A knowledge assimilation method for logic databases

In this paper we consider a deductive question-answering system for relational databases as a logic database system, and propose a knowledge assimilation method suitable for such a system. The concept of knowledge assimilation for deductive logic is constructed in an implementable form based on the notion of amalgamating object language and metalanguage. This concept calls for checks to be conducted on four subconcepts, provability, contradiction, redundancy, independency, and their corresponding internal database updates. We have implemented this logic database knowledge assimilation program in PROLOG, a logic programming language, and have found PROLOG suitable for knowledge assimilation implementation.     

Object oriented programming in Concurrent Prolog

It is shown that the basic operations of object-oriented programming languages — creating an, object, sending and receiving messages, modifying an object’s state, and forming class-superclass hierarchies — can be implemented naturally in Concurrent Prolog. In addition, a new object-oriented programming paradigm, called incomplete messages, is presented. This paradigm subsumes stream communication, and greatly simplifies the complexity of programs defining communication networks and protocols for managing shared resources. Several interesting programs are presented, including a multiple-window manager. All programs have been developed and tested using the Concurrent Prolog interpreter described in.¹⁾     

Flood Management in Japan—From Rivers to Basins

Abstract

The River Commission of the Ministry of Construction in Japan recommended a basin response to floods in its December 2000 Interim Report to Minister of Construction. This is practically an official declaration of the policy accepting inundation in habited areas. By this policy shift, it is anticipated that more basin response measures and non-structural measures against floods will be promoted to complement structural measures such as continuous levees and dams. Such a policy is not new in the world but is a significant governmental move in Japan, a densely populated, highly developed, and highly flood hazardous country. Although living with floods is a universal coping strategy, the implementation of measures should be different from region to region reflecting region's nature and socio-economic conditions. This paper reviews the flood fighting history of Japan and her statutory evolution against floods and shows the process by which the ever-increasing flood damage potential and the recent increase of flood damages necessitated the official move in flood control management from rivers to basins.     

First principles total energy studies of the adsorption of germane on Ge(001)-c(2 × 4)

We perform first principles total energy calculations to study the energetics, and the atomic structure of the adsorption of germane (GeH₄) molecules on the Ge(001)-c(2 × 4) surface. The adsorption of a GeH₄ unit occurs after its dissociation into a germanium trihydride (GeH₃) and a hydrogen atom and a subsequent decomposition into a germanium dihydride (GeH₂) subunit and H atoms. Consequently, we first consider the adsorption of GeH₂ in two different configurations; the on-dimer and the intra-row geometries. Similar to the adsorption of SiH₂ and GeH₂ on Si(001), it is found that the on-dimer site is more stable than the intra-row geometry by 0.13 eV. However, in the adsorption of a GeH₂ fragment together with two H atoms we find that the intra-row geometry is energetically more favorable, again, similar to the adsorption of SiH₂ and GeH₂ (plus two H atoms) on the Si(001) surface.     

Efficient distribution-free population learning of simple concepts

We consider a variant of the ‘population learning model’ proposed by Kearns and Seung [8], in which the learner is required to be ‘distribution-free’ as well as computationally efficient. A population learner receives as input hypotheses from a large population of agents and produces as output its final hypothesis. Each agent is assumed to independently obtain labeled sample for the target concept and output a hypothesis. A polynomial time population learner is said to PAC-learn a concept class, if its hypothesis is probably approximately correct whenever the population size exceeds a certain bound which is polynomial, even if the sample size for each agent is fixed at some constant. We exhibit some general population learning strategies, and some simple concept classes that can be learned by them. These strategies include the ‘supremum hypothesis finder’, the ‘minimum superset finder’ (a special case of the ‘supremum hypothesis finder’), and various voting schemes. When coupled with appropriate agent algorithms, these strategies can learn a variety of simple concept classes, such as the ‘high–low game’, conjunctions, axis-parallel rectangles and others. We give upper bounds on the required population size for each of these cases, and show that these systems can be used to obtain a speed up from the ordinary PAC-learning model [11], with appropriate choices of sample and population sizes. With the population learner restricted to be a voting scheme, what we have is effectively a model of ‘population prediction’, in which the learner is to predict the value of the target concept at an arbitrarily drawn point, as a threshold function of the predictions made by its agents on the same point. We show that the population learning model is strictly more powerful than the population prediction model. Finally, we consider a variant of this model with classification noise, and exhibit a population learner for the class of conjunctions in this model. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Polyphenols Extracted from Black Tea (Camellia sinensis) Residue by Hot‐Compressed Water and Their Inhibitory Effect on Pancreatic Lipase in vitro

Abstract: Polyphenols, retained in black tea wastes following the commercial production of tea beverages, represent an underutilized resource. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential use of hot‐compressed water (HCW) for the extraction of pancreatic lipase‐inhibiting polyphenols from black tea residues. Black tea residues were treated with HCW at 10 °C intervals, from 100 to 200 °C. The resulting extracts were analyzed using high‐performance liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry and assayed to determine their inhibitory effect on pancreatic lipase activity in vitro. Four theaflavins (TF), 5 catechins, 2 quercetin glycosides, quinic acid, gallic acid, and caffeine were identified. The total polyphenol content of extracts increased with increasing temperature but lipase inhibitors (TF, theaflavin 3‐O‐gallate, theaflavin 3′‐O‐gallate, theaflavin 3,3′‐O‐gallate, epigallocatechin gallate, and epicatechin gallate) decreased over 150 °C. All extracts inhibited pancreatic lipase but extracts obtained at 100 to 140 °C showed the greatest lipase inhibition (IC₅₀s of 0.9 to 1.3 μg/mL), consistent with the optimal extraction of TFs and catechins except catechin by HCW between 130 and 150 °C. HCW can be used to extract pancreatic lipase‐inhibiting polyphenols from black tea waste. These extracts have potential uses, as dietary supplements and medications, for the prevention and treatment of obesity. Practical Application: Active forms of lipase inhibitors can be recovered from black tea residues. They could be used as dietary supplements or medications.