Integrated graphical approach to knowledge representation and acquisition

An approach toward improving the accessbility of the knowledge and information structures of expert systems is described; it is based upon a foundation development environment called the Rule-Based Frame System (RBFS), which forms the kernel of a larger system, IDEAS. RBFS is a knowledge representation language, within which a distinction is drawn between information which represents the world or domain, and knowledge which states how to make conclusions based upon the domain. Information takes the form of frames, for system processing, but is presented to the user/developer as an associative network via a Visual Editor for the Generation of Associative Networks (VEGAN). Knowledge takes the form of production rules, which are connected at suitable points in the domain model, but again it is presented to the user via a graphical interface known as the Knowledge Encoding Tool (KET). KET is designed to assist in knowledge acquisition in expert systems. It uses a combination of decision support trees and associative networks as its representation. A combined use of VEGAN and KET will enable domain experts to interactively create and test their knowledge base with minimum involvement on behalf of a knowledge engineer. An inclusion of learning features in VEGAN/KET is desirable for this purpose. The main objective of these tools, therefore, is to encourage rapid prototyping by the domain expert. VEGAN and KET are implemented in the Poplog environment on SUN 3/50 workstations.     

GDKAT: A goal-driven knowledge acquisition tool for knowledge base development

While knowledge-based systems are being used extensively to assist in making decisions, a critical factor that affects their performance and reliability is the quantity and quality of the knowledge bases. Knowledge acquisition requires the design and development of an in-depth comprehension of knowledge modeling and of applicable domain. Many knowledge acquisition tools have been developed to support knowledge base development. However, a weakness that is revealed in these tools is the domain-dependent and complex acquisition process. Domain dependence limits the applicable areas and the complex acquisition process makes the tool difficult to use. In this paper, we present a goal-driven knowledge acquisition tool (GDKAT) that helps elicit and store experts' declarative and procedural knowledge in knowledge bases for a user-defined domain. The designed tool is implemented using the object-oriented design methodology under C++ Windows environment. An example that is used to demonstrate the GDKAT is also delineated. While the application domain for the example presented is reflow soldering in surface mount printed circuit board assembly, the GDKAT can be used to develop knowledge bases for other domains also.     

融合知识表示学习的双向注意力问答模型

知识图谱问答是自然语言处理领域的研究热点之一,近年来受到广泛的关注。知识图谱问答面临需要结合多条三元组进行推理的多跳问题以及知识图谱不完整等挑战,为解决这些问题,提出了一种融合知识表示学习的双向注意力模型（Bidirectional Attention model combining Knowledge Representation,KR-BAT）。引入知识表示学习以提高模型全局建模能力,应对知识图谱不完整的情况;使用双向注意力模型捕捉候选答案和问题间丰富的交互信息,经过分析推理给出答案。在MetaQA数据集上进行了实验,对比VRN、KV-MemNN、GraftNet等基准模型,在完整知识图谱上达到了非常有竞争力的性能,在不完整知识图谱上大幅度优于基准模型。     

知识赋能的新一代信息系统研究现状、发展与挑战

信息系统的发展目前正处于感知智能迈向认知智能的关键阶段,传统信息系统难以满足发展要求,数字化转型势在必行.数字线索(digitalthread)是面向全生命周期的数据处理框架,通过连接生命周期的各阶段数据,实现物理世界与数字空间的映射与分析.知识图谱(knowledgegraph)是结构化的语义知识库,以符号形式描述物理世界中的概念及其相互关系,通过知识驱动形成体系化的构建与推理流程.两者对知识赋能的信息系统研究具有重要意义.综述了知识赋能的新一代信息系统的研究现状、发展与挑战.首先,从数字线索系统出发,介绍数字线索的概念和发展,分析数字线索的六维数据构成和6个数据处理阶段;然后介绍知识图谱系统,给出普遍认同的知识图谱的定义和发展,概括知识图谱的架构与方法;最后,分析和探索数字线索与知识图谱结合的方向,列举KG4DT (knowledge graph for digital thread)和DT4KG (digital thread for knowledge graph)的受益方向,对未来知识赋能的新一代信息系统提出开放问题.     

