Information And Communication Technology Solutions Research Articles

Tourism and ICT Solutions in the COVID-19 Era: A Comparison Between Japan and Sweden.

Due to the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), the tourism industry has been experiencing a worldwide crisis. However, the effects of the virus differ widely across regions and countries, and the current situation varies considerably. In this study, I will discuss the difficulties faced by the tourism industry regarding the new coronavirus by comparing Japan and Sweden, focusing on discrimination in the tourism industry. In Japan, discrimination based on place of residence has been observed, while in Sweden, race-based discrimination has been confirmed. Considering the current situation, we will examine how information and communication technology (ICT) can be used to salvage the tourism industry in each country. Specifically, we propose a method to increase the sense of security of guests and hosts in the tourism industry through many types of location-based games, such as Pokémon Go and various contact tracing apps. This study is expected to foster trust in the tourism and service industries and bring about business innovation.

Smart apiculture management services for developing countries-the case of SAMS project in Ethiopia and Indonesia.

The European Union funded project SAMS (Smart Apiculture Management Services) enhances international cooperation of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) and sustainable agriculture between EU and developing countries in pursuit of the EU commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goal “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture”. The project consortium comprises four partners from Europe (two from Germany, Austria, and Latvia) and two partners each from Ethiopia and Indonesia. Beekeeping with small-scale operations provides suitable innovation labs for the demonstration and dissemination of cost-effective and easy-to-use open source ICT applications in developing countries. SAMS allows active monitoring and remote sensing of bee colonies and beekeeping by developing an ICT solution supporting the management of bee health and bee productivity as well as a role model for effective international cooperation. By following the user centered design (UCD) approach, SAMS addresses requirements of end-user communities on beekeeping in developing countries, and includes findings in its technological improvements and adaptation as well as in innovative services and business creation based on advanced ICT and remote sensing technologies. SAMS enhances the production of bee products, creates jobs (particularly youths/women), triggers investments, and establishes knowledge exchange through networks and initiated partnerships.

Effective Management of Energy Consumption during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of ICT Solutions

This research tackles effective and functional management practices in energy consumption using advanced technological solutions to mitigate unexpected events. This study specifically focuses on the recent COVID-19 pandemic that led to a reduction in energy consumption and therefore meddled with the project management’s status quo for the energy sources. Moreover, this research analyzes the role of information and communication technology (ICT) solutions in energy management before and after the recent coronavirus pandemic turmoil. This study also examined the role and place of sustainable energy resources in the effective management of energy consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main purpose of this research is to demonstrate how the recent coronavirus pandemic affected energy consumption and energy prices in many countries and how it paved the way for the new ICT in managing energy consumption. This study elaborated a model to show how these changes evolved in selected European Union (EU) Member States. It turns out that adjusted electricity consumption, as well as the average daily spot electricity prices for the baseload power in the EU countries, declined, and this trend is likely to continue in the next years to come. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, substantial changes in the economy led to reduced office space usage, cutting commuting and business trips, and bringing commercial travel almost to a halt, further shifting the energy balance towards renewable energy sources (RES). Besides, it becomes apparent that ICT solutions used in maintaining and superintending the energy balance are gaining popularity and wide recognition worldwide and will help pave the way towards modern and smart high-renewables grids.

Directing and Orienting ICT Healthcare Solutions to Address the Needs of the Aging Population

Background: With an aging population, it is essential to maintain good health and autonomy for as long as possible. Instead of hospitalisation or institutionalisation, older people with chronic conditions can be assisted in their own home with numerous “smart” devices that support them in their activities of daily living, manage their medical conditions, and prevent fall incidents. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions facilitate the monitoring and management of older people’s health to improve quality of life and physical activity with a decline in caregivers’ burden. Method: The aim of this paper was to conduct a systematic literature review to analyse the state of the art of ICT solutions for older people with chronic conditions, and the impact of these solutions on their quality of life from a biomedical perspective. Results: By analysing the literature on the available ICT proposals, it is shown that different approaches have been deployed by noticing that the more cross-interventions are merged then the better the results are, but there is still no evidence of the effects of ICT solutions on older people’s health outcomes. Furthermore, there are still unresolved ethical and legal issues. Conclusion: While there has been much research and development in healthcare ICT solutions for the aging population, ICT solutions still need significant development in order to be user-oriented, affordable, and to manage chronic conditions in the aging wider population.

