scholarly journals Governing Blocks: Building Interagency Consensus to Coordinate Humanitarian Aid

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (02) ◽  
Author(s):  
Farah Awan ◽  
Soheib Nunhuck
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Humanitarian Aid ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Syrian Refugees ◽  
Food Purchases ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Assistance Programme ◽  
Food Shortages

The conflict in Syria has led to one of the biggest refugee crises in history. An estimated 660,000 Syrian refugees have moved to neighbouring Jordan, many of whom are highly vulnerable to monetary poverty and food shortages. To reduce the daily inequalities faced by Syrian refugees, humanitarian agencies are progressively shifting to programmes that encourage financial inclusion and self-reliance. Operating since 2016, Building Blocks, a cash-based assistance programme created by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), uses blockchain technology rather than traditional financial service providers to supply monetary assistance for food purchases by Syrian refugees in Jordan. Beneficiaries have their identities confirmed though iris scanning when purchasing goods at supermarkets within the camps. Following authentication, monetary assistance is provided to complete the transaction. This system benefits over 100,000 Syrian refugees registered on the UNHCR’s PRIMES database and WFP has plans to scale up the programme to include more beneficiaries. This technology assessment focuses on understanding the governance of blockchain technology in Building Blocks (if any), and on finding opportunities for WFP operating partner agencies consisting of UNHCR, UNICEF, UN Women, Oxfam and Mercy Corps, to coordinate with and join the programme. Scaling up Building Blocks will benefit refugees and displaced people by giving these individuals a semblance of normalcy in a situation of vulnerability and crises. We advise WFP to collaborate with its partners to form a blockchain humanitarian consortia governing Building Blocks to avoid duplicating efforts and to achieve their shared objectives of delivering humanitarian aid in a sustainable manner. Other recommendations include to have UNOCHA and UNHCR as data aggregator and coordinator, respectively, to grant joint access to PRIMES for non-UN operating partners, to coordinate efforts with UNHCR’s Common Cash Facility programme, to consider renewable energy sources and to build local technical capacity for women in refugee camps. The involvement of operating partners in governing technology used in such processes will ensure equity of aid delivery, resulting in a broader governance, thus reducing inequality.

Syrian-Lebanese food shortages will drive instability

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
World Bank ◽  
Humanitarian Aid ◽  
Syrian Refugees ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
The World Bank ◽  
The World ◽  
Food Shortages ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Eu

Significance While Lebanon is experiencing what the World Bank dubbed “the worst economic crisis in more than a century”, civil war-torn Syria has been hit by one of the most severe droughts of the past decade. An estimated 77% of Lebanese households do not have enough food, and almost all Syrians suffer from reduced availability. Impacts Neighbouring countries such as Jordan and Turkey will be the first affected by any new migration wave. The EU may also see more migration from the Levant as a result of food insecurity. The return of Syrian refugees from Lebanon could increase pressure on the humanitarian aid sector in Syria. Israel may more tightly secure its Lebanese and Syrian borders for fear of spillover from rising tensions.

scholarly journals Analysis of the Optimal Application of Blockchain-Based Smart Lockers in the Logistics Industry Based on FFD-SAGA and Grey Decision-Making

Symmetry ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 329
Author(s):  
Shen-Tsu Wang ◽  
Meng-Hua Li ◽  
Chun-Chi Lien
Keyword(s):  
Web Application ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Application Programming Interface ◽  
Fractional Factorial ◽  
Office Workers ◽  
Logistics Industry ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Multiple Attribute

Blockchain technology has been applied to logistics tracking, but it is not cost-effective. The development of smart lockers has solved the problem of repeated distribution to improve logistics efficiency, thereby becoming a solution with convenience and privacy compared to the in-store purchase and pickup alternative. This study prioritized the key factors of smart lockers using a simulated annealing–genetic algorithm by fractional factorial design (FFD-SAGA) and grey relational analysis, and investigated the main users of smart lockers by grey multiple attribute decision analysis. The results show that the Web application programming interface (API) concatenation and money flow provider are the key success factors of smart lockers, and office workers are the main users of the lockers. Hence, how to better meet the needs of office workers will be an issue of concern for service providers.

