Frequent Communication Research Articles

Deteriorating Distance: Impact of Mobile Phones on Interpersonal Relationship between Parents and Teenagers

Mobile phone use among teenagers has increased since the COVID–19 pandemic in Sri Lanka. This research seeks to find out how mobile phones affect the interpersonal relationship between parents and teenagers. Data for the questionnaire was collected randomly from 240 respondents based on three ethnicities in Niwithigala Divisional Secretariat of Ratnapura District, Sri Lanka. Social exchange theory was used as the theoretical framework for the study. According to the findings of the present study, teenagers are most motivated to use mobile phones for online education in a limited period of four years, from 2020 to 2023, in Sri Lanka. Teenagers consume mobile phones as heavy users to entertain, educate and for gaming. Parents consume 1-2 hours daily, and their main purpose is to communicate with children and others. Male teenagers spend more time on their mobile phones than female teenagers. It is found that both parents and teenagers have different perceptions of the impact of mobile phones on their lives. Teenagers strongly believe that mobile phones are essential devices for their daily activities. Teenagers believe that mobile phones are a better way to socialize, whereas parents do not agree that mobile phones are a socializing tool. On the other hand, in families with limited phone use or no phone use, the interpersonal relationship between parents and teenagers is more intense. The majority of the respondents, both parents and teenagers, faced misunderstanding because of excessive use of mobile phones, and they cleared up the misunderstanding by meeting the person physically. While the majority of both parents and teenagers strongly agreed with the statement that mobile phone consumption creates distance in the family, a few of them think that mobile phones do not cause distance in the family. The main finding of the study is that due to the excessive use of mobile phones by teenagers, the frequency and quality of communication among family members are affected, and so the interpersonal relationships between parents and teenagers become detached.

Enhancing secret key distribution through advanced color modulation in visible light communication

Visible light communication (VLC) has emerged as a dynamic area of research poised to revolutionize high-speed wireless communication. VLC technology uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) within existing infrastructure to emit light within the visible spectrum. VLC complements traditional radio frequency (RF) communications, addressing its inherent limitations and drawbacks. To navigate the demands of modern urban environments, VLC systems must prioritize secure data transmission, accessibility, and economic feasibility, particularly within the framework of smart cities. We introduce what is to our knowledge a novel privacy-enhanced VLC system for optical wireless communication. Leveraging color data modulation techniques and the intricacies of a hyperchaotic three-dimensional map, this innovative approach ensures robust security. By employing diverse LED colors for data transmission and exploiting the unpredictable mathematical properties of hyperchaotic maps, enhanced privacy is achieved. The performance of the proposed system was rigorously evaluated through various tests, manipulating initial control parameters of the encryption process with the hyperchaotic map, as well as adjusting message length and content. Tests were conducted over a 1 m connection distance at a symbol transmission rate of 2 baud. Remarkably, the proposed system demonstrated high accuracy in message recovery, achieving a symbol error rate (SER) of only 0.02 at an incident optical power of 22 µW. We highlight the critical importance of precise decryption parameter values in the proposed method, demonstrating the necessity for accuracy within the range of 10−15 for each decryption parameter; it underscores the indispensability of meticulous parameter calibration to ensure the correct decryption of transmitted symbols. These results pave the way for applications where absolute security is imperative, particularly in smart city environments, such as for key distribution purposes.

A distributed algorithm with network‐independent step‐size and event‐triggered mechanism for economic dispatch problem

AbstractThe economic dispatch problem (EDP) poses a significant challenge in energy management for modern power systems, particularly as these systems undergo expansion. This growth escalates the demand for communication resources and increases the risk of communication failures. To address this challenge, we propose a distributed algorithm with network‐independent step sizes and an event‐triggered mechanism, which reduces communication requirements and enhances adaptability. Unlike traditional methods, our algorithm uses network‐independent step sizes derived from each agent's local cost functions, thus eliminating the need for detailed network topology knowledge. The theoretical derivation identifies a range of step size values that depend solely on the objective function's strong convexity and the gradient's Lipschitz continuity. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm is shown to achieve a linear convergence rate, assuming the event triggering threshold criteria are met for linear convergence. Numerical experiments further validate the effectiveness and advantages of our proposed distributed algorithm by demonstrating its ability to maintain good convergence characteristics while reducing communication frequency.

