scholarly journals Study of a Context Quality Model for UbiPri Middleware

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diandre de Paula ◽  
Daniel Saraiva ◽  
Romeiro Natália ◽  
Nuno Garcia ◽  
Valderi Leithardt

With the growth of ubiquitous computing, context-aware computing-based applications are increasingly emerging, and these applications demonstrate the impact that context has on the adaptation process. From the context, it will be possible to adapt the application according to the requirements and needs of its users. Therefore, the quality of the context information must be guaranteed so that the application does not have an incorrect or unexpected adaptation process. But like any given data, there is the possibility of inaccuracy and/or uncertainty and so Quality of Context (QoC) plays a key role in ensuring the quality of context information and optimizing the adaptation process. To guarantee the Quality of Context it is necessary to study a quality model to be created, which will have the important function of evaluating the context information. Thus, it is necessary to ensure that the parameters and quality indicators to be used and evaluated are the most appropriate for a given type of application. This paper aims to study a context quality model for the UbiPri middleware, defining its quality indicators to ensure its proper functioning in the process of adaptation in granting access to ubiquitous environments. Keywords: QoC, Model, Context-Aware, Data, Privacy

Author(s):  
José Bringel Filho ◽  
Nazim Agoulmine

Ubiquitous Health (U-Health) smart homes are intelligent spaces capable of observing and correctly recognizing the activities and health statuses of their inhabitants (context) to provide the appropriate support to achieve an overall sense of health and well-being in their inhabitants’ daily lives. With the intrinsic heterogeneity and large number of sources of context information, aggregating and reasoning on low-quality raw sensed data may result in conflicting and erroneous evaluations of situations, affecting directly the reliability of the U-Health systems. In this environment, the evaluation and verification of Quality of Context (QoC) information plays a central role in improving the consistency and correctness of context-aware U-Health applications. Therefore, the objective of this chapter is to highlight the impact of QoC on the correct behavior of U-Health systems, and introduce and analyze the existing approaches of modeling, evaluating, and using QoC to improve its context-aware decision-making support.


2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atif Manzoor ◽  
Hong-Linh Truong ◽  
Schahram Dustdar

AbstractLimitations of sensors and the situation of a specific measurement can affect the quality of context information that is implicitly collected in pervasive environments. The lack of information about Quality of Context (QoC) can result in degraded performance of context-aware systems in pervasive environments, without knowing the actual problem. Context-aware systems can take advantage of QoC if context producers also provide QoC metrics along with context information. In this paper, we analyze QoC and present our model for processing QoC metrics. We evaluate QoC metrics considering the capabilities of sensors, circumstances of specific measurement, requirements of context consumer, and the situation of the use of context information. We also illustrate how QoC metrics can facilitate in enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of different tasks performed by a system to provide context information in pervasive environments.


Author(s):  
Felipe Becker Nunes ◽  
Fabricio Herpich ◽  
Gleizer Bierhalz Voss ◽  
Roseclea Duarte Medina

U-Learning environments collects context information relative to user's preferences and needs, but this information is typically very volatile. For this reason, Quality of Context is aimed at treating this information by applying quality parameters. This chapter aims to help the reader understand how the quality of context information can be treated in U-Learning environments, which are the main theoretical bases, technologies that support them and what are the methods, advantages and disadvantages related to this approach. In addition, specific cases of development and application of technologies and strategies involving Quality of Context are presented to illustrate all the concepts described. The results of usability testing related to the SUS questionnaire showed that the developed environment described in the case of study operated satisfactorily, based on the assessments made by the group of users who tested the modules and their operation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 809-820
Author(s):  
Sandra Leggat ◽  
Cathy Balding

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between frequent turnover (churn) of the chief executive officer (CEO), quality manager and members of the governing board with the management of quality in eight Australian hospitals. Design/methodology/approach A mixed method three-year longitudinal study was conducted using validated quality system scales, quality indicators and focus groups involving over 800 board members, managers and clinical staff. Findings There were unexpected high levels of both governance and management churn over the three years. Churn among CEOs and quality managers was negatively associated with compliance in aspects of the quality system used to plan, monitor and improve quality of care. There was no relationship with the quality of care indicators. Staff identified lack of vision and changing priorities with high levels of churn, which they described as confusing and demotivating. There was no relationship with quality processes or quality indicators detected for churn among governing board members. Practical implications Governing boards must recognise the risks associated with management change and minimise these risks with robust clinical governance processes. Originality/value This research is the first that we are aware of that identifies the impact of frequent leadership turnover in the health sector on quality management.


