Interoperable Information Research Articles

Interoperable Information Sharing and the Five Novel Frontiers of EU Governance: A Special Issue

Information exchanges between authorities located at different levels of administration, and in different Member States, have always constituted a central feature of European Union governance. Nevertheless, the increasingly pervasive phenomenon of interoperable information-sharing, where information systems pertaining to different policy fields are joined up to facilitate exchanges of (personal) data, generates new structural challenges to the European Union from a political, legal, and indeed constitutional perspective. In this introduction, besides offering a brief overview of the contributions to the special issue, we argue that interoperability shifts the frontiers of EU governance in at least five distinct respects. It shifts existing boundaries in the divisions of power within the EU; in the reach of its data protection laws; in the tensions between the EU’s commitment to fundamental rights and the principle of mutual trust between the Member States; in the relations between EU, third state, and international authorities; and lastly, between the technicalities of information technologies and critical ethical and constitutional imperatives. interoperability, information-sharing, European administrative governance, data protection, accountability

Interoperable Databases: New Cooperation Dynamics in the EU AFSJ?

At present EU institutions and agencies as well as national legislators have ambitious agendas on law enforcement authorities’ access to interoperable information systems, which have become a defining feature of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ). They are the most advanced form of information exchange, conferring direct information access to competent authorities. Interoperable information systems are intended for the exchange of raw material for investigation purposes, which at a later stage could become evidence at trial. Interoperable information systems challenge existing cooperation dynamics and redefine the role of the actors involved. It is questionable whether mutual recognition and approximation, which have been considered the cornerstone of judicial cooperation in both civil and criminal matters for many years, can describe alone integration dynamics in law enforcement cooperation, particularly with reference to information sharing. This article appraises whether, and to what extent, law enforcement access to and use of interoperable information systems constitute new modes of law enforcement cooperation in the EU AFSJ. It then assesses what would be the implications of such a paradigm shift on information management. After a short overview of the main features of interoperability, it addresses whether and how the establishment and functioning of interoperable information systems actually or potentially redefines the existing distribution of tasks between the EU and Member States and among competent authorities of different kinds. European Union, Area of Freedom Security and Justice, law enforcement, information management, interoperability, approximation, mutual recognition, principle of availability, platform integration

Interoperability of CAD geometry and product manufacturing information for computer integrated manufacturing

ABSTRACT Model-Based 3D engineering has gained wide popularity in recent times for various Computer-Aided Engineering applications, bypassing the need for 2D drawings, thereby creating an efficient digital thread, reducing development time and improving the product quality. With the use of model-based definition, most data required to design, analyze and manufacture aproduct is stored in digital format. The primary focus of the paper is to create aseamless digital thread for exchanging data from anative CAD file to astandard data format like ISO STEP AP242 and vice versa, which enables smart manufacturing by attaching product manufacturing information. Prior to STEP AP242, the only successful translation among CAD systems was for the boundary representation with very little or no manufacturing data. These standards will not be enough unless defined in amachine-readable format and are equipped with tools that can read/write from these data structures. The method presented enhances the neutral data format ‘Constraint Tolerance Feature (CTF) Graph’ to ‘Augmented Constraint Tolerance (aCTF) Graph’, which holds additional information required for manufacturing. This paper discusses the elements needed during CAD data exchange, for multiple CAE applications like Computer-Aided Tolerance Analysis, Computer-Aided Manufacturing, etc., and discusses the implementation of required translators.

Developing a spatial planning information package in ISO 19152 land administration domain model

Cities establish and maintain Land Administration Systems (LAS) to manage information about the land and urban space. Recognizing the importance of the urban space for sustainable development, information from spatial planning will affect land administration and vice versa. Therefore, every aspect that influences land use, both from spatial planning and land administration should be identified, documented, and standardized as they contain legally binding rules for governments and citizens. The Land Administration Domain Model (LADM), ISO standard 19152:2012, offers guidelines to ensure interoperability in the representation of Rights, Restrictions, and Responsibilities (RRRs). LADM is also capable of standardizing multi-dimensional representation, including the temporal capability for documenting and visualizing all legal aspects of land use or space. This paper discusses how to construct interoperable information between the spatial plan and land administration. We present the standardization of spatial planning information and land administration as subsets of land-related information. The paper proposes the development of a spatial planning package within the existing LADM standard.

