Automatic Import and Manual Refinement of Medical Knowledge
Year: 1999
Type: article
Abstract: Background. Large-scale medical terminologies are typically organized not only along taxonomic hierarchies (Is-A) but also along partonomic ones (PART-OF). However, an integrated reasoning methodology for both is still missing. Such a claim is increasingly raised for advanced medical terminology systems, with description logics being considered an adequate means [1]. So far, the formal reengineering of large-scale terminologies has been limited to reasoning along Is-A hierarchies [2]. Methods. We have developed a formal model emulating part-whole reasoning via terminological subsumption. Our model is based on socalled SEP-Triplets [3]. Fig. 1 depicts a simple example: The relation ANATOMICAL-PART-OF is embedded in each triplet by linking a partconcept (P) to the concept entity (E) itself. Both are subsumed by a structure concept (S). Partitive hierarchies are modeled by P-S links, taxonomies by E-E, S-S and P-P. Using the standard description logics system LOOM, and enhancing it by a library of macros which facilitate the construction of SEP-triplets, we
Source: PubMed Central
Language: English
Subfield: Health Informatics
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W230179762