scholarly journals Scaling Up Information Sharing on HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder: Raising Awareness and Knowledge Among Key Stakeholders

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 215824402110168
Author(s):  
Renato M. Liboro ◽  
Paul A. Shuper ◽  
Lori E. Ross
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Neurocognitive Disorder ◽  
Public Health Informatics ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Hiv Associated Neurocognitive Disorder ◽  
Hiv Aids

Although the majority of specialists and researchers in the field of HIV/AIDS are aware and knowledgeable about HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) as a condition that affects as much as 50% of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH), research has documented that many health care and service providers who work directly with PLWH are either unaware of HAND or believe they do not know enough information about HAND to effectively support their clients experiencing neurocognitive challenges. Based on the findings of a qualitative study that interviewed 33 health care and service providers in HIV/AIDS services to identify and examine their awareness and knowledge on HAND, this article argues for utilizing a combination of Public Health Informatics principles; communication techniques, propagation strategies, and recognized approaches from Implementation and Dissemination Science; and social media and online discussion platforms, in addition to traditional Knowledge Mobilization strategies, to scale up information sharing on HAND among all relevant stakeholders. Increasing information sharing among stakeholders would be an important step to raising awareness and knowledge on HAND, and consequently, improving care, services, and support for PLWH and neurocognitive issues.

scholarly journals An Incentive-based Mechanism for Volunteer Computing Using Blockchain

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Ismaeel Al Ridhawi ◽  
Moayad Aloqaily ◽  
Yaser Jararweh
Keyword(s):  
Resource Sharing ◽  
Secure Communication ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Volunteer Computing ◽  
Resource Usage ◽  
Content Filtering ◽  
Computing Device ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Smart Agriculture ◽  
Industrial Solutions

The rise of fast communication media both at the core and at the edge has resulted in unprecedented numbers of sophisticated and intelligent wireless IoT devices. Tactile Internet has enabled the interaction between humans and machines within their environment to achieve revolutionized solutions both on the move and in real-time. Many applications such as intelligent autonomous self-driving, smart agriculture and industrial solutions, and self-learning multimedia content filtering and sharing have become attainable through cooperative, distributed, and decentralized systems, namely, volunteer computing. This article introduces a blockchain-enabled resource sharing and service composition solution through volunteer computing. Device resource, computing, and intelligence capabilities are advertised in the environment to be made discoverable and available for sharing with the aid of blockchain technology. Incentives in the form of on-demand service availability are given to resource and service providers to ensure fair and balanced cooperative resource usage. Blockchains are formed whenever a service request is initiated with the aid of fog and mobile edge computing (MEC) devices to ensure secure communication and service delivery for the participants. Using both volunteer computing techniques and tactile internet architectures, we devise a fast and reliable service provisioning framework that relies on a reinforcement learning technique. Simulation results show that the proposed solution can achieve high reward distribution, increased number of blockchain formations, reduced delays, and balanced resource usage among participants, under the premise of high IoT device availability.

scholarly journals Emergence of blockchain-technology application in peer-to-peer electrical-energy trading: a review

Clean Energy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-123
Author(s):  
Manish Kumar Thukral
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Energy Sector ◽  
Peer To Peer ◽  
Renewable Energy Resources ◽  
Energy Trading ◽  
Technology Application ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
The Common

