End-user Requirements Research Articles

A seamless anonymous authentication protocol for mobile edge computing infrastructure

Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) accommodates processing and data storage and manipulation capabilities across the scope of wireless network. In MEC environment, MEC servers along with the computing and storage capabilities are distributed at the edge of the network. However, due to the broad range of wireless communication, the fulfillment of security requirements still remain a challenging task in the for MEC environment. With the expeditious traffic expansion and growing end user requirements, the classic security protocols cannot encounter the innovative requirements of lightweightness and real-time communication. To meet these requirements, we have proposed an authentication protocol for the MEC environment. Our proposed protocol stipulates secure and efficient communication for all of the intended entities. Meanwhile, during its execution user anonymity remains intact. Moreover, our protocol is proven to be secure under the assumptions of formal security model. Additionally in this article, we have described the security properties of our protocol that it offers resistance against impersonation, session key computation and forward and backward secrecy attacks. The comparative analysis of time consumption and computation overheads are presented at the end of the paper, which is an evidence that our proposed protocol outperforms prior to various existing MEC protocols.

A Note on End-User Requirements Elicitation for Electronic Medical Records Implementations

This paper summarises the arguments and counterarguments within the scientific discussion on the issue of the implementation of Electronic Medical Records (EMR). The primary purpose of the research is to present a framework for gathering end-user requirements in EMR system implementation. The cross-geographical literature review demonstrates EMR system implementation to be a complicated task to manage. A systematic review of literature sources and approaches for solving the problem indicates that a lack of end-user participation often results in technology rollbacks. The failures to implement electronic medical records are considered to be the reasons for financial losses, followed by the rearrangements of key personnel. The author of the article investigates the role of the main actors involved in the healthcare process. Consequently, as the market adoption of EMRs grows and its impact as a workflow management tool in care facilities increases, focusing on end-user requirements during the implementation phase becomes essential. Investigation of the topic reveals that the opposing points of view, learning investments, and the embedded nature of older technologies deter users from accepting new technology. Methodological research tools involved studying the workflows in a regular outpatient journey. Taking the case of a standard outpatient facility, the paper attempts to present its results through a framework for requirement gathering in the pre-implementation stages. A plan of action for eliciting end-user requirements for the users in a three-stage framework is being proposed. Considering the diverse number of actors in the standard outpatient journey, the three-stage framework breaks down requirements by roles and educational backgrounds and gathers into 1) antecedent or existing conditions; 2) formal and informal communication channels; 3) user and system-generated requirements. This framework relies on synthesising existing frameworks and arranging them in sequential order for real-world implementations based on existing research papers.

Pedagogical design of “inverted” learning resources for home study

Introduction. Self-education is becoming increasingly important in terms of the concept of lifelong learning. The changes in the ways of perceiving information, along with the new tendencies in the formation of “engaging” Internet content, cause a necessity to find new methods of presenting educational material aimed at efficient learning and meeting differing requirements of end users. The new demands of today’s young people on the self-education process actualise the need to describe the pedagogical design of “inverted” resource-transformers oriented towards productive self-learning in home environment. The purpose of the research is to substantiate the elements of pedagogical design of “inverted” learning resources based on subject-area topology of the question-task knowledge tree, that ensure due account of the learners’ cognitive preferences and heighten satisfaction and motivation towards independent learning activity. Research methodology. Pedagogical design of digital learning resources is considered from the perspective of mental approach. The core idea of the work is the development of mental question-task knowledge trees that allow for creation of discrete digital learning elements of referential and repetitive nature, which have a pedagogical design taking into account the learner’s “clip style of thinking” and secure personalisation, visualised self-management and self-control of learning activities in home environment. Research findings. “Inverted” transformed educational resources represent an innovative means of learning in digital space. The creation of such resources, with regard for the principles of pedagogical design, ensures the formation of engaging content and account of learners’ cognitive features, considering that the latter are representatives of the digital generation. The questioning involving the students of Krasnoyarsk State Pedagogical University named after V.P. Astafyev showed that 98% of the respondents (out of 127 participants) believed that this format of presenting educational content would prove to be in demand and be interesting for students. A total of 100% of the involved Krasnoyarsk teachers as well as the pedagogues of Krasnoyarsk State Pedagogical University named after V.P. Astafyev (102 respondents), after taking part in the expert evaluation of “inverted” teaching resources, note that the presented resources meet the modern requirements for structuring and visualising the educational material as well as the principles of micro-learning. They also note high quality of realisation of the students’ practical activities (97%), due controlling elements of the learning process (98%), ease of navigation (98%), the possibility of designing an individual learning route (99%), high prospects of enhancing the efficiency of schoolchildren’s self-education (99%). Conclusion. The considered requirements for the pedagogical content design of “inverted” resources enable their developers to purposefully improve the parameters facilitating readability, perception and understanding of the content of e-format educational texts. Currently, the software developers (at the authors’ request) are developing an instrumental environment in the form of cloud application, which will make it possible to create inverted electronic resources on the basis of a topological question-task knowledge tree.

