Timed Transition Automata as Numerical Planning Domain

A general technique for transforming a timed finite state automaton into an equivalent automated planning domain based on a numerical parameter model is introduced. Timed transition automata have many applications in control systems and agents models; they are used to describe sequential processes, where actions are labelling by automaton transitions subject to temporal constraints. The language of timed words accepted by a timed automaton, the possible sequences of system or agent behaviour, can be described in term of an appropriate planning domain encapsulating the timed actions patterns and constraints. The time words recognition problem is then posed as a planning problem where the goal is to reach a final state by a sequence of actions, which corresponds to the timed symbols labeling the automaton transitions. The transformation is proved to be correct and complete and it is space/time linear on the automaton size. Experimental results shows that the performance of the planning domain obtained by transformation is scalable for real world applications. A major advantage of the planning based approach, beside of the solving the parsing problem, is to represent in a single automated reasoning framework problems of plan recognitions, plan synthesis and plan optimisation.

Septin6 and Septin7 GTP binding proteins regulate AP-3- and ESCRT-dependent multivesicular body biogenesis

Septins (SEPTs) form a family of GTP-binding proteins implicated in cytoskeleton and membrane organization, cell division and host/pathogen interactions. The precise function of many family members remains elusive. We show that SEPT6 and SEPT7 complexes bound to F-actin regulate protein sorting during multivesicular body (MVB) biogenesis. These complexes bind AP-3, an adapter complex sorting cargos destined to remain in outer membranes of maturing endosomes, modulate AP-3 membrane interactions and the motility of AP-3-positive endosomes. These SEPT-AP interactions also influence the membrane interaction of ESCRT (endosomal-sorting complex required for transport)-I, which selects ubiquitinated cargos for degradation inside MVBs. Whereas our findings demonstrate that SEPT6 and SEPT7 function in the spatial, temporal organization of AP-3- and ESCRT-coated membrane domains, they uncover an unsuspected coordination of these sorting machineries during MVB biogenesis. This requires the E3 ubiquitin ligase LRSAM1, an AP-3 interactor regulating ESCRT-I sorting activity and whose mutations are linked with Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathies.

Green's function for paraxial equation

The theory and experimental applications of optical Airy beams are in active development recently. The Airy beams are characterised by very special properties: they are non-diffractive and propagate along parabolic trajectories. Among the striking applications of the optical Airy beams are optical micro-manipulation implemented as the transport of small particles along the parabolic trajectory, Airy-Bessel linear light bullets, electron acceleration by the Airy beams, plasmonic energy routing. The detailed analysis of the mathematical aspects as well as physical interpretation of the electromagnetic Airy beams was done by considering the wave as a function of spatial coordinates only, related by the parabolic dependence between the transverse and the longitudinal coordinates. Their time dependence is assumed to be harmonic. Only a few papers consider a more general temporal dependence where such a relationship exists between the temporal and the spatial variables. This relationship is derived mostly by applying the Fourier transform to the expressions obtained for the harmonic time dependence or by a Fourier synthesis using the specific modulated spectrum near some central frequency. Spatial-temporal Airy pulses in the form of contour integrals is analysed near the caustic and the numerical solution of the nonlinear paraxial equation in time domain shows soliton shedding from the Airy pulse in Kerr medium. In this paper the explicitly time dependent solutions of the electromagnetic problem in the form of time-spatial pulses are derived in paraxial approximation through the Green's function for the paraxial equation. It is shown that a Gaussian and an Airy pulse can be obtained by applying the Green's function to a proper source current. We emphasize that the processes in time domain are directional, which leads to unexpected conclusions especially for the paraxial approximation.

Generation of decelerating Airy pulses

The explicit expression for spatial-temporal Airy pulse is derived from the Maxwell's equations in paraxial approximation. The trajectory of the pulse in the time-space coordinates is analysed. The existence of a bifurcation point that separates regions with qualitatively different features of the pulse propagation is demonstrated. At this point the velocity of the pulse becomes infinite and the orientation of it changes to the opposite. © 2011 IEEE.

Population dynamics of the Sycamore Lace Bug (Corythucha Ciliata, Say, Heteroptera: Tingidae) in Hungary

Based on the observation of more than 10 000 leaves of plane trees, four populations of Corythucha ciliata (Say, 1832) (Heteroptera: Tingidae) are investigated. After having introduced some parameters derived from the data, we draw spatial-temporal patterns and describe the seasonal population dynamics of Corythucha ciliata. Amongst others, the temporal change of the density of population, the state plane of larvae–adults, the inclination to accumulate, and the intraspecific competition are examined. Population and biomass dynamics is characterized for populations with and without limited nutrient source in case of different weather circumstances and effects.

