Side scan sonar and the management of underwater cultural heritage

Chapter 15This chapter deals with side scan sonar, not because I believe it is superior to other available technologies but rather because it is the tool that I have used in the context of a number of off shore surveys. It is therefore opportune to share an approach that I have developed and utilised in a number of projects around the Mediterranean. These projects were conceptualised together with local partners that had a wealth of local experience in the countries of operation. Over time it became clear that before starting to plan a project it is always important to ask oneself the obvious question – but one that is oft en overlooked: “what is it that we are setting out to achieve”? All too oft en, researchers and scientists approach a potential research project with blinkers. Such an approach may prove to be a hindrance to cross-fertilisation of ideas as well as to inter-disciplinary cooperation. Therefore, the aforementioned question should be followed up by a second query: “and who else can benefi t from this project?” Beneficiaries may vary from individual researchers of the same field such as archaeologists interested in other more clearly defined historic periods (World War II, Early Modern shipping etc) to other researchers who may be interested in specific studies (African amphora production for example). Finally there may also be researchers from other disciplines such as marine biology, marine geology and volcanology. From the same data sets gathered by marine archaeologists such scientists can study and consider a variety of interests which may including, but not limited to, habitat mapping, seabed classification and the identification of submerged volcanic vents. Answers to such questions may not be immediately forthcoming but it is essential to keep potential collaborations in mind when planning methodologies. In the light of this it would be opportune to explore the resolutions and other desiderata that fellow marine scientists require when planning their surveys. Although it may prove impossible to match their exact parameters it could well be that some small compromises are made in order to accommodate these requirements. Given that the expenses related to off shore survey are very elevated, it is hardly conceivable that the data acquired with adapted parameters will be refused by fellow marine scientists. Such a practice does not only make economic sense but is also good scientific etiquette. Such selfless cooperation may lead to scientific reciprocation with data eventually fl owing both ways.peer-reviewe

On Firehoses, Windows, and Business Rules: Towards a Successful Fast Data Organisation

Due to the enormous growth of data and the increasing speed at which organisations are required to respond to it, Fast data is the latest trend in data science. In this study, we set out to answer the question what Fast data is and how organisations can deal with it in a successful way. We define Fast data as: the ability to gain insights from (near) real-time data streams and derive value from these insights. We argue that successful Fast data organisations are built on four pillars: (i) technology, (ii) strategy, (iii) culture, and (iv) skills & experience. We conclude with a critical discussion of our results, for instance touching upon whether Fast data is really ‘new’

Potential applications of advanced aircraft in developing countries

Air transportation concepts for movement of cargo in developing countries are reviewed using aicraft which may appear in the future. For certain industrial applications, including mining and forestry, the relative costs of doing the job using different types of aircraft are compared with surface transportation systems. Two developing countries, Brazil and Indonesia, were taken as examples to determine what impact they might have on the aircraft markets of the future. Economic and demographic data on developing countries in general, and Brazil and Indonesia in particular, are reviewed. The concept of an industrial city in a remote area developed around an airport is discussed. It is noted that developing areas generally lack extensive surface transportation systems and that an air transportation system can be implemented in a relatively short time. A developing nation interested in rapid expansion may thus find the role of air cargo far more important than has been true in developed nations. Technological developments which may dramatically increase the performance of agricultural aircraft are also reviewed

Deployment of Analytics into the Healthcare Safety Net: Lessons Learned & Unlearned

In October of 2013, I made a proposal to the RCHN Community Health Foundation to start a project that would deploy a contemporary analytic software capability into community health centers that volunteered for the project & to work with their IT & executive staffs so that the capability could be productively used as part of how the health center made strategic decisions . I wrote at the time: “Everyone agrees that “analytics” are/will be important for community health centers as they evolve to new organizational (participants HIEs, ACOs, HCCNs etc.) & sustainability (service providers, data providers) models. What this means & how to do it are hotly discussed topics, however, with no apparent tactic or strategy that seems feasible. There is no big bang in this effort. This capability will not spring forth complete & productive if health centers make the correct invocation or even spend a large amount of money. This memo specifies a program that would pilot an actual path for health centers (& other healthcare organizations with limited resources) to follow to begin to productively use analytics & to evolve a more & more effective capability in this area.” I also wrote that: “Complex analytics, multi-layered analytics and highly designed data warehouses are not necessary, and moreover, not appropriate if the questions that are asked aren’t relevant or don’t require them and the underlying data isn’t complete and reliable." That was just over two years ago. What happened with the project & what is going on with it now? What lessons have been learned? What lessons did we already know but needed to have reinforced by painful experience? Here is a project update

