Improving Service Management for Federated Resources to Support Virtual Research Environments

Virtual research environments provide an easy access to e-Infrastructures for researchers by creating an abstracted service-oriented layer on top of the available resources. Using the portal, researchers can focus on the research workflow and data analysis while being provided with a consolidated unified view of all tools necessary for their activities. The sustainable lifecycle of a virtual research environment can only be achieved if it is going to be used with high quality of experience by a large body of users. Aiming for this goal, in this paper we analyse the requirements and implementation of a cross-community virtual research environment that brings together researchers from three different domains. Promoting interdisciplinary research and cooperation, the federated virtual research environment is based on the service orientation paradigm, offering anything as a service solutions. Thus, the main pillar for a successful implementation of this solution is the careful design and management of the underlying elementary services and service compositions. The rest of the paper discusses the challenges of the service management implementation focusing on interoperability by design and service management standards.

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V-FOR-WaTer: A Virtual Research Environment for Environmental Research

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-3356 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Marcus Strobl ◽

Elnaz Azmi ◽

Sibylle K. Hassler ◽

Mirko Mälicke ◽

Jörg Meyer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Data Access ◽

Environmental Data ◽

Environmental Research ◽

Easy Access ◽

Web Portal ◽

Environmental Sciences ◽

Research Environment ◽

Data Services ◽

Virtual Research Environment ◽

The Web

The virtual research environment V-FOR-WaTer aims at simplifying data access for environmental sciences, fostering data publications and facilitating data analyses. By giving scientists from universities, research facilities and state offices easy access to data, appropriate pre-processing and analysis tools and workflows, we want to accelerate scientific work and facilitate the reproducibility of analyses.The prototype of the virtual research environment consists of a database with a detailed metadata scheme that is adapted to water and terrestrial environmental data. Present datasets in the web portal originate from university projects and state offices. We are also finalising the connection of V-FOR-WaTer to GFZ Data Services, an established repository for geoscientific data. This will ease publication of data from the portal and in turn give access to datasets stored in this repository. Key to being compatible with GFZ Data Services and other systems is the compliance of the metadata scheme with international standards (INSPIRE, ISO19115).The web portal is designed to facilitate typical workflows in environmental sciences. Map operations and filter options ensure easy selection of the data, while the workspace area provides tools for data pre-processing, scaling, and common hydrological applications. The toolbox also contains more specific tools, e.g. for geostatistics and soon for evapotranspiration. It is easily extendable and will ultimately also include user-developed tools, reflecting the current research topics and methodologies in the hydrology community. Tools are accessed through Web Processing Services (WPS) and can be joined, saved and shared as workflows, enabling more complex analyses and ensuring reproducibility of the results.

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VirES for Aeolus - Virtual Research Environment (VRE)

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-8347 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Santillan Pedrosa ◽

Alexander Geiss ◽

Isabell Krisch ◽

Fabian Weiler ◽

Peggy Fischer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Application Programming Interface ◽

Data Access ◽

Easy Access ◽

Research Environment ◽

Web Browser ◽

Explorer Mission ◽

Virtual Research Environment ◽

Application Programming ◽

Open Service ◽

Programming Interface

The VirES for Aeolus service (https://aeolus.services) has been successfully running by EOX since August 2018. The service provides easy access and analysis functions for the entire data archive of ESA's Aeolus Earth Explorer mission through a web browser.This free and open service is being extended with a Virtual Research Environment (VRE). The VRE builds on the available data access capabilities of the service and provides a data access Application Programming Interface (API) as part of a developing environment in the cloud using JupyterHub and JupyterLab for processing and exploitation of the Aeolus data. In collaboration with Aeolus DISC user requirements are being collected, implemented and validated.Jupyter Notebook templates, an extensive set of tutorials, and documentation are being made available to enable a quick start on how to use VRE in projects. The VRE is intended to support and simplify the work of (citizen-) scientists interested in Aeolus data by being able to quickly develop processes or algorithms that can be shared or used to create visualizations for publications. Having a unified constant platform could potentially also be very helpful for calibration and validation activities by allowing easier result comparisons.

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Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) Implementation

International Journal of Information Systems in the Service Sector ◽

10.4018/ijisss.2018040101 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 1-21 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Tom Yoon ◽

Bong-Keun Jeong

Keyword(s):

Case Studies ◽

Service Oriented Architecture ◽

Successful Implementation ◽

Business Units ◽

Small Project ◽

Service Oriented ◽

Multiple Case ◽

Multiple Case Studies ◽

And Training

Using a multiple case studies and surveys, this article finds that factors essential to successful Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) implementations include establishing effective SOA governance, establishing SOA registries, starting with a small project, collaboration between business and IT units, strengthening trust among business units, and training. This article also explores business and IT motivations for SOA implementation and the benefits realized from this implementation. The findings from this article can provide a guidance for practitioners on the successful implementation of SOA.