Gramene: A Resource for Comparative Analysis of Plants Genomes and Pathways.

Gramene is an integrated bioinformatics resource for accessing, visualizing, and comparing plant genomes and biological pathways. Originally targeting grasses, Gramene has grown to host annotations for over 90 plant genomes including agronomically important cereals (e.g., maize, sorghum, wheat, teff), fruits and vegetables (e.g., apple, watermelon, clementine, tomato, cassava), specialty crops (e.g., coffee, olive tree, pistachio, almond), and plants of special or emerging interest (e.g., cotton, tobacco, cannabis, or hemp). For some species, the resource includes multiple varieties of the same species, which has paved the road for the creation of species-specific pan-genome browsers. The resource also features plant research models, including Arabidopsis and C4 warm-season grasses and brassicas, as well as other species that fill phylogenetic gaps for plant evolution studies. Its strength derives from the application of a phylogenetic framework for genome comparison and the use of ontologies to integrate structural and functional annotation data. This chapter outlines system requirements for end-users and database hosting, data types and basic navigation within Gramene, and provides examples of how to (1) explore Gramene's search results, (2) explore gene-centric comparative genomics data visualizations in Gramene, and (3) explore genetic variation associated with a gene locus. This is the first publication describing in detail Gramene's integrated search interface-intended to provide a simplified entry portal for the resource's main data categories (genomic location, phylogeny, gene expression, pathways, and external references) to the most complete and up-to-date set of plant genome and pathway annotations.

Mapping the VNFs and VLs of a RAN Slice Onto Intelligent PoPs in Beyond 5G Mobile Networks

The mapping of a virtual network service onto a physical network infrastructure is a challenging task due to the joint allocation of virtual resources across nodes and links, the diverse technical requirements of end-users, the coordination between multiple host domains, and others. This issue is exacerbated further by the extension of virtualization to the next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN) architecture and the provisioning of radio access network (RAN) slicing. To that end, this article focuses on the mapping problem of the virtual network functions (VNFs), as well as their internal and external virtual links (VLs), of a RAN slice subnet onto intelligent points of presence (I-PoPs) and transport networks in the NG-RAN architecture. In this context, in contrast to the majority of the state-of-the-art proposals, which frequently fail to achieve performance objectives and neglect resource allocation constraints, this article introduces automation and intelligence at an architectural level to map VNFs and VLs onto their corresponding physical nodes and links, with the goal of achieving superior efficiency in virtual resource utilization while granting the performance of a RAN slice subnet. Benefiting from a top-down approach, the key contributions of this article are: <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">(i)</i> to extend the architectural framework of network slicing towards the NG-RAN architecture and provide a comprehensive overview and critical analysis of the components and functionalities of a RAN slice subnet; <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">(ii)</i> to integrate the Experiential Network Intelligence (ENI) framework into a joint architecture of the network functions virtualization–management and orchestration (NFV–MANO), Third Generation Partnership Project-network slicing management system (3GPP-NSMS), and I-PoPs in order to render automation and intelligence to the management and orchestration aspects of a RAN slice subnet in the NG-RAN architecture; and <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">(iii)</i> to propose a learning-assisted architectural solution for mapping the VNFs, as well as their internal and external VLs, of a RAN slice subnet onto the underlying I-PoPs and transport networks.

Content delivery network for IoT-based Fog Computing environment

With the continuous improvement and evolution of network technologies like IoT which demands the innovation and improvement of legacy networks, as well as, the requirements of end users’ Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE), new network paradigms have been invented, such as, Content Delivery Network (CDN), IoT and Fog Computing. In addition, the management and controlling of such a network may create an overhead to the network administrators. Therefore, Software-defined Network (SDN) has been introduced as a framework for managing and controlling the network devices where the network abstraction facilitates the introduction innovative solutions and improve the overall performance. In this paper, an SDN based architecture to implement fog-based CDN network was proposed aiming at further improvement on the routing functionalities essential in Fog-based CDN deployment. We have tested the proposed architecture and the results show significant gains. Moreover, we have identified some factors to be considered in such architectures for further performance improvement.

