Representing uncertain information is crucial for modeling real world domains. In this paper we present a technique for the integration of probabilistic information in Description Logics (DLs) that is based on the distribution semantics for probabili

We studied the impact of a clinical decision support system (CDSS) implemented in a few wards of two Italian health care organizations on the ordering of redundant laboratory tests under different perspectives: (1) analysis of the volume of tests, (2) cost analysis, (3) end-user satisfaction before and after the installation of the CDSS. (1) and (2) were performed by comparing the ordering of laboratory tests between an intervention group of wards where a CDSS was in use and a second (control) group where a CDSS was not in use; data were compared during a 3-month period before (2014) and a 3-month period after (2015) CDSS installation. To measure end-user satisfaction (3), a questionnaire based on POESUS was administered to the medical staff. After the introduction of the CDSS, the number of laboratory tests requested decreased by 16.44% and costs decreased by 16.53% in the intervention group, versus an increase in the number of tests (+3.75%) and of costs (+1.78%) in the control group. Feedback from practice showed that the medical staff was generally satisfied with the CDSS and perceived its benefits, but they were less satisfied with its technical performance in terms of slow response time. The implementation of CDSSs can have a positive impact on both the efficiency of care provision and health care costs. The experience of using a CDSS can also result in good practice to be implemented by other health care organizations, considering the positive result from the first attempt to gather the point of view of end-users in Italy.

In Bitcoin, if a miner is able to solve a computationally hard problem called proof of work, it will receive an amount of bitcoin as a reward which is the sum of the fees for the transactions included in a block plus an amount inversely proportional to the number of blocks discovered so far. At the moment of writing, the block reward is several orders of magnitude greater than the sum of transaction fees. Usually, miners try to collect the largest reward by including transactions associated with high fees. The main purpose of transaction fees is to prevent network spamming. However, they are also used to prioritize transactions. In order to use the minimum amount of fees, users usually have to find a compromise between fees and urgency of a transaction. In this paper, we develop a probabilistic logic model to experimentally analyze how fees affect confirmation time and miner’s revenue and to predict if an increase of average fees will generate a situation when the miner gets more reward by not following the protocol.