PuppetTalk: Conversation Between Glove Puppetry and Internet of Things

Glove Puppetry is popular in Chinese societies. Glove puppet shows have been performed in a traditional (manual) way for over 300 years. Due to the advances in information and communications technology (ICT), we can extend glove puppet art in a very different dimension. However, existing ICT solutions for puppet control have not demonstrated the time complexities for their control mechanisms nor how they can effectively control the puppets. This paper proposes PuppetTalk, an Internet of Things (IoT) application platform for puppet control. We allow multiple input IoT devices such as smart gloves to control a puppet robot, and smartphones can be used to control the sequences of actions on that robot at the same time. In particular, the PuppetTalk Graphical User Interface (GUI) allows users to quickly configure multiple distributed devices to control a puppet robot. Also, controlling puppet legs using a second glove and puppet movements with hand gestures in real time through smart phones are both innovations that have not appeared in the literature so far. When multiple input devices are used to control a puppet robot, their instructions must be received by the robot in a correct sequence. We have conducted measurements, simulation and analytic modeling to show that PuppetTalk can correctly control a puppet robot by multiple input devices with the probability higher than 99.7%.

Farmers’ experience in adoption and usage of ICT solutions for agriculture in the Republic of Macedonia

The adoption of new of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in farming activities becoming crucial for developing countries in order to meet the challenges of rapidly growing populations, urbanization and arable agricultural land declination. Because of it, each farmers’ organization or farmer has to concern their agricultural products and services more towards modernized and ICT related routine. The attempt has been made to analyze the reaction of the Macedonian farmers towards ICTs as a source of reliable and timely information about e-banking, online purchasing/selling, marketing, input and output optimization, increased revenue, remote farm management process etc. Semi-structured questionnaire was used for interviewing 132 semi-experienced and experienced farmers that use ICTs as sample for the research. The data were analyzed using appropriate statistics tool like correlation and Rank Based Quotient (RBQ). The findings showed that farmers stressed the cost of ICTs, lack of training, trust level in the government institutions, and lack of ICT infrastructure are thresholds for ICTs adoption and use in agriculture. This research contributes to understand the adoption and use of ICT, identify the constraints associated with ICT use and propose recommendations towards the improvement of ICTs for agriculture in the Republic of Macedonia.

Survey on Security Threats in Agricultural IoT and Smart Farming.

The agriculture sector has held a major role in human societies across the planet throughout history. The rapid evolution in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) strongly affects the structure and the procedures of modern agriculture. Despite the advantages gained from this evolution, there are several existing as well as emerging security threats that can severely impact the agricultural domain. The present paper provides an overview of the main existing and potential threats for agriculture. Initially, the paper presents an overview of the evolution of ICT solutions and how these may be utilized and affect the agriculture sector. It then conducts an extensive literature review on the use of ICT in agriculture, as well as on the associated emerging threats and vulnerabilities. The authors highlight the main ICT innovations, techniques, benefits, threats and mitigation measures by studying the literature on them and by providing a concise discussion on the possible impacts these could have on the agri-sector.

The Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the Management of the TSL Industry: A Polish Example

Purpose: The aim of the article is to analyse the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in Polish enterprises from the TSL sector. Design/Methodology/Approach: The first stage of research, based on the method of analysis and criticism of the literature, will be prepared in the area of the subject taken, including relations between the main concepts. This stage is auxiliary and constitutes a starting point for further research. The essential data source about the article’s description were reports published by the Statistical Office. The method of literature analysis in terms of TSL sector as well as report analysis and own observations will be used. Findings: The results of conducted analysis show that today’s information and communication technologies (ICT) have revolutionized the way of working, transformed the economy and irreversible affected human activity in the information society. Practical Implications: Research results may be used by TSL sector enterprises and as teaching material at higher education facilities. The article brings a number of valuable information that can be the base material and reference to further research, programs and studies. It may be useful for practitioners and analytics of transport industry to broaden applications of ICT solutions. Originality/value: The results of the analysis and theoretical considerations in this article complement the current research in the field of information and communication technologies, and may become a valuable resource of knowledge and a set of specimens that can be useful in developing dissertations in the field of management.

Data Lifecycle Management in Precision Agriculture Supported by Information and Communication Technology

The role of agriculture in environmental degradation and climate change has been at the center of a long-lasting and controversial debate. This situation combined with the expected growth in crop demand and the increasing prices of fertilizers and pesticides has made the need for a more resource-efficient and environmentally sustainable agriculture more evident than ever. Precision agriculture (PA), as a relatively new farming management concept, aims to improve crop performance as well as to reduce the environmental footprint by utilizing information about the temporal and the spatial variability of crops. Information and communication technology (ICT) systems have influenced and shaped every part of modern life, and PA is no exception. The current paper conducts a literature review of prominent ICT solutions, focusing on their role in supporting different phases of the lifecycle of PA-related data. In addition to this, a data lifecycle model was developed as part of a novel categorization approach for the analyzed solutions.

