End Users Research Articles

Optimizing Smart Power Grid Stability Based on the Prediction of a Deep Learning Model

A smart grid is an electricity transmission system that uses digital technology to control getting and dispatching electricity from all generation sources to satisfy end users' fluctuating electricity demands. It achieves this through deploying technologies such as technology and smart grids, which are pivotal in increasing the power supply's efficiency, reliability, and sustainability to the public. Decentralized Smart Grid Control (DSGC) is a system where the control and decision-making functions are distributed to different grid points instead of in one central place. This paradigm is critical for the fault resistance and efficiency of the grid because it enables the local regions to carry on by themselves, manage electric power flows, respond to changes, and integrate many kinds of energy sources successfully. The grid frequency is monitored via the DSGC to ensure dynamic grid stability estimation. All parties, from users to energy producers, may take advantage of the price of power tied to grid frequency. The DSGC, a vital component of this research, gathered information about clients' consumption and used several assumptions to predict the behavior of the consumers. It establishes a method to assess against current supply circumstances and the resultant recommended pricing information. This research proposes a long short-term memory (LSTM) model to analyze data gathered regarding smart grid characteristics and predict grid stability. The results show a strong capacity for the LSTM model, achieving an accuracy of 96.73% with a loss of just 7.44%. The model also achieves a precision of 96.70%, recall of 98.18%, and F1-score of 97.43%.

Design of a Novel Hybrid Concentrated Photovoltaic–Thermal System Equipped with Energy Storages, Optimized for Use in Residential Contexts

Concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technology is based on the principle of concentrating direct sunlight onto small but very efficient photovoltaic (PV) cells. This approach allows the realization of PV modules with conversion efficiencies exceeding 30%, which is significantly higher than that of the flat panels. However, to achieve optimal performance, these modules must always be perpendicular to solar radiation; hence, they are mounted on high-precision solar trackers. This requirement has led to the predominant use of CPV technology in the construction of solar power plants in open and large fields for utility scale applications. In this paper, the authors present a novel approach allowing the use of this technology for residential installations, mounting the system both on flat and sloped roofs. Therefore, the main components of cell and primary lens have been chosen to contain the dimensions and, in particular, the thickness of the module. This paper describes the main design steps: thermal analysis allowed the housing construction material to be defined to contain cell working temperature, while with deep optical studies, experimentally validated main geometrical and functional characteristics of the CPV have been identified. The design of a whole CPV system includes thermal storage for domestic hot water and a 1 kWh electrical battery. The main design results indicate an estimated electrical conversion efficiency of 30%, based on a cell efficiency of approximately 42% under operational conditions and a measured optical efficiency of 74%. The CPV system has a nominal electric output of 550 Wp and can simultaneously generate 630 W of thermal power, resulting in an overall system efficiency of 65.5%. The system also boasts high optical acceptance angles (±0.6°) and broad assembly tolerances (±1 mm). Cost analysis reveals higher unit costs compared to conventional PV and CPV systems, but these become competitive when considering the benefit of excess thermal energy recovery and use by the end user.

Protection and Heat Insulation Performance Comparison using Insulation Formwork in Winter

Concrete pouring in winter is critical to both concrete manufacturers and end users owing to the possibility of concrete damage due to cold weather. In this context, various methods have been used to prevent frost damage to concrete in winter, including adjusting the concrete mix using a chemical admixture and heat-curing with tents. Of these methods, the insulated-gang-form approach does not require concrete-mix adjustment via a chemical-admixture addition. Furthermore, its positive effect on the initial quality of concrete during concrete construction in winter has previously been confirmed. In this study, the power consumption of the conventional gang form was compared with that of the insulated gang form to evaluate the efficiency of the two protection methods. A thermal vision camera was used to examine the surface heat loss of the gang forms after concrete pouring. The insulated gang form significantly outperformed the conventional one through its significantly reduced power consumption and reduced surface heat loss. These findings can contribute to the standardization of insulated gang form application to concrete protection in cold-weather conditions.

