bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Academic Performance and Comparative Effectiveness of Computer- and Textbook-based Self-Instruction
Authors: Kurihara Yukio  , Kuramoto Shu  , Matsuura Kimio  , Miki Yoichiro  , Oda Katsushi  , Seo Hiromi  , Watabe Teruaki  , Qayumi A Karim
Published: February 2025

We intended to clarify the influence of student academic ability on the effectiveness of CAI using data of a study to assess the ef fectiveness of a new type of CAI software, cyberPatient (CP), at Kochi Medical School (KMS). A total of 59 third-year students were randomly assigned to four groups: Group-l used a text-book for self-instruction, Group-2 used CP, Group-3 used both types of learning materials, and Group-4 did not learn. Learning performance was evaluated by multiple-choice examination and OSCE. In order to clarify the influence of students’ academic ability on the effectiveness of CAI, statistical analyses were conducted, assigning students as either high or medium or low performance students. High performance students from Group-I, - 2 and -3 did not differ significantly in test performance after self-instruction. However, low performance students in Group-l scored significantly lower than those in Group-2 and -3. All students in Group-2 and -3 reported that CP stimulated willingness to learn and assisted understanding. The present analysis suggested that effectiveness of CAl might be associated with the academic ability of students.
Integrative General Intelligence for Controlling Game AI in a Minecraft-Like Environment
Authors: Goertzel Ben  , Pitt Joel  , Cai Zhenhua  , Wigmore Jared  , Huang Deheng  , Geisweiller Nil  , Lian Ruiting  , Yu Gino
Published: February 2025

A current project is briefly described, involving the application of the OpenCog integrative AGI system to control an animated agent in a videogame world inspired by the commercial game Minecraft. Among other purposes the project will provide a means of testing the hypothesis that cognitive synergy among learning mechanisms associated with different types of memory is valuable for embodied, human-like general intelligence.
The Computational Basis of Emotions and Implications for Cognitive Architectures
Authors: Peck Charles C.  , Kozloski James
Published: February 2025

Multiple theories of emotion and its role in cognitive function have been devised. These theories have been exploited to develop emotion-modeling artificial intelligence technologies that vary their behavior depending on the recognized emotional state. These theories and the technologies they motivate draw upon correlations between subjective emotional categories and behavioral changes, yet they do not adequately explain these correlations mechanistically. This paper addresses this deficiency with a new theory of emotion as epiphenomenal qualia resulting from variations in the processes that underlie consciousness and cognition. Accordingly, this paper presents fundamental assumptions about these processes and the mechanisms that give rise to them. It then identifies variations in these processes, the qualia they produce, and the corresponding emotion. The paper concludes by presenting the implications of this theory for designing cognitive or artificial intelligence technologies.
On a Roadmap to Biologically Inspired Cognitive Agents
Authors: Chella Antonio  , Lebiere Christian  , Noelle David C.  , Samsonovich Alexei V.
Published: February 2025

A new challenge is proposed for future intelligent artifacts based on biologically inspired cognitive architectures (BICA), called the BICA Challenge. Namely, it is proposed that a BICA agent can only be considered human-level intelligent if it can be accepted and trusted as an equal member (a “person”) by a human community. For example, an agent of this sort would be able to win a political election against human candidates.
Fusing Symbolic and Decision-Theoretic Problem Solving + Perception in a Graphical Cognitive Architecture
Authors: Chen Junda  , Demski Abram  , Han Teawon  , Morency Louis-Philippe  , Pynadath David  , Rafidi Nicole  , Rosenbloom Paul
Published: February 2025

A step is taken towards fusing symbolic and decision-theoretic problem solving in a cognitive architecture by implementing the latter in an architecture within which the former has already been demonstrated. The graphical models upon which the architecture is based enable a uniform implementation of both varieties of problem solving. They also enable a uniform combination with forms of decision-relevant perception, highlighting a potential path towards a tight coupling between central cognition and peripheral perception.
Signaling and Communication in Plants
Authors: Mugnai Sergio
Published: February 2025

The perspective we are looking at plants in the last years is dramatically changing, tending away from seeing them as passive entities subject to environmental forces. The new vision is that plants are dynamic and highly sensitive organisms, with complex behaviors actively and competitively foraging for limited resources both above and belowground. Plants can be considered as information-processing organisms with complex communication throughout the individual body. In this article, the importance of the root apex as a sort of ‘command centre’ and source of signals to be directed towards the entire plant is highlighted and discussed. Also, the concept of plants as communicating organisms is presented.
Modelling stepping strategies for steering in Insects
Authors: Arena Eleonora  , Arena Paolo  , Patanè Luca
Published: February 2025

