The Hidden Web, XML and Semantic Web: A Scientific Data Management Perspective

The World Wide Web no longer consists just of HTML pages. Our work sheds light on a number of trends on the Internet that go beyond simple Web pages. The hidden Web provides a wealth of data in semi-structured form, accessible through Web forms and Web services. These services, as well as numerous other applications on the Web, commonly use XML, the eXtensible Markup Language. XML has become the lingua franca of the Internet that allows customized markups to be defined for specific domains. On top of XML, the Semantic Web grows as a common structured data source. In this work, we first explain each of these developments in detail. Using real-world examples from scientific domains of great interest today, we then demonstrate how these new developments can assist the managing, harvesting, and organization of data on the Web. On the way, we also illustrate the current research avenues in these domains. We believe that this effort would help bridge multiple database tracks, thereby attracting researchers with a view to extend database technology.Comment: EDBT - Tutorial (2011

(Linked) Data Quality Assessment: An Ontological Approach

The effective functioning of data-intensive applications usually requires that the dataset should be of high quality. The quality depends on the task they will be used for. However, it is possible to identify task-independent data quality dimensions which are solely related to data themselves and can be extracted with the help of rule mining/pattern mining. In order to assess and improve data quality, we propose an ontological approach to report data quality violated triples. Our goal is to provide data stakeholders with a set of methods and techniques to guide them in assessing and improving data qualit

Linked Data Quality Assessment: A Survey

Data is of high quality if it is fit for its intended use in operations, decision-making, and planning. There is a colossal amount of linked data available on the web. However, it is difficult to understand how well the linked data fits into the modeling tasks due to the defects present in the data. Faults emerged in the linked data, spreading far and wide, affecting all the services designed for it. Addressing linked data quality deficiencies requires identifying quality problems, quality assessment, and the refinement of data to improve its quality. This study aims to identify existing end-to-end frameworks for quality assessment and improvement of data quality. One important finding is that most of the work deals with only one aspect rather than a combined approach. Another finding is that most of the framework aims at solving problems related to DBpedia. Therefore, a standard scalable system is required that integrates the identification of quality issues, the evaluation, and the improvement of the linked data quality. This survey contributes to understanding the state of the art of data quality evaluation and data quality improvement. A solution based on ontology is also proposed to build an end-to-end system that analyzes quality violations\u27 root causes

Extending R2RML-F to support dynamic datatype and language tags

Linked data is often generated from raw data with the help of mapping languages. Complex data transformation is one of the essential parts while uplifting data which either can be implemented as custom solutions or separated from the mapping process. In this paper, we propose an approach of separating complex data transformations from the mapping process that can still be reusable across the systems. In the proposed method, complex data transformations include the entailment of (i) language tag and (ii) datatype present at the data source. The proposed method also includes inferring missing datatype information. We extended R2RML-F to handle data transformations. The results showed that transformation functions could be used to create typed literals dynamically. Our approach is validated on the test cases specified by the RDF mapping language (RML). The proposed method considers data in the form of JSON, thus making the system interoperable and reusable

The project of Liberation and the projection of national identity. Calvo, Aragon, Jouhandeau, 1944-1945

This dissertation focuses on the months of liberation of France, June 1944 to May 1945. It analyzes three under-studied works taken as samples of texts that touch upon the question of contested identities. The texts are chosen from the main divisions of the political spectrum, namely Gaullist, far right, and far left. Although the focus is on the texts themselves, I trace the arguments found in these works to the larger discourses in which they are inscribed. In particular, I address the questions of guilt and innocence, justice and vengeance, past and future in the given historical circumstances. The first chapter examines "Le droit romain n'est plus" by Louis Aragon. I focus on the discussion of justice, vengeance, and punishment as they emerge from the text, notions that are embedded in the broader polemics among the intellectuals of the Resistance. I discuss the importance of music in this story where it plays the role of a structuring device. Finally, I examine the associations that can be made between writing, music and nationalism in the larger context of national identity.The second chapter deals with La Bete est morte! La guerre mondiale chez les animaux by Calvo. It is an allegory using animals as protagonists and is in comic book format. I discern three loci in the narration that work together in order to re-inscribe the national identity in the values of the republic, thereby providing its young readers with a grammar of good and evil, patriotism and treason, guilt and absolution. The third chapter is a discussion of Journal sous l'Occupation by Marcel Jouhandeau who flirted with Fascism in the 1930s and manifested his anti-Semitism in articles and a book. I read his Journal sous l'Occupation as a public testimony in writing of his purge trial that never happened. I investigate the question of fear, the process of self-exoneration in his reasoning, the question of the journal as instrument of self-definition, and discuss personal and national identity.The conclusion focuses on Guy Kohen's Retour d'Auschwitz and ties the different works and contemporary journalistic discourses together

