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The opportunities that information and communication technologies (ICTs) provide in the field of healthcare are many and constantly growing. They enable consumers to access health information and remotely receive consultations and treatment. Also, they help improve health promotion activities whose mission is to establish health as a core value. The aim of the present study is to examine the attitudes towards the use of ICTs in healthcare. Materials and Methods: A direct anonymous survey was conducted among 356 respondents, randomly selected and with an average age of 38.26±0.15 (110 men and 246 women). The data analysis was performed using statistical software SPSSv.23.0. Results: The results showed that 91.6% of respondents have used or are willing to use digital devices to search for health information. A statistical gender difference was found in answer to the question about using a digital device for self-registration of information, as women are more likely to do so. Elderly people are more reserved and hesitant about providing health information to a government agency. Smartphone and computer/laptop are among the most preferred digital modalities in the healthcare field, with men and younger respondents being more likely to use digital devices in relation to their health. Women are more critical about the use of ICTs in healthcare (χ2=48.2, P

Since the 1980s, accountability, performance measurement and competitiveness have been implemented in universities globally. It is the management logic known as New Public Management (NPM). But the NPM in contemporary academia is not understood without attending to the emergence of digital management devices and platforms (DMDs). It is the combination of both events that we have called the digital turn in university management. The implementation of DMDs is not a homogeneous and fully satisfactory process but is loaded with attempts, fails, and failures that need the voice of academics to be understood in its extension. This article presents the results of 40 interviews with academics about their experience and engagement with DMDs. The results point to the existence of at least three repertoires: 1) device-lover, 2) functional- pragmatic and 3) oppositionist-rejector. Together, these results point out that, on one hand, both the experience and the identity of the academic; and on the other hand, the relationship with the institutional context; both are the key to the successful implementation of the DMDs.

The law classically provides strong protection to whatever is inside a home. That protection is lost now that our photo albums, notes and other documents have become digital and are increasingly stored in the cloud. Even if their owner never intended these documents to be shared, their copies in the cloud may be accessed by law enforcement, under possibly lower conditions than apply to home searches. In this paper, we study this problem from a theoretical perspective, asking whether it is possible to establish home-equivalent legal protection of those private digital storage spaces (smartphones, private cloud storage accounts) that most closely resemble the home as a storage environment for private things. In particular, we study whether it is possible, using technological design, to clearly separate digital storage spaces that are used privately versus storage spaces used to share data with others. We sketch a theoretical architecture for such a ‘digital home’ that most closely resembles the physical home in terms of the space that is the most personal storage environment for private files. The architecture guarantees the data are indeed only stored for private use, and can never be shared with others unless the device used for storage itself is shared. We subsequently argue that the law should offer ‘home’ protection to data stored using this system, as an intermediate stepping-stone towards more comprehensive legal protection of cloud-stored data. Such protection is needed, since nowadays, not the home or the smartphone, but the smartphone/cloud ecosystem holds ‘the privacies of life’.

In Singapore, with the nationwide implementation of Covid-19 physical restrictions and safe management measures (SMMs) in place because of the pandemic, the seniors' regular routines and daily social activities have been disrupted. Prior research on seniors' adoption of digital technologies has primarily focused on health-related purposes such as nutrition and exercise and managing old-age related diseases. However, there is limited research done to understand how seniors use digital technologies for other purposes, such as social networks or leisure activities, that can help seniors socialise and reduce loneliness despite ongoing SMMs and restrictions on social distancing and physical interactions because of the Covid-19 pandemic. In particular, the use of virtual event platforms can make it easier for seniors to communicate and socialise with their peers, thus keeping social isolation and loneliness at bay. In this paper, we discuss seniors' relationship with technology, guided by the social exchange theory. We also share the methodological framework that guided this small-scale study on the use of virtual event platforms, along with the research instruments and measurements required for data collection. The research findings of this study, conducted with 144 respondents aged 60 years old and above, are discussed and further analysed with their theoretical contributions and implications for practice.

Background Demographic changes are leading to an ageing population in Europe. People are becoming more dependent on digital technologies and health ministries invest increasingly in digitalisation. Societal digital demands impact older people and learning to use new telehealth systems and digital devices are seen as a means of securing their needs. Methods The present study undertakes a scoping review in order to map relevant evidence about telehealth and digital developments in society involving citizens aged 75 and over in European countries. It focuses on their experiences and the main barriers to, and facilitators of, societal digital demands. A framework proposed by Arksey and O`Malley was used to guide the scoping review process. The studies included in the review covered telehealth, digital technology and digital devices, and the context covered participants` own home or surroundings. A comprehensive search on PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, Embase and Open Grey was undertaken. Results Out of 727 identified citations, 13 sources which met the inclusion criteria (9 original study articles, 2 theses, 1 letter about a product and 1 project report). Few of the studies identified have investigated European citizens 75 years and older separately. The studies included varied in their design, location and focus. Older people have experienced both telehealth and digital devices making life easier and the opposite. The outstanding facilitator found was that technology should be easy to use, and difficulty in remembering the instructions was seen as an important barrier. Interestingly, both social support and lack of social support were found as facilitators of using new devices. Conclusions Telehealth may give a sense of security but learning to use a new device often takes extra effort. Older people were more open to new devices if the possible advantages of the new technology outweighed the effort that would be involved in adopting a new strategy. As technology develops rapidly, and life expectancy in Europe is anticipated to rise continually, there is a need for new and additional research among older European citizens. Future research should cover the technical solutions most relevant to older people today, social support and participants` access to the devices.

