Science and Technology Studies Commons^™

From Contemporary Workflow Process Automation To Adaptive And Dynamic Work Activity Coordination And Collaboration, Amit P. Sheth

Kno.e.sis Publications

The article outlines a research agenda for researchers in the area of workflow. We believe that today's workflow systems should evolve to what is termed as work coordination and collaboration systems (WCCSs). A WCCS will: (a) adapt to various changes in the organization (including its interactions with external organizations) and the organizational processes by being able to change the process definitions as well as change the processes and component activities while they are being enacted or executed; and (b) support a unified framework for managing coordination, collaboration, and information based decision making activities that naturally occur as part of organizational …

A Vhdl-93 Hardware Description Browser, Laura C. Debrock, Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan

Kno.e.sis Publications

This paper describes the design and implementation of the VHDL-93 Hardware Description Browser, which is a tool for the intelligent retrieval of information from VHDL designs. The Browser consists of two UNIX processes: a TCL/TK Graphical User Interface and a Prolog search engine. The GUI elicits queries from the user and submits them to the Prolog search engine via a two-way communication pipe. The search engine satisfies queries by traversing a forest of parse trees corresponding to the associated VHDL designs. The results are then sent to the GUI for posting.

Two public-domain tools were used to implement the Browser: …

The Carnot Heterogeneous Database Project: Implemented Applications, Munindar Singh, Phil Cannata, Michael N. Huhns, Nigel Jacobs, Tomasz Ksiezyk, Kayliang Ong, Amit P. Sheth, Christine Tomlinson, Darrell Woelk

Kno.e.sis Publications

The Carnot project was an ambitious research project in heterogeneous databases. It integrated a variety of techniques to address a wide range of problems in achieving interoperation in heterogeneous environments. Here we describe some of the major implemented applications of this project. These applications concern(a) accessing a legacy scientific database, (b) automating a workflow involving legacy systems, (c) cleaning data, and (d) retrieving semantically appropriate information from structured databases in response to text queries. These applications support scientific decision support, business process management, data integrity enhancement, and analytical decision support, respectively. They demonstrate Carnot‘s capabilities for (a) heterogeneous query processing, …

Characterizing A Portable Subset Of Behavioral Vhdl-93, Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan, Robert Ewing

Kno.e.sis Publications

Goossens defined a structural operational semantics for a subset of VHDL-87 and proved that the parallelism present in VHDL is benign. We extend this work to include VHDL-93 features such as shared variables and postponed processes that change the underlying semantic model. In the presence of shared variables, nondeterministic execution of VHDL-93 processes destroys the unique meaning property. We identify and characterize a class of portable VHDL-93 descriptions for which unique meaning property can be salvaged. Our specification can serve as a correctness criteria for a VHDL-93 simulator.

Some Relationships Between Foies And Sigma 1 1 Arity Hierarchies, Guozhu Dong, Limsoon Wong

Kno.e.sis Publications

No abstract provided.

Structural Issues In Active Rule Systems, James Bailey, Guozhu Dong, Kotagiri Ramamohanarao

Kno.e.sis Publications

Active database systems enhance the functionality of traditional databases through the use of active rules or ‘triggers’. There is little consensus, though, on what components should be included in a rule system. In this paper, the expressive power of some simple active database rule systems is examined and the effect of choosing different features studied. Four important parameters of variation are presented, namely the rule language, the external query language, the meta rule language and the pending rule structure. We show that each of these is highly influential in determining the expressiveness of the rule system as a whole, and …

An Error Handling Framework For The Orbwork Workflow Enactment Service Of Meteor, Davasish Worah, Amit P. Sheth, Krzysztof J. Kochut, John A. Miller

Kno.e.sis Publications

Workflow Management Systems (WFMSs) can be used to re-engineer, streamline, automate, and track organizational processes involving humans and automated information systems. However, the state-of-the-art in workflow technology suffers from a number of limitations that prevent it from being widely used in large-scale mission critical applications. Error handling is one such issue. What makes the task of error handling challenging is the need to deal with errors that appear in various components of a complex distributed application execution environment, including various WFMS components, workflow application tasks of different types, and the heterogeneous computing infrastructure.

