Is it possible to enrich ontologies with a specialized domain linguistic resource?

Enriching ontologies with linguistic resources is considered an important target in natural language applications. These linguistic resources should contain not only linguistic but knowledge information. However the linguistic resources available, such as WordNet, are built around lexical relations such as synonymy, antonym, hyponymy, etc. and they do not provide enough information for ontology building. On the other hand, ontologies building requires deeper and more accurate knowledge than general vocabulary contains and, consequently, demands specialized domain resources. This paper presents a linguistic resource developed for Spanish, that has been built followingsome Meaning-Text Theory principles, in order to contain as much possible knowledge related to several specialized domains

Enriching a lexicographic tool with domain definitions: Problems and solutions

Enriching linguistic resources with domain information has been considered one important target in natural language applications. However, automatic definition extraction of this domain information from specialized resources has revealed certain methodological problems in definition construction. This paper presents some problems encountered in automatic definition extraction that are mainly related to inconsistencies in definitions, different granularity of definitions and embedded definitions. To face these problems some Meaning-Text Theory tools have been used: (a) semantic labels as a solution for inferring knowledge, (b) lexical functions as a way of providing coherence to definitions and (c) the actancial structure as a tool for developing consistent and complete definitions. Our goal is to describe the problems and to show the solutions proposed

Choosing the most suitable classifier For supporting assistive technology adoption In people with Parkinson’s disease: a fuzzy Multi-criteria approach

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder which requires a long-term, interdisciplinary disease management. While there remains no cure for Parkinson’s disease, treatments are available to help reduce the main symptoms and maintain quality of life for as long as possible. Owing to the global burden faced by chronic conditions such as PD, Assistive technologies (AT’s) are becoming an increasingly common prescribed form of treatment. Low adoption is hampering the potential of digital technologies within health and social care. It is then necessary to employ classification algorithms have been developed for differentiating adopters and non-adopters of these technologies; thereby, potential negative effects on people with PD and cost overruns can be further minimized. This paper bridges this gap by extending the Multi-criteria decision-making approach adopted in technology adoption modeling for people with dementia. First, the fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) is applied to estimate the initial relative weights of criteria and sub-criteria. Then, the Decisionmaking Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) is used for evaluating the interrelations and feedback among criteria and sub-criteria. The Technique for Order of Preferences by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is finally implemented to rank three classifiers (Lazy IBk – knearest neighbors, Naïve bayes, and J48 decision tree) according to their ability to model technology adoption. A real case study considering is presented to validate the proposed approach

Metodología para la Creación de una Interfaz Cerebro-Computador Aplicada a la Identificación de la Intención de Movimiento

ResumenLas Interfaces Cerebro-Computador proporcionan un canal para enviar órdenes al mundo exterior haciendo uso de medidas electrofisiológicas de la actividad cerebral. En este artículo se presenta la combinación de un método de selección de características y un algoritmo de clasificación probabilístico para construir el modelo predictivo de la intención anticipada de movimiento voluntario de pacientes con temblor a partir de un solo ensayo. Los resultados obtenidos muestran una potencial de discriminación del 70%, una tasa de error aceptable (6.6%) y una rápida respuesta (cada 250ms), lo que indica que esta combinación es una buena base para la construcción de ICCs que no requieran entrenamiento del usuario de forma personalizada, asíncrona y adaptativa

Identifying the most appropriate classifier for underpinning assistive technology adoption for people with dementia: an integration of Fuzzy AHP and VIKOR methods

Recently, the number of People with Dementia (PwD) has been rising exponentially across the world. The main symptoms that PwD experience include AQ1 impairments of reasoning, memory, and thought. Owing to the burden faced by this chronic condition, Assistive Technology-based solutions (ATS) have been prescribed as a form of treatment. Nevertheless, it is widely acknowledged that low adoption rates of ATS have hampered their benefits within a health and social care context. It is then necessary to effectively discriminate between adopters and non-adopters of such solutions to avoid cost implications, improve the life quality of adopters, and find intervention alternatives for non-adopters. Several classifiers have been proposed as advancement towards the personalisation of self-management interventions for dementia in a scalable way. As multiple algorithms have been developed, an important step in technology adoption is to select the most appropriate classification alternative based on different criteria. This paper presents the integration of Fuzzy AHP (FAHP) and VIKOR to address this challenge. First, FAHP was used to calculate the criteria and sub-criteria weights under uncertainty and then VIKOR was implemented to rank the classifiers. A case study considering a mobile-based self-management and reminding solution for PwD is described to validate the proposed approach. The results revealed that Easiness of interpretation (GW = 0.192) and Handling of missing data (GW = 0.145) were the two most important criteria. Furthermore, SVM (Qj = 1.0) and AB (Qj = 0.891) were concluded to be the most suitable classifiers for supporting ATS adoption in PwD

Análisis perceptivo de la entonación del castellano de Barcelona y del catalán de Barcelona

En este trabajo se somete a validación perceptiva la entonación de oraciones enunciativas e interrogativas absolutas del castellano de Barcelona y del catalán de Barcelona. Tras haber realizado, en trabajos anteriores, el análisis acústico (análisis y síntesis) de este tipo de oraciones, un total de setenta jueces han escuchado los estímulos sintetizados sin contenido léxico correspondientes a la melodía entonativa de los tres tipos de frases estudiados, dos de ellos interrogativas. Los resultados obtenidos en el test de percepción permiten afirmar que las modalidades enunciativa e interrogativa «sin que» se reconocen en un porcentaje muy alto y que por tanto en este tipo de frases el tonema es el factor determinante a la hora de distinguirlas por la melodía. En las interrogativas «con que», que poseen un tonema descendente, el porcentaje de reconocimiento es considerablemente más bajo. Además se confirma que, perceptivamete, la entonación de estas dos variantes en contacto que hemos examinado, catalán de Barcelona y castellano de Barcelona, es muy semejante ya que la lengua a la que pertenece el estímulo escuchado ha sido confundida aproximadamente en un 50 por ciento