In this paper a minimal control strategy for the reproduction of steering strategies in insects is reported. The strategy is a further development of a control methodology for locomotion control based on the Central Pattern Generator and accompanied with rigorous stability analyses obtained exploiting the Partial Contraction Analysis method. The mathematical model was derived extending the CPG network already introduced by the authors with an additional degree of freedom in each leg of a simulated legged robot, augmenting the leg steering possibilities for better mimicking Neurobiological findings. The control methodology aims at implementing the steering strategy using, at the same time, a minimal number of control variables, which are related to the phase displacements among the oscillators of the femur and tibia of the robot legs. Experimental results carried out in a dynamic simulation environment are also reported.
Toward AI-enhanced Computer-supported Peer Review in Legal Education
Authors: Ashley Kevin  , Goldin Ilya
Published: February 2025

Applying Bayesian data analysis to model a computer-supported peer-review process in a legal class writing exercise yielded pedagogically useful information about student-understanding of problem-specific legal concepts and of more general domain-related legal writing criteria and about the criteria's effectiveness. The approach suggests how AI and Law can impact legal education.
Implementing Compliance Controls in Public Administration
Authors: Boer Alexander  , van Engers Tom
Published: February 2025

This paper presents a monitoring and diagnosis component of a knowledge cquisition, design, and simulation framework for implementation of compliance in public administration. A major purpose of the framework is to give a methodological justification for the exploration of compliance control policies. The knowledge acquisition approach depends on the storylike character of relevant case law and expert knowledge, and the compliance controls design space is derived from these stories.
A Concept Model for Solving Bond Mathematics Problems
Authors: Shirota Yukari  , Hashimoto Takako  , Kuboyama Tetsuji
Published: February 2025

This paper presents a concept model for solving bond mathematics problems; it is the manner in which our knowledge concerning bond mathematics is organized into a cognitive architecture. We build a concept model for bond mathematics to achieve good organization and to integrate the knowledge for bond mathematics. The ultimate goal is to enable many students to understand the solution process without difficulty. Our concept model comprises entity-relationship diagrams, and using our concept models, students can integrate financial theories and mathematical formulas. This paper illustrates concept models for bond mathematics by showing concrete examples of word mathematics problems. It also describes our principles in developing the concept model and the descriptive power of our model.
When Computers Become too Smart
Authors: Tyugu Enn
Published: February 2025

A scenario of development of intelligent computers and cyber space in coming decades is presented under the assumptions that computing will change from data processing to knowledge processing, and the development of intelligence of computers will follow the same path as the increase of performance of hardware. For this purpose, knowledge, thinking, reflection and consciousness are defined as approximations of respective concepts of psychology. These concepts are used in an analysis of evolution of the cyber space.
Representation and Retrieval of Uncertain Temporal Information in Museum Databases
Authors: Nurminen Miika  , Heimbürger Anneli
Published: February 2025

An implementation-oriented model to represent uncertain temporal information in databases is proposed. Temporal information is presented to the user as anchored time intervals with optional beginning and end dates. The model accounts for both instants and intervals, and can be applied to uncertain dates by leaving days and months optional, or by using symbolic constraints that present additional time granularities. The model is defined using conventional relational database structures to support ease of deployment and integration to legacy systems with efficient query capabilities. The model is based on experiences with an existing museum database and highlights challenges related to temporal representation of cultural-historical data in practice. The model is compared with temporal representations used in other museum information systems and collections management standards. Possible opportunities to extend the model in the future research include defining a formal algebraic presentation or utilizing an explicit time ontology.
An Accelerated Haptic Feedback Algorithm Utilizing Volume Reconstruction
Authors: Hu Rui  , Barner Kenneth E.  , Steiner Karl V.
Published: February 2025

Surgery simulation is playing an increasing role in medical education. A long standing problem in this area is how to integrate fast yet realistic haptic feedback to the system. In this paper, we propose an algorithm to accelerate the recently proposed volume-based haptic feedback approach. Unlike existing techniques that require separately scanning along all three axes, we only scan the volume once along one axis and recover the penetration information along the other two based on geometric constraints and heuristics. This significantly reduces the computational cost and doubles the haptic refresh rate, which significantly improves the stability of haptic feedback.
Direct Haptic Volume Rendering in Lumbar Puncture Simulation
Authors: Mastmeyer Andre  , Fortmeier Dirk  , Handels Heinz
Published: February 2025

The preparation phase for surgical simulations often comprises the segmentation of patient data, which is needed for realistic visual and haptic rendering. Expert segmentation of 3D patient data sets can last from several hours to days. In this paper we introduce a direct haptic volume rendering approach for lumbar punctures. Preparation time spent for segmentation is much shorter and compared to our reference system nearly identical force output at the needle tip can be observed. The number of structures to be completely segmented by an expert is reduced from 11 to 3 tissues in abdominal data sets with 300 slices.
EuroMISE Center: Research and Education in Biomedical and Healthcare Informatics
Authors: Zvárová Jana  , Svačina Štěpán  , Rauch Jan  , Haase Jiří  , Grunfeldová Hana
Published: February 2025

