Photometric redshifts with Quasi Newton Algorithm (MLPQNA). Results in the PHAT1 contest

Context. Since the advent of modern multiband digital sky surveys, photometric redshifts (photo-z's) have become relevant if not crucial to many fields of observational cosmology, from the characterization of cosmic structures, to weak and strong lensing. Aims. We describe an application to an astrophysical context, namely the evaluation of photometric redshifts, of MLPQNA, a machine learning method based on Quasi Newton Algorithm. Methods. Theoretical methods for photo-z's evaluation are based on the interpolation of a priori knowledge (spectroscopic redshifts or SED templates) and represent an ideal comparison ground for neural networks based methods. The MultiLayer Perceptron with Quasi Newton learning rule (MLPQNA) described here is a computing effective implementation of Neural Networks for the first time exploited to solve regression problems in the astrophysical context and is offered to the community through the DAMEWARE (DAta Mining & ExplorationWeb Application REsource) infrastructure. Results. The PHAT contest (Hildebrandt et al. 2010) provides a standard dataset to test old and new methods for photometric redshift evaluation and with a set of statistical indicators which allow a straightforward comparison among different methods. The MLPQNA model has been applied on the whole PHAT1 dataset of 1984 objects after an optimization of the model performed by using as training set the 515 available spectroscopic redshifts. When applied to the PHAT1 dataset, MLPQNA obtains the best bias accuracy (0.0006) and very competitive accuracies in terms of scatter (0.056) and outlier percentage (16.3%), scoring as the second most effective empirical method among those which have so far participated to the contest. MLPQNA shows better generalization capabilities than most other empirical methods especially in presence of underpopulated regions of the Knowledge Base.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics; 9 pages, 2 figure

C3C^{3} : A Command-line Catalogue Cross-matching tool for modern astrophysical survey data

In the current data-driven science era, it is needed that data analysis techniques has to quickly evolve to face with data whose dimensions has increased up to the Petabyte scale. In particular, being modern astrophysics based on multi-wavelength data organized into large catalogues, it is crucial that the astronomical catalog cross-matching methods, strongly dependant from the catalogues size, must ensure efficiency, reliability and scalability. Furthermore, multi-band data are archived and reduced in different ways, so that the resulting catalogues may differ each other in formats, resolution, data structure, etc, thus requiring the highest generality of cross-matching features. We present $C^{3}$ (Command-line Catalogue Cross-match), a multi-platform application designed to efficiently cross-match massive catalogues from modern surveys. Conceived as a stand-alone command-line process or a module within generic data reduction/analysis pipeline, it provides the maximum flexibility, in terms of portability, configuration, coordinates and cross-matching types, ensuring high performance capabilities by using a multi-core parallel processing paradigm and a sky partitioning algorithm.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, proceedings of the IAU-325 symposium on Astroinformatics, Cambridge University pres

Temporal and Spatial Variations of Geodia cydonium (Jameson) (Porifera, Demospongiae) in the Mediterranean Confined Environments

Confined marine environments are particularly susceptible to climate change and anthropic pressures. Indeed, the long-term monitoring of benthic assemblages in these environments allows us to understand the direction of changes over time. The demosponge Geodia cydonium is a suitable study case, since it is widely represented in many Mediterranean environments, while being a long-living and important habitat-forming species. Here, we report the results of a descriptive study on temporal and spatial variations of this demosponge in three semi-enclosed environments along the Italian coast: Marsala Lagoon, Porto Cesareo Bay, and Mar Piccolo of Taranto. At Marsala and Porto Cesareo, the study compares the present data with those reported by the literature at the end of the 1990s. Caused by the modification of its preferential habitats, the data indicated the loss and a remarkable regression of this species at Porto Cesareo and Marsala, respectively. In addition, we hypothesized that the increase in severe weather phenomena in the small Bay of Porto Cesareo recorded during the last 20 years may have had a marked impact on water mass, thus affecting the sponge assemblages. At Taranto, despite a remarkable environmental degradation, G. cydonium has appeared stable and persistent in the last 45 years, thus representing one of the richest and most well-preserved populations in the Mediterranean Sea

Machine learning based data mining for Milky Way filamentary structures reconstruction

