A Novel Markov Model-Based Traffic Density Estimation Technique for Intelligent Transportation System

An intelligent transportation system (ITS) aims to improve traffic efficiency by integrating innovative sensing, control, and communications technologies. The industrial Internet of things (IIoT) and Industrial Revolution 4.0 recently merged to design the industrial Internet of things-intelligent transportation system (IIoT-ITS). IIoT sensing technologies play a significant role in acquiring raw data. The application continuously performs the complex task of managing traffic flows effectively based on several parameters, including the number of vehicles in the system, their location, and time. Traffic density estimation (TDE) is another important derived parameter desirable to keep track of the dynamic state of traffic volume. The expanding number of vehicles based on wireless connectivity provides new potential to predict traffic density more accurately and in real time as previously used methodologies. We explore the topic of assessing traffic density by using only a few simple metrics, such as the number of surrounding vehicles and disseminating beacons to roadside units and vice versa. This research paper investigates TDE techniques and presents a novel Markov model-based TDE technique for ITS. Finally, an OMNET++-based approach with an implementation of a significant modification of a traffic model combined with mathematical modeling of the Markov model is presented. It is intended for the study of real-world traffic traces, the identification of model parameters, and the development of simulated traffic.

Industry 4.0: critical investigations and synthesis of key findings

The concept of Industry 4.0 has been one of the most debated and trending topics over the last few years. Progressively, it has attracted the attention of academicians, practitioners, and policymakers worldwide. However, there needs to be more systematic review of research in the current literature that captures the current state of this new paradigm. This study aims to address this gap by conducting a comprehensive review of Industry 4.0 previous studies to identify its technological, organisational, and managerial enablers, as well as its implementation challenges and benefits. A systematic literature review was conducted, in which 244 peer-reviewed journal papers were analysed in the Scopus database until the end of May 2022. This study excluded conference papers, book chapters, and journal papers not written in English. The study indicated that industry 4.0 is still an immature topic, and applying this new paradigm is not a matter of technology only. Organisational and managerial aspects should be considered. Additionally, the transition towards Industry 4.0 is a complex task, many obstacles exist, and manufacturing companies should be aware of these challenges for successfully implementing this new paradigm. The obtained results in this study synthesise recent studies published on Industry 4.0 and provide a comprehensive picture of Industry 4.0 and potential research directions for future research. Also, this study offers significant guidelines for managers interested in implementing Industry 4.0.

Truths and myths about superfoods in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic

Nowadays, during the current COVID-19 pandemic, consumers increasingly seek foods that not only fulfill the basic need (i.e., satisfying hunger) but also enhance human health and well-being. As a result, more attention has been given to some kinds of foods, termed "superfoods," making big claims about their richness in valuable nutrients and bioactive compounds as well as their capability to prevent illness, reinforcing the human immune system, and improve overall health.This review is an attempt to uncover truths and myths about superfoods by giving examples of the most popular foods (e.g., berries, pomegranates, watermelon, olive, green tea, several seeds and nuts, honey, salmon, and camel milk, among many others) that are commonly reported as having unique nutritional, nutraceutical, and functional characteristics.While superfoods have become a popular buzzword in blog articles and social media posts, scientific publications are still relatively marginal. The reviewed findings show that COVID-19 has become a significant driver for superfoods consumption. Food Industry 4.0 innovations have revolutionized many sectors of food technologies, including the manufacturing of functional foods, offering new opportunities to improve the sensory and nutritional quality of such foods. Although many food products have been considered superfoods and intensively sought by consumers, scientific evidence for their beneficial effectiveness and their "superpower" are yet to be provided. Therefore, more research and collaboration between researchers, industry, consumers, and policymakers are still needed to differentiate facts from marketing gimmicks and promote human health and nutrition.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution - Smart Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Algorithms: Industrial Psychologists in Future Workplaces

In the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), STARA (smart technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, and algorithms) is predicted to replace a third of the jobs that exist today. Almost twice as many current work tasks will be handled by robots. It is forecast that by 2025, 85 million jobs may be displaced by a shift in the division of labor between humans and machines, while 97 million new roles may emerge that are more adapted to the new division of labor between humans, machines and algorithms. Industrial psychologists are playing an increasingly important role in the workplace due to these trends from a strategic intelligence perspective. The objective of this article is to present a critical review of industrial psychologists in future workplaces in the context of the 4IR - STARA. A competence model is posed for industrial psychologists to perform a strategic intelligence role in organizations in the 4IR.