Big Data Analytics for vehicle multisensory anomalies detection

Autonomous driving is assisted by different sensors, each providing information about certain parameters. What we are looking for is an integrated perspective of all these parameters to drive us into better decisions. To achieve this goal, a system that can handle these Big Data issues regarding volume, velocity and variety is needed. This paper aims to design and develop a real-time Big Data Warehouse repository, integrating the data generated by the multiple sensors developed in the context of IVS (In-Vehicle Sensing) systems; the data to be stored in this repository should be merged, which will imply its processing, consolidation and preparation for the analytical mechanisms that will be required. This multisensory fusion is important because it allows the integration of different perspectives in terms of sensor data, since they complement each other. Therefore, it can enrich the entire analysis process at the decision-making level, for instance, understanding what is going on inside the cockpit.This work has been supported by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia within the R&D Units Project Scope: UIDB/00319/2020 and by the European Structural and Investment Funds in the FEDER component, through the Operational Competitiveness and Internationalization Programme (COMPETE 2020) [Project nº 039334; Funding Reference: POCI-01-0247-FEDER-039334]

Building Information Objects

In order to stay competitive in today\u27 business environment, organizations must realize data is a key asset that needs to be exploited in order to achieve success. The usual approach to this is the implementation of data warehouses and business intelligence applications. However, most data warehouses are underutilized by decision makers and knowledge workers due to their lack of technical knowledge about what the data represents and how to map it to the semantic business concepts of the enterprise. Through the integration of Information Objects with a Business Intelligence Reporting tool end-users can acquire consolidated view corporate information. Information Objects provides a single point of access to corporate data stored in disparate sources through the implementation of a metadata layer. Selected reports were re-created but using Information Objects, and the reports\u27 performance and process in handling changes in requirement were compared. During first-time report generation of enhanced and existing reports no difference was found. However, the process for handling changes in report\u27 requirements proved that Information Objects provided one single point of access, thus one single point of change, while ad-hoc reports required more effort from the developer. The implementation of Information Objects to report on data stored in disparate sources provided a better service to end-users who wanted to gain knowledge of corporate information through what-if scenarios and access to real-time data

Unified Data Access for Global Electronic Business

Databases are critical in managing business knowledge assets. SQL is the de facto way of accessing data because of its simplicity, which allows end users to get what they want effectively. However, as businesses become more globally and electronically interconnected, the need for automated data access increases accordingly and the simplicity of SQL quickly disappears. This is primarily due to the large number of competing technologies that facilitate automated data access, with factors including different programming languages, different database application programming interfaces, different database management systems, and different operating systems. In global businesses or extended networks of businesses, it is common to have many different competing and sometimes incompatible technologies working together at the same time. This research provides a new solution, a unified way to access data regardless of the underlying technologies. Therefore, businesses can save time and cost by focusing on getting the data they want, instead of focusing on how to get the data

A Roadmap: Designing and Construction of Data Warehouse

Data warehousing is not about the tools. Rather, it is about creating a strategy to plan, design, and construct a data store capable of answering business questions. Good strategy is a process that is never really finished; A defined data warehouse development process provides a foundation for reliability and reduction of risk. This process is defined through methodology. Reliability is pivotal in reducing the costs of maintenance and support. The data warehouse development enjoys high visibility; many firms have concentrated on reducing these costs. Standardization and reuse of the development artifacts and the deliverables of the process can reduce the time and cost of the data warehouseÊs creation. In todayÊs business world,data warehouses are increasingly being used to help companies make strategic business decisions. To understand how a warehouse can benefit you and what is required to manage a warehouse, you must first understand how a data warehouse is constructed and established

The logistics controller: the contribution of a logistics specialized professional

Faced with the adversities that arise in a widespread competition scenario, new concepts and opportunities emerge over time, whether in the form of a competitor that answer customer needs in less time, or as a technological innovation that needs to be dominated. Within this context, Logistics managers have realized that besides the ordinary challenge to maintain their own business, they must seek the continuous improvement of their services, make fewer mistakes, to be more effective and efficient in logistics processes. The objective of this work is characterize and describe the application of the logistics controller, to understand within the logistics structure what is its benefits, understanding the role of controllership and the role of logistics, the relationship between controllership and logistics, the role of logistics controller, its duties, the activities to be carried out, the relationship with the various hierarchical levels, the knowledge that must be mastered and finally, what it can do for logistics. For this study, the descriptive case study with multiple cases was applied. The data acquired demonstrate that managers has a notion of the importance of having a professional that can unify the information and for this to have knowledge and competence in controllership exist, but that at the same time can be inserted in the logistics area