Design for Variation

Despite their promises, digital innovations have scarcely translated to technologies used in routine clinical practice, making the identification of barriers to successful implementation a research priority. Low levels of transdisciplinary skills represent such a barrier but so far, this has not been evaluated and compared between information technology (IT) and health care specialists. In this study, we evaluated the level of digital health literacy among IT and health care specialists. An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to staff at a breast cancer unit and an IT department of two German universities in December 2020. The survey questionnaire consisted of the previously validated eHealth Literacy Assessment Toolkit and additional questions with respect to age, profession, and career stage. Mann-Whitney or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests and two-sample chi-square tests were used for the analysis. The survey was completed by 113 individuals: 70 (61.9%) IT specialists and 43 (38.1%) health care specialists. Health care specialists scored significantly higher on the health-related scales and IT specialists scored significantly higher on the digitally related scales. No single participant identified themselves to have the highest level of literacy on all survey questions (n = 0 of 113; 0%). Only one person (n = 1 of 113; 0.9%) consistently reported a high or the highest level of literacy. Although IT and health care specialists showed great literacy in their respective disciplines, only few individuals combined both digital and health care literacy. Multidisciplinary teams and transdisciplinary curricula are crucial to bridge skill gaps between disciplines and to drive the implementation of digital health initiatives.

The aim of this study was to design and evaluate a smartphone-based application for improving self-management in patients with asthma and evaluate its effects on their knowledge. In this applied research, based on the Clinical Practice Guideline and a systematic review, a questionnaire was designed to determine the application information content and functionality requirements by 15 pediatric and adult asthma and allergy specialist. Then the application was designed and developed using Adobe Air software on the Android operating system. Usability evaluation of the mobile application was performed using the standard questionnaire for user interaction satisfaction (QUIS), which completed by 30 patients with asthma, 8 information technology (IT) specialists, and 2 asthma and allergy specialists. Self-management knowledge of 30 asthma patients was measured using a researcher-made questionnaire before and after using the application. The number of specialists in the both Delphi rounds was 15 and the mean work experiences were 17.6 years. The most important elements for asthma self-management were avoiding exposure to allergen and triggers (96%), drug treatment (94.6%), and how to use the therapeutic tools (92.4%), and the most important functionalities were alerting the patients when they did not control asthma (92%), setting reminders for timely drug use (85.4%) and therapeutic tools (82.6%), recording prescription drugs (82.6%), and peak flow meter values (82%). Usability evaluation showed that 30 patients with asthma, 8 IT specialists, and 2 physicians evaluated the application at a "good" level. The mean score of the patients' knowledge before intervention was 2.43 ± 0.95 which after intervention was significantly increased to 4.3 ± 0.56 (p < 0.001). Considering the desirable outcomes of application evaluation and a positive impact of this educational intervention on asthma patients' knowledge, it is possible to use mobile-based self-management programs to help these patients to manage illness and gain knowledge and self-management skills.

Temperature control of vibrating heat-generating hardware using spray evaporative cooling in the nucleate boiling region

The purpose of this research is to establish the preconditions for the effective use of distance education elements to provide high-quality educational services for the development of general and specific professional competencies among future specialists in information technologies. In this article, various methods of scientific research are used; however, the main one is the statistical method of processing quantitative data obtained with an anonymous questionnaire survey of 85 applicants of higher education studying the “information systems and technologies” speciality in the Western region of Ukraine. The reliability of the obtained results has been checked by applying the regression analysis method. The study demonstrated that incorporating elements of the distance education process organization is a practical approach for ensuring the quality of education by fostering the development of appropriate general and professional competencies in future information technology specialists. The share of these elements can be 30–60 % of the educational time and depends on various aspects of the training. One of the main aspects that affects the value of this indicator during the training of information technology specialists is the affiliation of individual educational components to scientific areas: humanitarian or physical and mathematical. The obtained results provide a basis for further research on the influence of specific aspects of the organization of the distance educational process. The results of this study fill a gap in the current literature, providing empirical data for further research into the application of remote education organizational elements to ensure the quality of education during the training of specialists in various fields of knowledge. Keywords: higher education; quality of education; mixed (hybrid) learning; information technology; educational competences; elements of distance learning.

