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IRList Digest Volume 3 Number 35
IRList Digest Wednesday, 23 August 1987 Volume 3 : Issue 35
Today's Topics:
Email - Listserv and changes to IRList this month
Query - Connectionism
- Flows between and in cities
Discussion - Public access to city records in a library
Announcement - IR special interest group formation in Boston
- CD ROM that may aid IR researchers
- IJCAI-91 site and officers
COGSCI - The matrix of biological knowledge
News addresses are
Internet or CSNET: fox@vtcs1.cs.vt.edu
BITNET: fox@vtcs1.bitnet
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 87 17:27:29 edt
From: fox (Ed Fox)
Subject: Email changes relating to IRList
Finally, we have, I believe, straightened out the mess resulting from
1) seismo stopping support of IRList
2) software changes at Virginia Tech
The net effect is as follows:
1) IRList distribution is now being handled using the Listserv
facility supported in connection with BITNET. That means
that mail will go out from IRLIST-L@VTVM2.BITNET after I
mail it to there from fox@vtcs1.bitnet.
2) I have redone all the addresses. If you don't get mail, or if
there are problems that I can correct, please let me know.
I have put in names for some people - remind me if you get
a message with "no name" and want that changed.
Later, we will make use of ARPANET to simplify the situation.
Note that it is possible to have "peer" listserv lists which I could
administer if that is desired -- let me know if you wish to explore
the possibility.
Meanwhile, I hope things will get back to normal and that you will
forgive the various test messages and delay in getting issues out.
If I have lost any submissions in the process, please send them anew.
Many thanks for your cooperation, Ed Fox (IRList Editor)
------------------------------
From: Prof Keith Van Rijsbergen <cjvr@CS.GLASGOW.AC.UK>
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 87 11:41:04 BST
Subject: connectionism
I would like to hear from anyone interested in the relation
between parallel distributed processing and information
retrieval. I would like to set up an informal group
exchanging ideas, software, seminar notices etc. We could
agree to do it through IRLIST but have personal contact
as well. Anyone out there interested?
Keith van Rijsbergen
Computing Science
Glasgow University
Glasgow G12 8QQ
Scotland
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 87 17:50:47 edt
From: D3ECJCB2@EB0UB011 (JOSEP M. CASAS)
Subject: flows and organizations of cities - comments requested
[Note: I received this message as a BITNET file with the right ends
of lines truncated - I hope it is clear. -Ed]
I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE ITEM WHOSE ABSTRACT IS FOLLOWING THESE
LINES:
NOW I AM TRYING TO DESIGN A SORT OF THERMODYNAMIC NETWORK APPLIED TO THE
HUMAN ECOSYSTEM CONSIDERING: 1) THE FLOWS BETWEEN CITIES
2) THE SELF-ORGANIZATION OF EACH CITY
THE PURPOSE IS SIMULATION, THOUGH STARTING AT A VERY PLAIN LEVEL. THE
PROBLEM IS HOW TO DESIGN SUCH A SYSTEM THAT, ONCE RUNNING, COMPUTES
ENERGY OR WHATEVER (FLOWS BETWEEN CITIES) AND INFORMATION (SELF-ORGANIZA
OF THE CITIES). FLOWS BETWEEN CITIES MAY BELONG TO ANY OF THE THREE
WORLDS QUOTED BY POPPER ET AL. 1977. WOULD IT HELP TO IMAGINE EACH
CITY AS A NODE OF A COMPUTER NETWORK ? OR AS A CELLULAR AUTOMATON?
OR AS A CHAIN OF A FORMAL SYSTEM ?
TILL THE PRESENT I HAVE BEEN STUDYING ENERGY AND MIGRATORY FLOWS
ON HUMAN POPULATIONS. KEY IDEAS OBTAINED:
- EXPRESSION THAT QUANTIFIES THE BEHAVIOUR OF A WIDE POPULATED AREA
CONCERNING THE WAY PEOPLE SPREAD ON IT.
- A TERM OF THIS EXPRESSION IS SHOWN TO BE CLOSELY RELATED WITH
EXOSOMATIC(EXTERNAL) ENERGY.
- FOR A GIVEN MUNICIPALITY, THE DEPENDENCE OF THE GROWTH RATE ON
THIS TERM AND ITS OWN POPULATION IS CHARACTERIZED.
- THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE WHOLE AREA IS FOLLOWED FROM A SPATIAL AND
TEMPORAL PERSPECTIVE.
- CONDITIONING OF THE DYNAMIC OF SPACE OCCUPATION BY EXTERNAL
ENERGY ALLOWANCE IS SHOWN.
- I HAVE GOT MAPS SHOWING THE DEVIATION OF THE MUNICIPALITIES FROM
THE GENERAL LAW FOLLOWED BY THE WHOLE AREA. DEVIATIONS DON'T
OCCUR AT RANDOM BUT SHOW SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL SELF-ORGANIZATION.
ALL SUGGESTIONS WELLCOMED IN ADVANCE.
BEST REGARDS.