Reinforcement learning-based unmanned aerial vehicle trajectory planning for ground users’ mobility management in heterogeneous networks

The surge of data traffic in wireless networks necessitates the provision of high-quality data services to meet users’ satisfaction levels. However, the limited spectral resources of the current network infrastructures and inherent challenges of achieving reliable line-of-sight (LoS) probability for ground users (GUs) in urban environments often lead to disruption to communication services delivery. This paper aims to address the challenges of frequent handover (HO) failures and disrupted communication services for mobile GUs by deploying an unmanned aerial vehicle as a flying base station (UAV-BS) in heterogeneous networks (HetNets). A channel model is investigated that considers both LoS and non-line-of-sight (NLoS) paths in three-dimensional (3D) air-to-ground (A2G) links using a detailed mathematical model with urban infrastructure parameters like building density and heights. In addition, a reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm is presented in this work to optimize UAV trajectories in response to the dynamic mobility of GUs for enhancing LoS connections. The proposed algorithm dynamically adjusts the UAV positions and enhances transmission channels by identifying both LoS and NLoS paths. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms existing benchmarks through learning-based adaptive control of UAVs’ mobility, ensuring ubiquitous network connectivity for GUs and reducing HO failures in HetNets.

Application of optimization algorithm for virtual reference tag assisted localization and tracking of RFID

SummaryIn an indoor setting, the radio frequency communication is utilized to locate and track mobile objects utilizing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. Measurements from the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) are typically the foundation of the localization technique. In an RFID‐based interior setting, lowering tracking mistakes and increasing the precision of tracking remain difficult tasks. In order to address these issues, we developed the VIRALTRACK (Virtual Reference Tag Localization and Tracking) framework that consists of four procedures: deep reinforced learning‐based tracking, quantum‐based localization, optimization‐based virtual reference tag allocation, and signal enhancement. In order to increase the signal's effectiveness, we initially suggested using the Extended Gradient Filter (EGF) technique to eliminate RSSI oscillations. In the second step, we suggested using the Emperor Penguin Colony (EPC) optimization technique to allocate the virtual reference tag while taking the number of tags, SNR, and temperature and humidity of the surroundings into account. In the third phase, we use a quantum neural network (QNN) for localization in order to estimate the position of the moving target. We introduced the SignRank approach to select the best virtual reference tag for localization, which lowers tracking mistakes. In conclusion, we presented the Twin Delayed Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (TD3) method that boosts the tracking precision by tracking the moving target tag efficiently and taking into account stage, the orientation, distance, and valuable coordinates. The NS3.26 network simulator is used to run the simulation, and tracking precision, tracking error, and accumulated probabilities are used to assess effectiveness.

The Signature of Sporadic E of an Equatorial Ionosphere of the Low Latitude Region

Sporadic E is usually referred to as the large unpredictable formation of regions of very high electron density in the E region as one of the anomalies that is present in the equatorial region. This work studies the variability of sporadic E in the region with respect to the propagation of low frequency communication and impact on the equatorial region during the occurrence of this anomaly. Hourly data for the year 2010, a year of low solar activity obtained in-situ from a Digisonde Portable Sounder (DPS-4) from the African sector, Ilorin, Nigeria (8.5oN, 4.5oE, -2.96 dip) and the Southern American sector online at Jicamarca, Peru (12 oS, 76.8 oW, 0.74 dip) and Fortaleza, Brazil (3 oS, 38 oW, -7.03dip) were used for this study. The result obtained shows that sporadic E is usually observed at the region during the daytime and early evening (0600- 1700 local time) and is more prevalent during solstice months. Two types of sporadic E were observed in the region: blanket and transparent sporadic E. 12% of the transparent sporadic E was observed during the March equinox while 9% of blanket sporadic E was observed during this period; September equinox shows 15% of transparent and 7% blanket sporadic E respectively, while June solstice has 21% transparent and 7% blanket sporadic E. During the December solstices, 14% transparent and 7% blanket sporadic E was observed. During the March equinox, the blanket sporadic E was observed around 0200 hour local time, and that of the transparent sporadic E at about 1000 hour local time. Observation during the September equinox shows that it occurs around 1100 hour and 0200 hour respectively. It was observed that there is no correlation between sporadic E and geomagnetic storm. Sporadic E has been observed to be one of the anomalies that are responsible for the scintillation and scattering of the lower frequency signal in the said region when present.

