Ontology-based knowledge representation and semantic search information retrieval: case study of the underutilized crops domain

The aim of using semantic technologies in domain knowledge modeling is to introduce the semantic meaning of concepts in knowledge bases, such that they are both human-readable as well as machine-understandable. Due to their powerful knowledge representation formalism and associated inference mechanisms, ontology-based approaches have been increasingly adopted to formally represent domain knowledge. The primary objective of this thesis work has been to use semantic technologies in advancing knowledge-sharing of Underutilized crops as a domain and investigate the integration of underlying ontologies developed in OWL (Web Ontology Language) with augmented SWRL (Semantic Web Rule Language) rules for added expressiveness. The work further investigated generating ontologies from existing data sources and proposed the reverse-engineering approach of generating domain specific conceptualization through competency questions posed from possible ontology users and domain experts. For utilization, a semantic search engine (the Onto-CropBase) has been developed to serve as a Web-based access point for the Underutilized crops ontology model. Relevant linked-data in Resource Description Framework Schema (RDFS) were added for comprehensiveness in generating federated queries. While the OWL/SWRL combination offers a highly expressive ontology language for modeling knowledge domains, the combination is found to be lacking supplementary descriptive constructs to model complex real-life scenarios, a necessary requirement for a successful Semantic Web application. To this end, the common logic programming formalisms for extending Description Logic (DL)-based ontologies were explored and the state of the art in SWRL expressiveness extensions determined with a view to extending the SWRL formalism. Subsequently, a novel fuzzy temporal extension to the Semantic Web Rule Language (FT-SWRL), which combines SWRL with fuzzy logic theories based on the valid-time temporal model, has been proposed to allow modeling imprecise temporal expressions in domain ontologies

Monitoring Complex Processes to Verify System Conformance: A Declarative Rule-Based Framework

Over the last 60 years, computers and software have favoured incredible advancements in every field. Nowadays, however, these systems are so complicated that it is difficult – if not challenging – to understand whether they meet some requirement or are able to show some desired behaviour or property. This dissertation introduces a Just-In-Time (JIT) a posteriori approach to perform the conformance check to identify any deviation from the desired behaviour as soon as possible, and possibly apply some corrections. The declarative framework that implements our approach – entirely developed on the promising open source forward-chaining Production Rule System (PRS) named Drools – consists of three components: 1. a monitoring module based on a novel, efficient implementation of Event Calculus (EC), 2. a general purpose hybrid reasoning module (the first of its genre) merging temporal, semantic, fuzzy and rule-based reasoning, 3. a logic formalism based on the concept of expectations introducing Event-Condition-Expectation rules (ECE-rules) to assess the global conformance of a system. The framework is also accompanied by an optional module that provides Probabilistic Inductive Logic Programming (PILP). By shifting the conformance check from after execution to just in time, this approach combines the advantages of many a posteriori and a priori methods proposed in literature. Quite remarkably, if the corrective actions are explicitly given, the reactive nature of this methodology allows to reconcile any deviations from the desired behaviour as soon as it is detected. In conclusion, the proposed methodology brings some advancements to solve the problem of the conformance checking, helping to fill the gap between humans and the increasingly complex technology.Negli ultimi 60 anni, i computer e i programmi hanno favorito incredibili avanzamenti in ogni campo. Oggigiorno, purtroppo, questi sistemi sono così complicati che è difficile – se non impossibile – capire se soddisfano qualche requisito o mostrano un comportamento o una proprietà desiderati. Questa tesi introduce un approccio a posteriori Just-In-Time (JIT) per effettuare il controllo di conformità ed identificare appena possibile ogni deviazione dal comportamento desiderato, ed eventualmente applicare qualche correzione. Il framework dichiarativo che implementa il nostro approccio – interamente sviluppato su una promettente piattaforma open source di Production Rule System (PRS) chiamata Drools – si compone di tre elementi: 1. un modulo per il monitoraggio basato su una nuova implementazione efficiente di Event Calculus (EC), 2. un modulo generale per il ragionamento ibrido (il primo del suo genere) che supporta ragionamento temporale, semantico, fuzzy e a regole, 3. un formalismo logico basato sul concetto di aspettativa che introduce le Event-Condition-Expectation rules (ECE-rules) per valutare la conformità globale di un sistema. Il framework è anche accompagnato da un modulo opzionale che fornisce Probabilistic Inductive Logic Programming (PILP). Spostando il controllo di conformità da dopo l’esecuzione ad appena in tempo, questo approccio combina i vantaggi di molti metodi a posteriori e a priori proposti in letteratura. Si noti che, se le azioni correttive sono fornite esplicitamente, la natura reattiva di questo metodo consente di conciliare le deviazioni dal comportamento desiderato non appena questo viene rilevato. In conclusione, la metodologia proposta introduce alcuni avanzamenti per risolvere il problema del controllo di conformità, contribuendo a colmare il divario tra l’uomo e la tecnologia, sempre più complessa