EuroMISE Center was established in the year 1994bas the joint workplace of Charles University in Prague and Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic with the support of the European project focused on higher education in methodology field of healthcare. Nowadays, the EuroMISE Center is working as the joint workplace of five organizations. We describe in more details history and nowadays activities of the EuroMISE Center in the field of research, higher education and e3Health applications.
Teaching Medical Informatics at SSMU Tomsk for Modernization Health Care
Authors: Kudelina Olga  , Engelbrecht Rolf
Published: February 2025

Education is the basis for running a health care system effectively and efficiently. It is integrated into the curriculum for medical students and supported by training. International participation in concept and practice will be necessary for success and further development. Institutional cooperation will transfer experience and recommendations. It may lead to a partnership for modernization on European level.
Consistent Data Recording across a Health System and Web-Enablement Allow Service Quality Comparisons: Online Data for Commissioning Dermatology Services
Authors: Dmitrieva Olga  , Michalakidis Georgios  , Mason Aaron  , Jones Simon  , Chan Tom  , de Lusignan Simon
Published: February 2025

A new distributed model of health care management is being introduced in England. Family practitioners have new responsibilities for the management of health care budgets and commissioning of services. There are national datasets available about health care providers and the geographical areas they serve. These data could be better used to assist the family practitioner turned health service commissioners. Unfortunately these data are not in a form that is readily usable by these fledgling family commissioning groups.
SHIWA workflow interoperability solutions for neuroimaging data analysis
Authors: Korkhov Vladimir  , Krefting Dagmar  , Montagnat Johan  , Truong Huu Tram  , Kukla Tamas  , Terstyanszky Gabor  , Manset David  , Caan Matthan  , Olabarriaga Silvia
Published: February 2025

Neuroimaging is a field that benefits from distributed computing infrastructures (DCIs) to perform data- and compute-intensive processing and analysis. Using grid workflow systems not only automates the processing pipelines, but also enables domain researchers to implement their expertise on how to best process neuroimaging data. To share this expertise and to promote collaborative research in neurosciences, ways to facilitate the exchange, re-use, and interoperability of workflow applications between different groups are required. The SHIWA project (SHaring Interoperable Workflows for large-scale scientific simulations on Available DCIs) is specifically addressing such use-cases, building a generic platform to facilitate workflow exchange and execution environments interoperability. The goal is to facilitate the dissemination and execution of workflows by diverse workflow management systems on multiple DCIs. This platform enables researchers to gain access to a variety of ready-to-use workflows, to reuse workflows developed by collaborators, to publish their own workflows to be used by others, and to use additional resources from external DCIs to run workflows.
A Call for International Cooperation for Cyber Security
Authors: Touré Hamadoun
Published: February 2025

The internet has brought about profound changes in our society. As well bringing enormous advantages to everyday users, criminals use the nternet on a grand scale against a multiplicity of targets, compromising global security. In order to face those threats, and preserve our fundamental right to communicate, a coordinated and international response is necessary. This should be done while preserving users' freedom and privacy.
Designing a Glass Pavilion to Protect an Ancient Greek Temple
Authors: Veer Fred  , Oikonomopoulou Phaedra  , Bokel Regina
Published: February 2025

The ancient temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae in the Peleponnese in Greece is a unique world heritage monument. The limestone used however is very susceptible to the elements (ice, rain, acid rain). Currently the temple is protected by a canopy. A case study has been made to build a glass pavilion around the temple. This needs to meet some very strict criteria. First it needs to be as invisible as possible. Secondly as columns cannot be placed inside of the monument glass beams with a 24 m span are required. Lastly the climate inside has to be kept comfortable, preferably using passive systems only.
Analytical Solutions for Detail Problems in Structural Glazing
Authors: Seel Matthias  , Siebert Geralt
Published: February 2025

Detail points play a crucial role in the calculation of stress in structural glazing. Drill holes, point fixing by clamps or plane discs with drill holes and glued connection are such detail points. The calculation of these details is usually done by using the finite element analysis (FEA). But the scatter of the FEA results is very big – which means that the quality can be evaluated as low. The FEA results depend on the applied FEM software and the modeling by the user. Therefore, it is always necessary to compare FEA-results with solutions of comparable problems for excluding inadequate FEA models. In this paper, several analytical solutions for detail problems in structural glazing are derived and presented. These analytical solutions can be used for validation of point fixing systems (mechanical and glued).
ENFICA-FC: Design and Flight Tests of a Fuel Cell Powered Aircraft
Authors: Romeo Giulio  , Borello Fabio  , Correa Gabriel
Published: February 2025