Self-triggered formation attitude control for multiple spacecraft with disturbances

This paper studies the attitude consensus for nonlinear multi-spacecraft systems with disturbances and limited communication bandwidth and computing resources. A dynamic event-based attitude controller is developed to conserve communication resources, where a positive constant term is introduced to improve resource conservation efficiency. The developed event-driven controller is updated according to the constructed triggering mechanism, which greatly reduces the number of computations for the control algorithm. The triggering mechanism does not require continuous state information of neighboring spacecraft, which indicates that continuous communication is not needed for the operation of the formation system. Then, a self-triggered mechanism using the current triggering information is designed to further avoid continuous computation, and the avoidance of logarithmic functions enables the trigger interval to be close to that of the dynamic event-driven algorithm. The formation system is Zeno-free and uniformly ultimately bounded stable under the proposed event-based consensus control framework with the triggering strategies. Finally, simulations exhibit that the dynamic event-triggered protocol can reduce the communication frequency by 88%, and the self-triggered protocol can reduce the communication and computation frequency by 83% and have higher control accuracy than the dynamic event-triggered protocol.

Unleashing insights from Toronto Humane Society’s urgent care fostering program: a community case report

The Urgent Care (UC) fostering program at the Toronto Humane Society (THS) supports individuals experiencing crisis situations (housing instability, fleeing interpersonal violence, or undergoing healthcare treatments), by providing a no-cost fostering service for their animal(s). All applications to THS’s UC program between January 1, 2020 and October 1, 2022 and all successful admissions to the program during this period were included in this study. There were 358 admissions of 328 unique animals, from 244 families. Seventy-four percent (n = 265) of admitted animals were reunited with their owner. The highest rates of reunion at the end of the program were linked to dogs, requests in support of people fleeing interpersonal violence, consistent or frequent communication with the client, and not requiring veterinary or behavioral care/training beyond standard levels. THS’s UC program presents an inexpensive and effective way to help support people undergoing temporary crises, preserving the human–animal bond, which may help them heal in the aftermath of these crises, and prevent the needless relinquishment of animals to shelters. Through writing this report, opportunities have been identified for improving the program to better serve our community, and details have been provided that might help other organizations operating or planning to launch a similar program.

Parallel Versus Serial: Design of an Optical Receiver With Integrated Blue Photodetectors and Digitally Tunable Low-End Cutoff Frequency for MicroLED-Based Parallel Interchip Communication

Parallel Versus Serial: Design of an Optical Receiver With Integrated Blue Photodetectors and Digitally Tunable Low-End Cutoff Frequency for MicroLED-Based Parallel Interchip Communication

Legal Implications of Personal Data Misuse in Emergency Contact Information for Online Loan Services