Coupled Lines for Wearable Power Dividers: Coupled Transmission-Line Sections for Power Dividers in Wearable and Flexible RF Electronics

In 2013, the Global Standards Initiatives on Internet of Things (IoT) defined the IoT as global infrastructure for the information society, enabling advanced services by interconnecting things based on existing and evolving interoperable information and communication technologies, with the term thing described as an object in the information world that is capable of being indentified and integrated into communication networks. Things in the IoT sense can, therefore, refer to a wide variety of devices for media, environmental monitoring, infrastructure management, manufacturing, energy management, medicine and health care, building and home automation, transportation, metropolitan-scale deployments, and consumer applications that demand accurate and reliable methods to sense changes, even in extremely rugged environments [1].

Interoperable information model for geovisualization and interaction in XR environments

ABSTRACT Since the vision of a Digital Earth (DE) was introduced in 1998, geo-browsers seem to have nearly fulfilled this vision. Virtual reality (VR) for visualizing the DE provides an immersive user experience in a mirror world. Location-based augmented reality (AR) browsers have been introduced and provide content according to user and environmental contexts. However, the content models of traditional geo-browsers and AR browsers have very limited interoperability, because they are described in application-specific formats using their domain standards. Each application is vertically integrated from content to application. The Web is an interoperable and open platform, and hundreds of millions of users are already using it to create and share content. To envision DE browsers for cross-reality (XR) environments that concurrently support geovisualization as well as VR, AR, and mixed-reality environments, we propose a DE content model based on Web standards and architecture that provides full interoperability and openness for XR browsers as a first-class citizen of the Web. This is expected to improve the DE content development efficiency by fully using the Web content development environment.

Smart market platform as a coordination mechanism of distributed flexibility for congestion management

Distribution networks and their operators will play a vital role in the Energiewende. Multitudes of units, which can provide flexibility, are connected to the distribution network. Currently, these units either lack connectivity altogether or are limited to bilateral communication. In the future, the rollout of smart metering technologies will enable the offering of decentralised units to various market actors via an interoperable information and communications technology infrastructure. The flexibility of decentralised units can also play an essential role in congestion management (CM) processes. This study describes fundamental key aspects in the development of a smart market platform as a new tool in CM. It answers the question of why a platform solution is the most suitable design principle, where the benefits of decentral flexibilities are and why an infrastructure with intelligent metering systems fits the requirements of the use case. The developed platform includes a proposal for the interaction of transmission system operators and distribution system operator in the CM process.

Application Programming Interface (API) for Immunization Information Interoperability

Public health agencies established immunization registries - now called Immunization Information Systems (IIS) - to consolidate records across provider locations to support more effective immunization of patients and public health surveillance. While initially collecting data through interactive client-server and then web-based interfaces, IIS now collect the vast majority of their data through automated interfaces to electronic health record (EHR) systems using standard application programming interfaces (API). IIS have sophisticated processing rules for the incoming data to ensure data accuracy and completeness. This paper will review the existing workflow, standards, and processes used by IIS to accept, process, and make immunization data available. This will include a review of emerging standards - Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) - which will likely become dominant over the next few years.

Research on Single-phase Grounding Fault Method for Urban Distribution Network Cable Network

This paper proposes a system-level overall solution that includes three levels of substation, distribution line and distribution automation master station. Through the transformation of power distribution and power distribution, the substation small current grounding line selection device, arc suppression coil automatic control equipment, power distribution terminal, and distribution automation main station are integrated. With a variety of comprehensive criteria as the core of technology, the operational effects of information interoperability, resource sharing, functional readiness, and unified monitoring are achieved. It can provide the production management department with the closed-loop processing method of “fault identification-isolation processing-data management-analysis promotion”. At the same time, different solutions can be configured for different site requirements, which can meet the needs of different regions and different site conditions, and effectively improve the site. Applicability solves the problem of single-phase grounding identification of cable lines.

