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Key research themes
1. How can OWL development platforms and reasoning frameworks be enhanced to better support semantic web applications under uncertainty?
This research area investigates methods to improve ontology editing tools and reasoning frameworks for OWL to cope with complexity, uncertainty, and heterogeneous reasoning requirements in Semantic Web applications. It matters because real-world semantic applications require robust support for probabilistic reasoning, modular OWL editing, and brokerage among reasoners to optimize performance and adoption.
Key finding: The Protégé-OWL platform has evolved as a leading ontology development tool that integrates a comprehensive Java API for OWL and RDF, enabling seamless plug-in of reasoning engines like Jena and WonderWeb OWL API. Protégé’s... Read more
Key finding: The proposed reasoning broker framework enhances OWL reasoning by intelligently delegating reasoning tasks to multiple specialized reasoners and utilizing parallelization, centralized caching, and anytime algorithms.... Read more
Key finding: PR-OWL 2 advances semantic web probabilistic ontology modeling by formalizing the mapping between Multi-Entity Bayesian Network (MEBN) random variables and OWL concepts, enabling consistent probabilistic reasoning within OWL... Read more
Key finding: This study demonstrates construction of a PR-OWL 2 probabilistic ontology for maritime domain awareness by extending existing OWL ontologies with MEBN fragments. The case study exemplifies how PR-OWL 2 can model uncertainty... Read more
Key finding: This paper presents the first implementation of MEBN learning from relational databases, bridging MEBN and relational models to enable automatic structure and parameter learning of probabilistic ontologies. The developed... Read more
2. What are the challenges and methodologies for transforming traditional domain models and business processes into OWL ontologies to facilitate semantic integration?
This research theme covers methods to translate legacy models such as Entity-Relationship Diagrams (ERDs) and Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) diagrams into OWL ontologies. It is critical for enabling semantic interoperability and reuse in web ontologies by upgrading existing knowledge representations into standardized OWL frameworks that reasoners and semantic applications can exploit.
Key finding: Provides a tested set of concrete transformation rules to convert Extended Entity Relationship Diagrams into OWL-DL ontologies. The framework facilitates intuitive mappings between entities and OWL classes, attributes and OWL... Read more
Key finding: Develops seven transformation rules to convert annotated BPMN business process models into OWL2 graphical representations that preserve semantic relationships. The approach accounts for semantically rich business contexts... Read more
3. How can ecological and biological data on owls be integrated or modeled with OWL and probabilistic ontologies to support conservation and biodiversity research?
This theme explores how OWL ontologies and probabilistic reasoning frameworks support ecological modeling, species distribution estimation, and conservation status assessment, particularly focused on owl species. Accurate modeling of environmental, behavioral, and detection probability data matters for biodiversity management, endangered species monitoring, and ecological decision-making.
Key finding: Using two-species multi-season occupancy models, this study quantitatively estimates detection probabilities of northern spotted owl pairs across study areas and survey periods, demonstrating the impact of invasive barred... Read more
Key finding: Through analysis of wildfire and logging impact on northern spotted owl sites and barred owl presence, the study reveals compounded stressors adversely affecting owl territories. The findings emphasize the rarity of unlogged... Read more
Key finding: Provides a comprehensive ecological assessment using field surveys and modeling to map restricted distribution and habitat preferences of Principe Scops-owl. The study estimates population size and identifies the species as... Read more
Key finding: Through extensive interviews across 20 African countries, the study documents the uses of owls as food, in traditional medicine, and witchcraft, linking these practices to species exploitation and conservation concerns. It... Read more
Key finding: Reports detailed observational data on the temporal vocal behavior of African owl species, identifying environmental factors influencing vocalizations and implications for population monitoring. This research underlines the... Read more