Science and Technology Studies Commons^™

Towards (Semi-) Automatic Generation Of Bio-Medical Ontologies, Vipul Kashyap, Cartic Ramakrishnan, Thomas Rindflesch

Kno.e.sis Publications

The design and construction of domain specific ontologies and taxonomies requires allocation of huge resources in terms of cost and time. These efforts are human intensive and we need to explore ways of minimizing human involvement and other resources. In the biomedical domain, we seek to leverage resources such as the UMLS1 Metathesaurus and NLP-based applications such as MetaMap2 in conjunction with statistical clustering techniques, to (partially) automate the process. This is expected to be useful to the team involved in developing MeSH and other biomedical taxonomies to identify gaps in the existing taxonomies, and to be able to quickly …

Technology Goes Home Evaluation – Executive Summary, Donna H. Friedman, Michelle Kahan, Tatjana Meschede, Consuela Greene

Center for Social Policy Publications

Technology Goes Home (TGH) is an innovative program designed to bridge the digital divide by bringing technology into low-income families’ homes. This Boston Digital Bridge Foundation (BDBF) program strives to prepare adults for employment opportunities and to help children improve academic performance by offering computer training and equipment to families in Boston neighborhoods and schools. Classes are offered in groups, with parents and children learning together in order to strengthen families and build community as well as skills. Neighborhood programs are operated in six communities through Neighborhood Technology Collaboratives, coalitions of community-based organizations. These coalitions select participating families, and provide …

What Can Semantics Do For Bioinformatics?, Amit P. Sheth

Kno.e.sis Publications

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Semantic Web In Action: Ontology-Driven Information Search, Integration And Analysis, Amit P. Sheth

Kno.e.sis Publications

No abstract provided.

Context-Aware Semantic Association Ranking, Boanerges Aleman-Meza, Christian Halaschek-Wiener, I. Budak Arpinar, Amit P. Sheth

Kno.e.sis Publications

Discovering complex and meaningful relationships, which we call Semantic Associations, is an important challenge. Just as ranking of documents is a critical component of today's search engines, ranking of relationships will be essential in tomorrow's semantic search engines that would support discovery and mining of the Semantic Web. Building upon our recent work on specifying types of Semantic Associations in RDF graphs, which are possible to create through semantic metadata extraction and annotation, we discuss a framework where ranking techniques can be used to identify more interesting and more relevant Semantic Associations. Our techniques utilize alternative ways of specifying the …

Continuity Of Semantic Operators In Logic Programming And Their Approximation By Artificial Neural Networks, Pascal Hitzler, Anthony K. Seda

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

One approach to integrating first-order logic programming and neural network systems employs the approximation of semantic operators by feedforward networks. For this purpose, it is necessary to view these semantic operators as continuous functions on the reals. This can be accomplished by endowing the space of all interpretations of a logic program with topologies obtained from suitable embeddings. We will present such topologies which arise naturally out of the theory of logic programming, discuss continuity issues of several well-known semantic operators, and derive some results concerning the approximation of these operators by feedforward neural networks.

Why Should Students Do Research?, Bruce R. Branchini

Convocation Addresses

No abstract provided.

Context-Aware Semantic Association Ranking, Boanerges Aleman-Meza, Chris Halaschek, I. Budak Arpinar, Amit P. Sheth

Kno.e.sis Publications

Discovering complex and meaningful relationships, which we call Semantic Associations, is an important challenge. Just as ranking of documents is a critical component of today's search engines, ranking of relationships will be essential in tomorrow's semantic search engines that would support discovery and mining of the Semantic Web. Building upon our recent work on specifying types of Semantic Associations in RDF graphs, which are possible to create through semantic metadata extraction and annotation, we discuss a framework where ranking techniques can be used to identify more interesting and more relevant Semantic Associations. Our techniques utilize alternative ways of specifying the …

Boltzmann Machine Learning With The Latent Maximum Entropy Principle, Shaojun Wang, Dale Schuurmans, Fuchun Peng, Yunxin Zhao

Kno.e.sis Publications

We present a new statistical learning paradigm for Boltzmann machines based on a new inference principle we have proposed: the latent maximum entropy principle (LME). LME is different both from Jaynes maximum entropy principle and from standard maximum likelihood estimation. We demonstrate the LME principle BY deriving new algorithms for Boltzmann machine parameter estimation, and show how robust and fast new variant of the EM algorithm can be developed. Our experiments show that estimation based on LME generally yields better results than maximum likelihood estimation, particularly when inferring hidden units from small amounts of data.

