Active databases, business rules and reactive agents - what is the connection?

These three technologies were and still are mainly treated separately. Since not much work has been carried out in defining and combining them together, we are going to present what has been done and put accent on what could be done. Namely, they rely upon similar paradigms and concepts, as will be shown later on, and can be treated as complementary technologies. In this paper we will show that reactive agents react according to some set of business rules and active databases can be used as a suitable means for implementing business rules and in those way reactive agents as well. Since reactive agents have been well defined, recent improvements in the fields of active databases technology and especially business rules provide the reason to consider the benefits to be achieved from combining these fields

Exploring graph databases

Kako smo unatrag nekoliko godina dobili određena sredstva (tzv. sveučilišne potpore) kojima smo istraživali određene aspekte grafovskih baza podataka, odlučili smo rezultate istraživanja predstaviti i hrvatskoj akademskoj i stručnoj zajednici. Smatramo kako su istraživanja bila kvalitetna i da rezultati istih imaju potencijal za širu primjenu i implementaciju u dostupnim sustavima za upravljanje grafovskim bazama podataka. Također, postoje i određene mogućnosti za proširenje implementiranih rješenja, kao i prostor za dodatna istraživanja i preslikavanja relacijskih u koncepte grafovskih baza podataka.We received certain funds (so-called University grants) a few years ago to explore certain aspects of graph databases. In this study, we decided to share the results of the research to the Croatian academic and professional community. We believe that the research was of high quality and that the results have the potential for wider application and implementation in the available graph database management systems. In addition, there are certain possibilities for expanding the implemented solutions, and there is space for additional research and mapping of relational into graph database concepts

Sistemski razvoj elektronskega učenja v visokošolski izobraževalni ustanovi

Better use of time, decreased educational costs, more effective learning and learning management from the user’s side stimulate changes in the transmission of knowledge and learning. The Faculty of Organisation and Informatics (University of Zagreb, Croatia) was one of the places where a project for developing an e-learning system was started in accordance with user (student) demands and teaching process. Within this project, the production of a system for managing e-learning as well as adjusting teaching materials was started. This paper presents our achievements and results of using the developed elearning management system in our institution. Key words: e-learning, SCORM, LMSBoljša izraba časa, zniževanje stroškov izobraževanja, učinkovitejše učenje in učni management uporabnikov spodbujajo spremembe pri prenašanju znanja in učenja. Fakulteta za organizacijo in informatiko Univerze v Zagrebu (Hrvaška) je eden izmed krajev, kjer je, v soglasju z zahtevami uporabnikov (študentov) in z zahtevami učnega procesa, začel nastajati projekt razvoja sistema elektronskega učenja. V okviru tega projekta se je začela izgradnja upravljalskega sistema za elektronsko učenje kot tudi priprava učnih gradiv. Pričujoči prispevek ponazarja naše dosežke in rezultate uporabe razvitega upravljalskega sistema elektronskega učenja v naši ustanovi. Ključne besede: SCORM, LM

TOWARDS AN OPEN BIOMETRIC ONTOLOGY

Over the last decade we faced a great number of publications in the field of biometrics. Many new biometric methods, techniques, models, metrics and characteristics were proposed. Due to this explosion of research, scientific and professional papers certain inconsistencies in terminology. What some authors call a biometric method, others call model, system or even characteristic. There wasn\u27t enough effort in creating a unique systematization and categorization which would approach the stated issues and open new areas of research. We argue that it is possible to approach biometrics in a narrower and in a broader perspective. We observed biometrics in the narrower perspecive and created a unique framework for the systematization and categorization of biometric methods, models, characteristics and patterns based on a general biometric system. This systematization is a fundamental step forward towards the creation of an open biometrics ontology