In this paper, we discuss a top-down …

Algorithms For Adapting Materialised Views In Data Warehouses, Mukesh Mohania, Guozhu Dong

Kno.e.sis Publications

In this paper we consider the problem of materialised view adaptation in data warehouses. Materialised views are important in data warehousing where they are used to speed up query processing on large amounts of data. User requirements change over time, which may change the definitions of views dynamically. For such situations, the question arises whether the materialised views should be recomputed from scratch for every change in the definition or they should be obtained by adapting old materialised views. Changes to a view definition may be expensive, if the view is recomputed from scratch. Therefore, it is worthwhile to examine …

On The Portability Of Behavioral Vhdl-93, Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan, Robert Ewing

Kno.e.sis Publications

Goossens defined a structural operational semantics for a subset of VHDL-87 and proved that the parallelism present in VHDL is benign. We extend this work to include shared variables in VHDL-93 that changes the underlying semantic model. In the presence of shared variables, non-deterministic execution of VHDL-93 processes destroys the unique meaning property. We identify and characterize a class of portable VHDL-93 descriptions for which unique meaning property can be salvaged.

Managing Multiple Information Sources Through Ontologies: Relationship Between Vocabulary Heterogeneity And Loss Of Information, Eduardo Mena, Vipul Kashyap, Arantza Illarramendi, Amit P. Sheth

Kno.e.sis Publications

The ability to deal with a huge number of independent and heterogeneous repositories is the most critical problem in Global Information Systems. One approach to enable efficient query processing is by utilizing semantic descriptions (organized as ontologies) of such repositories whenever available.

In this context semantic relationships among ontologies can be used Query Processors. Three kind of relationships are considered: synonyms and hypernyms. Using synonyms the semantic of the query is preserved; however, when synonyms are not available and hypernyms or hyponyms are used there exists some loss of information that must be measured.

Observer: An Approach For Query Processing In Global Information Systems Based On Interoperation Across Pre-Existing Ontologies, Eduardo Mena, Vipul Kashyap, Amit P. Sheth, Arantza Illarramendi

Kno.e.sis Publications

The huge number of autonomous and heterogeneous data repositories accessible on the “global information infrastructure” makes it impossible for users to be aware of the locations structure/organization, query languages and semantics of the data in various repositories. There is a critical need to complement current browsing, navigational and information retrieval techniques with a strategy that focuses on information content and semantics. In any strategy that focuses on information content, the most critical problem is that of different vocabularies used to describe similar information across domains. We discuss a scalable approach for vocabulary sharing. The objects in the repositories are represented …

Proof Strategies For Hardware Verification, Robert Eastham, Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan

Kno.e.sis Publications

Ascertaining correctness of digital hardware designs through simulation does not scale-up for large designs because of the sheer combinatorics of the problem. Formal verification of hardware designs holds promise because its computational complexity is of the order of number of different types of components (and not number of components in the design). This approach requires the specification of the behavior and the design in a formal language, and reason with them using a theorem prover. In this paper we attempt to develop a methodology for writing and using these specifications for some important classes of hardware circuits. We examine digital …

Semantic And Schematic Similarities Between Database Objects: A Context-Based Approach, Vipul Kashyap, Amit P. Sheth

Kno.e.sis Publications

In a multidatabase system, schematic conflicts between two objects are usually of interest only when the objects have some semantic similarity. We use the concept of semantic proximity, which is essentially an abstraction/mapping between the domains of the two objects associated with the context of comparison. An explicit though partial context representation is proposed and the specificity relationship between contexts is defined. The contexts are organized as a meet semi-lattice and associated operations like the greatest lower bound are defined. The context of comparison and the type of abstractions used to relate the two objects form the basis of a …

Spieltheorie, Alexander Chocholaty, Pascal Hitzler

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Simulation Modeling Within Workflow Technology, John A. Miller, Amit P. Sheth, Krzysztof J. Kochut, Xuzhong Wang, Arun Murugan

Kno.e.sis Publications

This paper presents an approach for integrating simulation modeling and analysis capabilities within the workflow management system (WFMS) being developed in the Large Scale Distributed Information Systems (LSDIS) Lab at the University of Georgia. Simulation modeling can be used for studying the efficiency of workflow designs as well as studying the general performance and reliability of WFMSs. We also discuss the importance of using sophisticated monitoring and animation capabilities, and the use of workflow management technology to advance simulation technology itself. Finally, we demonstrate a sample simulation where tasks and task managers are simulated.