A Method to Compare the Delivery of Psychiatric Care for People with Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia.

Introduction: Community services are gaining ground when it comes to attention to patients with psychiatric diseases. Regarding patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS), the use of information and communication technology (ICT) could help to shift the focus from hospital-centered attention to community services. This study compares the differences in mental health services provided for patients with TRS in Budapest (Hungary), Tel-Aviv (Israel) and Catalonia (Spain) by means of a method for the quick appraisal of gaps among the three places, for a potential implementation of the same ICT tool in these regions. Methods: An adapted version of the Description and Standardised Evaluation of Services and Directories in Europe for Long Term Care (DESDE-LTC) instrument was made by researchers in Semmelweis University (Budapest, Hungary), Gertner Institute (Tel-Aviv, Israel) and Hospital de la Santa Creu I Sant Pau and Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu (Catalonia, Spain). Results: Two types of outpatient care services were available in the three regions. Only one type of day-care facility was common in the whole study area. Two residential care services, one for acute and the other for non-acute patients were available in every region. Finally, two self-care and volunteer-care facilities were available in the three places. Conclusion: Although the availability of services was different in each region, most of the services provided were sufficiently similar to allow the implementation of the same ICT solution in the three places.

Challenges and prospects for implementation of community health volunteers\u2019 digital health solutions in Kenya: a qualitative study

BackgroundThe value of digital health technologies in delivering vital health care interventions, especially in low resource settings is increasingly appreciated. We co-developed and tested a decision support mobile health (m-Health) application (app);with some of the forms used by Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) in Kenya to collect data and connected to health facilities. This paper explores the experiences of CHVs, health workers and members of Sub-County Health Management Teams following implementation of the project.MethodsData were collected in December 2017 through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with CHVs and key informant interviews with health care workers and health managers in Kamukunji sub-County of Nairobi, Kenya. Data coding and analysis was performed in NVivo 12.ResultsRegarding users and health managers’ perceptions towards the system; three main themes were identified: 1) variations in use, 2) barriers to use and 3) recommendations to improve use. Health workers at the private facility and some CHVs used the system more than health workers at the public facilities. Four sub-themes under barriers to use were socio-political environment, attitudes and behaviour, issues related to the system and poor infrastructure. A prolonged health workers’ strike, the contentious presidential election in the year of implementation, interrupted electricity supply and lack of basic electric fixtures were major barriers to use. Suggestions to improve usage were: 1) integration of the system with others in use and making it available on users’ regular phones, and 2) explore sustainable motivation models to users as well as performance based remuneration.ConclusionsThe findings reveal the importance of considering the readiness of information and communication technologies (ICT) users before rollout of ICT solutions. The political and sociocultural environment in which the innovation is to be implemented and integration of new solutions into existing ones is critical for success. As more healthcare delivery models are developed, harnessing the potential of digital technologies, strengthening health systems is critical as this provides the backbone on which such innovations draw support.

Information and Communication Technology Solutions for the Circular Economy

The concept of circular economy (CE) is becoming progressively popular with academia, industry, and policymakers, as a potential path towards a more sustainable economic system. Information and communication technology (ICT) systems have influenced every aspect of modern life and the CE is no exception. Cutting-edge technologies, such as big data, cloud computing, cyber-physical systems, internet of things, virtual and augmented reality, and blockchain, can play an integral role in the embracing of CE concepts and the rollout of CE programs by governments, organizations, and society as a whole. The current paper conducts an extensive academic literature review on prominent ICT solutions paving the way towards a CE. For the categorization of the solutions, a novel two-fold approach is introduced, focusing on both the technological aspect of the solutions (e.g., communications, computing, data analysis, etc.), and the main CE concept(s) employed (i.e., reduce, reuse, recycle and restore) that each solution is the most relevant to. The role of each solution in the transition to CE is highlighted. Results suggest that ICT solutions related to data collection and data analysis, and in particular to the internet of things, blockchain, digital platforms, artificial intelligence algorithms, and software tools, are amongst the most popular solutions proposed by academic researchers. Results also suggest that greater emphasis is placed on the “reduce” component of the CE, although ICT solutions for the other “R” components, as well as holistic ICT-based solutions, do exist as well. Specific important challenges impeding the adoption of ICT solutions for the CE are also identified and reviewed, with consumer and business attitude, economic costs, possible environmental impacts, lack of education around the CE, and lack of familiarization with modern technologies being found among the most prominent ones.

