Interoperability Of Tools Research Articles

Maximizing Learning Management Systems to Support Mathematical Problem Solving in Online Learning

Mathematical problem solving is a complex cognitive activity, which poses difficulties for students with and without disabilities in inclusive learning environments. With a variety of functions, Learning Management Systems (LMSs) have the potential to enhance personalized learning to meet the diverse needs of all students. This paper provides teachers guidance on using LMSs to implement evidence-based practices for math problem solving in an online learning environment. This paper introduced multiple functions commonly available in most LMSs, such as quiz, multimedia content editor, Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI), and learning analytics. Guidance is provided to teachers to leverage these features to maximize student learning experiences, such as engaging in multimedia learning activities, interacting with the teacher and peers, and receiving tailored feedback.

Digital Medicine Community Perspectives and Challenges: Survey Study.

BackgroundThe field of digital medicine has seen rapid growth over the past decade. With this unfettered growth, challenges surrounding interoperability have emerged as a critical barrier to translating digital medicine into practice. In order to understand how to mitigate challenges in digital medicine research and practice, this community must understand the landscape of digital medicine professionals, which digital medicine tools are being used and how, and user perspectives on current challenges in the field of digital medicine.ObjectiveThe primary objective of this study is to provide information to the digital medicine community that is working to establish frameworks and best practices for interoperability in digital medicine. We sought to learn about the background of digital medicine professionals and determine which sensors and file types are being used most commonly in digital medicine research. We also sought to understand perspectives on digital medicine interoperability.MethodsWe used a web-based survey to query a total of 56 digital medicine professionals from May 1, 2020, to July 10, 2020, on their educational and work experience, the sensors, file types, and toolkits they use professionally, and their perspectives on interoperability in digital medicine.ResultsWe determined that the digital medicine community comes from diverse educational backgrounds and uses a variety of sensors and file types. Sensors measuring physical activity and the cardiovascular system are the most frequently used, and smartphones continue to be the dominant source of digital health information collection in the digital medicine community. We show that there is not a general consensus on file types in digital medicine, and data are currently handled in multiple ways. There is consensus that interoperability is a critical impediment in digital medicine, with 93% (52) of survey respondents in agreement. However, only 36% (20) of respondents currently use tools for interoperability in digital medicine. We identified three key interoperability needs to be met: integration with electronic health records, implementation of standard data schemas, and standard and verifiable methods for digital medicine research. We show that digital medicine professionals are eager to adopt new tools to solve interoperability problems, and we suggest tools to support digital medicine interoperability.ConclusionsUnderstanding the digital medicine community, the sensors and file types they use, and their perspectives on interoperability will enable the development and implementation of solutions that fill critical interoperability gaps in digital medicine. The challenges to interoperability outlined by this study will drive the next steps in creating an interoperable digital medicine community. Establishing best practices to address these challenges and employing platforms for digital medicine interoperability will be essential to furthering the field of digital medicine.

Towards a Technology-Enhanced Blended Approach for Teaching Arabic for Shari’ah Purposes (ASP) in the Light of the South African National Qualifications Framework

The study investigates the use of a blended learning approach for teaching Arabic as a foreign language at a South African Islamic college in the light of the South African National Qualifications Framework level descriptors and their critical cross-field outcomes. In particular, the approach has been used for teaching a Ḥadīth Module in an undergraduate BA programme during the second semester of the academic year 2018-2019 at the International Peace College South Africa (IPSA). The college adopts a content and language integrated approach for teaching Arabic. The study concluded that the use of a technology-enhanced blended approach using Web 2.0 tools and Learning Tools (with full) Interoperability (LTI 2.0) (e.g. gamification) plays a vital role in motivating the learners and in the achievement of critical cross-field outcomes of each NQF level including, subject knowledge, critical thinking and problem solving, communication, teamwork and self-management among others. The study is part of an action research project that also includes the design of a syllabus for teaching Arabic for Shari’ah purposes in the South African context and the attitudes of learners towards it.

Multi-input, Multi-output Hybrid Energy Systems

Summary Jurisdictions and industries are setting ambitious goals to decarbonize energy systems. Low-cost wind, solar, and natural gas and the resultant dynamic electric grid require energy technologies to adapt in order to meet key attributes for modern energy systems: resilience, reliability, security, affordability, flexibility, and sustainability. When considering energy sources independently and competitively, value-added synergies among energy technologies may be overlooked for meeting demanding, multidimensional requirements. This paper presents novel concepts for tightly coupled hybrid energy systems that leverage capabilities of diverse energy generators, including renewable, nuclear, and fossil with carbon capture, to provide power, heat, mobility, and other energy services. The paper also presents a framework for engineering-based modeling and analysis for complex optimization of energy generation, transmission, services, processes and products, and market interactions. New modeling capabilities are needed to adequately represent multi-input, multi-output tightly coupled hybrid energy systems that utilize multiple feedstocks to create multiple products and services in novel and synergistic ways through increased coordination of energy systems and tightly coupled hybrid system configurations.

