62 research outputs found
Publicación de datos abiertos enlazados: revisión sistemática de la literatura para identificar problemas y herramientas técnicas de apoyo al proceso
On the Internet, we find a large amount of information from government institutions that has been published in open format. However, only a part of these data is available in standard formats such as Resource Description Framework (RDF), and to a lesser extent, is published as Linked Open Data (LOD). The main objective of the research presented in this paper is to identify problems and tools used in the process of publishing LOD with the purpose of establishing a basis for the construction of a future framework that will help public institutions to facilitate such processes. To fulfill the objective, we conducted a systematic literature review in order to assess the state-of-the-art in this matter. The contribution of this work is to identify the frequent problems that arise in the LOD publishing process. It also provides a detail of the frameworks proposed in scientific papers grouping the technical tools by phases that correspond to the LOD publication life cycle. In addition, it compiles the characteristics of the ETL (Extract-Transform-Load) tools that predominate in this review, such as Pentaho Data Integration (Kettle) and OpenRefine.En Internet encontramos una gran cantidad de información procedente de instituciones de gobierno que se ha publicado en formato abierto. Sin embargo, sólo una parte de estos datos está disponible en formatos estándar como Resource Description Framework (RDF) y, en menor medida, se publican como Linked Open Data (LOD). El objetivo principal de la investigación presentada en esta publicación es identificar los problemas y las herramientas utilizadas en el proceso de publicación de LOD con el fin de establecer una base para la construcción de un futuro marco que ayude a las instituciones públicas a facilitar dichos procesos. Para cumplir con el objetivo, realizamos una revisión sistemática de la literatura con el fin de evaluar el estado del arte en la materia. La contribución de este trabajo es identificar los problemas frecuentes que surgen en el proceso de publicación de LOD. También proporciona un detalle de los marcos propuestos en artículos científicos agrupando las herramientas técnicas por fases que corresponden al ciclo de vida de la publicación LOD.
Además, recopila las características de las herramientas ETL (Extract-Transform-Load) que predominan en esta revisión, como Pentaho Data Integration (Kettle) y OpenRefine.Facultad de Informátic
An ecosystem inspired framework for digital government transformation
Traditional e-government and Digital Government Transformation (DGT) initiatives are often focused on technology transformation and business-IT alignment with the attempt to make government more efficient, transparent and easier to operate within. However, billions of public funding has been spent on those initiatives with very few anticipated benefits yielded.
This thesis asserts that DGT will bring about true government transformation when business, people and culture are considered together. Many existing business/industry frameworks, architectures and best practices in the literature for DGT projects address only one or two of those dimensions.
To focus on the development and delivery of transformational changes in DGT initiatives, this thesis will propose a solution framework for an integrative approach that brings about business transformation, technology transformation, with people-stakeholder-leadership oriented cultural transformation to form a holistic methodology framework for DGT that is beyond technology alone and will illuminate the road to success in DGT executions.
This thesis will provide an ecosystem inspired framework together with tools and maturity model framework to guide a government-wide successful execution of the DGT journey that is iterative, measurable and with consideration of all aspects of business, technology and people. This thesis will approach DGT journeys by:
1. Implementing of a holistic framework to guide the DGT;
2. Considering people and culture for an effective DGT;
3. Providing an integrated approach that can bring innovative knowledge and cultural transformation together with the technology transformation; and by
4. Providing a measurement framework and metrics to guide the maturity of DGT projects.
This thesis will be evaluated through four case studies including public sector, the defence force, and health ecosystems and is aimed at supporting public entities for better utilisation of resources, modernising operations, displaying better use of public funds, keeping trust high, saving time, offering fast learning, and better engagement and services for its stakeholders both internally and externally
Biofuels and Sustainability
This open access book presents a comprehensive analysis of biofuel use strategies from an interdisciplinary perspective using sustainability science. This interdisciplinary perspective (social science-natural science) means that the strategies and policy options proposed will have significant impacts on the economy and society alike. Biofuels are expected to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, revitalizing economies in agricultural communities and alleviating poverty. However, despite these anticipated benefits, international organizations such as the FAO, OECD and UN have published reports expressing concerns that biofuel promotion may lead to deforestation, water pollution and water shortages. The impacts of biofuel use are extensive, cross-sectoral and complex, and as such, comprehensive analyses are required in order to assess the extent to which biofuels can contribute to sustainable societies. Applying interdisciplinary sustainability science concepts and methodologies, the book helps to enhance the establishment of a sustainable society as well as the development of appropriate responses to a global need for urgent action on current issues related to biofuels
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A Survey of Top-Level Ontologies - to inform the ontological choices for a Foundation Data Model
The Centre for Digital Built Britain has been tasked through the Digital Framework Task Group to develop an Information Management Framework (IMF) to support the development of a National Digital Twin (NDT) as set out in “The Pathway to an Information Management Framework” (Hetherington, 2020). A key component of the IMF is a Foundation Data Model (FDM),
built upon a top-level ontology (TLO), as a basis for ensuring consistent data across the NDT. This document captures the results collected from a broad survey of top-level ontologies, conducted by the IMF technical team. It focuses on the core ontological choices made in their foundations and
the pragmatic engineering consequences these have on how the ontologies can be applied and further scaled. This document will provide the basis for discussions on a suitable TLO for the FDM. It is also expected that these top-level ontologies will provide a resource whose components can be harvested and adapted for inclusion in the FDM
Development of a context-aware internet of things framework for remote monitoring services
Asset management is concerned with the management practices necessary to
maximise the value delivered by physical engineering assets. Internet of Things
(IoT)-generated data are increasingly considered as an asset and the data asset
value needs to be maximised too. However, asset-generated data in practice are
often collected in non-actionable form. Moreover, IoT data create challenges for
data management and processing. One way to handle challenges is to introduce
context information management, wherein data and service delivery are
determined through resolving the context of a service or data request.