Development of a Supportive Parenting App to Improve Parent and Infant Outcomes in the Perinatal Period: Development Study.

BackgroundThe transition to parenthood can be challenging, and parents are vulnerable to psychological disorders during the perinatal period. This may have adverse long-term consequences on a child’s development. Given the rise in technology and parents’ preferences for mobile health apps, a supportive mobile health intervention is optimal. However, there is a lack of a theoretical framework and technology-based perinatal educational intervention for couples with healthy infants.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to describe the Supportive Parenting App (SPA) development procedure and highlight the challenges and lessons learned.MethodsThe SPA development procedure was guided by the information systems research framework, which emphasizes a nonlinear, iterative, and user-centered process involving 3 research cycles—the relevance cycle, design cycle, and rigor cycle. Treatment fidelity was ensured, and team cohesiveness was maintained using strategies from the Tuckman model of team development.ResultsIn the relevance cycle, end-user requirements were identified through focus groups and interviews. In the rigor cycle, the user engagement pyramid and well-established theories (social cognitive theory proposed by Bandura and attachment theory proposed by Bowlby) were used to inform and justify the features of the artifact. In the design cycle, the admin portal was developed using Microsoft Visual Studio 2017, whereas the SPA, which ran on both iOS and Android, was developed using hybrid development tools. The SPA featured knowledge-based content, informational videos and audio clips, a discussion forum, chat groups, and a frequently asked questions and expert advice section. The intervention underwent iterative testing by a small group of new parents and research team members. Qualitative feedback was obtained for further app enhancements before official implementation. Testing revealed user and technological issues, such as web browser and app incompatibility, a lack of notifications for both administrators and users, and limited search engine capability.ConclusionsThe information systems research framework documented the technical details of the SPA but did not take into consideration the interpersonal and real-life challenges. Ineffective communication between the health care research team and the app developers, limited resources, and the COVID-19 pandemic were the main challenges faced during content development. Quick adaptability, team cohesion, and hindsight budgeting are crucial for intervention development. Although the effectiveness of the SPA in improving parental and infant outcomes is currently unknown, this detailed intervention development study highlights the key aspects that need to be considered for future app development.

An Analysis of Ketamine Doses Administrated to Nonintubated Casualties Prehospital.

Previous studies demonstrate that a significant proportion of casualties do not receive pain medication prehospital after traumatic injuries. To address possible reasons, the U.S. Military has sought to develop novel delivery methods to aid in administration of pain medications prehospital. We sought to describe the dose and route of ketamine administered prehospital to help inform materiel solutions. This is a secondary analysis of a previously described dataset focused on prehospital data within the Department of Defense Trauma Registry from 2007 to 2020. We isolated encounters in which ketamine was administered along with the amount dosed and the route of administration in nonintubated patients. Within our dataset, 862 casualties met inclusion for this analysis. The median age was 28 and nearly all (98%) were male. Most were battle injuries (88%) caused by explosives (54%). The median injury severity score was 10 with the extremities accounting to the most frequent seriously injured body region (38%). The mean dose via intravenous route was 50.4 mg (n = 743, 95% CI 46.5-54.3), intramuscular was 66.7 mg (n = 234, 95% CI 60.3-73.1), intranasal was 56.5 mg (n = 10, 39.1-73.8), and intraosseous was 83.3 mg (n = 34, 66.3-100.4). Most had a medic or CLS in their chain of care (87%) with air evacuation as the primary mechanism of evacuation (86%). The average doses administered were generally larger than the doses recommended by Tactical Combat Casualty Care guidelines. Currently, guidelines may underdose analgesia. Our data will help inform materiel solutions based on end-user requirements.

Evaluating LoRaWAN Connectivity in a Marine Scenario

The growing need for interoperability among the different oceanic monitoring systems to deliver services able to answer the requirements of stakeholders and end-users led to the development of a low-cost machine-to-machine communication system able to guarantee data reliability over marine paths. In this framework, an experimental evaluation of the performance of long-range (LoRa) technology in a fully operational marine scenario has been proposed. In-situ tests were carried out exploiting the availability of (i) a passenger vessel and (ii) a research vessel operating in the Ligurian basin (North-Western Mediterranean Sea) both hosting end-nodes, and (iii) gateways positioned on mountains and hills in the inland areas. Packet loss ratio, packet reception rate, received signal strength indicator, signal to noise, and expected signal power ratio were chosen as metrics in line of sight and not the line of sight conditions. The reliability of Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) transmission over the sea has been demonstrated up to more than 110 km in a free space scenario and for more than 20 km in a coastal urban environment.

