Residential Domains Research Articles

Improving the Security of Internet of Things (IoT) Applications Based on a New Machine Learning Technique

The Internet of Things, or IoT, is changing practically every aspect of modern life and entering both the business and residential domains. The proliferation of IoT has led to a rise in the frequency of cyber catastrophes. Attackers are using new methods or changing old ones, making the danger more sophisticated. The threat landscape that security professionals face is dynamic, complex, and diversified. This paper proposes a novel approach to enhance Internet of Things applications by fusing the swarm intelligence of Salp Swarm Algorithms (SSA) with the predictive power of Random Forest (RF) and Decision Tree (DT) models. Salp Swarm Algorithms simulate the cooperative behavior of salps in the natural world, wherein individual agents coordinate their actions to achieve common goals. This work uses SSA to optimize the Random Forest and Decision Tree model training process in an IoT context. SSA's collaborative nature makes it easier to explore the solution space effectively, which enhances the models' ability to capture the complex correlations found in IoT data. The effectiveness of the model is evaluated. We were able to attain a maximum accuracy of 95.54% for the Decision Tree of the OT-MQTT dataset and 96.19% for the random forest.

Advancements in Machine Learning-Based Face Mask Detection: A Review of Methods and Challenges

Wearing face masks is crucial in various environments, particularly where there is high potential of viral transmission. Proper wearing of face masks always is important in hospitals and healthcare facilities where the risk of transmission of different contagious diseases is very high. The COVID-19 pandemic has been recognized as a global health crisis, exerting deep impacts on various sectors such as industry, economy, public transportation, education, and residential domains. This rapidly spreading virus has created considerable public health risks, resulting in serious health consequences and fatalities. Wearing face masks in public locations and crowded regions has been identified as one of the most effective preventive methods for reducing viral transmission. Using powerful face mask detection systems in such contexts can thus significantly improve infection control efforts while protecting the health and well-being of healthcare personnel, patients, and visitors. In this paper, we present a comprehensive review of recent advancements in machine learning techniques applied to face mask identification. The existing approaches in this sector can be broadly categorized into three main groups: mask/no mask detection approaches, proper/improper mask detection approaches, and human identification through masked faces approaches. We discuss the advantages and limitations associated with each approach. Further, we explore into the technical challenges encountered in this field. Through this study, we aim to provide researchers and practitioners with a comprehensive understanding of the state-of-the-art machine learning techniques for face mask detection.

Socioeconomic changes predict genome-wide DNA methylation in childhood.

Childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) is a major determinant of health and well-being across the entire life course. To effectively prevent and reduce health risks related to SEP, it is critical to better understand when and under what circumstances socioeconomic adversity shapes biological processes. DNA methylation (DNAm) is one such mechanism for how early life adversity 'gets under the skin'. In this study, we evaluated the dynamic relationship between SEP and DNAm across childhood using data from 946 mother-child pairs in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. We assessed six SEP indicators spanning financial, occupational and residential domains during very early childhood (ages 0-2), early childhood (ages 3-5) and middle childhood (ages 6-7). Epigenome-wide DNAm was measured at 412 956 cytosine-guanines (CpGs) from peripheral blood at age 7. Using an innovative two-stage structured life-course modeling approach, we tested three life-course hypotheses for how SEP shapes DNAm profiles-accumulation, sensitive period and mobility. We showed that changes in the socioeconomic environment were associated with the greatest differences in DNAm, and that middle childhood may be a potential sensitive period when socioeconomic instability is especially important in shaping DNAm. Top SEP-related DNAm CpGs were overrepresented in genes involved in pathways important for neural development, immune function and metabolic processes. Our findings highlight the importance of socioeconomic stability during childhood and if replicated, may emphasize the need for public programs to help children and families experiencing socioeconomic instability and other forms of socioeconomic adversity.

Health and health-related indicators in slum, rural, and urban communities: a comparative analysis