Growing interest in the application to renewable energy sources has led to a rapid development of fuel cell technologies. From the successful attempts of these technologies in the automotive industry, fuel cells could become the main power source for small general aviation aircraft or could replace APU and internal sub-systems on larger aircraft, to obtain all-electric or more-electric air vehicles. There are several potential advantages of using such a power source that range from environmental and economic issues to performance and operability aspects. The main objective of the European Commission funded project ENFICA-FC (ENvironmentally Friendly Inter City Aircraft powered by Fuel Cells) [1–11] was to develop and validate the use of a FC based power system for the propulsion of more/all electric aircraft.
The German National Aeronautics RTD Programme
Authors: Mathy Franz-Josef
Published: February 2025

The aim of this paper is to give an overview over “LuFo”, the civil Aeronautics RTD Programme of the Federal Government of Germany, and similar activities of the German Länder. LuFo was established in 1994, to back up the technological preparation for actual aircraft programmes in the civil sector. Since then, a significant number of calls have been launched. In the frame of the actual programme line, LuFo IV, annual spending has increased to more than EUR 100 million .
The Rib Vertebra Angle Difference and its Measurement in 3D for the Evaluation of Early Onset Scoliosis
Authors: Foley G.  , Aubin C.E.  , Labelle H.  , Sanders J.  , d'Astous J.  , Johnston C.  , Parent S.
Published: February 2025

The Rib Vertebra Angle Difference (RVAD) as defined by Mehta (1972) is used to predict the progression of early onset scoliosis. No clear physical significance has been established for this measurement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the RVAD along the thoracic spine and the equivalent measurement on 3D reconstructions of the spine and rib cage of early onset scoliosis patients in order to determine their relationship with the geometry of the chest wall and evolution along the spine. The RVAD was measured on PA radiographs of 42 infantile scoliotic patients (Cobb >20°) from T4 to T10 according to the method described by Mehta. The RVAD 3D was computed using the same landmarks from the 3D reconstruction generated from the calibrated biplanar radiographs. Cases were divided into Phase I and Phase II using Mehta's classification based on the rib head overlap with the apical vertebral body on coronal plane radiographs. A linear relationship exists between the Metha (2D) and 3D RVAD for both Phase I (r = 0.87) and Phase II (r = 0.78) patients. For more severe deformities (RVAD 3D ≥ 35°), a relationship was found between RVAD 3D and the axial rotation of the thoracic vertebrae (r = 0.51) in Phase II patients. However, no significant relationship exists between axial rotation and RVAD 3D for Phase I patients as well as Mehta's RVAD. Maximal RVAD measurements were located 2 ½ levels above the apical vertebra. Results indicated that RVAD 3D provides additional information to Mehta's RVAD on the torsional nature of the deformity. Considering the importance of clinical indices to assess the progression of early onset scoliosis, this study raises some questions on looking solely at the RVAD measured on radiographs at the apical vertebra of Phase I patients and suggests considering also levels above the apex of the scoliotic curve and 3D measurements. Further investigation is required to fully understand the 3D nature of the spine and rib cage deformities.
The method of geometrical comparison of 3-dimensional objects created from DICOM images
Authors: Gaweł Dominik  , Danielewicz Kamil  , Nowak Michał
Published: February 2025

This work presents a method of geometrical comparison of 3-dimensional objects created from DICOM images. The reconstruction of biological objects is realized with use of Simpleware commercial software. Then the 3D geometries are registered and the recognized shape differences are visualized using color map, indicating the change of the 3D geometry. Than the last, but most important step of the presented technology is performed. The model including the information about changes in compared geometries is translated into the PDF format. Such approach allows to present the final result on every desktop computer equipped with Adobe Reader. This PDF browser is free to use and gives the possibility to freely rotate, move and zoom the model.
A comparison of the effects of deep tissue massage and therapeutic massage on chronic low back pain
Authors: Romanowski Mateusz  , Romanowska Joanna  , Grześkowiak Marcin
Published: February 2025

Introduction: This study compared the effectiveness of two different kind of massage: therapeutic and deep tissue on chronic low back pain.
The Structure of Postural Disorders and Spinal Deformities in Age and Gender According to Computer Optical Topography
Authors: Sarnadskiy V.N.
Published: February 2025

Since 1996 in Russia the screening of the child population is carried out using the diagnostic system TODP. The purpose of the study - to explore gender and age features of the postural formation. The most significant differences in the postural formation between boys and girls have been identified in the sagittal plane. A strong correlation between the development of structural scoliosis and growth of the body for both genders was revealed in the frontal plane.
Architectural Approach for Semantic EHR Systems Development Based on Detailed Clinical Models
Authors: Bernal Juan G.  , Lopez Diego M.  , Blobel Bernd
Published: February 2025