This study investigates the legal risks associated with being an emergency contact or the absence of emergency contact in online loans. Utilizing a Normative Juridical approach, the research evaluates the effectiveness of legal policies in minimizing these risks. Findings reveal that serving as an emergency contact may lead to inconvenience due to frequent communication from debt collectors, while the absence of emergency contacts poses challenges for lenders in contacting borrowers, resulting in potential financial losses. These results underscore the importance of implementing efficient legal measures to protect both borrowers and lenders in online lending transactions. Highlights : Importance of Legal Policies: Evaluating the effectiveness of legal policies in minimizing risks associated with online loans is crucial for ensuring the protection of both borrowers and lenders. Role of Emergency Contacts: Investigating the impact of emergency contacts on mitigating legal risks sheds light on the practical aspects of borrower-creditor communication in online lending transactions. Financial Implications: Understanding the financial consequences of lacking emergency contacts in online loans underscores the need for comprehensive risk management strategies in the digital lending landscape. Keywords: Online loans, Legal risks, Emergency contacts, Normative Juridical approach, Financial implications

Bridging Distances: The Impact of ICT on Diaspora Connectivity and Cultural Exchange

This paper examines the transformative role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in enhancing diaspora connectivity, cultural preservation, and economic contributions to homelands. Through quantitative and qualitative analyses, it delves into various ICT toolsincluding social media platforms, mobile applications, online forums, and virtual cultural festivalsand their pivotal role in sustaining and strengthening the ties of diaspora communities with their countries of origin. It also explores the revolutionized remittance landscape, crowdfunding for development projects, and the facilitation of diaspora entrepreneurship and investment through digital platforms. Employing models like the Network Analysis Model, Remittance Flow Model, and Event Participation Model, the study provides insights into the increased frequency and depth of communication, significant reductions in remittance transaction costs and times, and the enhanced engagement in cultural and economic activities. The findings highlight ICT's capacity not only to maintain but also to enrich the cultural, social, and economic fabric of diaspora communities, underscoring its vital role in promoting global connectivity, cultural exchange, and economic development.

Chemically doped, purified bulk multi-walled carbon nanotube conductors with enhanced AC conductivity to 40 GHz

Metals used in radio frequency (RF) communications technologies degrade in alternating current (AC) conductivity with frequency due to the skin effect. Bulk carbon nanotube (CNT) materials have demonstrated favorable trends such as constant or increasing AC conductivity, and are emerging as potential alternative conductors. However, the resistive inter-CNT junctions present in these bulk assemblies limit overall conductivity. In this work, a waveguide-based transmission technique is used to measure the AC conductivity from 10 to 40 GHz of a commercial multi-walled CNT (MWCNT) material modified by purification to remove carbon and iron impurities, and by chemical doping with potassium tetrabromoaurate (KAuBr4). Iron impurity removal yields a frequency-independent real AC conductivity. Laser thinning and solvent plying are employed to change transmission by altering the MWCNT sheet thickness, thus enabling accurate measurement of the KAuBr4-doped MWCNT samples. Doping of the purified MWCNTs yields enhanced real AC conductivity of ∼160 kS/m, which remains constant with frequency to 40 GHz and represents a 5–6 × improvement over the as-received material at 40 GHz. KAuBr4 doping is hypothesized to enhance AC conductivity by increasing carrier density, supported by the elevated plasma frequency determined from fitting of a generalized Drude conduction model to the AC conductivity data.

Dynamic magnetoelectric effect in bismuth-layer structured Aurivillius ceramics

Multiferroic materials have been developed and studied for decades due to their potential applications in microelectronics and spintronics, such as multi-state digital memories, energy storage, and ultra-fast electric field-controlled magnetic sensors. Among these materials, magnetoelectric multiferroics exhibit a magnetoelectric (ME) interaction allowing for the manipulation of polarization by a magnetic field and magnetization by an electric field through internal strain and/or charge. However, strain-mediated ME effect is time-consuming and inefficient at high frequencies (∼ GHz). To address this issue and pave the way toward high frequency applications of ME multiferroics, we have systematically designed and characterized layered Bi5FeTi3O15-type Aurivillius ceramics for a strong dynamic ME coupling in the GHz band. By introducing cobalt and niobium ions into Bi4.3Gd0.7FeTi3O15, a phase evolution from a four-layered structure to a mixed structure consisting of four- and three-layered phases was revealed. The Co/Nb co-doping was found to enhance the magnetization at room temperature while preserving ferroelectricity. The understanding of the substitution-enhanced dynamic ME coupling at satellite and radar communication frequencies is expected to broaden the range of applications for ME multiferroics.