Contexto: O crescimento da Tecnologia da Informação (TI) gera impactos ambientais. Benefícios de práticas de TI Verde. Diminuição de impactos ambientais. TI Verde no planejamento estratégico. Objetivo: Mapear a percepção de especialistas, coordenadores e gestores de TI quanto às práticas de TI verde nas organizações e o seu posicionamento estratégico. Desenho/Metodologia/Abordagem: Foi realizada uma revisão da literatura que fundamentou uma pesquisa de campo aplicada a 97 gestores e especialistas de TI de organizações, a maioria do estado do Rio de Janeiro e São Paulo, dos mais variados ramos de negócios, no período de dezembro/2018 a janeiro/2019. Os dados foram analisados através de estatística descritiva e de quatro cruzamentos dos resultados sobre práticas de TI Verde, planejamento estratégico e metas ambientais. Resultados: Observou-se que menos da metade das organizações não tratam a TI Verde como um item estratégico, não a incluindo em seu planejamento estratégico, em sua política ambiental, e não criando metas ambientais. Implicações práticas: Espera-se que esta pesquisa contribua, demonstrando a importância de reduzir os impactos ambientais, os benefícios das práticas de TI Verde, além de oferecer novas soluções às organizações. Originalidade/valor: A TI Verde não é tratada de maneira estratégica, o que causa um contraponto: a TI é uma área imprescindível para o negócio e geradora de vantagem competitiva, porém não tem os seus impactos ambientais tratados estrategicamente.

УДОСКОНАЛЕННЯ НОРМАТИВНО-ПРАВОВОГО ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ПІДГОТОВКИ ФАХІВЦІВ ІТ-ПІДРОЗДІЛІВ ОРГАНІВ ДЕРЖАВНОЇ ВЛАДИ УКРАЇНИ

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify the business strategies that entrepreneurs have formulated to establish the business with the intention of scaling up in the information technology (IT) sector in Chile, given that they have managed to scale up sustainably at an average annual rate of 73.3% and an average annual employee growth rate of 37% for four consecutive years after an establishment period of 25 months.Design/methodology/approachThree methodological steps were used to identify which strategic initiatives are relevant to the establishment of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on the path to scaling up. The first part consisted of identifying the literature and defining the research propositions and research questions. The second part was to prepare, collect and analyse the data to conduct the research by applying, transcribing, reviewing and coding the sources of evidence to explore how SMEs are able to develop strategic initiatives for the start-up process. The final stage was to validate the research proposal to identify potential strategic initiatives identified during the multi-case study.FindingsAs a result of the data analysis and empirical findings, three deliberate strategic initiatives were identified: staying engaged with customers, delivering successful business solutions and articulating social capital. However, in crisis situations, entrepreneurs readjust their strategies based on their management skills and an emergent strategic initiative was identified as securing the financial structure and revolutionising change. While this research was not designed to identify personal attributes, it did highlight the importance of adaptation and learning as a skill to drive the business model for scaling up during the establishment of their business.Research limitations/implicationsIt is clear that the study focused on Chile and cannot be replicated in other regions or sectors due to the characteristics of the sample itself, but it provides empirical evidence that there are cycles prior to scale up that need to be understood. The findings were empirically validated during the establishment phase, but the deliberate and emergent strategic initiatives that consolidated the SME to prepare for its scale-up process are not evident in the theory.Practical implicationsThe IT sector will continue to grow and change after the pandemic, and the global economy will use more digital systems, creating new ways of working with the use of IT. This context will impact on SMEs where strategies, whether deliberate or emergent, will need to be part of the new business models, and therefore, caution should be exercised when using the results of this study. Public and private institutions should educate and guide entrepreneurs for the potential scaling up of their SMEs without having to wait 42 months, according to Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2021-2022 (Hill et al., 2022). Scaling up can begin as early as 25 months after establishment, breaking the paradigm of the theory that the SME must be established in a period of 3.5 years. This period cannot be generalised as business opportunities in the IT sector are faster. The research also contributes by reporting that contingency planning is relevant during the establishment phase.Social implicationsEducational institutions and the public sector have made efforts to change business cultures regarding the importance of strengthening entrepreneurship, but teaching the emergent strategies that often challenge SME creation is not yet widespread in educational formats. This is a challenge not only for institutions but also for entrepreneurs trying to anticipate the constant changes in the global economy. This research provides an opportunity to create more dynamic business models with more conscious risk planning.Originality/valueAlthough the literature has confirmed the findings, this research has provided a pre-scaling picture that links these two important stages on the axis of deliberate and emergent strategies. The findings confirm the importance of correctly embedding five strategic initiatives for the establishment of the SME if it is to continue on its journey towards business scale-up. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence in emerging economies on how entrepreneurs have found the right path to scale-up.