Readiness for ICT Based B2C Information Flow – Case Study of the Hungarian Food Sector

The complexity of information flow and cooperation among enterprises operating in a supply chain is growing. This process has a significant impact on the economy and the objective is that both traditional and new ICT (Information and Communication Technology) solutions meet the pressing needs for more efficient business processes. The current paper focuses on enterprises belonging to the food supply chain and analyses some indicators supporting the information flow within the company and with partners (being either a partner enterprise or the final consumer). Our Institute has prepared a survey to examine the ICT usage and attitude by enterprises operating in the agri-food sector. The importance of business processes supportable by ICT had to be assessed by companies. In this study we evaluated the importance of some ICT indicators supporting information flow in the chain. The main objective of the current article is to determine the difference between food enterprises divided by different grouping factors regarding their evaluation of the chosen indicators. In our opinion, competitive advantage may be reached using ICT solutions for widening and maintaining relations through a more effective information flow with partners and consumers.

Sustainable Development in Developing Societies: The Place of ICT-driven Computer Education

Computer Science Education (CSE) is a field of study in the 21st century that cannot be ignored by any nation in search of rapid integrated development. When driven by Information and Communications Technology (ICT) tools, the field could become a live wire for national socio-economic development with the capacity to transform and sustain same. This paper follows a qualitative approach in examining the relevance of an ICT-driven CSE in sustainable development and advocates for a proper entrenchment of ICT-based pedagogy in the existing curriculum in tertiary institutions for better learning experience and quality education delivery for development. The various areas in which CSE and ICT are applied for sustainable development are appropriately discussed. Also discussed are the challenges and barriers to the deployment of ICT solutions towards the realization of sustainable development goals (SDG) in higher education and technology development. It concludes by reiterating a paradigm shift towards an integrated education model that explores use of ICT at all academic processes across all the three tiers of education in Nigeria to contribute its quota in the realization of the SDGs.

Barriers and facilitators of medicines reconciliation at transitions of care in Ireland \u2013 a qualitative study

BackgroundMedication error at transitions of care is common. The implementation of medicines reconciliation processes to improve this issue has been recommended by many regulatory and safety organisations. The aim of this study was to gain insight from healthcare professionals on the barriers and facilitators to the medicines reconciliation implementation process.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted in Ireland with a wide range of healthcare professionals (HCPs) involved with medicines reconciliation at transitions of care. Thematic analysis was undertaken using an adaptation of a combined theoretical framework of Grol, Cabana and Sluisveld to classify the barriers and facilitators to implementation of medicines reconciliation.ResultsThirty-five participants were interviewed, including eleven community pharmacists (CPs), eight hospital pharmacists (HPs), nine hospital consultants (HCs), five general practitioners (GPs), and two non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs). Themes were categorized into barriers and facilitators. Barriers included resistance from existing professional cultures, staff interest and training, poor communication and minimal information and communications technology (ICT) support. Solutions (facilitators) suggested included supporting effective multidisciplinary teams, greater involvement of pharmacists in medicines reconciliation, ICT solutions (linked prescribing databases, decision support systems) and increased funding to provide additional (e.g. admission and discharge reconciliation) and more advanced services (e.g. community pharmacist delivered medicines use review).ConclusionsMedicines reconciliation is advocated as a solution to the known problem of medication error at transitions of care. This study identifies the key challenges and potential solutions that policy makers, managers and HCPs should consider when reviewing the practices and processes of medicines reconciliation in their own organisations.

IoT Sensing Platform as a Driver for Digital Farming in Rural Africa.

Small-scale farming can benefit from the usage of information and communication technology (ICT) to improve crop and soil management and increase yield. However, in order to introduce digital farming in rural areas, related ICT solutions must be viable, seamless and easy to use, since most farmers are not acquainted with technology. With that in mind, this paper proposes an Internet of Things (IoT) sensing platform that provides information on the state of the soil and surrounding environment in terms of pH, moisture, texture, colour, air temperature, and light. This platform is coupled with computer vision to further analyze and understand soil characteristics. Moreover, the platform hardware is housed in a specifically designed robust casing to allow easy assembly, transport, and protection from the deployment environment. To achieve requirements of usability and reproducibility, the architecture of the IoT sensing platform is based on low-cost, off-the-shelf hardware and software modularity, following a do-it-yourself approach and supporting further extension. In-lab validations of the platform were carried out to finetune its components, showing the platform’s potential for application in rural areas by introducing digital farming to small-scale farmers, and help them delivering better produce and increasing income.