An Eco-Friendly Alternative to Orange Peel, Sustainable Fashion Hair Accessories

The fashion industry contributes around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 35% of plastic micro-fibers released in oceans [4][5]. This impact is amplified by the increasing demand for hair accessories, which are often made from plastic or metal and contain harmful chemicals. The global market for hair accessories is estimated to be worth Rs. 1,96,566 Crs. in 2023 and is forecasted to reach Rs. 3,50,201 Crs. by 2030 with a growth rate of 8.60%. To address the significant environmental impacts of hair fashion industry, there is a need to emphasize sustainable and eco-friendly fashion practices, including the use of organic waste. This action research project explores the use of bio-plastic made from Orange Peels, for creating sustainable and eco-friendly hair accessories. Due to high cellulose content in orange peel, bio-plastic produced using simple techniques have shown promising results, with excellent strength, flexibility, and biodegradability [1]. This research not only showcases the ‘best from the waste’ concept but also opens the door of additional income source to the orange farmers & consumers. A comprehensive online survey was conducted to get feedback from key stake holders toward promotion of eco-friendly fashion. The ‘Sakhi Paryavarnachi’ campaign has been initiated to promote the bio- plastic hair accessories amongst the end users. Overall the combined efforts of experimentation, observation, evaluation and survey based campaign have been explored herein to promote ‘Orange peel eco-friendly alternative for sustainable fashion in hair accessories.’

A blockchain-based architecture for tracking and remunerating fast frequency response

The increasing penetration of renewable sources introduces new challenges for power systems’ stability, especially for isolated systems characterized by low inertia and powered through a single diesel power plant, such as it happens in small islands. For this reason, research projects, such as the BLORIN project, have focused on the provision of energy services involving electric vehicles owners residential users to mitigate possible issues on the power system due to unpredictable generation from renewable sources. The residential users were part of a blockchain-based platform, which also the Distributors/Aggregators were accessing. This paper describes the integrated framework that was set up to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of some of the methodologies developed in the BLORIN project for fast frequency response in isolated systems characterized by low rotational inertia. The validation of the proposed methodologies for fast frequency response using Vehicle-to-Grid or Demand Response programs was indeed carried out by emulating the dynamic behavior of different power resources in a Power Hardware-in-the-Loop environment using the equipment installed at the LabZERO laboratory of Politecnico di Bari, Italy. The laboratory, hosting a physical microgrid as well as Power Hardware-in-the-Loop facilities, was integrated within the BLORIN blockchain platform. The tests were conducted by assuming renewable generation development scenarios (mainly photovoltaic) and simulating the system under the worst-case scenarios caused by reduced rotational inertia. The experiments allowed to fully simulate users’ interaction with the energy system and blockchain network reproducing realistic conditions of tracking and remuneration of users’ services. The results obtained show the effectiveness of the BLORIN platform for the provision, tracking and remuneration of grid services by electric vehicles and end users, and the benefits that are achieved in terms of reducing the number of diesel generating units that need to be powered on just to provide operational reserve due to the penetration of renewable sources, resulting in fuel savings and reduced emissions.

Transformed biosolids promote ryegrass growth and microbial carbon cycling at the ‘cost’ of soil carbon

Soil carbon supports desirable ecosystem functions for global agricultural productivity and climate resilience objectives. Wastewater biosolids can be transformed into soil amendments that return carbon and nutrients to agricultural systems in stoichiometric ratios that support carbon stabilisation. However, practicable delivery that enhances stable soil carbon and plant yield remains challenging. Soil carbon stability and nutrient availability are mediated partly by microbial community composition and function, which are poorly understood in soils amended with transformed biosolids. We conducted a 56-day study in a temperature-controlled glasshouse, growing perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) in pasture soil amended with straw, straw supplemented with nutrients, or transformed biosolids (composted biosolids, dried biosolids or biosolids biochar), all with equal added carbon (3500 kg ha−1). Control soils, with and without supplementary nutrients, were also included. Plant dry mass, soil chemical characteristics, and soil carbon fractions were measured at harvest. 16S rRNA sequencing was used to infer the composition and putative function of rhizosphere bacterial communities. Shoot dry mass increased for composted biosolids (236%) and dried biosolids (559%), but total carbon in rhizosphere soil decreased for composted biosolids (16.3%), dried biosolids (13.3%) and biosolids biochar (12.7%) when compared to unamended soils. Fine-fraction carbon in rhizosphere soil decreased for straw with supplementary nutrients (6.8%), dried biosolids (6.3%) and biosolids biochar (4.6%). Rhizosphere bacterial communities clustered by treatment, with populations correlated with fine-fraction carbon distinct from those populations correlated with shoot and root dry mass. Path analysis linked fine-fraction carbon loss with increased putative carbon cycling genes, driven by available nutrients and plant growth. Transformed biosolids can trigger a microbial response that reallocates nutrients from organic matter to plants, disrupting soil carbon-nutrient stoichiometry and facilitating carbon loss. Understanding the carbon cost of this ecosystem service is fundamental when translating benefits of transformed biosolids to end users.

ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКИЕ И СОЦИАЛЬНЫЕ ПОСЛЕДСТВИЯ ВНЕДРЕНИЯ БИОМЕТРИЧЕСКОЙ ОПЛАТЫ ТРАНСПОРТНЫХ УСЛУГ В СЕВЕРО-ЗАПАДНОМ ФЕДЕРАЛЬНОМ ОКРУГЕ

The article discusses the economic and social aspects of the introduction of a biometric payment system in the trans- port infrastructure of the Northwestern Federal District. The potential benefits and risks associated with the protection of per- sonal data and the security of the systems used are analyzed, as well as expected changes in the convenience and effective- ness of such a payment method for end users.

Comparative Analysis of User Satisfaction of End User Computing Satisfaction, DeLone & McLean and Webqual 4.0 Methods

This study aims to analyze the level of user satisfaction of the SIAP Undip Mobile Application version 2.1.9 using three evaluation methods: End User Computing Satisfaction (EUCS), Delone and McLean, and Webqual 4.0. The study involved 100 Diponegoro University student respondents who used the application. Data was collected through a questionnaire distributed via Google Form and analyzed with SmartPLS 4.0 software to test validity, reliability, and research hypotheses. In this study, there were 11 hypotheses tested with three models. In the EUCS model, one hypothesis is accepted, namely Format has a significant effect on user satisfaction, while the other four hypotheses are rejected. In the Delone and McLean model, two hypotheses were accepted (Information Quality and System Quality) and one hypothesis was rejected (Service Quality). In the Webqual 4.0 model, one hypothesis is accepted (Service Interaction Quality) and two hypotheses are rejected (Information Quality and Usability Quality). The results of this study also provide suggestions for improvement for the development of the SIAP Undip version 2.1.9 application.

Informing the Design of Intervention Solutions for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors

Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs), such as nail biting, impact a wide demographic, and can negatively affect physical, psychological, and social well-being. Although pharmacological and behavioral therapies are common treatments, many avoid seeking help, and not everyone responds fully to treatment. Recent advances in wearable sensing enable new digital solutions that can detect BFRB episodes and intervene to mitigate them. While BFRBs have been extensively studied in medical research, translating this knowledge into effective digital intervention solutions may not be straightforward, and the end user's perspective may be overlooked. We report a user study with 12 frequent nail biters, who shared their experiences about nail biting and expectations of intervention solutions in semi-structured qualitative interviews. We describe the progression of a nail biting episode from a nail biter's perspective and present a taxonomy of intervention strategies to mitigate nail biting. Our results inform the design of future digital BFRB intervention solutions.

Bicycle Infrastructure Safety Assessment From the Perspective of Urban Development Specialists and Engineers

The safety of bicycle infrastructure is a primary factor influencing bicycle travel. While cyclists’ perspectives on infrastructure safety are extensively studied, they are merely the end users. Decisions on infrastructure design are made by engineers and urban development specialists. Therefore, it is crucial to determine if these professionals’ safety assessments align with those of cyclists. A qualitative survey was conducted with 5 expert engineers and 5 urban development specialists, each having 5 to 20 years of experience in transportation infrastructure planning. Kendall’s coefficient of concordance W was used to assess the compatibility of their opinions. The results showed significant compatibility: W = 0.697 for engineers and W = 0.511 for urban development specialists. Seventeen cycling infrastructure installation schemes were evaluated. Both engineers (M = 10.0, SD = 0.0) and urban development specialists (M = 9.8, SD = 0.44) indicated the DT_2 option as providing the greatest sense of security, where the bicycle path is physically separated from both the carriageway and pedestrian path. The key findings reveal agreement on the safety of straight-street segments of bicycle infrastructure but diverging opinions at intersections zones. Urban development specialists are influenced by existing practices and legal frameworks lacking detailed cycling infrastructure guidelines at intersections. Engineers align more closely with cyclists’ perceptions, emphasising physical separation and speed reduction measures. The study concludes that urban development specialists need to better understand cyclists’ needs and prioritize safer infrastructure solutions.

