This study evaluates the maximum theoretical exposure to radiofrequency (RF) electromag- netic fields (EMFs) from a Fifth-generation (5G) New Radio (NR) base station (BS) while using four commonly used mobile applications: YouTube for video streaming, WhatsApp for voice calls, Instagram for posting pictures and videos, and running a Video game. Three factors that might affect exposure, i.e., distance of the measurement positions from the BS, measurement time, and induced traffic, were examined. Exposure was assessed through both instantaneous and time-averaged extrapolated field strengths using the Maximum Power Extrapolation (MPE) method. The former was calculated for every measured SS-RSRP (Secondary Synchronization Reference Signal Received Power) power sample obtained with a sampling resolution of 1 second, whereas the latter was obtained using a 1-min moving average applied on the applications’ instantaneous extrapolated field strengths datasets. Regarding distance, two measurement positions (MPs) were selected: MP1 at 56 meters and MP2 at 170 meters. Next, considering the measurement time, all mobile application tests were initially set to run for 30 minutes at both MPs, whereas the video streaming test (YouTube) was run for an additional 150 minutes to investigate the temporal evolution of field strengths. Considering the traffic, throughput data vs. both instantaneous and time-averaged extrapolated field strengths were observed for all four mobile applications. In addition, at MP1, a 30-minute test without a User Equipment (UE) device was conducted to analyze exposure levels in the absence of induced traffic. The findings indicated that the estimated field strengths for mobile applications varied. It was observed that distance and time had a more significant impact than the volume of data traffic generated (throughput). Notably, the exposure levels in all tests were considerably lower than the public exposure thresholds set by the ICNIRP guidelines.INDEX TERMS 5G NR, C-band, human exposure assessment, mobile applications, traffic data, maximum extrapolation method, RF-EMF.
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The inefficiency of maintaining static and long-lasting safety zones in environments where actual risks are limited is likely to increase in the coming decades, as autonomous systems become more common and human workers fewer in numbers. Nevertheless, an uncompromising approach to safety remains paramount, requiring the introduction of novel methods that are simultaneously more flexible and capable of delivering the same level of protection against potentially hazardous situations. We present such a method to create dynamic safety zones, the boundaries of which can be redrawn in real-time, taking into account explicit positioning data when available and using conservative extrapolation from last known location when information is missing or unreliable. Simulation and statistical methods were used to investigate performance gains compared to static safety zones. The use of a more advanced probabilistic framework to further improve flexibility is also discussed, although its implementation would not offer the same level of protection and is currently not recommended.
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In this work, in situ measurements of the radio frequency electromagnetic field exposure have been conducted for an indoor massive MIMO 5G base station operating at 26–28 GHz. Measurements were performed at six different positions (at distances between 9.94 and 14.32 m from the base station), of which four were in line-of-sight and two were in non-line-of-sight. A comparison was performed between the measurements conducted with an omnidirectional probe and with a horn antenna, for scenarios with and without a user equipment used to actively create an antenna traffic beam from the base station towards the measurement location. A maximum exposure of 171.9 mW/m2 was measured at a distance of 9.94 m from the base station. This is below 2% of the ICNIRP reference level. Moreover, the feasibility to measure the power per resource element of the Synchronization Signal Block - which can be used to extrapolate the maximum exposure level - with a conventional spectrum analyzer was shown by comparison with a network decoder.
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Health symptoms may be influenced, supported, or even controlled via a lighting control system which includes personal lighting conditions and personal factors (health characteristics). In order to be effective, this lighting control system requires both continuous information on the lighting and health conditions at the individual level. A new practical method to determine these continuous personal lighting conditions has been developed: location-bound estimations (LBE). This method was validated in the field in two case studies; comparisons were made between the LBE and location-bound measurements (LBM) in case study 1 and between the LBE and person-bound measurements (PBM) in case study 2. Overall, the relative deviation between the LBE and LBM was less than 15%, whereas the relative deviation between the LBE and PBM was 32.9% in the best-case situation. The relative deviation depends on inaccuracies in both methods (i.e., LBE and PBM) and needs further research. Adding more input parameters to the predictive model (LBE) will improve the accuracy of the LBE. The proposed first approach of the LBE is not without limitations; however, it is expected that this practical method will be a pragmatic approach of inserting personal lighting conditions into lighting control systems.
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A case study and method development research of online simulation gaming to enhance youth care knowlegde exchange. Youth care professionals affirm that the application used has enough relevance as an additional tool for knowledge construction about complex cases. They state that the usability of the application is suitable, however some remarks are given to adapt the virtual environment to the special needs of youth care knowledge exchange. The method of online simulation gaming appears to be useful to improve network competences and to explore the hidden professional capacities of the participant as to the construction of situational cognition, discourse participation and the accountability of intervention choices.
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Project objectives Radicalisation research leads to ethical and legal questions and issues. These issues need to be addressed in way that helps the project progress in ethically and legally acceptable manner. Description of Work The legal analysis in SAFIRE addressed questions such as which behavior associated with radicalisation is criminal behaviour. The ethical issues were addressed throughout the project in close cooperation between the ethicists and the researchers using a method called ethical parallel research. Results A legal analysis was made about criminal law and radicalisation. During the project lively discussions were held in the research team about ethical issues. An ethical justification for interventions in radicalisation processes has been written. With regard to research ethics: An indirect informed consent procedure for interviews with (former) radicals has been designed. Practical guidelines to prevent obtaining information that could lead to indirect identification of respondents were developed.
