Endurant Types in Ontology-Driven Conceptual Modeling: Towards OntoUML 2.0

For over a decade now, a community of researchers has contributed to the development of the Unified Foundational Ontology (UFO) - aimed at providing foundations for all major conceptual modeling constructs. This ontology has led to the development of an Ontology-Driven Conceptual Modeling language dubbed OntoUML, reflecting the ontological micro-theories comprising UFO. Over the years, UFO and OntoUML have been successfully employed in a number of academic, industrial and governmental settings to create conceptual models in a variety of different domains. These experiences have pointed out to opportunities of improvement not only to the language itself but also to its underlying theory. In this paper, we take the first step in that direction by revising the theory of types in UFO in response to empirical evidence. The new version of this theory shows that many of the meta-types present in OntoUML (differentiating Kinds, Roles, Phases, Mixins, etc.) should be considered not as restricted to Substantial types but instead should be applied to model Endurant Types in general, including Relator types, Quality types and Mode types. We also contribute a formal characterization of this fragment of the theory, which is then used to advance a metamodel for OntoUML 2.0. Finally, we propose a computational support tool implementing this updated metamodel

Maximally Localized States in Quantum Mechanics with a Modified Commutation Relation to All Orders

We construct the states of maximal localization taking into account a modification of the commutation relation between position and momentum operators to all orders of the minimum length parameter. To first order, the algebra we use reproduces the one proposed by Kempft, Mangano and Mann. It is emphasized that a minimal length acts as a natural regulator for the theory, thus eliminating the otherwise ever appearing infinities. So, we use our results to calculate the first correction to the Casimir Effect due to the minimal length. We also discuss some of the physical consequences of the existence of a minimal length, culminating in a proposal to reformulate the very concept of "position measurement"

Citizen science in promoting biodiversity

[Resumo] A ciência cidadã é hoje, reconhecidamente, uma das formas emergentes de aproximação da ciência aos cidadãos, mostrando a sua capacidade de contribuir para uma ciência mais participativa e o envolvimento destes nas diversas atividades desenvolvidas, nomeadamente aquelas que se debruçam sobre a educação para a sustentabilidade. Em causa não está apenas o potencial da ciência cidadã como estratégia para uma ação mais participada dos cidadãos, mas, essencialmente, o seu potencial de comprometimento e envolvimento destes nos principais desafios da sociedade atual. A preservação e promoção da biodiversidade é um dos exemplos aqui vertidos e cuja ligação entre aqueles que fazem ciências e os cidadãos é essencial para o cumprimento dos objetivos propostos. No presente caso, apresentam-se como exemplos a criação de uma base de dados de biodiversidade suportado pelo conceito da ciência cidadã e promotor da biodiversidade urbana e um projeto de redução e valorização de resíduos, impulsionador da redução de acumulação de resíduos nas cidades, desenvolvidos pelo Laboratório da Paisgaem de Guimarães. A ciência cidadã pode, por isso, ser uma ferramenta essencial na capacidade que demonstra de envolvimento dos cidadãos comuns, podendo e devendo ser utilizada como um instrumento de motivação da comunidade escolar para o seu envolvimento e responsabilização nomeadamente na proteção e promoção da biodiversidade.[Abstract] Citizen’s science is one of the emerging ways of bringing science closer to citizens, showing its capacity to contribute to a more participatory science and its involvement in several activities developed, namely those that focus on education for sustainability. Citizen’s science has a great potential for the citizen’s engagement and commitment in the main challenges of society. The preservation and promotion of biodiversity is one of the examples which the link between those who make science and the citizens is essential for the achievement of the proposed goals. The creation of a database of biodiversity supported by the concept of citizen science and promoter of urban biodiversity and a project for waste’s reduction and recovery, contributing to the reduction of waste accumulation in cities, are the two examples proposed by the Landscape Laboratory and reported here. Citizen’s science can, therefore, be an essential tool for the engagement of ordinary citizens. It also should be used as a motivating tool for the school community involving them in the protection and promotion of biodiversit

Probing quantum fluctuation theorems in engineered reservoirs

Fluctuation Theorems are central in stochastic thermodynamics, as they allow for quantifying the irreversibility of single trajectories. Although they have been experimentally checked in the classical regime, a practical demonstration in the framework of quantum open systems is still to come. Here we propose a realistic platform to probe fluctuation theorems in the quantum regime. It is based on an effective two-level system coupled to an engineered reservoir, that enables the detection of the photons emitted and absorbed by the system. When the system is coherently driven, a measurable quantum component in the entropy production is evidenced. We quantify the error due to photon detection inefficiency, and show that the missing information can be efficiently corrected, based solely on the detected events. Our findings provide new insights into how the quantum character of a physical system impacts its thermodynamic evolution.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

Deductive Verification of Unmodified Linux Kernel Library Functions

This paper presents results from the development and evaluation of a deductive verification benchmark consisting of 26 unmodified Linux kernel library functions implementing conventional memory and string operations. The formal contract of the functions was extracted from their source code and was represented in the form of preconditions and postconditions. The correctness of 23 functions was completely proved using AstraVer toolset, although success for 11 functions was achieved using 2 new specification language constructs. Another 2 functions were proved after a minor modification of their source code, while the final one cannot be completely proved using the existing memory model. The benchmark can be used for the testing and evaluation of deductive verification tools and as a starting point for verifying other parts of the Linux kernel.Comment: 18 pages, 2 tables, 6 listings. Accepted to ISoLA 2018 conference. Evaluating Tools for Software Verification trac

Nova metodologia e procedimentos para criação da joaninha predadora exótica Cryptolaemus montrouzieri.

A espécie predadora exótica Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant (Col.: Coccinellidae) é multiplicada em escala massal nos Estados Unidos por empresas de base tecnológica que comercializam esse inseto benéfico visando ao controle biológico de cochonilhas. No Brasil, C. montrouzieri foi introduzido pelo Laboratório de Entomologia da Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura Tropical (Processo MA nº 21052.007104/97-33) e apoio do Laboratório Costa Lima da Embrapa Meio Ambiente, proveniente do Instituto de Investigaciones Agricolas - Centro de Entomologia La Cruz- INIA, Chile, com a finalidade de ser utilizada em programas de controle biológico de cochonilhas e pulgões. Adicionalmente, a Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura Tropical está atuando, estrategicamente, de forma proativa visando ao controle biológico clássico da cochonilha rosada Maconellicoccus hirsutus Green (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), praga quarentenária A1, caso esta seja introduzida no território nacional.pdf 246

Procedimentos para manejo da criação e multiplicação do predador exótico Cryptolaemus montrouzieri.

No Brasil, a joaninha predadora Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant (Coleoptera:Coccinellidae) (Figura 1) foi introduzida pelo Laboratório de Entomologia da Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura (processo Ministério da Agricultura nº 21052.007104/97-33) com apoio do Laboratório Costa Lima da Embrapa Meio Ambiente, proveniente do Instituto de Investigaciones Agricolas ? Centro de Entomologia La Cruz- INIA, Chile, como alternativa para o controle biológico de cochonilhas sem carapaça e pulgões (afídeos) em cultivos de importância econômica e, adicionalmente, como forma estratégica e proativa de controle biológico clássico da cochonilha rosada Maconellicoccus hirsutus Green (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), caso esta praga quarentenária tipo A1 seja introduzida no território nacional.bitstream/item/29720/1/circular-99ID27552.pd