Usability Optimization for Mobile Menu Design: An Empirical Study of Hand Grips and User Preferences

This paper investigates the relationship between menu design and hand positions in relation to the assessment of end users with main focus on usability, user preference, and potential adaptions to different hand positions. Sixteen (N=16) participants first participated in a co-design workshop, in which they proposed menu designs for different hand grips. Based on the design proposals, a selection of menu designs were derived and implemented in a mobile app prototype, on which a menu selection study was conducted to investigate performance and perceived usability of the menus in one-handed and two-handed interaction. The results include user ratings and performance, which highlight the need for mobile menus to be adapted for different hand positions. Based on that, we derive design recommendations for more adaptive, user-centric and ergonomic mobile menu designs to match the natural interactions of users.

Adoption of virtual library systems and services in university libraries: an empirical investigation from the Punjab, Pakistan

Purpose This study aims to identify the status of virtual library system development in university libraries. It also attempted to examine the availability of virtual library services and reveal the challenges being faced by university librarians of Punjab province, Pakistan in providing virtual library services. Design/methodology/approach The study used a quantitative research method by using a questionnaire to address the study’s objectives. In total, 62 university libraries in Punjab province, Pakistan were the population of the study. A purposive sampling technique was applied to gather the required data from the respondents. Findings Results showed that most of the study’s respondents are well aware of the potential benefits of virtual library systems in universities for the delivery of innovative smart services to library patrons. The libraries delivered different virtual library services to meet the diverse needs of the library patrons. The respondents faced the challenges of funding, expertise, technical support, leadership, strategic planning and training to adopt virtual library systems and services in university libraries. Originality/value The study has provided a framework based on empirical findings of the study to efficiently adopt virtual library systems and services in university libraries for the delivery of smart services to end users. It has provided pertinent theoretical and practical implications.

Reusable Generic Clinical Decision Support System Module for Immunization Recommendations in Resource-Constraint Settings.

Clinical decision support systems (CDSS) are routinely employed in clinical settings to improve quality of care, ensure patient safety, and deliver consistent medical care. However, rule-based CDSS, currently available, do not feature reusable rules. In this study, we present CDSS with reusable rules. Our solution includes a common CDSS module, electronic medical record (EMR) specific adapters, CDSS rules written in the clinical quality language (CQL) (derived from CDC immunization recommendations), and patient records in fast healthcare interoperability resources (FHIR) format. The proposed CDSS is entirely browser-based and reachable within the user's EMR interface at the client-side. This helps to avoid the transmission of patient data and privacy breaches. Additionally, we propose to provide means of managing and maintaining CDSS rules to allow the end users to modify them independently. Successful implementation and deployment were achieved in OpenMRS and OpenEMR during initial testing.

Exploring the User Acceptability and Feasibility of a Clinical Decision Support Tool Designed to Facilitate Timely Diagnosis of New-Onset Type 1 Diabetes in Children: Qualitative Interview Study Among General Practitioners.