The integrative approach to health information in general and the development of pHealth systems in particular, require an integrated approach of formally modeled system architectures. Detailed Clinical Models (DCM) is one of the most promising modeling efforts for clinical concept representation in EHR system architectures. Although the feasibility of DCM modeling methodology has been demonstrated through examples, there is no formal, generic and automatic modeling transformation technique to ensure a semantic lossless transformation of clinical concepts expressed in DCM to either clinical concept representations based on ISO 13606/openEHR Archetypes or HL7 Templates. The objective of this paper is to propose a generic model transformation method and tooling for transforming DCM Clinical Concepts into ISO/EN 13606/openEHR Archetypes or HL7 Template models. The automation of the transformation process is supported by Model Driven-Development (MDD) transformation mechanisms and tools. The availability of processes, techniques and tooling for automatic DCM transformation would enable the development of intelligent, adaptive information systems as demanded for pHealth solutions.
Experimental evaluation of methods for ranking qualitatively assessed data-mining workflows
Authors: Mileva Boshkoska Biljana  , Bohanec Marko  , Žnidaršič Martin
Published: February 2025

In this paper, we address the problem of full option ranking in hierarchical qualitative evaluation models. Qualitative evaluation models perform partial ranking of options. The main challenge for full ranking of options with hierarchical models is finding a suitable aggregation function. A common way to define an aggregation is to use some kind of regression. Current approaches that use linear regression often fail to provide a full ranking of options in non-linear cases. Therefore we propose different methods for linear and copula-based regression functions. We evaluate two real data-mining workflows and two of its modifications, and show that full ranking of options is achieved when employing copula-based regression using Frank copula.
A Three-Disciplined Approach to the Development of a Financial Learning Management System (FinLMS)
Authors: Neville Karen  , Woodworth Simon  , O'Sullivan-Rochford Claire
Published: February 2025

This paper describes the creation of an interactive online learning management tool for the accounting and IS professions. The financial learning management system (FinLMS) will be used by accounting practitioners and learners to create and understand how financial statements work together and to explore the relationships between the primary financial statements being: income statements, statement of cash flow and balance sheet statements for decision-making. It has been pilot-tested in a third-level university delivering accounting and finance courses to two undergraduate programmes. The FinLMS will allow learners to enter data into financial statements, and to manipulate the results using sensitivity analysis and stress testing of key financial ratios. This is achieved through a tutorial-driven, stepped approach to active-learning. Learners will be able to test their understanding of financial theory and educators will be able to track student progress. Practitioner user requirements were specified by an industrial partner and best practices for methodological approaches in managing accounting, finance and IS (AFIS) knowledge were provided by the FinLMS development group consisting of AFIS educators. This consortium of practitioners and educators collaborated extensively to devise a FinLMS that merges best practices in online education with specific interdisciplinary curriculum training requirements for the accounting and IS professions.
Decision Support Systems for Trial Lawyers
Authors: Chalamish Michal  , Galili Eran  , Schild Uri J.
Published: February 2025

Building up a case to be presented in court, is similar to carefully placing the many parts of a puzzle and creating a picture. Arranging the parts in different ways will result in different pictures. The criminal attorney has to fuse different sources of evidence and create a single, highly detailed case. The Decision Support System presented in this paper is based on the Wigmore Diagram model and aims at assisting the attorney in this “puzzle creating” tedious task using intelligent computational methods.
Individual decision making based on a shared context
Authors: Tahir Hassane  , Brezillon Patrick
Published: February 2025

The performance of data migration processes is an important issue when transferring data from existing source information systems to new target systems. Such a process is called ETL (Extraction, Transformation and Loading). Addressing this issue is one of the main tasks and challenges of database administrator (DBA). This activity is important because it must be accomplished as rapidly as possible to make the target system available to other systems on time. Under such a pressure, a DBA has to collaborate with several experts working on the different parts in the migration environment to solve the problem at hand. Exchange of information and knowledge between the DBA and project members becomes effective if there is a common interpretative focus and a shared context where all actors can understand each other and exchange their experiences. In this paper, we present how context sharing can help in individual decision making when dealing with ETL-processes failures, thanks to a platform called Contextual Graphs (CxGs-Platform) that allows a uniform representation of knowledge, reasoning and contexts. Our work provides a basis for the development of an experience base that will be used by a decision support system for DBA experts.
Align, share responsibility and collaborate: Potential considerations to aid in e-health policy development
Authors: Ragaban Nouran  , Day Karen  , Orr Martin
Published: February 2025

Aim Policies that support strategic development and implementation are related to health ICT implementation successes. This research aimed to explore the question, ‘Why have we not seen more successful ICT implementation in healthcare, and what does policy have to do with success?’
Elements for a linguistic ontology in the verbal domain
Authors: Tovena Lucia M.
Published: February 2025

In this paper, we propose to put together the intuition developed in the descriptive work by Cusic on plurality in the verbal domain and the formal tools developed by Landman on groups. Cusic's hierarchy is used to say something both on the accessibility of the members of a plurality, and on the iteration of pluralisation to produce predefined new units. The notion of structured unit such as a group introduces a breaking point in the transitive relation that is part of the definition of the partial order imposed on the denotation of a predicate. Looking inside a group means to jump out of the semilattice to which the group belongs, and to land into another semilattice generated by a set of elements that are units (or collections thereof) of a different layer and are associated with a different sub-sortal. Discourse accessibility of the elements in the landing structure is not warranted.
A Temporal Extension of the Hayes/ter Horst Entailment Rules and an Alternative to W3C's N-ary Relations
Authors: Krieger Hans-Ulrich
Published: February 2025

