A principled framework for modular web rule bases and its semantics

We present a principled framework for modular web rule bases, called MWeb. According to this framework, each predicate defined in a rule base is characterized by its defining reasoning mode, scope, and exporting rule base list. Each predicate used in a rule base is characterized by its requesting reasoning mode and importing rule base list. For valid MWeb modular rule bases S, theMWebAS andMWebWFS semantics of each rule base s ∈ S w.r.t. S are defined, model-theoretically. These semantics extend the answer set semantics (AS) and the well-founded semantics with explicit negation (WFSX) on ELPs, respectively, keeping all of their semantical and computational characteristics. Our framework supports: (i) local semantics and different points of view, (ii) local closed-world and open-world assumptions, (iii) scoped negation-as-failure, and (iv) restricted propagation of local inconsistencies. Additionally, it guarantees monotonicity of reasoning, in the case that new rule bases are added to the modular rule base, while the importing rule base list of the predicates of the old rule bases remains the same

Οι ψυχολογικές τεχνικές της αυτο-ομιλίας και της νοερής απεικόνισης στο άθλημα της Αντισφαίρισης.

Σκοπός της παρούσας εργασίας είναι να αναλύσει τον τρόπο με τον οποίο οι ψυχολογικές τεχνικές της αυτο-ομιλίας και της νοερής απεικόνισης έχουν τη δυνατότητα να συμβάλουν στη μεγιστοποίηση της απόδοσης των αντισφαιριστών. Κεντρικός άξονας, λοιπόν, γύρω από τον οποίο κινείται η εργασία είναι το άθλημα της αντισφαίρισης. Ειδικότερα, μέσα από τη μελέτη σχετικών βιβλιογραφικών πηγών τονίστηκε η αναγκαιότητα ανάπτυξης των ψυχολογικών δεξιοτήτων των αντισφαιριστών. Ακολούθως, προβλήθηκε η χρησιμότητα της ψυχολογικής ετοιμότητας των αθλητών ενώ παράλληλα πραγματοποιήθηκε ειδική αναφορά στα ψυχολογικά χαρακτηριστικά που οδηγούν στη μεγιστοποίηση της απόδοσης των αθλητών. Επιπλέον, με την παράθεση σχετικών ερευνητικών δεδομένων καθώς και πειραματικών μελετών επιχειρήθηκε να γίνει αντιληπτό πως η διάκριση στο άθλημα της αντισφαίρισης απαιτεί την ταυτόχρονη προετοιμασία του αθλητή σε ψυχολογικό, σωματικό και πνευματικό επίπεδο. Στη συνέχεια, έγινε ειδική μνεία στις λειτουργίες και στις παραμέτρους που επηρεάζουν την αποτελεσματικότητα της αυτο-ομιλίας. Ακόμη, επισημάνθηκαν οι ειδικότερες εκφάνσεις της συγκεκριμένης ψυχολογικής τεχνικής. Μέσα από την αναφορά σε μελέτες και ερευνητικά δεδομένα υπογραμμίστηκε ο σκοπός που επιτελεί η ένταξη του αυτοδιαλόγου στο προπονητικό πρόγραμμα. Επίσης, υπογραμμίστηκε ποιο είδος αυτοδιαλόγου κρίνεται αποτελεσματικότερο σχετικά με την αθλητική εξέλιξη ενός ατόμου. Ταυτόχρονα, η αναφορά στις περιπτώσεις επαγγελματιών παικτών όπως ο Ρότζερ Φέντερερ και η Σερένα Γουίλιαμς απέδειξε πως αντισφαιριστές υψηλού επιπέδου έχουν οδηγηθεί στη νίκη μέσω της εφαρμογής ψυχολογικών τεχνικών τόσο στο στάδιο της προετοιμασίας, όσο και κατά τη διάρκεια των αναμετρήσεων στις οποίες λάμβαναν μέρος. Στο ίδιο πλαίσιο, αναλύθηκε η έννοια της νοερής απεικόνισης. Πιο αναλυτικά, προβλήθηκαν τα ιδιαίτερα χαρακτηριστικά, οι λειτουργίες καθώς και τα είδη της εν λόγω ψυχολογικής τεχνικής. Η μελέτη πειραματικών μελετών ανέδειξε τον τρόπο ενίσχυσης της απόδοσης των αθλητών μέσω της χρήσης της νοερής απεικόνισης. Ακόμη, ιδιαίτερη σημασία αποδόθηκε στην ένταξη της νοερής απεικόνισης στο προπονητικό στάδιο. Τέλος, προβλήθηκε η περίπτωση ενός επαγγελματία παίκτη, του Νόβακ Τζόκοβιτς ο οποίος χρησιμοποιεί τη συγκεκριμένη τεχνική με στόχο την ψυχολογική θωράκισή του.οχ

Extended RDF as a Semantic Foundation of Rule Markup Languages

Ontologies and automated reasoning are the building blocks of the Semantic Web initiative. Derivation rules can be included in an ontology to define derived concepts, based on base concepts. For example, rules allow to define the extension of a class or property, based on a complex relation between the extensions of the same or other classes and properties. On the other hand, the inclusion of negative information both in the form of negation-as-failure and explicit negative information is also needed to enable various forms of reasoning. In this paper, we extend RDF graphs with weak and strong negation, as well as derivation rules. The ERDF stable model semantics of the extended framework (Extended RDF) is defined, extending RDF(S) semantics. A distinctive feature of our theory, which is based on Partial Logic, is that both truth and falsity extensions of properties and classes are considered, allowing for truth value gaps. Our framework supports both closed-world and open-world reasoning through the explicit representation of the particular closed-world assumptions and the ERDF ontological categories of total properties and total classes

