Integrating Mobile-Based Systems with Healthcare Databases

In this chapter, we discuss issues related to e-health and focus on two major challenges in distributed healthcare database management: database heterogeneity and user mobility. We designed and prototyped a mobile-agent-based mobile data-access system framework that can address these challenges. It applies a thesaurus-based hierarchical database federation to cope with database heterogeneity and utilizes the mobile-agent technology to respond to the complications introduced by user mobility and wireless networks. The functions provided by this system are described in detail and a performance evaluation is also provided.

Integrating Mobile-Based Systems with Healthcare Databases

In this chapter, we discuss issues related to ehealth and focus on two major challenges in distributed healthcare database management: database heterogeneity and user mobility. We designed and prototyped a mobile-agent-based mobile data-access system framework that can address these challenges. It applies a thesaurus- based hierarchical database federation to cope with database heterogeneity and utilizes the mobile-agent technology to respond to the complications introduced by user mobility and wireless networks. The functions provided by this system are described in detail and a performance evaluation is also provided.

Integrating Mobile-Based Systems with Healthcare Databases

In this chapter, we discuss issues related to ehealth and focus on two major challenges in distributed healthcare database management: database heterogeneity and user mobility. We designed and prototyped a mobile-agent-based mobile data-access system framework that can address these challenges. It applies a thesaurus- based hierarchical database federation to cope with database heterogeneity and utilizes the mobile-agent technology to respond to the complications introduced by user mobility and wireless networks. The functions provided by this system are described in detail and a performance evaluation is also provided.

Federated data bases for the development of an operational monitoring and forecasting system of the ocean: the THREDDS Dataset Merger

During the last decade, operational monitoring and forecasting systems have been developed in all the European seas. The exchange of data and products and the development of services for a wide community of users pose some fundamental issues, whose solution has become a priority in integrated and GMES referring projects, such as the MERSEA European project. These projects aim to develop a European system for operational monitoring and forecasting on global and regional scales of ocean physics, bio-chemistry and ecosystems. GMES system and its operational projects need to federate resources and expertise coming from diverse organizations working on different Earth Sciences fields (e.g. satellite data processing, in situ observing systems, data management, ocean and ecosystem modeling, etc.). Therefore, it is required a Marine Information Management (MIM) system capable of facilitating the regular real-time exchange of high quality information, data and products. Moreover, MIM system must provide appropriate information for a wide range of external users both in real-time and delayed mode. In this paper an architecture based on the OPeNDAP/THREDDS technology is proposed as a solution for these operational systems. In this context, a catalog merging solution is introduced for the MIM system, which results in the design and development of the THREDDS Dataset Merger (TDM): a set of services meant to merge THREDDS Dataset Inventory Catalogs, so to achieve a unique catalog service for a whole database federation. TDM service merges distributed and autonomous THREDDS catalogs in order to work out a virtual merged catalog. The TDM service was extended in order to provide automatic catalogs synchronization. This service allows extending the pull-based TDM paradigm to support push-based applications. Some security issues are also considered.

An OGSA-based Integration of Life-scientific Resources for Drug Discovery

Summary Objectives: The rapid progress of life-scientific research has the potential to dramatically change the paradigm of drug discovery. Efficient utilization of life-scientific resources, i.e., databases and analytic software tools, poses a challenging issue with regard to the reduction of time and cost in the drug discovery process. In this paper, a variety of heterogeneous Web-based life-scientific resources are integrated toward the improvement of drug discovery performance. Methods: For the integration of heterogeneous life-scientific resources, a database federation technique based on three-layer architecture has been utilized. With the federation technique, life-scientific resources are integrated step by step through database layers, database integration layers and analysis layers to encapsulate complexity and heterogeneity. In this study, we have taken advantage of the latest Grid technology based on OGSA (Open Grid Services Architecture) for the implementation of our approach. Results: The actual case of life-scientific resources for drug discovery demonstrates that our prototype system developed with the proposed technique works well for the identification process of candidate compounds to a target protein. In other words, the prototype system allows a researcher to retrieve candidate compounds with less effort than before. Conclusions: The usefulness of the prototypic system represents the ability of our approach to integrate heterogeneous life-scientific resources, which have the potential to dramatically improve efficiency in drug discovery, resulting in the shortening of drug development. On the other hand, the system requires further consideration from the aspect of practical use. Dynamic aggregation of the resources is one example of such a consideration.