ASTRIA Ontology: Open, Standards-based, Data-aggregated Representation of Space Objects

The necessity for standards-based ontologies for long-term sustainability of space operations and safety of increasing space flights has been well-established [6, 7]. Current ontologies, such as DARPA’s OrbitOutlook [5], are not publicly available, complicating efforts for their broad adoption. Most sensor data is siloed in proprietary databases [2] and provided only to authorized users, further complicating efforts to create a holistic view of resident space objects (RSOs) in order to enhance space situational awareness (SSA). The ASTRIA project is developing an open data model with the goal of aggregating data about RSOs, parts, space weather, and governing policies in order to provide a comprehensive awareness of space objects and events. The first step in this direction involves modeling RSOs. Our standards-based, graph data model adopts design and documentation best practices as well. The model expresses data using well-known general-purpose data modeling schemas (such as Dublin Core [1] and OAI-ORE [4]), and orbit representations (such as Keplerian elements and position-values), and controlled vocabularies (e.g. DISCOS classifications of space debris, orbital regimes, and fragmentation events [3]) expressed as Resource Description Framework (RDF) triples. Recognizing uncertainties in tracking as well as associating RSOs with known objects, our model supports name or track-based initiation, incremental specification, and uncertainty in association. De-siloing data is the first step toward enabling discovery regarding impact of the space environment and human based activity on space object behavior. We intend the ASTRIA ontology to support data-driven decision-making processes in order to make the space domain safe, secure, and sustainable

eBat: A Technology-enriched Life Sciences Research Community

We are leveraging Web-based technology to create an online community for Life Science research. Our prototype community for cardiovascular research with live bats, called eBat, consists of local researchers as well as remote collaborators. The eBat project offers scientists and students a remote-controlled microscope for conducting experiments, a message board and a chat system for scheduled as well as spontaneous communication, and an online peer-reviewed manuscript repository. In this paper, we report our observations of the use of the eBat infrastructure by local researchers over a period of six months. Resident researchers quickly adopted the eBat infrastructure. eBat technology has now become an indispensable part of the local research group and is used extensively for coordination, communication, and awareness. eBat complements face-to-face interactions well and has resulted in improved communication amongst lab members. We are currently exploring the extension of eBat technology to include distant researchers in live cardiovascular research experiments. We discuss our initial experiences with adapting the eBat infrastructure for research-at-a-distance and the lessons learned from these initial interactions

User issues

The MIDAS project is developing infrastructure and policies for optimal display of digital information on devices with diverse characteristics. In this paper we present the preliminary results of a study that explored the effects of scaling and color-depth variation in digital photographs on user perceptions of similarity. Our results indicate general trends in user preferences and can serve as guidelines for designing policies and systems that display digital images optimally on various information devices

Employing smart browsers to support flexible information in Petri net-based digital libraries

Abstract. For effective real-life use, digital libraries must incorporate resource and system policies and adapt to user preferences and device characteristics. The caT (context-aware Trellis) hypertext model incorporates these policies and adaptation conditions within the Petri net specification of the digital library to support context-aware delivery of digital documents in a dynamically changing environment. This paper describes extensions to the caT architecture for supporting adaptation via smarter browsers and an external resource store to provide greater flexibility in information presentation. Browsers request resources that they can best display with their knowledge of intrinsic capabilities and constraints imposed on them by the devices that they run on. The data store returns the most appropriate version of a resource in response to browser requests, thus allowing maintainers of libraries to add, modify and remove resources without any changes to the structure, presentation or document pointers in the digital library.

Browsing Intricately Interconnected Paths

Graph-centric and node-centric browsing are the two commonly identified hypertext-browsing paradigms. We believe that pathcentric browsing, the browsing behavior exhibited by path interfaces, is an independent browsing paradigm that combines useful aspects of the two commonly supported cases. Paths have long been recognized as an effective medium for aggregating and communicating information and have been included in various hypermedia systems as alternate metaphors or supporting tools. The Walden's Paths project promotes path-centric traversal as the primary browsing mechanism over Web-based materials. This paper expands the notion of our paths to include more generalized structures and interconnections across paths. We present an architecture for describing complex networks of such paths. Finally, we discuss the design and present a prototype implementation of the Path Engine, a tool that provides a linear interface for browsing intricately interconnected paths

Display-agnostic hypermedia

In the diversifying information environment, contemporary hypermedia authoring and filtering mechanisms cater to specific devices. Display-agnostic hypermedia can be flexibly and efficiently presented on a variety of information devices without any modification of their information content. We augment context-aware Trellis (caT) by introducing two mechanisms to support display-agnosticism: development of new browsers and architectural enhancements. We present browsers that reinterpret existing caT hypertext structures for a different presentation. The architectural enhancements, called MIDAS, flexibly deliver rich hypermedia presentations coherently to a set of diverse devices. Categories and Subject Descriptors H.5.4 [Information interfaces and Presentation]: Hypertext/Hypermedia – architectures

Metadocuments supporting digital library information discovery

Abstract. The World Wide Web is a decentralized, unmanaged, dynamically changing repository of digital documents. Walden’s Paths provides tools that enable authors to collect, organize, annotate, and present Webbased information to reader communities via a linear metadocument called a path. Walden’s Paths includes path authoring and reading interfaces supporting the contextualization of included materials to match authors’ goals as well as enabling browsing off the path to match readers ’ personal interests. It also provides tools to manage these paths of transient Web materials based on the identification and evaluation of changes to the component pages. Experience with Walden’s Paths in educational settings and changes to Web technology as well as the Web-savvyness of users have led to a variety of changes to earlier designs. Current directions of work include the development of methods for evaluating readers ’ understanding via quizzes associated with paths and richer path structures. Keywords: Walden’s Paths – Metadocuments – Hypertext – Path maintenance – Digital library service

eBat: A Technology-enriched Life Sciences Research Community

We are leveraging Web-based technology to create an online community for Life Science research. Our prototype community for cardiovascular research with live bats, called eBat, consists of local researchers as well as remote collaborators. The eBat project offers scientists and students a remote-controlled microscope for conducting experiments, a message board and a chat system for scheduled as well as spontaneous communication, and an online peerreviewed manuscript repository. In this paper, we report our observations of the use of the eBat infrastructure by local researchers over a period of six months. Resident researchers quickly adopted the eBat infrastructure. eBat technology has now become an indispensable part of the local research group and is used extensively for co-ordination, communication, and awareness. eBat complements face-to-face interactions well and has resulted in improved communication amongst lab members. We are currently exploring the extension of eBat technology to include distant researchers in live cardiovascular research experiments. We discuss our initial experiences with adapting the eBat infrastructure for research-at-a-distance and the lessons learned from these initial interactions