Jugurta Lisboa Filho

Specifying analysis patterns for geographic databases on the basis of a conceptual framework

Frameworks and Patterns are important instruments that enable the reuse of successful software solutions in recurrent problems. Geographic information systems, on the other hand, are usually designed by people with only little knowledge of database modeling techniques. Therefore, we believe that analysis patterns and conceptual frameworks can both facilitate and improve geographic database design in many organizations. In order to be used by designers with such a wide variety of backgrounds (e.g., cartographers, biologists, and architects), analysis patterns and conceptual frameworks for geographic database design must rely upon an easy to learn and to use, semantically rich conceptual data model. This paper introduces the GeoFrame, a conceptual framework that serves as a starting point for the conceptual modeling of geographic databases. It relies on an extension of the Unified Modeling Language (UML) that can also be used to define new analysis patterns for geographic applications. In addition, we present an example of an analysis pattern that was extracted out of a database schema which was itself derived from GeoFrame. This pattern can be identified in various urban GIS applications.

A CASE Tool for Geographic Database Design Supporting Analysis Patterns

This paper describes the development of an open source CASE tool, the ArgoCASEGEO, and its modular architecture. The ArgoCASEGEO allows the geographic database modelling based on the UML-GeoFrame conceptual model that is specific for Geographic Information Systems applications. The data dictionary associated to the modelled schema is stored as a XML/XMI document, aiming its use by other software. The ArgoCASEGEO follows a design methodology based on a reusable collection of analysis patterns. The analysis patterns collection is stored in a data base composing a Catalog. The catalog is attached to the ArgoCASEGEO. Thus, searching for existing analysis patterns will be an easier and efficient task.

Analysis Patterns for GIS Data Schema Reuse on Urban Management Applications

An analysis pattern is any part of a requirement analysis specification that can be reused in the design of other information systems as well. Urban management systems (e.g.: Tax Control Systems, Urban Transportation System) are implemented in a similar way for many counties. This paper proposes three analysis patterns that make possible the reuse of geographic database design for urban area planning and management applications, developed in Geographic Information System (GIS).

EXTENDING THE UML-GEOFRAME DATA MODEL FOR CONCEPTUAL MODELING OF NETWORK APPLICATIONS

This paper presents an extension of the UML-GeoFrame data model that includes a set of new constructors to allow the definition of conceptual schemas for spatial database applications whose elements relationship forms a network.. Also, it is discussed how the GeoFrame conceptual framework is changed with the inclusion of new metaclasses and the corresponding stereotypes related to network elements. The extension proposed in this paper is evaluated using a class diagram for a water distribution company.

Semi-automatic Follow-Up of Graduates

Many institutions needs to gather and store information about people connected to their activities. An automated system to accomplish this task needs to overcome several challenges: collect information on textual and semi-structured textual databases, execute textual inferences, identify individuals, integrate distributed information, etc. Multiagent systems may help solve these problems gradually and scalably. This article describes the design and implementation of a Multiagent system that collects public information about graduates gathered from a mailing list.

Analysis Procedure for Validation of Domain Class Diagrams Based on Ontological Analysis

A well-conceived conceptual model is essential to obtain systems that are easier to maintain. The UML class diagram is a powerful tool that can be applied at this step, but the developer has to have a clear understanding of the domain concepts in order to yield a diagram that captures the concepts and the relations of the domain. In order to verify the adequacy of the class diagram, an analysis of the objects essence and its permitted relations can be accomplished. This analysis is called ontological analysis, but its execution can be quite difficult because it is necessary to master sophisticated philosophical concepts like identity and rigidity. This article presents a procedure that aims to accomplish the ontological analysis of the UML class diagram without exposing the complexity of the concepts that underlies the procedure.

Determining anthropometric variables as a tool in the preparation of furniture and designs of interior spaces: the case of children 6 to 11 years old of Vicosa, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

The adequacy of facilities and the individual securities in their different age groups is importance to ensure greater functionality to them, allowing full development of daily activities. For this to occur more efficiently it is necessary the use of ergonomics which can ensure more comfort and safety for end users of products and spaces. The present study aimed to measure body dimensions of a representative sample of children aged 6 to 11 years old, children of graduate and pos graduate students, faculty and staff of the Federal University of Vicosa and also residents of the city of Vicosa, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, coming from different municipalities of State of Minas Gerais, to organize a database that will provide the furniture industry, anthropometric variables more appropriate to design products for both the leisure activities, and for the school sector. To realize this research we used the methodology proposed by the authors Panero and Zelnik, based on samples distributed in six age groups, and providing a measurement of 10 variables. By applying the methodology to the field was possible to compare the observed data, with the tables of the aforementioned authors. The main results revealed a significant variation of the 10 variables analyzed, and it is believed that this variation could lead to possible flaws in the designs of products that use the data from these authors. The completion of the study provided data on Vicosa considered more appropriate for the design of products and environments for the population of the study, considering age and region, of Brazil (State of Minas Gerais) and it is believed that the future may expand to the Brazilian population, with the progress of study of this nature.

Automatic Creation of Ontology Using a Lexical Database: An Application for the Energy Sector

The development of ontologies is a task that demands understanding of a domain and use of computational tools to develop them. One of the main difficulties is to establish the appropriate meaning of each term. There are several lexical bases that can help in this task, but the problem is how doing this automatically. This paper presents a technique for the automatic ontology development based on lexical databases available on the Web. The intention is that the whole process is to take place with a minimum of human intervention. The technique was able to generate the correct hierarchy for 64 % of the terms in a case study for the electricity sector. The tool was applied in the electrical power domain, but the goal is that the tool can be used for any domain.

Monitoring the Professional Evolution of Graduates with Multiagent Systems

Several institutions need to collect and store information about people related to their activities. Among such institutions there are the educational institutions that need to monitor the professional development of its graduates. An automated system for performing this task must overcome several challenges: collect information in natural language databases, extract information through natural language processing techniques, identify the entities and the roles played by these entities in the situation described, integrate heterogeneous information and store this information on an easy handling database. Multiagent systems appear as a scalable and modular solution to accomplish this complex task that involves several steps. This paper describes a multiagent model to obtain professional information of graduates. The model was implemented and tested in a database of messages exchanged in a list of e-mails. The tests showed the feasibility of this approach in solving problems of information extraction in natural language.

REDUZINDO O ESFORÇO NA PREPARAÇÃO DE METADADOS: USO DE SOFTWARE LIVRE PARA DOCUMENTAR DADOS ESPACIAIS NO PERFIL MGB

The settlement of the National Infrastructure for Spatial Data (Infraestrutura Nacional de Dados Espaciais - INDE) is an initiative to help organizing the generation, storage, access, sharing, dissemination and use of geographic data about the Brazilian territory. Now-a-days, there are several initiatives of implementation and management of Spatial Data Infrastructures. However, only a few organizations are really documenting the metadata in their geospatial databases. This is mainly due to the fact that the process of documenting data is time consuming and complex, requiring training on the part of data producers. This paper discusses an alternative process for the extraction and documentation of metadata using free open software to increase efficiency and providing incentive to the generation of metadata for the data produced in Brazil. We performed the customization of the MGB profile using CatMDEdit software for viewing and editing the metadata in this profile. This tool was also used to extract and document metadata from files in shapefile format and to edit metadata fields after extraction. The file generated in XML was imported and converted to an MGB profile contained in the application Geonetwork. Results show that it is possible to extract information contained in the data and easily and quickly generate metadata in MGB profile, if the activity is well planned and supported by model files (templates).