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This review offers a detailed examination of the current landscape of radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic field (EMF) assessment tools, ranging from spectrum analyzers and broadband field meters to area monitors and custom-built devices. The discussion encompasses both standardized and non-standardized measurement protocols, shedding light on the various methods employed in this domain. Furthermore, the review highlights the prevalent use of mobile apps for characterizing 5G NR radio network data. A growing need for low-cost measurement devices is observed, commonly referred to as “sensors” or “sensor nodes”, that are capable of enduring diverse environmental conditions. These sensors play a crucial role in both microenvironmental surveys and individual exposures, enabling stationary, mobile, and personal exposure assessments based on body-worn sensors, across wider geographical areas. This review revealed a notable need for cost-effective and long-lasting sensors, whether for individual exposure assessments, mobile (vehicle-integrated) measurements, or incorporation into distributed sensor networks. However, there is a lack of comprehensive information on existing custom-developed RF-EMF measurement tools, especially in terms of measuring uncertainty. Additionally, there is a need for real-time, fast-sampling solutions to understand the highly irregular temporal variations EMF distribution in next-generation networks. Given the diversity of tools and methods, a comprehensive comparison is crucial to determine the necessary statistical tools for aggregating the available measurement data.
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Het AZC in Leersum heeft een vaste opvangcapaciteit voor 625 mensen. De vluchtelingen die er worden opgevangen hebben vaak een inactieve leefstijl, zijn belemmerd in het gebruikmaken van regulier sportaanbod, kampen met fysieke en mentale gezondheidsklachten en verkeren in een kwetsbare positie. Het Living Lab Utrechtse Heuvelrug wilde bewoners van het AZC betrekken in haar activiteiten. Samen met het COA en lokale partners is gewerkt aan het opzetten van een duurzaam sport- en beweegaanbod voor deze bewoners. Dit heeft geresulteerd in het aanbieden en opzetten van verschillende sportactiviteiten als voetbal, walk & talk, hardlopen, fitness, boulderen en bootcamp. Er is ook veel energie gestoken om zwemlessen aan te bieden, maar dat is nog niet gelukt (wel veelbelovend vervolg). Het voetbal liep zo goed op de locatie van het AZC, dat er al snel contact is gezocht met een lokale club om een veld te gebruiken. Dit, een toernooi en oefenwedstrijden zorgde ook voor positieve zichtbaarheid van de bewoners en brengt weer nieuwe mogelijkheden zoals vaste deelname binnen de voetbalvereniging voor bewoners van het AZC. Bewoners geven aan dat deelname aan de activiteiten enorme positieve impact kan hebben op hun welzijn. Ook bleken betrokken vrijwilligers eens te meer onmisbaar voor de organisatie van de activiteiten. Ook studenten van de HU hebben hierin een rol gespeeld.
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The evolution of emerging technologies that use Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Field (RF-EMF) has increased the interest of the scientific community and society regarding the possible adverse effects on human health and the environment. This article provides NextGEM’s vision to assure safety for EU citizens when employing existing and future EMF-based telecommunication technologies. This is accomplished by generating relevant knowledge that ascertains appropriate prevention and control/actuation actions regarding RF-EMF exposure in residential, public, and occupational settings. Fulfilling this vision, NextGEM commits to the need for a healthy living and working environment under safe RF-EMF exposure conditions that can be trusted by people and be in line with the regulations and laws developed by public authorities. NextGEM provides a framework for generating health-relevant scientific knowledge and data on new scenarios of exposure to RF-EMF in multiple frequency bands and developing and validating tools for evidence-based risk assessment. Finally, NextGEM’s Innovation and Knowledge Hub (NIKH) will offer a standardized way for European regulatory authorities and the scientific community to store and assess project outcomes and provide access to findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) data.
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Samenvatting Doel Door de COVID-19-pandemie is een nieuwe groep revalidanten ontstaan waarbij voor een deel intensieve multidisciplinaire geriatrische revalidatie cruciaal lijkt te zijn. Gezien de nog beperkt beschikbare wetenschappelijke kennis en ervaring met het ziektebeeld, was er behoefte aan een praktijkgericht groeidocument en een continu cyclisch proces om praktijkkennis en nieuwe wetenschappelijke kennis direct te implementeren in de praktijk. Dit artikel beschrijft het proces van ontwikkeling, implementatie, evaluatie en doorontwikkeling daarvan in de praktijk, welke onder bijzondere omstandigheden heeft plaatsgevonden. Methode Het hele proces van de totstandkoming van het multidisciplinaire CO-FIT+ revalidatieprogramma bestond uit multipele iteraties van de PDCA-cyclus op zowel projectorganisatie-, projectuitvoerings- als implementatieniveau. Het behandeladvies post COVID-19-geriatrische revalidatie van Verenso is gebruikt als leidraad. Dit is aangevuld met de kennis en expertise van de GRZPLUS-professionals, ketenpartners, aanbevelingen vanuit de beroepsverenigingen en kennis uit wetenschappelijk onderzoek onder andere op het gebied van geriatrische (long-)revalidatie en post IC-revalidatie. Resultaten Een multidisciplinair geriatrisch revalidatieprogramma CO-FIT+ welke is geïmplementeerd in de praktijk. Dit heeft geresulteerd in een uniforme werkwijze en een continue verbetercyclus.
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