Information Retrieval List Digest 050 (February 19, 1991) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/irld/irld-050 IRLIST Digest February 19, 1991 Volume VIII, Number 7 Issue 50 ********************************************************** I. NOTICES A. Meetings announcements/Calls for papers 1. QUALICO '91: First Quantitataive Linguistics Conference 2nd Call for Papers September 23-27, 1991 University of Trier, Germany C. Miscellaneous 1. IJCAI Awards: IJCAI '91 August 24-30, 1991 Sidney, Australia IV. PROJECT WORK B. Bibliographies 1. Selected IR-related dissertation abstracts ********************************************************** I. NOTICES I.A.1. Fr: Re: QUALICO '91: First Quantitative Linguistics Conference 2nd Call for Papers September 23-27, 1991 University of Trier, Germany organized by the GLDV - Gesellschaft fuer Linguistische Datenverarbeitung (German Society for Linguistic Computing) and the Editors of "Quantitative Linguistics" supported by The City of Trier, The University of Trier, and the following organisations: ACH, AILA, ALLC, DGfS, DGSF, ESSCS, GAL, GI, GLDV, GMD, GTW, ISCO. OBJECTIVES QUALICO is being held for the first time as an International Conference to demonstrate the state of the art in Quantitative Linguistics. This domain of language study and research is gaining considerable interest due to recent advances in linguistic modelling, particularly in computational linguistics, cognitive science, and developments in mathematics like non- linear systems theory. Progress in hard- and software technology together with ease of access to data and numerical processing has provided new means of empirical data acquisition and the application of mathematical models of adequate complexity. The German Society for Linguistic Computation (Gesellschaft fuer Linguistische Datenverarbeitung - GLDV) and the editors of 'Quantitative Linguistics' have taken the initiative in preparing this conference to take place at the University of Trier, in Trier (Germany), September 23rd - 27th, 1991. In view of the stimulating new developments in Europe and the academic world, the organizers' aim is to encourage and promote mutual exchange of ideas in this field of interest which has been limited in the past. Challanging advances in interdisciplinary quantitative analyses, numerical modelling and experimental simulations from different linguistic domains will be reported on by the following keynote speakers: Gabriel Altmann (Bochum, Germany), Michail V. Arapov (Moskau, USSR) (pending acceptance), Hans Goebl (Salzburg, Austria), Mildred L.G. Shaw (Calgary, Canada), John S. Nicolis (Patras, Greece), Kenneth W. Church (Marina del Rey, USA). CALL FOR PAPERS The International Program Committee invites communications (long papers: 20 minutes plus 10; short papers: 15 minutes plus 5; demonstrations and posters) on basic research and development as well as on operational applications of Quantitative Linguistics, including - but not limited to - the following topics: A. Methodology 1. Theory Construction - 2. Measurement, Scaling - 3. Taxonomy, Categorizing - 4.Simulation - 5. Statistics, Probabilistic Modells, Stochastic Processes - 6. Fuzzy Theory: Possibilistic Modells - 7. Language and Grammar Formalisms - 8. Systems Theory: Cybernetics and Information Theory, Synergetics, New Connectionism B. Linguistic Analysis and Modelling 1. Phonetics - 2. Phonemics - 3. Morphology - 4. Syntax - 5. Semantics - 6. Pragmatics - 7.Lexicology - 8. Dialectology - 9. Typology - 10. Text and Discourse - 11. Semiotics C. Applications 1. Speech Recognition and Synthesis - 2.Text Analysis and Generation - 3.Language Acquisition and Teaching - 4.Text Understanding and Knowledge Representation NEW DEADLINES: Authors are asked to submit extended abstracts (1500 words; 4 copies) of their papers in one of the conference's working languages (English, German) not later than February 28, 1991 to: QUALICO - The Program Committee University of Trier P.O.Box 3825 D-5500 TRIER Germany UUCP: qualico@utrurt.uucp.de or: ..!unido!utrurt!qualico Notice of acceptance will be given by June 30, 1991; and full versions of invited and accepted papers (camera-ready) are due by September 27, 1991, i.e. during the conference, for which the collected abstracts of accepted papers will be available for the attendants. The QUALICO-Proceedings will be produced immediately after the conference and shall be published before the end of the year. This '2nd Call for Papers' is distributed world-wide in order to reach researchers active in universities and industry. SOCIAL PROGRAMME The oldest city in Germany, founded 16 b.C. by the Romans as Augusta Treverorum in the Mosel valley is situated now in the most Western region of Germany near both the French and Luxembourgian border.In the center of Europe this ancient city will host the participants of QUALICO at the University of Trier, surrounded by the vineyards of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer wine district at vintage beginning. The excursion day scheduled midway through the conference (September 25, 1991) will provide an opportunity to visit points of historical interest in the city and its vicinity during a boat-trip on the Mosel river. PROGRAM COMMITTEE Chair: B.B. Rieger, University of Trier S. Embleton, University of York, D. Gibbon, University of Bielefeld R. Grotjahn, University of Bochum J. Haller, IAI Saarbruecken P. Hellwig, University of Heidelberg E. Hopkins, University of Bochum J. Kindermann, GMD Bonn-St.Augustin U. Klenk, University of Goettingen R. Koehler, University of Trier J.P. Koester, University of Trier J. Krause, University of Regensburg W. Lehfeldt, University of Konstanz W. Lenders, University of Bonn C. Lischka, GMD Bonn-St.Augustin