The discipline of digital forensics requires a combination of skills, qualifications and knowledge in the area of forensic investigation, legal aspects and information technology. The uniqueness of digital evidence makes the adoption of traditional legal approaches problematic. Information technology terminology is currently used interchangeably without any regard to being unambiguous and consistent in relation to legal texts. Many of the information technology terms or concepts have not yet achieved legal recognition. The recognition and standardisation of terminology within a legal context are of the utmost importance to ensure that miscommunication does not occur. To provide clarity or guidance on some of the terms and concepts applicable to digital forensics and for the search and seizure of digital evidence, some of the concepts and terms are reviewed and discussed, using the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977 as a point of departure. Digital evidence is often collected incorrectly and analysed ineffectively or simply overlooked due to the complexities that digital evidence poses to forensic investigators. As with any forensic science, specific regulations, guidelines, principles or procedures should be followed to meet the objectives of investigations and to ensure the accuracy and acceptance of findings. These regulations, guidelines, principles or procedures are discussed within the context of digital forensics: what processes should be followed and how these processes ensure the acceptability of digital evidence. These processes include international principles and standards such as those of the Association of Chiefs of Police Officers and the International Organisation of Standardisation. A summary is also provided of the most influential or best-recognised international (IOS) standards on digital forensics. It is concluded that the originality, reliability, integrity and admissibility of digital evidence should be maintained as follows: Data should not be changed or altered. Original evidence should not be directly examined. Forensically sound duplicates should be created. Digital forensic analyses should be performed by competent persons. Digital forensic analyses should adhere to relevant local legal requirements. Audit trails should exist consisting of all required documents and actions. The chain of custody should be protected. Processes and procedures should be proper, while recognised and accepted by the industry. If the ACPO (1997) principles and ISO/IEC 27043 and 27037 Standards are followed as a forensic framework, then digital forensic investigators should follow these standards as a legal framework.

BackgroundRestrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have led to everyday reliance on digitalisation of life, including access to health care services. People with severe mental ill health (SMI – e.g., bipolar or psychosis spectrum disorders) are at greater risk for digital exclusion and it is unknown to what extent they are able to adapt to online service delivery. This cross-sectional survey study explored use of the Internet and digital devices during the pandemic restrictions and its association with physical and mental health changes.Methods367 adults with an SMI diagnosis completed a survey (online or offline) and provided information on access to Internet connection and devices, internet skills, online activities, and barriers to using the Internet. They also self-reported changes in mental and physical health.ResultsDuring the pandemic restrictions 61.6% were limited or non-users of the Internet. The majority had access to the Internet and digital devices but around half reported knowledge deficits. Most common activities were accessing information and entertainment (88.9%), staying in touch with friends and families (84.8%), and purchasing goods (other than food) (84.3%). Most common barriers were finding the Internet ‘not interesting’ (28.3%) or ‘too difficult’ (27.9%), as well as ‘security concerns’ (22.1% to 24.3%). Using the Internet ‘a lot’ (vs ‘just a bit or not at all’) during the pandemic was associated with younger age (Adj ORs = 4.76 – 6.39, Ps < .001), having a diagnosis of bipolar disorder (compared to psychosis; Adj OR = 3.88, P < .001), or reporting a decline in mental health (compared to no decline; Adj OR = 1.92, P = .01).ConclusionMost people with SMI were limited or non-users of the Internet during the pandemic, which seems to be mainly attributable to lack of interest and skills, rather than lack of devices or connectivity. Older adults with psychosis should be the focus of interventions to support digital engagement in people with SMI.

Background Several ocular and visual symptoms resulting from use of digital devices are collectively known as digital eye strain (DES) or computer vision syndrome (CVS). Few studies exist on the prevalence of DES among young adults in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Objectives This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and severity of digital eye strain among a university student population in Jordan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with students enrolled at Al-Ahliyya Amman University in Jordan. DES was evaluated using the Computer Vision Syndrome Questionnaire (CVS-Q), which was filled out by students who were approached at random and signed an informed consent to participate in the study. Information related to the type, intensity of usage, settings of digital device (DD) used, and post-device use student-reported physical complaints were recorded. Results Data from 382 students were analyzed. Prevalence of CVS was 94.5%, with tearing being the most prevalent symptom (59%), while double vision was least reported by students (18.3%). DD use for more than six hours per day was reported by 55.5% of the sample size, and 30.7% of the students reported pain in joints of fingers and wrists after using a mobile phone. Conclusion CVS is highly prevalent among university students in Jordan. With the increased dependence on online education due to coronavirus disease, safe habits in digital device use are recommended.