Temporal encoding schemes using RDF and OWL are often plagued by a massive proliferation of useless “container” objects. Reasoning and querying with such representations is extremely complex, expensive, and error-prone. We present a temporal extension of the Hayes and ter Horst entailment rules for RDFS and OWL [2,7] which apply to the TBox, RBox, and ABox of an ontology in order to make implicit knowledge explicit. The extension requires only some lightweight forms of reasoning and is realized by adding two further temporal arguments, thus replacing a triple by a quintuple. The approach has been implemented in the forward chaining engine HFC. Our decision was motivated by experiences we have gained in former projects that have dealt with the representation of changing information over time in description logic ontologies. In order to verify the superiority of the approach, we compare the quintuple-based approach with a semantic-preserving encoding scheme for N-ary relations through RDF triples, as proposed by the Semantic Web Best Practices Group of the W3C. The comparison is carried out on a theoretical as well as on a practical level, both in the space and the time domain when computing the deductive closure w.r.t. the triple- and quintuple-based temporal entailment rules.
Adaptive Clustering of Image Database (ACID) as an Efficient Tool for Improving Retrieval in a CBIR System
Authors: Reljin Branimir  , Zajić Goran  , Reljin Nikola  , Reljin Irini
Published: February 2025

The paper describes a content-based image retrieval (CBIR) system with relevance feedback (RF). Instead of standard relevance feedback procedure, an adaptive clustering of image database (ACID) according to particular subjective needs is introduced in our system. Images labeled by the user as relevant are collected in clusters, and their representative members are used in further searching procedure instead of all images contained in the database. By this way, some history of previous retrieving is embedded into a searching process enabling faster and more subjective retrieval. Moreover, clusters are adaptively updated after each retrieving session, following actual user's needs. The efficiency of the proposed ACID system is tested with images from Corel and MIT datasets.
Automated High Throughput Whole Slide Imaging Using Area Sensors, Flash Light Illumination and Solid State Light Engine
Authors: Varga Viktor Sebestyén  , Molnár Béla  , Virág Tibor
Published: February 2025

Background: Whole Slide Imagers or digital slide scanners have developed very rapidly in the last 8 years and went through three generations. Third generation instruments have just reached the market which have the stability and throughput to be used for routine clinical work. We describe in this article the technical background and reasoning behind engineering decisions we made during the development of 3DHISTECH's 3rd generation combined brightfield and fluorescent scanner.
Paradigm Changes in Health Lead to Paradigm Changes in Pathology
Authors: Hall Jacqueline A.  , Blobel Bernd
Published: February 2025

For the sake of safety and quality of care as well as efficiency of care processes, health systems undergo a paradigm change towards personalized, ubiquitous, health services. This change includes preventive and predictive medicine based on advanced translational medicine. Here we introduce domain-specific, organizational, and technical paradigms, requirements and solutions for personalized, ubiquitous, care. Emphasizing the formal aspects of modeling and implementing Telehealth and personal health (pHealth) interoperability and the entailed multidisciplinary integration, and illustrate the drivers behind and benefits of personalized medicine with a specific focus on the changing trends and impact on pathology, especially emphasizing Telepathology.
Error diagnosis in computer-supported collaborative multiple language learning using user classification
Authors: Virvou Maria  , Alepis Efthymios  , Troussas Christos
Published: February 2025

This paper describes an error diagnosis module incorporated in a multilingual learning system. To achieve error diagnosis the authors of this paper have used user modeling technics. Promoting the educational process, error handling within the system, renders the students capable of being aware of their mistakes and prevents them from re-conducting them. Furthermore, the collaboration is supported by the user modeling component and is ameliorated by the machine learning techniques which are used in the resulting system. The incorporated clustering algorithm helps towards group formatting, so that cooperations between students from different clusters is attained.
Hierarchical Action Selection for Reinforcement Learning in Infinite Mario
Authors: Joshi Mandar  , Khobragade Rakesh  , Sarda Saurabh  , Deshpande Umesh  , Mohan Shiwali
Published: February 2025

In this work, we analyze and improve upon reinforcement learning techniques used to build agents that can learn to play Infinite Mario, an action game. We use the object-oriented representation with the hierarchical RL model as a learning framework. We then extend the idea of hierarchical RL by designing a hierarchy in action selection using domain specific knowledge. Using experimental results, we show that this approach facilitates faster and efficient learning for the domain.
Exploring Metric Sensitivity of Planners for Generation of Pareto Frontiers
Authors: Sroka Michal  , Long Derek
Published: February 2025