Ecologia de comunidades e comportamento reprodutivo de anfíbios anuros em savana amazônica

The Amazon savannas occur as isolated patches throughout extensive areas of forest in the states of Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, and Roraima. There is a considerable variation in the composition of anuran assemblages in the localities and phytophysiognomies of Amazon savannas and given the absence of studies on reproductive behavior, a systematic and geographically wide sampling has been carried out in the Amapá savanna, located in the Eastern Amazon. The study was conducted in a savanna area in the state of Amapá to examine the composition, ecology, and reproductive behavior of anuran amphibians. We carried out 24 field trips in each phytophysiognomy (gramineous-woody savana, gramineous-herbaceous-woody savana, park savana, and arboreal savanna); for analysis of reproductive behavior observations were made during the period January to December 2013, lasting four consecutive days. Samples were collected by active and acoustic search along 20 plots of 100x50 meters. Twenty-one anuran species were recorded, of which four are new records for the state of Amapá: Dendropsophus walfordi, Scinax fuscomarginatus, Pseudopaludicola boliviana e Elachistocleis helianneae. The KruskalWallis ANOVA revealed significant differences between richness and species diversity in the phytophysiognomies (p < 0.05). The Bray-Curtis similarity coefficient divided the phytophysiognomies into three groups: arboreal savana, gramineous-woody savanna and gramineous-herbaceous-woody savanna, and park savanna. According to the non-metric multidimensional scaling, the structure of the anuran community resulted in a separation into three phytophysiognomies, with significant differences in the structure of communities (ANOSIM, R = 0.823; p < 0.001). In the study of community ecology, the results obtained for spatial, temporal, and trophic niche breadth suggest that the assemblage of anurans of the Amapá savanna is not composed of predominantly generalist species. Also, the presence of other specialist anurans may explain the processes of speciation associated with the isolation of habitats, resulting in heterogeneity and spatial discontinuity in the phytophysiognomies with open formations. The null model analysis revealed that the community is structured based on temporal and trophic niche, indicating a significant influence of contemporary ecological factors on the assemblage. The absence of structure based on spatial niche might be explained by the spatial segregation in the distribution and occupation of anurans in the different phytophysiognomies of the Amapá savanna. Regarding the reproductive behavior of anurans, 11 species were classified as having a long breeding season, intrinsically associated with the rainy season and the reproductive mode of most species that lay egg clutches in lentic water bodies. Six reproductive modes were recorded and parental care was observed in Leptodactylus macrosternum and L. podicipinus, whose reproductive mode is characterized by foam nests. Regarding behavioral reproductive strategies, calling males were observed in all species of anurans, satellite males were recorded only for D. walfordi, Hypsiboas multifasciatus, S. nebulosus and S. fuscomarginatus; active search for females was observed for Phyllomedusa hypochondrialis and L. fuscus, and male displacement was recorded only for Rhinella major and R. margaritifera. Of the reproductive behaviors observed, throat and vocal sac display is associated with courtship and territorial behavior exhibited by males. In addition to courtship behavior, visual signals associated with courtship strategies were recorded for the anurans of the Amapá savanna.