Abstract Renewable-energy resources require overwhelming adoption by the common masses for safeguarding the environment from pollution. In this context, the prosumer is an important emerging concept. A prosumer in simple terms is the one who consumes as well as produces electricity and sells it either to the grid or to a neighbour. In the present scenario, peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading is gaining momentum as a new vista of research that is viewed as a possible way for prosumers to sell energy to neighbours. Enabling P2P energy trading is the only method of making renewable-energy sources popular among the common masses. For making P2P energy trading successful, blockchain technology is sparking considerable interest among researchers. Combined with smart contracts, a blockchain provides secure tamper-proof records of transactions that are recorded in distributed ledgers that are immutable. This paper explores, using a thorough review of recently published research work, how the existing power sector is reshaping in the direction of P2P energy trading with the application of blockchain technology. Various challenges that are being faced by researchers in the implementation of blockchain technology in the energy sector are discussed. Further, this paper presents different start-ups that have emerged in the energy-sector domain that are using blockchain technology. To give insight into the application of blockchain technology in the energy sector, a case of the application of blockchain technology in P2P trading in electrical-vehicle charging is discussed. At the end, some possible areas of research in the application of blockchain technology in the energy sector are discussed.

scholarly journals Barriers for kangaroo mother care (KMC) acceptance, and practices in southern Ethiopia: a model for scaling up uptake and adherence using qualitative study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Selamawit Mengesha Bilal ◽  
Henok Tadele ◽  
Teshome Abuka Abebo ◽  
Birkneh Tilahun Tadesse ◽  
Mekonnen Muleta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Study ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Formative Research ◽  
Kangaroo Mother Care ◽  
Southern Ethiopia ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Structural Factors ◽  
Implementation Model ◽  
Health Service Providers

Abstract Background Globally, approximately 15 million babies are born preterm every year. Complications of prematurity are the leading cause of under-five mortality. There is overwhelming evidence from low, middle, and high-income countries supporting kangaroo mother care (KMC) as an effective strategy to prevent mortality in both preterm and low birth weight (LBW) babies. However, implementation and scale-up of KMC remains a challenge, especially in lowincome countries such as Ethiopia. This formative research study, part of a broader KMC implementation project in Southern Ethiopia, aimed to identify the barriers to KMC implementation and to devise a refined model to deliver KMC across the facility to community continuum. Methods A formative research study was conducted in Southern Ethiopia using a qualitative explorative approach that involved both health service providers and community members. Twenty-fourin-depth interviewsand 14 focus group discussions were carried out with 144study participants. The study applied a grounded theory approach to identify,examine, analyse and extract emerging themes, and subsequently develop a model for KMC implementation. Results Barriers to KMC practice included gaps in KMC knowledge, attitude and practices among parents of preterm and LBW babies;socioeconomic, cultural and structural factors; thecommunity’s beliefs and valueswith respect to preterm and LBW babies;health professionals’ acceptance of KMC as well as their motivation to implement practices; and shortage of supplies in health facilities. Conclusions Our study suggests a comprehensive approach with systematic interventions and support at maternal, family, community, facility and health care provider levels. We propose an implementation model that addresses this community to facility continuum.

scholarly journals Towards Secure Network Computing Services for Lightweight Clients Using Blockchain

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Xu ◽  
Guojun Wang ◽  
Jidian Yang ◽  
Ju Ren ◽  
Yaoxue Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Security Analysis ◽  
Service Provisioning ◽  
Network Computing ◽  
Security Risks ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Computing Services ◽  
Viable Solution ◽  
Secure Network ◽  
Iot Devices

The emerging network computing technologies have significantly extended the abilities of the resource-constrained IoT devices through the network-based service sharing techniques. However, such a flexible and scalable service provisioning paradigm brings increased security risks to terminals due to the untrustworthy exogenous service codes loading from the open network. Many existing security approaches are unsuitable for IoT environments due to the high difficulty of maintenance or the dependencies upon extra resources like specific hardware. Fortunately, the rise of blockchain technology has facilitated the development of service sharing methods and, at the same time, it appears a viable solution to numerous security problems. In this paper, we propose a novel blockchain-based secure service provisioning mechanism for protecting lightweight clients from insecure services in network computing scenarios. We introduce the blockchain to maintain all the validity states of the off-chain services and edge service providers for the IoT terminals to help them get rid of untrusted or discarded services through provider identification and service verification. In addition, we take advantage of smart contracts which can be triggered by the lightweight clients to help them check the validities of service providers and service codes according to the on-chain transactions, thereby reducing the direct overhead on the IoT devices. Moreover, the adoptions of the consortium blockchain and the proof of authority consensus mechanism also help to achieve a high throughput. The theoretical security analysis and evaluation results show that our approach helps the lightweight clients get rid of untrusted edge service providers and insecure services effectively with acceptable latency and affordable costs.

