Ontology mapping evolution

Introdu����o Hoje em dia, o conceito de ontologia (Especifica����o expl��cita de uma conceptualiza����o [Gruber, 1993]) �� um conceito chave em sistemas baseados em conhecimento em geral e na Web Sem��ntica em particular. Entretanto, os agentes de software nem sempre concordam com a mesma conceptualiza����o, justificando assim a exist��ncia de diversas ontologias, mesmo que tratando o mesmo dom��nio de discurso. Para resolver/minimizar o problema de interoperabilidade entre estes agentes, o mapeamento de ontologias provou ser uma boa solu����o. O mapeamento de ontologias �� o processo onde s��o especificadas rela����es sem��nticas entre entidades da ontologia origem e destino ao n��vel conceptual, e que por sua vez podem ser utilizados para transformar inst��ncias baseadas na ontologia origem em inst��ncias baseadas na ontologia destino. Motiva����o Num ambiente din��mico como a Web Sem��ntica, os agentes alteram n��o s�� os seus dados mas tamb��m a sua estrutura e sem��ntica (ontologias). Este processo, denominado evolu����o de ontologias, pode ser definido como uma adapta����o temporal da ontologia atrav��s de altera����es que surgem no dom��nio ou nos objectivos da pr��pria ontologia, e da gest��o consistente dessas altera����es [Stojanovic, 2004], podendo por vezes deixar o documento de mapeamento inconsistente. Em ambientes heterog��neos onde a interoperabilidade entre sistemas depende do documento de mapeamento, este deve reflectir as altera����es efectuadas nas ontologias, existindo neste caso duas solu����es: (i) gerar um novo documento de mapeamento (processo exigente em termos de tempo e recursos computacionais) ou (ii) adaptar o documento de mapeamento, corrigindo rela����es sem��nticas inv��lidas e criar novas rela����es se forem necess��rias (processo menos existente em termos de tempo e recursos computacionais, mas muito dependente da informa����o sobre as altera����es efectuadas). O principal objectivo deste trabalho �� a an��lise, especifica����o e desenvolvimento do processo de evolu����o do documento de mapeamento de forma a reflectir as altera����es efectuadas durante o processo de evolu����o de ontologias. Contexto Este trabalho foi desenvolvido no contexto do MAFRA Toolkit1. O MAFRA (MApping FRAmework) Toolkit �� uma aplica����o desenvolvida no GECAD2 que permite a especifica����o declarativa de rela����es sem��nticas entre entidades de uma ontologia origem e outra de destino, utilizando os seguintes componentes principais: Concept Bridge ��� Representa uma rela����o sem��ntica entre um conceito de origem e um de destino; Property Bridge ��� Representa uma rela����o sem��ntica entre uma ou mais propriedades de origem e uma ou mais propriedades de destino; Service ��� S��o aplicados ��s Semantic Bridges (Property e Concept Bridges) definindo como as inst��ncias origem devem ser transformadas em inst��ncias de destino. Estes conceitos est��o especificados na ontologia SBO (Semantic Bridge Ontology) [Silva, 2004]. No contexto deste trabalho, um documento de mapeamento �� uma instancia����o do SBO, contendo rela����es sem��nticas entre entidades da ontologia de origem e da ontologia de destino. Processo de evolu����o do mapeamento O processo de evolu����o de mapeamento �� o processo onde as entidades do documento de mapeamento s��o adaptadas, reflectindo eventuais altera����es nas ontologias mapeadas, tentando o quanto poss��vel preservar a sem��ntica das rela����es sem��ntica especificadas. Se as ontologias origem e/ou destino sofrerem altera����es, algumas rela����es sem��nticas podem tornar-se inv��lidas, ou novas rela����es ser��o necess��rias, sendo por isso este processo composto por dois sub-processos: (i) correc����o de rela����es sem��nticas e (ii) processamento de novas entidades das ontologias. O processamento de novas entidades das ontologias requer a descoberta e c��lculo de semelhan��as entre entidades e a especifica����o de rela����es de acordo com a ontologia/linguagem SBO. Estas fases (���similarity measure��� e ���semantic bridging���) s��o implementadas no MAFRA Toolkit, sendo o processo (semi-) autom��tico de mapeamento de ontologias descrito em [Silva, 2004].O processo de correc����o de entidades SBO inv��lidas requer um bom conhecimento da ontologia/linguagem SBO, das suas entidades e rela����es, e de todas as suas restri����es, i.e. da sua estrutura e sem��ntica. Este procedimento consiste em (i) identificar as entidades SBO inv��lidas, (ii) a causa da sua invalidez e (iii) corrigi-las da melhor forma poss��vel. Nesta fase foi utilizada informa����o vinda do processo de evolu����o das ontologias com o objectivo de melhorar a qualidade de todo o processo. Conclus��es Para al��m do processo de evolu����o do mapeamento desenvolvido, um dos pontos mais importantes deste trabalho foi a aquisi����o de um conhecimento mais profundo sobre ontologias, processo de evolu����o de ontologias, mapeamento etc., expans��o dos horizontes de conhecimento, adquirindo ainda mais a consci��ncia da complexidade do problema em quest��o, o que permite antever e perspectivar novos desafios para o futuro.

