The need for scientists and judges to work together: regarding a new European network

Is it always true to say that science is, by definition, universal whilst laws and the courts which apply them are a classic state and national expression? Yes and no. In recent years a new scenario has opened all over the world. Courts intervene more and more in disputes on matters related to scientific procedures in the biological field. In doing so the courts' decisions are affected by scientific issues and ways of reasoning and, on the other hand, affect the scientific field and its way of reasoning. While the old matter of bioethics was still alive and while judges were improving their skill in dealing with hard matters, like refusal of medical treatments, abortion, euthanasia et cetera, a new challenge appeared on the horizon, the challenge of biological sciences, and especially of the most troubled field of human genetics. A completely new awareness is developing among judges that they belong to an international judiciary community, as informal as it is real. Such a community is, even at an embryonic stage, sufficiently universal to be able to come together with the international scientific community. The authors maintain we are in urgent need for new interaction between judges and scientists and of new international means in the light of such cooperation. Judges and jurists need to become better acquainted with scientific questions and learn to exchange ideas with scientists. They also need to set themselves against the latters' conceptual systems and be willing to put their own up for discussion. A European Network for Life Sciences, Health and the Courts is taking its first steps, and judges and scientists are working side by side to tackle the new challenges. The provisional headquarters are located at the University of Pavia (I), Laboratorio di Biologia dello Sviluppo and Collegio Ghislieri (e-mail:. [email protected]). ENLSC activity is inspired by the following idea: to be against science is as much antiscientific as to be acritically pro-science

Acoustic Emission Monitoring of the Turin Cathedral Bell Tower: Foreshock and Aftershock Discrimination

Historical churches, tall ancient masonry buildings, and bell towers are structures subjected to high risks due to their age, elevation, and small base-area-to-height ratio. In this paper, the results of an innovative monitoring technique for structural integrity assessment applied to a historical bell tower are reported. The emblematic case study of the monitoring of the Turin Cathedral bell tower (northwest Italy) is herein presented. First of all, the damage evolution in a portion of the structure localized in the lower levels of the tall masonry building is described by the evaluation of the cumulative number of acoustic emissions (AEs) and by different parameters able to predict the time dependence of the damage development, in addition to the 3D localization of the AE sources. The b-value analysis shows a decreasing trend down to values compatible with the growth of localized micro and macro-cracks in the portion of the structure close to the base of the tower. These results seem to be in good agreement with the static and dynamic analysis performed numerically by an accurate FEM (finite element model). Similar results were also obtained during the application of the AE monitoring to the wooden frame sustaining the bells in the tower cell. Finally, a statistical analysis based on the average values of the b-value are carried out at the scale of the monument and at the seismic regional scale. In particular, according to recent studies, a comparison between the b-value obtained by AE signal analysis and the regional activity is proposed in order to correlate the AE detected on the structure to the seismic activity, discriminating foreshock, and aftershock intervals in the analyzed time series

A TGA-based Method for Safety Critical Plan Execution

Safety critical planning and execution is a crucial issue in autonomous systems. This paper proposes a methodology for controller synthesis suitable for timeline-based planning and demonstrates its effectiveness in a space domain where robustness of execution is a crucial property. The proposed approach uses Timed Game Automata (TGA) for formal modeling and the UPPAAL-TIGA model checker for controllers synthesis. An experimental evaluation is performed using a real-world control system

A Knowledge Engineering Environment for P&S with Timelines

This paper presents some of the features of a knowledge engineering environment, called KEE N, created to support a timeline based planning based on the A PSI-T RF modeling assumptions. A key feature of the environment is the integration of typical tools for knowledge based modeling and refining with services for validation and verification specialized to planning with timelines

Enriching APSI with Validation Capabilities: the KEEN environment and its use in Robotics

This paper presents the KnowledgE ENgineering (KEEN) design support system in which Validation and Verification (V&V) methods are used to strengthen onground development of software for plan-based autonomy. In particular, the paper describes a collection of verification methods, based on Timed Game Automata (TGA), deployed for the design and development of timeline-based Planning and Scheduling (P&S) applications within the APSI-TRF framework. The KEENs V&V functionalities are illustrated describing software development to synthesize plans for a planetary rover

AE monitoring and structural modelization of the Asinelli Tower in Bologna

The Acoustic Emission (AE) technique was used to assess the structural stability of the Asinelli Tower, the tallest building in the city of Bologna, which, together with the nearby tower, named Garisenda, is the renowned symbol of the city. AE is a passive, non-destructive structural evaluation technique based on the spontaneous emission of pressure waves by evolving fracture processes. The monitoring program was carried out with the aid of a USAM tool, which is part of the equipment used at the Fracture Mechanics Laboratory of the Department of Structural Engineering at the Politecnico di Torino. This tool makes it possible to conduct a complete analysis of AE signals, acquire a huge quantity of data from on site monitoring, and identify the microcracks triggering the damage processes in a structure. In the second part of the paper, the results from a preliminary linear analysis are presented, in order to assess the structural behavior of the tower. The cracking and crushing strengths of the masonry have both been compared with the calculated stresses. The numerical analysis gives a valuable picture of the modal response of the tower, providing useful hints for the prosecution of structural monitorin

Acoustic emission wireless monitoring of structures and infrastructure

The damage assessment of buildings is currently made visually. The few non-visual methodologies make use of wired devices, which are expensive, vulnerable, and time consuming to install. Systems based on wireless transmission should be cost efficient, easy to install, and adaptive to different types of structures and infrastructures. The Acoustic Emission (AE) technique is an innovative monitoring method useful to investigate the damage in large structures. It has the potential to detect damage, as well as to evaluate the evolution and the position of cracks. This paper shows the capability of a new data processing system based on a wireless AE equipment, very useful to long term monitoring of concrete and masonry structures. To this purpose, computer-based procedures, including an improved AE source location based on the Akaike algorithm, are implemented. These procedures are performed by automatic AE data processing and are used to evaluate the AE results in notched concrete beams subjected to three point bending loading conditions up to the final failure. In this case, the final output of the code returns a complete description of damage pattern and evolution of the monitored structure. In the most critical cases, or in some cases requiring long in situ observation periods, the AE monitoring method is fine tuned for a telematic procedure of processing AE data clouds to increase the safety of structures and infrastructural networks. Finally, the proposed AE monitoring system could be used to determine the seismic risk of civil constructions and monuments subjected to earthquakes