Search

Research information management (RIM) and reporting is an emerging, heterogeneous field of work for which there is currently no systematic overview of the performed tasks and required competencies. Such an overview would be valuable for training, further education and recruiting. This paper presents data on task areas and competency requirements from a national survey of personnel responsible for RIM, CRIS management and reporting in Germany (N =224). With the help of a factor-analytical design, we were able to identify task profiles, such as System development & data modeling and Communication with stakeholders. The task profiles were then compared with a competency model which we developed to support further education and recruiting in research information management. Implications for further development of the competency model are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a study on efficiency ofUrban Search and Rescue (USAR) missions that has been carried out within the framework of the German research project I-LOV. After three years of development, first field tests have been carried out in 2011 by professionals such as theRapid Deployment Unit for Salvage Operations Abroad (SEEBA). We present results from evaluating search teams in simulated USAR scenarios equipped with newly developed technical search means and digital data input terminals developed in the I-LOV project. In particular, USAR missions assisted by the ‘bioradar’, a radar system for the detection of humanoid movements, a semi-active video probe of more than 10m length for rubble pile exploration, a snake-like rescue robot, and the decision support systemFRIEDAAwere evaluated and compared with conventional USAR missions. Results of this evaluation indicate that the developed technologies represent an advantage for USAR missions, which are discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Information about several papers discussed at a meeting of editors of scientific journals in Heidelberg, Germany from October 13-14, 2006 is presented. The editors were pleased with the improvements in the journals using online submission and on setting standards on creating manuscripts. The editors also encourage innovations in writing and following the Author Guidelines. However, several concerns were addressed including the submission of manuscripts online and the time period of publication.

This paper describes a broadband ISDN system based upon fibre-optic and advanced silicon technologies that has been realized by SEL. A laboratory model of this system called the BERKOM test network, is installed in Berlin. It is based on time division multiplex principles (TDM) and offers ISDN arid broadband services at the subscriber's premises. The broadband services are uttered through a universal broadband interlace type SB at the network termination. For services integration, transmission transmission and switching a universal TDM frame is used, being composed of the channel types D (16 kb/s). B (64 kb/s). H12 (2048 kb/s) and H4 (139.264 kb/s). For the ISDN services an S0-interface fully in line with the current ISDN standards is available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For continuous monitoring and controlling of the well path during the drilling process, the bottom hole assembly is equipped with sophisticated sensors, which collect geological and directional data. The driller at the surface requires the information for decision making, and therefore, the acquired data must be processed and transmitted to the surface in real time. The most common method for transmitting the data in deep boreholes is the so called mud pulse telemetry. The mud pulse telemetry uses the flowing drilling mud inside the drill string as a transmitting channel, whereby the information is transmitted either in baseband or in passband as coded pressure pulses or waves. The main disadvantage of the mud pulse telemetry is its low transmission data rate. The achieved data rate, in practice usually about 10 bits per second, is very low compared to the amount of raw data measured downhole. At the Institute of Drilling Engineering and Fluid Mining of the Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany, a special focus has been given to develop new ways and novel approaches for speeding up the mud pulse telemetry systems. One of the most recent developed approaches is the hybrid mud pulse telemetry system. According to the new approach, the data will be transmitted simultaneously in base- and passband. Each downhole generated pressure signal transmits two different information words simultaneously, and therefore, the receiver end at the surface must be modified correspondingly. At the receiver end, a special signal processing method is developed and applied to extract the baseband-information and the passband-information from the main received pressure signal. The paper describes the developed concept for a hybrid mud pulse telemetry system and presents the investigation results. Also, a special data management method for the data transmission using the hybrid mud pulse telemetry system is developed and presented in this paper. • Hybrid mud pulse telemetry transmits the downhole date parallel in base- and passband. • The new developed telemetry concept was investigated on the laboratory flow loop. • The laboratory investigations confirmed the functionality of the hybrid mud pulse telemetry system. • A special signal processing method was developed and applied in order to extract the two transmitted data strings from the measured pressure time signal. • A novel method for data management was developed for further acceleration of data transmission rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sensors for on-the-go collection of data on soil and crop have become essential for successful implementation of precision agriculture. This paper analyses the potentials and develops general procedures for on-the-go data acquisition of soil sensors. The methods and procedures used to manage data with respect to a farm management information system (FMIS) are described. The current data communication standard for tractors and machinery in agriculture is ISO 11783, which is rather well established and has gained market acceptance. However, there are a significant number of non-ISO 11783 compliant sensors in practice. Thus, two concepts are proposed. The first concept is on-the-go data collection based on ISO 11783, which mostly covers data on parameters related to tractor and machine performance, e.g. speed, draught, fuel consumption, etc. Process data from sensors with Control Area Network (CAN) interfaces is converted into ISO 11783 XML and then imported into relational database at FMIS using RelaXML tool. There is also the export function from database to task controller (TC) to provide task management, as described in ISO 11783:10. The second concept is on-the-go data collection with non-ISO 11783 sensors. This data is likely to be recorded in many formats, which require an import service. An import service is based on local or public sharing or semantic mapping outputting a common format for FMIS (e.g. AgroXML). Import is best performed as close to the generation of sensor data as possible to maximise the availability of metadata. A case study of sensor based variable rate fertilisation (VRF) has been undertaken focussing on German fertilisation rules. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: The introduction of information system components (ISCs) usually leads to a change in existing processes, e.g. processes of patient care. These processes might become even more complex and variable than before. An early participation of end users and a better understanding of human factors during design and introduction of ISCs are key factors for a successful introduction of ISCs in health care. Nonetheless no specialized methods have been developed until now to systematically support the integration of ISCs in existing processes of patient care while taking into account these requirements. In this paper, therefore, we introduce a procedure model to implement Concepts for Smooth Integration of ISCs (CSI-ISC).Methods: Established theories from economics and social sciences have been applied in our model, among them the stress-strain-concept, the contrastive task analysis (KABA), and the phase model for the management of information systems.Results: CSI-ISC is based on the fact that while introducing new information system components, users experience additional workload. One essential aim during the introduction process therefore should be to systematically identify, prioritize and ameliorate workloads that are being imposed on human beings by information technology in health care. To support this, CSI-ISC consists of a static part (workload framework) and a dynamic part (guideline for the introduction of information system components into existing processes of patient care).Conclusions: The application of CSI-ISC offers the potential to minimize additional workload caused by information system components systematically. CSI-ISC rationalizes decisions and supports the integration of the information system component into existing processes of patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study whose objectives include establishing an electronic transfer of radiological images (DICOM) between hospitals with heterogeneous software and hardware equipment, examining the speed and volume of typical transfers and analyzing how the transfer volume can be decreased by various compression algorithms. It notes that the typical bandwidth of a normal DSL-connection is enough to transmit typical volume of a trauma patient within an acceptable time.