The digital world can be part of the solution to the coexistence of people and the planet, with large efficiencies gained through digital solutions, but it is part of the problem too, as it requires vast natural resources for digital devices in terms of participation. The challenge lies in satisfying the demand for digital devices for everyone, particularly for those with scarce resources, while preserving planetary limits. We have implemented and optimised a circular economy ecosystem that —through donation, refurbishment and traceability— delivers locally reused digital devices at a fair economic and environmental cost to citizens in need, providing satisfactory computing services and reducing the demand to manufacture new devices, which instead must be more durable. Following the sourcing of 10,000 computers, 1,000 have been successfully refurbished by local social enterprises and used by citizens in the city of Barcelona as a common good, herein we present an analysis of the achievements, limitations, and conditions of this model, which has already been replicated in other areas. It is feasible, and we also explore its scalability and sustainability in economic, social, and environmental contexts. We identify critical success factors, such as the roles of local public or private donors, social-support organisations, and ecosystem facilitators, in mediating among all actors involved. This work was partially funded by the Spanish government under contracts PID2019-106774RB-C21, and PCI2019-111851-2 (LeadingEdge Chist-era), the NGI-DLT4EU, NGI-Policy, NGI-Atlantic projects, Subtract (Interreg Europe), and the Waste Agency of the Catalonia. Many organisations and people have participated in the eReuse circuit and have contributed to improving the model: Pangea.org for supporting the eReuse project since its initial idea, the Centre of Cooperation for Development UPC, the City Councils of Barcelona, Sant Boi and Getafe, and the entities part of eReuse: Asociación Cultural La Kalle-Reutilizak, Solidança, Donalo.org, AndròminesAlencop, Fundación Esplai, Trinijove, TXT-UPC, Banc dels Aliments, Abacus, Sant Joan de Déu-Terres de l’Ebre, Punt de referència, among others.

The transition from traditional teaching to virtual teaching in public institutions of higher education (PIHE) is a process that began with the first computers in the 20th century, which has been accelerated by the Covid 19 pandemic, forcing the PIHE to adopt new virtual learning environments for which the traditional educational model was not designed at the University of San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC). The global characteristics of the Covid 19 pandemic have affected USAC, who had to adapt various methodologies with the support of ICT to continue the educational process. The implementation and use of these technologies evidenced a digital divide both in cognitive processes and in the use and access of digital tools. The study addressed the trends of use and access to technology in three case studies at the campus of USAC in Guatemala City: Architecture, Humanities and Economic Sciences, with a sample of 2,128 students, who responded through a Google form survey instrument, interviews and a forum, from February to may 2020. The results are that different socioeconomic levels affect the access and use of technology for the educational process, which is why it is necessary for PIHE to adopt policies and strategies that guarantee education.

Background: Digital devices and online social networks are changing clinical practice. In this study, we explored attitudes, awareness, opinions, and experiences of neurologists toward social media and digital devices. Methods: Each member of the Italian Society of Neurology (SIN) participated in an online survey (January to May 2018) to collect information on their attitude toward digital health. Results: Four hundred and five neurologists participated in the study. At work, 95% of responders use the personal computer, 87% the smartphone, and 43.5% the tablet. These devices are used to obtain health information (91%), maintain contact with colleagues (71%), provide clinical information (59%), and receive updates (67%). Most participants (56%) use social media to communicate with patients, although 65% are against a friendship with them on social media. Most participants interact with patients on social media outside working hours (65.2%) and think that social media have improved (38.0%) or greatly improved (25.4%) the relationship with patients. Most responders (66.7%) have no wearable devices available in clinical practice. Conclusion: Italian neurologists have different practices and views regarding the doctor-patient relationship in social media. The availability of digital devices in daily practice is limited. The use of social networks and digital devices will increasingly permeate into everyday life, bringing a new dimension to health care. The danger is that advancement will not go hand in hand with a legal and cultural adaptation, thus creating ambiguity and risks for clinicians and patients. Neurologists will need to be able to face the opportunities and challenges of this new scenario.

Profiled side-channel attacks represent a practical threat to digital devices, thereby having the potential to disrupt the foundation of e-commerce, the Internet of Things (IoT), and smart cities. In the profiled side-channel attack, the adversary gains knowledge about the target device by getting access to a cloned device. Though these two devices are different in real- world scenarios, yet, unfortunately, a large part of research works simplifies the setting by using only a single device for both profiling and attacking. There, the portability issue is conveniently ignored to ease the experimental procedure. In parallel to the above developments, machine learning techniques are used in recent literature, demonstrating excellent performance in profiled side-channel attacks. Again, unfortunately, the portability is neglected. In this paper, we consider realistic side-channel scenarios and commonly used machine learning techniques to evaluate the influence of portability on the efficacy of an attack. Our experimental results show that portability plays an important role and should not be disregarded as it contributes to a significant overestimate of the attack efficiency, which can easily be an order of magnitude size. After establishing the importance of portability, we propose a new model called the Multiple Device Model (MDM) that formally incorporates the device to device variation during a profiled side-channel attack. We show through experimental studies how machine learning and MDM significantly enhance the capacity for practical side-channel attacks. More precisely, we demonstrate how MDM can improve the performance of an attack by order of magnitude, completely negating the influence of portability. National Research Foundation (NRF) Published version This research is partly supported by the Singapore National Research Foundation under its National Cybersecurity R&D Grant (“Cyber-Hardware Forensics & Assurance Evaluation R&D Programme” grant NRF2018–NCR–NCR009–0001)