Controllability results for impulsive mixed type functional integro-differential evolution equations with nonlocal conditions

In this paper, we establish the controllability for a class of abstract impulsive mixed-type functional integro-differential equations with finite delay in a Banach space. Some sufficient conditions for controllability are obtained by using the M��nch fixed point theorem via measures of noncompactness and semigroup theory. Particularly, we do not assume the compactness of the evolution system. An example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of our results.

Combined mutation differential evolution to solve systems of nonlinear equations

This paper presents a differential evolution heuristic to compute a solution of a system of nonlinear equations through the global optimization of an appropriate merit function. Three different mutation strategies are combined to generate mutant points. Preliminary numerical results show the effectiveness of the presented heuristic.

Concep����o de uma aplica����o m��vel no ��mbito da ecologia e sustentabilidade ambiental

Trabalho de projeto apresentado �� Escola Superior de Comunica����o Social como parte dos requisitos para obten����o de grau de mestre em Audiovisual e Multim��dia.

Complex evolution of a multi-particle system

This paper studies a discrete dynamical system of interacting particles that evolve by interacting among them. The computational model is an abstraction of the natural world, and real systems can range from the huge cosmological scale down to the scale of biological cell, or even molecules. Different conditions for the system evolution are tested. The emerging patterns are analysed by means of fractal dimension and entropy measures. It is observed that the population of particles evolves towards geometrical objects with a fractal nature. Moreover, the time signature of the entropy can be interpreted at the light of complex dynamical systems.

Le Cr��tac�� inf��rieur de la marge atlantique portugaise: biostratigraphie, organization s��quentielle, evolution pal��og��ographique

This paper gives a short description of main stratigraphic unities from the early Cretaceous in Estremadura and Algarve, with their lithological, sedimentological and paleontological characteristics. The distribution of facies enable to propose a paleogeographic frame including eroded high areas and sedimentary low areas roughly parallel to the present coast. The early Cretaceous from Estremadura is splited up into three megasequences each one with regressive then transgressive tendencies: this fact must be connected with the leading action of distensive, slow or sudden, movements. Beyond the hercynian fault of Messejana, Algarve presents a different sedimentary evolution during the early Cretaceous.

Origin and evolution of Upper Triassic to Miocene clay-mineral associations from the eastern Algarve of Portugal

XRD-analyses of pelitic deposits of Upper Jurassic to Miocene age occuring in the eastern Algarve (Portugal), give evidence of the occurrence of detrital clay minerals of continental origin as well as of conspicuous neoformations of marine provenance. The vertical succession of clay-mineral associations indicates the existence of three distinctive evolutionary cycles which are thought to reflect tectonically controlled transgressive-regressive events.

