Accountable-eHealth systems : the next step forward for privacy

EHealth systems promise enviable benefits and capabilities for healthcare. But, the technologies that make these capabilities possible brings with them undesirable drawback such as information security related threats which need to be appropriately addressed. Lurking in these threats are patient privacy concerns. Fulfilling these privacy concerns have proven to be difficult since they often conflict with information requirements of care providers. It is important to achieve a proper balance between these requirements. We believe that information accountability can achieve this balance. In this paper we introduce accountable-eHealth systems. We will discuss how our designed protocols can successfully address the aforementioned requirement. We will also compare characteristics of AeH systems with Australia’s PCEHR system and identify similarities and highlight the differences and the impact those differences would have to the eHealth domain.

Legal issues related to Accountable-eHealth systems in Australia

Information privacy requirements of patients and information requirements of healthcare providers (HCP) are competing concerns. Reaching a balance between these requirements have proven difficult but is crucial for the success of eHealth systems. The traditional approaches to information management have been preventive measures which either allow or deny access to information. We believe that this approach is inappropriate for a domain such as healthcare. We contend that introducing information accountability (IA) to eHealth systems can reach the aforementioned balance without the need for rigid information control. IA is a fairly new concept to computer science, hence; there are no unambiguously accepted principles as yet. But the concept delivers promising advantages to information management in a robust manner. Accountable-eHealth (AeH) systems are eHealth systems which use IA principles as the measure for privacy and information management. AeH systems face three main impediments; technological, social and ethical and legal. In this paper, we present the AeH model and focus on the legal aspects of AeH systems in Australia. We investigate current legislation available in Australia regarding health information management and identify future legal requirements if AeH systems are to be implemented in Australia.

Factors affecting technical efficiency of rice farmers in village reservoir irrigation systems of Sri Lanka

Given the importance of water for rice production, this study examines the factors affecting the technical efficiency (TE) of irrigated rice farmers in village irrigation systems (VIS) in Sri Lanka. Primary data were collected from 460 rice farmers in the Kurunagala District, Sri Lanka, to estimate a stochastic translog production frontier for rice production. The mean TE of rice farming in village irrigation was found to be 0.72, although 63% of rice farmers exceeded this average. The most influential factors of TE are membership of Farmer Organisations (FOs) and the participatory rate in collective actions organised by FOs. The results suggest that enhancement of co-operative arrangements of farmers by strengthening the membership of FOs is considered important for increasing TE in rice farming in VIS.

Optimal planning of electric-vehicle charging stations in distribution systems

With the progressive exhaustion of fossil energy and the enhanced awareness of environmental protection, more attention is being paid to electric vehicles (EVs). Inappropriate siting and sizing of EV charging stations could have negative effects on the development of EVs, the layout of the city traffic network, and the convenience of EVs' drivers, and lead to an increase in network losses and a degradation in voltage profiles at some nodes. Given this background, the optimal sites of EV charging stations are first identified by a two-step screening method with environmental factors and service radius of EV charging stations considered. Then, a mathematical model for the optimal sizing of EV charging stations is developed with the minimization of total cost associated with EV charging stations to be planned as the objective function and solved by a modified primal-dual interior point algorithm (MPDIPA). Finally, simulation results of the IEEE 123-node test feeder have demonstrated that the developed model and method cannot only attain the reasonable planning scheme of EV charging stations, but also reduce the network loss and improve the voltage profile.

Dynamic equivalent state estimation for multi-area power systems with synchronized phasor measurement units

This paper proposes a new approach for state estimation of angles and frequencies of equivalent areas in large power systems with synchronized phasor measurement units. Defining coherent generators and their correspondent areas, generators are aggregated and system reduction is performed in each area of inter-connected power systems. The structure of the reduced system is obtained based on the characteristics of the reduced linear model and measurement data to form the non-linear model of the reduced system. Then a Kalman estimator is designed for the reduced system to provide an equivalent dynamic system state estimation using the synchronized phasor measurement data. The method is simulated on two test systems to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed method.

Do students and lecturers actively use collaboration tools in learning management systems?

In recent years there has been a large emphasis placed on the need to use Learning Management Systems (LMS) in the field of higher education, with many universities mandating their use. An important aspect of these systems is their ability to offer collaboration tools to build a community of learners. This paper reports on a study of the effectiveness of an LMS (Blackboard©) in a higher education setting and whether both lecturers and students voluntarily use collaborative tools for teaching and learning. Interviews were conducted with participants (N=67) from the faculties of Science and Technology, Business, Health and Law. Results from this study indicated that participants often use Blackboard© as an online repository of learning materials and that the collaboration tools of Blackboard© are often not utilised. The study also found that several factors have inhibited the use and uptake of the collaboration tools within Blackboard©. These have included structure and user experience, pedagogical practice, response time and a preference for other tools.

