Dynamic cloud service selection using an adaptive learning mechanism in multi-cloud computing

Cloud service selection in a multi-cloud computing environment is receiving more and more attentions. There is an abundance of emerging cloud service resources that makes it hard for users to select the better services for their applications in a changing multi-cloud environment, especially for online real time applications. To assist users to efficiently select their preferred cloud services, a cloud service selection model adopting the cloud service brokers is given, and based on this model, a dynamic cloud service selection strategy named DCS is put forward. In the process of selecting services, each cloud service broker manages some clustered cloud services, and performs the DCS strategy whose core is an adaptive learning mechanism that comprises the incentive, forgetting and degenerate functions. The mechanism is devised to dynamically optimize the cloud service selection and to return the best service result to the user. Correspondingly, a set of dynamic cloud service selection algorithms are presented in this paper to implement our mechanism. The results of the simulation experiments show that our strategy has better overall performance and efficiency in acquiring high quality service solutions at a lower computing cost than existing relevant approaches.

Do performance and image enhancing drug users in regional Queensland experience difficulty accessing health services?

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: To understand health service access and needs of people who use performance and image enhancing drugs (PIED) in regional Queensland. DESIGN AND METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 people (n = 19 men) who reported the use of a range of PIEDs, including anabolic-androgenic steroids, human chorionic gonadotropin, growth hormone, clenbuterol, tamoxifen, insulin and peptides. RESULTS: Participants reported accessing a range of services, including needle and syringe programs and pharmacies, for sterile injecting equipment. While PIEDs users attributed some stigma to needle and syringe programs, they were seen as an important service for injecting equipment. Participants reported receiving either positive care from health-care providers, such as general practitioners (GP), or having negative experiences due to the stigma attached with PIED use. Few participants reported disclosing their PIED use to their GP not only because of the concerns that their GP would no longer see them but also because they felt their GP was not knowledgeable about these substances. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Participants in the study reported no difficulty in accessing health services based on living in a regional area, with their concern focused more upon how they were viewed and treated by service staff. [Dunn M, Henshaw R, Mckay F. H. Do performance and image enhancing drug users in regional Queensland experience difficulty accessing health services? Drug Alcohol Rev 2015;00:000-000].

Examining customer evaluations across different self-service technologies

Purpose – This study aims to examine the influence of different self-service technologies (SSTs) on customer satisfaction with and continued usage of SSTs. Specifically, it compares an interactive voice response (IVR) SST and an online SST from the same provider to assess how to manage these parallel SSTs.

Design/methodology/approach – A tracking study was used, beginning with a survey of n = 957 SST users to test a model pertaining to SST satisfaction across IVR and online SSTs. These SST users were then tracked over 12 months. The association between customer satisfaction with and continued usage of the SSTs was examined using behavioural data from the service provider.

Findings – While the overall model was found to be valid across both types of SSTs, perceptions of factors including ease of use, perceived control and reliability differed for IVR and online SSTs. Satisfaction with SSTs is linked with users’ continued use of SSTs, but is not a barrier to users’ adoption of newer SST forms.

Research limitations/implications – Highlighting the rapid developments in this field, a new SST was introduced by the provider to respondents during the 12-month tracking period, thus complicating the results. Further studies could include the customer purpose for using SSTs as a variable.

Practical implications – The findings offer support for organisations offering a suite of SSTs, even if they serve the same purpose. Customers evaluate SST types differently, and even satisfied SST users switch to different SSTs when they become available. Allowing customers to choose the SST that best suits them appears to be good practice.

Originality/value – This study develops a comprehensive model of customer SST satisfaction that is used to undertake a comparison of two different types of SSTs, which has been missing from prior research.

OdinTelehealth: a mobile service platform for telehealth

In this paper we present our experience with developing telehealth applications using smartphones in conjunction with a mobile service provisioning middleware platform named Odin. Common requirements for mobile telehealth applications include the need to support multiple stakeholders, high levels of connectivity between users, real-time interaction, bidirectional communication channels for exchanging diverse data types, computationally intensive processing and security. Meeting these needs is a non-trivial task in mobile execution environments given the limitations of mobile devices and wireless and mobile networks. Odin enables a separation of concerns between application functionality and resource management governing mobile devices and wireless networking. Using Odin, application developers can rapidly develop telehealth applications without needing to address underlying complexity. We describe development of an Odin-based monitoring application that meets many of the aforementioned requirements associated with mobile telehealth. Based on evaluation, results for smartphone power consumption, network bandwidth usage, and communication latency suggest that Odin is an appropriate platform for general telehealth applications.