VerbAtlas: a novel large-scale verbal semantic resource and its application to semantic role labeling

We present VerbAtlas, a new, hand-crafted lexical-semantic resource whose goal is to bring together all verbal synsets from WordNet into semantically-coherent frames. The frames define a common, prototypical argument structure while at the same time providing new concept-specific information. In contrast to PropBank, which defines enumerative semantic roles, VerbAtlas comes with an explicit, cross-frame set of semantic roles linked to selectional preferences expressed in terms of WordNet synsets, and is the first resource enriched with semantic information about implicit, shadow, and default arguments. We demonstrate the effectiveness of VerbAtlas in the task of dependency-based Semantic Role Labeling and show how its integration into a high-performance system leads to improvements on both the in-domain and out-of-domain test sets of CoNLL-2009. VerbAtlas is available at http://verbatlas.org

SAFE: Self-Attentive Function Embeddings for Binary Similarity

The binary similarity problem consists in determining if two functions are similar by only considering their compiled form. Advanced techniques for binary similarity recently gained momentum as they can be applied in several fields, such as copyright disputes, malware analysis, vulnerability detection, etc., and thus have an immediate practical impact. Current solutions compare functions by first transforming their binary code in multi-dimensional vector representations (embeddings), and then comparing vectors through simple and efficient geometric operations. However, embeddings are usually derived from binary code using manual feature extraction, that may fail in considering important function characteristics, or may consider features that are not important for the binary similarity problem. In this paper we propose SAFE, a novel architecture for the embedding of functions based on a self-attentive neural network. SAFE works directly on disassembled binary functions, does not require manual feature extraction, is computationally more efficient than existing solutions (i.e., it does not incur in the computational overhead of building or manipulating control flow graphs), and is more general as it works on stripped binaries and on multiple architectures. We report the results from a quantitative and qualitative analysis that show how SAFE provides a noticeable performance improvement with respect to previous solutions. Furthermore, we show how clusters of our embedding vectors are closely related to the semantic of the implemented algorithms, paving the way for further interesting applications (e.g. semantic-based binary function search).Comment: Published in International Conference on Detection of Intrusions and Malware, and Vulnerability Assessment (DIMVA) 201

Brain imaging in Kufs disease type B. case reports

The clinical traits of Kufs disease (KD) type B (CLN13), an adult-onset neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL), are well established according to the neurological features of the cases reported with mutations in CTSF. The neuroradiological characteristics of this uncommon disease have not yet been outlined

Mechanisms of evolution of the propeller wake in the transition and far fields

In the present study the mechanisms of evolution of propeller tip and hub vortices in the transitional region and the far field are investigated experimentally. The experiments involved detailed time-resolved visualizations and velocimetry measurements and were aimed at examining the effect of the spiral-to-spiral distance on the mechanisms of wake evolution and instability transition. In this regard, three propellers having the same blade geometry but different number of blades were considered. The study outlined dependence of the wake instability on the spiralto- spiral distance and, in particular, a streamwise displacement of the transition region at the increasing inter-spiral distance. Furthermore, a multi-step grouping mechanism among tip vortices was highlighted and discussed. It is shown that such a phenomenon is driven by the mutual inductance between adjacent spirals whose characteristics change by changing the number of blades

Experimental and numerical characterization of a positive displacement vane expander with an auxiliary injection port for an ORC-based power unit

Abstract In the present work a novel technology based on a dual injection vane expander has been introduced. The component works on a power unit fed by the exhaust gases of 3L turbocharged diesel engine. The new device was tested in a wide range of operating conditions and its numerical model was validated on the experimental data. The performances of the new machine were compared to those of the original one. The results showed that the dual injection expander provided an increase of the indicated and mechanical power up to 50% and 30%. Mass flow rate can be increased by 30% and this widens the performances of the power unit; this aspect is particularly suitable for a recovery unit fed by the widely changing exhaust gases flow rates in ICEs

Testing complete positivity

We study the modified dynamical evolution of the neutral kaon system under the condition of complete positivity. The accuracy of the data from planned future experiments is expected to be sufficiently precise to test such a hypothesis.Comment: 12 pages, latex, no figures, to appear in Mod. Phys. Lett.

Analysis of the propeller wake evolution by pressure and velocity phase measurements

In the present study an experimental analysis of the velocity and pressure fields behind a marine propeller, in non-cavitating regime is reported. Particle image velocimetry measurements were performed in phase with the propeller angle, to investigate the evolution of the axial and the radial velocity components, from the blade trailing edge up to two diameters downstream. In phase pressure measurements were performed at four radial and eight longitudinal positions downstream the propeller model at different advance ratios. Pressure data, processed by using slotting techniques, allowed reconstructing the evolution of the pressure field in phase with the reference blade position. In addition, the correlation of the velocity and pressure signals was performed. The analysis demonstrated that, within the near wake, the tip vortices passage is the most important contribution in generating the pressure field in the propeller flow. The incoming vortex breakdown process causes a strong deformation of the hub vortex far downstream of the slipstream contraction. This process contributes to the pressure generation at the shaft rate frequency

Analysis of the propeller wake by pressure and velocity correlation

In the present study an experimental analysis of the velocity and pressure fields behind a marine propeller, in non cavitating regime is reported. Velocity measurements were performed in phase with the propeller angle by using 2D Particle Image Velocimetry (2D-PIV). Measurements were carried out arranging the light sheet along the mid longitudinal plane of the propeller, to investigate the evolution of the axial and the radial velocity components, from the blade trailing edge up to 2 diameters downstream. The pressure measurements were performed at four radial and eight longitudinal positions downstream the propeller model. Measurements of the pressure field were performed at different advance ratios of the propeller. Pressure data, processed by using slotting techniques, allowed to reconstruct the evolution of the pressure field in phase with the reference blade position. In addition, the correlation of the velocity and pressure signals was performed. The analysis demonstrated that, within the near wake, the tip vortices passage is the most important contribution in generating the pressure field in the propeller flow. The incoming vortex breakdown process causes a strong deformation of the hub vortex far downstream the slipstream contraction. This process contributes to the pressure generation at the shaft rate frequency

Naturalness consumption and Biodiversity in an Ecoregion of Central Italy

Landscape naturalness and landscape biodiversity are closely connected with ecosystem sustainability. In this study, “naturalness consumption” and “induced biodiversity” created by human interference were evaluated in an ecoregion of Central Italy that represents a meaningful local example of land-use pattern in a Mediterranean environment. A core set of selected indicators and indexes applied to the database produced by GIS was used first to evaluate the landscape naturalness for each phyto-climatic unit and then to calculate the naturalness consumption. Moreover, the landscape biodiversity of each phyto-climate was evaluated, considering the ecomosaic space organization and taking into account the presence of some important ecological structures like ecotones and hedges. In the naturalness analysis, the highest naturalness consumption occurred in phyto-climates with a higher presence of cultivated areas. In the biodiversity analysis, the phyto-climates with a lower naturalness and a higher presence of agricultural land showed higher values of landscape biodiversity in comparison with the other phyto-climatic units. The results suggest that biodiversity in agro-ecosystems can compensate for naturalness consumption in terms of landscape sustainability. Indeed, natural landscapes carry out a conservative role, while more bio-diverse landscapes offer a balance between human requirements and native ecosystem conditions in a frame of co-evolutionary development