Application of 3D Printing Support Material for Neurosurgical Simulation.

Brain dissection, an intricate neurosurgical skill, is central to life-saving procedures such as intrinsic brain tumor excision and resective epilepsy surgery. The aims of this manuscript are to outline the selection process of a suitable material for the development of a dissectible brain simulator and to present the use of support material, SUP 706, manufactured by Stratasys Ltd. as a non-waste alternative for sustainably engineering solutions for surgical education. A feasibility study was conducted through qualitative function deployment (QFD) followed by a material selection process. End-user requirements and manufacturing product characteristics were incorporated into the workflow. Three materials, silicone, TissueMatrix™ and support material each formed the primary component of the first two prototypes. Expert feedback, manufacturing cost, safety profiling, functional fidelity and post-processing time data were collected and analyzed. The unique break-away feature of moist support material was found to be more suitable than using silicone or TissueMatrix™ for demonstrating brain dissection techniques. In addition, support material displayed higher functional fidelity by mimicking surgical tissues such as pia mater, gray and white matter, and blood vessels. The cost of the support material prototype was 39% less that of TissueMatrix™ and roughly the same as the silicone model. It took twice as long to post-process the support material prototype than it did the TissueMatrix™ design. Support material lost its ideal dissection properties and began to disintegrate after 30 - 45 minutes. In conclusion 3D printer support material is a low-cost material for a dissectible brain simulator.Clinical Relevance- The use of support material as the primary material in developing a dissectible brain simulator is a promising way of advancing neurosurgical education.

A review of multi-scale and multi-physics simulations of metal additive manufacturing processes with focus on modeling strategies

Numerical simulations have recently shown their potential as a robust, cheap and reliable tool for predicting the quality of components produced by metal additive manufacturing (MAM) processes. Despite the advantages of the MAM processes over conventional manufacturing methods, there is still a lack of thorough understanding on how different defects can form and originate during MAM processing. In that respect, advanced numerical techniques recently developed have the ability to predict the occurrence of such defects. These techniques have paved the way to efficiently obtain the optimal processing window for targeted mechanical properties to satisfy the end-use design requirements. The aim of this review paper is hence to present and classify numerical simulations of MAM, not solely based on their length-scale as often seen, but also based on the involved physics, as well as the modeling strategies at both the meso-scale and part-scale. The paper is arranged in the following way: First, literature describing purely conduction-based heat transfer simulations at meso-scale are presented. This is followed by a review of fluid-based simulations of increasing complexity based on the treatment of free surface of the melt pool at meso-scale. Finally, contributions based on different part-scale modeling approaches with a focus on thermo-mechanical behavior are reviewed.

User-Centered Design of Companion Robot Pets Involving Care Home Resident-Robot Interactions and Focus Groups With Residents, Staff, and Family: Qualitative Study.

BackgroundGlobally, pressure is increasing on health and social care resources due to the aging population and growing prevalence of dementia. Companion robots, such as Paro, demonstrate strong potential for helping reduce this pressure through reported benefits including reduced agitation, depression, loneliness, care provider burden, and medication use. However, we previously identified that user-centered design of robot pets is both essential and understudied. We observed that commonly used robot pets are poorly matched to end-user requirements, and that end users and developers of robot pets differ significantly in their perception of appropriate design. This may explain some of the contradictory outcome research and variance in results for robot pets, such as Paro.ObjectiveIn response to the literature gap, we aimed to provide user-centered insights into the design of robot pets from key stakeholders to inform future robot development and the choice of robots for real-world implementation and research. We focused on understanding user requirements.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative study with 65 participants from 5 care homes (26 care home residents, 29 staff members. and 10 family members). Care home residents formed groups of between 3 and 4 individuals and experienced free interactions with a range of 8 companion robots and toys, including Paro and more affordable alternatives. The robots provided had a range of esthetics, shell types, interactivity levels, and designs for comparison. Care staff and family members observed the interactions. All participants then engaged in focus groups within their stakeholder category to discuss preferences and user requirements in companion robot design. Both free interactions and focus groups were video and audio recorded, transcribed, and subjected to thematic analysis.ResultsCare home residents, family members, and staff were open and accepting of the use of companion robot pets, with the majority suggesting that they would keep a device for themselves or the residents. The most preferred device was the Joy for All cat, followed by the Joy for All dog. In discussions, the preferred design features included familiar animal embodiment (domestic pet), soft fur, interactivity, big appealing eyes, simulated breathing, and movements. Unfamiliar devices were more often seen as toy-like and suitable for children, producing some negative responses.ConclusionsThis work provides important and user-centered insights into future robot designs for care home residents by means of a comprehensive comparison with key stakeholders. This work strongly supports the use of familiar embodiment in future robot pet designs, with domestic cat and dog morphologies appearing most acceptable. The results have implications for future robot designs and the selection of robot pets for both research and real-world implementations.