Up to half of the children with new-onset type 1 diabetes present to the hospital with diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening condition that can develop because of diagnostic delay. Three-quarters of Australian children visit their general practitioner (GP) the week before presenting to the hospital with diabetic ketoacidosis. Our prototype, DIRECT-T1DM (Decision-Support for Integrated, Real-Time Evaluation and Clinical Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus), is an electronic clinical decision support tool that promotes immediate point-of-care testing in general practice to confirm the suspicion of diabetes. This avoids laboratory testing, which has been documented internationally as a cause of diagnostic delay. In this investigation, we aimed to pilot and assess the feasibility and acceptability of our prototype to GP end users. We also explored the challenges of diagnosing type 1 diabetes in the Australian general practice context. In total, 4 GPs, a pediatric endocrinologist, and a PhD candidate were involved in conceptualizing the DIRECT-T1DM prototype, which was developed at the Department of General Practice and Primary Care at the University of Melbourne. Furthermore, 6 GPs were recruited via convenience sampling to evaluate the tool. The study involved 3 phases: a presimulation interview, simulated clinical scenarios, and a postsimulation interview. The interview guide was developed using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) as a guide. All phases of the study were video, audio, and screen recorded. Audio recordings were transcribed by the investigating team. Analysis was carried out using CFIR as the underlying framework. Major themes were identified among three domains and 7 constructs of the CFIR: (1) outer setting-time pressure, difficulty in diagnosing pediatric type 1 diabetes, and secondary care considerations influenced GPs' needs regarding DIRECT-T1DM; (2) inner setting-DIRECT-T1DM fits within existing workflows, it has a high relative priority due to its importance in patient safety, and GPs exhibited high tension for change; and (3) innovation-design recommendations included altering coloring to reflect urgency, font style and bolding, specific language, information and guidelines, and inclusion of patient information sheets. End-user acceptability of DIRECT-T1DM was high. This was largely due to its implications for patient safety and its "real-time" nature. DIRECT-T1DM may assist in appropriate management of children with new-onset diabetes, which is an uncommon event in general practice, through safety netting.

Oncology Clinicians' Perspectives of a Remote Patient Monitoring Program: A Multi-Modal Case Study Approach.

Remote patient monitoring (RPM) aims to improve patient access to care and communication with clinical providers. Overall, understanding the usability of RPM applications and their influence on clinical care workflows is limited from the perspectives of clinician end users at a cancer center in the Northeast, United States. Explore the usability and functionality of RPM and elicit the perceptions and experiences of oncology clinicians using RPM for oncology patients after hospital discharge. The sample included 30 of 98 clinicians (31% response rate) managing at least five patients in the RPM program and responding to the m-Health Usability between March 2021- October 2021. Overall, clinicians responded positively to the survey. Item responses with the highest proportion of disagreement were explored further. A nested sample of five clinicians who responded to the study survey (30% response rate) participated in interview sessions conducted from November 2021 to February 2022, and averaged 60 minutes each. Survey responses highlighted that RPM was easy to use and learn and verified symptom alerts during follow-up phone calls. Areas to improve identified practice changes from reporting RPM alerts through digital portals and its influence on clinicians' workload burden. Interview sessions revealed three main themes: clinician understanding and usability constraints, patient constraints, and suggestions for improving the program. Subthemes for each theme were explored, characterizing technical and functional limitations that could be addressed to enhance efficiency, workflow, and user experience. Clinicians support the value of RPM for improving symptom management and engaging with providers. Functional changes to enhance the program's utility, such as input from patients about temporal changes in their symptoms and technical resources for home monitoring devices.

Jointly Optimization of Delay and Energy Consumption for Multi-Device FDMA in WPT-MEC System.

With the rapid development of mobile edge computing (MEC) and wireless power transfer (WPT) technologies, the MEC-WPT system makes it possible to provide high-quality data processing services for end users. However, in a real-world WPT-MEC system, the channel gain decreases with the transmission distance, leading to "double near and far effect" in the joint transmission of wireless energy and data, which affects the quality of the data processing service for end users. Consequently, it is essential to design a reasonable system model to overcome the "double near and far effect" and make reasonable scheduling of multi-dimensional resources such as energy, communication and computing to guarantee high-quality data processing services. First, this paper designs a relay collaboration WPT-MEC resource scheduling model to improve wireless energy utilization efficiency. The optimization goal is to minimize the normalization of the total communication delay and total energy consumption while meeting multiple resource constraints. Second, this paper imports a BK-means algorithm to complete the end terminals cluster to guarantee effective energy reception and adapts the whale optimization algorithm with adaptive mechanism (AWOA) for mobile vehicle path-planning to reduce energy waste. Third, this paper proposes an immune differential enhanced deep deterministic policy gradient (IDDPG) algorithm to realize efficient resource scheduling of multiple resources and minimize the optimization goal. Finally, simulation experiments are carried out on different data, and the simulation results prove the validity of the designed scheduling model and proposed IDDPG.

