Bottom-Up Ontology Construction with Contento

In this demo paper we show an approach to build Semantic Web ontologies from sample linked data with a tool named Contento. Contento is a data driven ontology construction kit, based on Formal Concept Analysis (FCA). We show the exploration and analysis func- tionalities of Contento, as well as the method to generate, annotate and prune concept hierarchies. Moreover, we describe a procedure to go from sample data - extracted from SPARQL endpoints - to a new OWL on- tology

Reasoning with Data Flows and Policy Propagation Rules

Data-oriented systems and applications are at the centre of current developments of the World Wide Web. In these scenarios, assessing what policies propagate from the licenses of data sources to the output of a given data-intensive system is an important problem. Both policies and data flows can be described with Semantic Web languages. Although it is possible to define Policy Propagation Rules (PPR) by associating policies to data flow steps, this activity results in a huge number of rules to be stored and managed. In a recent paper, we introduced strategies for reducing the size of a PPR knowledge base by using an ontology of the possible relations between data objects, the Datanode ontology, and applying the (A)AAAA methodology, a knowledge engineering approach that exploits Formal Concept Analysis (FCA). In this article, we investigate whether this reasoning is feasible and how it can be performed. For this purpose, we study the impact of compressing a rule base associated with an inference mechanism on the performance of the reasoning process. Moreover, we report on an extension of the (A)AAAA methodology that includes a coherency check algorithm, that makes this reasoning possible. We show how this compression, in addition to being beneficial to the management of the knowledge base, also has a positive impact on the performance and resource requirements of the reasoning process for policy propagation

Knowledge Components and Methods for Policy Propagation in Data Flows

Data-oriented systems and applications are at the centre of current developments of the World Wide Web (WWW). On the Web of Data (WoD), information sources can be accessed and processed for many purposes. Users need to be aware of any licences or terms of use, which are associated with the data sources they want to use. Conversely, publishers need support in assigning the appropriate policies alongside the data they distribute. In this work, we tackle the problem of policy propagation in data flows - an expression that refers to the way data is consumed, manipulated and produced within processes. We pose the question of what kind of components are required, and how they can be acquired, managed, and deployed, to support users on deciding what policies propagate to the output of a data-intensive system from the ones associated with its input. We observe three scenarios: applications of the Semantic Web, workflow reuse in Open Science, and the exploitation of urban data in City Data Hubs. Starting from the analysis of Semantic Web applications, we propose a data-centric approach to semantically describe processes as data flows: the Datanode ontology, which comprises a hierarchy of the possible relations between data objects. By means of Policy Propagation Rules, it is possible to link data flow steps and policies derivable from semantic descriptions of data licences. We show how these components can be designed, how they can be effectively managed, and how to reason efficiently with them. In a second phase, the developed components are verified using a Smart City Data Hub as a case study, where we developed an end-to-end solution for policy propagation. Finally, we evaluate our approach and report on a user study aimed at assessing both the quality and the value of the proposed solution

Circular Food Education: Developing a food education programme based on sustainability, experiential learning and pleasure in Irish primary schools

This research explored how an expanded and sustained education about food within the primary school curriculum in the Republic of Ireland could be achieved. A constructivist ontology underpinned the project, with multiple theoretical frameworks related to constructivist learning and building agency, informing the study. A multi-method action research methodology was used, providing practical solutions through action, reflection, practice and theory. A narrative review of the literature and existing policy preceded three sections of fieldwork. A scoping consultation with key stakeholders was followed by the development and piloting of a food education programme entitled the Global Citizenship Food and Biodiversity Theme in eight primary schools over two years, in conjunction with Green-Schools. The third section of fieldwork verified and expanded the results within a research findings feedback workshop which included academics working in education, principals, teachers, trainee teachers, and two staff members from the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. The scoping consultation with key stakeholders highlighted a desire for a changed approach to food education in Irish primary schools. The key findings indicated that schools are in a unique position to influence and promote food education, but that an expanded approach to the current curriculum’s principal focus on health and nutrition was required. The term ‘circular food education’ was coined to describe the approach to food education which was consequently developed. Circular food education encompasses experiential learning, sustainability and pleasure. It is grounded in theory and is an educational solution to tackling an array of social issues: building knowledge about climate change, biodiversity loss, and food waste, teaching practical food skills, as well as instilling the potential for children to become active citizens. The development and piloting of the Global Citizenship Food and Biodiversity Theme illustrated how educational approaches that stem from constructivism could be put into practice. This theme included hands-on classes as well as building agency to think critically through the use of collaborative and social learning methods. Amartya Sen’s capability approach was used as a theoretical framework to evaluate data generated from the pilot. The research findings feedback workshop indicated that increased circular food education would require support from the whole-school, a change in approach by government as well as teacher training to address confidence and agency, and the provision of suitable facilities. One of the outputs from the research is the Global Citizenship Food and Biodiversity Theme programme which is being implemented incrementally in schools on a nation-wide basis, with 120 locations to date. A limitation of the Global Citizenship Food and Biodiversity Theme is the two-year cycle of the Green-Schools flag system. The thesis recommends a systemic policy change to food education in Irish primary schools. An embedded full-time approach within the primary curriculum would provide structure and scaffolding but requires a collaborative approach from all stakeholders. Until then, an increase in teacher training and developing teacher agency would be a suitable first step to increased food education in Irish primary school classrooms. Circular food education offers a model, which helps provide students with the ability to lead a life in which both they, and the natural world, could flourish

