought and documented broader mobility content. Nurses often sought nursing documents which focused on current mobility assistance and aids, with limited communication of mobility level or mobility goals. Audits of 104 patient records found that content varied between sources and sites, and content was variably missing or inconsistent between sources. Written mobility communication focused on mobility assistance and aids, rather than mobility levels or mobility goals, with poor completion and inconsistency within documentation. More complete and consistent documentation might improve progressive mobilization of hospital inpatients. Physical therapists and nurses seek and document different content in a wide range of locations, leading to incomplete and inconsistent written documentation.Understanding and resolving these practice differences offers potential to improve mobility communication and practice.

A comparative review of Aphexda and Mozobil for mobilization prior to stem cell collection.

High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the standard of care for eligible patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma leading to prolonged progression free and overall survival. Successful engraftment following hematopoietic stem cell infusion requires adequate stem cell doses. Current mobilization regimens include granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) with or without plerixafor. Motixafortide is a recently approved agent that can be used in combination with G-CSF for mobilization. In the absence of any head-to-head trials comparing the two products, this article aims to outline the similarities and differences of these two agents. Though moxitafortide has a more favorable pharmacokinetic profile in comparison to plerixafor, in clinical trials, the agents demonstrated similar efficacy. In addition, the use of motixafortide in clinical practice may be limited by product cost as well as administration and monitoring requirements.

Good for the planet… and for you too? Comparing five travel and health-related outcomes among active, motorized, and public transport commuters

Aligned with sustainable development goals, the promotion of active and public transport commuting has gained ground in the last decade. However, literature empirically addressing the individual outcomes of different commuting modes remains scarce. AimThe core aim of this research was to assess and compare a literature-based set of travel, health, and welfare-related outcomes among three different groups of urban daily commuters: private motorized, public transport, and active commuters. MethodsThis cross-sectional study used a nationwide sample of n= 2370 urban daily commuters from all 17 regions of Spain. Participants, aged between 18 and 70, with an average of M= 33 years, were drawn from all 17 regions of Spain, and responded to an electronic survey on commuting issues. ResultsAs hypothesized, different groups of commuters had different psychosocial trip- and welfare-related outcomes. Indeed, most indicators, except for travel satisfaction, showed a favorable association with the sustainability value attributed to each commuting means. Particularly, active travelers had significantly lower commuting stress and Body Mass Index (BMI) values, and higher rates of life satisfaction and pro-environmental behavior in areas beyond transport, in stark contrast to private motorized users. Public transport users, although ‘in the middle’ in most aspects, report the highest commuter stress rates. ConclusionThe results of this research endorse the assumption that the commuting mode matters, but the relationship between transport sustainability and user outcomes cannot be understood as ‘totally linear’. These insights can be valuable for initiatives aimed at promoting shifts towards more sustainable –and active– transportation patterns among commuters, who constitute an interest group in current mobility planning and decision-making.

The application of direct ridership models in the evaluation of the expansion of the Porto Light Rail Transit

The main purpose of this paper is to show how a direct demand ride model coupled with a transfer model was able to support the choice of alternative routes for the expansion of the light rail system serving the Porto Metropolitan Area. After an overview of the literature on direct ridership models, emphasizing some key issues such as the need for a systematic assessment of their forecasting performance, the issues related to the definition of the pedestrian catchment area and the limitations of the simultaneous consideration of demand and supply effects, the paper moves into the case study, providing some background information on current occupation densities, land uses and mobility patterns, as well as on the performance of the existing LRT in the Metropolitan Area of Porto. The development of the direct ridership model, measuring the potential attractiveness of each station, and the transfer model, measuring the number of transfers at each station, are presented in detail. A justification is provided why, in this case, a two-step modelling approach was necessary. Further details about the statistical tests for model validation are also provided. After a brief characterization of the alternative routes under analysis for the expansion of the network, the modelling results are presented enabling a comparative assessment of the potential performance of each proposed route. The paper ends with a discussion of the relevance of this modelling results vis a vis the actual final decisions on investment priorities taken jointly by the Metropolitan Council and the Metro Company.

Enhanced detection sensitivity of X-ray detectors via CdSe nanoplatelet aspect ratio control

This study investigated the use of inorganic cadmium selenide nanoplatelets (CdSe NPLs) to enhance the performance of X-ray detectors. The active layer of the detector comprised a bulk heterojunction composed of PCDTBT:PC71BM: CdSe NPLs with three different aspect ratios (ARs = 3:1, 1:1, and 6:1). The CdSe NPLs, synthesized with a thickness of five monolayers, were controlled by adjusting the molar mass ratios of Cd(OAc)2 and Cd(OAc)2∙2 H2O. Each detector was characterized by analyzing its series resistance, collection irradiation, dark current density, detection sensitivity, charge mobility, and defect density via the collected charges. The detector containing CdSe NPLs with an aspect ratio of 1:1 demonstrated the most favorable performance, exhibiting improved carrier generation and transport properties, resulting in a 23.36 % increase in sensitivity compared with the detector without CdSe NPLs. Through experimentation, the optimal content of CdSe NPLs in the active layer was determined to be 1 wt%, yielding the highest sensitivity of 3.96 × 103 μC∙Gy−1∙cm−2. This study underscores the potential of CdSe NPLs as promising materials for X-ray detector applications.