This research was aimed at developing a context awareness framework and
implementing it in an architecture integrating IoT with cloud computing for
industrial monitoring services. The overall aim was achieved through a
methodological investigation consisting of four phases: establish the research
baseline, define experimentation materials and methods, framework design and
development, as well as case study validation and expert judgment. The
framework comprises three layers: the edge, context information management,
and application. Moreover, a maintenance context ontology for the framework
has developed focused on modelling failure analysis of mechanical components,
so as to drive monitoring services adaptation. The developed context-awareness
architecture is expressed business, usage, functional and implementation
viewpoints to frame concerns of relevant stakeholders. The developed framework
was validated through a case study and expert judgement that provided
supporting evidence for its validity and applicability in industrial contexts.
The outcomes of the work can be used in other industrially-relevant application
scenarios to drive maintenance service adaptation. Context adaptive services
can help manufacturing companies in better managing the value of their assets,
while ensuring that they continue to function properly over their lifecycle.Manufacturin
HEALTH INFORMATION STANDARDISATION AS A BASIS FOR LEARNING HEALTH SYSTEMS
PhD ThesisStandardisation of healthcare has been the focus of hospital management and clinicians since the
1990’s. Electronic health records were already intended to provide clinicians with real-time access to
clinical knowledge and care plans while also recording and storing vast amounts of patient data. It took
more than three decades for electronic health records to start to become ubiquitous in all aspects of
healthcare. Learning health systems are the next stage in health information systems whose potential
benefits have been promoted for more than a decade - yet few are seen in clinical practice. Clinical care
process specifications are a primary form of clinical documentation used in all aspects of healthcare,
but they lack standardisation. This thesis contends that this lack of standardisation was inherited by
electronic health records and that this is a significant issue holding back the development and adoption
of learning health systems. Standardisation of clinical documents is used to mitigate issues in electronic
health records as a basis for enabling learning health systems. One type of clinical document, the
caremap, is standardised in order to achieve an effective approach to containing resources and ensuring
consistency and quality. This led not only to improved clinicians’ comprehension and acceptance of the
clinical document, but also to reduced time expended in developing complicated learning health systems
built using the input of clinical experts
Creative ageing: participation, connection & flourishing. A mixed-methods research study exploring experiences of participatory arts engagement in later life through a systematic review of literature and focus groups with older people
Background:
A rapidly increasing ageing population has significant consequences for the demography,
health and wellbeing of our society. Participatory arts programmes and activities can
contribute to health promotion in later life, by providing community-based, non-clinical
opportunities for meaningful engagement and interaction. To date, academic research studies
have mainly focused on people living with dementia and have investigated the benefits of
therapeutic and / or musical interventions. However, little research has been conducted with
healthy older people participating in other arts’ domains such as the visual arts or been
approached through a creative ageing lens. Creative ageing is an inherently interdisciplinary
field of enquiry, which sits at the intersection of arts and health and social gerontology and
places emphasis on the role of creative engagement in enhancing personal growth, creativity
and building social connections in later life.
Aims:
This thesis uses a mixed-methods approach to explore experiences of participatory arts
engagement in later life through a study of literature and focus-group conversations. The
study considers existing theory within social gerontology, arts and health and the creative
ageing movement in a conceptual review, providing the context that underpins the thesis. A
mixed-methods systematic review is conducted to examine the published evidence on the
effect of participatory arts on wellbeing, quality of life and cognitive function and to explore
distinctions between engagement in different arts domains and levels of participation. A two stage
focus group study aims to investigate whether themes developed from the review resonate
with older people’s own subjective experiences of participatory arts engagement and
to explore barriers to participation in the arts in later life.
Methods:
The study employs a multi-stance approach to data collection and analysis, through a mixed-methods
methodology which draws on the traditions of pragmatism and phenomenography.
First, a conceptual review explores key concepts in social gerontology, definitions of arts and
health and approaches to ageing, including the burgeoning field of creative ageing, providing
the theoretical context for the thesis. Next, a mixed-methods systematic review is conducted
to identify relevant qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods studies of the effect of
participatory arts engagement in later life and older people’s subjective experiences of
engagement. Quantitative results from studies in the review are analysed through an
exploratory meta-analysis of the topic of subjective wellbeing and through narrative analysis,
categorised by wellbeing and cognitive function domains for clarity. To employ creative
methods in the analysis, as this is a study about arts engagement, qualitative findings are
analysed using thematic and I-poem analysis, which places emphasis on the older people’s
voice. The qualitative and quantitative analyses are then integrated to provide a combined
evidence synthesis of experiences and effects of participatory arts engagement in later life.
