Yoshifumi Masunaga

A Wiki-based collective intelligence approach to formulate a body of knowledge (BOK) for a new discipline

This paper describes a wiki-based collective intelligence approach to provide a system environment that enables users to formulate a body of knowledge (BOK) for a new discipline, such as social informatics. When the targeted discipline is mature, for example, computer science, its BOK can be straightforwardly formulated by a task force using a top-down approach. However, in the case of a new discipline, it is presumed that nobody has a comprehensive understanding of it; therefore, the formulation of BOK in such a field can be carried out using a bottom-up approach. In other words, a collective intelligence approach supporting such work seems promising. This paper proposes the BOK+ which is a novel BOK formulation principle for new disciplines. To realize this principle, the BOK Constructor is designed and prototyped where Semantic MediaWiki (SMW) is used to provide its basic functions. The BOK Constructor consists of a BOK Editor, SMW, Uploader, and BOK Miner. Most of the fundamental functions of the BOK Constructor, with the exception of the BOK Miner, were implemented. We validated that the BOK Constructor serves its intended purpose.

A diachronic analysis of gender-related web communities using a HITS-Based mining tool

Web mining is one of the most important research issues in modern information technology. Among Web mining techniques, the Web structure mining is essential to find Web communities. A variety of mining algorithms and tools have been developed for finding Web communities. In this research, we pay attention to the HITS-based Web structure mining tool “Companion-”, which is able to provide diachronic as well as synchronic analysis of Web communities. The capability of diachronic analysis is essential, particularly when a mining tool is applied to investigate a Web community—like the gender-related community—that changes shape dramatically over time according to socio-cultural and political changes. In this paper we first observe how changes in the real world communities, i.e. organizations their members, can be reflected on the Web as changes in Web communities. Second, we analyze gender-related Web communities to discover new trends or movements that are hard to identify without a mining tool capable of diachronic analysis. Last, we investigate a case that calls for the deciphering capability of miners.

Toward a 3D moving object data model-a preliminary consideration

This paper investigates a new data model for the realization of a three-dimensional (3D) moving object database system. In contrast to the traditional approach, it can deal with spatio-temporal characteristics of moving objects in 3D space. A spatio-temporal sampling theory is introduced that enables a database system to store and manipulate all of the necessary spatio-temporal information about moving objects. The 3D moving object database consists of three kinds of relations: a set of primary relations, such as POSI, ORI, GRAD, and SHAPE, store all the essential spatio-temporal features of a single moving object; a set of built-in derived relations, such as DIR, SPEED, TRACK, DIST, MDIR, and TOPOL, store, for example, the motion direction of a single object (DIR) and the topological relation between two objects (TOPOL); and a set of user-defined relations such as BACK and FRONT with which one can issue a variety of spatio-temporal queries on moving objects. A domain relational calculus-based moving object query language named MOQL is shown.

The Block-World Data Model for a Collaborative Virtual Environment

This paper reports preliminary results for a block-world data model for the realization of three-dimensional virtual work space. In the block-world data model, every real-world object is represented by a “block” which is a three-dimensional interval defined on three orthogonal spatial axes X, Y, and Z. Database users can enter the block-world database space and can see, touch, and move blocks. However, block representation error may occur. In order to minimize the error, a strict interference checking algorithm is developed by introducing null blocks. The block-world database can be realized by integrating a virtual reality system and an object-oriented database system. The virtual reality system is necessary to provide a three-dimensional virtual work space which users can enter to work, while the object-oriented database system is used to provide database function such as query and update processing. A prototype system is developed to evaluate the block-world data model.

An intention-based approach to the updatability of views in relational databases

Views are essential for relational databases in that they could provide a high degree of logical data independence. However, although views are a useful tool for queries, they present significant problems if insertions, deletions, or rewrites are expressed using views. This is due to the fact that views are not base relations stored in a relational database but virtual in the sense of being merely definitions of queries issued to a relational database. While the view update problem has attracted the attention of many scientists and business people, a complete resolution to this problem is still an open issue unfortunately. In this paper, in contrast to the traditional approaches such as the syntax-based approach and the semantics-based approach, an intention-based approach is presented to resolve this problem. By introducing the pro forma guessing of update intention approach, Cartesian product views and join views become updatable while they are not updatable in the traditional sense. This is due to the fact that in certain cases the users view update intention can be guessed uniquely by checking the extension of each view update transformation candidate, which is calculated using temporarily materialized views. In addition to the above results, the updatability of other basic views such as union views, difference set views, intersection views, projection views, and selection views is re-examined under the intention-based approach. Based on the result, an algorithm is presented to determine whether a given view, defined arbitrarily by using relational algebra operations recursively, is updatable or not. Compared to the traditional approach, it is shown that the intention-based approach realizes richer solution to view updatability problem.