W. Matthaeus, University of Bochum R.G. Piotrowski, University of Leningrad D. Roesner, FAW Ulm G. Ruge, Siemens AG, Muenchen B. Schaeder, University of Siegen H. Schnelle, University of Bochum J. Sambor, University of Warsaw ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Chair: R. Koehler, University of Trier CONFERENCE FEES Early registration (paid before July 31, 1991): DM 300,- - Members of supporting organizations DM 250,- - Students (without Proceedings) DM 150,- Registration (paid after July 31, 1991): DM 400,- - Members of supporting organizations DM 350,- - Students (without Proceedings) DM 250,- -----------------------------DETACH HERE------------------------------------ I am interested in QUALICO Mr./Ms./Dr./Prof. and would like to submit a Family Name: ______________________ paper on the following First Name: _______________________ topic(s): Affiliation: ______________________ Address: __________________________ City: _____________________________ A: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Country: __________________________ Zip/Postal: _______________________ B: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 E-mail: ___________________________ Phone: ____________________________ C: 1 2 3 4 (Working) title of my paper: Date, Signature: __________________________________________ ............................ ********** I.C.1. Fr: Don Walker Re: IJCAI Awards: IJCAI '91 August 24-30, 1991 Sydney, Australia IJCAI-91, the Twelfth International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, will be held in Sydney, Australia, 24-30 August 1991. The Board of Trustees of IJCAI, Inc. is pleased to announce the recipients of the IJCAI awards for Research Excellence, Computers and Thought, and Distinguished Service. THE IJCAI AWARD FOR RESEARCH EXCELLENCE The IJCAI Award for Research Excellence is given, at an International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, to a scientist who has carried out a program of research of consistently high quality yielding several substantial results. Past recipients of this award are John McCarthy (1985) and Allen Newell (1989). The Research Excellence Award for IJCAI-91 will be given to Marvin Minsky, MIT. THE COMPUTERS AND THOUGHT AWARD The Computers and Thought Lecture is given at each International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence by an outstanding young scientist in the field of Artificial Intelligence. The Lecture is presented one evening during the Conference, and the public is invited to attend. The Lectureship was established with royalties received from the book Computers and Thought, edited by Edward Feigenbaum and Julian Feldman; it is currently supported by income from IJCAII funds. Past recipients of this honour have been Terry Winograd (1971), Patrick Winston (1973), Chuck Rieger (1975), Douglas Lenat (1977), David Marr (1979), Gerald Sussman (1981), Tom Mitchell (1983), Hector Levesque (1985), Johan de Kleer (1987) and Henry Kautz (1989). Two Computers and Thought Awards will be given at IJCAI-91: to Rodney Brooks, MIT and Martha Pollack, SRI International. IJCAI DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD The IJCAI Distinguished Service Award was established in 1979 by the IJCAII Trustees to honor senior scientists in AI for contributions and service to the field during their careers. Previous recipients have been Bernard Meltzer (1979), Arthur Samuel (1983), and Donald Walker (1989). At IJCAI-91, the IJCAI Distinguished Service Award will be given to Woodrow Bledsoe, University of Texas at Austin. ********************************************************** IV. PROJECT WORK IV.B.1. Fr: Susanne Humphrey Re: Selected IR-Related Dissertation Abstracts The following are citations selected by title and abstract as being related to Information Retrieval (IR), resulting from a computer search, using BRS Information Technologies, of the Dissertation Abstracts Online database produced by University Microfilms International (UMI). Included are UMI order number, title, author, degree, year, institution; number of pages, one or more Dissertation Abstracts International (DAI) subject descriptors chosen by the author, and abstract. Unless otherwise specified, paper or microform copies of dissertations may be ordered from University Microfilms International, Dissertation Copies, Post Office Box 1764, Ann Arbor, MI 48106; telephone for U.S. (except Michigan, Hawaii, Alaska): 1-800-521-3042, for Canada: 1-800-268-6090. Price lists and other ordering and shipping information are in the introduction to the published DAI. An alternate source for copies is sometimes provided. Dissertation titles and abstracts contained here are published with permission of University Microfilms International, publishers of Dissertation Abstracts International (copyright by University Microfilms International), and may not be reproduced without their prior permission. AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG90-32605 AU DAVIS, KAREN COLLINS. TI A FORMAL FOUNDATION FOR OBJECT-ORIENTED, ALGEBRAIC QUERY PROCESSING IN University of Southwestern Louisiana Ph.D. 1990, 176 pages. DE Computer Science. AB The field of object-oriented database systems is characterized by many implemented systems but no consensus on an underlying formal data model. The lack of a theoretical foundation has hindered research into formal query languages and accompanying research into provably correct logical query optimization. This research introduces the Class Algebra, an object-oriented query language, and develops a formal foundation for logical query optimization. The Class Algebra extends the semantics of relational algebra to support complex objects, including both object-based query processing