Selection of knowledge acquisition techniques based upon the problem domain characteristics of production and operations management expert systems

The application of expert systems to various problem domains in business has grown steadily since their introduction. Regardless of the chosen method of development, the most commonly cited problems in developing these systems are the unavailability of both the experts and knowledge engineers and difficulties with the process of acquiring knowledge from domain experts. Within the field of artificial intelligence, this has been called the 'knowledge acquisition' problem and has been identified as the greatest bottleneck in the expert system development process. Simply stated, the problem is how to acquire the specific knowledge for a well-defined problem domain efficiently from one or more experts and represent it in the appropriate computer format. Given the 'paradox of expertise', the experts have often proceduralized their knowledge to the point that they have difficulty in explaining exactly what they know and how they know it. However, empirical research in the field of expert systems reveals that certain knowledge acquisition techniques are significantly more efficient than others in helping to extract certain types of knowledge within specific problem domains. In this paper we present a mapping between these empirical studies and a generic taxonomy of expert system problem domains. In so doing, certain knowledge acquisition techniques can be prescribed based on the problem domain characteristics. With the production and operations management (P/OM) field as the pilot area for the current study, we first examine the range of problem domains and suggest a mapping of P/OM tasks to a generic taxonomy of problem domains. We then describe the most prominent knowledge acquisition techniques. Based on the examination of the existing empirical knowledge acquisition research, we present how the empirical work can be used to provide guidance to developers of expert systems in the field of P/OM.     

融合领域特征知识图谱的电网客服问答系统

知识图谱（KG）是实现领域问答系统的关键技术之一,能够降低客服成本,推进客户自助服务的智能化,具有较大的商用价值和研究意义。针对基于KG问答系统中存在的中文问题表达模糊、线上服务运维成本高的问题,融合领域特征知识图谱的电网客服问答系统（HDKG-QA）,其能基于LSTM模型识别实体/断言,基于主题比较的语义增强方法准确寻找外部知识,使用启发式规则优化答案候选集,并定期根据ILP求解器设置全局KG的更新策略。HDKG-QA能够达到较高的实体/断言识别准确率,自动将领域知识映射为本地KG,快速实现服务知识库的在线更新,达到以较低的响应延迟实现高准确率的回答。根据国网重庆市电力公司信息通信分公司的实际客服问答数据集对本系统进行验证,实验结果表明通过引入LSTM和语义增强方法,问答系统的准确率提高了17%;基于启发式规则的优化答案排序策略将准确率提高了8%;通过引入ILP求解器,在保障同样准确率的情况下,问答响应延迟降低了9%。     

Knowledge acquisition and knowledge representation with class: the object-oriented paradigm

Knowledge acquisition and knowledge representation are the fundamental building blocks of knowledge-based systems (KBSs). How to efficiently elicit knowledge from experts and transform this elicited knowledge into a machine usable format is a significant and time consuming problem for KBS developers. Object-orientation provides several solutions to persistent knowledge acquisition and knowledge representation problems including transportability, knowledge reuse, and knowledge growth. An automated graphical knowledge acquisition tool is presented, based upon object-oriented principles. The object-oriented graphical interface provides a modeling platform that is easily understood by experts and knowledge engineers. The object-oriented base for the automated KA tool provides a representation independent methodology that can easily be mapped into any other object-oriented expert system or other object-oriented intelligent tools.     