scholarly journals Energy Production from Biogas: Competitiveness and Support Instruments in Latvia

2016 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 43-53
Author(s):  
G. Klāvs ◽  
A. Kundziņa ◽  
I. Kudrenickis
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Distribution Network ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Gas Distribution ◽  
Ex Post ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Use of renewable energy sources (RES) might be one of the key factors for the triple win-win: improving energy supply security, promoting local economic development, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The authors ex-post evaluate the impact of two main support instruments applied in 2010-2014 – the investment support (IS) and the feed-in tariff (FIT) – on the economic viability of small scale (up to 2MWel) biogas unit. The results indicate that the electricity production cost in biogas utility roughly corresponds to the historical FIT regarding electricity production using RES. However, if in addition to the FIT the IS is provided, the analysis shows that the practice of combining both the above-mentioned instruments is not optimal because too high total support (overcompensation) is provided for a biogas utility developer. In a long-term perspective, the latter gives wrong signals for investments in new technologies and also creates unequal competition in the RES electricity market. To provide optimal biogas utilisation, it is necessary to consider several options. Both on-site production of electricity and upgrading to biomethane for use in a low pressure gas distribution network are simulated by the cost estimation model. The authors’ estimates show that upgrading for use in a gas distribution network should be particularly considered taking into account the already existing infrastructure and technologies. This option requires lower support compared to support for electricity production in small-scale biogas utilities.

scholarly journals ElasticWISP: Energy-Proportional WISP Backhaul Networks

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Duncan Cameron
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Traffic Engineering ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Flow State ◽  
Wireless Internet ◽  
Internet Service ◽  
Wireless Backhaul ◽  
Backhaul Networks

<p>The provision of rural broadband infrastructure is a challenge for network operators across the globe, irrespective of their size. Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) have shown that the small-scale deployment of wireless broadband infrastructure is a viable alternative to relying on cellular network providers for remote coverage. However, WISPs must often resort to using off-grid renewable energy sources such as solar energy for powering network sites, often resulting in undesirable, low-performance backhaul radios being used between sites out of concern for excessive energy consumption.  The challenges of managing performant wireless backhaul networks in respect to energy constraints at remote, off-grid sites informs the need for energy-proportional design. Backhaul radios typically used by WISPs are not energy-proportional, meaning they use a consistent amount of energy, irrespective of wireless link utilisation. Using data from a real WISP network, diurnal traffic patterns show that WISP networks could benefit from energy-proportional design, without having to sacrifice performance.  To encourage the development of high-performance, energy-proportional WISP backhaul networks, ElasticWISP, an optimisation architecture that reduces network-wide backhaul energy consumption while satisfying the user-demand for traffic, is introduced. ElasticWISP dynamically controls the configuration of backhaul radios based on bandwidth demands and the network-wide energy consumption of these radios. Through simulations driven by real WISP topology and data traffic, results show that ElasticWISP can offer energy savings of approximately 65% when WISP operators follow the proposed backhaul design methodology.  Finally, a lightweight Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)-based traffic engineering scheme, based on Segment Routing, is proposed. The implementation, named Segment Routing over MPLS (SR-MPLS), keeps traffic engineering path-state within each packet, meaning per-flow state is only held at SR-MPLS ingress routers. The lightweight approach of SR-MPLS also eliminates the otherwise necessary network-wide label flooding of traditional Segment Routing, making it ideal for bandwidth-sensitive wireless backhaul networks. Evaluation of SR-MPLS shows that it can perform as well as – and sometimes better than – competitor schemes.</p>

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