Analysis of AC/DC/DC Converter Modules for Direct Current Fast-Charging Applications

The paper is a comprehensive laboratory comparison study of two galvanic isolated solution off-board battery chargers: (1) Si-based cost-effective case, and (2) SiC-bidirectional ready for vehicle to grid concept case. All circuits are modular, and in both cases the DC/DC converter can be replaced according to the end user requirements (the coupled transformer remains the same and is constructed based on 12xC100 cores to avoid additional choke). In the case of single active bridge, an active RCD snubber is proposed to protect against overvoltage above 1kV in the DC_2 circuit. The dual active bridge is equipped with soft-star modulation using a zero vector to reduce in-rush current in case of no-load operation, while the AC/DC grid connected converter remains bidirectional to assure the highest power quality at the point of common coupling. All tests were made with real second-used batteries, which improves environmental, economic and technical feasibility of such systems for prosumers. The total efficiency of both AC/DC/DC converters (&gt;97% in SiC and &gt;94% in Si versions) was investigated in the same laboratory conditions.

A validation &amp; verification driven ontology: An iterative process

Designing an ontology that meets the needs of end-users, e.g., a medical team, is critical to support the reasoning with data. Therefore, an ontology design should be driven by the constant and efficient validation of end-users needs. However, there is not an existing standard process in knowledge engineering that guides the ontology design with the required quality. There are several ontology design processes, which range from iterative to sequential, but they fail to ensure the practical application of an ontology and to quantitatively validate end-user requirements through the evolution of an ontology. In this paper, an ontology design process is proposed, which is driven by end-user requirements, defined as Competency Questions (CQs). The process is called CQ-Driven Ontology DEsign Process (CODEP) and it includes activities that validate and verify the incremental design of an ontology through metrics based on defined CQs. CODEP has also been applied in the design and development of an ontology in the context of a Mexican Hospital for supporting Neurologist specialists. The specialists were involved, during the application of CODEP, in collecting quality measurements and validating the ontology increments. This application can demonstrate the feasibility of CODEP to deliver ontologies with similar requirements in other contexts.

Collaborative Automation and IoT Technologies for Coastal Ocean Observing Systems

Coastal observing systems are typically nationally funded and built around national priorities. As a result, there are presently significant differences between countries in terms of sustainability, observing capacity and technologies, as well as methods and research priorities. Ocean observing systems in coastal areas must now move toward an integrated, multidisciplinary and multiscale system of systems, where heterogeneity should be exploited to deliver fit-for-purpose products that answer the diversity and complexity of the requirements from stakeholders and end-users. Essential elements of such distributed observation systems are the use of machine-to-machine communication, data fusion and processing applying recent technological developments for the Internet of Things (IoT) toward a common cyberinfrastructure. This perspective paper illustrates some of the challenges for sustained coastal observations and provides details on how to address present gaps. We discuss the role of collaborative robotics between unmanned platforms in coastal areas and the methods to benefit from IoT technologies. Given present trends in cost-effective solutions in ocean sensors and electronics, and methods for marine automation and communication, we consider that a distributed observation system can effectively provide timely information in coastal regions around the world, including those areas that are today poorly observed (e.g., developing countries). Adaptation in space and time of the sensing nodes, and the flexibility in handling different sensing platforms can provide to the system the ability to quickly respond to the rapid changes in oceanic and climatic processes, as well as to promptly respond to evolving stakeholder and end-user requirements.