JOSEP M. CASAS D3ECJCB2 AT EB0UB011
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 87 12:02:11 EDT
From: "Don W. Saklad" <dws@eddie.mit.edu>
Subject: internal censorship
Subject: internal censorship
Summary: intellectual freedom
Keywords: preselection censorship intellectual freedom
Notwithstanding the good record libraries have opposed to censorship,
the Boston Public Library declines valid public access to city records
accumulated in the library, itself being one of the city departments.
There should be an improvement in our library's response to
inquiries about library books and recordings as well as public
documentation like minutes of our library board public proceedings
and internal manuals when they are public records validly.
Our Boston Public Library declines access to public records
of local government especially valid inquiries and requests
for public records about city library services growth,
development and long range planning. A while ago it occurred
to me that an effective library user like myself might ask
as a library "consumer" for documentation about the library
system itself. Efficient use of library services might be
better with an understanding of the capacity and limitations
of the library. Intellectual freedom as a principle opposed
to censorship should be the ethical consideration for library
professionals.
Would anyone have information about what I can do about this
situation, which has continued a long time now. Is there anyone
in this area who might help. After talking with more than 18
people and making administrative appeals it occurs to me that
network readers might have some good ideas or perhaps
look into this wrongful hampering of library access by officials.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 87 11:53:40 EDT
From: "Don W. Saklad" <dws@eddie.mit.edu>
Subject: special interest group
###########################################################################
# #
# ---------------- #
# | O V | #
# Summary: library users association | /\/ | #
# | /__ | #
# | / | #
# | / | #
# ---------------- #
# #
# We're forming an information retrieval special interest group. #
# #
# The purpose of this activity is to organize a group and network #
# for persons interested in library services and systems. Library users #
# as well as those merely interested are encouraged to contact #
# #
# #
# Boston library users info-retrieval sig, tel. 661-9650 #
# #
# #
###########################################################################
[Note: This sounds like great timing -- just before ASIS '87 in Boston! - Ed]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 87 14:22:30 edt
From: fox (Ed Fox)
Subject: Collection for CD ROM
I will be producing Virginia Discs 1,2 in 1988 -- 2 CD ROM discs with a variety
of databases on each. I believe it might be of use to put a number of
IR test collections on one of them. We can, I believe, do so with collections
we have here at Virginia Tech, such as
CACM abstracts thru 1979 (with title, author, etc.)
ADI
ISI collection of highly cited articles
AIList Digest issues (collected here for CODER Project)
IRList Digest issues (archived here)
Med 1033
I don't believe INSPEC would allow their collection out. We could add others
that might be of interest if I can obtain them in time (e.g., Cranfield,
NPL) -- would anyone like to send them to me?
Would this be of value? Should we have indexed as well as text forms?
I plan on having the documents, queries (in all forms available), and
relevance judgements as available.
The CD ROMs produced would have other full text and bibliographic
collections as well, with a Virginia flavor. It may be accompanied
with several software packages to illustrate different types of
retrieval. The first disc is scheduled to be available by 3/88. If
people want copies they will need to let us know by the end of this
year. We plan on only releasing the discs to people who will use them
for research purposes. I expect the cost will be under $50.
I welcome comments on this plan. Many thanks, Ed Fox
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 87 17:09:55 GMT
From: Alan Bundy <bundy%aiva.edinburgh.ac.uk@cs.ucl.ac.uk>
Subject: Site and Officers for IJCAI-91
At its meeting during IJCAI-87, the 1987 IJCAI Executive
Committee took the following decisions about IJCAI-91.
Site: Sydney, Australia.
Conference Chair: Barbara Grosz, University of Harvard.
Program Chairs (joint): Ray Reiter & John Mylopoulos, University of
Toronto.
The conference is provisionally scheduled for the 3rd week of
August 1991.
Alan Bundy
Executive Committee Chair
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1987 21:55 EDT
From: Peter de Jong <DEJONG%OZ.AI.MIT.EDU@xx.lcs.mit.edu>
Subject: Cognitive Science Calendar
Start-Date: 9/14/87
Expiration-Date: 9/17/87
cog-sci-calendar digest [Extract - Ed]
...
Date: Thursday, 10 September 1987 13:56-EDT
From: Marc Vilain <MVILAIN at G.BBN.COM>
Re: BBN AI/Biotech seminar
BBN Science Development Program
AI/Biotech Seminar Series Lecture
"The Matrix of Biological Knowledge"
Kimberle Koile
BBN Labs
(KKOILE@G.BBN.COM)
BBN Labs
10 Moulton Street
2nd floor large conference room
10:30 am, Wednesday Sept. 16th
Abstract: The body of experimental data in the biological sciences is
immense and growing rapidly. Its volume is so extensive that computer
methods, possibly straining the limits of current technology will be
necessary to organize the data. Moreover, it seems highly likely that
there are a significant number of as yet undiscovered ordering
relations, new laws, and predictive models embedded in the mass of
existing information. To employ this body of information productively,
it will be useful to create an extensive data/knowledge base, "the
matrix of biological knowledge," structured to provide a conceptual
framework by the laws, models, empirical generalizations, and physical
foundations of the modern biological sciences.
This talk will describe preliminary efforts to define and prototype
parts of the Matrix. (These efforts took place at a summer workshop
that was organized as a result of a National Academy of Sciences report,
"Models for Biomedical Research: A New Perspective.")
------------------------------
END OF IRList Digest
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