Interoperability Specification Research Articles

Railway noise monitoring - a tool to analyse in detail the evolution of noise over time during a rolling stock renewal period

As part of the commissioning of a rail freight project, a noise monitoring system was set up to track the increase in rail freight traffic and to monitor noise over time. Noise monitoring is done by continuous measurement stations, an analysis of the classic noise exposure indexes LAeq,6-22h and LAeq,22-6h is realized, completed by an analysis of several event acoustic indexes, with a distinction between the different traffic types (Freight, regional trains). In addition, the European Regulation EU 2019/774 on the application of the technical specification for interoperability relating to the subsystem 'rolling stock - noise' to the existing freight wagons, obliges the circulation of less noisy freight trains on certain itineraries called "Quieter routes" from 8/12/2024. The projected benefit will not be limited to the nearby residents of these routes but will, by indirect consequence, enable a gradual acoustic gain on all the French rail freight routes, due to the retrofit or renewal of the existing rolling stock. The goal of the noise monitoring system is also to quantify the acoustic gains from the indirect effects of this new regulation.

The method of determining design assumptions for bogie platform

This article is devoted to the methods of designing running gear in compliance with recently changed requirements, regulations of rail authorities, technical specification for interoperability, and safety certification. Changes are focused on the certification process. According to ERA these changes are recommended for bogies holding IC certificate issued according to the former TSI WAG, without assessment of the strength of the bogie frame. The presented methods allow designing a bogie platform with a wide range of applications in regional, and long-distance trains. Issues related to calculations, and studies of bogie frames are described. Particular attention is paid to methods for determining loads applied to the bogie frame based on assumed axle loads, determining reference forces for the projected shock absorbers, and compiling computational cases for strength analysis of traction units.

Maximizing Supply Chain Resilience: Viability of a Distributed Manufacturing Network Platform Using the Open Knowledge Resilience Framework

This paper introduces the Open Knowledge Resilience Framework (OKRF), a set of seven cooperative data standards, and demonstrates its alignment with the Supply Chain Interoperability Specification (SCIS) Platform. Building upon the Internet of Production Alliance (IoPA) work, this article explores how integrating OKRF and SCIS can enhance production flexibility and efficiency through substitutability and resource repurposing strategies. The OKRF-SCIS integration exhibits the potential to enhance Supply Chain Resilience (SCR) by empowering organizations to adapt to fluctuating demand and availability through adaptability strategies such as supplier/product substitution and resource repurposing. While this study primarily focuses on the conceptual design of OKRF and SCIS, further empirical research is needed to validate its effectiveness. Additionally, investigating the framework’s applicability across various industries and contexts would provide valuable insights. The integration of OKRF and SCIS can enable organizations to optimize supply chain operations, enhancing resilience and facilitating adaptation to changing demands through seamless substitutability and resource repurposing. This integration can also reduce transportation costs and increase responsiveness to local demand. Furthermore, it can enhance SCR and promote sustainable, resilient supply chain ecosystems by improving data transparency and resource utilization efficiency. This paper illustrates the potential of OKRF and SCIS in healthcare supply chains.

Digital Transformation of EU Customs: eCommerce VAT Legislation and a Proposed Customs Clearance Application

In the digital world, borders between countries are fading, and many people keep making more and more online purchases, often from offshore vendors. Cross-border e-commerce is a game-changer for international trade but poses serious challenges for traditional customs procedures. As the number of parcels continues to grow rapidly, customs authorities around the world strive to balance between effective revenue collection, trade facilitation, and proper safety controls. At the EU level, significant revenue losses and competition distortion have led to changes in VAT rules with a key policy objective to fight tax fraud in e-commerce and reduce the administrative burden of VAT collection. The VAT e-commerce package that came into force on July 1, 2021, includes measures on imports of low-value goods from third countries. The adopted solution imposes liability on digital platforms that play a crucial role in the rise of B2C internet sales. This article provides an overview of e-commerce global trends and challenges, international organizations’ initiatives, emerging technology pilots, as well as best practices. It also offers a critical description of the new EU VAT provisions that have a severe effect on customs. Moreover, it describes the design, functional, and interoperability specifications of a proposed web-based application that enables buyers to lodge customs declarations themselves, aiming for improved transparency on import-related charges and more effective e-government at a more general level through the digital transformation of customs clearance. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-08-01-024 Full Text: PDF