Impact of Wireless Network Packet Loss on Real-Time Video Streaming Application: A Comparative Study of H.265 and H.266 Codecs

The transmission of real-time videos over wireless networks is prone to the negative consequences of packet loss and delay, which can have a potential effect on the video quality during streaming. These impairments can lead to interruptions, buffering, and degradation of visual and auditory elements, resulting in an unsatisfactory user experience. In this paper, we aim to address the challenges associated with packet loss and delay parameters in wireless networks, and propose an approach to alleviate their impact on real-time video transmission. The proposed approach involves utilizing the H.265/H.266 video coding standards. For Versatile Video Coding (VVC), a patch support for VVdeC and VVenC to FFmpeg (Fast Forward Moving Picture Expert Group) is added. As a result, FFmpeg is used to encode, stream and decode all videos. Raw videos of 2K qualities are encoded based on the adaptive quantization (QP) for the above-mentioned codecs. By selecting optimal transmission data based on various network conditions, this approach enhances the Quality of Experience (QoE) for end-users while minimizing resource usage in the wireless network. Furthermore, the proposed approach selects the codec standards according to their bitrates and frame rates. Simulation results indicate that the proposed approach has a significant improvement for real-time video streaming over wireless networks to satisfy the end user experience. The approach also outperforms other related work by gaining a PSNR of +12 dB for H.265 and +13 dB for H.266 when the network packet loss is 1%.

Innovating Statistics Education: The Design of a Novel App Using Design Thinking

Statistical education at university level faces significant challenges, particularly with the rapid advancements in technology and evolving teaching methods. Updating teaching methodologies for statistics in higher education is essential. Information technologies can greatly enhance the learning of statistical content, but many existing platforms are not well-suited for university contexts, either due to language barriers or how the content is presented (often confusing, with limited explanations or lacking context). It is crucial to have a student-centered platform that addresses these issues, ensuring an effective and efficient learning experience. This study introduces “EstApp”, an innovative mobile application prototype designed for teaching and learning descriptive statistics in university courses. The application was developed using the Design Thinking methodology, which emphasizes user experience and focuses on the needs of the end users. The design process involved stages of empathizing, defining, ideating, prototyping, and testing, culminating in validation through user tests with university students and professors. This study concludes that EstApp’s functionalities enhance understanding of (1) statistical models through interactive graphs and data visualizers; (2) probability concepts via a probability calculator; and (3) descriptive statistics through real-time data generation and visualizers.

The Strategic Adoption of 5G Technology From a Business Model Perspective

Even if 5G is considered an enabling technology, its transformative potential and widespread adoption remain limited. This paper explores how Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) innovate their business models by leveraging 5G. Through an exploratory multiple-case study of Italian MNOs, key determinants concerning innovation in value proposition, creation, and delivery are obtained inductively from interviews and grouped into different 5G business model archetypes. These latter are "Advanced connectivity provider", "Vertical Service Provider", and "Orchestrator". The first focuses on offering 5G as an enabling technology on which end users can build their own applications. The second selects target industries and allows access to a specific service. The third doesn’t own specific knowledge but it acts as the intermediary between a customer and a capable partner’s network, ensuring that the project is carried out and targeting multiple verticals. The research provides both theoretical and practical contributions: from a theoretical standpoint, it contributes to the business model innovation literature by offering empirical work that investigates the strategic adoption of a new technological paradigm focusing on the architecture of the business model rather than a measurement of performance afterwards. Moreover, it contributes to the 5G literature with an empirical study that focuses on the strategic implications of the phenomenon rather than just the technical aspects, and to the enabling technology literature by offering a study that examines an enabling technology from a firm-specific perspective. From the standpoint of practitioners, it can offer managerial guidance on developing suitable 5G business models to promote technology adoption and maintain competitiveness by harnessing the potential applications envisioned with 5G.

Development of the Reporting Infographics and Visual Abstracts of Comparative studies (RIVA-C) checklist and guide

People often use infographics (also called visual or graphical abstracts) as a substitute for reading the full text of an article. This is a concern because most infographics do not...