У статті проаналізовано вплив нових цифрових каналів комунікації на купівельну поведінку споживачів в онлайн-середовищі. Метою статті є дослідження переваг цифрових комунікаційних платформ для здійснення покупок в Інтернеті. Авторами визначено, що основними пристоями для онлайн-комунікації є смартфони, планшети, фаблети, лептопи, палмтопи та настільні комп'ютери. Детерміновану вибірку даних сформовано на основі результатів опитування 414 респондентів. Авторами систематизовано основні фактори, що впливають на вибір присторю для онлайн-комунікаці: гендер, вік, рівень освіти та частота покупок. Методологічним інструментарієм дослідження є непараметричні тести та регресійний аналіз з використанням порядкоих змінних. Емпіричні результати аналізу засвідчили, що Словаччина має відносно високий потенціал розвитку онлайн-торгівлі. Автороами наголошено на відсутності статистично значущого впливу гендерних відмінностей при виборі пристрою для онлайн-комікації. Так, визначено, що найбільш популярним пристроєм для здійснення онлайн-покупок серед чоловіків та жінок є лептоп. У статті доведено, що розвиток інноваційних технологій забезпечить зростання рівня популярності серед споживачів викорситання планшетів та мобільних пристроїв при здійсненні олнайн-покупок. Результати аналізу підтвердили гіпотезу, що споживачі покоління Х надають перевагу мобільним пристроям для здійснення покупок в Інтернеті. Результати дослідження мають практичне значення і можуть бути викорситанні бізнес-сектором при розробленні ефективної стратегії цифрового мракетингу. Авторами зазначено, що підприємства, які викорситовують у соїй діяльності цфрові канали комунікації зі споживачами мають більший рівень лояльності, а отже й можливості підвищення рівня прибутковості. У статті наголошено про необхідність подальших досліджень щодо визначення особливостей поведінки споживачів у онлай-середовищі. The paper deals with the investigation of the analysis that reveals the impact of digitalization as the development of new communication platforms, which are also changing the consumer’s purchasing behaviour in the online environment. The main goal of this research is to identify consumer preferences concerning the communication platforms of digital equipment for purchasing in the online environment. The study is focused primarily on smartphones, tablets, phablets, laptops, PDAs and desktops. The survey sample amounts to 414 respondents. The authors observed the differences in preferences on types of digital devices based on the sex, generations, the level of education of respondents and the frequency of the purchase. Methodological tools of this study are non-parametric tests and ordinal regression analysis. The analysis results stated that the most preferred device for the online purchase is the notebook as for males and so for females. Herewith, the authors did not find statistically significant gender differences. It is expected that the impact of innovation various changes in these preferences, especially in a change to use tablets and smartphones. The analysis has shown that people mostly purchase via the smartphone. Moreover, they are the customers with a higher frequency of purchases, and customers of generation X, which means that even the older consumers. The paper includes practical implications, particularly for business entities, for the reason that knowledge of the options leads to the right set of strategies and will follow the effective achievement of business aims. Businesses with the characteristics of an innovative and active entity have a much greater chance of becoming a prosperous company. These companies are able to respond flexibly to the values of those consumers who are using their digital devices. The ever-increasing global interest in digital shopping signals the urgent need to deepen knowledge of consumer behaviour.

Mobile digital devices are at the same time a tool for social interaction, an individual learning resource and can be a valuable contribution in the context of higher education to develop and promote new teaching and learning models. Recent studies show that both the more traditional pedagogical models of face-to-face teaching and distance teaching mediated by Virtual Learning Environments (VLE) can be enhanced by the use of these devices on and off campus. Likewise, the current context of Higher Education urges university institutions to promote a series of generic and specific competencies, where the use of these devices in a personal, academic and professional way acquires an outstanding value in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), and represents an enrichment of university educational practice. This paper presents a study of the didactic and social use made by Hispanic American university students in 10 universities in several areas in order to establish common and divergent patterns of use so that useful conclusions can be extrapolated to improve the educational context of Higher Education in the Hispanic world.

According to Central Statistical Bureau data of 2017 at least 46.8% of Latvian population are involved in educational activities. Such digital devices as computers (both desktop computers and laptop computers), tablets, smartphones, book readers, etc. and the internet directly or indirectly are used in both formal and non-formal education. Digital devices can be used in training or study process, or some part of it directly, as well as students or training participants may be assigned tasks to be performed with these devices – searching for information, reading and learning e-material, writing articles, etc. In addition to statistical data research, two e-polls were conducted for respondents who are computer users in different age groups. Respondents were asked about their habits in using the internet and digital devices, additional interest was about which of the digital tools are used and for what purposes these devices are used. All answers have been analysed. The survey results show that the responses provided by the participants of the sample group are very close to the whole population, both for the use of the Internet and digital devices. The results also show the purpose of using digital devices, especially in education, and which devices are most commonly used for each purpose. More than 90% of respondents use digital devices to get information. In order to participate successfully in e-learning and e-studies, users need both good e-skills and well-designed e-learning materials: high-quality content, comfortable, easy-to-understand and comprehensible text, suitable formatting parameters of text.

Background: Over the past decade, the use of digital tools has grown and research evidence suggests that traditional media and new media offer both benefits and health risks for young children. The abilities to understand and use language represent two of the most important competencies developed during the first 3 years of life through the interaction of the child with people, objects, events, and other environmental factors. The main goal of our study is to evaluate the relationship between digital devices use and language abilities in children between 8 and 36 month, also considering the influence of several factors. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study on digital devices use and language abilities in260 children (140 males = 54%) aged between 8 and 36 months (mean = 23.5 ± 7.18 months). All the parents completed a self-report questionnaire investigating the use of digital devices by their children, and a standardized questionnaire for the assessment of language skills (MacArthur-Bates). Linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the relation between different variables. Subsequent moderation analysis were performed to verify the influence of other factors. Results: We found a statistically significant negative relation between the total daily time of exposure to digital devices and the Actions and Gestures Quotient (ß = −0.397) in children between 8 and 17 months, and between the total daily time of exposure to digital devices and Lexical Quotient (ß = −0.224) in children between 18 and 36 months. Gender, level of education/job of parents, modality of use/content of digital device did not significantly affect the result of the regression analysis. Conclusion: In our study we found that a longer time of exposure to digital devices was related to lower mimic-gestural skills in children from 8–17 months and to lower language skills in children between 18 and 36 months, regardless of age, gender, socio-economic status, content, and modality of use. Further studies are needed to confirm and better understand this relation, but parents and pediatricians are advised to limit the use of digital devices by children and encourage the social interaction to support the learning of language and communication skills in this age group.