Learning Mixture Models With The Latent Maximum Entropy Principle, Shaojun Wang, Dale Schuurmans, Fuchun Peng, Yunxin Zhao

Kno.e.sis Publications

We present a new approach to estimating mixture models based on a new inference principle we have proposed: the latent maximum entropy principle (LME). LME is different both from Jaynes’ maximum entropy principle and from standard maximum likelihood estimation. We demonstrate the LME principle by deriving new algorithms for mixture model estimation, and show how robust new variants of the EM algorithm can be developed. Our experiments show that estimation based on LME generally yields better results than maximum likelihood estimation, particularly when inferring latent variable models from small amounts of data.

A Visual Framework Invites Human Into The Clustering Process, Keke Chen, Ling Liu

Kno.e.sis Publications

Clustering is a technique commonly used in scientific research. The task of clustering inevitably involves human participation - the clustering is not finished when the computer/algorithm finishes but the user has evaluated, understood and accepted the patterns. This defines a human involved "clustering-analysis/evaluation" iteration. Instead of neglecting this human involvement, we provide a visual framework (VISTA) with all power of algorithmic approaches (since their result can be visualized), and in addition we allow the user to steer/monitor/refine the clustering process with domain knowledge. The visual-rendering result also provides a precise pattern for fast post-processing.

Toward A Comprehensive Supplement For Language Courses, Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan, Stephen P. Carl

Kno.e.sis Publications

No abstract provided.

In Memoriam: Frank F. Clasquin (1915-2002), Connie Foster

DLTS Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

In Memoriam: Alfred Jaeger (1923-2003), Connie Foster

DLTS Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The End Of Science Fiction: When Technological Extrapolation Hits A Wall Across The Future, James John Bell

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[First paragraph]

Science fiction, as a genre of popular fiction, can trace its roots as far back as the 2nd century AD, where fantastical worlds were conjured up in order to comment on current beliefs. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (1996) outlines a very specific ancestry:

[Science Fiction] is a descendant of the type of prose fiction sometimes referred to as Lucianic Satire (after Lucian of Samosata, a Greek writer of the 2nd century AD). Lucianic Satire -- also commonly known as Menippean Satire after an earlier writer, Menippus, whose works are now lost -- is a kind of …

The Conference Proceedings Of The 2003 Air Transport Research Society (Atrs) World Conference, Vol. 2, Brent Bowen, Sveinn Gudmundsson, Tae Hoon Oum, Uno Aviation Institute

Faculty Books and Monographs

UNOAI Report 03-6

The Conference Proceedings Of The 2003 Air Transport Research Society (Atrs) World Conference, Volume 3, Brent D. Bowen, Sveinn Gudmundsson, Tae Hoon Oum, Uno Aviation Institute

Faculty Books and Monographs

UNOAI Report 03-7

The Conference Proceedings Of The 2003 Air Transport Research Society (Atrs) World Conference, Volume 5, Brent Bowen, Sveinn Gudmundsson, Tae Hoon Oum, Uno Aviation Institute

Faculty Books and Monographs

UNOAI Report 03-9

The Conference Proceedings Of The 2003 Air Transport Research Society (Atrs) World Conference, Volume 1, Brent Bowen, Sveinn Gudmundsson, Tae Hoon Oum, Uno Aviation Institute

Faculty Books and Monographs

UNOAI Report 03-5

Adding Semantics To Web Services Standards, Kaarthik Sivashanmugam, Kunal Verma, Amit P. Sheth, John Miller

Kno.e.sis Publications

With the increasing growth in popularity of Web services, discovery of relevant Web services becomes a significant challenge. One approach is to develop semantic Web services where by the Web services are annotated based on shared ontologies, and use these annotations for semantics-based discovery of relevant Web services. We discuss one such approach that involves adding semantics to WSDL using DAML+OIL ontologies. Our approach also uses UDDI to store these semantic annotations and search for Web services based on them. We compare our approach with another initiative to add semantics to support Web service discovery, and show how our approach …

Semantic Web Process Lifecycle: Role Of Semantics In Annotation, Discovery, Composition And Orchestration, Amit P. Sheth

Kno.e.sis Publications

No abstract provided.