The Opportunities and Challenges Associated with the Implementation of Fourth Industrial Revolution Technologies to Manage Health and Safety

The fourth industrial revolution (4iR) technologies offer an opportunity for the construction industry to improve health and safety (H&S) compliance. Therefore, implementing the technologies is of top priority to improve the endless H&S incidents in construction projects, which lead to poor quality of work, late project delivery, and increased labour injury claims. Central to improving the nature of work and other industrial processes, the 4iR technologies have emerged. Concurrent with this trend is the importance of 4iR technologies in enhancing health and safety performance on construction sites. However, the implementation of 4iR technologies in the construction industry is faced with various challenges. Therefore, this paper reports on a study aimed at examining the challenges associated with implementing 4iR technologies in the construction sector in South Africa towards effective management of H&S. The study followed a systematic literature review, data collection using a questionnaire survey and thereafter, descriptive, and inferential analyses were conducted. The findings revealed that the implementation of 4iR technologies is challenged by a lack of adequate relevant skills, the unavailability of training capacities, expensive technologies, and negative perceptions such as fear of job loss by industry professionals. The findings are essential for the advancement of H&S research and implementation. In addition, the findings are important to industry decision-makers in order to elevate their awareness and promote the use of 4iR technologies to manage construction activities. The study implications include the need for the construction industry to collaborate with higher education institutions to conduct research and include 4iR in the curriculum.

Considering the ethical implications of digital collaboration in the Food Sector

The Internet of Food Things Network⁺ (IoFT) and the Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Intelligence for Automated Investigation for Scientific Discovery Network⁺ (AI3SD) brought together an interdisciplinary multi-institution working group to create an ethical framework for digital collaboration in the food industry. This will enable the exploration of implications and consequences (both intentional and unintentional) of using cutting-edge technologies to support the implementation of data trusts and other forms of digital collaboration in the food sector. This article describes how we identified areas for ethical consideration with respect to digital collaboration and the use of Industry 4.0 technologies in the food sector and describes the different interdisciplinary methodologies being used to produce this framework. The research questions and objectives that are being addressed by the working group are laid out, with a report on our ongoing work. The article concludes with recommendations about working on projects in this area.

This working group is aiming to create an ethical framework to elicit questions, facilitate discussions, and enable the exploration of the implications and consequences of digital collaboration in the food supply chain in line with the approach of responsible innovation. Ethics is a complex, diverse, and interdisciplinary area and cannot be formalized to provide a singular “right answer”. Because technology has significant ethical implications, we must empower developers, companies, and other stakeholders to engage with this complexity. To do this, individuals and companies alike need to be provided with methods of understanding the issues and trade-offs that could arise from their technology and processes. This endeavor is not one that can be worked on alone; it requires an interdisciplinary team and the use of a range of methodologies to understand and frame the issues at stake. Furthermore, running this initiative as part of two networks has provided access to a wealth of further expertise to aid with evaluation and feedback on our research.

Alkaloids in Contemporary Drug Discovery to Meet Global Disease Needs

An overview is presented of the well-established role of alkaloids in drug discovery, the application of more sustainable chemicals, and biological approaches, and the implementation of information systems to address the current challenges faced in meeting global disease needs. The necessity for a new international paradigm for natural product discovery and development for the treatment of multidrug resistant organisms, and rare and neglected tropical diseases in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Quintuple Helix is discussed.

The fourth industrial revolution and the coronavirus: a new era catalyzed by a virus☆

The global pandemic caused by the new coronavirus, COVID 19, has disrupted the lives of most people on the planet. The magnitude of such disruption can only be compared to those caused by World War II. Experts suggest that in order to better evaluate this situation, it should be divided into two waves. The first wave being associated with health issues and the second one with economic issues. This article suggests that this global pandemic is fostering yet a third wave, which in the long run can be much more impactful in our lives than the first two. This third wave consists on accelerating the implantation process of the fourth industrial revolution. This article is divided into sections with the physical, digital and biological spheres of the fourth industrial revolution, as well as the dimensions of sustainability and other important considerations, in order to better demonstrate the emergence of a new era catalyzed by a virus.