and value-oriented query processing. The Class Algebra may serve as a query language for any structurally similar model, i.e., any model which supports generalization, aggregation, encapsulation, and strict inheritance. The Class Algebra has the classical benefits of an algebraic query language; it supports view mapping, query language studies, and logical query optimization. The Class Algebra is defined using denotational semantics in order to provide a formal specification of object-oriented database query evaluation. The semantic domains of the formal definition include descriptions of both the intension and extension of a structurally-rich object-oriented data model, enabling query results to be specified both intensionally and extensionally. Contributions of the Class Algebra include closure, lazy evaluation of query results, and support for reasoning about algebraic expressions. A formal foundation is established for two facets of logical query optimization for the Class Algebra: algebraic transformations and application of the Classifier. Algebraic transformations, proven correct using the formal definition, provide the basis for rewriting algebraic expressions into more efficient forms. The Classifier, a tool for inferring structural relationships based on class membership definitions, can be applied to database problems such as schema design, schema integration, and query processing. The Class Algebra Classifier is based on rules of inference, proven to be sound, complete, and tractable. The role of the Classifier in logical query optimization is briefly explored; inferred information can be used to simplify query expressions and to establish logical access paths to the query result. This research contributes a detailed formal foundation for query processing in an object-oriented data model. AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG90-32186 AU LEE, KUK HIE. TI KIDS: A QUERY AND INFERENCE SYSTEM BASED UPON KNOWLEDGE INDEXED DEDUCTIVE SEARCH. IN Georgia State University - College of Business Administration Ph.D. 1989, 139 pages. DE Computer Science. AB A query inference system, called KIDS, has been developed. Its design involves the incorporation of well-developed database techniques (i.e., indexing and query optimization) into the technology of artificial intelligence (i.e., representation and inference), which would be suitable from the point of view of both expressiveness and efficiency. This dissertation describes some salient considerations that led to the design of KIDS. This research addresses the issue of how to represent complex-structured real-world information. The KIDS representation formalism exploits named property lists in a manner that does not compromise the well-defined syntax and semantics of first-order logic. It allows a more natural and flexible way of expressing information, beyond that of the relational query languages and the predicate logic syntax. Furthermore, the formalism is conducive to designing a sophisticated indexing scheme which can provide fast access to relevant information. A novel feature of this research is the use of the indexing scheme for controlling the deduction. When there exists more than one alternative to pursue (e.g., the existence of more than one literal in a disjunction or rule and the existence of several relevant rules), the indexing scheme provides control information, which guides the system in its choice of which alternative to pursue. Advantages of the index-guided approach are improved system performance and better system control of inferences. AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG90-31955 AU LEE, SANGGOO. TI INTELLIGENT SEARCH IN EXPERT DATABASE SYSTEMS. IN Northwestern University Ph.D. 1990, 131 pages. DE Computer Science. Applied Mechanics. Information Science. AB A considerable amount of effort in the fields of Expert Systems and Database Systems has been focused on integrating the two systems. While efficient management of large amounts of knowledge is required for Expert Systems, intelligent search techniques for query processing are demanded by Database Systems. We propose an intelligent query processing system that utilizes expert knowledge in first-order logic Horn clauses. An intelligent query processing system will utilize various types of knowledge that are relevant to a given query. The system may use information implied by integrity constraints to trim away the portions of the search space that will not produce any answers, a process known as Semantic Query Optimization. When not all answers are needed, a system may use heuristics or guesses to guide the search process to a smaller domain either to obtain a subset of answers in the shortest amount of time or to retrieve a set of good answers. An intelligent system will also schedule its database access to minimize the retrieval and operation time. A graph model is developed to accommodate the set of clauses representing expert knowledge as well as the Intensional Database rules and the Extensional Database schemes. In answering a given query, we use a node labeling method that serves two purposes; one is to identify relevant knowledge for the given query, and the other is to define the scope of collected information from the knowledge clauses. In a deductive database, the task of identifying relevant knowledge for a given query is complicated by the fact that the query may take several different, but logically equivalent, forms. Our work is focused on how relevant knowledge for a given query can be identified efficiently and how collected information from relevant knowledge can interact with each other. Our approach is dynamic in the sense that information is collected after receiving of a query, and is modular since