Reasoning about river basins: WaWO+ revisited

© . This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/This paper characterizes part of an interdisciplinary research effort on Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques and tools applied to Environmental Decision-Support Systems (EDSS). WaWO+ the ontology we present here, provides a set of concepts that are queried, advertised and used to support reasoning about and the management of urban water resources in complex scenarios as a River Basin. The goal of this research is to increase efficiency in Data and Knowledge interoperability and data integration among heterogeneous environmental data sources (e.g., software agents) using an explicit, machine understandable ontology to facilitate urban water resources management within a River Basin.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Laboranova SP6: data layer

This document contains requirements and specifications for the data-storage layer of Laboranova’s integration architecture and for the data structure of the idea concept. This document presents technology choices for the implementation of the data-storage layer in a way that facilitates composing the different sub-projects (SPs) of Laboranova into a modular collaborative environment. The idea concept is central in Laboranova and working with ideas involves several aspects: • a conceptualisation of what an idea is; • data structures for ideas (Representations based on these data structures are passed among the software systems which make up the Laboranova environment.); • the integration of idea’s manipulation carried out by the different Laboranova’s tools. This document focuses on the data structures, taking into account the requirements of the visualization tool and the results obtained from a questionnaire (‘Laboranova Data Storage Questionnaire’) which was conducted in May 2007 among Laboranova’s partners. Such questionnaire was intended to gather requirements on technology and integration choices which affect some aspects of the idea data structure. This document also takes into account the user requirements gathered in D6.1.1 (‘Report on deployment scenarios and requirements’, version 1.0), which concern: • Idea management: archival and retrieval of ideas • Versioning: branching; vertical expansion of an idea; originating new ideas changing a first one • Relations between ideas: idea clustering • Flexibility and transparency: integrative design, providing a modular user environment • Integration with current practices: connecting Laboranova with previous tools and processes This document is divided in the following parts: • description of the integration architecture to frame this document with the context of Laboranova and the SPs that compose it; • overall description of the data layer; • conceptualization of the idea data structure by: A) giving a compilation of requirements in defining the idea concept (how an idea could be represented, which elements it should contain, how it should work…); B) presenting a data structure to represent an idea.Postprint (published version

Laboranova SP6: data layer

This document contains requirements and specifications for the data-storage layer of Laboranova’s integration architecture and for the data structure of the idea concept. This document presents technology choices for the implementation of the data-storage layer in a way that facilitates composing the different sub-projects (SPs) of Laboranova into a modular collaborative environment. The idea concept is central in Laboranova and working with ideas involves several aspects: • a conceptualisation of what an idea is; • data structures for ideas (Representations based on these data structures are passed among the software systems which make up the Laboranova environment.); • the integration of idea’s manipulation carried out by the different Laboranova’s tools. This document focuses on the data structures, taking into account the requirements of the visualization tool and the results obtained from a questionnaire (‘Laboranova Data Storage Questionnaire’) which was conducted in May 2007 among Laboranova’s partners. Such questionnaire was intended to gather requirements on technology and integration choices which affect some aspects of the idea data structure. This document also takes into account the user requirements gathered in D6.1.1 (‘Report on deployment scenarios and requirements’, version 1.0), which concern: • Idea management: archival and retrieval of ideas • Versioning: branching; vertical expansion of an idea; originating new ideas changing a first one • Relations between ideas: idea clustering • Flexibility and transparency: integrative design, providing a modular user environment • Integration with current practices: connecting Laboranova with previous tools and processes This document is divided in the following parts: • description of the integration architecture to frame this document with the context of Laboranova and the SPs that compose it; • overall description of the data layer; • conceptualization of the idea data structure by: A) giving a compilation of requirements in defining the idea concept (how an idea could be represented, which elements it should contain, how it should work…); B) presenting a data structure to represent an idea

A norm-aware multi-agent system for social simulations in a river basin

Wastewater management is a complex task involving a wide range of technical environmental and social factors. Furthermore, it typically requires the coordination of a heterogeneous society of actors with different goals. Regulations and protocols can be effectively used to tackle this complexity. In this chapter we present a norm-aware multi-agent system for social simulations in a river basin. The norms we present are inspired in European policies for wastewater management and they can evolve through time.Peer Reviewe