This paper explores how current planners behave when exposed to multiple metrics, examining which of the planners are metric sensitive and which are not. For the metric insensitive planners we propose a new method of simulating metric sensitivity for the purpose of generation of diverse plans close to a pareto frontier. It is shown that metric sensitive planners are good candidates for generating sets of pareto optimal plans.
Implementing and Evaluating Provers for First-order Modal Logics
Authors: Benzmüller Christoph  , Otten Jens  , Raths Thomas
Published: February 2025

While there is a broad literature on the theory of first-order modal logics, little is known about practical reasoning systems for them. This paper presents several implementations of fully automated theorem provers for first-order modal logics based on different proof calculi. Among these calculi are the standard sequent calculus, a prefixed tableau calculus, an embedding into simple type theory, an instance-based method, and a prefixed connection calculus. All implementations are tested and evaluated on the new QMLTP problem library for first-order modal logic.
Symbolic A
Authors: Edelkamp Stefan  , Kissmann Peter  , Torralba Álvaro
Published: February 2025

The efficiency of heuristic search planning crucially depends on the quality of the search heuristic, while succinct representations of state sets in decision diagrams can save large amounts of memory in the exploration. BDDA*– a symbolic version of A*search – combines the two approaches into one algorithm. This paper compares two of the leading heuristics for sequential-optimal planning: the merge-and-shrink and the pattern databases heuristic, both of which can be compiled into a vector of BDDs and be used in BDDA*. The impact of optimizing the variable ordering is highlighted and experiments on benchmark domains are reported.
Lifted Probabilistic Inference
Authors: Kersting Kristian
Published: February 2025

Many AI problems arising in a wide variety of fields such as machine learning, semantic web, network communication, computer vision, and robotics can elegantly be encoded and solved using probabilistic graphical models. Often, however, we are facing inference problems with symmetries and redundancies only implicitly captured in the graph structure and, hence, not exploitable by efficient inference approaches. A prominent example are probabilistic logical models that tackle a long standing goal of AI, namely unifying first-order logic — capturing regularities and symmetries — and probability — capturing uncertainty. Although they often encode large, complex models using few rules only and, hence, symmetries and redundancies abound, inference in them was originally still at the propositional representation level and did not exploit symmetries. This paper is intended to give a (not necessarily complete) overview and invitation to the emerging field of lifted probabilistic inference, inference techniques that exploit these symmetries in graphical models in order to speed up inference, ultimately orders of magnitude.
Partial Cooperation in Multi-agent Local Search
Authors: Grubshtein Alon  , Zivan Roie  , Meisels Amnon
Published: February 2025

Multi-agent systems usually address one of two forms of interaction. One has completely competitive agents that act selfishly, each maximizing its own gain from the interaction. Auctions and voting scenarios usually assume such agents and follow game theoretic results. The other form of interaction has multiple agents that cooperatively search for some global goal, such as an optimal time slot allocation for all landing aircrafts in an airport.
Online Voter Control in Sequential Elections
Authors: Hemaspaandra Edith  , Hemaspaandra Lane A.  , Rothe Jörg
Published: February 2025

Previous work on voter control, which refers to situations where a chair seeks to change the outcome of an election by deleting, adding, or partitioning voters, takes for granted that the chair knows all the voters' preferences and that all votes are cast simultaneously. However, elections are often held sequentially and the chair thus knows only the previously cast votes and not the future ones, yet needs to decide instantaneously which control action to take. We introduce a framework that models online voter control in sequential elections. We show that the related problems can be much harder than in the standard (non-online) case: For certain election systems, even with efficient winner problems, online control by deleting, adding, or partitioning voters is PSPACE-complete, even if there are only two candidates. In addition, we obtain completeness for coNP in the deleting/adding cases with a bounded deletion/addition limit, and for NP in the partition cases with only one candidate. Finally, we show that for plurality, online control by deleting or adding voters is in P, and for partitioning voters is coNP-hard.
Planning with Semantic Attachments: An Object-Oriented View
Authors: Hertle Andreas  , Dornhege Christian  , Keller Thomas  , Nebel Bernhard
Published: February 2025

In recent years, domain-independent planning has been applied to a rising number of real-world applications. Usually, the description language of choice is PDDL. However, PDDL is not suited to model all challenges imposed by real-world applications. Dornhege et al. proposed semantic attachments to allow the computation of Boolean fluents by external processes called modules during planning. To acquire state information from the planning system a module developer must perform manual requests through a callback interface which is both inefficient and error-prone. In this paper, we present the Object-oriented Planning Language OPL, which incorporates the structure and advantages of modern object-oriented programming languages. We demonstrate how a domain-specific module interface that allows to directly access the planner state using object member functions is automatically generated from an OPL planning task. The generated domain-specific interface allows for a safe and less error-prone implementation of modules. We show experimentally that this interface is more efficient than the PDDL-based module interface of TFD/M.
Improving Local Search for Random 3-SAT Using Quantitative Configuration Checking
Authors: Luo Chuan  , Su Kaile  , Cai Shaowei
Published: February 2025

