Flory theory for Polymers

We review various simple analytical theories for homopolymers within a unified framework. The common guideline of our approach is the Flory theory, and its various avatars, with the attempt of being reasonably self-contained. We expect this review to be useful as an introduction to the topic at the graduate students level.Comment: Topical review appeared J. Phys.: Condens. Matter, 46 pages, 8 Figures. Sec. VIF added. Typos fixed. Few references adde

SMT-based Verification of LTL Specifications with Integer Constraints and its Application to Runtime Checking of Service Substitutability

An important problem that arises during the execution of service-based applications concerns the ability to determine whether a running service can be substituted with one with a different interface, for example if the former is no longer available. Standard Bounded Model Checking techniques can be used to perform this check, but they must be able to provide answers very quickly, lest the check hampers the operativeness of the application, instead of aiding it. The problem becomes even more complex when conversational services are considered, i.e., services that expose operations that have Input/Output data dependencies among them. In this paper we introduce a formal verification technique for an extension of Linear Temporal Logic that allows users to include in formulae constraints on integer variables. This technique applied to the substitutability problem for conversational services is shown to be considerably faster and with smaller memory footprint than existing ones

Bounded Reachability for Temporal Logic over Constraint Systems

We present CLTLB(D), an extension of PLTLB (PLTL with both past and future operators) augmented with atomic formulae built over a constraint system D. Even for decidable constraint systems, satisfiability and Model Checking problem of such logic can be undecidable. We introduce suitable restrictions and assumptions that are shown to make the satisfiability problem for the extended logic decidable. Moreover for a large class of constraint systems we propose an encoding that realize an effective decision procedure for the Bounded Reachability problem

Constraint LTL Satisfiability Checking without Automata

This paper introduces a novel technique to decide the satisfiability of formulae written in the language of Linear Temporal Logic with Both future and past operators and atomic formulae belonging to constraint system D (CLTLB(D) for short). The technique is based on the concept of bounded satisfiability, and hinges on an encoding of CLTLB(D) formulae into QF-EUD, the theory of quantifier-free equality and uninterpreted functions combined with D. Similarly to standard LTL, where bounded model-checking and SAT-solvers can be used as an alternative to automata-theoretic approaches to model-checking, our approach allows users to solve the satisfiability problem for CLTLB(D) formulae through SMT-solving techniques, rather than by checking the emptiness of the language of a suitable automaton A_{\phi}. The technique is effective, and it has been implemented in our Zot formal verification tool.Comment: 39 page

LEARNING GEOMATICS FOR RESTORATION: ICOMOS SUMMER SCHOOL IN OSSOLA VALLEY

Documentation and preservation of widespread rural heritage are today possible only if you can activate processes of conservation headed by local communities, thereby recognizing the link between the communities and their culture. The cultural heritage places (villages, sites and landscapes) can take different values; action is needed respecting the right of communities to identify the values contained in them. ‘Collaborative networks should be set up at different levels among multiple stakeholders in order to address issues related to heritage and create new value chains through innovative synergies. Dynamic, flexible, inclusive and integrated processes of engagement need to be employed for assessing long-term social impacts of heritage conservation programmes’ (Icomos, 2014). In 2011 the 3DSurvey Group of the Politecnico di Milano in collaboration with the Canova Association initiated an annual summer school program entitled ‘Laboratory of Places 2017, Ghesc and surroundings, History, survey, evolution Laboratory of Places'. The definition of “Laboratory of Places 2017, Ghesc and surroundings” links the idea of an inhabited space to an open space suitable for study, research, and an interactive absorption and confrontation of differing ideas. Founding elements of the project involve educational collaborations with university, but equally important will be the development of programs with local schools, associations, and public administration (Quaderni di Ghesc, 2010)

Integrated 3D Hydrogel Waveguide Out-Coupler by Step-and-Repeat Thermal Nanoimprint Lithography: A Promising Sensor Device for Water and pH

Hydrogel materials offer many advantages for chemical and biological sensoring due to their response to a small change in their environment with a related change in volume. Several designs have been outlined in the literature in the specific field of hydrogel-based optical sensors, reporting a large number of steps for their fabrication. In this work we present a three-dimensional, hydrogel-based sensor the structure of which is fabricated in a single step using thermal nanoimprint lithography. The sensor is based on a waveguide with a grating readout section. A specific hydrogel formulation, based on a combination of PEGDMA (Poly(Ethylene Glycol DiMethAcrylate)), NIPAAm (N-IsoPropylAcrylAmide), and AA (Acrylic Acid), was developed. This stimulus-responsive hydrogel is sensitive to pH and to water. Moreover, the hydrogel has been modified to be suitable for fabrication by thermal nanoimprint lithography. Once stimulated, the hydrogel-based sensor changes its topography, which is characterised physically by AFM and SEM, and optically using a specific optical set-up

Tourism, natural protected areas and open source geospatial technologies.

The Covid-19 outbreak has greatly impacted society behaviours fostering proximity tourism and valorising the social role of peri-urban natural protected areas as key locations for outdoor activities. FOSS and FOSS4G can play a critical role to support the value creation for these sites. This work evaluates its application in the context of two different protected areas for the creation of 3D digital products, the monitoring of touristic fluxes and the conduction of parks management activities. To this aim three solutions that copes with the mentioned aspects are presented and gaps, weakness and limitations evaluated. The investigated solutions consists in: the data workflow from survey to 3D rendering using Blender and GIS plugin; the touristic fluxes monitoring system based on a machine learning algorithm for image recognition from captured video data streams and istSOS; and finally the park assets management system which is based on PostGIS and OpenLayers