Effect of Alkyl Side Chains in BDT and 2D‐BDT Small‐Molecules as Donor Materials for Vacuum‐Processed Organic Photovoltaic Devices

Nine molecules based on benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]dithiophene (BDT) and 2D‐BDT derivatives are studied as donor materials in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices fabricated by thermal evaporation, aiming to understand how different alkyl lateral substituents affect the molecular packing, the charge transport, and, subsequently, the device performance. Synthesis of the molecules is followed by a comprehensive characterization using thermal and differential scanning calorimetry analyses, which confirm their thermal stability and suitability for vacuum‐processed OPV devices. Thermal analysis also demonstrates a strong correlation between the melting point reduction of the molecules and the disorder caused by the alkyl chains. As the synthesized molecules present similar optical properties, the differences in the device performance are caused by the different substituents. BDT derivatives with low melting point temperatures produce reduced current density, hole mobility, and overall device performance, which are attributed to poor molecular packing. Additionally, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy analysis suggests phase separation with fullerene, further impacting the efficiency of the devices. The findings indicate that the photovoltaic performance of BDT‐based molecules can be modulated by avoiding aliphatic substituents, providing a strategy for the design of more efficient materials, with thermal evaporation as an ideal method to evaluate and decouple molecular packing from solubility.

A user-inspired mobility experience of the future: a qualitative investigation

Wheelchair users (WCUs) face additional challenges than non-WCU to multi-tasking (i.e. open doors, cook, use a cell-phone) while navigating their environments. While assistive devices have attempted to provide WCUs with mobility solutions that enable multi-tasking capabilities, current devices have been developed without the input of end-users and have proven to be non-usable. More balanced approaches that integrate the end-users’ voices may improve current assistive technology usability trends. This study sought to empathically understand the lived experience of WCUs, their needs towards a mobility device, and their perceptions towards hands-free mobility. Full-time WCUs and care providers participated in semi-structured interviews examining wheelchair use and perceptions towards current and future mobility devices. Thematic analysis was used to analyze interview data. 9 WCUs (aged 32.1 ± 7.0 years; wheelchair experience 17.9 ± 11.6 years) and five care providers (years caring for WCU 3.75 ± 0.96 years) participated in the study. The most common disability type was spinal cord injury (WCUs: n = 3; care providers: n = 3). Qualitative analysis revealed four key themes: (1) Current wheelchair usage, (2) WCU and care provider perspectives, (3) Future wheelchair, and (4) Hands-free wheelchair. Accordingly, participants desire bespoke, light-weight mobility devices that can through tight spaces, access uneven terrain, and free the hands during navigation. This study provides meaningful insight into the needs of WCUs and care providers that assistive technology innovators can use to develop more usable assistive technologies. Amongst study participants, the concept of a hands-free mobility device appears to be usable and desirable.

Advertising in digital applications and mobile games as a monetization element

The paper explores the specifics of the term "monetization" for video games and examines similar monetization systems for non-gaming platforms. It reviews the dynamics of the video game market as a whole, particularly the mobile game market, and analyzes the current state of the mobile gaming market. The stages of market formation and the evolution of digital goods are presented in chronological order, using video games as an example, along with the evolution of advertising integrations from the 1990s to the present day. Examples of advertising usage before the widespread adoption of mobile devices and connectivity are provided, such as product placement and DLC. The characteristic features of different sales systems are defined: Free-to-play, Freemium, Pay-to-play. Their advantages and distinctive monetization features are outlined, and the reasons for the dominance of Free-to-play and Freemium in the current mobile gaming market are identified. The work offers a detailed characterization of the main types of video advertising in mobile games: native advertising, video advertising, rewarded video ads, demos, and contextual advertising. The reasons for the proliferation of each type of advertising are revealed, and the main advantages and challenges of using video advertising, in general, are identified for both advertisers and publishers. Examples from modern mobile games and applications are systematized depending on the advertiser, the game distribution model, and the complexity of implementation. Specialized monetization elements specific to certain types of video advertising are examined. The research results can be used to build a monetization strategy for developing freemium and free-to-play gaming or entertainment projects, to assess the appropriateness of using video games as a platform for placing one's advertising, or to predict user behavior from the perspective of the experience economy and interaction with digital goods.

PLANNING THE INSERTION OF SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT MODES BASED ON AN ACCESSIBILITY ANALYSIS. CASE STUDY: SAN JOSÉ DEL GUAVIARE, COLOMBIA

This research objective is to determine the impact on the operability of private vehicle transport mode, given the proposed implementation of the new bicycle route, pedestrian a transit network in San Jose del Guaviare (Colombia), with the aim to propose an urban planning instrument for decision-making that promotes the insertion of alternative transport means to a private vehicle. The methodology includes the application of transport infrastructure supply models as an evaluation basis, supported by geographical accessibility, coverage and geospatial impact analyses. The main results show that the proposal for the insertion of alternative modes of transport would be beneficial in terms of providing other mobility options for the inhabitants without deteriorating the current mobility conditions of the private mode. The above result point to the benefits that are shown for the municipality's development and planning to maximize their use by decision-makers.

Predicting cycling flows in cities without cycling data

Cycling is a potential tool to mitigate many of the problems faced by urban populations today. Encouraging the use of bicycles as a legitimate mobility tool, however, demands adequate knowledge of current mobility patterns, such as locations of trip generation and attraction. Unfortunately, cities usually do not gather enough data to adequately understand cycling demand. We propose models based on spatial econometrics and gradient boosted regression trees which can be trained with data from cities with mature cycling cultures and then applied to cities still in their cycling infancy to supply city officials with a better estimate of potential future OD matrices. We perform a case study in the Boston Metropolitan Area and show results comparing both types of models.