Review of Interoperability Practices for Enterprise Information System (EIS) in Public Sector

Interoperable information system is crucial to enable an organization to provide good services to users. It can give a high impact and good return to government agencies, particularly in terms of efficiency in managing information system as well as making it time and cost effective. However, the implementation and work processes involving the interoperability of the public sector information system are still under focused. The major issues identified are concerning on difficulties in the implementation of integration between legacy systems or new systems; Recurring transactions or transactions in various systems, especially those involving legacy systems or new systems; Differences in database platforms; Difficulty in implementing the system redesign process; and no standard use of meta data, data model and complete database schema that can be used as reference. They hinder the implementation of good governance and contribute to ineffective decision-making process in the public sector. Hence, a more detailed and comprehensive study should be carried out to identify the critical success factors that contribute to the interoperability of the enterprise information system in the public sector. The method of the study is qualitative. The instruments for data collection include document analysis. The finding reveals that interoperability factors and elements can be classified according to the levels of interoperability i.e. (i) Organization; (ii) Technical; and (iii) Semantics. They can then be used as the basis for the development of reference for developing comprehensive guidelines based on the success factors and elements outlined. It is hoped that these factors could contribute to the development of enterprise information systems in the public sector which emphasizes the concept of interoperability.

OpenBIM: An Enabling Solution for Information Interoperability

The expansion of scale and the increase of complexity of construction projects puts higher requirements on the level of collaboration among different stakeholders. How to realize better information interoperability among multiple disciplines and different software platforms becomes a key problem in the collaborative process. openBIM (building information model), as a common approach of information exchange, can meet the needs of information interaction among different software well and improve the efficiency and accuracy of collaboration. To the best of our knowledge, there is currently no comprehensive survey of openBIM approach in the context of the AEC (Architecture, Engineering & Construction) industry, this paper fills the gap and presents a literature review of openBIM. In this paper, the openBIM related standards, software platforms, and tools enabling information interoperability are introduced and analyzed comprehensively based on related websites and literature. Furthermore, engineering information interoperability research supported by openBIM is analyzed from the perspectives of information representation, information query, information exchange, information extension, and information integration. Finally, research gaps and future directions are presented based on the analysis of existing research. The systematic analysis of the theory and practice of openBIM in this paper can provide support for its further research and application.

Impact of a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program on Health Information Exchange Utilization, Prescribing Behaviors, and Care Coordination in an Emergency Department.

Timely access to patient data is critical in patient care. The utilization of health information exchange and prescription drug monitoring programs can make pertinent data readily accessible for emergency department providers to coordinate care. A quasi-experimental preintervention-postintervention design, with 62 providers and 53 554 emergency department visits linked to a health information exchange and prescription drug monitoring program, was used to evaluate rates for utilization, laboratory/imaging orders, narcotic prescribing and readmission. Health information exchange utilization increased significantly after the drug monitoring program was implemented (mean = 119.33 to mean = 231.33, t2 = -15.79, P < .001). There was no significant effect postprescription drug monitoring program for laboratory/imaging orders or narcotics at discharge, although narcotic orders during emergency visits increased (F1,23 = 7.953, P = .010), which may suggest the data confirmed the immediate need to control acute or chronic conditions. In addition, readmission rates decreased from 14.64% to 12.58%. Through streamlining processes, health information exchange and prescription drug monitoring program usage were increased, which can improve care. As organizations promote interoperability of health information, the nurse informaticist plays a significant role in managing access to systems that can assist all providers in coordinating care.