Estimating coverage and capacity of high frequency mobile networks in ultradense urban areas

High frequency communications (mmWave and TeraHz) in urban areas require a higher density of base stations compared to pre-5G mobile networks, but open the way to a quantum leap in increased throughput and reduced latency. However, we currently have no indication of how much we need to densify the deployment, and on the trade-off between the density of base stations and the performance improvement. This paper studies the problem of base stations placement to guarantee coverage to vehicles and pedestrians in urban areas when using high frequency communications. Our novel methodology takes advantage of vehicular traffic simulations and precise urban maps to generate a realistic demand model for vehicles and pedestrians in urban areas. We use a bounded error heuristic to find the maximal coverage that can be achieved with a given density of base stations, primarily using line-of-sight communications. We implemented the heuristic using CUDA libraries on Nvidia GPUs and evaluated the coverage in an urban area in the city of Luxembourg, for which vehicular traffic patterns are available. We focus on coverage and capacity analysis for the mmWave frequency, but the results are easily extended to TeraHz communications. Our results are the first to show that a reasonably low density (15 base stations per km2) is sufficient to provide coverage for vehicles in urban environments. However, optimizing on vehicles or on pedestrians are competing objectives: the operator needs to choose which one to target based on its business model when designing the network infrastructure. Our algorithms, code and open data can be used to perform this task and reproduce our results in different settings.

Ethnic politics via digital means: Introducing the Ethnic Organizations Online dataset

With the increasing relevance of ethnic groups as political actors, the literature has attempted to identify and study the ethnic organizations representing these groups. How do these organizations use digital communication channels to reach their domestic and international audiences? To enable research on these questions, this article introduces the Ethnic Organizations Online dataset, a new data collection focusing on the online channels that ethnic organizations use. The dataset includes four types of channels: Twitter (since July 2023, rebranded by Elon Musk as X); Facebook; Instagram; and regular websites. It relies on the Ethnic Power Relations – Organizations database, and is therefore compatible with an entire family of datasets on ethnic politics. Featuring more than 2000 online channels used by 265 groups, it allows researchers to study a wide variety of questions related to digital ethnic mobilization. The article presents three examples of how the dataset can be used. We study: (a) how a group’s political goals influence social media adoption; (b) how elections impact the organizations’ communication frequency and how this differs between democracies and autocracies; and (c) how the power status of a group affects the content of their communication. We provide replication codes facilitating the use of the dataset in applied research.

Application of an egocentric social network approach to examine changes in social connections following treatment for anxiety and depression: A novel measurement tool for clinical trials research?

The epidemic of loneliness and social isolation has been recognized as a public health crisis warranting the same prioritization as other public health issues today, such as obesity, substance use disorders, and tobacco use. Social disconnection is particularly prevalent and disabling among individuals with anxiety and depression, yet it is inadequately evaluated and addressed in most clinical psychology treatment research. Studies generally employ global measures of perceived connectedness, loneliness, or relationship satisfaction, limiting understanding about elements of one's social network that may change with treatment. This study examined changes in the degree (number of people nominated) and quality of one's social network from pre-to post-treatment using an egocentric social network approach in 59 adults (mean age = 30.8 years, range = 18 to 54) with clinically elevated anxiety or depression who were randomized to a cognitive and behavioral positive valence treatment versus waitlist. Participants (egos) named people in their lives (alters) with whom they discussed important issues or spent free time. For each alter, participants rated how close they felt, how close they thought the alter felt to them, and how frequently they communicated. Linear regressions, which included treatment group as a predictor, revealed no group differences in changes in network degree, perceived alter feelings of closeness, or communication frequency, despite prior findings from this sample indicating larger increases in perceived global connectedness in the treatment group. Unexpectedly, the control group reported a greater increase in perceived closeness to alters. Post-hoc analyses revealed this was explained by the treatment group identifying more distal social ties (e.g., extended family, colleagues, roommates) as alters following treatment – an outcome positively associated with global improvements in connectedness. This proof-of-concept study suggests egocentric social network surveys may provide unique information on treatment-related changes in social functioning. Suggestions are provided for adaptations to facilitate application of social network surveys to mental health treatment research.