Is Neuro-Symbolic AI Meeting its Promise in Natural Language Processing? A Structured Review

Advocates for Neuro-Symbolic Artificial Intelligence (NeSy) assert that combining deep learning with symbolic reasoning will lead to stronger AI than either paradigm on its own. As successful as deep learning has been, it is generally accepted that even our best deep learning systems are not very good at abstract reasoning. And since reasoning is inextricably linked to language, it makes intuitive sense that Natural Language Processing (NLP), would be a particularly well-suited candidate for NeSy. We conduct a structured review of studies implementing NeSy for NLP, with the aim of answering the question of whether NeSy is indeed meeting its promises: reasoning, out-of-distribution generalization, interpretability, learning and reasoning from small data, and transferability to new domains. We examine the impact of knowledge representation, such as rules and semantic networks, language structure and relational structure, and whether implicit or explicit reasoning contributes to higher promise scores. We find that systems where logic is compiled into the neural network lead to the most NeSy goals being satisfied, while other factors such as knowledge representation, or type of neural architecture do not exhibit a clear correlation with goals being met. We find many discrepancies in how reasoning is defined, specifically in relation to human level reasoning, which impact decisions about model architectures and drive conclusions which are not always consistent across studies. Hence we advocate for a more methodical approach to the application of theories of human reasoning as well as the development of appropriate benchmarks, which we hope can lead to a better understanding of progress in the field. We make our data and code available on github for further analysis.Comment: Surve

Retrospective analysis of intrauterine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in controlled ovarian stimulation with intrauterine insemination cycle

Background: Persistent thin endometrium affects <1% of patients. Various treatments have been proposed with no satisfactory results. GCSF is one such treatment modality which improves endometrial thickness and implantation. Aim of this study was to analyse the effects of dose and the site of instilling intrauterine G-CSF in COS IUI cycles in patients with unexplained infertility and to note the pregnancy rates among them.Methods: It is a 3-year retrospective study done in obstetrics and gynecology department of AJ Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, that included all unexplained infertility cycles with controlled ovulation stimulation-IUI protocols where for a thin endometrium GCSF was used. The method of ovarian stimulation, the drug and dose used, the trigger for ovulation and the ovarian and endometrial response was noted. The day of the intrauterine GCSF and the dose and the site of instillation was noted. The endometrial response to GCSF the outcome for pregnancy was noted. All the data was analyzed statistically.Results: Significant endometrial response was seen with a dose of 100 mg,150 mg and 300 mg. Pregnancy outcome was better when GCSF was instilled just above the level of the os. GCSF instilled at the level of the fundus increases the possibility of ectopic pregnancy.Conclusions: Instillation of GCSF of 100 mg dosage just above the os; is a safe and effective method for improving the endometrial thickness and increasing pregnancy rate