Rethinking inconsistent mathematics

This dissertation has two main goals. The first is to provide a practice-based analysis of the field of inconsistent mathematics: what motivates it? what role does logic have in it? what distinguishes it from classical mathematics? is it alternative or revolutionary? The second goal is to introduce and defend a new conception of inconsistent mathematics - queer incomaths - as a particularly effective answer to feminist critiques of classical logic and mathematics. This sets the stage for a genuine revolution in mathematics, insofar as it suggests the need for a shift in mainstream attitudes about the rolee of logic and ethics in the practice of mathematics

Tools and Algorithms for the Construction and Analysis of Systems

This open access two-volume set constitutes the proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Tools and Algorithms for the Construction and Analysis of Systems, TACAS 2020, which took place in Dublin, Ireland, in April 2020, and was held as Part of the European Joint Conferences on Theory and Practice of Software, ETAPS 2020. The total of 60 regular papers presented in these volumes was carefully reviewed and selected from 155 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections as follows: Part I: Program verification; SAT and SMT; Timed and Dynamical Systems; Verifying Concurrent Systems; Probabilistic Systems; Model Checking and Reachability; and Timed and Probabilistic Systems. Part II: Bisimulation; Verification and Efficiency; Logic and Proof; Tools and Case Studies; Games and Automata; and SV-COMP 2020

Ontology-based knowledge representation and semantic search information retrieval: case study of the underutilized crops domain

The aim of using semantic technologies in domain knowledge modeling is to introduce the semantic meaning of concepts in knowledge bases, such that they are both human-readable as well as machine-understandable. Due to their powerful knowledge representation formalism and associated inference mechanisms, ontology-based approaches have been increasingly adopted to formally represent domain knowledge. The primary objective of this thesis work has been to use semantic technologies in advancing knowledge-sharing of Underutilized crops as a domain and investigate the integration of underlying ontologies developed in OWL (Web Ontology Language) with augmented SWRL (Semantic Web Rule Language) rules for added expressiveness. The work further investigated generating ontologies from existing data sources and proposed the reverse-engineering approach of generating domain specific conceptualization through competency questions posed from possible ontology users and domain experts. For utilization, a semantic search engine (the Onto-CropBase) has been developed to serve as a Web-based access point for the Underutilized crops ontology model. Relevant linked-data in Resource Description Framework Schema (RDFS) were added for comprehensiveness in generating federated queries. While the OWL/SWRL combination offers a highly expressive ontology language for modeling knowledge domains, the combination is found to be lacking supplementary descriptive constructs to model complex real-life scenarios, a necessary requirement for a successful Semantic Web application. To this end, the common logic programming formalisms for extending Description Logic (DL)-based ontologies were explored and the state of the art in SWRL expressiveness extensions determined with a view to extending the SWRL formalism. Subsequently, a novel fuzzy temporal extension to the Semantic Web Rule Language (FT-SWRL), which combines SWRL with fuzzy logic theories based on the valid-time temporal model, has been proposed to allow modeling imprecise temporal expressions in domain ontologies

Automated Reasoning

This volume, LNAI 13385, constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 11th International Joint Conference on Automated Reasoning, IJCAR 2022, held in Haifa, Israel, in August 2022. The 32 full research papers and 9 short papers presented together with two invited talks were carefully reviewed and selected from 85 submissions. The papers focus on the following topics: Satisfiability, SMT Solving,Arithmetic; Calculi and Orderings; Knowledge Representation and Jutsification; Choices, Invariance, Substitutions and Formalization; Modal Logics; Proofs System and Proofs Search; Evolution, Termination and Decision Prolems. This is an open access book