BackgroundIt is generally assumed that urban slum residents have worse health status when compared with other urban populations, but better health status than their rural counterparts. This belief/assumption is often because of their physical proximity and assumed better access to health care services in urban areas. However, a few recent studies have cast doubt on this belief. Whether slum dwellers are better off, similar to, or worse off as compared with rural and other urban populations remain poorly understood as indicators for slum dwellers are generally hidden in urban averages.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to compare health and health-related indicators among slum, rural, and other urban populations in four countries where specific efforts have been made to generate health indicators specific to slum populations.DesignWe conducted a comparative analysis of health indicators among slums, non-slums, and all urban and rural populations as well as national averages in Bangladesh, Kenya, Egypt, and India. We triangulated data from demographic and health surveys, urban health surveys, and special cross-sectional slum surveys in these countries to assess differences in health indicators across the residential domains. We focused the comparisons on child health, maternal health, reproductive health, access to health services, and HIV/AIDS indicators. Within each country, we compared indicators for slums with non-slum, city/urban averages, rural, and national indicators. Between-country differences were also highlighted.ResultsIn all the countries, except India, slum children had much poorer health outcomes than children in all other residential domains, including those in rural areas. Childhood illnesses and malnutrition were higher among children living in slum communities compared to those living elsewhere. Although treatment seeking was better among slum children as compared with those in rural areas, this did not translate to better mortality outcomes. They bear a disproportionately much higher mortality burden than those living elsewhere. Slum communities had higher coverage of maternal health services than rural communities but it was not possible to compare maternal mortality rates across these residential domains. Compared to rural areas, slum communities had lower fertility and higher contraceptive use rates but these differences were reversed when slums were compared to other urban populations. Slum–rural differences in infant mortality were found to be larger in Bangladesh compared to Kenya.ConclusionMortality and morbidity indicators were worse in slums than elsewhere. However, indicators of access to care and health service coverage were found to be better in slums than in rural communities.

Will enclosed residential domains affect the public realm of Dutch cities? Three theoretical perspectives

In recent years, enclosed residential domains have emerged in Dutch housing developments. Commentators fear that enclosed residential domains will lead to a loss of the public realm. This article considers such claims. Based on a conceptual analysis, it is argued that the question of how enclosed residential domains imply a loss of public realm should be addressed by distinguishing between three theoretical perspectives: the social perspective, the market perspective, and the civic perspective. It is also argued that the specific morphological characteristics of Dutch enclosed residential domains should be taken into account. Because of the absence of closed gates, for instance, many of the Dutch enclosed residential domains differ from gated communities abroad.

Functional milestones and clinician ratings of everyday functioning in people with schizophrenia: Overlap between milestones and specificity of ratings

Everyday functioning is known to be impaired in people with schizophrenia, across multiple functional domains. It is not clear, however, how impairments across social, vocational, and residential domains overlap with each other, Further, although there are multiple ratings scales available to rate everyday functioning, it is also not clear how scores on these scales, particularly total scores, relate to milestone achievement. This is important, because efforts to reduce disability with pharmacological or rehabilitative interventions are ultimately evaluated in terms of their impact on everyday functioning, which is often indexed with total scores on rating scales. In this paper from the VALERO study, we report on 195 people with schizophrenia who were rated with a comprehensive process on 6 different functional status rating scales. Milestone achievements in social (ever married or equivalent), vocational (ever employed, currently employed), and residential (living independently, financially responsible) domains were examined for their overlap with each other and with ratings on the rating scales. Total scores on the 6 rating scales were minimally related to milestone achievements and milestone achievements were quite independent of each other. Subscales from two of the rating scales, specifically examining vocational and residential functioning, were specifically related to milestone achievements in their functional domains, but not other milestones. These data suggest that global scores on everyday functioning measures may not capture functional milestones and highlight the fact that functional milestones have multiple determinants other then the ability variables that these rating scales attempt to capture.

Mixed Evidence on Mixed Tenure Effects: Findings from a Systematic Review of UK Studies, 1995–2009

Mixed tenure is a key feature of UK housing and regeneration policy. Following an earlier review-of-reviews pertaining to mixed tenure effects (Bond et al., 2011), this paper presents a systematic review of the UK evidence published between 1999 and 2005. The majority of the available evidence is cross-sectional, mostly derived from modest-quality case-study research across nearly 100 sites, supplemented by a very few secondary studies using national data. Six broad domains of outcomes have been investigated across 27 studies. Some positive impacts of mixed tenure were found in the social and residential domains, though notably without impacts on social capital. The evidence for mixed tenure effects in the environmental, safety and economic domains is very mixed. In the human capital domain of health and education, the evidence is sparse. A stronger theoretical base (including the assessment of causal mechanisms) is required to guide future research on mixed tenure effects, which should be longer term and longitudinal in nature, using comparison case studies and secondary data.

The influence of demographic factors on functional capacity and everyday functional outcomes in schizophrenia

Patients with schizophrenia have impaired everyday living and social outcomes. Performance-based measures, including neuropsychological (NP) performance and functional capacity (FC) measures have demonstrated usefulness in predicting these outcomes. We examined the correlation of demographic factors (race, age, and education) and FC measures, and the relative ability of NP performance, FC, and demographic factors to predict real-world outcomes in social, vocational, and residential domains in 194 outpatients with schizophrenia. Age, education, sex, and racial status were significantly, but modestly, associated with performance-based measures of everyday functioning, while, in addition, age and education had a similar modest relationship with social competence. Age, but none of the other demographic variables, contributed to the prediction of all three domains of everyday functioning. Functional capacity variables predicted everyday outcomes even when demographic variables were entered into a predictive equation first. These data suggest a similar and modest but detectable effect of demographic factors on performance-based measures of functional capacity as seen with NP performance in schizophrenia populations. Older age contributed to poorer everyday functioning even after consideration of functional capacity, which seems similar to findings in healthy populations without clinically notable cognitive decline.