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Optimizing EMR User Experience: A Human Factors Approach to Hardware Assessment and Design for Inpatient and Emergency Units

Proceedings of the International Symposium on Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care ◽

10.1177/2327857918071022 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 97-102 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Catherine Dulude ◽

Chantal Trudel ◽

W. James King ◽

Karen Macaulay ◽

Jennifer Gillert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Electronic Medical Records ◽

User Satisfaction ◽

Medical Records ◽

Participatory Design ◽

Easy Access ◽

Just In Time ◽

Successful Implementation ◽

End User ◽

System A ◽

Emergency Units

Many factors contribute to the successful implementation and adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs). Easy access to the EMR, where and when required by clinicians, is a key component of adoption and end-user satisfaction with the system. A pediatric hospital implementing an integrated EMR used multiple methods within an iterative human-centered design (HCD) framework to develop hardware and access solutions supporting future EMR workflows in Inpatient and Emergency Departments. Context of use analysis, participatory design methods, preliminary analysis of evaluative simulations and tacit knowledge of the project team led to the development of guiding principles for hardware implementation and solutions supporting just-in-time documentation within the constraints of existing facility design.

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Perceptions of Home Telemonitoring Use Among Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Qualitative Study

JMIR mhealth and uhealth ◽

10.2196/16343 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (6) ◽

pp. e16343 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sara Lundell ◽

Mari Modig ◽

Åsa Holmner ◽

Karin Wadell

Keyword(s):

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽

Health Care ◽

Pulmonary Disease ◽

Self Management ◽

Easy Access ◽

Chronic Obstructive ◽

Successful Implementation ◽

Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ◽

Major Health Problem ◽

Home Telemonitoring

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major health problem and an economic burden globally. There is growing interest in how electronic health (eHealth) can be used to provide efficient health care. Telemonitoring, where the patient’s health-related data is transmitted to a health care provider, can be used to detect early signs of exacerbations. A successful implementation of telemonitoring systems into clinical practice requires in-depth knowledge of the users’ preferences. Objective The aim of this study was to explore perceptions of the use of a home telemonitoring system among patients with COPD. Methods Semistructured individual interviews were carried out with 8 women and 5 men who were participants in a project aimed at developing and evaluating a telemonitoring system. The web-based telemonitoring system measured pulmonary function, subjective symptoms, and oxygen saturation. Participants were interviewed after having used the system for 2-4 months. Interview transcripts were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. Results The analysis resulted in the theme A transition toward increased control and security and four categories: using with (in)security, affecting technical concern or confidence, providing easy access to health care, and increasing control over the disease. The participants reported various perceptions of using the telemonitoring system. They expressed initial feelings of insecurity, both in terms of operating the system and in terms of their disease. However, the practical management of the telemonitoring system became easier with time; the participants gradually gained confidence and improved their self-management. New technology was perceived as an important complement to existing health care, but the importance of maintaining a human contact in real life or through the telemonitoring system was emphasized. Conclusions This study captured a transition among the participants from being insecure and experiencing technical concerns to acquiring technical confidence and improving disease management. Telemonitoring can be a valuable complement to health care, leading to increased self-knowledge, a sense of security, and improved self-management. Suggestions to improve the further development and implementation of telemonitoring systems include better patient education and the involvement of end users in the technical development process. Additional research is needed, particularly in the design of user-friendly systems, as well as in developing tools to predict which patients are most likely to find the equipment useful, as this may result in increased empowerment, improved quality of life, reduced costs, and a contribution to equity in health.

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How to improve quality of care in overcrowded emergency departments? Development and evaluation of a virtual research environment. (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.13993 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Charles-Henri Houze Cerfon ◽

Christine Vaissié ◽

Laurent Gout ◽

Bruno Bastiani ◽

Sandrine Charpentier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Emergency Department ◽

Emergency Medicine ◽

Quality Of Care ◽

Simulated Patients ◽

Emergency Physicians ◽

Research Environment ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Ed Overcrowding ◽

Virtual Research Environment

BACKGROUND Despite wide literature on ED overcrowding, scientific knowledge on emergency physicians’ cognitive processes coping with overcrowding is limited. OBJECTIVE We sought to develop and evaluate a virtual research environment that will allow us to study the effect of physicians’ strategies and behaviours on quality of care in the context of emergency department overcrowding. METHODS A simulation-based observational study was conducted over two stages: the development of a simulation model and its evaluation. A research environment in Emergency Medicine combining virtual reality and simulated patients has been designed and developed. Then, twelve emergency physicians took part in simulation scenarios and had to manage thirteen patients during a 2-hour period. The study outcome was the authenticity of the environment through realism, consistency and mastering. The realism was the resemblance perceived by the participants between virtual and real Emergency Department. The consistency of the scenario and the participants’ mastering of the environment was expected for 90% of the participants. RESULTS The virtual emergency department was considered realistic with no significant difference from the real world concerning facilities and resources except for the length of time of procedures that was perceived to be shorter. 100% of participants deemed that patient information, decision-making and managing patient flow were similar to real clinical practice. The virtual environment was well-mastered by all participants over the course of the scenarios. CONCLUSIONS The new simulation tool, Virtual Research Environment in Emergency Medicine has been successfully designed and developed. It has been assessed as perfectly authentic by emergency physicians compared to real EDs and thus offers another way to study human factors, quality of care and patient safety in the context of ED overcrowding.

