Automatic case acquisition from texts for process-oriented case-based reasoning

This paper introduces a method for the automatic acquisition of a rich case representation from free text for process-oriented case-based reasoning. Case engineering is among the most complicated and costly tasks in implementing a case-based reasoning system. This is especially so for process-oriented case-based reasoning, where more expressive case representations are generally used and, in our opinion, actually required for satisfactory case adaptation. In this context, the ability to acquire cases automatically from procedural texts is a major step forward in order to reason on processes. We therefore detail a methodology that makes case acquisition from processes described as free text possible, with special attention given to assembly instruction texts. This methodology extends the techniques we used to extract actions from cooking recipes. We argue that techniques taken from natural language processing are required for this task, and that they give satisfactory results. An evaluation based on our implemented prototype extracting workflows from recipe texts is provided.Comment: Sous presse, publication pr\'evue en 201

Service discovery and composition : PreDiCtS approach

The proliferation of Web Services is fostering the need for service-discovery and composition tools to provide more personalisation during the service retrieval process. In this paper, we describe the motivating details behind PreDiCtS, a framework for personalised service-retrieval. In our approach we consider that similar service composition problems can be tackled in a similar manner by reusing and adapting past composition best practices or templates. The proposed retrieval process uses a mixed- initiative technique based on Conversational Case-Based Reasoning (CCBR), that provides i) for a clearer identification of the user’s service requirements and ii) based on these requirements, finds suitable service templates that satisfy the user’s goal. We discuss how retrieval can vary through the use of different CCBR algorithms and how adaptation can be performed over the retrieved templates thus providing the personalisation feature in PreDiCtS.peer-reviewe

Improving the translation environment for professional translators

When using computer-aided translation systems in a typical, professional translation workflow, there are several stages at which there is room for improvement. The SCATE (Smart Computer-Aided Translation Environment) project investigated several of these aspects, both from a human-computer interaction point of view, as well as from a purely technological side. This paper describes the SCATE research with respect to improved fuzzy matching, parallel treebanks, the integration of translation memories with machine translation, quality estimation, terminology extraction from comparable texts, the use of speech recognition in the translation process, and human computer interaction and interface design for the professional translation environment. For each of these topics, we describe the experiments we performed and the conclusions drawn, providing an overview of the highlights of the entire SCATE project

Knowledge modelling with the open source tool myCBR

Building knowledge intensive Case-Based Reasoning applications requires tools that support this on-going process between domain experts and knowledge engineers. In this paper we will introduce how the open source tool myCBR 3 allows for flexible knowledge elicitation and formalisation form CBR and non CBR experts. We detail on myCBR 3 's versatile approach to similarity modelling and will give an overview of the Knowledge Engineering workbench, providing the tools for the modelling process. We underline our presentation with three case studies of knowledge modelling for technical diagnosis and recommendation systems using myCBR 3

CHORUS Deliverable 2.2: Second report - identification of multi-disciplinary key issues for gap analysis toward EU multimedia search engines roadmap

After addressing the state-of-the-art during the first year of Chorus and establishing the existing landscape in multimedia search engines, we have identified and analyzed gaps within European research effort during our second year. In this period we focused on three directions, notably technological issues, user-centred issues and use-cases and socio- economic and legal aspects. These were assessed by two central studies: firstly, a concerted vision of functional breakdown of generic multimedia search engine, and secondly, a representative use-cases descriptions with the related discussion on requirement for technological challenges. Both studies have been carried out in cooperation and consultation with the community at large through EC concertation meetings (multimedia search engines cluster), several meetings with our Think-Tank, presentations in international conferences, and surveys addressed to EU projects coordinators as well as National initiatives coordinators. Based on the obtained feedback we identified two types of gaps, namely core technological gaps that involve research challenges, and “enablers”, which are not necessarily technical research challenges, but have impact on innovation progress. New socio-economic trends are presented as well as emerging legal challenges

Language technologies for a multilingual Europe

This volume of the series “Translation and Multilingual Natural Language Processing” includes most of the papers presented at the Workshop “Language Technology for a Multilingual Europe”, held at the University of Hamburg on September 27, 2011 in the framework of the conference GSCL 2011 with the topic “Multilingual Resources and Multilingual Applications”, along with several additional contributions. In addition to an overview article on Machine Translation and two contributions on the European initiatives META-NET and Multilingual Web, the volume includes six full research articles. Our intention with this workshop was to bring together various groups concerned with the umbrella topics of multilingualism and language technology, especially multilingual technologies. This encompassed, on the one hand, representatives from research and development in the field of language technologies, and, on the other hand, users from diverse areas such as, among others, industry, administration and funding agencies. The Workshop “Language Technology for a Multilingual Europe” was co-organised by the two GSCL working groups “Text Technology” and “Machine Translation” (http://gscl.info) as well as by META-NET (http://www.meta-net.eu)

BioSStore: A Client Interface for a Repository of Semantically Annotated Bioinformatics Web Services

Bioinformatics has shown itself to be a domain in which Web services are being used extensively. In this domain, simple but real services are being developed. Thus, there are huge repositories of real services available (for example BioMOBY main repository includes more than 1500 services). Besides, bioinformatics repositories usually have active communities using and working on improvements. However, these kinds of repositories do not exploit the full potential of Web services (and SOA, Service Oriented Applications, in general). On the other hand, sophisticated technologies have been proposed to improve SOA, including the annotation on Web services to explicitly describe them. However, these approaches are lacking in repositories with real services. In the work presented here, we address the drawbacks present in bioinformatics services and try to improve the current semantic model by introducing the use of the W3C standard Semantic Annotations for WSDL and XML Schema (SAWSDL) and related proposals (WSMO Lite). This paper focuses on a user interface that takes advantage of a repository of semantically annotated bioinformatics Web services. In this way, we exploit semantics for the discovery of Web services, showing how the use of semantics will improve the user searches. The BioSStore is available at http://biosstore.khaos.uma.es. This portal will contain also future developments of this proposal