In 2004 three seismic surface sources (VIBSIST, accelerated weight drop and MiniVib) were tested in a pilot study at the Ketzin test site, Germany, a study site for geological storage of CO2 (EU project CO2SINK). The main objectives of this pilot study were to 1) evaluate the response of the Ketzin site to reflection seismics, especially at the planned injection depth, 2) test different acquisition parameters and 3) use the results to guide the planning of the 3D survey. As part of these objectives, we emphasize the source performance comparison in this study. The sources were tested along two perpendicular lines of 2.4 km length each. Data were acquired by shooting at all stations (source and receiver spacing of 20 m) on both lines, allowing common-midpoint stacked sections to be produced. The sources' signal characteristics based on signal-to-noise ratio, signal penetration and frequency content of raw shot records were analysed and stacked sections were compared. The results show that all three surface sources are suitable for reflection seismic studies down to a depth of about 1 km and provide enough bandwidth for resolving the geological targets at the site, i.e., the Weser and Stuttgart Formations. Near surface conditions, especially a thick weathering layer present in this particular area, strongly influence the data quality, as indicated by the difference in reflectivity and signal-to-noise ratio of the two common-midpoint lines. The stacked sections of the MiniVib source show the highest frequency signals down to about 500 ms traveltime (approximately 500 m depth) but also the shallowest signal penetration depth. The VIBSIST source generates signals with the highest signal-to-noise ratio and greatest signal penetration depth of the tested sources. In particular, reflections below 900 ms (approximately 1 km depth) are best imaged by the VIBSIST source. The weight drop performance lies in between these two sources and might be recommended as an appropriate source for a 3D survey at this site because of the shorter production time compared to the VIBSIST and MiniVib sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the use of single laser source in converting data suchlike 1 Tbit s-1 orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) super-channel transmission2-3. It states that Jeurg Leuthold and colleagues at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have reported the highest bit-rate encoded in a single laser source. However, it notes that Leuthold and colleagues' work does not bring full advantage of the total bandwidth of each OFDM due to its limitations.