---------- Forwarded Message ---------- Subject: Journal of Database Management -- Content of Vol. 12, No. 2 Date: Sun, 4 Mar 2001 19:54:35 -0600 From: Keng Siau ksiau@UNLNOTES.UNL.EDU To: ISWORLD@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE

The contents of the latest issue of:

Journal of Database Management (JDM) URL: http://www.idea-group.com/jdm.htm Official publication of the Information Resources Management Association Vol 12 #2, April - June 2001 Editor-in-Chief: Keng Siau, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

RESEARCH PAPERS

Article One

Using Weakly Structured Documents to Fill in a Classical Database

F. LAFOREST, Information Systems Laboratory, France A. FLORY, Information Systems Laboratory, France

Electronic documents have become a universal way of communication due to Web expansion. But using structured information stored in databases is still essential for data coherence management and querying facilities. We thus face a classical problem known as "impedance mismatch" in the database world: two antagonist approaches have to collaborate. Using documents at the end-user interface level provides simplicity and flexibility. But it is possible to take documents as data sources only if helped by a human being: automatic documents analysis systems have a significant error rate. Databases are an alternative as semantics and format of information are strict: queries via SQL provide 100% correct responses. The aim of this work is to provide a system that associates document capture freedom with database storage structure. The system we propose does not intend to be universal. It can be used in specific cases where people usually work with technical documents dedicated to a particular domain. Our examples concern medicine and more explicitly medical records. Computerization has very often been rejected by physicians because it necessitates too much standardization, and form-based user interfaces are not adapted to their daily practice. In this domain, we think that this study provides a viable alternative approach. This system offers freedom to doctors: they would fill in documents with the information they want to store, in a convenient order and in a more free way. We have developed a system that allows users to fill in a database quasi automatically from document paragraphs.

Article Two

Providing Approximate Answers Using a Knowledge Abstraction Database

SOON-YOUNG HUH, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology JUNG-WHAN LEE, SK Telecom, Korea

As database users adopt a query language to obtain information from a database, a more intelligent query answering system is increasingly needed. Relational databases are exact in nature, but effectiveness of decision support would improve significantly if the query answering system returns approximate answers rather than a null information response when there is no matching data available. This paper proposes an abstraction hierarchy as a framework to practically derive such approximate answers from ordinary everyday databases. It provides a knowledge abstraction database to facilitate the approximate query answering. The knowledge abstraction database specifically adopts an abstraction approach to extract semantic data relationships from the underlying database, and uses a multi-level hierarchy for coupling multiple levels of abstraction knowledge and data values. In cooperation with the underlying database, the knowledge abstraction database allows the relaxation of query conditions so that the original query scope can be broadened and thus information approximate to exact answers can be obtained. Conceptually abstract queries can also be posed to provide a less rigid query interface. A prototype system has been implemented at KAIST and is being tested with a personnel database system to demonstrate the usefulness and practicality of the knowledge abstraction database in ordinary database systems.

Article Three

Hypermedia Document Management: A Metadata and Meta-Information System

WOOJONG SUH, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology HEESEOK LEE, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

Recently, many organizations have attempted to build hypermedia systems to expand their working areas into Internet-based virtual workplaces. Thus, it is important to manage corporate hypermedia documents effectively. Metadata plays a critical role for managing these documents. This paper identifies metadata roles and components to build a metadata schema. Furthermore, a meta-information system, HyDoMiS (Hyperdocument Meta-information System) is proposed that makes use of this metadata schema. HyDoMiS performs three functions: metadata management, search, and reporting. The metadata management function is concerned with workflow, documents, and databases. The system helps implement and maintain hypermedia information systems effectively.

INDUSTRY & PRACTICE

Mobile Computing at the Department of Defense

James A. Rodger, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, USA Parag C. Pendharkar, Pennsylvania State University , USA Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, Pennsylvania State University , USA

This paper is designed to relate the rationale used by the Department of Defense, to utilize Telemedicine, to meet increasing global crises, and for the U.S. military to find ways to more effectively manage manpower and time. A mobile Telemedicine package has been developed by the Department of Defense (DOD) to collect and transmit near-real-time, far-forward medical data and to assess how this improved capability enhances medical management of the battlespace. Telemedicine has been successful in resolving uncertain organizational and technological military deficiencies and in improving medical communications and information management. The deployable, mobile Teams are the centerpieces of this Telemedicine package. These teams have the capability of inserting essential networking and communications capabilities into austere theaters and establishing an immediate means for enhancing health protection, collaborative planning, situational awareness, and strategic decision-making.

BOOK REVIEW

Fundamentals of Database Systems. Elmasri, R and Navathe, S. B. (2000). , 3rd edition. Addison-Wesley Longman, Inc.

Review by Ric Jentzsch University of Canberra, Australia

***************************************************************************** ************************ For full copies of the above articles, check this issue of the Journal of Database Management in your institution's library. ***************************************************************************** ************************

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