Querying standardized EHRs by a Search Ontology XML extension (SOX).

Motivation: The previously developed Search Ontology (SO) allows domain experts to formally specify domain concepts, search terms associated to a domain, and rules describing domain concepts. So far, Lucene search queries can be generated from information contained in the SO and can be used for querying literature data bases or PubMed. However, this is still insufficient, since these queries are not well suited for querying XML documents because they are not following their structure. However, in the medical domain, many information items are coded in XML. Thus, querying structured XML documents is crucial for retrieving similar cases or for identifying potential study participants. For example, information items of patients with a similar tumor classification documented in a certain section of the respective pathology report need to be retrieved. This requires a precise definition of queries. In this paper, we introduce a concept for the generation of such queries using a Search Ontology XML extension to enable semantic searches on structured data. Results: For a gain of precision, the paragraph of a document need to be specified, in which a specific information item expressed in a query is expected to appear. The Search Ontology XML Extension (SOX) connects search terms to certain sections in XML documents. The extension consists of a class which represents the XML structure and a relation between search terms and this XML structure. This enables an automatic generation of XPath expressions, which makes an efficient and precise search of structured pathology reports in XML databases possible. The combination of standardized Electronic Health Records with an ontology based query method promises a gain of precision, a high degree of interoperability and long term durability of both, XML documents and queries on XML documents

Information systems in clinical research : categorization and evaluation of information systems and development of a guide for choosing the appropriate information system

Διπλωματική εργασία--Πανεπιστήμιο Μακεδονίας, Θεσσαλονίκη, 2019.The development of information systems used in clinical research is constantly increasing, as their advantages are widely acknowledged. Although many researchers have introduced information systems which can be used during a clinical study’s process, a scarcity of information systems accommodating the complete process has been detected. Based on this finding, twenty-three (23) information systems and ontologies used in clinical research were retrieved, based on certain criteria. The information systems and ontologies were then categorized and evaluated based on categorization and evaluation tools. Finally, the result was the synthesis of the eligible-for-evaluation information systems and the development of a guide for choosing the appropriate information system during each step of a clinical trial; the data provided by each information system were identified. Unfortunately, some information systems and ontologies were excluded from the synthesis due to lack of information regarding the evaluation criteria. Therefore, future research should proceed with retrieving this information and developing a guide which will consider more information systems, especially for conducting observational studies

Internet of Things From Hype to Reality

The Internet of Things (IoT) has gained significant mindshare, let alone attention, in academia and the industry especially over the past few years. The reasons behind this interest are the potential capabilities that IoT promises to offer. On the personal level, it paints a picture of a future world where all the things in our ambient environment are connected to the Internet and seamlessly communicate with each other to operate intelligently. The ultimate goal is to enable objects around us to efficiently sense our surroundings, inexpensively communicate, and ultimately create a better environment for us: one where everyday objects act based on what we need and like without explicit instructions