Drawing Elena Ferrante's Profile. Workshop Proceedings, Padova, 7 September 2017

Elena Ferrante is an internationally acclaimed Italian novelist whose real identity has been kept secret by E/O publishing house for more than 25 years. Owing to her popularity, major Italian and foreign newspapers have long tried to discover her real identity. However, only a few attempts have been made to foster a scientific debate on her work. In 2016, Arjuna Tuzzi and Michele Cortelazzo led an Italian research team that conducted a preliminary study and collected a well-founded, large corpus of Italian novels comprising 150 works published in the last 30 years by 40 different authors. Moreover, they shared their data with a select group of international experts on authorship attribution, profiling, and analysis of textual data: Maciej Eder and Jan Rybicki (Poland), Patrick Juola (United States), Vittorio Loreto and his research team, Margherita Lalli and Francesca Tria (Italy), George Mikros (Greece), Pierre Ratinaud (France), and Jacques Savoy (Switzerland). The chapters of this volume report the results of this endeavour that were first presented during the international workshop Drawing Elena Ferrante's Profile in Padua on 7 September 2017 as part of the 3rd IQLA-GIAT Summer School in Quantitative Analysis of Textual Data. The fascinating research findings suggest that Elena Ferrante\u2019s work definitely deserves \u201cmany hands\u201d as well as an extensive effort to understand her distinct writing style and the reasons for her worldwide success

All our griefs: An exploration of how we adjust to and accommodate non-death losses - an arts based narrative inquiry.

When thinking about loss, we frequently consider it in terms of the losses that occur when others die. Yet, non-death losses feature throughout our lives. This arts-based research investigates how we adjust to, and accommodate loss experiences through imaginary dialogue with a dog, along with other creative approaches. As a guidance practitioner, I frequently meet people, whose lives have been altered through illness, disability or unemployment, requiring them to alter their assumptions about their self, others, and the world around them. While many of these losses are apparent, the significance of others are less easily recognised, and indeed, sometimes not acknowledged at all, both by individuals and wider society. There is pressure in a fast moving society to separate ourselves from our experiences and ‘just get on with things’ and those who fail to do so are often considered to be personally lacking. This research demonstrates that by providing safe ‘holding’ environments and opportunities to ‘re-story’ after loss experiences we can make sense of what has happened. However, the emotional impact of our experiences cannot be over-looked and managing internal conflict is essential for a healthier identity to take shape. I explore the emotional impact of loss by providing my own auto-ethnographic account, as well as the narrative of another person, in order to demonstrate how we make meaning. Different sorts of loss are looked at – non-finite loss, ambiguous loss and chronic sorrow – as well as disenfranchised grief and socio- cultural factors, to provide an understanding of how we respond to situations as we do. Narrative inquiry was selected as the most appropriate way to investigate experience with arts-based methods used to creatively explore the research question. I also provide a snap-shot account of my progress in writing this work to convey the emotional evoked in transitions. As loss is such a prevalent feature of our lives, this research offer knowledge not only to the guidance community, but to everyone

Single Cell Proteomics in Biomedicine: High-dimensional Data Acquisition, Visualization and Analysis