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VirES for Swarm & Virtual Research Environment: Software, guides & infrastructure to boost accessibility of Swarm

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-9272 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ashley Smith ◽

Martin Pačes

Keyword(s):

Community Involvement ◽

Geomagnetic Field ◽

Data Retrieval ◽

Product Portfolio ◽

It Services ◽

Research Environment ◽

Wide Range ◽

Geomagnetic Field Models ◽

Virtual Research Environment ◽

Model Residuals

ESA's Swarm mission continues to deliver excellent data providing insight into a wide range of geophysical phenomena. The mission is an important asset whose data are used within a number of critical resources, from geomagnetic field models to space weather services. As the product portfolio grows to better deliver on the mission's scientific goals, we face increasing complexity in accessing, processing, and visualising the data and models. ESA provides &#8220;VirES for Swarm&#8221; [1] (developed by EOX IT Services) to help solve this problem. VirES is a web-based data retrieval and visualisation tool where the majority of Swarm products are available. VirES has a graphical interface but also a machine-to-machine interface (API) for programmable use (a Python client is provided). The VirES API also provides access to geomagnetic ground observatory data, as well as forwards evaluation of geomagnetic field models to give data-model residuals. The "Virtual Research Environment" (VRE) adds utility to VirES with a free cloud-based JupyterLab interface allowing scientists to immediately program their own analysis of Swarm products using the Python ecosystem. We are augmenting this with a suite of Jupyter notebooks and dashboards, each targeting a specific use case, and seek community involvement to grow this resource.[1] https://vires.services

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Design and Standardisation of Core Directories for e-Government

Digital Democracy ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-1740-7.ch015 ◽

2012 ◽

pp. 286-305

Author(s):

Christian Welzel ◽

Heiko Hartenstein ◽

Jörn von Lucke

Keyword(s):

Information Technology ◽

Information Management ◽

Interdisciplinary Approach ◽

Easy Access ◽

Basic Information ◽

Service Oriented Architectures ◽

Generic Structure ◽

Application Service ◽

Research Activities ◽

Service Oriented

Core Directories are content infrastructure elements for interoperable use in service oriented architectures. They capsulate basic information to a generic structure offering easy access and transparency. The design and research activities focused on specification, a generic approach, globally unique identification of objects and development of an example application. Moreover, requirements and advantages of the concept were discussed and directed to information management issues. Key objective is the modernisation of the information technology used in and between administrations. The interdisciplinary approach is a challenge for the constitution of next generation e-Government networks. The chapter describes the strategic and operative standardisation activities, the concept of Core Directories and the example application service responsibility finder. Furthermore, an outlook for some research activities and projects on this topic is given.

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Effective Surveillance Management during Service Encounters

Advances in Marketing, Customer Relationship Management, and E-Services - Socio-Economic Perspectives on Consumer Engagement and Buying Behavior ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-2139-6.ch006 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 118-139

Author(s):

Angelo Bonfanti

Keyword(s):

Service Quality ◽

Conceptual Framework ◽

Customer Service ◽

Service Management ◽

Service Encounters ◽

Surveillance Systems ◽

Future Studies ◽

Starting Point ◽

Management Perspective ◽

Service Oriented

This chapter aims to theoretically examine effective surveillance management (ESM) during service encounters within the servicescape and provide a conceptual framework for the study of this topic in a service management perspective. It analyses antecedents, dimensions and effects of ESM. This study especially proposes as antecedents both improving customer service experience along with meeting customers' need for security and implementing a surveillance service-oriented strategy that includes secure and safe servicescape design, deterrent communication, and trained and motivated security staff. This chapter suggests also that the dimensions of ESM (customer-physical service environment encounters, customer-technological surveillance systems encounters, and customer-security staff encounters) contribute to enhancing service quality, experience quality, and staff productivity. The integration of these dimensions, antecedents, and effects create a theoretically grounded framework that can serve as a starting point for future studies about this topic in the field of service management.

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Supporting Doctoral Students through the Personalisation of a Graduate Virtual Research Environment

International Journal of Adult Vocational Education and Technology ◽

10.4018/ijavet.2016100104 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 54-71

Author(s):

Robert Costello

Keyword(s):

Goal Orientation ◽

Doctoral Students ◽

Learning Theories ◽

Research Approach ◽

Mixed Method Research ◽

Research Environment ◽

Postgraduate Students ◽

Personalised Learning ◽

Rich Media ◽

Virtual Research Environment

This paper offers a case study in which a traditional Learning Management System (LMS) was enhanced through learning theories and web-based technologies to support the development of doctoral students. The model being used here, can address and support a personalised learning approach to assist postgraduate students, as part of matching their skills with a repository of rich media and activities. The mixed method research approach adopted here aided into the investigation into the Graduate Virtual Research Environment (GVRE) while analysing factors like usability, accessibility, goal orientation and evolving the learners' needs. The author argues by tailoring the gap between learning theories and technology with the complexities of human nature one can adapt the educational setting to provide a LMS which can be personalized for doctoral students.

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