Easy JavaScript Simulation (EJSS) Data Analytics for Singapore

We have integrated Easy JavaScript Simulation (EJSS) Data Analytics into the national Learning Management System for Singapore schools, known as the Singapore Student Learning Space (SLS). EJSS Data Analytics enhances the teaching and learning experience for educators and students by enabling educators to monitor and evaluate students’ interactions with interactive computer simulations. The data analytics and visualisation capabilities are delivered using the Moodle platform and version 1.3 of the specifications for Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI). In this paper, we showcase the potential for EJSS Data Analytics to identify students’ learning difficulties and misconceptions. Four examples of EJSS Data Analytics applications are provided to illustrate insights on aspects that include understanding a student’s sequential actions leading to specific task outcomes, the frequency of task attempts by each student, and the ratio of students achieving correct versus incorrect task completions. We identify five key considerations for designing the EJSS teacher dashboard. These considerations relate to Student Thought Process, Student Behaviour, Student Engagement, Student Choice, and Teacher Feedback. These five facets provide a framework for aligning our design efforts with the needs of students and teachers, also drawing upon research in data analytics for education.

Regulatory compliance as a driver for digital transformation: the case of the railway sector in Europe

The railway sector is an important part of the transportation industry as well as of the economic activity in Europe. It is interesting that digitalization of this sector has been triggered in several European countries by regulatory compliance obligations. The Technical Specification for Interoperability relating to Telematics Applications for Freight/Passenger Services as well as other related standards have created opportunities for the digital transformation of the players participating into this market. Apart from achieving a base minimum compliance to the standards, there are prerequisites and questions to be answered at organizational and technological level if railway sector players are to embark on the digital transformation journey. This research study provides explanations on the argument the regulatory compliance may act as a driver for digital transformation, using the example of the railway sector in Europe and presents some important prerequisites for this market’s players to take the opportunity for digital transformation. The ultimate goal of this research, whose foundations are set up in this research paper, is to formulate a digital maturity model for the actor of the railway sector, for the benefit of their retail and business clients.

Solving the problem of switching from one track gauge to another in the context of the requirements of interoperability specifications for classical infrastructure

The article discusses issues related to solving the problem of switching from one gauge to another. A progressive solution to the problem of different track gauges is the use of a combined gauge design. The combined track solves the problems of overloading, downtime, and wheel set problems. The design of the combined gauge has set new challenges for track infrastructure workers and scientists. The first task is the strength of the combined track structure. The second task is the stability of the combined track plates. The third task is to lay switches in the combined track and determine the permissible train speeds.

Problems of simulation of the pantographcatenary contact line interaction in terms of interoperability

The paper presents the application of the pantograph-overhead contact line interaction simulation, which is carried out to assess the fulfillment of the essential interoperability requirements for the interoperability component, which is the overhead contact line. According to the paper's authors, carrying out model validation according to the EN 50318:2002 standard indicated in the technical specification for interoperability does not exhaust the question of the correctness of the method used. This fact is also confirmed in the literature discussed in the paper. To substantiate the above thesis, a numerical simulation was carried out in MATLAB/Simulink using a two-mass model of the pantograph and overhead contact line. As a result of the sensitivity analysis of the influence of the input data on the simulation results, conclusions were formulated to confirm the thesis in question.

SPRA: Scalable policy‐based regulatory architecture for blockchain transactions

AbstractImplementing effective regulation of blockchain transactions has become a research hotspot in recent years. However, most of the current regulatory schemes are customized for specific blockchain applications and lack versatility and scalability. Meanwhile, these schemes cannot guarantee fairness due to the non‐disclosure of regulatory policies and regulatory processes. To address these issues, a scalable policy‐based regulatory architecture (SPRA) is proposed for blockchain transactions that separates regulation and application to provide sufficient scalability. SPRA is a four‐layer model (permission layer, regulation layer, bridge layer, and business layer). A regulatory policy description language (XRPL) is designed to define the regulatory rules and specifications for interoperability between the layers. A decentralized jury mechanism (JuryBC) based on the Shamir threshold secret sharing algorithm and Pedersen commitment is proposed at the regulation layer to avoid regulatory arbitrariness and unfairness. We also construct a secure and efficient regulatory data sharing scheme (RDShare) at the business layer using an attribute‐based encryption algorithm. The key parameters in both JuryBC and RDShare can be specified in the regulatory policy to suit different application scenarios. Finally, the security of the architecture is analyzed and the feasibility and scalability of the architecture through simulation experiments are demonstrated.