We present an innovative method called FilExSeC (Filaments Extraction, Selection and Classification), a data mining tool developed to investigate the possibility to refine and optimize the shape reconstruction of filamentary structures detected with a consolidated method based on the flux derivative analysis, through the column-density maps computed from Herschel infrared Galactic Plane Survey (Hi-GAL) observations of the Galactic plane. The present methodology is based on a feature extraction module followed by a machine learning model (Random Forest) dedicated to select features and to classify the pixels of the input images. From tests on both simulations and real observations the method appears reliable and robust with respect to the variability of shape and distribution of filaments. In the cases of highly defined filament structures, the presented method is able to bridge the gaps among the detected fragments, thus improving their shape reconstruction. From a preliminary "a posteriori" analysis of derived filament physical parameters, the method appears potentially able to add a sufficient contribution to complete and refine the filament reconstruction.Comment: Proceeding of WIRN 2015 Conference, May 20-22, Vietri sul Mare, Salerno, Italy. Published in Smart Innovation, Systems and Technology, Springer, ISSN 2190-3018, 9 pages, 4 figure

Regolazione emotiva e metacognizione nei bambini e negli adolescenti

As literature indicates, people experience emotions following the evaluation of a real or perceived event (Frijda, 1986; Zajonc, 1998; Davidson, Scherer & Goldsmith, 2003; Barrett, 2006; Brackett, et al., 2006; Izard, 2007; Panksepp, 2007). These can cause difficulties in emotional regulatory mechanisms that cause distress in relationship to oneself, to other people and to the world, occasionally resulting in full-blown psychopathology (Stults- Kolehmainen & Sinha, 2014; Extremera & Rey, 2015). Diverse theoretical currents report outcomes of altered metacognitive fuction both in learning (Flavell, 1979; Cottini, 2004), evaluating and monitoring thought (Wells & Matthews, 1995/2014), as well as in the expression of reasoning in terms of mental status on oneself and others behavior (Fonagy, 2000). The goal of this study is to examine whether disfunction of emotive regulation in children causes “metacognitive errors” that leads to development of severe psychopathological diseases.La letteratura riporta che, a seguito della valutazione di un evento reale o immaginato, le persone sperimentano delle emozioni (Frijda, 1986; Zajonc, 1998; Davidson, Scherer & Goldsmith, 2003; Barrett, 2006; Brackett, et al., 2006; Izard, 2007; Panksepp, 2007). Queste, se intense possono causare difficoltà di regolazione emotiva (Stults-Kolehmainen & Sinha, 2014; Extremera & Rey, 2015). Ne consegue disagio nel rapporto con se stessi e con il mondo e talvolta sofferenza psicopatologica (Cohen, Janicki- Deverts, & Miller, 2007). Diverse teorie a confronto registrano esiti di un alterato funzionamento metacognitivo sia nell’apprendimento (Flavell, 1979; Cottini, 2004) sia nella valutazione e monitoraggio del pensiero (Wells & Matthews, 1995/2014), nonchè nell’espressione della capacità di ragionare sul proprio e altrui comportamento in termini di stati mentali (Fonagy, 2000).Questo lavoro mira a esaminare fonti secondo cui la disfunzione della regolazione emotiva nei bambini comporta “errori metacognitivi” che conducono allo sviluppo di disturbi psicopatologiciimportanti. L’obiettivo di questo lavoro è quello di esaminare fonti a sostegno della tesi, già ampiamente documentata per gli adulti, secondo cui la disfunzione della regolazione emotiva nei bambini comporta “errori metacognitivi” che conducono allo sviluppo di disturbi psicopatologici importanti

Esponjas de los lechos de rodolitos del área marina protegida de la isla de Ustica (sur del mar Tirreno), con un inventario completo de la espongofauna de la isla

