Machine learning for map interpretation: An intelligent tool for environmental planning

The design of a user interface integrating instruments for visual and textual representation and image interpretation is a relevant problem when developing an advisory system for environmental planning. Indeed, the user of the system needs a support to the interpretation of maps, that is, a tool that segments maps and automatically associates geometric regions on a map with those semantic labels useful for applying hints and advices suggested by the environmental planning system. In the article, we present the application of symbolic machine learning techniques to the interpretation of maps. Two inductive learning systems, namely, INDUBI/CSL and ATRE, have been used to complete the knowledge base of an expert system for environmental planning. The application described concerns the recognition of four environmental concepts that are relevant for environmental protection. The positive results obtained in two different experiments prove the strength of the adopted approach for the interpretation task.     

A Conversational Approach to the Interaction With Web Services

The emerging standards for the specification of Web Services support the publication of the static interfaces of the operations they may execute. However, little attention is paid to the management of long-lasting interactions between the service providers and their consumers. Although this is not an issue in the case of "one-shot" services, it challenges the provision of services requiring the exchange of multiple messages between the business partners. In this article, we present a conversational model supporting the management of long-lasting interactions where several messages have to be exchanged before the service is completed. Our model aims at facilitating the consumers during the service invocation because in this way the establishment of short-term business relations can be simplified. To this extent, we provide a computational framework that can be exploited to manage a conversation between the consumer and the service provider. Our framework is inspired from the research developed in Computational Linguistics and in the area of Multi-Agent Systems to manage human-to-computer and agent-to-agent dialog. However, we employ techniques suitable to comply with the emerging Web Service standards and with the scalability requirements of the Internet.     

Multistrategy Theory Revision: Induction and Abduction in INTHELEX

This paper presents an integration of induction and abduction in INTHELEX, a prototypical incremental learning system. The refinement operators perform theory revision in a search space whose structure is induced by a quasi-ordering, derived from Plotkin's -subsumption, compliant with the principle of Object Identity. A reduced complexity of the refinement is obtained, without a major loss in terms of expressiveness. These inductive operators have been proven ideal for this search space. Abduction supports the inductive operators in the completion of the incoming new observations. Experiments have been run on a standard dataset about family trees as well as in the domain of document classification to prove the effectiveness of such multistrategy incremental learning system with respect to a classical batch algorithm.     

Effects of fermentation and rye flour on microstructure and volatile compounds of chestnut flour based sourdoughs

The study is aimed at developing a new cereal-based product, with increased nutritional quality, by using natural fermentation of blends of chestnut and rye flour. In spite of the remarkable similarity, the technological potential of combinations of both flours has never been explored before. Three spontaneous chestnut/rye sourdough fermentations were performed over a period of twelve days with daily back-slopping. Samples taken at all refreshment steps were used for culture-dependent and culture-independent evaluation of the microbiota present. Dominant species basically overlapped to those associated to sourdoughs strengthened with chestnut flour, such as Pediococcus pentosaceus or Weissella paramesenteroides. Microstructures, evaluated by means of Scanning Electron Microscopy, revealed the presence in chestnut sourdoughs of a distinguishable network surrounding starch granules, while rye flour-added sourdoughs showed a less structured matrix. By gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, 51 volatile organic compounds were identified at 24 h and after prolonged fermentation. Within volatile organic compounds, alcohols, esters, acids, aldehydes and ketones, all well-known flavour compounds in sourdough fermentation, appeared as dominant. The PCA discriminated the sourdoughs into three distinct clusters and highlighted a clear influence of fermentation time on the volatile composition of sourdoughs.     

Vesicular Glutamate Release from Feeder-FreehiPSC-Derived Neurons

Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) represent one of the main and powerful tools for the in vitro modeling of neurological diseases. Standard hiPSC-based protocols make use of animal-derived feeder systems to better support the neuronal differentiation process. Despite their efficiency, such protocols may not be appropriate to dissect neuronal specific properties or to avoid interspecies contaminations, hindering their future translation into clinical and drug discovery approaches. In this work, we focused on the optimization of a reproducible protocol in feeder-free conditions able to generate functional glutamatergic neurons. This protocol is based on a generation of neuroprecursor cells differentiated into human neurons with the administration in the culture medium of specific neurotrophins in a Geltrex-coated substrate. We confirmed the efficiency of this protocol through molecular analysis (upregulation of neuronal markers and neurotransmitter receptors assessed by gene expression profiling and expression of the neuronal markers at the protein level), morphological analysis, and immunfluorescence detection of pre-synaptic and post-synaptic markers at synaptic boutons. The hiPSC-derived neurons acquired Ca²⁺-dependent glutamate release properties as a hallmark of neuronal maturation. In conclusion, our study describes a new methodological approach to achieve feeder-free neuronal differentiation from hiPSC and adds a new tool for functional characterization of hiPSC-derived neurons.     

Parallel computation on multilayer cluster grids

Cluster architectures are increasingly used to solve high‐performance computing applications. To build more computational power, sets of clusters, interconnected by high‐speed networks, can be used in an elaboration to form a cluster grid. In this type of architecture, it is difficult to exploit all the internal resources of a cluster, because each one can be shielded by a firewall and is usually configured with machines where there is only one visible IP front‐end node that hides all its internal nodes from the external world. The exploitation of resources is even more complicated if we consider the general case where each internal node of a cluster can be a front‐end node of an another cluster. This type of architecture has been defined as a multilayer cluster grid. In this paper, a Parallel Virtual Machine (PVM) extension is presented which, through a middleware solution based on the H2O distributed metacomputing framework, permits the building of a parallel virtual machine in a multilayer cluster grid environment. In addition, the existing code written for PVM can be executed into this environment without modifications. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.