A Flexible and General-Purpose Platform for Heterogeneous Computing

In the big data era, processing large amounts of data imposes several challenges, mainly in terms of performance. Complex operations in data science, such as deep learning, large-scale simulations, and visualization applications, can consume a significant amount of computing time. Heterogeneous computing is an attractive alternative for algorithm acceleration, using not one but several different kinds of computing devices (CPUs, GPUs, or FPGAs) simultaneously. Accelerating an algorithm for a specific device under a specific framework, i.e., CUDA/GPU, provides a solution with the highest possible performance at the cost of a loss in generality and requires an experienced programmer. On the contrary, heterogeneous computing allows one to hide the details pertaining to the simultaneous use of different technologies in order to accelerate computation. However, effective heterogeneous computing implementation still requires mastering the underlying design flow. Aiming to fill this gap, in this paper we present a heterogeneous computing platform (HCP). Regarding its main features, this platform allows non-experts in heterogeneous computing to deploy, run, and evaluate high-computational-demand algorithms following a semi-automatic design flow. Given the implementation of an algorithm in C with minimal format requirements, the platform automatically generates the parallel code using a code analyzer, which is adapted to target a set of available computing devices. Thus, while an experienced heterogeneous computing programmer is not required, the process can run over the available computing devices on the platform as it is not an ad hoc solution for a specific computing device. The proposed HCP relies on the OpenCL specification for interoperability and generality. The platform was validated and evaluated in terms of generality and efficiency through a set of experiments using the algorithms of the Polybench/C suite (version 3.2) as the input. Different configurations for the platform were used, considering CPUs only, GPUs only, and a combination of both. The results revealed that the proposed HCP was able to achieve accelerations of up to 270× for specific classes of algorithms, i.e., parallel-friendly algorithms, while its use required almost no expertise in either OpenCL or heterogeneous computing from the programmer/end-user.

COTS (Commercial-off-the-Shelf) Platform for Media Production Everywhere

A hybrid multicloud approach is needed to address the goals of broadcasters to commission and evolve scalable software-based broadcast systems composed of elements from diverse vendors, on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware, avoiding lock-in at the facility and in the cloud. These software elements need to support common control, integration with enterprise management systems, and a sufficient level of automation. To this end, broadcast vendors’ software needs to run everywhere; use standards and open specifications for control and transport interoperability; support fine-grained resource allocation; and leverage information technology (IT) best practice, for example, for monitoring, security, and orchestration. An open-source container orchestration platform, virtualized infrastructure layers, and common software application programming interfaces (APIs) for control interoperability allow the vendor to focus where their value and revenue is—the application and user experience (UX). As a case study, a scalable edge platform was constructed for transcoding, artificial intelligence (AI) inference, and other video and audio processing. Multi-architecture, containerized, applications were deployed and managed with Kubernetes. This provides fine-grained allocation of hardware resources, including graphic- processing units (GPUs) and ST 2110-capable network interface controllers (NICs). Service discovery and connection management are achieved using the Networked Media Open Specifications (NMOS).

Evaluation of the Aerodynamic Effect of a Smooth Rounded Roof on Crosswind Stability of a Train by Wind Tunnel Tests

The advent of high-speed trains led to new issues and constraints for railway network manufacturers and operators. This is the case of crosswind effect, that occurs when train is running in strong wind conditions. The combination of train speed and wind speed generates a relative flow that affects the train stability. Wind tunnel tests on still railway vehicles (relative wind-train velocity in coincidence with absolute wind velocity) are mandatory according to Technical Specification for Interoperability (TSI) to ensure high-speed train safety. However, issues related to the correct evaluation of the full-scale aerodynamic behaviour of the trains can arise. In the present work, aerodynamic force and pressure coefficients measured in wind tunnel tests on a scaled model of ETR1000 high-speed train on single track ballast and rails are presented. The tests were performed in the GVPM wind tunnel of Politecnico di Milano. Results show that different flow behaviours can occur at high yaw angles when the train behaves like a bluff body depending on wind speed used during the test.