Configuration Checking (CC) was proposed as a new diversification strategy for Stochastic Local Search (SLS) algorithm for solving Minimum Vertex Cover, and has been successfully used for solving the Boolean Satisfiability problems, leading to an SLS algorithm called Swcc. However, the CC strategy for SAT is in the early stage of study, and Swcc cannot compete with the best SLS solvers for SAT in SAT Competition 2011. This paper presents a new strategy called Quantitative Configuration Checking (QCC), which is a quantitative version of the CC strategy for SAT. QCC is based on a new definition of “configuration” and works in a different way from the CC strategy does. Specifically, while previous CC strategies work only in the greedy mode, QCC firstly works in the random mode. We use QCC to improve the Swcc algorithm, resulting in a new SLS algorithm for SAT called Swqcc. Experimental results show that the QCC strategy is more effective than the CC strategy. Furthermore, Swqcc outperforms the best local search SAT solver in SAT Competition 2011 called Sparrow2011 on random 3-SAT instances.
Extending Set-based Dualization: Application to Pattern Mining
Authors: Nourine Lhouari  , Petit Jean-Marc
Published: February 2025

Dualization problems have been intensively studied in combinatorics, AI and pattern mining for years. Roughly speaking, for a partial order () and some monotonic predicate Q over P, the dualization consists in identifying all maximal elements of P verifying Q from all minimal elements of not verifying Q, and vice versa. The dualization is equivalent to the enumeration of minimal transversal of hypergraphs whenever () is a boolean lattice. In the setting of interesting pattern mining in databases, P represents a set of patterns and whenever P is isomorphic to a boolean lattice, the pattern mining problem is said to be representable as sets. The class of such problems is denoted by AS. In this paper, we introduce a weak representation as sets for pattern mining problems which extends the RAS class to a wider and significantly larger class of problems, called WRAS. We also identify EWRAS, an efficient subclass of WRAS for which the dualization problem is still quasi-polynomial. Finally, we point out that one representative pattern mining problem known not to be in RAS, namely frequent rigid sequences with wildcard, belongs to EWRAS. These new classes might prove to have large impact in unifying existing pattern mining approaches.
Multiple-Outcome Proof Number Search
Authors: Saffidine Abdallah  , Cazenave Tristan
Published: February 2025

We present Multiple-Outcome Proof Number Search (MOPNS), a Proof Number based algorithm able to prove positions in games with multiple outcomes. MOPNS is a direct generalization of Proof Number Search (PNS) in the sense that both behave exactly the same way in games with two outcomes. However, MOPNS targets a wider class of games. When a game features more than two outcomes, PNS can be used multiple times with different objectives to finally deduce the value of a position. On the contrary, MOPNS is called only once to produce the same information. We present experimental results on solving various positions of the games CONNECT FOUR and WOODPUSH showing that in most problems, the total number of node creations of MOPNS is lower than the cumulative number of node creations of PNS, even in the best case where PNS does not need to perform a binary search.
Introducing Datatypes in DL-Lite
Authors: Savković Ognjen  , Calvanese Diego
Published: February 2025

In Description Logics (DLs) and in the ontology-based data access (OBDA) scenario, the use of actual datatypes (such as those adopted in DBMSs) has received only limited attention, although datatypes, with their predefined semantics, might have a substantial impact on the computational complexity of inference in ontology systems. In this work we aim at overcoming these limitations, and study the impact of adding datatypes to the OBDA scenario. To this aim, we introduce a language for datatypes and we define the notion of a datatype hierarchy, constituted by a set of datatypes that depend on each other. We classify hierarchies in three classes according to their distinguishing properties, and we establish a theoretical framework for datatypes in the OBDA scenario, based on three major components: a DL, a class of datatype hierarchies, and a query language. We establish the computational complexity of query answering for various significant instantiations of this framework, as ranging from FOL-rewritable to coNP in data complexity.
ArvandHerd: Parallel Planning with a Portfolio
Authors: Valenzano Richard  , Nakhost Hootan  , Müller Martin  , Schaeffer Jonathan  , Sturtevant Nathan
Published: February 2025

ArvandHerd is a parallel planner that won the multicore sequential satisficing track of the 2011 International Planning Competition (IPC 2011). It assigns processors to run different members of an algorithm portfolio which contains several configurations of each of two different planners: LAMA-2008 and Arvand. In this paper, we demonstrate that simple techniques for using different planner configurations can significantly improve the coverage of both of these planners. We then show that these two planners, when using multiple configurations, can be combined to construct a high performance parallel planner. In particular, we will show that ArvandHerd can solve more IPC benchmark problems than even a perfect parallelization of LAMA-2011, which won the satisficing track at IPC 2011. We will also show that the coverage of ArvandHerd can be further improved if LAMA-2008 is replaced by LAMA-2011 in the portfolio.