New insights on cellular heterogeneity in the last decade provoke the development of a variety of single cell omics tools at a lightning pace. The resultant high-dimensional single cell data generated by these tools require new theoretical approaches and analytical algorithms for effective visualization and interpretation. In this review, we briefly survey the state-of-the-art single cell proteomic tools with a particular focus on data acquisition and quantification, followed by an elaboration of a number of statistical and computational approaches developed to date for dissecting the high-dimensional single cell data. The underlying assumptions, unique features, and limitations of the analytical methods with the designated biological questions they seek to answer will be discussed. Particular attention will be given to those information theoretical approaches that are anchored in a set of first principles of physics and can yield detailed (and often surprising) predictions

Lingüística cognitiva y su aplicación en la enseñanza de español/L2: hacia un aprendizaje más significativo de la expresión de la emoción

The present dissertation, within the field of Cognitive Linguistics applied to Spanish/L2 teaching, presents a collection of 13 published and under-review papers. Among the motivations that have guided this work is the lack of experimental research within the field of CL and Spanish/L2 instruction that presents empirical evidence of the benefits of bringing these two disciplines together. Based on a prior cognitive and contrastive analysis of frequent constructions (i.e., psych verbs, metaphorical expressions with ponerse and tocar, and ironic utterances ), a series of empirical studies are conducted with Spanish/L2 learners at different proficiency levels, from beginner to advanced. The linguistic constructions under study have several aspects in common. First, they are used to express emotions; second, their acquisition in an instructional setting has been considered a real challenge; and third, their inclusion in the curriculum has been heretofore rather neglected. A wide variety of corpora has been used for the analysis of the target constructions: from textbooks, which are the material to which learners are most directly exposed, to corpora from Sketch Engine, Twitter, and interviews with native speakers, among others. Based on findings and in search for further empirical validation, an innovative CL pedagogy has been designed and further implemented at different levels with a large number of students at a North American university. As a novelty, L2 learner performance has been evaluated via assessment tests that, in coherence with the theoretical approach adopted and in line with its cognitive-based pedagogical application, have been carefully designed. Overall, results from the empirical studies examining the effects of a CL-based methodology for both pedagogical material and assessment test design yield statistically positive effects for the cognitive group in comprehension and production tasks at each proficiency level. These promising findings reveal the productivity of this method, as the learning of the target forms scaffolds and, as a result, learners’ communicative, metaphorical, and ironic competences are enhanced. The inclusion of a broader range of psych-verbs at lower levels, of change -of-state and tactile constructions through metaphor awareness, and of verbal ironic cues in the Spanish/L2 curriculum along with their treatment from a CL perspective are advocated. Such an approach should be put into practice in the day-to-day L2 classroom experience and in empirical research looking at the effects of a CL pedagogy. The positive findings in this research highlight the importance of embracing a CL-inspired method for Spanish/L2 teaching and assessing. They also call for a methodological change in the type of assessment. Such transformation requires the learning of Spanish –a language at great expansion– to build from linguistic assumptions from which it is possible to operate. Furthermore, the empirical studies here reported contribute to the small but growing body of literature that researches L2s other than English

Introduction

International audienceThis introductory chapter is organized into three parts. The first part focuses on the syntactic structure and compositional interpretation of determiner phrases, and frames the ontological issues related to reference to kinds in this context. It addresses a series of ontological issues relevant to the analysis of natural language: in order to account for linguistic data, must we postulate the existence of kinds, viewed as a type of entities, distinguished from particulars or tokens? What is the relationship between kinds and sets of entities, between kinds and properties, between kinds and sets of properties? The second part is comprised of three sections which are dedicated respectively to the stage-level/individual-level distinction, to the contribution of unboundedness and plurality, and to the dispositional reading of generic sentences. The questions addressed in this part pertain to the relationship between genericity, habituality, abilities, and dispositions. The third part examines the type of generic sentences, opposing analytic vs synthetic judgments, and raises the question of the notion of normality. It comprises two sections. The first section addresses the issue of the linguistic manifestation of the analytic/synthetic distinction and investigates the sources of the available interpretations for indefinite generic sentences, bare plurals, and definite plural generics. The second section discusses the notion of normality, comparing the view of normality as a statistical fact and the view of normality as a normative one