Integrating Lean Six Sigma and discrete-event simulation for shortening the appointment lead-time in gynecobstetrics departments: a case study

Long waiting time to appointment may be a worry for pregnant women, particularly those who need perinatology consultation since it could increase anxiety and, in a worst case scenario, lead to an increase in fetal, infant, and maternal mortality. Treatment costs may also increase since pregnant women with diverse pathologies can develop more severe complications. As a step towards improving this process, we propose a methodological approach to reduce the appointment lead-time in outpatient gynecobstetrics departments. This framework involves combining the Six Sigma method to identify defects in the appointment scheduling process with a discrete-event simulation (DES) to evaluate the potential success of removing such defects in simulation before we resort to changing the real-world healthcare system. To do these, we initially characterize the gynecobstetrics department using a SIPOC diagram. Then, six sigma performance metrics are calculated to evaluate how well the department meets the government target in relation to the appointment lead-time. Afterwards, a cause-and-effect analysis is undertaken to identify potential causes of appointment lead-time variation. These causes are later validated through ANOVA, regression analysis, and DES. Improvement scenarios are next designed and pretested through computer simulation models. Finally, control plans are deployed to maintain the results achieved through the implementation of the DES-Six sigma approach. The aforementioned framework was validated in a public gynecobstetrics outpatient department. The results revealed that mean waiting time decreased from 6.9 days to 4.1 days while variance passed from 2.46 days2 to 1.53 days2

Aproximación al análisis dialectométrico de la entonación en algunos puntos del dominio lingüístico catalán

En este trabajo se muestran las diferencias dialectales de la entonación de frases pragmáticamente neutras en diversos puntos del dominio lingüístico catalán mediante la dialectometría. Esta técnica constituye un método de análisis que nos proporciona agrupaciones entre los datos empíricos considerados a partir de la matriz de distancias que se ha creado entre ellos. El escalamiento multidimensional (EMD) aplicado a los resultados nos permite construir un espacio métrico con el menor número de dimensiones posibles, de tal manera que permite representar las proximidades o preferencias entre objetos con el mayor grado de fidelidad. Otro modo de agrupar los datos consiste en verlos en un dendrograma, un árbol que refleja también las agrupaciones que presentan. La dialectometría constituye una herramienta interesante y útil para reflejar cuantitativamente los resultados y presenta una visión de los hechos distinta de la que ofrece la dialectología tradicional. La modalidad que más claramente distingue los puntos de encuesta es la interrogativa encabezada por la partícula átona que, de acuerdo con lo obtenido en trabajos anteriores

Discrete-Event Simulation for Performance Evaluation and Improvement of Gynecology Outpatient Departments: A Case Study in the Public Sector

Gynecology outpatient units are in charge of treating different gynecological diseases such as tumorous, cancer, urinary incontinence, gynecological pain, and abnormal discharge. On-time attention is thus needed to avoid severe complications, patient dissatisfaction, and elevated healthcare costs. There is then an urgent need for assessing whether the gynecology outpatient departments are cost-effective and what interventions are required for improving clinical outcomes. Despite this context, the studies directly concentrating on diagnosis and improvement of these departments are widely limited. To address these concerns, this paper aims to provide a Discrete-event Simulation (DES) modelling framework to help healthcare managers gain a better understanding of the gynecology outpatient services and evaluate improvement strategies. First, the patient journey through the gynecology outpatient service is mapped. To correctly represent the system uncertainty, collected data is then processed through input analysis. Third, the data is used to model and simulate the real gynecology outpatient unit. This model is later validated to determine whether it is statistically equivalent to the real system. After this, using performance metrics derived from the simulation model, the gynecology outpatient department is analyzed to identify potential improvements. We finally pretest potential interventions to define their viability during implementation. A case study of a mixed-patient type environment in a public gynecology outpatient unit is presented to verify the applicability of the proposed methodology. The results evidenced that appointment lead times could be efficiently reduced using this approach. © 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Near-field photocurrent nanoscopy on bare and encapsulated graphene

Opto-electronic devices utilizing graphene have already demonstrated unique capabilities, which are much more difficult to realize with conventional technologies. However, the requirements in terms of material quality and uniformity are very demanding. A major roadblock towards high-performance devices are the nanoscale variations of graphene properties, which strongly impact the macroscopic device behaviour. Here, we present and apply opto-electronic nanoscopy to measure locally both the optical and electronic properties of graphene devices. This is achieved by combining scanning near-field infrared nanoscopy with electrical device read-out, allowing infrared photocurrent mapping at length scales of tens of nanometers. We apply this technique to study the impact of edges and grain boundaries on spatial carrier density profiles and local thermoelectric properties. Moreover, we show that the technique can also be applied to encapsulated graphene/hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) devices, where we observe strong charge build-up near the edges, and also address a device solution to this problem. The technique enables nanoscale characterization for a broad range of common graphene devices without the need of special device architectures or invasive graphene treatment