Collective intelligence approach for formulating a BOK of social informatics, an interdisciplinary field of study

This presentation shows a collective intelligence approach for formulating a body of knowledge (BOK) of social informatics (SI), a relatively new interdisciplinary field of study, by implementing a BOK constructor based on Semantic MediaWiki.

A novel indexing method for digital video contents using a 3-dimensional city map

This paper presents a novel indexing method for digital video contents. The method automatically identifies city buildings captured by digital video camera. This is done by extracting the objects from candidate objects using GPS location-and-time data of the video shooter, video camera posture data taken by a Gyro attached to the camera, and a 3-dimensional city map stored in a database. The automatic calculation identifies the start and end video frames for each building object captured in a video unit. An index is created to refer to the set of all video units in which a specified building is really captured. A concrete experiment implementing the proposed algorithm in Ginza Area, Tokyo demonstrated that the algorithm works as designed.

Design and implementation of a multi-modal user interface of the Virtual World Database system (VWDB)

Reports on the design and implementation of a multi-modal user interface of the Virtual World Database (VWDB) system. VWDB is currently under development at Ochanomizu University with the aim of realizing a new-generation database system for cyberspace applications. The system is being constructed by integrating a virtual reality system and an object-oriented database system. Since VWDB provides a virtual world as the users database interface, the system must support a multi-modal database language with which users can interact with VWDB by means of gestures and voice. We introduce an automata-based approach to designing the multi-modal language. This idea is in response to the observation that an object in the virtual world changes its state according to a users query or an update request issued in a multi-modal manner. We identify a set of automata to characterize the multi-modal interaction and describe a semantic network approach for translating a multi-modal user input to an equivalent message to access and manipulate database objects.

Edit Conflict Resolution in WikiBOK: A Wiki-Based BOK Formulation-Aid System for New Disciplines

A body of knowledge (BOK) of an academic field is an indispensable aid not only to peoples understanding of the entirety of a targeted academic field, but also to designing a perfect curriculum of that field for educational purposes. However, in contrast to a BOK for a mature discipline such as computer science, the formulation of a BOK for a new discipline, such as social informatics, life science, and sustainability science, is difficult because academics in such a new discipline cannot present it in its entirety par advance. Therefore, a bottom-up and open collaborative approach based on collective intelligence seems promising, and contrasts strongly with the traditional style in which a BOK is formulated: by the authorities in the field in a top-down manner. WikiBOK is a wiki-based body of knowledge (BOK) formulation-aid system for new disciplines. It is developed based on BOK+, which is a novel BOK formulation principle for new disciplines that enables us to construct a BOK in a bottom-up manner. As its name indicates, WikiBOK uses Semantic Media Wiki (SMW) to facilitate its fundamental functions. A rich graphical user interface is provided using open source graph visualization software. The main objective of this paper is to illustrate how edit conflicts are resolved in WikiBOK. Needless to say, edit conflicts are unavoidable when WikiBOKers collaborate to formulate a BOK-tree. A WikiBOK edit conflict resolution principle is shown, and the WikiBOK Edit Conflict Resolver is implemented based on this principle. Social Informatics BOK (SIBOK) is under construction using WikiBOK.

Application of Information Technologies on Astronomy: Japanese Virtual Observatory (JVO) Portal

The Japanese Virtual Observatory (JVO) is a web portal to various kinds of astronomical resources distributed all over the world. We have started its official operation of the JVO portal since March 2008. The JVO provides seamless access to the Virtual Observatory (VO) compliant data services, and also access to the reduced data observed with Subaru telescope and on-line data reduction system for Suprime-Cam instrument of the Subaru telescope. The system implements standards of the International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA) to communicate with the VO components in the world.