updates to rules, constraints and heuristics will affect only the portion directly related to the updated clause. AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG90-32859 AU MORFEQ, ALI HUSSEIN. TI BAYAN: A TEXT DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR ARABIC ENGINEERING DOCUMENTS. IN University of Colorado at Boulder Ph.D. 1990, 85 pages. DE Computer Science. AB Most existing databases lack features which allow for the convenient manipulation of engineering documents. It is even more difficult to use them if the text language is not based on the Roman alphabet. The Arabic language is a good example of this case. Many projects have attempted to use conventional database systems for Arabic data manipulation (including text data), but because of Arabic's many differences with English, these projects have met with limited success. In Bayan, the approach has been different. First, we designed a database to support Arabic text databases. We then used it to build a system which manages engineering documents written in Arabic or English. In designing Bayan, we took a different approach from existing systems. Instead of simply trying to adapt an environment to Arabic, we designed Bayan to meet the needs of Arabic, thus avoiding the shortcomings of other projects. Bayan was designed to overcome the shortcoming of conventional database management systems in manipulating text data. The results showed us that Bayan is a very useful system for text databases in Arabic and to English. The diversity of types in engineering documents was a good test for the concepts in Bayan. Bayan's data model is based on an object-oriented approach which adds to the extensibility of the system for the addition of new techniques to manipulate text as they become available. In Bayan, we designed the database with the properties of Arabic text in mind. We designed it to support the way Arabic words are derived, classified, and constructed. Furthermore, linguistic algorithms for word generation and morphological decomposition of words were designed, leading to a formalization of the rules of Arabic words construction and analysis. This environment has: a new computer representation of Arabic characters, a more complete Arabic keyboard layout, a window-based Arabic user interface, a morphological analyzer of Arabic words, and a document database management system which is capable of handling documents such as engineering documents with many different types of components (e.g. text, tables, figures, graphs, images, etc). For example, this document was prepared using Bayan in English. AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG90-30471 AU NAEYMI-RAD, FRANK FARIBORZ. TI A FEATURE DICTIONARY TO SUPPORT DATABASE TRANSLATION, INFORMATION RETRIEVAL, INTELLIGENT MEDICAL RECORDS, AND EXPERT SYSTEMS. IN Illinois Institute of Technology Ph.D. 1990, 135 pages. DE Computer Science. AB The primary motivation for the Feature Dictionary was the development of a common pool of terms for multidomain medical knowledge base development. It became apparent that the need to build an intelligent medical record and to support communication between knowledge bases could be addressed with the same database. This was achieved by adding new data attributes to the Feature Dictionary to support the translation of the Standard Portable Patient File (SPPF) to MEDAS (the Medical Emergency Decision Assistance System). The detection of feature dependencies for the MEDAS inference module also became an important function of the Feature Dictionary. More recently we realized that this new database is an ideal source of index terms for patient specific bibliographic information retrieval and for full-text retrieval. This Feature Dictionary addresses five categories of problems in medical information systems: (1) electronic medical records, (2) computer based decision making, (3) knowledge engineering, (4) information retrieval and (5) construction of patient archives with the necessary data linkage. It has important contributions to make in all these areas. The patient medical record presents us with a central and most complex electronic communication problem. To create a complete electronic medical record that can communicate everything about the patient is a very difficult task. This thesis describes a solution to this problem using the Feature Dictionary and the Standard Portable Patient File. The SPPF is a multiencounter electronic record capable of supporting time-dependent features. The Feature Dictionary is used as a translator between the patient's record and a computer based diagnostic system. The patient's record (SPPF) will maintain numeric references to the Feature Dictionary. These references are then utilized to map the data stored in the SPPF to the diagnostic consulting system MEDAS. The Feature Dictionary also supports the detection of feature interactions, important in all expert systems but crucial in a Bayesian system. The Feature Dictionary is also used as the data dictionary for all of the systems supporting MEDAS. ********************************************************** IRLIST Digest is distributed from the University of California, Division of Library Automation, 300 Lakeside Drive, Oakland, CA. 94612-3550. Send subscription requests to: LISTSERV@UCCVMA.BITNET Send submissions to IRLIST to: IR-L@UCCVMA.BITNET Editorial Staff: Clifford Lynch lynch@postgres.berkeley.edu calur@uccmvsa.bitnet Mary Engle engle@cmsa.berkeley.edu meeur@uccmvsa.bitnet Nancy Gusack ncgur@uccmvsa.bitnet The IRLIST Archives will be set up for anonymous FTP, and the address will be announced in future issues. These files are not to be sold or used for commercial purposes. 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