Proof-checking Bias in Labeling Methods

We introduce a typed natural deduction system designed to formally verify the presence of bias in automatic labeling methods. The system relies on a ”data-as-terms” and ”labels-as-types” interpretation of formulae, with derivability contexts encoding probability distributions on training data. Bias is understood as the divergence that expected probabilistic labeling by a classifier trained on opaque data displays from the fairness constraints set by a transparent dataset

Sulla possibilit\ue0 di estendere l'informazione climatica del passato attraverso le serie dendrocronologiche

In the paper tree-ring index series obtained by 15 Pino Laricio individuals from Etna Volcano in Sicily was used in order to reconstruct the past climate. The significative relation founded between minimun temperature and tree-ring index have enable to reconstruct the minimum temperature series up to the 1790

Organic waste materials for Bioengineering works

Bioengineering uses plant and biodegradable materials of natural origin, stones, steel, additives and synthetic products in various combinations and as support for the growth of plants. The lack of available resources and progressive increasing of desertification in Sicily, led to the search for alternative materials. Objective of the work is testing organic waste materials for the realization of bioengineering works in the several areas of application: terrestrial, fluvial and coastline. To this aim, is proposed the use of innovative techniques that involve the construction of low-cost brushwood, environmentally friendly materials made: the pruning of vines and the oceanic Posidonia oceanica beached (banquette). The use of these two organic materials, which are a special solid waste, widely present in Sicily, is part of an efficient use of resources while respecting the environment. Assembled by hand or mechanically in the form of fascine or biocarpet, the residues of the vine pruning will constitute the modular element to achieve anti-erosion linear works while the residues of Posidonia oceanica (previously leached), constitute the growing media which, along sowing or planting of native species, make it "alive" the artefact

Deep Reinforcement Learning for Robotic Approaching Behavior Influenced by User Activity and Disengagement

A robot intended to monitor human behavior must account for the user's reactions to minimize his/her perceived discomfort. The possibility of learning user interaction preferences and changing the robot's behavior accordingly may positively impact the perceived quality of the interaction with the robot. The robot should approach the user without causing any discomfort or interference. In this work, we contribute and implement a novel Reinforcement Learning (RL) approach for robot navigation toward a human user. Our implementation is a proof-of-concept that uses data gathered from real-world experiments to show that our algorithm works on the kind of data that it would run on in a realistic scenario. To the best of our knowledge, our work is one of the first attempts to provide an adaptive navigation algorithm that uses RL to account for non-deterministic phenomena

Introducing k-lingo: a k-depth Bounded Version of ASP System Clingo

Depth-Bounded Boolean Logics (DBBL for short) are well-understood frameworks to model rational agents equipped with limited deductive capabilities. These Logics use a parameter k ≥ 0 to limit the amount of virtual information, i.e., the information that the agent may temporarily assume throughout the deductive process. This restriction brings several advantageous properties over classical Propositional Logic, including polynomial decision procedures for deducibility and refutability. Inspired by DBBL, we propose a limited-depth version of the popular ASP system clingo, tentatively dubbed k-lingo after the bound k on virtual information. We illustrate the connection between DBBL and ASP through examples involving both proof-theoretical and implementative aspects. The paper concludes with some comments on future work, which include a computational complexity characterization of the system, applications to multi-agent systems and feasible approximations of probability functions

Naturalistic Hydroseeding

The applications usually want to restore an adequate level of vegetation cover, to contrast effectively erosion and slope instability, however, often neglecting the naturalistic appearance. Really we should combine the technical aspect with the naturalistic, aiming to eliminate non-native species from vegetation context and to guide the choice of usable herbaceous species. The study, carried out in a dump of a southern Italian town (Termini Imerese - Sicily), provided for the reconstitution of plant cover of 7.4 hectares through hydroseeding applied directly on the soil of the final covering, with waste often exposed. The aim of this study was the use of alternative hydroseeding with the use of native plants for the recovery of the vegetation cover and increase the biodiversity of the intervention zone. So have been selected 21 species with high biotechnical value: Graminaceae species (genus: Ampelodesmos, Oryzopsis, Cynodon, Festuca , Brachipodium, Lolium, Lygeum) and Leguminosae species (genus: Hedysarum, Lotus, Medicago). In addition, were used seeds of wild flowers, fertilizers, mulch of wood fiber and cellulose, organic and synthetic adhesives. Moreover, a search was conducted on the morphology and resistance to tensile efforts of the roots of three species of referring: Ampelodesmos mauritanicus (Poir.) Dur. & Schinz, Oryzopsis miliacea (L.) Asch. & Schweinf and Hedysarum coronarium L. The first results confirm that the natural hydroseeding with native plants creates an effective plant cover in deprived areas; it also helps increase biodiversity. Therefore, the methodology used appears to be a more sustainable alternative to traditional hydroseeding using a mixture of commercial seeds and nationality is in doubt. The validity of the approach is also confirmed by the good results of biotechnical reference species both in terms of speed of growth, that of radical density (RAR) and the tension breaking roots

Biotechnical characteristics of root systems in erect and prostrate habit rosmarinus officinalis L. accessions grown in a mediterranean climate

Rosmarinus officinalis L. is a shrub species typically found in the Mediterranean Basin area. Studies carried out in Sicily on the biodiversity of the genus Rosmarinus found only one species (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) with varying morphology (erect habit and prostrate habit). The species does not require high input, managing to thrive even in marginal areas, and is a medicinal and aromatic species of great agronomic and economic interest, being one of the top 20 species most-used in Italy and with highest wholesale revenues. Studies carried out on the species in Italy are recent, as is the whole medicinal and aromatic plants sector, and have mostly regarded agrotechniques. This study shows the results of initial observations carried out in Sicily on the biotechnical characteristics of the root system of disetaneous rosemary accessions (erect habitus and prostrate habitus) grown in the same soil. Results show that the species adapts well to soil bioengineering requirements; young plants also showed better root system tensile strength than older plant

Argo array observation of ocean heat content changes induced by tropical cyclones in the north Pacific

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2011. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research 116 (2011): C12025, doi:10.1029/2011JC007165.In situ observations from the autonomous Argo float array are used to assess the basin-averaged ocean heat content change driven by tropical cyclones (TCs) in the North Pacific for 2000–2008. A new statistical approach based on pairs of profiles before and after each TC event is employed here to estimate the near-surface and subsurface heat content changes. Previous studies have suggested a dominant role for vertical mixing in the SST cooling response during TC passages. The Argo float observations show that, under strong TCs (greater than or equal to category 4), the subsurface warming expected from vertical mixing occurs with comparable magnitude to near-surface cooling. However, when weak TCs (less than or equal to category 3, which are about 86% of the total of TCs) were also considered, the subsurface warming was not detectable in the Argo data set, while near-surface cooling was still significant. Therefore, these results suggest that air-sea heat exchange and (upward) vertical advection likely play a somewhat greater role in the case of weak TCs. Additionally, Argo observations suggest that the restoring time scale of the near-surface heat content is greater than 30 days, which may be compared with the approximately 10 day time scale for the restoration of sea surface temperature. The mixed layer temperature and mixed layer depth evolutions also estimated from Argo data support the notion that only a thin surface layer is restored quickly to pre-TC conditions, while the rest of the cooled near-surface layer retained the TC-induced response for a good deal longer.Support from NSF (OCE-0847160) and partly from the Meteorological Research Institute/KMA is gratefully acknowledged.2012-06-1