Design, development and deployment of a web-based interoperable registry for inherited retinal dystrophies in Portugal: the IRD-PT

BackgroundThe development of multicenter patient registries promotes the generation of scientific knowledge by using real-world data. A country-wide, web-based registry for inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs) empowers patients and community organizations, while supporting formal partnerships research. We aim to describe the design, development and deployment of a country-wide, with investigators and stakeholders in the global aim to develop high-value, high-utility web-based, user-friendly and interoperable registry for IRDs—the IRD-PT.ResultsThe IRD-PT is a clinical/genetic research registry included in the retina.pt platform (https://www.retina.com.pt), which was developed by the Portuguese Retina Study Group. The retina.pt platform collects data on individuals diagnosed with retinal diseases, from several sites across Portugal, with over 1800 participants and over 30,000 consultations to date. The IRD-PT module interacts with the retina.pt core system which provides a range of basic functions for patient data management, while the IRD-PT module allows data capture for the specific purpose of IRDs. All IRDs are coded accordingly to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) 9, ICD 10, ICD 11, and Orphanet Rare Disease Ontology (ORPHA codes) to make the IRD-PT interoperable with other IRD registries across the world. Furthermore, the genes are coded according to the Ontology of Genes and Genomes and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, whereas signs and symptoms are coded according to the Human Phenotype Ontology. The IRD-PT module pre-launched at Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, the largest reference center for IRDs in Portugal. As of April 1st 2020, finalized data from 537 participants were available for this preliminary analysis.ConclusionsIn the specific field of rare diseases, the use of registries increases research accessibility for individuals, while providing clinicians/investigators with a coherent data ecosystem necessary to boost research. Appropriate design and implementation of patient registries enables rapid decision making and ongoing data mining, ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes. We have described here the principles behind the design, development and deployment of a web-based, user-friendly and interoperable software tool aimed to generate important knowledge and collecting high-quality data on the epidemiology, genomic landscape and natural history of IRDs in Portugal.

LTI-Connections Between Learning Management Systems and Gaming Platforms

E-learning standards like learning tools interoperability can support at realizing innovative learning scenarios in distributed architectures. A learning tools interoperability connection between a learning management system and a gaming platform offers possibilities like embedding a game into an online course and sending player-specific data back to the learning management system. This allows for a new and data-driven evaluation of students' individual learning performances, especially for alternative methods like qualifications-based learning. The learning tools interoperability-specified mechanisms can also be applied for implementing functionality to exchange students' competence profiles and traces within a knowledge-management eco-system portal that provides a toolkit for creating competence-based games that meet the requirements of qualifications-based learning as well as tools for creating game-specific analytics. As a first result, the authors made a prototypical implementation with a serious game prototype based on the unity game engine and unity analytics as analysis platform.

Interoperabilidad de sistemas de organización del conocimiento: el estado del arte

The interoperability between knowledge organization systems (KOS) has become very important in recent years, in order to facilitate simultaneous searches in several databases or to merge different databases into one. The new standards for KOS design and development, the American Z39.19:2005 and the British 8723-4:2007, include detailed recommendations for interoperability. Also, there is a new ISO standard in preparation, the 25964-1 about thesauri and interoperability, which will be added to the above mentioned ones. The available technology provides tools for interoperability, e.g. formats and functional requirements for subject authority, as well as those for Semantic Web RDF/OWL, SKOS Core and XML. On the other hand, presently it is very hard to design and develop new KOS due to economical problems, so interoperability makes it possible to take advantage of the existing ones. In this work the basic concepts, models and methods recommended by the standards are reviewed, as well as several experiences on interoperability between KOS that have been documented.