A Multimodal Biometric System Based on an Active Database Paradigm

Today, on many occasions and in many different places, one must be authorised in order to use certain services or applications or to access protected data. A user (person) can be authorised in three different ways or combinations of ways: it is either information that the user knows, something that the user possesses or a measurement of some physical or psychological characteristics unique to that user, i.e. biometric characteristics. In this paper we emphasize this third possibility. When talking about biometrics we can distinguish two basic types of systems: unimodal and multimodal. The main difference is that the unimodal biometric system is based solely on a single biometric feature, while multimodal biometric systems combine several features. We intend to show how active databases could be used in order to implement a multimodal (unimodal) biometric system and reduce the time needed for authorisation (identification or verification). Specifically, the concept of reactivity upon which active databases rely could be the core of a multimodal biometric system, as will be shown in the paper. We will especially consider the use of complex events used in active databases for authorisation purposes. Key words: ADBMS, active database, complex events, biometrics, biometric systemDandanes se velikokrat dogodi, da ljudje, ki hočejo koristiti določene storitve ali aplikacije ali želijo dobiti pristop do zaščitenih podatkov itd., potrebujejo avtorizacijo. Uporabnik se lahko avtorizira na tri različne načine oziroma s kombinacijo teh treh načinov: s pomočjo nečesa, kar uporabnik pozna, s pomočjo nečesa, kar uporabnik poseduje, ali s pomočjo merjenja določenih fizičnih ali psihičnih značilnosti, ki so lastne in enkratne vsaki osebi, tj. tako imenovanih biometričnih značilnosti. V tem prispevku bo poudarek na tem zadnjem, tretjem načinu. Ko govorimo o biometriki, lahko razlikujemo med dvema osnovnima tipoma biometričnih sistemov - enomodalnim in večmodalnim biometričnim sistemom. Glavna razlika med njima je v tem, da enomodalni biometrični sistem temelji le na eni biometrični značilnosti, medtem ko večmodalni biometrični sistem za avtoriziranje posameznika kombinira več biometričnih značilnosti. V tem prispevku bomo pokazali, kako se lahko pri vgradnji večmodalnega (enomodalnega) biometričnega sistema uporabijo aktivne baze podatkov, s čimer se skrajša čas, ki je potreben za avtorizacijo (identifikacijo ali verifikacijo). Med drugim bomo pokazali, da je koncept reaktivnosti, na katerem temeljijo aktivne baze podatkov, lahko jedro večmodalnih biometričnih sistemov. Posebno pozornost bomo posvetili kompleksnim dogodkom za avtorizacijske namene, ki se v glavnem uporabljajo v aktivnih bazah podatkov. Ključne besede: ADBMS, aktivna baza podatkov, kompleksni dogodki, biometrika, biometrični siste

A SURVEY OF THE PROPERTIES OF AGENTS

In the past decade agent systems were considered to be as one of the major fields of study in Artificial Intelligence (AI) field. Many different definitions of agents were presented and several different approaches describing agency can be distinguished. While some authors have tried to define “what” an agent really is, others have tried to identify agents by means of properties which they should possess. Most authors agree on these properties (at least basic set of properties) which are intrinsic to agents. Since agent\u27s definitions are not consistent, we are going to give an overview and list the properties intrinsic to an agent. Many different adjectives were attached to the term agent as well and many different kinds of agents and different architectures emerged too. The aim of this paper it go give an overview of what was going on in the field while taking into consideration main streams and projects. We will also present some guidelines important when modelling agent systems and say something about security issues. Also, some existing problems which restrict the wider usage of agents will be mentioned too

FORMAL MODELLING OF BUSINESS RULES: WHAT KIND OF TOOL TO USE?

Business rules are today essential parts of a business system model. But presently, there are still various approaches to, definitions and classifications of this concept. Similarly, there are also different approaches in business rules formalization and implementation. This paper investigates formalization using formal language in association with easy domain modelling. Two of the tools that enable such approach are described and compared according to several factors. They represent ontology modelling and UML, nowadays widely used standard for object-oriented modelling. A simple example is also presented

FINGERPRINTS PREPROCESSING USING WALSH FUNCTIONS

Minutiae classification and fingerprint classification in fingerprint evaluating process are very important. Fingerprint image contains about 150 minutiae’s. When we compare two fingerprint images, we compare latent and non latent fingerprint and we try to find 12 minutiae’s placed on the same position on latent and non latent fingerprint images. After fingerprint image pre-processing we can perform classification or we can try to find minutiae. In this paper we describe the process of minutiae classification for comparison purposes. For that purpose we use Walsh function and Walsh transforms. Paper describes minutiae classification which is relatively new in recognition systems and gives contribution for development of practical fingerprint recognition systems. Paper also gives contribution in the theoretical part due to the fact that Walsh functions were not implemented in fingerprint pre-processing systems so far. The new symbolic database model for fingerprint storage gives multifunctional foundations for future research

TOWARDS AN OPEN BIOMETRIC ONTOLOGY

Over the last decade we faced a great number of publications in the field of biometrics. Many new biometric methods, techniques, models, metrics and characteristics were proposed. Due to this explosion of research, scientific and professional papers certain inconsistencies in terminology. What some authors call a biometric method, others call model, system or even characteristic. There wasn\u27t enough effort in creating a unique systematization and categorization which would approach the stated issues and open new areas of research. We argue that it is possible to approach biometrics in a narrower and in a broader perspective. We observed biometrics in the narrower perspecive and created a unique framework for the systematization and categorization of biometric methods, models, characteristics and patterns based on a general biometric system. This systematization is a fundamental step forward towards the creation of an open biometrics ontology

Active databases, business rules and reactive agents - what is the connection?

These three technologies were and still are mainly treated separately. Since not much work has been carried out in defining and combining them together, we are going to present what has been done and put accent on what could be done. Namely, they rely upon similar paradigms and concepts, as will be shown later on, and can be treated as complementary technologies. In this paper we will show that reactive agents react according to some set of business rules and active databases can be used as a suitable means for implementing business rules and in those way reactive agents as well. Since reactive agents have been well defined, recent improvements in the fields of active databases technology and especially business rules provide the reason to consider the benefits to be achieved from combining these fields