Kave: a tool for knowledge acquisition to support artificial ventilation

A decision support system for artificial ventilation is being developed. One of the fundamental goals for this system is the application of the system when a domain expert is not present. Such a system requires a rich knowledge base. The knowledge acquisition process is often considered to be the bottleneck in acquiring such a complete knowledge base. Since no single available method, for example interviewing domain experts, is sufficient for removing this bottleneck, we have chosen a combination of different methods. The different backgrounds of knowledge engineers and domain experts could cause communication restrictions and difficulties between them, e.g. they might not understand each others knowledge domain and this will affect formulation of the knowledge. To solve this problem we needed a tool which supports both the knowledge engineer and the domain expert already from the initial phase of developing the knowledge base. We have developed a knowledge acquisition system called KAVE to elicit knowledge from domain experts and storing it in the knowledge base. KAVE is based on a domain specific conceptual model which is a result of cooperation between knowledge engineers and domain experts during identification, design and structuring of knowledge for this domain. KAVE includes a patient simulator to help validate knowledge in the knowledge base and a knowledge editor to facilitate refinement and maintenance of the knowledge base.     

Knowledge conceptualization tool

Knowledge acquisition is one of the most important and problematic aspects of developing knowledge-based systems. Many automated tools have been introduced in the past, however, manual techniques are still heavily used. Interviewing is one of the most commonly used manual techniques for a knowledge acquisition process, and few automated support tools exist to help knowledge engineers enhance their performance. The paper presents a knowledge conceptualization tool (KCT) in which the knowledge engineer can effectively retrieve, structure, and formalize knowledge components, so that the resulting knowledge base is accurate and complete. The KCT uses information retrieval technique to facilitate conceptualization, which is one of the human intensive activities of knowledge acquisition. Two information retrieval techniques employing best-match strategies are used: vector space model and probabilistic ranking principle model. A prototype of the KCT was implemented to demonstrate the concept. The results from KCT are compared with the outputs from a manual knowledge acquisition process in terms of amount of information retrieved and the process time spent. An analysis of the results shows that the process time to retrieve knowledge components (e.g., facts, rules, protocols, and uncertainty) of KCT is about half that of the manual process, and the number of knowledge components retrieved from knowledge acquisition activities is four times more than that retrieved through a manual process     

A crowdsourcing method to develop virtual human conversational agents

Educators in medicine, psychology, and the military want to provide their students with interpersonal skills practice. Virtual humans offer structured learning of interview skills, can facilitate learning about unusual conditions, and are always available. However, the creation of virtual humans with the ability to understand and respond to natural language requires costly engineering by conversation knowledge engineers (generally computer scientists), and incurs logistical cost for acquiring domain knowledge from domain experts (educators). We address these problems using a novel crowdsourcing method entitled Human-centered Distributed Conversational Modeling. This method facilitates collaborative development of virtual humans by two groups of end-users: domain experts (educators) and domain novices (students). We implemented this method in a web-based authoring tool called Virtual People Factory. Using Virtual People Factory, medical and pharmacy educators are now creating natural language virtual patient interactions on their own. This article presents the theoretical background for Human-centered Distributed Conversational Modeling, the implementation of the Virtual People Factory authoring tool, and five case studies showing that Human-centered Distributed Conversational Modeling has addressed the logistical cost for acquiring knowledge.     

基于Graph Transformer的知识库问题生成

知识库问答依靠知识库推断答案,需要大量带标注信息的问答对,但构建大规模且精准的数据集不仅代价昂贵,还受领域等因素限制.为缓解数据标注问题,面向知识库的问题生成任务引起了研究者关注,该任务的特点是利用知识库三元组自动生成问题,但现有方法仅由一个三元组生成的问题过于简短,且缺乏多样性.为生成信息量丰富且多样化的问题,该文采...     

Information Filtering: Selection Mechanisms in Learning Systems

Knowledge has traditionally been considered to have a beneficial effect on the performance of problem solvers but recent studies indicate that knowledge acquisition is not necessarily a monotonically beneficial process, because additional knowledge sometimes leads to a deterioration in system performance. This paper is concerned with the problem of harmful knowledge: that is, knowledge whose removal would improve a system's performance. In the first part of the paper a unifying framework, called theinformation filtering model, is developed to define the various alternative methods for eliminating such knowledge from a learning system where selection processes, called filters, may be inserted to remove potentially harmful knowledge. These filters are termed selective experience, selective attention, selective acquisition, selective retention, and selective utilization. The framework can be used by developers of learning systems as a guide for selecting an appropriate filter to reduce or eliminate harmful knowledge.In the second part of the paper, the framework is used to identify a suitable filter for solving a problem caused by the acquisition of harmful knowledge in a learning system calledLassy.Lassy is a system that improves the performance of a PROLOG interpreter by utilizing acquired domain specific knowledge in the form of lemmas stating previously proved results. It is shown that the particular kind of problems that arise with this system are best solved using a novel utilization filter that blocks the use of lemmas in attempts to prove subgoals that have a high probability of failing.     