The sponge fauna colonizing rhodolith beds from Ustica Island marine protected area was studied. Moreover, an inventory of the sponge species present along the island’s coasts was carried out for the first time. Analysis of rhodoliths trapped in nets used by local fishermen at two sites and data obtained from underwater video images were used to identify 25 sponge taxa, 22 of them at species level. The classes Demospongiae and Homoscleromorpha were present with 24 and 1 species, respectively. Most of the specimens were small-sized and represented by thick crusts or short erect branches. Few specimens were insinuating or excavating. Furthermore, qualitative sampling was performed on Ustica’s coralligenous formations, photophilous hard substrates and in marine caves, and the results obtained were added to the literature data. The overall checklist of sponges from Ustica encompassed 97 taxa, 90 named at species level, subdivided into 6 taxa of Calcarea, 3 of Homoscleromorpha and 88 of Demospongiae. Eleven of the species were endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, mainly concentrated on rhodoliths and in marine caves. This research adds a fundamental element to the knowledge of invertebrates associated with rhodoliths, and updates the checklist of sponges colonizing Ustica’s waters, facilitating its future monitoring.En este trabajo se estudió la fauna de poríferos que coloniza los fondos de rodolitos del área marina protegida de la isla de Ustica. Además, se creó por primera vez un catálogo de las especies de esponjas que se encuentran en el litoral de la isla. El análisis de los rodolitos enredados en las redes de pescadores locales en dos sitios y de los datos obtenidos de las imágenes de video submarino permitieron reconocer 25 taxones de poríferos, 22 de los cuales se identificaron a nivel de espe­cies. Las clases Demospongiae y Homoscleromorpha estuvieron presentes con 24 y 1 especies respectivamente. La mayoría de los especímenes eran de tamaño pequeño y representados por costras gruesas o ramas cortas y erectas. Pocos especímenes eran esponjas insinuantes o excavadoras. Además, se llevaron a cabo muestreos cualitativos en formaciones de coralígeno, en sustratos duros fotofilos y en cuevas marinas de la isla de Ustica, y se añadieron los resultados obtenidos a los datos de la literatura. El inventario total de las esponjas de Ustica incluye 97 taxones, 90 nombrados a nivel de especies, divididos en: 6 taxones de Calcarea, 3 de Homoscleromorpha, 88 de Demospongiae. Once de las especies son endémicas del mar Mediter­ráneo, concentradas principalmente en fondos de rodolitos y dentro de cuevas marinas. Esta investigación añade un aspecto fundamental al conocimiento de la distribución de los poríferos, en particular los asociados con los rodolitos, y actualiza la lista de esponjas que colonizan los fondos de Ustica, proporcionando herramientas para su monitoreo futuro

Detenzione parentale e comportamenti delinquenziali nella prole: quale possibile intervento*?

Research on the health of children after one of their parent’s imprisonment is relatively poor despite studies that link adverse experiences of childhood to a series of physical and mental health conditions. In this review, several clinical trials have been examined to examine the risks of child exposure to an unstable and dysfunctional family structure due to detention of one or both parents. Among the aspects related to detention, the one most concerning for prisoners is the separation from the family, and in particular from the children. From the offspring point of view, the detention of one parent translates to a loss of a stable reference point, which over the years leads to them taking less advisable choices that in turn make detention more likely. Studies have shown that, over the years, minor children of detainees develop acceptance towards parental detention, with normalization of event up to ignoring the socially shared concept of “detention” which morphs into the idea of what delinquency represents in micro and macro criminality contexts. It becomes important to foster relationships with children and with the prisoner’s family, but it becomes even more important that the prisoner embarks on a path that leads them to regain the parenting role, which allows them to feel like a person with resources to protect and with relationships to cultivate

Command-line Cross-matching Tool for Modern Astrophysical Pipelines

The emerging need for efficient, reliable and scalable astronomical catalog cross-matching is becoming more pressing in the current data-driven science era, where the size of data has rapidly increased up to the Petabyte scale. C3 (Command-line Catalogue Cross-matching) is a multi-platform tool designed to efficiently cross-match massive catalogues from modern astronomical surveys, ensuring high-performance capabilities through the use of a multi-core parallel processing paradigm. The tool has been conceived to be executed as a stand-alone command-line process or integrated within any generic data reduction/analysis pipeline, providing the maximum flexibility to the end user, in terms of parameter configuration, coordinates and cross-matching types. In this work we present the architecture and the features of the tool. Moreover, since the modular design of the tool enables an easy customization to specific use cases and requirements, we present also an example of a customized C3 version designed and used in the FP7 project ViaLactea, dedicated to cross-correlate Hi-GAL clumps with multi-band compact sources...

A Command-line Cross-matching tool for modern astrophysical pipelines

The emerging need for efficient, reliable and scalable astronomical catalog cross-matching is becoming more pressing in the current data-driven science era, where the size of data has rapidly increased up to the Petabyte scale. C3 (Command-line Catalogue Cross-matching) is a multi-platform tool designed to efficiently cross-match massive catalogues from modern astronomical surveys, ensuring high-performance capabilities through the use of a multi-core parallel processing paradigm. The tool has been conceived to be executed as a stand-alone command-line process or integrated within any generic data reduction/analysis pipeline, providing the maximum flexibility to the end user, in terms of parameter configuration, coordinates and cross-matching types. In this work we present the architecture and the features of the tool. Moreover, since the modular design of the tool enables an easy customization to specific use cases and requirements, we present also an example of a customized C3 version designed and used in the FP7 project ViaLactea, dedicated to cross-correlate Hi-GAL clumps with multi-band compact sources...