How ontology can be used to achieve semantic interoperability in healthcare

Abstract Semantic interoperability allows machines to share, interpret and use data without ambiguity. Semantic Interoperability is a major concern in healthcare (c.f. the EU commission 2021 report on electronic record exchange formats). The lack of interoperability with regard to electronic health record (EHR) leads to fragmentation and a lower quality of cross-institution and cross-border healthcare. The simple choice of an interchange language (HL7, FIHR etc.)is not sufficient to ensure interoperability. Healthcare interoperability is associated with multi-level and multi-sectoral complexity, and this cannot be addressed without consideration of a range of people and needs, from application design to knowledge sharing. Each transaction needs to be defined in unambiguous details as part of a complete, consistent, coherent, and machine-readable set of specifications for interoperability between the machines to minimize any potential error. We propose a systematic process to achieve healthcare interoperability, working with healthcare professionals starting from design level to implementation level. In our seminar we will explain with examples how ontology can be used to achieve semantic interoperability in healthcare. Technical requirements, including the choice of tools (e.g. Protégé); data base (e.g. GraphDB); data model (i.e. Web Ontology Language 2 (OWL2); formal specification (i.e. Description logics (DL)); and the right syntax (RDF/XML). Will be introduced.

MedicalForms: Integrated Management of Semantics for Electronic Health Record Systems and Research Platforms

(1) Background: Clinical information modeling tools are software instruments designed to support the definition of semantic structures able to be implemented in health information systems. Based on the analysis of existing tools, this research developed a tool that proposes new approaches to promoting clinician involvement and supporting information modeling processes through mechanisms that ensure governance, information consistency and consensus building. (2) Method: This research developed the MedicalForms system, which is based on the requirements identified in both a Delphi study about tool requirements and the ISO/TS 13972 specifications. (3) Results: This system allows the management of projects, information structures and implementable forms related to clinical documentation. Users can easily define clinical documents in collaboration with the rest of the professionals in their team by being able to reuse previously defined forms, terminologies and information structures. The system is able to export the defined forms as interoperable specifications or as several implementable form formats compatible with multiple open source EHR systems and research platforms. End user perception of this tool was evaluated through the Technology Acceptance Questionnaire with satisfactory results. Finally, the system was applied to develop 12 research registries and 2 clinical trial research forms, 3 mobile applications and 1 decision support system.

Evaluation of interoperability to Ukrainian tank cars, as they are recognized for the transportation of non-healthy cargoes by railway transport

Ensuring safety during the transportation of goods by railway transport with the minimization of the level of risks is a priority task today. An analysis was made that shows that in Ukraine there are significant developments in the field of improving the design of wagons, their dynamic characteristics and safety. Manufacturers of railway cars strive to increase the number of new, high-quality and technically advanced (under the terms of interoperability) railway rolling stock in use. 11 interoperability specifications were considered: infrastructure; energy; management; noise; persons with limited mobility; safety in tunnels; freight cars; locomotives, passenger cars and rolling stock; freight transportation telematics; passenger transportation telematics; the movement of trains that are approved and currently in operation. The considered requirements and components of the Technical Certification of Interoperability and domestic normative documents for railway cars, namely: the requirements of the Technical Certification of Interoperability for freight railway cars; requirements of regulatory documents in Ukraine regarding tank cars; technical characteristics of tank cars produced in Ukraine. A comparative analysis was made of the conformity of the general technical parameters of tank cars manufactured in Ukraine, the principle of operation and design of brake systems of freight cars, the conformity of the dimensions of tank cars, regarding the determination of the dimensions of railway rolling stock (or the dimensions of rolling stock), the fulfillment of conditions under which it is possible the east of the rolling stock. Calculations were made for an empty car in the presence of a raised outer rail, as well as calculations of traffic safety criteria according to these standards. Taking into account the requirements for the production of modern rolling stock is a necessity, which is considered on the example of tank cars, which are currently produced for compliance with interoperability requirements, and the proposed priority measures to achieve the specified compliance

Realizing the Power of Text Mining and Natural Language Processing for Analyzing Patient Safety Event Narratives: The Challenges and Path Forward.

Patient safety event (PSE) reports are a useful lens to understand hazards and patient safety risks in healthcare systems. However, patient safety officers and analysts in healthcare systems and safety organizations are challenged to make sense of the ever-increasing volume of PSE reports, including the free-text narratives. As a result, there is a growing emphasis on applying text mining and natural language processing (NLP) approaches to assist in the processing and understanding of these narratives. Although text mining and NLP in healthcare have advanced significantly over the past decades, the utility of the resulting models, ontologies, and algorithms to analyze PSE narratives are limited given the unique difference and challenges in content and language between PSE narratives and clinical documentation. To promote the application of text mining and NLP for PSE narratives, these unique challenges must be addressed. Improving data access, developing NLP resources to practically use contributing factor taxonomies, and developing and adopting shared specifications for interoperability will help create an infrastructure and environment that unlocks the collaborative potential between patient safety, research, and machine learning communities, in the development of reproducible and generalizable methods and models to better understand and improve patient safety and patient care.