The global, regional, and national burden of adult lip, oral, and pharyngeal cancer in 204 countries and territories:A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Importance Lip, oral, and pharyngeal cancers are important contributors to cancer burden worldwide, and a comprehensive evaluation of their burden globally, regionally, and nationally is crucial for effective policy planning.Objective To analyze the total and risk-attributable burden of lip and oral cavity cancer (LOC) and other pharyngeal cancer (OPC) for 204 countries and territories and by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) using 2019 Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) Study estimates.Evidence Review The incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to LOC and OPC from 1990 to 2019 were estimated using GBD 2019 methods. The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate the proportion of deaths and DALYs for LOC and OPC attributable to smoking, tobacco, and alcohol consumption in 2019.Findings In 2019, 370 000 (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 338 000-401 000) cases and 199 000 (95% UI, 181 000-217 000) deaths for LOC and 167 000 (95% UI, 153 000-180 000) cases and 114 000 (95% UI, 103 000-126 000) deaths for OPC were estimated to occur globally, contributing 5.5 million (95% UI, 5.0-6.0 million) and 3.2 million (95% UI, 2.9-3.6 million) DALYs, respectively. From 1990 to 2019, low-middle and low SDI regions consistently showed the highest age-standardized mortality rates due to LOC and OPC, while the high SDI strata exhibited age-standardized incidence rates decreasing for LOC and increasing for OPC. Globally in 2019, smoking had the greatest contribution to risk-attributable OPC deaths for both sexes (55.8% [95% UI, 49.2%-62.0%] of all OPC deaths in male individuals and 17.4% [95% UI, 13.8%-21.2%] of all OPC deaths in female individuals). Smoking and alcohol both contributed to substantial LOC deaths globally among male individuals (42.3% [95% UI, 35.2%-48.6%] and 40.2% [95% UI, 33.3%-46.8%] of all risk-attributable cancer deaths, respectively), while chewing tobacco contributed to the greatest attributable LOC deaths among female individuals (27.6% [95% UI, 21.5%-33.8%]), driven by high risk-attributable burden in South and Southeast Asia.Conclusions and Relevance In this systematic analysis, disparities in LOC and OPC burden existed across the SDI spectrum, and a considerable percentage of burden was attributable to tobacco and alcohol use. These estimates can contribute to an understanding of the distribution and disparities in LOC and OPC burden globally and support cancer control planning efforts

Global, regional, and national sex-specific burden and control of the HIV epidemic, 1990-2019, for 204 countries and territories: the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2019

Background: The sustainable development goals (SDGs) aim to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Understanding the current state of the HIV epidemic and its change over time is essential to this effort. This study assesses the current sex-specific HIV burden in 204 countries and territories and measures progress in the control of the epidemic. Methods: To estimate age-specific and sex-specific trends in 48 of 204 countries, we extended the Estimation and Projection Package Age-Sex Model to also implement the spectrum paediatric model. We used this model in cases where age and sex specific HIV-seroprevalence surveys and antenatal care-clinic sentinel surveillance data were available. For the remaining 156 of 204 locations, we developed a cohort-incidence bias adjustment to derive incidence as a function of cause-of-death data from vital registration systems. The incidence was input to a custom Spectrum model. To assess progress, we measured the percentage change in incident cases and deaths between 2010 and 2019 (threshold >75% decline), the ratio of incident cases to number of people living with HIV (incidence-to-prevalence ratio threshold <0·03), and the ratio of incident cases to deaths (incidence-to-mortality ratio threshold <1·0). Findings: In 2019, there were 36·8 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 35·1–38·9) people living with HIV worldwide. There were 0·84 males (95% UI 0·78–0·91) per female living with HIV in 2019, 0·99 male infections (0·91–1·10) for every female infection, and 1·02 male deaths (0·95–1·10) per female death. Global progress in incident cases and deaths between 2010 and 2019 was driven by sub-Saharan Africa (with a 28·52% decrease in incident cases, 95% UI 19·58–35·43, and a 39·66% decrease in deaths, 36·49–42·36). Elsewhere, the incidence remained stable or increased, whereas deaths generally decreased. In 2019, the global incidence-to-prevalence ratio was 0·05 (95% UI 0·05–0·06) and the global incidence-to-mortality ratio was 1·94 (1·76–2·12). No regions met suggested thresholds for progress. Interpretation: Sub-Saharan Africa had both the highest HIV burden and the greatest progress between 1990 and 2019. The number of incident cases and deaths in males and females approached parity in 2019, although there remained more females with HIV than males with HIV. Globally, the HIV epidemic is far from the UNAIDS benchmarks on progress metrics. Funding: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the National Institute on Aging of the NIH