Analyses of systems theory for construction accident prevention with specific reference to OSHA accident reports

To enhance workplace safety in the construction industry it is important to understand interrelationships among safety risk factors associated with construction accidents. This study incorporates the systems theory into Heinrich’s domino theory to explore the interrelationships of risks and break the chain of accident causation. Through both empirical and statistical analyses of 9,358 accidents which occurred in the U.S. construction industry between 2002 and 2011, the study investigates relationships between accidents and injury elements (e.g., injury type, part of body, injury severity) and the nature of construction injuries by accident type. The study then discusses relationships between accidents and risks, including worker behavior, injury source, and environmental condition, and identifies key risk factors and risk combinations causing accidents. The research outcomes will assist safety managers to prioritize risks according to the likelihood of accident occurrence and injury characteristics, and pay more attention to balancing significant risk relationships to prevent accidents and achieve safer working environments.

Gene transfer vectors targeted to human prostate cancer : do we need better preclinical testing systems?

Destruction of cancer cells by genetically modified viral and nonviral vectors has been the aim of many research programs. The ability to target cytotoxic gene therapies to the cells of interest is an essential prerequisite, and the treatment has always had the potential to provide better and more long-lasting therapy than existing chemotherapies. However, the potency of these infectious agents requires effective testing systems, in which hypotheses can be explored both in vitro and in vivo before the establishment of clinical trials in humans. The real prospect of off-target effects should be eliminated in the preclinical stage, if current prejudices against such therapies are to be overcome. In this review we have set out, using adenoviral vectors as a commonly used example, to discuss some of the key parameters required to develop more effective testing, and to critically assess the current cellular models for the development and testing of prostate cancer biotherapy. Only by developing models that more closely mirror human tissues will we be able to translate literature publications into clinical trials and hence into acceptable alternative treatments for the most commonly diagnosed cancer in humans.

Solving tri-diagonal linear systems using field programmable gate arrays

In this paper, we present the outcomes of a project on the exploration of the use of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) as co-processors for scientific computation. We designed a custom circuit for the pipelined solving of multiple tri-diagonal linear systems. The design is well suited for applications that require many independent tri-diagonal system solves, such as finite difference methods for solving PDEs or applications utilising cubic spline interpolation. The selected solver algorithm was the Tri-Diagonal Matrix Algorithm (TDMA or Thomas Algorithm). Our solver supports user specified precision thought the use of a custom floating point VHDL library supporting addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. The variable precision TDMA solver was tested for correctness in simulation mode. The TDMA pipeline was tested successfully in hardware using a simplified solver model. The details of implementation, the limitations, and future work are also discussed.

Suitable stiffening systems for LiteSteel beams with web openings subjected to shear

Abstract: LiteSteel beam (LSB) is a new cold-formed steel hollow flange channel section produced using a simultaneous cold-forming and dual electric resistance welding process. It is commonly used as floor joists and bearers with web openings in residential, industrial and commercial buildings. Their shear strengths are considerably reduced when web openings are included for the purpose of locating building services. A cost effective method of eliminating the detrimental effects of a large web opening is to attach suitable stiffeners around the web openings of LSBs. Experimental and numerical studies were undertaken to investigate the shear behaviour and strength of LSBs with circular web openings reinforced using plate, stud, transverse and sleeve stiffeners with varying sizes and thicknesses. Both welding and varying screw-fastening arrangements were used to attach these stiffeners to the web of LSBs. Finite element models of LSBs with stiffened web openings in shear were developed to simulate their shear behaviour and strength of LSBs. They were then validated by comparing the results with experimental test results and used in a detailed parametric study. These studies have shown that plate stiffeners were the most suitable, however, their use based on the current American standards was found to be inadequate. Suitable screw-fastened plate stiffener arrangements with optimum thicknesses have been proposed for LSBs with web openings to restore their original shear capacity. This paper presents the details of the numerical study and the results.

High temperatures-related elderly mortality varied greatly from year to year : important information for heat-warning systems

We examined the variation in association between high temperatures and elderly mortality (age ≥ 75 years) from year to year in 83 US cities between 1987 and 2000. We used a Poisson regression model and decomposed the mortality risk for high temperatures into: a “main effect” due to high temperatures using lagged non-linear function, and an “added effect” due to consecutive high temperature days. We pooled yearly effects across both regional and national levels. The high temperature effects (both main and added effects) on elderly mortality varied greatly from year to year. In every city there was at least one year where higher temperatures were associated with lower mortality. Years with relatively high heat-related mortality were often followed by years with relatively low mortality. These year to year changes have important consequences for heat-warning systems and for predictions of heat-related mortality due to climate change.