Integration Tests of ETCS On-board Subsystems Based on the Requirements of the Technical Specifications for Interoperability of the ‘Control-Command and Signalling’ Subsystem

Achieving the interoperability of the European rail system in each Member State requires many measures to standardise the adopted technical solutions and relevant regulations. However, it is likely that there may be some incompatibilities between individual subsystems, even if these subsystems are designed in accordance with standardised requirements. Interoperable rolling stock may be unable to move freely over an interoperable railway line due to some incompatibilities and differences in the versions of the installed firmware in the ETCS system devices. The article discusses the compliance tests of the proper integration of the on-board subsystem with the trackside subsystem, carried out by the Railway Research Institute. Keywords: interoperability, control-command and signalling, ERTMS, ETCS, TSI, CCS

Emerging and Established Trends to Support Secure Health Information Exchange.

This work aims to provide information, guidelines, established practices and standards, and an extensive evaluation on new and promising technologies for the implementation of a secure information sharing platform for health-related data. We focus strictly on the technical aspects and specifically on the sharing of health information, studying innovative techniques for secure information sharing within the health-care domain, and we describe our solution and evaluate the use of blockchain methodologically for integrating within our implementation. To do so, we analyze health information sharing within the concept of the PANACEA project that facilitates the design, implementation, and deployment of a relevant platform. The research presented in this paper provides evidence and argumentation toward advanced and novel implementation strategies for a state-of-the-art information sharing environment; a description of high-level requirements for the transfer of data between different health-care organizations or cross-border; technologies to support the secure interconnectivity and trust between information technology (IT) systems participating in a sharing-data “community”; standards, guidelines, and interoperability specifications for implementing a common understanding and integration in the sharing of clinical information; and the use of cloud computing and prospectively more advanced technologies such as blockchain. The technologies described and the possible implementation approaches are presented in the design of an innovative secure information sharing platform in the health-care domain.

Prediction of Theoretical Derailments Caused by Cross-Winds with Frequency

In this paper, theoretical derailment equations for cross-wind with frequency were derived to assess running safety. For a KTX (Korean high-speed train) unit, the wheel unloading ratios, which are the criteria for evaluating derailments in UIC (International union of railways) and TSI (Technical Specification for Interoperability) regulations, were calculated through the formula under the driving regulations according to cross-wind speeds, and the theoretical results were compared and evaluated through a multibody dynamics (MBD) simulation. In addition, the wheel unloading ratios were calculated for various frequencies of cross-winds. As a result of the formula and MBD, the wheel unloading ratios were shown to increase rapidly regardless of the dampers in suspension when the cross-wind frequency and the natural frequency of a vehicle were in agreement. Finally, we calculated the changes of wheel unloading ratio for different track gauges and found that these theoretical equations could calculate more accurate results than the existing Kunieda’s formula. The formula derived in this study has the advantage of considering various variables, such as fluctuant cross-winds, rail irregularities, and derailment behaviors, which were not considered in previous studies or Kunieda’s formula. It could be used for setting suspensions or railway vehicle specifications in the initial design stage.

Designing and Developing e-Assessment Delivery System Under IMS QTI ver.2.2 Specification

Using technology to create online examination is important, more than that, exploring the recent research in the area of standardization of the learning and the assessment content is of paramount. However, there is still a lack of reusable, interoperable and exchangeable learning resources that afford much motivation to instructors. Assessing acquired knowledge is the primary task of any Learning Management Systems (LMS). Consequent-ly, sharing evaluation contents is a major challenge for software engineering. In this paper, we present the “CleverTesting” assessment authoring tool, focusing on its architecture and its conformance to the Question and Test Interoperability (QTI) specification proposed by IMS Global Learning Consortium. We adopt the QTI specification to create reusable, interoperable and sharable assessment content. Our system has three important components: The first component is “CleverTesting” a quiz authoring tool that allows building sharable question items. The second represents a question bank. The latest component is a player for interpreting and parsing QTI XML documents.