Riparian Vegetation Mapping for Hydraulic Roughness Estimation Using Very High Resolution Remote Sensing Data Fusion

For detailed hydraulic modeling, accurate spatial information of riparian vegetation patterns needs to be derived in automatic fashion. We propose a supervised classification for heterogeneous riparian corridors with a low number of spectrally separate classes using data fusion of a Quickbird image and LIDAR data. The approach considers nine land cover classes including three woody riparian species, brush, cultivated areas, grassland, urban infrastructures, bare soil and water. The classical “stacked vector” approach is adopted for data fusion, while the nonparametric weighted feature-extraction method and the pixel-oriented maximum likelihood algorithm are used for feature-reduction and classification purposes, respectively. We test the approach over a 14-km stretch of the Sieve River (Tuscany Region, Italy). A one-dimensional river modeling is applied over the study reach comparing the results of a classification-derived hydraulic roughness map and a traditional ground-based approach. Despite the complex study reach, the classification method produced encouraging accuracies (OKS = 0.77) and represents a useful tool to delineate application domains of flow resistance models suited to different hydrodynamic patterns (e.g., stiff/flexible vegetation). Hydraulic modeling results showed that the remotely derived floodplain roughness parameterization captures the equivalent Manning coefficient over 20 test cross sections with uncertainty distributions described by low mean and standard deviation values.     

Synthesising CCS bisimulation using graph rewriting

The paper presents a case study on the synthesis of labelled transition systems (ltss) for process calculi, choosing as testbed Milner’s Calculus of Communicating System (ccs).The proposal is based on a graphical encoding: each ccs process is mapped into a graph equipped with suitable interfaces, such that the denotation is fully abstract with respect to the usual structural congruence.Graphs with interfaces are amenable to the synthesis mechanism proposed by Ehrig and König and based on borrowed contexts (bcs), an instance of relative pushouts originally introduced by Milner and Leifer.The bc mechanism allows the effective construction of an lts that has graphs with interfaces as both states and labels, and such that the associated bisimilarity is automatically a congruence.Our paper focuses on the analysis of the lts distilled by exploiting the encoding of ccs processes: besides offering major technical contributions towards the simplification of the bc mechanism, a key result of our work is the proof that the bisimilarity on processes obtained via bcs coincides with the standard strong bisimilarity for ccs.     

Fiber introduction mass spectrometry: fully direct coupling of solid-phase microextraction with mass spectrometry

This work describes the first fully direct coupling of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with mass spectrometry. An inlet system using a septum as the only interface between the ambient and the high-vacuum mass spectrometer was constructed to allow the introduction of the SPME needle directly into the ionization region of a mass spectrometer. The PDMS-coated fiber was then placed and exposed exactly between the two ionization filaments. Uniform heating of the fiber, efficient thermal desorption, and electron ionization of the analytes were achieved. Using this new analytical technique, here termed fiber introduction mass spectrometry (FIMS), we have been able to detect and quantitate several volatile (VOC) and semivolatile (SVOC) organic chemicals (carbon tetrachloride, benzene, toluene, xylenes, gamma-terpinene, diisoamyl ether, chlorobenzene, and many PAHs) and two herbicides (Sylvex and its methyl ether) from aqueous solutions at low-ppb to ppt levels using either SPME headspace or solution extraction. FIMS shows high sensitivity (ng/L), good reproducibility, and accuracy, providing therefore a simple and effective approach to rapid analysis of VOC and SVOC in various matrixes.     

A Unifying and Rigorous Shape from Shading Method Adapted to Realistic Data and Applications

We propose a new method for the Lambertian Shape From Shading (SFS) problem based on the notion of Crandall-Lions viscosity solution. This method has the advantage of requiring the knowledge of the solution (the surface to be reconstructed) only on some part of the boundary and/or of the singular set (the set of the points at maximal intensity). Moreover it unifies in an unique mathematical formulation the works of Rouy et al. [34, 50], Falcone et al. [21], Prados et al. [46, 48, 49], based on the notion of viscosity solutions and the work of Dupuis and Oliensis [17] dealing with classical solutions and value functions. Also, it allows to generalize their results to the “perspective SFS” problem recently simultaneously introduced in [13,46,55]. While the theoretical part has been developed in [44], in this paper we give some stability results and we describe numerical schemes for the SFS based on this method. We construct provably convergent and robust algorithms. Finally, we apply our SFS method to real images and we suggest some real-life applications.     