On The Equivalence Of Upward And Downward Inheritance Reasoners, Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan

Kno.e.sis Publications

In this paper, we analyze systematically the downward (property flow) and the upward (individual flow) views of inheritance for different categories of inheritance networks. We observe that both these views assign the same meaning to tree-structured hierarchies, and explain the divergence in the interpretation of more general networks in terms of their expressive power. This simple analysis sheds light on the inherent nature of nonmonotonic inheritance and can form the basis for the design of efficient algorithms for certain classes of queries. In addition, we describe the notion of preferential inheritance to specify additional conflict resolution information that can be …

Politics And The Information Superhighway, Bobby L. Rush

Trotter Review

The following statement was delivered on 24 May 1995 by the Congressman in support of the markup of The Communications Act of 1995.

Remarks Made At The Telecom 95 Conference, 3 October 1995, Nelson Mandela

Trotter Review

This is a reprint of the address made by President Nelson Mandela at the TELECOM 95 Conference from October 3, 1995. In his remarks, he stressed the importance of new technologies for the development of the African continent, as well as the need for the expansion of communication and information networks. President Mandela also set forth his own "set of principles designed to enable the full participation of both the developed countries and the developing countries in building a global information society."

Who Determines What Our Children See, Read, Do, Or Learn On The Internet?, Sondlo Leonard Mhlaba

Trotter Review

The issue of appropriate use of the Internet at home and in schools is being hotly debated right now in, and outside, the Internet. In March 1995 Marlene Goss wrote a letter to the discussion list of the Consortium for School Networking ([email protected]) appealing to educational policymakers to focus on access and equity when dealing with Internet in schools, instead of focusing on restricting such access. She found it remarkable how many hours were being spent "deciding student use when only 3% of the classroom teachers, professional adults, have use of the Internet." Her point was not so much that …

The Power Of Information And Communities Of Color, Lana W. Jackman, Patricia C. Payne

Trotter Review

In this age of the Information Superhighway, access to information has become a "human rights" issue for communities of color. Access to information is the backbone for economic growth in the world marketplace. Information literacy, the ability to find, evaluate, analyze, and use information effectively is the currency of infinite power and control of one's economic, social, and political destiny. For communities of color to gain access to this phenomenal communications/technological revolution, there is a need to become information literate.

Empowering Communities Of Color Through Computer Technology, Michael Roberts

Trotter Review

As we hurtle towards the 21st century, an increasing number of individuals start to realize that the ability to use computers and information technology resources effectively will determine how well individuals, organizations, and communities function in a rapidly changing technological society. Numerous studies, including one conducted in the Summer 1995 of Boston's Black community by Freedom House and The Trotter Institute, and highlighted in this issue, have documented the need of Americans—students, workers, unemployed, youth, adults and senior citizens, to become knowledgeable and proficient in the use of computers and information technology. There are several questions that do face communities …

An Interview With E. David Ellington, President Of Netnoir, Inc., Harold W. Horton Jr.

Trotter Review

The following article is an interview with E. David Ellington, who was the President of NetNoir, Inc., a company "dedicated to digitizing, archiving, and distributing global Afrocentric content."

Technological Revolution And The Black Studies Curriculum: A Course Proposal, Abdul Alkalimat

Trotter Review

A technological revolution is changing the world. The computer is fast becoming the universal tool in all aspects of work, production and communication, and innovations in bio-technology are fast transforming agriculture and health. The main impact of this technological revolution has been to restructure the economy, both the centers of accumulation as well as the labor process. It is also restructuring the methods by which people communicate, form and maintain communities. In general, the objective basis of social life is being fundamentally changed.