Integrating micro-learning content in traditional e-learning platforms

Lifelong learning requires appropriate solutions, especially for corporate training. Workers usually have difficulty combining training and their normal work. In this context, micro-learning emerges as a suitable solution, since it is based on breaking down new concepts into small fragments or pills of content, which can be consumed in short periods of time. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, we offer an updated overview of the research on this training paradigm, as well as the different technologies leading to potential commercial solutions. Second, we introduce a proposal to add micro-learning content to more formal distance learning environments (traditional Learning Management Systems or LMS), with the aim of taking advantage of both learning philosophies. Our approach is based on a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) that is deployed in the cloud. In order to ensure the full integration of the micro-learning approach in traditional LMSs, we have used two well-known standards in the distance learning field: LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability) and LIS (Learning Information Service). The combination of these two technologies allows the exchange of data with the LMS to monitor the student’s activity and results. Finally, we have collected the opinion of lectures from different countries in order to know their thoughts about the potential of this new approach in higher education, obtaining positive feedback.

Assurance and certification of cyber–physical systems: The AMASS open source ecosystem

Many cyber–physical systems (CPS) are subject to rigorous assurance and certification processes to provide confidence that undue risks are not posed and thus the systems are trustworthy. These processes are complex and time-consuming and tool support can greatly aid in their execution. In line with other trends for systems and software engineering, the need for and interest in open source tools for assurance and certification is growing and different initiatives have been launched. As a concrete example, we report on our experience in developing the AMASS open source ecosystem. This ecosystem includes (1) an open source tool platform that supports the main CPS assurance and certification activities, (2) external tools with added-value features, and (3) an open community of developers and users. The platform integrates existing solutions for system modelling, process engineering, and compliance and argumentation management. We also present the application of the AMASS tool platform in 11 industrial case studies from five different application domains. The results show that the platform is a feasible means for CPS assurance and certification and that practitioners find benefits in assurance-oriented system modelling and in integrated system assurance information, among other areas. Nonetheless, improvement opportunities also exist, most notably regarding tool interoperability and usability.

Systematic mapping study on domain-specific language development tools

Domain-specific languages (DSL) are programming or modeling languages devoted to a given application domain. There are many tools used to support the implementation of a DSL, making hard the decision-making process for one or another. In this sense, identifying and mapping their features is relevant for decision-making by academic and industrial initiative on DSL development. Objective: The goal of this work is to identify and map the tools, Language Workbenches (LW), or frameworks that were proposed to develop DSLs discussed and referenced in publications between 2012 and 2019. Method: A Systematic Mapping Study (SMS) of the literature scoping tools for DSL development. Results: We identified 59 tools, including 9 under a commercial license and 41 with non-commercial licenses, and analyzed their features from 230 papers. Conclusion: There is a substantial amount of tools that cover a large number of features. Furthermore, we observed that usually, the developer adopts one type of notation to implement the DSL: textual or graphical. We also discuss research gaps, such as a lack of tools that allow meta-meta model transformations and that support modeling tools interoperability.

BIM-based environmental impact assessment for infrastructure design projects

Sustainability is becoming a key factor in the decision-making process of infrastructure projects throughout their lifecycles. In particular, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in the design phase is becoming a matter of significant importance, for both public and private sectors, given the long-term impacts of design decisions on the environmental performance of infrastructure projects. Traditionally, EIA is performed by a sustainability expert at the end of the design cycle, by which time the modification of design is both costly and time-consuming. In recent years, Building Information Modelling (BIM) is leveraged to better integrate EIA with the design practices. However, there are several limitations with how this integration is approached: (1) EIA is normally performed by software other than the one used for the design. This renders the continuous EIA based on incomplete BIM models difficult; (2) there is a lack of explicit data structure for the integration of EIA and BIM data. This limits the interoperability and flexibility of the EIA tools in terms of accommodating to different EIA databases; (3) in the majority of the cases the integration of EIA and BIM is not bidirectional, which results in the incapacity of the designers to immediately visualize the results of EIA in the design platform and to track the progress of the design in terms of EIA; and (4) the BIM-based EIA has rarely been implemented in an infrastructure project. Therefore, this research aims to develop a continuous BIM-based EIA for infrastructure projects that utilizes an explicit data structure to (1) systematically integrate data from various sources, and (2) enable bidirectional data exchange between BIM and EIA. The framework allows designers to run an automated EIA at any point in the design stage and immediately assess the Environmental Impact Score (EIS) of their design choices. A prototype is developed and tested on a case study to indicate the feasibility of the proposed framework. The framework is assessed in terms of functionality, ease of use, scalability, and contribution to raising sustainability consciousness through a workshop with experts. It is shown that the framework is able to quickly provide designers with accurate information about the potential environmental impact of all objects in infrastructure design projects. The workshop with experts showed that the tool clearly makes it easier to perform EIA compared to the existing, highly fragmented, process. This allows the design team to use this assessment on the same level as other design parameters in the decision-making process.