Hydrogen evolution and consumption in AOT���isooctane reverse micelles by Desulfovibrio gigas hydrogenase

The enzyme hydrogenase isolated from the sulphate reducing anaerobic bacterium Desulfovibrio gigas was encapsulated in reverse micelles of AOT���water���isooctane. The enzyme ability to consume molecular hydrogen was studied as a function of the micelle size (given by Wo = [H2O]/[organic solvent]). A peak of catalytic activity was obtained for Wo = 18, a micelle size theoretically fitting the heterodimeric hydrogenase molecule. At this Wo value, the recorded catalytic activity was slightly higher than in a buffer system(Kcat = 169.43 s���1 against the buffer value of 151 s���1). The optimal buffer used to encapsulate the enzyme was found to be imidazole 50 mM, pH 9.0. The molecular hydrogen production activity was also tested in this reverse micelle medium.

Temporal evolution and spatial distribution of maternal death

OBJECTIVE To analyze the temporal evolution of maternal mortality and its spatial distribution.METHODS Ecological study with a sample made up of 845 maternal deaths in women between 10 and 49 years, registered from 1999 to 2008 in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil. Data were obtained from Information System on Mortality of Ministry of Health. The maternal mortality ratio and the specific maternal mortality ratio were calculated from records, and analyzed by the Poisson regression model. In the spatial distribution, three maps of the state were built with the rates in the geographical macro-regions, in 1999, 2003, and 2008.RESULTS There was an increase of 2.0% in the period of ten years (95%CI 1.00;1.04; p = 0.01), with no significant change in the magnitude of the maternal mortality ratio. The Serra macro-region presented the highest maternal mortality ratio (1.15, 95%CI 1.08;1.21; p < 0.001). Most deaths in Rio Grande do Sul were of white women over 40 years, with a lower level of education. The time of delivery/abortion and postpartum are times of increased maternal risk, with a greater negative impact of direct causes such as hypertension and bleeding.CONCLUSIONS The lack of improvement in maternal mortality ratio indicates that public policies had no impact on women&#8217;s reproductive and maternal health. It is needed to qualify the attention to women&#8217;s health, especially in the prenatal period, seeking to identify and prevent risk factors, as a strategy of reducing maternal death.

Critical reappraisal of Late Mesozoic-Cenozoic Central and North Atlantic, Caribbean and Mediterranean evolution

