Author Archives: Jana Herwig

Jana Herwig

Read this: Linking Social Networks on the Web with FOAF

by , Category: Literature & Publications

Jennifer Golbeck, Matthew Rothstein. Linking Social Networks on the Web with FOAF: A Semantic Web Case Study. Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI’08).
Download (PDF, 320 KB).

ABSTRACT
One of the core goals of the Semantic Web is to store data in distributed locations, and use ontologies and reasoning to aggregate it. Social networking is a large movement on the web, and social networking data using the Friend of a Friend (FOAF) vocabulary makes up a significant portion of all data on the Semantic Web. Many traditional webbased social networks share their members’ information in FOAF format. While this is by far the largest source of FOAF online, there is no information about whether the social network models from each network overlap to create a larger unified social network model, or whether they are simply isolated components. In this paper, we present a study of the intersection of FOAF data found in many online social networks. Using the semantics of the FOAF ontology and applying Semantic Web reasoning techniques, we show that a significant percentage of profiles can be merged from
multiple networks. We present results on how this affects network structure and what it says about relationships and individual behavior. Finally, we discuss the implications this has for using web-based social networking data to create intelligent user interfaces and social software.

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Jana Herwig

RDFS in Knowledge Management: DYONIPOS

by , Category: Knowledge Management, Tools & Software

The Austrian Ministry of Finance participated in a usecase within the DYONIPOS (DYnamic ONtology based Integrated Process OptimiSation) project – my colleague Tassilo Pellegrini spoke to members of the use case project team: Josef Makolm from the Ministry of Finance, Michael Granitzer from KnowCenter Graz, and Doris Ipsmiller, consulting and development firm m2n. The DYONIPOS specs in short:

  • DYONIPOS uses an ontology based, semantic layer for providing a single-point-of-access to all information sources like e-mails, document repositories, yellow pages etc., thereby disambiguating existing information.
  • Knowledge discovery technologies map unstructured artifacts into the ontology and expand the semantic layer by identifying relevant relationships.
  • DYONIPOS interprets the current task of the user, deduces and delivers the information needed – the user does not have to search explicitly, nor does he have to know in which repository some piece of information may be found.
  • RDFS is used to harmonize the different repositories and integrate all kinds of different information sources for providing one single view on a company’s repository.
  • DYONIPOS uses graph-based principles not only for harmonizing data, but also for the definition of workflows and processes: workflows can be modelled using RDFS; there is no need to pre-compile workflows as they are interpreted on the fly and can be changed easily.

The use case project was awarded with the Science Award for the Most Innovative E-Government Application which was part of the 8th e-Government competition under the patronage of the German Ministry of Internal Affairs; a competition that was open to federal, state and local administration in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Congratulations! Learn more about the project in the interview, or on the project website.

Jana Herwig

Read this – OWL 2: The Next Step for OWL

by , Category: Literature & Publications

Bernardo Cuenca Grau, Ian Horrocks, Boris Motik, Bijan Parsia, Peter Patel-Schneider, and Ulrike Sattler. OWL 2: The next step for OWL. J. of Web Semantics, 2008.
Download (PDF, 248 KB)

Abstract:
Since achieving W3C recommendation status in 2004, the Web Ontology Language (OWL) has been successfully applied to many problems in computer science. Practical experience with OWL has been quite positive in general; however, it has also revealed room for improvement in several areas. We systematically analyze the identified short-comings of OWL, such as expressivity issues, problems with its syntaxes, and deficiencies in the definition of OWL species. Furthermore, we present an overview of OWL 2—an extension to and revision of OWL that is currently being developed within the W3C OWL Working Group. Many aspects of OWL have been thoroughly reengineered in OWL 2, thus producing a robust platform for future development of the language.

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Jana Herwig

Intelligent Agents and Health Care

by , Category: Life Sciences

Bo Hu, PhDMy colleague Tassilo Pellegrini recently did an interview with Bo Hu, a researcher and former fellow at the Intelligence, Agent, Multimedia Group (IAM), University of Southampton: At present, Bo is working at the SAP Research Center CEC Belfast where his research focuses on the application of Semantic Web and Web 2.0 technologies in e-learning and e-healthcare. In the interview, he talks about the potential of Semantic Web and intelligent agent technologies in medicine and life sciences, which he sees as a discipline particularly suited for semantic technologies as “many sub-domains of medicine are subject to controlled nomenclatures providing solid ground upon which semantically enriched applications can be built.” About the potential of intelligent agents:

[...] in distributed environments, it is difficult to exploit the available data from different sources, especially data that is normally projected onto the body of a patient to reach diagnostic and prognostic decisions. Many of the available data are interrelated, calling for paradigms that facilitate knowledge discovery by intelligently integrating data sources.

An agent-based framework is particularly useful in this case where individual agents are equipped with “memory” and “reasoning/thinking” capabilities to constantly acquire new knowledge and solve allocated tasks. Communication among agents, prescribed by a common vocabulary/ontology, ensures the entire community works towards a common goal.

On the other hand, frameworks with agents encapsulating special functions deliver better customised and personalised healthcare. As a result, we will be witnessing more patient power and better adherence to treatment regimens.

Read the whole interview on the SWC website.

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