Beyond Knowledge Engineering

Knowledge engineering stems from E. A. Figenbaum＇s proposal in 1977, but it will enter a new decade with the new challenges. This paper first summarizes three knowledge engineering experiments we have undertaken to show possibility of separating knowledge development from intelligent software development. We call it the ICAX mode of intelligent application software generation. The key of this mode is to generate knowledge base, which is the source of intelligence of ICAX software, independently and parallel to intelligent software development. That gives birth to a new and more general concept ＂knowware＂. Knowware is a commercialized knowledge module with documentation and intellectual property, which is computer operable, but free of any built-in control mechanism, meeting some industrial standards and embeddable in software/hardware. The process of development, application and management of knowware is called knowware engineering. Two different knowware life cycle models are discussed： the furnace model and the crystallization model. Knowledge middleware is a class of software functioning in all aspects of knowware life cycle models. Finally, this paper also presents some examples of building knowware in the domain of information system engineering.     

教育测评知识图谱的构建及其表示学习

知识图谱旨在描述现实世界中存在的实体以及实体之间的关系.自2012年谷歌提出“Google Knowledge Graph”以来，知识图谱在学术界和工业界受到广泛关注.针对教育领域中信息缺乏系统性组织的不足，本文构建了面向高中的教育测评知识图谱（Educational Assessment Knowledge Graph，EAKG），其中EAKG的构建包括基于本体技术的知识图谱模式层构建和依托于模式层结构的知识图谱数据层构建.与传统通过网页爬虫等技术手段构建的知识图谱相比，本文构建的知识图谱优点在于逻辑结构清晰，实体间关系的刻画遵循知识图谱模式层的定义.EAKG为领域内知识共享，知识推理，知识表示学习等任务提供了良好的支撑.在真实模考数据上的实验结果表明：在试卷得分预测，知识点得分预测的实体链接预测和三元组分类嵌入式表示学习任务上，引入领域本体作为模式层构建的EAKG的性能优于没有领域本体模式层单纯由数据事实构成的EAKG，实验表明，领域本体的引入对知识图谱的表示学习具有一定的指导意义.     

An Experimental Evaluation of Integrating Machine Learning with Knowledge Acquisition

Machine learning and knowledge acquisition from experts have distinct capabilities that appear to complement one another. We report a study that demonstrates the integration of these approaches can both improve the accuracy of the developed knowledge base and reduce development time. In addition, we found that users expected the expert systems created through the integrated approach to have higher accuracy than those created without machine learning and rated the integrated approach less difficult to use. They also provided favorable evaluations of both the specific integrated software, a system called The Knowledge Factory, and of the general value of machine learning for knowledge acquisition.     

High Performance Knowledge Bases: four approaches to knowledge acquisition, representation and reasoning for workaround planning

As part of the DARPA-sponsored High Performance Knowledge Bases program, four organisations were set the challenge of solving a selection of knowledge-based planning problems in a particular domain, and then modifying their systems quickly to solve further problems in the same domain. The aim of the exercise was to test the claim that, with the latest AI technology, large knowledge bases can be built quickly and efficiently. The domain chosen was ‘workarounds’; that is, planning how a convoy of military vehicles can ‘work around’ (i.e. circumvent or overcome) obstacles in their path, such as blown bridges or minefields.

This paper describes the four approaches that were applied to solve this problem. These approaches differed in their approach to knowledge acquisition, in their ontology, and in their reasoning. All four approaches are described and compared against each other. The paper concludes by reporting the results of an evaluation that was carried out by the HPKB program to determine the capability of each of these approaches.     