This paper focuses on the implementation of accounting information systems (AIS) and information technology (IT) in the sustainability of developed economic units. The objectives of this study are to characterize economic units, study the application of AIS, explain the effectiveness of AIS and IT on economic units, and investigate the role of IT specialists. To achieve these objectives, a comprehensive analysis is conducted to understand the nature, structure, and operations of developed economic units. The study explores how AIS are implemented and utilized within these units, examining the processes, procedures, and technologies involved in collecting, storing, processing, and reporting financial and non-financial data. Additionally, the impact and effectiveness of AIS and IT on the overall performance and sustainability of economic units are assessed, highlighting the benefits and challenges associated with their adoption and integration. The results obtained demonstrate the positive impact of effective AIS and IT implementation on economic unit performance, including improved decision-making capabilities, streamlined operations, and enhanced financial reporting. However, limitations such as sample size and data reliability should be acknowledged. To overcome these limitations, future research should consider larger and more diverse datasets, longitudinal studies, and the involvement of multiple stakeholders. In conclusion, this research provides valuable insights into the implementation of AIS and IT in developed economic units and highlights their significance in ensuring sustainability. The findings can inform decision-makers and practitioners in optimizing the utilization of AIS and IT

This study investigated practices that are followed when outsourcing Information Technology (IT) services in the North-West Provincial Government (NWPG) of South Africa. NWPG is a tier two level in the South African government structure and lies in between the national and the local governments. As a departure point, the research study identified the best practices in IT outsourcing, the most important benefits of this process as well as the shortcomings of IT outsourcing. The study is a culmination of requests from the provincial government stakeholders to have a framework of IT outsourcing best practices which is currently not available. The study used quantitative approach and a questionnaire as a research instrument. Findings revealed that the decision to outsource can sometimes be difficult to make and is risky. However, it also identified some benefits of IT outsourcing such as access to highly experienced IT specialists, access to advanced technologies, as well as improvement in customer service quality. Some risks associated with outsourcing such as hidden costs and loss of control on outsourced activities was also revealed. In addition, outsourcing may lead to increased unemployment and may negatively affect employees’ morale. It is recommended that NWPG should adopt an outsourcing plan that will guide its outsourcing process as well as establishing a clear understanding of its requirements, performing due diligence as well as carrying out of risk assessment during this process. Efficient and open communication channels between staff and management levels should also be developed. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n14p25

This article describes a structured learningactivity designed to explore information technology (IT) in organizational and strategic contexts. The assignment, known as the “IT Audit,” is structured around a set of interdisciplinary research questions that students apply to a client organization. The assignment builds the student’s ability to predict, diagnose, and subsequently mitigate organizational risks inherent in IT deployment. Learningoutcomes focus on IT as it relates to organizational strategy and competitive advantage, communications process design, motivational and values orientation of IT specialists, change leadership, organizational design, and quality of work life issues.