(l) The Pacific basin (Pacific area) may be regarded as moving eastwards like a double zip fastener relative to the continents and their respective plates (Pangaea area): opening in the East and closing in the West. This movement is tracked by a continuous mountain belt, the collision ages of which increase westwards. (2) The relative movements between the Pacific area and the Pangaea area in the W-EfE-W direction are generated by tidal forces (principle of hypocycloid gearing), whereby the lower mantle and the Pacific basin or area (Pacific crust = roof of the lower mantle?) rotate somewhat faster eastwards around the Earth's spin axis relative to the upper mantle/crust system with the continents and their respective plates (Pangaea area) (differential rotation). (3) These relative West to East/East to West displacements produce a perpetually existing sequence of distinct styles of opening and closing oeean basins, exemplified by the present East to West arrangement of ocean basins around the globe (Oceanic or Wilson Cycle: Rift/Red Sea style; Atlantic style; Mediterranean/Caribbean style as eastwards propagating tongue of the Pacific basin; Pacific style; Collision/Himalayas style). This sequence of ocean styles, of which the Pacific ocean is a part, moves eastwards with the lower mantle relative to the continents and the upper-mantle/crust of the Pangaea area. (4) Similarly, the collisional mountain belt extending westwards from the equator to the West of the Pacific and representing a chronological sequence of collision zones (sequential collisions) in the wake of the passing of the Pacific basin double zip fastener, may also be described as recording the history of oceans and their continental margins in the form of successive Wilson Cycles. (5) Every 200 to 250 m.y. the Pacific basin double zip fastener, the sequence of ocean styles of the Wilson Cycle and the eastwards growing collisional mountain belt in their wake complete one lap around the Earth. Two East drift lappings of 400 to 500 m.y. produce a two-lap collisional mountain belt spiral around a supercontinent in one hemisphere (North or South Pangaea). The Earth's history is subdivided into alternating North Pangaea growth/South Pangaea breakup eras and South Pangaea growth/North Pangaea breakup eras. Older North and South Pangaeas and their collisional mountain belt spirals may be reconstructed by rotating back the continents and orogenic fragments of a broken spiral (e.g. South Pangaea, Gondwana) to their previous Pangaea growth era orientations. In the resulting collisional mountain belt spiral, pieced together from orogenic segments and fragments, the collision ages have to increase successively towards the West. (6) With its current western margin orientated in a West-East direction North America must have collided during the Late Cretaceous Laramide orogeny with the northern margin of South America (Caribbean Andes) at the equator to the West of the Late Mesozoic Pacific. During post-Laramide times it must have rotated clockwise into its present orientation. The eastern margin of North America has never been attached to the western margin of North Africa but only to the western margin of Europe. (7) Due to migration eastwards of the sequence of ocean styles of the Wilson Cycle, relative to a distinct plate tectonic setting of an ocean, a continent or continental margin, a future or later evolutionary style at the Earth's surface is always depicted in a setting simultaneously developed further to the West and a past or earlier style in a setting simultaneously occurring further to the East. In consequence, ahigh probability exists that up to the Early Tertiary, Greenland (the ArabiaofSouth America?) occupied a plate tectonic setting which is comparable to the current setting of Arabia (the Greenland of Africa?). The Late Cretaceous/Early Tertiary Eureka collision zone (Eureka orogeny) at the northern margin of the Greenland Plate and on some of the Canadian Arctic Islands is comparable with the Middle to Late Tertiary Taurus-Bitlis-Zagros collision zone at the northern margin of the Arabian Plate.

The evolution of user mobility on the Eduroam network

The emergence of smartphones with Wireless LAN (WiFi) network interfaces brought new challenges to application developers. The expected increase of users connectivity will impact their expectations for example on the performance of background applications. Unfortunately, the number and breadth of the studies on the new patterns of user mobility and connectivity that result from the emergence of smartphones is still insufficient to support this claim. This paper contributes with preliminary results on a large scale study of the usage pattern of about 49000 devices and 31000 users who accessed at least one access point of the eduroam WiFi network on the campuses of the Lisbon Polytechnic Institute. Results confirm that the increasing number of smartphones resulted in significant changes to the pattern of use, with impact on the amount of traffic and users connection time.

Optimization of magneto-electro-elastic composite structures using differential evolution

Magneto-electro-elastic structures are built from materials that provide them the ability to convert in an interchangeable way, magnetic, electric and mechanical forms of energy. This characteristic can therefore provide an adaptive behaviour to a general configuration elastic structure, being commonly used in association with any type of composite material in an embedded or surface mounted mode, or by considering the usage of multiphase materials that enable achieving different magneto-electro-elastic properties. In a first stage of this work, a few cases studies will be considered to enable the validation of the model considered and the influence of the coupling characteristics of this type of adaptive structures. After that we consider the application of a recent computational intelligence technique, the differential evolution, in a deflection profile minimization problem. Studies on the influence of optimization parameters associated to the problem considered will be performed as well as the adoption of an adaptive scheme for the perturbation factor. Results are also compared with those obtained using an enhanced particle swarm optimization technique. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reconstructing the architectural evolution of volcanic islands from combined K/AR, morphologic, tectonic, and magnetic data. The Faial Island exemple (Azores)