Endoscopy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (09) ◽  
pp. 871-877
Author(s):  
Øyvind Holme ◽  
Ina Pedersen ◽  
Asle Medhus ◽  
Lars Aabakken ◽  
Tom Glomsaker ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Colonoscopy performance varies between endoscopists, but little is known about the impact of endoscopy assistants on key performance indicators. We used a large prospective colonoscopy quality database to perform an exploratory study to evaluate differences in selected quality indicators between endoscopy assistants. Methods All colonoscopies reported to the Norwegian colonoscopy quality assurance register Gastronet can be used to trace individual endoscopy assistants. We analyzed key quality indicators (cecum intubation rate, polyp detection rate, colonoscopies rated as severely painful, colonoscopies with sedation or analgesia, and satisfaction with information) for colonoscopies performed between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2014. Differences between individual assistants were analyzed by fitting multivariable logistic regression models, with the best performing assistant at each participating hospital as reference. All models were adjusted for the endoscopist. Results 63 endoscopy assistants from 12 hospitals assisted in 15 365 colonoscopies. Compared with their top performing peers from the same hospital, one assistant was associated with cecum intubation failure, four with poor polyp detection, nine with painful colonoscopy, 16 with administration of sedation or analgesics during colonoscopy, and three with patient dissatisfaction about information given relating to the colonoscopy. The number of procedures during the study period or lifetime experience as an endoscopy assistant were not associated with any quality indicator. Conclusion In this exploratory study, there was little variation on important colonoscopy quality indicators between endoscopy assistants. However, there were differences among assistants that may be clinically important. Endoscopy assistants should be subject to quality surveillance similarly to endoscopists.


1990 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 69-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Müller ◽  
V. Kirchesch

The construction of two or three impounding dams in the remaining freely flowing reach (73 km) of the Danube is under discussion. The purpose of these impoundments is to guarantee a minimum navigable depth of 3 m needed for modern cargo ships and to produce electric power. The impact of these developments is discussed on the basis of experience with similar impoundments further upstream and of the results from water quality model calculations. The mathematical model used is of the deterministic type, calculating the growth of slowly-growing organisms (nitrifying bacteria, algae and zooplanktons) according to MONOD and MICHAELIS-MENTEN. Compared with impoundments on other German rivers or the Iron Gate impoundments on the Danube, the effect of the impoundments under discussion on water quality parameters is likely to be fairly small, reflecting the slight changes in morphology which would be necessary for attaining the water depth required. Therefore, the more important effects of these developments would be the changes in the ecologic situation at the river bed and near the banks of the river.


2020 ◽  
pp. 38-43
Author(s):  
K. G. Pivovarova ◽  
◽  
A. G. Korchunov ◽  

Production of metalware is characterized with a great variety of shapes and sizes, originality of each product and a multiple-stage process. Various techniques used to process steel sections (such as cold and hot forming, machining, heat treatment, etc.) make it significantly more difficult to tackle product quality problems. Modern product quality management methodologies are based on a wide use of economical, organizational, technical and other methods. This paper describes a production-related quality control method involving certain elements of robust design. This method is based on the definition of noise factors and control parameters, as well as the conduction of noise and principal experiments. The noise experiment will help estimate the impact of disturbing factors (environmental or industrial) on product quality indicators, whereas the principal experiment will help identify the optimum production mode that can deliver the best quality and, at the same time, minimize the production losses. Robust design techniques can be effectively utilized to control the quality of metalware when developing new and optimizing the existing processes. The paper gives an example of how the quality of S10S steel bars can be controlled through the application of efficient production modes enabling to minimize quality-related costs.


2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (7_suppl) ◽  
pp. 109-109
Author(s):  
Andrea Eisen ◽  
Jasmin Soobrian ◽  
Ashley Tyrrell ◽  
Clement Li ◽  
Derek Muradali ◽  
...  

109 Background: Disease Pathway Management (DPM) is used by Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) to set priorities for cancer control, plan cancer services, and improve the quality of care in Ontario by promoting standardization. The DPM approach applies a framework to examine the performance of the entire system from prevention to end of life care, and to identify any gaps within the system. In 2014, DPM began its breast cancer pathway initiative by mapping the patient journey, depicting evidence-based best practice along the breast cancer care continuum, identifying where further guidance is needed for clinical decision making, and identifying gaps in quality of care and performance measurement indicators. Objective: To evaluate the impact of DPM on quality assessment of breast cancer care in Ontario. Methods: DPM convened a multidisciplinary breast cancer working group (WG) of 40 experts from across Ontario. The WG held 12 meetings and used guidelines developed by CCO’s Program in Evidence Based Care (or other sources as needed) to generate pathways for the prevention, screening and diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care for breast cancer. The pathways were used as a framework to review the existing inventory of provincial breast cancer quality indicators, and to identify areas where evidence based guidance is needed. The pathways were subjected to an extensive review process before publication. Results: The expert WG identified 28 priority areas, including opportunities to develop guidance in areas where it is lacking (e.g. role of perioperative breast MRI; indications for contralateral prophylactic mastectomy) and system barriers that may hinder optimal care (e.g. biomarker assessment). The WG also used the pathways as a framework for evaluating performance measurement indicators by mapping 48 existing quality indicators for breast cancer to the pathway. Conclusions: The CCO DPM Breast Cancer pathways facilitated a province-wide, multidisciplinary process to promote quality standards, to identify gaps and overlaps in performance and quality measurement, and to recommend additional indicators more relevant to the quality of breast cancer care in Ontario.


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