Abstract 5462: Adding CIViC knowledge to variant annotation pipelines with CIViCpy

Abstract Precision oncology is dependent upon the matching of tumor variants to relevant knowledge describing the clinical significance of those variants. We recently developed the Clinical Interpretations for Variants in Cancer (CIViC; civicdb.org) crowd-sourced, expert-moderated, and open-access knowledgebase. CIViC provides a structured framework for evaluating genomic variants of various types (e.g., fusions, SNVs) for their clinical utility based on therapeutic, prognostic, predisposing, diagnostic, and functional evidence. CIViC has a documented API for accessing CIViC records: Assertions, Evidence, Variants, and Genes. Third-party tools that analyze or access the contents of this knowledgebase must programmatically leverage this API, often reimplementing redundant functionality in the pursuit of common analysis tasks that are beyond the scope of the CIViC web application. We recently published CIViCpy v1.0 (civicpy.org), a software development kit (SDK) for extracting and analyzing the contents of the CIViC knowledgebase. CIViCpy enables users to query CIViC content as dynamic objects in Python. Here we highlight new features and informative analyses introduced since the original publication. New features include an extended variant search functionality that supports queries by variant name, HGVS, and ClinGen Allele Registry ID (CAID). In addition to the CIViC-native GRCh37 coordinates, CIViCpy now supports variant queries from multiple alternative human genome builds, including hg18 and GRCh38. CIViCpy also includes multiple easy-to-use tools for straightforward installation in a variety of compute environments. A commonly requested feature is the annotation of user-provided variants in Variant Call Format (VCF) with CIViC data. CIViCpy now provides convenient methods, including a command line interface (CLI), for performing this task. We illustrate the use of newly added features by annotating pan-cancer VCF files from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We show that CIViCpy is able to quickly and efficiently annotate patient variants in the context of the reported disease type, appending data about the associated CIViC Evidence and Assertions to the provided VCF files. The clinical interpretation of genomic variants in cancers requires high-throughput tools for interoperability and analysis of variant interpretation knowledge. These needs are met by CIViCpy, an SDK for downstream applications and rapid analysis. The new features discussed here allow users to easily incorporate CIViC knowledge into their variant annotation pipelines. CIViCpy (civicpy.org) is fully documented, open-source, and freely available online. Citation Format: Susanna Kiwala, Alex H. Wagner, Adam C. Coffman, Joshua F. McMichael, Kelsy C. Cotto, Thomas B. Mooney, Erica K. Barnell, Kilannin Krysiak, Arpad M. Danos, Jason M. Walker, Obi L. Griffith, Malachi Griffith. Adding CIViC knowledge to variant annotation pipelines with CIViCpy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 5462.

Assessment of model-based data exchange between architectural design and structural analysis

The emerging availability of numerous model-based design and analysis tools promises high interoperability in terms of data exchange, thus shorter planning cycles and higher design quality. However, seamless transfer of digital models across domains without significant data inconsistencies is still a major challenge in the practice. This paper aims to identify the procedural problems in the data transfer between architectural design and structural analysis and propose improvement.This study reviewed the current data exchange practices, and concluded that data exchange based on the industry foundation classes (IFC) is the most spread in the research and software tools supporting architecture, engineering and construction industry. The study also analyzed the processes which affect the IFC-based data exchange. The interoperability of software tools through IFC files was tested in a comparative study. The testing results are reflected on the processes influencing data exchange, identifying the procedural problems and recommending the improvements.Upon conducted analysis and testing, the authors propose the following strategies for the systematic improvement of the data exchange: (a) introducing interpretation rules in the data exchange standards; (b) focusing on multiple domain-specific building data schemas instead of on the integrated schema; and (c) developing a new certification process based on the domain-specific building data schema. The improvement proposal supported by the analysis provides a roadmap for the development of model-based exchange between architectural design and structural analysis.

Magellan

Entity matching (EM) finds data instances that refer to the same real-world entity. In 2015, we started the Magellan project at UW-Madison, jointly with industrial partners, to build EM systems. Most current EM systems are stand-alone monoliths. In contrast, Magellan borrows ideas from the field of data science (DS), to build a new kind of EM systems, which is ecosystems of interoperable tools for multiple execution environments, such as on-premise, cloud, and mobile. This paper describes Magellan, focusing on the system aspects. We argue why EM can be viewed as a special class of DS problems and thus can benefit from system building ideas in DS. We discuss how these ideas have been adapted to build <code>PyMatcher</code> and <code>CloudMatcher</code>, sophisticated on-premise tools for power users and self-service cloud tools for lay users. These tools exploit techniques from the fields of machine learning, big data scaling, efficient user interaction, databases, and cloud systems. They have been successfully used in 13 companies and domain science groups, have been pushed into production for many customers, and are being commercialized. We discuss the lessons learned and explore applying the Magellan template to other tasks in data exploration, cleaning, and integration.