Networked information technologies and patient safety: a protocol for a realist synthesis

BackgroundThere is a widespread belief that information technologies will improve diagnosis, treatment and care. Evidence about their effectiveness in health care is, however, mixed. It is not clear why this is the case, given the remarkable advances in hardware and software over the last 20 years. This review focuses on interoperable information technologies, which governments are currently advocating and funding. These link organisations across a health economy, with a view to enabling health and care professionals to coordinate their work with one another and to access patient data wherever it is stored. Given the mixed evidence about information technologies in general, and current policies and funding, there is a need to establish the value of investments in this class of system. The aim of this review is to establish how, why and in what circumstances interoperable systems affect patient safety.MethodsA realist synthesis will be undertaken, to understand how and why inter-organisational systems reduce patients’ clinical risks, or fail to do so. The review will follow the steps in most published realist syntheses, including (1) clarifying the scope of the review and identifying candidate programme and mid-range theories to evaluate, (2) searching for evidence, (3) appraising primary studies in terms of their rigour and relevance and extracting evidence, (4) synthesising evidence, (5) identifying recommendations, based on assessment of the extent to which findings can be generalised to other settings.DiscussionThe findings of this realist synthesis will shed light on how and why an important class of systems, that span organisations in a health economy, will contribute to changes in patients’ clinical risks. We anticipate that the findings will be generalizable, in two ways. First, a refined mid-range theory will contribute to our understanding of the underlying mechanisms that, for a range of information technologies, lead to changes in clinical practices and hence patients’ risks (or not). Second, many governments are funding and implementing cross-organisational IT networks. The findings can inform policies on their design and implementation.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42017073004

Development and real-world application of a taxonomy for business models in local energy markets

Local energy markets are often discussed as a means to solve the challenges of decentralization, decarbonization and digitization emerging from the energy transition. However, their (potential) business models, and thus their rationalization in our economy, remain largely unknown. Suitable business models are required to leverage economic benefits from local energy markets. We follow a multi-method approach to develop a taxonomy of local energy market business models. Firstly, we conduct 15 semi-structured expert interviews to gain first-hand knowledge of current and future business models. Secondly, a taxonomy development method is applied on the interviews in an iterative process. Our results show that the most profitable and long-term sustainable local energy market business models should focus on financial benefits as their main value proposition, should be consumer- and producer-centric, and should develop a trading platform offered by a service provider. A focus on energy and flexibility trading, and a highly interoperable information system aid the business success. Lastly, we compile an overview of current business models in nine real-world local energy market projects and apply the taxonomy to their business models. This case study shows that the implemented business models are very similar and only represent a small part of the discussed business models of local energy markets in the taxonomy. This shows that the implemented local energy market business models are currently in their very early development stages. They need to mature in line with the further development of local energy markets.

ClimCKmap, a spatially, temporally and climatically explicit distribution database for the Italian fauna

Understanding and counteracting biodiversity losses requires quantitative knowledge on species distribution and abundance across space and time, as well as integrated and interoperable information on climate conditions and climatic changes. In this paper we developed a new biodiversity-climate database for Italy, ClimCKmap, based on the critical analysis, quality estimation and subsequent integration of the CKmap database with several high-resolution climate datasets. The original database was quality-checked for errors in toponym, species name and dating; the retained records were georeferenced and their distribution polygonised via Voronoi tessellation. We then integrated the species distribution information with several high-resolution climatic datasets: average monthly minimum and maximum temperature and total monthly precipitation were reconstructed for each Voronoi cell and year. The resulting database contains 268,977 occurrence records from 8,445 binomials and 16,332 localities, dating between 1680 and 2006 CE. This dataset, fully available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7906739.v4 and http://hdl.handle.net/21.11125/a91f85cb-befd-4e14-8e83-24f17c4a0491, represents the largest, fully quality-checked, spatially, temporally and climatically explicit distribution database ever assembled for the Italian fauna, now ready for scientific exploitation.

Applying OGC Sensor Web Enablement Standards to Develop a TDR Multi-Functional Measurement Model.

Time-domain reflectometry (TDR) is considered as a passive monitoring technique which reveals multi-functions, such as water level, bridge scour, landslide, and suspended sediment concentration (SSC), based on a single TDR device via multiplexing and related algorithms. The current platform for revealing TDR analysis and interpreted observations, however, is complex to access, thus a coherent data model and format for TDR heterogeneous data exchange is useful and necessary. To enhance the interoperability of TDR information, this research aims at standardizing the TDR data based on the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Sensor Web Enablement (SWE) standards. To be specific, this study proposes a TDR sensor description model and an observation model based on the Sensor Model Language (SensorML) and Observation and Measurement (O&M) standards. In addition, a middleware was developed to translate existing TDR information to a Sensor Observation Service (SOS) web service. Overall, by standardizing TDR data with the OGC SWE open standards, relevant information for disaster management can be effectively and efficiently integrated in an interoperable manner.

