SGSDesigner, the ODESGS Environment User Interface

In this demo, we will show SGSDesigner, the ODESGS Environment user interface. ODESGS Environment (the realization of the ODESGS Framework [1]) is an environment for supporting both a) the annotation of pre-existing Grid Services(GSs) and b) the design of new complex Semantic Grid Services(SGSs) in a (semi) automatic way. In the demo we will focus in the annotation of a WSRF GS, using the annotation process proposed by the ODESGS Framework

A Framework for Design and Composition of Semantic Web Services

Semantic Web Services (SWS) are Web Services (WS) whose description is semantically enhanced with markup languages (e.g., OWL-S). This semantic description will enable external agents and programs to discover, compose and invoke SWSs. However, as a previous step to the specification of SWSs in a language, it must be designed at a conceptual level to guarantee its correctness and avoid inconsistencies among its internal components. In this paper, we present a framework for design and (semi) automatic composition of SWSs at a language-independent and knowledge level. This framework is based on a stack of ontologies that (1) describe the different parts of a SWS; and (2) contain a set of axioms that are really design rules to be verified by the ontology instances. Based on these ontologies, design and composition of SWSs can be viewed as the correct instantiation of the ontologies themselves. Once these instances have been created they will be exported to SWS languages such as OWL-S

SWSDesigner: The Graphical Interface of ODESWS

ODESWS is a development environment to design Semantic Web Services (SWS) at the knowledge level. ODESWS describe the service following a problem-solving approach in which the SWS are modelled using tasks, to represent the SWS functional features, and methods, to describe the SWS internal structure. In this paper, we describe the ODESWS graphical interface (called SWSDesinger). This interface enables users to design SWS independently of the semantic markup language in which the service will be implemented, and once the design has been export the service to an SWS implementation languag

ODESWS, A Semantic Web Service Development

ODE SWS is a development environment to design Semantic Web Services (SWS) at the knowledge level. ODE SWS describe the service following a problem-solving approach in which the SWS are modeled using tasks, to represent the SWS functional features, and methods, to describe the SWS internal structure. In this paper, we describe the ODE SWS architecture and the capabilities of its graphical interface, which enables users to design SWS independently of the semantic markup language used to represent them

Knowledge and degree of training of Primary Education teachers in relation to ICT taught to disabled students

The integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) into the inclusive classroom requires competent teaching staff from both the technological and pedagogical points of view. Within this context, and with the aim of looking at one of these theoretical premises, this study aimed to identify the degree of training and technological knowledge of primary school teachers in Spain with respect to the use of ICT with individuals with disabilities (functional diversity). A descriptive ex post-facto research method was used, where the sample comprised 777 teachers. An ad-hoc questionnaire was used as the data-collection instrument. The results revealed the low skill levels of the teachers with respect to the use of ICT with students with disabilities, where the level of training of the teaching staff was determined by personal (gender, age), professional (teaching experience) or educational (qualifications) variables. The findings of this study point to the need for teacher training that instructs teachers on the use of ICT in order to favour the learning and educational innovation of students with disabilities

SGSDesigner, a Graphical Interface for Annotating and Designing Semantic Grid Services

In this paper, we describe SGSDesigner, the ODESGS Environment user interface. ODESGS Environment (the realization of the ODESGS Framework [1]) is an environment for supporting both a) the annotation of pre-existing Grid Services (GSs) and b) the design of new complex Semantic Grid Services (SGSs) in a (semi) automatic way

Simulating human digestion: developing our knowledge to create healthier and more sustainable foods

The gold standard for nutrition studies is clinical trials but they are expensive and variable, and do not always provide the mechanistic information required, hence the increased use of in vitro and increasingly in silico simulations of digestion. In this review, we give examples of the main simulations being used to model upper gastrointestinal tract digestion. This review ranges from the selection of enzymes to the interpretation of results from static models to fully dynamic models. We describe the modifications made to accommodate different demographic groups (infants, the elderly, etc.). We list examples of the application of the different models as well as giving the advantages and disadvantages. A model is only useful if it predicts or aids the understanding of physiological behaviour. Thus, the final section of the review makes a comparison of results obtained from experiments undertaken using in vitro simulations with those obtained in vivo. This comparison will help the reader understand the appropriateness of each model for the type of measurement to be undertaken. In particular, human studies tend to measure bioactive concentrations in blood and not in the gastrointestinal tract whereas in vitro studies often only produce data on release of nutrients into the gut lumen. This is the difficulty of comparing bioaccessibility as generated in vitro with bioavailability as generated in vivo. It is apparent that the models being used are increasingly being validated with in vivo data and this bodes well for the future

ODEval: a Tool for Evaluating RDF(S), DAML+OIL, and OWL Concept Taxonomies

Ontologies implemented in RDF(S), DAML+OIL, and OWL should be evaluated from the point of view of knowledge representation before using them in Semantic Web applications. Several language-dependent ontology validation tools and ontology platforms, such as OilEd with FaCT, can be used in order to evaluate RDF(S), DAML+OIL and OWL ontologies. This paper offers two main contributions. The first of these exams whether previous ontology tools detect knowledge representation problems in RDF(S), DAML+OIL, and OWL concept taxonomies. Indeed, such tools do not focus on detecting inconsistencies and redundancies in concept taxonomies. The second contribution is ODEval, a language-dependent tool for evaluating, from the point of view of knowledge representation, concept taxonomies in ontologies implemented in such languages. ODEval complements previous ontology tools when we want to evaluate RDF(S), DAML+OIL, and OWL concept taxonomie