A tool for task-based knowledge and specification acquisition

Knowledge acquisition has been identified as the bottleneck for knowledge engineering. One of the reasons is the lack of an integrated methodology that is able to provide tools and guidelines for the elicitation of knowledge as well as the verification and validation of the system developed. Even though methods that address this issue have been proposed, they only loosely relate knowledge acquisition to the remaining part of the software development life cycle. to alleviate this problem, we have developed a framework in which knowledge acquisition is integrated with system specifications to facilitate the verification, validation, and testing of the prototypes as well as the final implementation. to support the framework, we have developed a knowledge acquisition tool, TAME. It provides an integrated environment to acquire and generate specifications about the functionality and behavior of the target system, and the representation of the domain knowledge and domain heuristics. the tool and the framework, together, can thus enhance the verification, validation, and the maintenance of expert systems through their life cycles. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

An integrated system for knowledge sharing among heterogeneous knowledge derivation systems

Solving problems in a complex application domain often requires a seamles integration of some existing knowledge derivation systems which have been independently developed for solving subproblems using different inferencing schemes. This paper presents the design and implementation of an Integrated Knowledge Derivation System (IKDS) which allows the user to query against a global database containing data derivable by the rules and constraints of a number of cooperative heterogeneous systems. The global knowledge representation scheme, the global knowledge manipulation language and the global knowledge processing mechanism of IKDS are described in detail. For global knowledge representation, the dynamic aspects of knowledge such as derivational relationships and restrictive dependencies among data items are modeled by a Function Graph to uniformly represent the capabilities (or knowledge) of the rule-based systems, while the usual static aspects such as data items and their structural interrelationships are modeled by an object-oriented model. For knowledge manipulation, three types of high-level, exploratory queries are introduced to allow the user to query the global knowledge base. For deriving the best global answers for queries, the global knowledge processing mechanism allows the rules and constraints in different component systems to be indiscriminately exploited despite the incompatibilities in their inferencing mechanisms and interpretation schemes. Several key algorithms required for the knowledge processing mechanism are described in this paper. The main advantage of this integration approach is that rules and constraints can in effect be shared among heterogeneous rule-based systems so that they can freely exchange their data and operate as parts of a single system. IKDS achieves the integration at the rule level instead of at the system level. It has been implemented in C running in a network of heterogenous component systems which contain three independently developed expert systems with different rule formats and inferencing mechanisms.Database Systems Research and Development Center, Department of Computer Information Sciences, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Florida     

Information Extraction and Knowledge Acquisition from Texts Using Bilingual Question–Answering

A novel approach is introduced in this paper for the implementation of a question–answering based tool for the extraction of information and knowledge from texts. This effort resulted in the computer implementation of a system answering bilingual questions directly from a text using Natural Language Processing. The system uses domain knowledge concerning categories of actions and implicit semantic relations. The present state of the art in information extraction is based on the template approach which relies on a predefined user model. The model guides the extraction of information and the instantiation of a template that is similar to a frame or set of attribute value pairs as the result of the extraction process. Our question–answering based approach aims to create flexible information extraction tools accepting natural language questions and generating answers that contain information extracted from text either directly or after applying deductive inference. Our approach also addresses the problem of implicit semantic relations occurring either in the questions or in the texts from which information is extracted. These relations are made explicit with the use of domain knowledge. Examples of application of our methods are presented in this paper concerning four domains of quite different nature. These domains are: oceanography, medical physiology, aspirin pharmacology and ancient Greek law. Questions are expressed both in Greek and English. Another important point of our method is to process text directly avoiding any kind of formal representation when inference is required for the extraction of facts not mentioned explicitly in the text. This idea of using text as knowledge base was first presented in Kontos [7] and further elaborated in [9,11,12] as the ARISTA method. This is a new method for knowledge acquisition from texts that is based on using natural language itself for knowledge representation.