This essay proposes a basic course that not only focuses on the technological revolution, but should be …

Quest To Own The Information Superhighway: How Much Of It Can Blacks Realistically Expect To Own?, Matthew S. Scott

Trotter Review

On the so-called information superhighway, cable systems, wire telephone lines, cellular services, satellite delivery and broadcast properties are converging to create an interconnecting electronic system on which audio, video and text can travel worldwide. Even though the system is not yet complete, many African Americans have expressed concern that they will somehow be left out on the back roads without an ownership stake. This essay will attempt to answer some of those questions pertinent to this quest of ownership.

Frameworks For Evaluating Technology Transfer, Saskia Wilhelms

Trotter Review

Technology can help us to keep air and water clean, to educate ourselves and others, and to make our lives more comfortable. Technology, however, has in the ears of many, a threatening ring. Whether technology serves human well-being depends on its usage. Dust-covered computers, abandoned factories, underutilized hospitals, chemical plants polluting our environment, nuclear power threatening our health—negative instances of technology application abound. To obtain greater positive results, technology has to be applied and transferred according to criteria that enable us to assess potential benefits and risks associated with the technology. Technology transfer includes tangible and intangible assets, such as …

Democracy, Technology And The Civil Rights Project, Caesar L. Mcdowell, Marianne S. Castano

Trotter Review

Democracy has been defined as "a political system in which the whole people make, and are entitled to make, the basic determining decisions on important matters of public policy." While the United States is often touted as the world's leading proponent of democracy, many U.S. citizens find themselves unable to engage in one of the central acts of democracy—creating public voice through public engagement. Public engagement in the United States is constrained by our inability to talk through our shared, complementary and divergent values. This lack of public engagement and our inability to speak in a "public voice" is also …

Creative Destruction In The Information Age: The Fallout On America's Latino Communities, Anthony G. Wilhelm

Trotter Review

The 104th Congress is in the midst of the first wholesale reform of telecommunications regulation in one-half century. The new regulatory framework emerging in the Republican-controlled Congress, if enacted, will usher in a radically deregulated, market-driven telecom environment, one in which the benefits of the emerging national information infrastructure will likely be distributed differentially, based on ethnicity and socio-economic status. Many U.S. residents may actually be charged higher rates for essential telecommunication services after deregulation (just as they did when cable television was deregulated), which may force many vulnerable users off the network. In addition, the concentration of media ownership …

Computer Utilization And Attitudinal Patterns In A Black Community, James Jennings

Trotter Review

During the Spring and Summer of 1995 The William Monroe Trotter Institute conducted a survey of resident utilization patterns and attitudes towards various facets of computer technology. This survey was commissioned by Freedom House, Inc. and supported with a grant from the AT&T Foundation in Boston, Massachusetts. The goal of this survey, composed of adult residents who have been served by Freedom House, and agency representatives of a small number of selected community-based organizations, is to inform planners at this agency about the computer technical needs, interests, and utilization patterns of its clients.

Introduction, James Jennings

Trotter Review

This issue of the Trotter Review focuses on one of the most important set of challenges facing the Black community in the U.S., and that is, how to access, and manage, and control, significant facets and processes associated with the information superhighway. This current issue identifies the nature of the challenges, but also proposes some strategies that the Black community and its leadership might consider to ensure both access and control over information technology.

Power Systems Marginal Cost Curve And Its Applications, Shaojun Wang, S. M. Shahidehpour, Nian-De Xiang

Kno.e.sis Publications

This paper presents a forward recursive procedure to calculate the expected system marginal cost curve (EMC). The EMC formulation allows for multi-state and multi-block dispatch of generating units and is used to determine the optimal energy of pumped-storage units. A new approach is developed to compute the first and second derivatives of the expected generation energy of a thermal unit with respect to the capacity of all thermal units in the system. The salient feature of the proposed approach is that it applies to hydro-thermal systems with multiple limited-energy hydro units.