A two-stage focus group study is then carried out to explore whether the themes developed
from the review resonated with participants’ own subjective experiences of participatory arts
engagement and to explore barriers to participation. The first stage of the study involves three
focus group sessions with groups of older people, which took place at three locations in
Cambridge. Themes from the review were used as the stimulus for conversation and provide
the structure for analysis. The findings are further scrutinised using Seligman’s (2011)
PERMA model of wellbeing (Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and
Achievement) as a framework, focusing on the elements of wellbeing which contribute to a
meaningful life. Stage two of the study examines barriers to participation with a more socioeconomically
diverse sample of older people. This stage involves two additional focus groups
which were held in Peterborough and Wisbech. Findings are re-analysed in light of the
second study and identifies both barriers and facilitators to participation in the arts.
Systematic reviews play an integral role in the production of research knowledge. However,
review reports often remain in academia, without the findings being shared with relevant
stakeholders. By further examining the systematic review findings through focus group
interviews with older people, this thesis may help to close the gap between research and
practice. Additionally, enabling groups of older people to discuss the findings meant that the
study could be contextualised in contemporary group settings, increasing the quality and
relevance of the review and reflecting participants’ voice. Concepts developed during the
analysis are discussed in the final chapter and presented in a conceptual framework of
creative ageing.
Findings:
The mixed-methods systematic review identified 33 relevant studies which investigated the
effects of participation in dance, visual arts, creative writing and theatre on wellbeing, quality
of life and / or cognitive function for healthy older people. Quantitative analysis produced as
part of the systematic review process showed statistically significant improvements to some
aspects of wellbeing following engagement in dance and visual arts activities, and enhanced
cognitive function in the domains of general intellectual ability and attention after
participation in different art forms. The exploratory meta-analysis showed an overall
combined effect size of g=0.18 indicating the effect of dance on enhanced subjective
wellbeing. Qualitative findings were developed into five themes: making and creating;
connections and communities; identity; the ‘feel good’ factor; and body, mind & soul.
Additionally, I-poem analysis revealed an association between positive emotion and
participation in dance and a poem titled ‘I feel happy when I’m dancing’ was produced as a
creative output.
Findings from the review were shared in a two-stage focus group study. In the first stage of
the focus group study, three supplementary themes were developed to those identified above:
engagement as ritual; emotion and engagement; and ikigai. In stage two, an iteration of
the theme of engagement as ritual was developed into spiritual resonance: engagement as
ritual, along with a further theme around transitions of ageing. These themes elucidate the
role of the arts and cultural engagement in supporting people to remain active and involved in
their communities in later life and which may provide a ‘reason for being’. The study also
allowed a connection to be made between the ritual of engagement in the arts and the sense of
belonging felt by bringing people together creatively, in addition to the potentially
detrimental effect of non-participation on subjective wellbeing. Transitions of ageing
provides evidence for the role of creative engagement in challenging perceptions of ageing
and enabling opportunities to explore a new sense of self in later life.
In the second stage of the focus study, barriers to participation were categorised as:
infrastructure, situational and dispositional barriers, as well as factors which might
facilitate participation, classified as: intra-personal, inter-personal and external factors.
Infrastructure barriers emphasised the need for accessible transport links which enable older
people to access arts and cultural activities, particularly in more rural areas. Personal
circumstances including finance and relationship status were highlighted as situational
barriers preventing participation, while dispositional factors including low levels of selfefficacy
and literacy may inhibit engagement. Findings also explicated factors which may
provide solutions that improve access and inclusivity for older people wishing to participate
in the arts, including offering taster sessions, befriending schemes and reducing financial and
access restrictions. Finally, a conceptual model was developed which highlighted three key
interwoven concepts of creative ageing: participation, connection and flourishing.
Conclusions:
This thesis substantiates existing evidence on the potential role of creative engagement in
enhancing quality of life, promoting social connectedness and thus reducing loneliness in
later life. It also contributes to the mixed-methods’ paradigm discourse through its innovative
use of a creative method within the systematic review and the multiple-stance approach to the
thesis. The study contributes new knowledge by establishing a meaningful association
between creative ageing and human flourishing and provides evidence for the need for more
accessible community-based arts activities which encourage older people to participate and
develop positive connections. Factors which might inhibit or encourage participation should
be considered in the design of creative programmes to ensure that they are accessible and
inclusive to a diverse range of older people. In conclusion, creative engagement may
contribute to developing more resilient, creative and healthier communities within which our
ageing population are enabled to flourish. With an established evidence base on the benefits
of participating in the performing arts, including dance for promoting subjective wellbeing,
there is now an opportunity for us to expand our perceptions and understanding of creativity
in later life through further research which embraces a broader definition of creative ageing.N/
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