VRS-DB: preserve confidentiality of users’ data using encryption approach

We focus on security and privacy problems within a cloud database framework, exploiting the DataBase as a Service (DBaaS). In this framework, an information proprietor drives out its information to a cloud database professional company. The Data-Owner (DO) encrypts the delicate information before transmission at the cloud database professional company end to offer information security. Current encryption ideas, nonetheless, are just halfway homomorphic as all of them intend to enable an explicit kind of calculation, which is accomplished on scrambled information. These current plans can’t be coordinated to solve genuine functional queries that include activities of various types. We propose and evaluate a Verifiable Reliable Secure-DataBase (VRS-DB) framework on shared tables along with many primary operations on scrambled information, which enables information interoperability, and permits an extensive possibility of Structured Query Language (SQL) queries to be prepared by the service provider on the encoded data. We show that our security and privacy idea is protected from two forms of threats and are fundamentally proficient.

Interoperability of Electronic Health Information and Care of Dialysis Patients in the United States.

Use of electronic health records (EHRs) is standard practice in the United States since adoption in clinics and hospitals was accelerated by passage of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act) in 2009. Under the aegis of the federal Office of the National

Necesidad de un geoportal catastral estandarizado, interoperable y usable

Tanto los municipios de Ecuador como el propio Estado se encuentran en una situa- ción crítica relacionada con la actualización del Catastro. Por un lado, la Constitu- ción apoya la descentralización del Estado, lo que conduce a que los municipios tengan la total responsabilidad de la puesta en marcha de los catastros. Por otro lado, la Asociación de Municipios del Ecuador (AME), dispone de un formato no estanda- rizado para la recogida de información catastral, que sigue una buena parte de los municipios ecuatorianos; otros municipios siguen otras fórmulas, algunas de ellas nada interoperables. La falta de aplicación de los estándares recomendados para el catastro por las instituciones internacionales (ISO, OGC), que facilitan la interope- rabilidad de la información geográfica, dificulta el cruce de la información catastral con el resto de la información territorial disponible, lo cual no permite situar el catastro en servidores de mapas tipo WMS capaces de ser consultados de forma ubicua. Esto es dramático para el país (instituciones estatales, empresas y particula- res) que no tienen posibilidad de utilizar las herramientas informáticas para la toma conjunta de decisiones territoriales en los diferentes niveles de gobierno o sobre todo el territorio nacional. Adicional a esta falta de uniformidad de los archivos catastrales está la dificultad para almacenar y gestionar la información catastral, con el uso de complejos programas tipo SIG que exigen el concurso de especialistas con cargo a las arcas municipales y con la falta de usabilidad de los interfaces de con- sulta. El presente trabajo presenta la idea de que exista una IDE catastral nacional, estandarizada, interoperable y usable que disponga de herramientas que faciliten la consulta de los distintos usuarios de la misma.

Sustainable Information Infrastructures: Insights from a Realist Synthesis.

Policy makers and health system managers in many countries are advocating the deployment of inter-operable health information technology systems, spanning organisations in a health economy, believing that they will be clinically effective. The case for investments has not, however, been made to date. This paper presents early results from a systematic review of the effects of inter-operable systems on patient safety. The review uses the realist synthesis method, which focuses on evidence about the decisions and actions that link interventions and outcomes, as well as the evidence about those outcomes. The evidence base is sufficient to identify plausible arguments for investments in inter-operable systems. This said, there is limited empirical evidence about each of the steps in the sequences of events. We comment on implications for the design of sustainable socio-technical solutions. We suggest that current gaps in the evidence base are in areas where informatics field methods can make a valuable contribution to our understanding of the role of inter-operable systems in patient safety.