The Spectroscopic Atomic and Molecular Databases at the Paris Observatory

This paper is intended to give a comprehensive overview of the current status and developments of the Paris Observatory STARK-B, MOLAT and SESAM databases which can be interrogated thanks to interoperability tools. The STARK-B database provides shifting and broadening parameters of different atomic and ionic transitions due to impacts with charged particles (the so-called Stark broadening) for different temperatures and densities. The spectroscopic MOLAT and SESAM databases provide the wavelengths, the oscillator strengths or Einstein spontaneous emission coefficients of H 2 , CO and isotopologues molecules.

The Application of E-ARK Tools for Archival Interoperability to Support a Long-term Sustainable Digital Single Market

ABSTRACT European Union support for the development of digital cross-border means for conducting business and running governments has fundamentally changed how public and private business is conducted. But this digital information has to remain available for long periods, often beyond the life expectancy of individual information systems or technological components. This poses a significant challenge for both the original data creators and digital archives that have to be capable of both dealing with the most current information technology, and with “saving” information from legacy systems. To deal with these challenges, it is necessary to bridge the gap between the methods used in digital preservation and content creation and introduce additional practical interoperability into the solutions used for a Digital Single Market and digital preservation infrastructures. The European Commission recognized the need in 2013 and funded the E-ARK project (2014–2017), which successfully delivered a set of principles, specifications and tools that provided an interoperable and international solution for the sustainable long-term availability of digital information. This paper describes the solutions developed by the E-ARK project, focusing on the SIP format, as well as the steps the European Commission is taking toward building a thriving digital preservation community around the E-ARK outcomes.

Connecting with Faculty and Students through Course-Related LibGuides

Academic librarians face increasing challenges when trying to connect their services and resources with faculty and students, especially as courses move online and are taught by adjunct faculty. Online research guides, most commonly LibGuides, can be automatically inserted into course shells within Learning Management Systems (LMS) using Learning Tool Interoperability (LTI) protocols, but an alternative to automatic integration is for librarians to match and suggest appropriate subject guides to faculty for inclusion in their courses. Personally matching and recommending LibGuides to faculty can be an effective form of library outreach and relationship-building. This article describes a pilot project of suggesting specific LibGuides to faculty and its success in forging and strengthening several library-department connections.

Web-Based Tool for Interoperability among Structural Analysis Applications

AbstractOver the last decade, building information modeling (BIM) has been the main player in the architectural, engineering, construction, and operation (AECO) industry. The BIM workflow is becomi...

Extending Our Reach: Integrating Librarians and Library Resources into Canvas

A team of librarians developed and implemented a plan to create coordinated library access for all students through the Canvas learning management system. Partnering with campus information technology services, librarians developed a specialized role in Canvas. Librarians also used Springshare’s LibApps LTI (learning tools interoperability) to integrate research guides in Canvas, using course metadata to map guides to the appropriate subject or course. Evaluation of the impact of adding a Librarian role and mapping research guides to the Canvas LMS is ongoing and indicates these changes have affected the way students are accessing library resources.

BIM‐Anwendungsfall (AwF) Abrechnung‐Vortrieb am Beispiel des Zentrums am Berg

AbstractBIM modelling of infrastructure works is controlled by a global market consisting of few software suppliers and is contingent upon the functions provided by them. Customization options furnished by the software suppliers often enable enhancement of functions, which is essential for infrastructure BIM although not completely available. This enables improved interoperability of the software tools used in this area. IFC is most likely to become an established international format for data exchange with its constant but also intricate further development. However, in underground infrastructure construction, both international and national standards are used and the integration of the latter in IFC cannot be anticipated. Hence, the implementation of BIM has to apply national standards in the use cases of collaborative data exchange among the different disciplines in tunnelling. In this contribution, the use case of payment of excavation classes and its implementation in a BIM environment are addressed. It discusses the interoperable interlinkage of software tools commonly used in construction to generate consistent digital data transfer and it underscores the need for an interdisciplinary agreement to integrate national standards into adequate practice for the implementation of BIM.