The article presents a methodological approach that encompasses the conceptualisation of a design idea and the implementation of an information technology (IT)-based solution to support models developed for energy mix management. It identifies the key elements that influence the definition and subsequent creation of an IT solution, focusing on processes that reflect both the demand (coal demand) and supply sides. In terms of the supply side, the IT solution will be equipped with planning information: Regarding minable resources, including general data on the resources currently held and the planned annual resources to be mined (qualitative data will not be included) The mining plans for each mine are accompanied by qualitative data (data that are standardised to ensure the quality of the production data collected. In addition to mining plans, the supply side will have up-to-date information on coal already mined. This information will be presented in quantitative and qualitative terms at various stages of the product life cycle, which begins with the mining of raw coal and ends with the formation of a finished product that can be sold and transported to the customer. The article indicates the key elements that must be precisely defined for the correct definition of processes on the demand side and the supply side, and in what order actions should be taken by IT specialists so that this solution fully satisfies the teams managing the processes dynamically.

Thermal performance and structural optimization of a hybrid thermal management system based on MHPA/PCM/liquid cooling for lithium-ion battery

Cold storage facilities consume substantial energy due to refrigeration loads, with the building envelope acting as the dominant contributor. This study evaluates the thermal performance of insulation systems for cold storage buildings through numerical simulation and experimental validation. Three representative composite wall assemblies were modeled using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach, and key thermal indicators such as temperature distribution, heat flux density, and U-value were obtained. Validation against published experimental data confirmed simulation accuracy within 0.5%. The results demonstrate that multilayer composite insulation with thick PIR (polyisocyanurate) layers significantly suppresses heat transfer, with calculated U-values ranging from 0.0810 to 0.0466 W·m −2 ·K −1 . These findings provide a quantitative basis and practical guidance for the energy-efficient design of cold storage envelopes.

The paper describes the role played by information technologies, including cybersecurity, specialists, during the war in Ukraine. The concept and framework of the information front are outlined, the contribution of technologists to both the economy and the field of information warfare is highlighted. The article describes the course and circumstances of the information war on the territory of our state from 2014 until the full-scale invasion of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine. The contribution of both domestic and foreign information protection specialists to the course of this war is described. The main problems in the information space that we have to face in the current conditions are outlined, as well as examples of assistance in the realities of today's war. The study found out in which directions domestic IT specialists are moving, what is their role in the current situation, how are foreign structures and volunteers involved. The separate role is given to foreign journalists who are also fighting on the information front, but they are not specialists in information technology or cybersecurity. Thus, it is clear that Ukraine will win in the information war primarily due to the coverage of true information and its dissemination, as well as due to the active opposition to fakes. It can also be concluded that the information front is no less important than the real one, as it not only weakens the enemy, but also breaks the system from within - destroys logistics, flaunts not the best side of the enemy and informs society about the real state of events. Currently, Ukrainian and foreign cyber troops are doing their best: actively opposing disinformation and fakes, investing in the economy and destroying sites that are still operational. The perspective of our study is to further monitor the cyberfront. It is important to find out how events will run, what other applications (software, technical) will be developed to counter the aggressor, whether certain conclusions will be drawn from Ukraine. From our point of view, there is a strong improvement in the protection of all systems from the possibility of hacking, training of cyber troops at the state level and the development of new solutions to protect existing software.

Cyberterrorism has become a well-known cybersecurity subject in today's digital world. The spread of cybercrimes calls for disseminating ethical values and peace between countries and individuals. Because of this phenomenon's danger to society, this study sought to lay down directives for security strategies to confront cyberterrorism. Hence, the study's main research problem revolves around highlighting the role of security authorities in addressing cyberterrorism according to the specialists in information technology (IT) centers in Saudi universities in Riyadh. Hence, a descriptive analysis method was adopted as a research methodology. We distributed questionnaires as a study tool to 150 specialists in IT centers in Saudi universities in Riyadh. The study yielded different views regarding the types and ways of cyberterrorism committed through the internet. Results showed the respondents' opinions regarding the essential types of cyberterrorism. Moreover, they emphasize the need to raise awareness in dealing with cyberterrorism by enforcing cybersecurity with the most prominent means and procedures that the authorities are responsible for. The most critical recommendations are: (1) the need to provide the employees with the technical skills to know how to deal with any potential security breach, (2) the need to provide specialized training courses in protection methods for workers, and (3) the need to develop the means of security and legal protection through developing e-government security agreements.