Adaptive Modulation Scheme for Soft-Switching Hybrid FSO/RF Links Based on Machine Learning

A hybrid free-space optical (FSO) and radio frequency (RF) communication system has been considered an effective way to obtain a good trade-off between spectrum utilization efficiency and high-rate transmission. Utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to deal with the switching and rate adaption problems between FSO/RF links, this paper investigated their modulation adapting mechanism based on a machine learning (ML) algorithm. Hybrid link budgets were estimated for different modulation types in various environments, particularly severe weather conditions. For the adaptive modulation (AM) scheme with different order PPM/PSK/QAM, a rate-compatible soft-switching model for hybrid FSO/RF links was established with a random forest algorithm based on ML. With a given target bit error rate, the model categorized a link budget threshold of the hybrid FSO/RF system over a training data set from local weather records. The switching and modulation adaption accuracy were tested over the testing weather data set especially focusing on rain and fog. Simulation results show that the proposed adaptive modulation scheme based on the random forest algorithm can have a good performance for soft-switching hybrid FSO/RF communication links.

Fixed‐time consensus of networked Euler–Lagrange systems over event‐based communication under DoS attacks

AbstractThis article focuses on fixed‐time consensus of networked Euler–Lagrange systems (NELSs) over event‐based communication under denial‐of‐service (DoS) attacks. First of all, a basic fixed‐time consensus algorithm is developed for NELSs, where a general fixed‐time communication triggering scheme through error decomposition method is designed for decreasing communication frequencies while avoiding singularity. Then, to fulfil the consensus problem of NELSs in the presence of DoS attacks, a novel fixed‐time resilient algorithm is further presented by the basic algorithm, where the effective attack interval is redefined for carrying out the algorithm design. Furthermore, a hierarchical fixed‐time control framework with privacy preservation is introduced for the consensus problem of NELSs under DoS attacks. Meanwhile, a self‐triggered scheme is employed for the above algorithms to lower the update frequencies of control inputs. The stated algorithms possess a uniformly constrained upper bound on the convergence time, and are resilient as well as responsive to DOS attacks while saving control resources significantly. Finally, numerous illustrative examples are given for demonstrating the efficacy of the derived schemes.

Understanding what leaders can do to facilitate healthcare workers’ feeling valued: improving our knowledge of the strongest burnout mitigator

AimFeeling valued is a striking mitigator of burnout yet how to facilitate healthcare workers (HCWs) feeling valued has not been adequately studied. This study discovered factors relating to HCWs feeling...

Sexual Passion in Adolescence: Examining Its Transmission Through Mothers

ABSTRACT Sexual passion is an important element of adult romantic relationships, but little is known about how it is developed or expressed during adolescence. From a Self Determination Theory perspective, this study explored the connections between parents’ sexual passion and children’s sexual passion, and whether these links were mediated by parents’ communication about sexuality with their children. Using a diverse sample of 484 mother-adolescent dyads (Mage = 14.48, SD = 1.68, 50% female, 56% White), we specified a path model in a Structural Equation Modeling framework to test hypothesized associations. Results indicated that all three types of parent sexual passion – harmonious, obsessive, and inhibited – were positively associated with children’s sexual passion in the same domains. Additionally, the frequency of parent-child sexual communication partially mediated the transmission of harmonious passion, whereas controlling parent-child sexual communication partially mediated the transmission of obsessive passion. These findings highlight the importance of parents’ sexual relationships in the sexual socialization and development of adolescents. Additionally, helping parents to have more frequent conversations about sex with their children could help facilitate the transmission of harmonious sexual passion.