Determinants of everyday outcomes in schizophrenia: The influences of cognitive impairment, functional capacity, and symptoms

Deficits in everyday living skills and social skills are associated with the pervasive disability seen in schizophrenia. Cognitive impairments are determinants of these skills deficits and it is known that positive and negative symptoms add to the influence of cognitive impairments for prediction of real-world outcomes. This study examined the relative importance of cognitive impairments measured with a neuropsychological battery, performance-based measures of social and everyday living skills, and positive and negative symptoms for the prediction of real-world outcomes in social and residential domains. In contrast to most previous studies, we examined the importance of individual symptoms, as well as total subscale scores, for predicting clinician rated outcomes in 194 older outpatients with schizophrenia. Symptoms were rated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale; everyday living skills were measured by the UCSD Performance-based Skills Assessment; and social skills were measured with the Social Skills Performance Assessment. For prediction of real-world social outcomes, blunted affect and passive-apathetic social withdrawal accounted for all of the predicted variance, while social competence and cognitive impairments did not enter the final equation. For residential functioning, everyday living skills were the most important predictor, followed by lack of spontaneity. The positive symptoms of hallucinatory behavior and suspiciousness also predicted real-world residential outcomes. These results suggest that real-world disability is the product of a complex array of ability deficits and symptoms, indicating interventions will need to be carefully targeted. For social and everyday living outcomes, variance accounted for by the entire array of predictive variables was less than 40%, suggesting that other factors, such as social and cultural influences, are involved as well.

Ability in Everyday Activities in Adults with Cerebral Palsy or SpinaBifida—on Dependence, Perceived Difficulty and Life Satisfaction in Personaland Residential Domains

(1999). Ability in Everyday Activities in Adults with Cerebral Palsy or Spina Bifida—on Dependence, Perceived Difficulty and Life Satisfaction in Personal and Residential Domains. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy: Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 46-46.

Geostatistics applied to mine waste characterization at Leadville, Colorado, USA

ABSTRACT This paper will describe the process of identifying lead contaminated soil areas exceeding a certain threshold at a historical mining district using geostatistical tools. For this purpose, lead concentration samples coming from Leadville County, Colorado were chosen as the data sets to be examined. In order to check integrity of data files, posting of the data values at sample locations is performed on each of the four data sets available. Statistical analysis is used for identifying possible different populations within the study area Based on the statistical results, the data sets were subdivided into four different populations as they relate to residential domains. More detail geostatistical analysis of data set representing the City of Leadville domain (CL) is performed Variogram analysis is used to characterize spatial variability on the data sets within CL limits. Generation of variograms for such data sets and identification of their parameters such as sill, nugget, range, and anisotropy ratios is performed. Once these parameters are identified, variogram modeling is accomplished. A significant spatial correlation is found within CL boundaries and two geostatistical estimation techniques named ordinary kriging and indicator kriging are applied to determine level of contamination at unsampled locations exceeding 3500 PPM threshold. Such techniques are tested by cross validation in order to check possible overestimation bias over 3500 PPM threshold. Indicator Kriging was found to be the best estimator which provided the minimum overestimation bias of areas of contamination exceeding 3500 PPM threshold compared with ordinary kriging.

Family Stress Associated with Transition to Adulthood of Young People with Severe Disabilities

The transitions from student to adult roles for adolescents and young adults with severe developmental disabilities can produce concern and stress for their families. In order to understand and ultimately to be able to address these transition-related concerns and needs of families, we assessed family members' concerns associated with transition, identified the family members who shared the concerns, and measured the related levels of stressfulness and frequency of occurrence of the concerns. We collected data from 42 members of 19 families of young adults with severe developmental disabilities. Results were as follows. The most frequently mentioned concerns were those from the Young Adult domain, such as getting along with others, self-care capabilities, responsible behavior, and sexuality. The concerns rated most stressful, however, were from the Residential, Family Life, and Professionals and Agencies domains. These included the quality and availability of services, dealing with service providers, and family financial problems and disagreements. The concerns reported to occur most frequently were from the Young Adult, Residential, and School domains, including the young adult's self-care and social capabilities, the quality of residential services and interactions with residential providers, and school academic and work training and interactions with school staff. Concerns from the Residential domain were most predictive of overall individual and family stress. Our results indicated that responses from family members regarding stressful concerns are contingent upon how questions about stress are framed. We discuss these results in terms of Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) stress and coping theory.