Acoustic Emission Damage Assessment of Steel/CFRP Bonds for Rehabilitation

The use of adhesively bonded carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates is increasingly being considered for the rehabilitation of metallic structures. The effective structural monitoring of steel/CFRP adhesive joints is of critical importance to assess the design service performance of the system, which ultimately depends on the bond damage tolerance at the load transfer regions. In the present study laboratory static and fatigue tests were conducted on steel/CFRP skin doubler and double strap joint specimens, which were monitored using the acoustic emission (AE) technique. The characteristics of the AE signals were correlated with the mechanical response of the samples, in order to understand the AE response associated with the accumulation of bond damage. One-dimensional source location was also performed to examine the initiation and the development of the disbond. The results show that AE parameter-based analysis is an effective nondestructive evaluation tool for bond damage detection and area location.     

WIRES: A Methodology for Developing Workflow Applications

Workflow management systems are becoming a relevant support for a large class of business applications, and many workflow models as well as commercial products are currently available. While the large availability of tools facilitates the development and the fulfilment of customer requirements, workflow application development still requires methodological guidelines that drive the developers in the complex task of rapidly producing effective applications. In fact, it is necessary to identify and model the business processes, to design the interfaces towards existing cooperating systems, and to manage implementation aspects in an integrated way. This paper presents the WIRES methodology for developing workflow applications under a uniform modelling paradigm – UML modelling tools with some extensions – that covers all the life cycle of these applications: from conceptual analysis to implementation. High-level analysis is performed under different perspectives, including a business and an organisational perspective. Distribution, interoperability and cooperation with external information systems are considered in this early stage. A set of “workflowability” criteria is provided in order to identify which candidate processes are suited to be implemented as workflows. Non-functional requirements receive particular emphasis in that they are among the most important criteria for deciding whether workflow technology can be actually useful for implementing the business process at hand. The design phase tackles aspects of concurrency and cooperation, distributed transactions and exception handling. Reuse of component workflows, available in a repository as workflow fragments, is a distinguishing feature of the method. Implementation aspects are presented in terms of rules that guide in the selection of a commercial workflow management system suitable for supporting the designed processes, coupled with guidelines for mapping the designed workflows onto the model offered by the selected system.     

Tocotrienol-rich fraction from palm oil affects gene expression in tumors resulting from MCF-7 cell inoculation in athymic mice

It has recently been shown that tocotrienols are the components of vitamin E responsible for inhibiting the growth of human breast cancer cells in vitro, through an estrogen-independent mechanism. Although tocotrienols act on cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner and can induce programmed cell death, no specific gene regulation has yet been identified. To investigate the molecular basis of the effect of tocotrienols, we injected MCF-7 breast cancer cells into athymic nude mice. Mice were fed orally with 1 mg/d of tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) for 20 wk. At end of the 20 wk, there was a significant delay in the onset, incidence, and size of the tumors in nude mice supplemented with TRF compared with the controls. At autopsy, the tumor tissue was excised and analyzed for gene expression by means of a cDNA array technique. Thirty out of 1176 genes were significantly affected. Ten genes were down-regulated and 20 genes up-regulated with respect to untreated animals, and some genes in particular were involved in regulating the immune system and its function. The expression of the interferon-inducible transmembrane protein-1 gene was significantly up-regulated in tumors excised from TRF-treated animals compared with control mice. Within the group of genes related to the immune system, we also found that the CD59 glycoprotein precursor gene was up-regulated. Among the functional class of intracellular transducers/effectors/modulators, the c-myc gene was significantly down-regulated in tumors by TRF treatment. Our observations indicate that TRF supplementation significantly and specifically affects MCF-7 cell response after tumor formation in vivo and therefore the host immune function. The observed effect on gene expression is possibly exerted independently from the antioxidant activity typical of this family of molecules.     

A trust negotiation system for digital library Web services

A scalable approach to trust negotiation is required in digital library (DL) environments that have large and dynamic user populations. In this paper we introduce Trust-Serv, a model-driven trust negotiation framework for Web services, and show how it can be used to effectively handle trust negotiation in DLs. The framework employs a model for trust negotiation based on state machines, extended with security abstractions. High-level specifications expressed with the state-machine-based model are then translated into formats suitable for automating the trust negotiation process. The proposed framework also supports negotiation policy lifecycle management, an important trait in the dynamic environments that characterize DLs. In particular, we present a set of policy change operations that enable the dynamic evolution of negotiation policies without disrupting ongoing negotiations. The proposed approach has been implemented as a container-centric mechanism that is transparent to the DL and to the developers of DL Web services, simplifying DL development and management as well as enabling scalable deployments.