The morpho-structural evolution of oceanic islands results from competition between volcano growth and partial destruction by mass-wasting processes. We present here a multi-disciplinary study of the successive stages of development of Faial (Azores) during the last 1 Myr. Using high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM), and new K/Ar, tectonic, and magnetic data, we reconstruct the rapidly evolving topography at successive stages, in response to complex interactions between volcanic construction and mass wasting, including the development of a graben. We show that: (1) sub-aerial evolution of the island first involved the rapid growth of a large elongated volcano at ca. 0.85 Ma, followed by its partial destruction over half a million years; (2) beginning about 360 ka a new small edifice grew on the NE of the island, and was subsequently cut by normal faults responsible for initiation of the graben; (3) after an apparent pause of ca. 250 kyr, the large Central Volcano (CV) developed on the western side of the island at ca 120 ka, accumulating a thick pile of lava flows in less than 20 kyr, which were partly channelized within the graben; (4) the period between 120 ka and 40 ka is marked by widespread deformation at the island scale, including westward propagation of faulting and associated erosion of the graben walls, which produced sedimentary deposits; subsequent growth of the CV at 40 ka was then constrained within the graben, with lava flowing onto the sediments up to the eastern shore; (5) the island evolution during the Holocene involves basaltic volcanic activity along the main southern faults and pyroclastic eruptions associated with the formation of a caldera volcano-tectonic depression. We conclude that the whole evolution of Faial Island has been characterized by successive short volcanic pulses probably controlled by brief episodes of regional deformation. Each pulse has been separated by considerable periods of volcanic inactivity during which the Faial graben gradually developed. We propose that the volume loss associated with sudden magma extraction from a shallow reservoir in different episodes triggered incremental downward graben movement, as observed historically, when immediate vertical collapse of up to 2 m was observed along the western segments of the graben at the end of the Capelinhos eruptive crises (1957-58).

Topological entropy of catalytic sets: Hypercycles revisited

The dynamics of catalytic networks have been widely studied over the last decades because of their implications in several fields like prebiotic evolution, virology, neural networks, immunology or ecology. One of the most studied mathematical bodies for catalytic networks was initially formulated in the context of prebiotic evolution, by means of the hypercycle theory. The hypercycle is a set of self-replicating species able to catalyze other replicator species within a cyclic architecture. Hypercyclic organization might arise from a quasispecies as a way to increase the informational containt surpassing the so-called error threshold. The catalytic coupling between replicators makes all the species to behave like a single and coherent evolutionary multimolecular unit. The inherent nonlinearities of catalytic interactions are responsible for the emergence of several types of dynamics, among them, chaos. In this article we begin with a brief review of the hypercycle theory focusing on its evolutionary implications as well as on different dynamics associated to different types of small catalytic networks. Then we study the properties of chaotic hypercycles with error-prone replication with symbolic dynamics theory, characterizing, by means of the theory of topological Markov chains, the topological entropy and the periods of the orbits of unimodal-like iterated maps obtained from the strange attractor. We will focus our study on some key parameters responsible for the structure of the catalytic network: mutation rates, autocatalytic and cross-catalytic interactions.

Evolution of schistosomiasis in an hyperendemic area of the Minas Gerais state: two cross-sectional studies

Two cross-sectional studies on schistosomiasis mansoni were done in Comercinho, Minas Gerais (Brazil), at an interval of 7 years. In 1974 and 1981 feces examinations (KATO-KATZ method) were done in 89 and 90% of the population (about 1,500 inhabitants) and clinical examinations were done in 78 and 92% of the patients who excreted Schistosoma mansoni eggs in the feces, respectively. The rate of infection by S. mansoni did not change (69.9% in 1974 and 70.4% in 1981), but the geometrical mean of eggs per gram of feces (431 �� 4 and 334 �� 4, respectively) and the rate of splenomegaly (11 and 7%, respectively) decreased significantly in 1981, when compared to 1974. This reduction was observed only in the central zones of the town (zones 1-2) where the rate of dwellings with piped water increased from 17 to 44%. In the surroundings (zones 3-4), where the proportion of houses with piped water did not change significantly between 1974 (10%) and 1981 (7%), the geometrical mean of S. mansoni eggs and the rate of splenomegaly did not change either.