12404157
A Specific Domain Translator Application in a Floristic Digital Library
In this paper, SAVIA is introduced; a system for attaining automatic translation (English-to-Spanish) of morphological descriptions of plants. It was developed at Universidad de las Americas Puebla, as part of a collaborative research with the Flora of North America (FNA) project, currently under construction at the Missouri Botanical Garden [Schnase et al. 1994]. The system has been put forward as a potential solution to the problem of knowledge distribution and multilingual access to Digital Libraries.
46774
AGS: introducing agents as services provided by digital libraries
This paper presents an architecture for digital libraries that introduces user agents as one of the services available to publishers, librarians and patrons. User agents are the fundamental component of an emerging style of human-computer interaction based on the concept of delegation and indirect management of tasks. In the agent-enabled digital library architecture, termed “AGS”, service providers define classes of agents that describe helpful tasks for patrons. Patrons, in turn, delegate work by selecting agents from the available agent classes and assigning specific tasks to be performed. AGS enables the development of agents that rely on a wide variety of construction approaches while maintaining a unified view of an active environment. AGS is intended to serve as a testbed to investigate alternative user interfaces to digital libraries and, in particular, a host of unexplored issues raised by the introduction of user agents.
16679270
Collaborative environments for digital publishing
This work presents a software platform designed and implemented to support the creation of digital publishing organizations (DPOs) and to mediate the collaborative interaction among participants of the digital publishing process. We posit that as digital publications become the norm, the organization of publishing entities is expected to evolve and to differ significantly from current print-oriented publishers. Our major goal is to support the entire digital publishing process, which may vary from DPO to DPO. Distinctive features of our design include facilities for users to define the structure, participants and genres handled by DPOs, as well as tools to support the processes involved in authoring, reviewing, publishing and using digital materials.
31472915
Using Hermes-F: experiences with a framework for developing information retrieval applications
Hermes-F is a framework that enables the development of applications that perform information retrieval (IR) tasks. Its central component is an extensible server that provides access to a variety of IR models, query transformations and digital collections. We have successfully instantiated our proposed framework by implementing a fully operational IR server that is accessed from various digital library applications. We describe the Hermes-F environment and focus on our results of using and extending the available IR models for diverse collections.
40290854
A Hybrid Approach for Image Retrieval with Ontological Content-Based Indexing
This paper presents a novel approach for image retrieval from digital collections. Specifically, we describe IRONS (Image Retrieval with Ontological Descriptions of Shapes), a system based on the application of several novel algorithms that combine low-level image analysis techniques with automatic shape extraction and indexing. In order to speed up preprocessing, we have proposed and implemented the convex regions algorithm and discrete curve evolution approach. The image indexing module of IRONS is addressed using two proposed algorithms: the tangent space and the two-segment turning function for shapes representation invariant to rotation and scale. Another goal of the proposed method is the integration of user-oriented descriptions, which leads to more complete retrieval by accelerating the convergence to the expected result. For the definition of image semantics, ontology annotation of sub-regions has been used.
1477944
HyperActive: extending an open hypermedia architecture to support agency
Agency and hypermedia have both been suggested as powerful means to cope with future information management and human-computer interaction requirements. However, research projects have included interface agents only marginally in the context of hypermedia systems. This article proposes a set of criteria for characterizing interface agents and offers a perspective view of ongoing research in the field using those criteria as a framework. The need to provide a supporting infrastructure that facilitates testing and experimentation of interface agents is stressed. The article describes an existing open hypermedia architecture and introduces an extended architecture that includes provisions to support the development and operation of interface agents. A prototype instantiating this system architecture is presented, as well as an initial assessment of the potential and requirements of interface agents in a hypermedia environment.
6491207
Florida Wireless Implantable Recording Electrodes (FWIRE) for Brain Machine Interfaces
This paper reviews on-going efforts towards the development of the Florida wireless implantable recording electrodes (FWIRE). The FWIRE microsystem platform is a fully implantable flexible substrate microelectrode array that employs state-of-the-art integrate-and-fire (IF) signal representation and wireless interface circuitry for recording neural activity from behaving rodents. The modular nature of the implantable neural recording electrode allows future enhancements to be seamlessly added to improve functionality including but not limited to rechargeability through inductive coupling, custom microelectrode arrays, higher capacity batteries, and more advanced integrated circuit technologies. This paper concentrates on custom integrated circuits such as neural interfacing amplifiers, baseband signal processing, wireless data and power interfaces, and battery management system.
7156344
A New Architecture for Deriving Dynamic Brain-Machine Interfaces
Great potential exists for future Brain Machine Interfaces (BMIs) to help paralyzed patients, and others with motor disabilities, regain (artificial) motor control and autonomy. This paper describes a novel approach towards the development of new design architectures and research test-beds for advanced BMIs. It addresses a critical design challenge in deriving the functional mapping between the subject’s movement intent and actuated behavior. Currently, adaptive signal processing techniques are used to correlate neuronal modulation with known movements generated by the subject. However, with patients who are paralyzed, access to the individual’s movement is unavailable. Inspired by motor control research, this paper considers a predictive framework for BMI using multiple adaptive models trained with supervised or reinforcement learning in a closed-loop architecture that requires real-time feedback. Here, movement trajectories can be inferred and incrementally updated using instantaneous knowledge of the movement target and the individual’s current neuronal activation. In this framework, BMIs require a computing infrastructure capable of selectively executing multiple models on the basis of signals received by and/or provided to the brain in real time. Middleware currently under investigation to provide this data-driven dynamic capability is discussed.