REVISITING THE ROLE OF VISUAL PERCEPTION ON THE READING SKILLS OF STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES: SOME EDUCATIONAL PLANNING CHALLENGES

Students with learning disabilities often struggle with reading skill acquisition, due to the nature and complexity of the reading process (Brown, 2009). In addition, it has been documented that students experiencing reading disabilities, have problems with the basic cognitive skills of visual perception (Stokes, Matthen & Biggs, 2015). The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of the cognitive parameters of visual perception, assessed by the Developmental Test of Visual Perception-2nd Edition (DTVP-2, Hammill, Pearson & Voress, 1993) on the reading ability of students with learning disabilities, assessed by Test A (Panteliadou & Antoniou, 2007, Standardized test for reading disabilities in Greek). The sample consisted of 73 children (N=73) attending the 4th and 5th grade of Primary school, diagnosed with learning disability in reading. The results indicated that visual perception was a predictive factor for reading performance. Implications of these findings are discussed in terms of developing early detection programmes as well as effective educational interventions for pre-school and primary school students.  Article visualizations

Extended RDF: Computability and Complexity Issues

ERDF stable model semantics is a recently proposed semantics for ERDF ontologies and a faithful extension of RDFS semantics on RDF graphs. In this paper, we elaborate on the computability and complexity issues of the ERDF stable model semantics. Based on the undecidability result of ERDF stable model semantics, decidability under this semantics cannot be achieved, unless ERDF ontologies of restricted syntax are considered. Therefore, we propose a slightly modified semantics for ERDF ontologies, called ERDF #n- stable model semantics. We show that entailment under this semantics is, in general, decidable and also extends RDFS entailment. Equivalence statements between the two semantics are provided. Additionally, we provide algorithms that compute the ERDF #n-stable models of syntax-restricted and general ERDF ontologies. Further, we provide complexity results for the ERDF #nstable model semantics on syntax-restricted and general ERDF ontologies. Finally, we provide complexity results for the ERDF stable model semantics on syntax-restricted ERDF ontologies

A collaborative evaluation of LC-MS/MS based methods for BMAA analysis: soluble bound BMAA found to be an important fraction.

Exposure to β-Ν-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) might be linked to the incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Analytical chemistry plays a crucial role in determining human BMAA exposure and the associated health risk, but the performance of various analytical methods currently employed is rarely compared. A CYANOCOST initiated workshop was organized aimed at training scientists in BMAA analysis, creating mutual understanding and paving the way towards interlaboratory comparison exercises. During this workshop, we tested different methods (extraction followed by derivatization and liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis, or directly followed by LC-MS/MS analysis) for trueness and intermediate precision. We adapted three workup methods for the underivatized analysis of animal, brain and cyanobacterial samples. Based on recovery of the internal standard D3BMAA, the underivatized methods were accurate (mean recovery 80%) and precise (mean relative standard deviation 10%), except for the cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya. However, total BMAA concentrations in the positive controls (cycad seeds) showed higher variation (relative standard deviation 21%-32%), implying that D3BMAA was not a good indicator for the release of BMAA from bound forms. Significant losses occurred during workup for the derivatized method, resulting in low recovery ( < 10%). Most BMAA was found in a trichloroacetic acid soluble, bound form and we recommend including this fraction during analysis

Static and dynamic mechanics of the murine lung after intratracheal bleomycin

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Despite its widespread use in pulmonary fibrosis research, the bleomycin mouse model has not been thoroughly validated from a pulmonary functional standpoint using new technologies. Purpose of this study was to systematically assess the functional alterations induced in murine lungs by fibrogenic agent bleomycin and to compare the forced oscillation technique with quasi-static pressure-volume curves in mice following bleomycin exposure.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Single intratracheal injections of saline (50 μL) or bleomycin (2 mg/Kg in 50 μL saline) were administered to C57BL/6 (<it>n </it>= 40) and Balb/c (<it>n </it>= 32) mice. Injury/fibrosis score, tissue volume density (TVD), collagen content, airway resistance (<it>R_N</it>), tissue damping (<it>G</it>) and elastance coefficient (<it>H</it>), hysteresivity (<it>η</it>), and area of pressure-volume curve (PV-A) were determined after 7 and 21 days (inflammation and fibrosis stage, respectively). Statistical hypothesis testing was performed using one-way ANOVA with LSD <it>post hoc </it>tests.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Both C57BL/6 and Balb/c mice developed weight loss and lung inflammation after bleomycin. However, only C57BL/6 mice displayed cachexia and fibrosis, evidenced by increased fibrosis score, TVD, and collagen. At day 7, PV-A increased significantly and <it>G </it>and <it>H </it>non-significantly in bleomycin-exposed C57BL/6 mice compared to saline controls and further increase in all parameters was documented at day 21. <it>G </it>and <it>H</it>, but not PV-A, correlated well with the presence of fibrosis based on histology, TVD and collagen. In Balb/c mice, no change in collagen content, histology score, TVD, <it>H </it>and <it>G </it>was noted following bleomycin exposure, yet PV-A increased significantly compared to saline controls.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Lung dysfunction in the bleomycin model is more pronounced during the fibrosis stage rather than the inflammation stage. Forced oscillation mechanics are accurate indicators of experimental bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis. Quasi-static PV-curves may be more sensitive than forced oscillations at detecting inflammation and fibrosis.</p