A norm-aware multi-agent system for social simulations in a river basin

Wastewater management is a complex task involving a wide range of technical environmental and social factors. Furthermore, it typically requires the coordination of a heterogeneous society of actors with different goals. Regulations and protocols can be effectively used to tackle this complexity. In this chapter we present a norm-aware multi-agent system for social simulations in a river basin. The norms we present are inspired in European policies for wastewater management and they can evolve through time.Peer Reviewe

Reasoning about river basins: WaWO+ revisited

© . This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/This paper characterizes part of an interdisciplinary research effort on Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques and tools applied to Environmental Decision-Support Systems (EDSS). WaWO+ the ontology we present here, provides a set of concepts that are queried, advertised and used to support reasoning about and the management of urban water resources in complex scenarios as a River Basin. The goal of this research is to increase efficiency in Data and Knowledge interoperability and data integration among heterogeneous environmental data sources (e.g., software agents) using an explicit, machine understandable ontology to facilitate urban water resources management within a River Basin.Peer Reviewe

Effects of pre-operative isolation on postoperative pulmonary complications after elective surgery: an international prospective cohort study an international prospective cohort study

We aimed to determine the impact of pre-operative isolation on postoperative pulmonary complications after elective surgery during the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We performed an international prospective cohort study including patients undergoing elective surgery in October 2020. Isolation was defined as the period before surgery during which patients did not leave their house or receive visitors from outside their household. The primary outcome was postoperative pulmonary complications, adjusted in multivariable models for measured confounders. Pre-defined sub-group analyses were performed for the primary outcome. A total of 96,454 patients from 114 countries were included and overall, 26,948 (27.9%) patients isolated before surgery. Postoperative pulmonary complications were recorded in 1947 (2.0%) patients of which 227 (11.7%) were associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patients who isolated pre-operatively were older, had more respiratory comorbidities and were more commonly from areas of high SARS-CoV-2 incidence and high-income countries. Although the overall rates of postoperative pulmonary complications were similar in those that isolated and those that did not (2.1% vs 2.0%, respectively), isolation was associated with higher rates of postoperative pulmonary complications after adjustment (adjusted OR 1.20, 95%CI 1.05–1.36, p = 0.005). Sensitivity analyses revealed no further differences when patients were categorised by: pre-operative testing; use of COVID-19-free pathways; or community SARS-CoV-2 prevalence. The rate of postoperative pulmonary complications increased with periods of isolation longer than 3 days, with an OR (95%CI) at 4–7 days or ≥ 8 days of 1.25 (1.04–1.48), p = 0.015 and 1.31 (1.11–1.55), p = 0.001, respectively. Isolation before elective surgery might be associated with a small but clinically important increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. Longer periods of isolation showed no reduction in the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. These findings have significant implications for global provision of elective surgical care. We aimed to determine the impact of pre-operative isolation on postoperative pulmonary complications after elective surgery during the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We performed an international prospective cohort study including patients undergoing elective surgery in October 2020. Isolation was defined as the period before surgery during which patients did not leave their house or receive visitors from outside their household. The primary outcome was postoperative pulmonary complications, adjusted in multivariable models for measured confounders. Pre-defined sub-group analyses were performed for the primary outcome. A total of 96,454 patients from 114 countries were included and overall, 26,948 (27.9%) patients isolated before surgery. Postoperative pulmonary complications were recorded in 1947 (2.0%) patients of which 227 (11.7%) were associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patients who isolated pre-operatively were older, had more respiratory comorbidities and were more commonly from areas of high SARS-CoV-2 incidence and high-income countries. Although the overall rates of postoperative pulmonary complications were similar in those that isolated and those that did not (2.1% vs 2.0%, respectively), isolation was associated with higher rates of postoperative pulmonary complications after adjustment (adjusted OR 1.20, 95%CI 1.05–1.36, p = 0.005). Sensitivity analyses revealed no further differences when patients were categorised by: pre-operative testing; use of COVID-19-free pathways; or community SARS-CoV-2 prevalence. The rate of postoperative pulmonary complications increased with periods of isolation longer than 3 days, with an OR (95%CI) at 4–7 days or ≥ 8 days of 1.25 (1.04–1.48), p = 0.015 and 1.31 (1.11–1.55), p = 0.001, respectively. Isolation before elective surgery might be associated with a small but clinically important increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. Longer periods of isolation showed no reduction in the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. These findings have significant implications for global provision of elective surgical care