Comprehending 3D and 4D ontology-driven conceptual models: An empirical study

This paper presents an empirical study that investigates the extent to which the pragmatic quality of ontology-driven models is influenced by the choice of a particular ontology, given a certain understanding of that ontology. To this end, we analyzed previous research efforts and distilled three hypotheses based on different metaphysical characteristics. An experiment based on two foundational ontologies (UFO and BORO) involving 158 participants was then carried out, followed by a protocol analysis to gain further insights into the results of experiment. We then extracted five derivations from the results of the empirical study in order to summarize our findings. Overall, the results confirm that the choice of a foundational ontology can lead to significant differences in the interpretation and comprehension of the conceptual models produced. Moreover, the effect of applying a certain foundational ontology can cause considerable variations in the effort required to comprehend these models

Endurant Types in Ontology-Driven Conceptual Modeling: Towards OntoUML 2.0

For over a decade now, a community of researchers has contributed to the development of the Unified Foundational Ontology (UFO) - aimed at providing foundations for all major conceptual modeling constructs. This ontology has led to the development of an Ontology-Driven Conceptual Modeling language dubbed OntoUML, reflecting the ontological micro-theories comprising UFO. Over the years, UFO and OntoUML have been successfully employed in a number of academic, industrial and governmental settings to create conceptual models in a variety of different domains. These experiences have pointed out to opportunities of improvement not only to the language itself but also to its underlying theory. In this paper, we take the first step in that direction by revising the theory of types in UFO in response to empirical evidence. The new version of this theory shows that many of the meta-types present in OntoUML (differentiating Kinds, Roles, Phases, Mixins, etc.) should be considered not as restricted to Substantial types but instead should be applied to model Endurant Types in general, including Relator types, Quality types and Mode types. We also contribute a formal characterization of this fragment of the theory, which is then used to advance a metamodel for OntoUML 2.0. Finally, we propose a computational support tool implementing this updated metamodel

Falerii novi (comune di fabrica di Roma, provincia di viterbo, regione lazio)

As part of the AHRC-funded “Beneath the Surface of Roman Republican Cities” project (2015-17), our team is pursuing a full-coverage Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey of the entire intra-mural area of the Roman town of Falerii Novi, in combination with an assessment of the unpublished pottery from the excavations of 1969-75: our objective is to further our knowledge and understanding of the Roman town and its earlier phases of settlement (Launaro et al. 2016; 2017)

The use of confocal microscopy in quantifying changes in membrane potential

Monitoring the plasma membrane potential and its changes can be a time consuming and challenging task especially when conventional electrophysiological techniques are used. The use of potentiometricfluorophores, namely tetramethylrhodamine methylester (TMRM), and digital imaging devices (laser scanning confocal microscopy) provides reliable and time efficient method. Two scorpion pore-forming peptides, namely PP and OP1, were used as a tool to induce depolarization of the plasma membrane potential of neuroblastoma cell line and cardiac myocytes. Alternative methods for the neuroblastoma cells and cardiac myocytes were used. Depolarization of the neuroblastoma cells was calibrated with 140 mM KCl solution with 1 ìM valinomycin, after which intensity readers were substituted in the Nernst equation for quantification. Calibration of the alternative method used of the cardiac myocytes’ plasma membrane potential changes was calibrated with the use of 5, 20, 40, and 80 mM KCl solutions with 1 ìM valinomycin. A calibration curve was then constructed from which plasma membrane potential could be calculate

Comparison of immune responses in parenteral FaeG DNA primed pigs boosted orally with F4 protein or reimmunized with the DNA vaccine

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The age-dependent expression of the F18(+) E.coli receptor on porcine gut epithelial cells is positively correlated with the presence of histo-blood group antigens

International audienc

Interamna lirenas and its territory (comune di pignataro interamna, provincia di frosinone, regione lazio)

The archaeological fieldwork at Interamna Lirenas is part of an integrated research project involving geophysical prospection, field survey and excavation, all aimed at exploring the long-term development of the Roman town and its territory from its colonial origin (late 4th c. BC) well into Late Antiquity (6th c. AD) (Bellini, Launaro and Millett 2014). The full coverage Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey of the urban area (in collaboration with Ghent University) and the main excavation of the roofed theatre (theatrum tectum) were brought to completion in the course of the eighth fieldwork season (2017)

Comparing traditional conceptual modeling with ontology-driven conceptual modeling: An empirical study

[EN] This paper conducts an empirical study that explores the differences between adopting a traditional conceptual modeling (TCM) technique and an ontology-driven conceptual modeling (ODCM) technique with the objective to understand and identify in which modeling situations an ODCM technique can prove beneficial compared to a TCM technique. More specifically, we asked ourselves if there exist any meaningful differences in the resulting conceptual model and the effort spent to create such model between novice modelers trained in an ontology-driven conceptual modeling technique and novice modelers trained in a traditional conceptual modeling technique. To answer this question, we discuss previous empirical research efforts and distill these efforts into two hypotheses. Next, these hypotheses are tested in a rigorously developed experiment, where a total of 100 students from two different Universities participated. The findings of our empirical study confirm that there do exist meaningful differences between adopting the two techniques. We observed that novice modelers applying the ODCM technique arrived at higher quality models compared to novice modelers applying the TCM technique. More specifically, the results of the empirical study demonstrated that it is advantageous to apply an ODCM technique over an TCM when having to model the more challenging and advanced facets of a certain domain or scenario. Moreover, we also did not find any significant difference in effort between applying these two techniques. Finally, we specified our results in three findings that aim to clarify the obtained results. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.This research has been funded by the Ghent University Special Research Fund (BOF 01N02014) and the National Bank of Belgium.Verdonck, M.; Gailly, F.; Pergl, R.; Guizzardi, G.; Franco Martins, B.; Pastor López, O. (2019). Comparing traditional conceptual modeling with ontology-driven conceptual modeling: An empirical study. Information Systems. 81:92-103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.is.2018.11.009S921038