In recent years, various chaotic systems have been introduced in literature to be used in different branches of science. In the field of secure chaotic communication, more complex chaotic systems are proposed, such as high dimensional (4D, 5D), multi-scroll, surface equilibrium point, to enhance communication security level. In this study, a chaotic system owning logic element is used for increasing the level of security of chaotic communication system, which has not been previously implemented for this purpose in the literature. The used chaotic system includes signum functions, maximum function and absolute operation term. Also, there are analog devices and digital device in the electronic circuit of this chaotic system. These properties increase the complexity of the chaotic system and the security level. Sliding mode control method is preferred for the synchronization part of the secure communication. In this regard, numerical analysis and electronic circuit design of the secure chaotic communication system by using the chaotic system owning logic element have been performed successfully.

High-resolution vehicle headlamps represent a future-oriented technology that increases traffic safety and driving comfort in the dark. A further development to current matrix beam headlamps are LED-based pixellight systems which enable additional lighting functions (e.g. the projection of navigation information on the road) to be activated for given driving scenarios. The image generation is based on spatial light modulators (SLM) such as digital micromirror devices (DMD), liquid crystal displays (LCD), liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) devices or LED arrays. For DMD-, LCD- and LCoSbased headlamps, the optical system uses illumining optics to ensure a precise illumination of the corresponding SLM. LED arrays, however, have to use imaging optics to project the LED die onto an intermediate image plane and thus create the light distribution via an apposition of gapless juxtapositional LED die images. Nevertheless, the lambertian radiation characteristics complex the design of imaging optics regarding a highefficiency setup with maximum resolution and luminous flux. Simplifying the light source model and its emitting characteristics allows to determine a balanced setup between these parameters by using the Etendue and to ´ calculate the maximum possible efficacy and luminous flux for each technology in an early designing stage. Therefore, we present a calculation comparison of how simplifying the light source model can affect the Etendue ´ conservation and the setup design for two high-resolution technologies. The shown approach is evaluated and compared to simulation models to show the occurring deviation and its applicability.

Feedback from digital technology has often been used to support people in changing undesired, unhealthy habits. As yet, there has been little research into the efficacy of these designs. In my PhD project, I evaluated the acceptance, sustained use, and effect of four designs that provide feedback on undesired habitual behaviour through digital technology. Findings are that the disruptive effect of feedback on undesired habits has been proven, and there is some evidence that feedback may have a lasting effect on behavioural change. (Sustained) use of digital designs that provide feedback is moderated by motivation, age, goal-related aspects, and user experience. The necessity of high motivation to use a device poses challenges for the acceptance of and sustained engagement with designs for behaviour change that rely on feedback. Further challenges concern privacy and the quality of the evaluations of our designs.

We have developed a digital fast Fourier transform (FFT) spectrometer made of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The base instrument has independent ADC and FPGA modules, which allow us to implement different spectrometers in a relatively easy manner. Two types of spectrometers have been instrumented, one with 4.096 GS/s sampling speed and 2048 frequency channels and the other with 2.048 GS/s sampling speed and 32768 frequency channels. The signal processing in these spectrometers has no dead time and the accumulated spectra are recorded in external media every 8 ms. A direct sampling spectroscopy up to 8 GHz is achieved by a microwave track-and-hold circuit, which can reduce the analog receiver in front of the spectrometer. Highly stable spectroscopy with a wide dynamic range was demonstrated in a series of laboratory experiments and test observations of solar radio bursts., 20 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Earth, Planets and Space

Household energy accounts for one of the major contributors to the countries energy balances. It has been shown, that an effective way to achieve energy saving in that sector, is by providing consumers with information and feedback. This measure increases home inhabitants' awareness that leads to behavioral changes, and could help reduce energy consumption between 15% and 25% in some cases. Inhabitants' energy use awareness is also crucial for the success of demand response programs; one of the most important features of smart-grid adoption for the current and upcoming smart cities.The effects of different feedback strategies and information devices in households located in different cities in Sweden have been evaluated in this paper, since the impact on users' behavior of this feedback information vary depending on the way it is provided.Mobile text messages (SMSs) and digital displays placed in the building's common areas did not cause any noticeable behavioral changes, while the use of a TV channel and personal in-home displays were the most popular devices amongst households with high incomes.This paper concluded that even though feedback helped reduce domestic energy consumption and induce behavioral changes, it only reaches the consumers interested in it. It is important therefore to provide customized information to the consumer and select precise feedback tools for specific household groups. Special attention should be paid to increasing the energy consumption awareness in households with low income levels. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. The authors are thankful to the Swedish Energy Agency for the financial support to the research project “Energy in mind”. We also thank all the partners in the “Energy in mind” project: Sustainable Innovation, Logica, Riksbyggen, Göteborg Energi, Maingate, JM.