Applying a Systems Perspective on the Notion of the Smart City

This paper focuses on the need for a widened definition of the notion of technology within the smart city discourse, with a particular focus on the “built environment”. The first part of the paper describes how current tendencies in urban design and architecture are inclined to prioritize high tech-solutions at the expense of low-tech functionalities and omits that information and communication technology (ICT) contrasts the art of building cities as an adaptable and habitually smart technology in itself. It continues with an elaboration on the need for expanding the limits of system boundaries for a better understanding of the energy and material telecouplings that are linked to ICT solutions and account for some perils inherent in smart technologies, such as rebound effects and the difficulty of measuring the environmental impacts of ICT solutions on a city level. The second part of the paper highlights how low-tech technologies and nature-based solutions can make cities smarter, representing a new technology portfolio in national and international policies for safeguarding biodiversity and the delivery of a range of ecosystem services, promoting the necessary climate-change adaption that cities need to prioritize to confer resilience.

Quality of Life Framework for Personalised Ageing: A Systematic Review of ICT Solutions.

Given the growing number of older people, society as a whole should ideally provide a higher quality of life (QoL) for its ageing citizens through the concept of personalised ageing. Information and communication technologies (ICT) are subject to constant and rapid development, and can contribute to the goal of an improved QoL for older adults. In order to utilise future ICT solutions as a part of an age-friendly smart environment that helps achieve personalised ageing with an increased QoL, one must first determine whether the existing ICT solutions are satisfying the needs of older people. In order to accomplish that, this study contributes in three ways. First, it proposes a framework for the QoL of older adults, in order to provide a systematic review of the state-of-the-art literature and patents in this field. The second contribution is the finding that selected ICT solutions covered by articles and patents are intended for older adults and are validated by them. The third contribution of the study are the six recommendations that are derived from the review of the literature and the patents which would help move the agenda concerning the QoL of older people and personalised ageing with the use of ICT solutions forward.

Interprofessional collaboration in social rehabilitation services for dually-involved Estonian youth: Perceptions of youth, parents, and professionals

Collaborative service delivery models are recognized as a best practice for youth receiving juvenile justice services and for those who are dually involved, i.e., also receiving child protection services. This study adds to the literature that has provided youth, parents, and professionals an opportunity to voice their perspectives on interprofessional collaboration (IPC) in juvenile offender social rehabilitation. Individual interviews (n = 22) were conducted with 6 youths, 7 parents, and 9 specialists working with them in an interprofessional, collaboration-based social rehabilitation team in Estonia. Interprofessional frameworks—one from Reeves, Lewin, Espin, and Zwarenstein (2010) and one from Ødegård (2005)—were used to ground the study and aid with data collection and analysis. Findings show the following based on Ødegård’s PINCOM model: (1) Rehabilitation specialists working with children and their parents perceive relational components as the key factors in interprofessional service provision. They believe mutual trust, common understandings, and the “co-creation” effect of problem mapping, goal setting, and problem-solving must emerge among the child, parents, and interprofessional team specialists as a whole for services to work. Youth and parents express a desire to be truly and fully involved in all rehabilitation process stages. They perceived IPC teams as advocates for them and as agents of change. (2) The group-level and procedural aspects of the rehabilitation service need further development to support service provision and ensure the sustainability of the work done by rehabilitation team members who have strived to develop a high level of interprofessionality. In particular, efforts are needed to develop (a) information and communications technology (ICT)-based service administration tools (e.g., tools to support information sharing between agencies and rehabilitation team specialists); (b) ICT solutions which support youth counseling in the forms youth commonly use to communicate; (c) basic training for specialists who wish to work on rehabilitation teams and additional training for experienced team specialists to continue to enhance their skills (such as in ICT). (3) The contextual and organizational aspects identified as critical were reducing steadily increasing bureaucratic burdens, increasing systematic training, and ensuring sufficient state-funding. The rehabilitation specialists perceive their part-time, IPC case-based work as professionally enriching and as being enhanced by their main jobs in other settings (e.g., schools). They believe IPC work should remain part-time as doing IPC full-time may result in burnout given its intensity.

Developing knowledge communities through video‐based information networks

The paper describes the progress of technical and market innovations surrounding video‐based information networks (VIN) tools, a central information and communication technology (ICT) tool for collaboration, and how these tools have become a strategic ICT solution for developing “knowledge communities” to give companies a competitive edge. These communities can develop within companies, between companies, and between companies and their customers. In addition, the paper describes how companies focus on creativity for the purpose of exploration and on speed and efficiency (and effectiveness) to promote knowledge creation through strategic communities using the video communications functions of VIN tools. This paper also clarifies how companies focus on speed and efficiency for the purpose of exploitation to drive knowledge utilization through communities of practice using other ICT tools in addition to video communications functions.