Development of innovative automated solutions for the assembly of multifunctional thermoplastic composite fuselage

In this study, the development of innovative tooling and end-effector systems for the assembly of a multifunctional thermoplastic fuselage is presented. The increasing demand for cleaner and new aircraft requires utilising novel materials and technologies. Advanced thermoplastic composites provide an excellent material option thanks to their weldability, low density, low overall production cost, improved fracture toughness and recyclability. However, to fully appreciate their potentials, new manufacturing approaches and techniques are needed. Hence, this project develops three end-effector solutions to demonstrate the feasibility of assembling a full-scale multifunctional-integrated thermoplastic lower fuselage shell, including the integration of a fully equipped floor and cargo structure. The developed assembly solution comprises three individual yet well-integrated tooling systems that allow housing the skin and assembly; picking, placing and welding of the assembly parts, i.e. clips and stringers; and welding of frames and floor beam sub-assemblies. The process of developing these systems including the end-user requirements, technical challenges, tooling and end-effectors design and manufacturing process are detailed in this paper.

Characterization of groundnut shell powder as a potential reinforcement for biocomposites

Natural fibers are becoming the right candidate material as a substitute for glass fibers in the reinforcement of plastic polymers for various applications. The ease of their processing with minimal energy consumption and the quest to produce biodegradable plastics with lightweight has given natural fibers comparative advantages over synthetic fibers. In this study, groundnut shell powder (GSP) in different forms (untreated, sodium hydroxide treated and ash) were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to evaluate their possible utilization as reinforcement in polymers. GSP was treated with sodium hydroxide for 5 hrs and dried in vacuum for 24 hrs to obtain treated GSP while ash GSP was formed by heating GSP in the furnace at 600 °C for about 3 hrs. The results reveal that sodium hydroxide treatment was very effective in the breaking down of the hydrogen bond with a consequent reduction in the hydrophilicity of the GSP. This would promote GSP bonding with the hydrophobic polymer matrix in the development of natural fiber reinforced plastic polymer composite materials. Ash GSP was found to have the highest crystallinity among the three forms of GSP based on XRD results. Therefore, the result achieved in this work confirmed that treated and ash GSP fibers are good reinforcement material in the production of polymer composites, with the actual choice depending on end-use property requirements of the composite.

Evaluation of end user requirements for Smart Home applications and services based on a decision support system

Smart Home (SH) systems are considered one of the prominent applications in the era of Internet of Things (IoT), where it is possible to control home devices to achieve a better usage in terms of cost and convenience. IoT offers the internet connection and remote management of home automation, integrated with numerous sensors. SHs constitute to be an innovative and popular form of residence in the modern cities, therefore designers need to comply with users preferences and requirements. The current paper defines requirements by chosen features, describing the either non-functional or functional technical, social and financial aspects of a SH. PairWise Comparison (PWC) framework, a fundamental part of many decision making problems, is applied and ranks the users requirements and also presents and prioritizes SHs services, such as e-health and entertainment.

Towards user-driven earth observation-based slum mapping

Earth observation (EO) capabilities to produce up-to-date geographical information on slums over large areas supporting urban planning and evidence-based policymaking are largely acknowledged. Most EO studies typically use a data-driven approach without an understanding of end-user requirements. This study addresses this gap by aligning EO methods with societal needs and concerns using a user-driven approach in Accra, Ghana. By carrying out in-situ observations and slum experts interviews, we produced a user-driven slum map that meets potential users' expectations. To do so, we used a random forest classifier, SPOT 6 imagery, and ancillary geospatial data such as OpenStreetMap information. The overall classification accuracy for the user-driven approach reached 84%. The results show that the addition of local context-knowledge, end-user requirements, and geo-ethics, help to better contextualise and conceptualise slums. Our research demonstrates an approach of slum mapping that is reflective and open to societal needs and concerns.

Mobile app validation: a digital health scorecard approach

While digital health solutions continue to grow in number and in complexity, the ability for stakeholders in healthcare to easily discern quality lags far behind. This challenge is in part due to the lack of a transparent and standardized approach to validation. Evaluation of mobile health applications (apps) is further burdened by low barriers to development and direct-to-user marketing, leading to a crowded and confusing landscape. In this context, we investigated the pragmatic application of a previously described framework for digital health validation, the Digital Health Scorecard, in a cohort of 22 popular mobile health oncology apps. The apps evaluated using this framework performed poorly, scoring 49.4% across all evaluation criteria as a group. Performance across component domains varied considerably with cost scoring highest at 100%, usability at 56.7%, technical at 37.3%, and clinical at 15.9%. satisfaction of prospectively determined end-user requirements derived from patient, family, and clinician consensus scored 37.2%. While cost outperformed consistently and usability was adequate, the results also suggested that apps suffered from significant technical limitations, were of limited clinical value, and generally did not do what end users wanted. These large gaps further support the need for transparent and standardized evaluation to help all stakeholders in healthcare improve the quality of mobile health.