Competitive manufacturing companies have to effectively deal with the concurrent evolution of products, processes and production systems. This problem, known as Co-evolution, can be addressed only through the integrated use of different methodologies, provided that the digital tools implementing these methodologies can interoperate properly and effectively. This paper presents the concept of an integrated framework to support the interoperability between digital factory tools and shows how it can benefit the business processes along the whole factory life-cycle. © 2013 The Authors.

The continuous flow of technological developments in communications and electronic industries has led to the growing expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT). By leveraging the capabilities of smart networked devices and integrating them into existing industrial, leisure and communication applications, the IoT is expected to positively impact both economy and society, reducing the gap between the physical and digital worlds. Therefore, several efforts have been dedicated to the development of networking solutions addressing the diversity of challenges associated with such a vision. In this context, the integration of Information Centric Networking (ICN) concepts into the core of IoT is a research area gaining momentum and involving both research and industry actors. The massive amount of heterogeneous devices, as well as the data they produce, is a significant challenge for a wide-scale adoption of the IoT. In this paper we propose a service discovery mechanism, based on Named Data Networking (NDN), that leverages the use of a semantic matching mechanism for achieving a flexible discovery process. The development of appropriate service discovery mechanisms enriched with semantic capabilities for understanding and processing context information is a key feature for turning raw data into useful knowledge and ensuring the interoperability among different devices and applications. We assessed the performance of our solution through the implementation and deployment of a proof-of-concept prototype. Obtained results illustrate the potential of integrating semantic and ICN mechanisms to enable a flexible service discovery in IoT scenarios.

Circular economies are particularly relevant in the context of digital devices or electric and electronic equipment (EEE). Many digital devices built using scarce and potentially toxic materials have a too-short life, instead of being repaired or reused. In addition, informal recycling of electronics in the developed and developing world has emerged as a new global environmental concern. We describe the dimensions of the problem, the challenge to move to a circular economy, and the ecology for digital devices as well as how this depends on the traceability of devices and cooperation among all stakeholders locally and globally. Moreover we examine the need for support mechanisms to facilitate, standardise, and reduce the transaction cost of the processes and increase their added value. We present eReuse.org, a set of open-source tools, procedures, open data, and services organised as a common-pool resource (CPR) to reach the circular economy of electronics through promoting reuse and ensuring traceability until recycling. Further, eReuse.org envisions empowering and engaging people around the world to create local communities that bootstrap electronic reuse and to support the development of a globally recognised reuse quality and traceability standard.

Digital devices and computer software can assist children in improving their learning capabilities and comprehension skills. However most of these items are built without taking into consideration the effective needs and background of Arab children. We propose in this paper an Arabic-based mobile educational system that processes natural questions, extract pertinent answers from animal domain ontology, and illustrate pictures automatically. It combines the transformation of natural language questions into SPARQL queries and finds solutions for multi-phased based questions. In order to process questions, different phases are carried out which include extracting concepts from the Arabic questions, determining the pattern, extraction of word-to-word relationships, extracting knowledge from the ontology, and finding answers through direct or indirect linked data. The aim of our proposed system is to generate substantial pedagogic answers, for asked questions in the natural language, in a specific domain. Scopus

Reading on digital devices has become a widely debated issue in mass media and academia. The dawn and consolidation of digital technology have made possible new devices for reading. In the Internet era, reading is not just a matter of books and paper. This loss of exclusiveness has generated different anxieties in many intellectuals, researchers, journalists, editors, and publishers related to the printing environment. An analysis of such uneasiness can provide clues about the hidden interests and misunderstandings implied in their arguments. Revealing anxious claims about digital devices can enlighten us about the multiple factors and interests involved in the act of reading.

Polymer based diffractive optical elements have gained increasing interest due to their potential to be used in various applications such as illumination technology, micro optics and holography. We present a novel production process to fabricate polymer based diffractive optical elements and holograms. The process is based on maskless lithography, which is used to fabricate optical elements in photoresist. We discuss several lab-made lithography setups based on digital mirror devices and liquid crystal devices with respect to light efficiency, resolution and contrast. The whole optical setup is designed with an emphasis on low-cost setups, which can be easily implemented in an optical research lab. In a subsequent step, a copy of the microstructures is easily replicated into optical polymeric materials by means of a soft stamp hot embossing process step. The soft stamp is made from Polydimethylsiloxan, which is coated onto the microstructure in resist. The hot embossing process is carried out by a self-made and low-cost hot embossing machine. We present confocal topography measurements to quantify the replication accuracy of the process and demonstrate diffractive optical elements and holographic structures, which were fabricated using the process presented. © COPYRIGHT SPIE. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only. DFG/CRC/PlanOS German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF)/EFB ZN 500

Color quantization is the process of computing a color palette containing few best colors from a full color image and then associating to each pixel of the image, a color from the palette to yield a color quantized image that is close to the original image. It is of interest in applications such as digital display and image capture. To satisfy real time requirements, it is of vital importance to perform color quantization as fast as possible. This paper presents a novel architecture of a hardware unit for color quantization that is based on Kohonen's self-organizing map. The proposed architecture is of the SIMD type and results in a scheme with linear time complexity (in the size of the image). The architecture has been implemented in Xilinx FPGA and results show that the proposed design achieves high speed taking only a few milliseconds for color quantization of images up to size of 512 ? 512 with low area requirement. ? 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Over recent years there has been increasing usage of digital systems within cardiothoracic surgery to quantify air leaks and aid in clinical decision-making regarding the removal of chest drains postoperatively. The literature suggests improved agreement on timing of removal of chest drains and a reduced length of stay of patients. It could be that such devices could be useful tools for the clinician managing cases of pneumothorax. Methods This pilot study recruited adults admitted under the medical team with a pneumothorax requiring a chest drain. Participants had the underwater seal device changed for a digital device (Thopaz) which allowed continuous monitoring of the air leak. Drains were removed when either there was no ongoing air leak and the lung had expanded, or surgery was deemed necessary. Results Thirteen patients with pneumothorax (four primary, nine secondary) used the device during their admission including one patient treated in the community (the device has internal suction). Data were used to aid the clinician in management of the pneumothorax including the timing of surgery/ removal of drain and commencement of suction. Discussion Digital devices appear to be safe and effective and may prove to be a useful tool in the management of pneumothorax.