Outline for a future psychiatry: the transcendent meaning model (TMM)

The now-dominant medical model of psychiatry has recently been challenged by the post-psychiatry movement. However, the former discounts the agential or subjective aspect of the human being; the latter misses the axiological aspect. A new model is proposed-the Transcendent Meaning Model (TMM)-that nests the individual person within the social (the interperson), and the social within the transcendent or ideological. The study concludes that TMM, with its integration of the personal, the social and the religious-ideological with the material, is a viable blueprint for a future psychiatry that can address some of the current model's vulnerabilities.

Positive resources for psychiatry in the fourth industrial revolution: building patient and family focused psychological capital (PsyCap)

COVID-19 is altering the world, impacting every facet of life, and driving an associated global paradigm shift. Threats to our individual, family, team, community, and global well-being consume our attention at the potential price of our well-being and performance. The time to respond with scientific approaches to protect our most precious assets - people - is now. COVID-19, unstable geopolitical systems, and accelerated scientific and technological breakthroughs are characteristic of what has been identified as a Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). This 4IR is placing a premium on solutions that are validated to increase well-being, especially those that simultaneously significantly increase performance. Psychological Capital or simply PsyCap has emerged as a leading evidence-based positive approach to human development, drawing from previously largely untapped psychological resources (Hope, Efficacy, Resilience and Optimism or the HERO within). Although there is an extensive, growing body of PsyCap academic research in all levels of analysis and domains, there is still a void in PsyCap's applications within psychiatry. The purpose of this article is to review PsyCap applications and its implications for the practice of psychiatry, especially within the context of 4IR and the second wave of Positive Psychology (PP 2.0). Specific attention is given to evidence-based, non-stigma applications for the effective practice of psychiatry.

Revolutionary dreams: Future essentialism and the sociotechnical imaginary of the fourth industrial revolution in Denmark

In 2015, the World Economic Forum announced that the world was on the threshold of a 'fourth industrial revolution' driven by a fusion of cutting-edge technologies with unprecedented disruptive power. The next year, in 2016, the fourth industrial revolution appeared as the theme of the Forum's annual meeting, and as the topic of a book by its founder and executive chairman, Klaus Schwab. Ever since, the Forum has made this impending revolution its top priority, maintaining that it will inevitably change everything we once know about the world and how to live in it, thus creating what I conceptualize as 'future essentialism'. Within a short space of time, the vision of the fourth industrial revolution was institutionalized and publicly performed in various national settings around the world as a sociotechnical imaginary of a promising and desirable future soon to come. Through readings of original material published by the Forum, and through a case study of the reception of the fourth industrial revolution in Denmark, this article highlights and analyses three discursive strategies - 'dialectics of pessimism and optimism', 'epochalism' and 'inevitability' - in the transformation of a corporate, highly elitist vision of the future into policymaking and public reason on a national level.

Work and Organizational Psychology Looks at the Fourth Industrial Revolution: How to Support Workers and Organizations?

With rapid advances in technology in several fields of human life, we are entering the Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIR), which is changing the way businesses create value, people do their work and individuals interact and communicate with each other. In this framework, many questions have arisen about how these transformations affect workers, organizations and societies, and Work and Organizational Psychology (WOP) has been called upon to address some of these open issues. In particular, this article focuses on two aspects of the FIR. The first considers the expansion of automation in the workplace and raises questions such as: how is the relationship between workers and technology changing? How is it affecting people's well-being? How can we expect it to affect employment and equality in the future? The second is related to how job transformation will influence requirements for knowledge and skills; the main question is: which competence profile, considering hard and soft skills, is required and expected in the work of the future? The aim of the present paper is to improve the understanding of some of the major issues that workers and organizations are, or will be, asked to face, by providing information that will be useful to facilitate debate, research and interventions. In the conclusion section, research, and practical implications at organizational, political and institutional levels are discussed.