Democracy promotion and presidential term limits

The end of the Cold War saw an unprecedented diffusion of democracy. This diffusion went hand in hand with the emergence of international democracy promotion. Through democracy promotion, democratic states attempt to support and protect democratic institutions around the world by means of bilateral and multilateral international cooperation as well as development cooperation. Yet, the 'wave of democratization' has ebbed away since the Cold War. Rather than an anabated spread of democracy, many countries that seemed on a transition-path to democracy are now stuck in a political state between autocracy and democracy, where democratic institutions formally exist but are compromised by authoritarian practices. Moreover, populist movements, illiberalism, and non-democratic institutional changes seem to challenge democracy as a political system even in countries where it was long since regarded as historically and socially consolidated. This as well as the increasing confidence of authoritarian regimes threaten to jeopardize the strides that worldwide democratization has made in the past three decades. Against this setting, the present thesis investigates the effectiveness of international democracy promotion in supporting and guarding the democratic institutionalization of political power. The research presented here zooms in on presidential term limits, a political institution meant to prevent the personalization of political power and ensure rotation in presidential office. While it was characteristic for countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, that began transitioning to democracy at the end of the Cold War to introduce presidential term limits in their newly designed constitutions, many of these provisions have since been challenged by incumbent presidents. Research shows that the evasion of term limits is associated with a worsening of the general state of democracy in a country. Evasion of presidential term limits is thus seen as an important manifestation for the weak institutionalization and further de-institutionalization of democracy. Although presidential term limits and in particular their circumvention have hence become a subject matter of interest to political scientists, many scholars do not focus in this regard explicitly on the role of international democracy support. I address this gap by studying the influence that international democracy promotion has on the evasion and introduction of presidential term limits. The first chapter provides a conceptual and theoretical introduction to presidential term limits and their relation to the weak institutionalization of democracy. Democracy promotion and the different forms it may take is also introduced before a brief outlook on the thesis is presented. In chapter two my co-author and I present a broad perspective on how democracy aid, which is the implementation of democracy promotion as foreign aid in development cooperation, is associated with the risk that presidents attempt to evade term limits as well as that they actually succeed in doing so. In chapter three, my co-author and I undertake a qualitative paired comparison of two cases where incumbent presidents attempted to circumvent a term limit but failed at different stages during the process. We compare the role that different means, or 'instruments' of democracy promotion played in both cases and how their effectiveness was predicated on favourable domestic conditions, particularly popular pro-democratic attitudes. In chapter four, I provide an 'in-depth' description of one of the two cases. The chapter employs a qualitative methodology designed to trace closely the influence of different factors for an outcome. I make use of this by systematically assessing how different democracy promotion instruments acted alone and in conjunction with domestic factors on the case's outcome. Finally, chapter five shifts the focus from the evasion of term limits to the introduction of term limits. Interested in the 'on-the-ground' practice of democracy promotion during ad hoc emerging reform episodes, I study the interactions between on the one hand domestic civil society and political opposition parties and on the other hand external embassies and international organizations. The research results show that international democracy promotion often has a limited, conditional influence on preventing the de-institutionalization of democracy. While it is evident according to a presented statistical analysis that democracy promotion through foreign aid is associated with lower risks of term limit evasions, this relation is substantial in effect size only for medium to high \emph{per capita}-amounts of democracy aid. Furthermore, results of the qualitative case studies show that democracy promotion operates through largely two mechanisms, a 'hard power' mechanism functioning according to a logic of consequentiality, conditionality, and leverage; and a 'soft power' mechanism functioning according to a logic of appropriateness and linkage. However, both work best in tandem, and are predicated on domestic conditions, particularly on favourable popular (pro-)democratic attitudes and a civil society that is free to mobilize. Finally, the research presented here also emphasizes the quandaries to which democracy promoters themselves are subject, especially when they need to respond ad hoc to a push for political liberalization in an hitherto (semi-)authoritarian country context. The thesis contributes to two interescting research fields, one on the evasion of presidential term limits, and the other on the role that international democracy support can play in preserving and promoting democratic institutions. Its results suggest policy implications particularly for the practice and implementation of democracy promotion. Foremost among these are that the level of spending of democracy aid in development cooperation as well as its temporal continuation can have substantial effects on guarding democratic institutions (chapter two); that 'hard power' and 'soft power' approaches of democracy promotion need to be used wisely in complementarity to one another (chapter three and four); that foreign states and international organizations need to react decisively against the curbing of the civic space, and also need to defend institutions integral to 'democracy as democracy' against transgressions and violations (chapters three to five); and finally, that democracy supporters, particularly foreign governments as democracy supporters, need to critically reflect on self-imposed internal restraints besides encountered external constraints in the practice of international democracy promotion