Digital devices and computer software have the prospect to help children with intellectual challenges (IC) in learning capabilities, profession growth, and self-consciousness living. However, most tools and existing software applications that these children utilize are prepared without observance of their particular deficiency. We conduct an Arabic ontology-based learning system that presents automatically illustrations to characterize the content of stories for children with IC in the state of Qatar. We utilize different mechanisms in order to produce these illustrations which comprise: Arabic natural language processing, animal domain-based ontology, word-to-word based relationship extraction, automatic online search-engine querying. The substantial purpose of our proposed system is to ameliorate children with IC the educational, comprehension, perception, and reasoning through the generated illustrations. qscience

For the first time, proposed and demonstrated is a simultaneous dual optical band coded access optical sensor (CAOS) camera design suited for extreme contrast multispectral bright target scenarios. Deploying a digital micromirror devices (DMDs)-based time-frequency agile pixels CAOS-mode within a two point detector spatially and spectrally isolating framework, this imager simultaneously and independently detects pixel selective image information for two different broad spectral bands that further undergo independent spectral image data extraction via finer-tuned wavelength filtering using all-optical or CAOS-mode electronic filters. A proof-of-concept visible-near infrared band CAOS imager is successfully demonstrated using a target scene containing LEDs and engaging narrowband optical filters. In addition, using the CAOS-mode, demonstrated is the RF domain simultaneous color content monitoring of a white light LED image pixel. Also proposed is the use of a higher bit count analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with both range and sampling duration parameter control along with a larger data set electronic DSP to extract higher DSP gain and realize additional noise suppression. Using a 16-bit ADC and 2,097,152 point fast Fourier transform (FFT) digital signal processing (DSP) for a 633 nm laser engaged test target scene that is subject to nearly 7 decades (10sup7/sup) of gradual optical attenuation, the experimental camera demonstrates an agile pixel extreme dynamic range of 136 dB, which is a 56 dB improvement over the previous CAOS-imaging demonstrations.

Decision making in the design and operation of advanced multi-stage manufacturing systems is more and more supported by digital manufacturing tools. In order to be effective in their scope, such tools have to be based on high-fidelity virtual representations of the real system. To achieve this goal, they are continuously fed with process and system data directly collected from the field. Once validated, these digital tools can be used to evaluate and generate alternative system improvement actions and optimized re-designs of the system, based on scenario analysis. Traditionally, manufacturing systems engineering methods suitable to this scope include analytical methods and simulation. While evaluating the performance of the system under a given configuration, they typically assume that machine reliability parameters (Mean Time to Failure and Mean Time to Repair) are precisely known. However, in practical situations, these parameters are either estimated from real life data or based on experts’ knowledge. In both cases, they are subject to estimate uncertainty. This paper investigates the risks and the potential performance losses due to design and operation decisions derived by neglecting machine reliability uncertainty in the digital manufacturing tools. The proposed method paves the way to the on-line adoption of digital models for manufacturing system continuous improvements.

An electronic device is reliable if it is available for use most of the times throughout its life. The reliability can be affected by mishandling and use under abnormal operating conditions. High quality product cannot be achieved without proper verification and testing during the product development cycle. If the design is difficult to test, then it is very likely that most of the faults will not be detected before it is shipped to the customer. This paper describes how product quality can be improved by making the hardware design testable. Various designs for testability techniqueswere discussed. A three bit counter circuit was used to illustrate the benefits of design for testability by using scan chain methodology.

Holography aims to record and regenerate volume filling light fields to reproduce ghost-like 3-D images that are optically indistinguishable from their physical 3-D originals. Digital holographic video displays are pixelated devices on which digital holograms can be written at video rates. Spatial light modulators (SLMs) are used for such purposes in practice; even though it is desirable to have SLMs that can modulate both the phase and amplitude of the incident light at each pixel, usually amplitude-only or phase-only SLMs are available. Many laboratories have reported working prototypes using different designs. Size and resolution of the SLMs are quite demanding for satisfactory 3-D reconstructions. Space–bandwidth product (SBP) seems like a good metric for quality analysis. Even though moderate SBP is satisfactory for a stationary observer with no lateral or rotational motion, the required SBP quickly increases when such motion is allowed. Multi-SLM designs, especially over curved surfaces, relieve high bandwidth requirements, and therefore, are strong candidates for futuristic holographic video displays. Holograms are quite robust to noise and quantization. It is demonstrated that either laser or light-emitting diode (LED) illumination is feasible. Current research momentum is increasing with many exciting and encouraging results. European Commission (EC)