Healthcare Enterprise Process Development And Integration, Kemafor Anyanwu, Amit P. Sheth, Jorge Cardoso, John A. Miller, Krzysztof J. Kochut

Kno.e.sis Publications

Healthcare enterprises involve complex processes that span diverse groups and organisations. These processes involve clinical and administrative tasks, large volumes of data, and large numbers of patients and personnel. The tasks can be performed either by humans or by automated systems. In the latter case, the tasks are supported by a variety of software applications and information systems which are very often heterogeneous, autonomous, and distributed. The development of systems to manage and automate these processes has increasingly played an important role in improving the efficiency of healthcare enterprises. In this paper we look at four healthcare and medical applications …

Ρ-Queries: Enabling Querying For Semantic Associations On The Semantic Web, Kemafor Anyanwu, Amit P. Sheth

Kno.e.sis Publications

This paper presents the notion of Semantic Associations as complex relationships between resource entities. These relationships capture both a connectivity of entities as well as similarity of entities based on a specific notion of similarity called ρ-isomorphism. It formalizes these notions for the RDF data model, by introducing a notion of a Property Sequence as a type. In the context of a graph model such as that for RDF, Semantic Associations amount to specific certain graph signatures. Specifically, they refer to sequences (i.e. directed paths) here called Property Sequences, between entities, networks of Property Sequences (i.e. undirected paths), or subgraphs …

Exception Handling For Conflict Resolution In Cross-Organizational Workflows, Zongwei Luo, Amit P. Sheth, Krzysztof Kochut, I. Budak Arpinar

Kno.e.sis Publications

Workflow management systems (WfMSs) are being increasingly deployed to deliver e-business transactions across organizational boundaries. To ensure a high service quality in such transactions, exception-handling schemes for conflict resolution are needed. The conflicts primarily arise due to failure of a task in workflow execution because of underlying application, or controlling WfMS component failures or insufficient user input. So far, little progress has been reported in addressing conflict resolution in cross-organizational business processes, though its importance has been recognized. In this paper, we identify the exception handling techniques that support conflict resolution in cross-organizational settings. In particular, we propose a novel, …

The Airline Quality Rating 2003, Brent D. Bowen, Dean Headley, Uno Aviation Institute

Faculty Books and Monographs

UNOAI Report 03-1

The Airline Quality Rating (AQR) was developed and first announced in early 1991 as an objective method of comparing airline quality on combined multiple performance criteria. This current report, the Airline Quality Rating 2003, reflects monthly Airline Quality Rating scores for 2002. AQR scores for the calendar year 2002 are based on 15 elements that focus on airline performance areas important to air travel consumers.

The Airline Quality Rating 2003 is a summary of month-by-month quality ratings for the 10 largest U.S. airlines operating during 2002. Using the Airline Quality Rating system of weighted averages and monthly …

Identifying Patterns In Dna Change, Jason R. Gilder, Dan E. Krane, Travis E. Doom, Michael L. Raymer

Kno.e.sis Publications

Now that a draft sequence of the human genome is nearly complete, questions regarding both the information contained within our genetic blueprints as well as the manner in which that information content changes over time can be addressed in ways that had not previously been possible. By their very nature, some of the nucleotide sequences present within our genome allow detailed examination of the mode and pattern of evolution that has shaped our genetic instructions over time spans of tens of millions of years. Alu repeats are one example. Using these relatively short, ubiquitous DNA sequences we explore the problem …

Ontology Driven Information Systems In Action (Capturing And Applying Existing Knowledge To Semantic Applications), Amit P. Sheth

Kno.e.sis Publications

No abstract provided.

Beads In The Straits Settlements: Trade And Domestic Demand, 1827-1937, Hwei-Fe'n Cheah

BEADS: Journal of the Society of Bead Researchers

Beads have long been a part of the exchange of goods in Southeast. Indo-Pacific beads were traded in Southeast Asia and colored beads from China were exchanged for spices and forest products from the Indonesian archipelago. The Straits Settlements, comprising the ports of Singapore, Malacca, and Penang, was formed in 1826, to consolidate the trading position of the British in Southeast Asia. Singapore, in particular, developed into a major entrepot of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Research by the late Peter Francis, Jr., drew attention to its role as a channel for a part of the Southeast Asian bead …

Table Of Contents (V. 15, 2003)

BEADS: Journal of the Society of Bead Researchers

No abstract provided.

Two Centuries Of Iroquois Beadwork, Dolores N. Elliott

BEADS: Journal of the Society of Bead Researchers

To the 16th-century Iroquois living in what is now central New York state, European glass trade beads were something special; they were believed to have had magical and spiritual meaning. To this day, the Iroquois have a special relationship with glass beads. Iroquois artists began creating three-dimensional beaded items in the late 18th century. The first beaded pincushions and wall pockets were small, but they increased in size and quantity during the 19th century. Two centers of beadwork making arose: one around Niagara Falls in western New York and southern Ontario, and the other around Montreal in southern Quebec and …