Application of Resilience concept for enhanced management of water supply systems

This paper presents an approach to developing indicators for expressing resilience of a generic water supply system. The system is contextualised as a meta-system consisting of three subsystems to represent the water catchment and reservoir, treatment plant and the distribution system supplying the end-users. The level of final service delivery to end-users is considered as a surrogate measure of systemic resilience. A set of modelled relationships are used to explore relationships between system components when placed under simulated stress. Conceptual system behaviour of specific types of simulated pressure is created for illustration of parameters for indicator development. The approach is based on the hypothesis that an in-depth knowledge of resilience would enable development of decision support system capability which in turn will contribute towards enhanced management of a water supply system. In contrast to conventional water supply system management approaches, a resilience approach facilitates improvement in system efficiency by emphasising awareness of points-of-intervention where system managers can adjust operational control measures across the meta-system (and within subsystems) rather than expansion of the system in entirety in the form of new infrastructure development.

Candidate radial-inflow turbines and high-density working fluids for geothermal power systems

Optimisation of Organic Rankine Cycle (ORCs) for binary-cycle geothermal applications could play a major role in determining the competitiveness of low to moderate temperature geothermal resources. Part of this optimisation process is matching cycles to a given resource such that power output can be maximised. Two major and largely interrelated components of the cycle are the working fluid and the turbine. Both components need careful consideration: the selection of working fluid and appropriate operating conditions as well as optimisation of the turbine design for those conditions will determine the amount of power that can be extracted from a resource. In this paper, we present the rationale for the use of radial-inflow turbines for ORC applications and the preliminary design of several radial-inflow machines based on a number of promising ORC systems that use five different working fluids: R134a, R143a, R236fa, R245fa and n-Pentane. Preliminary meanline analysis lead to the generation of turbine designs for the various cycles with similar efficiencies (77%) but large differences in dimensions (139–289 mm rotor diameter). The highest performing cycle, based on R134a, was found to produce 33% more net power from a 150 °C resource flowing at 10 kg/s than the lowest performing cycle, based on n-Pentane.

Candidate radial-inflow turbines and high-density working fluids for geothermal power systems

Optimisation of Organic Rankine Cycles (ORCs) for binary-cycle geothermal applications could play a major role in the competitiveness of low to moderate temperature geothermal resources. Part of this optimisation process is matching cycles to a given resource such that power output can be maximised. Two major and largely interrelated components of the cycle are the working fluid and the turbine. Both components need careful consideration. Due to the temperature differences in geothermal resources a one-size-fits-all approach to surface power infrastructure is not appropriate. Furthermore, the traditional use of steam as a working fluid does not seem practical due to the low temperatures of many resources. A variety of organic fluids with low boiling points may be utilised as ORC working fluids in binary power cycle loops. Due to differences in thermodynamic properties, certain fluids are able to extract more heat from a given resource than others over certain temperature and pressure ranges. This enables the tailoring of power cycle infrastructure to best match the geothermal resource through careful selection of the working fluid and turbine design optimisation to yield the optimum overall cycle performance. This paper presents the rationale for the use of radial-inflow turbines for ORC applications and the preliminary design of several radial-inflow turbines based on a selection of promising ORC cycles using five different high-density working fluids: R134a, R143a, R236fa, R245fa and n-Pentane at sub- or trans-critical conditions. Numerous studies published compare a variety of working fluids for various ORC configurations. However, there is little information specifically pertaining to the design and implementation of ORCs using realistic radial turbine designs in terms of pressure ratios, inlet pressure, rotor size and rotational speed. Preliminary 1D analysis leads to the generation of turbine designs for the various cycles with similar efficiencies (77%) but large differences in dimensions (139289 mm rotor diameter). The highest performing cycle (R134a) was found to produce 33% more net power from a 150°C resource flowing at 10 kg/s than the lowest performing cycle (n-Pentane).

Cross-entropy optimization for scaling factors of a fuzzy controller : a see-and-avoid approach for unmanned aerial systems

The Cross-Entropy (CE) is an efficient method for the estimation of rare-event probabilities and combinatorial optimization. This work presents a novel approach of the CE for optimization of a Soft-Computing controller. A Fuzzy controller was designed to command an unmanned aerial system (UAS) for avoiding collision task. The only sensor used to accomplish this task was a forward camera. The CE is used to reach a near-optimal controller by modifying the scaling factors of the controller inputs. The optimization was realized using the ROS-Gazebo simulation system. In order to evaluate the optimization a big amount of tests were carried out with a real quadcopter.