In recent years, the merging of computing with physical things, enabled the transformation of everyday objects into information appliances. We propose to reuse the central principles of the modern Web architecture to fully integrate physical objects to the Web and build an interoperable Smart Home. We present an application framework that offers support for multiple home residents concurrently. We show that by using the Web as application layer we can build flexible applications on top of heterogeneous embedded devices with only a few lines of code, transforming home automation into a trivial task. We address many issues related to Web-enabling these devices, from their discovery and service description to the uniform interaction with them. Our evaluation efforts indicate that our framework offers acceptable performance and reliability. Copyright © 2011 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. 7 3 145 154 Cited By :40

In the next years, smart cards are going to become the main personal identification document in many nations. In particular, both Europe and United States are currently working to this aim. Therefore, tens of millions of smart cards, based on hardware devices provided by many different manufacturers, will be distributed all over the world, and used in particular to accomplish the security tasks of electronic authentication and electronic signature . In this context, the so called Common Criteria define the security requirements for digital signature devices. Unfortunately, these criteria do not address any interoperability issue between smart cards of different manufacturers, which usually implement digital signature process in still correct but slightly different ways. To face the interoperability problem, we realized a complete testing environment whose core is the Crypto Probing System ©Nestor Lab , an abstract interface to a generic cryptographic smart card, embedding a standard model of the correct card behavior, which can be used to test the digital signature process behavior, also in the presence of alternate or disturbed command sequences, in conjunction with automatic verification techniques such as model checking . The framework allows to verify abstract behavior models against real smart cards , so it can be used to automatically verify the Common Criteria as well as the extended interoperability criteria above and many other low-level constraints. In particular, in this paper we show how we can verify that the card, in the presence of a sequence of (partially) modified commands, rejects them without any side effect, remaining usable, or accepts them, generating a correct final result.

Date of Conference: 25-27 June 2007 Conference name: International Workshop on Content-Based Multimedia Indexing, 2007 The management and exchange of multimedia data is challenging due to the variety of formats, standards and intended applications. In addition, production of multimedia data is rapidly increasing due to the availability of off-the-shelf, modern digital devices that can be used by even inexperienced users. It is likely that this volume of information will only increase in the future. A key goal of the MUSCLE (Multimedia Understanding through Semantics, Computation and Learning) network is to develop tools, technologies and standards to facilitate the interoperability of multimedia content and support the exchange of such data. One approach for achieving this was the creation of a specific "E-Team", composed of the authors, to discuss core questions and practical issues based on the participant's individual work. In this paper, we present the relevant points of view with regards to sharing experiences and to extracting and integrating multimedia data and metadata from different modes (text, images, video). © 2007 IEEE.

Polymer-based holographic and diffractive optical elements have gained increasing interest due to their potential to be used in a broad range of applications, such as illumination technology, micro-optics, and holography. We present a production process to fabricate polymer-based diffractive optical elements and holograms. The process is based on maskless lithography, which is used to fabricate optical elements in photoresist. We discuss several lab-level lithography setups based on digital mirror devices and liquid crystal devices with respect to illumination efficiency, resolution, and contrast. The entire optical setup is designed with emphasis on low-cost components, which can be easily implemented in an optical research lab. In a first step, a copy of the microstructures is replicated into optical polymeric materials by means of a soft stamp hot embossing process. The soft stamp is made from polydimethylsiloxan, which is coated onto the microstructure in the photoresist. The hot embossing process is carried out by a self-made and low-cost hot embossing machine. We present confocal topography measurements to quantify the replication accuracy of the process and demonstrate diffractive optical elements and holographic structures, which were fabricated using the process presented. © 2015 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). DFG/CRC/PlanOS German Federation of Industrial Research Associations (AiF)/EFB ZN 500

A novel micro Digital Sun Sensor ( µDSS) is under development in the frame of a micro systems technology (MST) development program (Microned) from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. Use of available micro system technologies in combination with the implementation of a dedicated solarcell for power supply and a wireless link for data communication allows TNO TPD to develop a truly autonomous and wireless sun sensor. Such a "system in a package" is small enough to be flown on a microsatellite [4]. Although several technical challenges still exist, it seems feasible to build a sensor that will be at least one order of magnitude lower in weight as compared to the current generation sensors (

Digital speckle pattern interferometry (DSPI) and digital shearography (DS) are well known optical tools for qualitative as well as quantitative measurements of displacement components and its derivatives of engineering structures subjected either static or dynamic load. Spatial phase shifting (SPS) technique is useful for extracting quantitative displacement data from the system with only two frames. Optical configurations for DSPI and DS with a double aperture mask in front of the imaging lens for spatial phase shifting are proposed in this paper for the measurement of out-of-plane displacement and its first order derivative (slope) respectively. An error compensating four-phase step algorithm is used for quantitative fringe analysis. � 2006 Optical Society of America.

Industry 4.0, Internet of things and the field of Big Data, introduces challenges in terms of how to present and evaluate different types of data. An emerging field is how to use and incorporate new technology in industry in order to improve health, safety and enhance the human performance at working environment. One promising application is measuring physiological data combining it with work environment data to ensure a good working environment for the operator. A research project DIGitalized well-beINg (DIG IN) has the aim to show how operators’ well-being can be measured digitally and demonstrate how data can be used and presented in real-time. Four digital devices that measure physiological data (heart rhythm, EEG, activity, temperature) were tested in 13 lab experiments to examine how operators’ perceived the devices. As a further study the devices were tested during three types of activities (intuition, reasoning and physical load) and was evaluated using surveys. The evaluation included relevance of output data, industry applicability, real-time usage and general usability. Results show that the arousal and activity bracelets were best fitted and that individual experience is important.