Representações discursivas de Lula nas capas das revistas Época e Veja

This doctoral dissertation proposes to analyze the discursive representations of Lula, as they appear on the covers of the magazines, Época and Veja, targeting the verbo visual elements that comprise the genre, magazine covers. In this way, we seek to describe and interpret the discursive representations (Drs), using a theoretical framework based on the Textual Discourse Analysis –TDA, developed by Jean Michel Adam (2011a), focusing on the semantic level of the text, that is, on the dimension that allows for the comprehension of Drs present in a text. For a discussion about the Drs and their categories of analysis referencing, predication, modification, relation and spatial localization and time we use as a starting point, the study by Brize about the logical discursive operations (1990, 1996), and continue through the studies that discuss linguistic, textual, and discursive operations in concrete utterances, such as Castilho (2010), Rodrigues; Passeggi; Silva Neto (2010), Neves (2011), Rodrigues et al. (2012), Passeggi (2001; 2012), Queiroz (2013), among others. In addition, we rely on Multimodal Discourse for the verbo visual aspects present on magazine covers (KRESS; van LEEUWEN, 2006; DIONISIO, 2011; DIONISIO; VASCONCELOS, 2013). Using aresearch approach that is qualitative with quantitative support, and which is documental, and based on deductive inductive methods, we describe and interpret a corpus (SEVERINO, 2007; CHIZZOTTI, 2010; OLIVEIRA, M., 2013), aiming to reconstruct Lula’s Drs. The cor pusis comprised of forty one magazine covers sixteen from Época and twenty four from Veja. The covers date from the election period in which the candidate, Lula, was elected President of Brazil in 2002, the last mandate after his reelection in 2006, and in the year 2010 a period of 9 years. Based on the analysis carried out, we can affirm that the magazines, Época and Veja, construct diverse Drs by Lula, such as: candidate; elected candidate; governing member and member of a political party; reelected president; politics; workers party acronym PT; international governments as allies; accomplices and participants in scandals of corruption; friend, brother, cousin, nephew, father, parent and man; among others that unfold throughout these by the mediation of the modifiers of the referents and processes, and by the very processes and connections, and analogies made on the object of discourse, Lula. Nonetheless, the reconstruction of these is derived from the description and interpretation of the textual linguistic and discursive choices that the magazines make to produce the proposition utterances, as well as by the choices of images and other visual resources, all operating as co(n)textually articulated to produce the magazine’s desired effect. In conclusion, the Drs verified demand the reflection, description and interpretation of the referencing, prediction, the relationship and spatial temporal localization, which was only possible through the textual discursive analysis of the verbo visual arrangements that comprise texts in the genre magazine cover.

Principal Component Analysis of Results Obtained from Finite-Difference Time-Domain Algorithms

Finite-Differences Time-Domain (FDTD) algorithms are well established tools of computational electromagnetism. Because of their practical implementation as computer codes, they are affected by many numerical artefact and noise. In order to obtain better results we propose using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) based on multivariate statistical techniques. The PCA has been successfully used for the analysis of noise and spatial temporal structure in a sequence of images. It allows a straightforward discrimination between the numerical noise and the actual electromagnetic variables, and the quantitative estimation of their respective contributions. Besides, The GDTD results can be filtered to clean the effect of the noise. In this contribution we will show how the method can be applied to several FDTD simulations: the propagation of a pulse in vacuum, the analysis of two-dimensional photonic crystals. In this last case, PCA has revealed hidden electromagnetic structures related to actual modes of the photonic crystal.

Characterization of dynamic speckle sequences using principal component analysis and image descriptors

Speckle is being used as a characterization tool for the analysis of the dynamic of slow varying phenomena occurring in biological and industrial samples. The retrieved data takes the form of a sequence of speckle images. The analysis of these images should reveal the inner dynamic of the biological or physical process taking place in the sample. Very recently, it has been shown that principal component analysis is able to split the original data set in a collection of classes. These classes can be related with the dynamic of the observed phenomena. At the same time, statistical descriptors of biospeckle images have been used to retrieve information on the characteristics of the sample. These statistical descriptors can be calculated in almost real time and provide a fast monitoring of the sample. On the other hand, principal component analysis requires longer computation time but the results contain more information related with spatial-temporal pattern that can be identified with physical process. This contribution merges both descriptions and uses principal component analysis as a pre-processing tool to obtain a collection of filtered images where a simpler statistical descriptor can be calculated. The method has been applied to slow-varying biological and industrial processes

RF MIMO Systems for Wide-Area Indoor Human Motion Monitoring

Human motion monitoring is an important function in numerous applications. In this dissertation, two systems for monitoring motions of multiple human targets in wide-area indoor environments are discussed, both of which use radio frequency (RF) signals to detect, localize, and classify different types of human motion. In the first system, a coherent monostatic multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) array is used, and a joint spatial-temporal adaptive processing method is developed to resolve micro-Doppler signatures at each location in a wide-area for motion mapping. The downranges are obtained by estimating time-delays from the targets, and the crossranges are obtained by coherently filtering array spatial signals. Motion classification is then applied to each target based on micro-Doppler analysis. In the second system, multiple noncoherent multistatic transmitters (Tx's) and receivers (Rx's) are distributed in a wide-area, and motion mapping is achieved by noncoherently combining bistatic range profiles from multiple Tx-Rx pairs. Also, motion classification is applied to each target by noncoherently combining bistatic micro-Doppler signatures from multiple Tx-Rx pairs. For both systems, simulation and real data results are shown to demonstrate the ability of the proposed methods for monitoring patient repositioning activities for pressure ulcer prevention.

Isotope analysis and heat flow measurements of Maria S. Merian cruise MSM21/4 on the western Svalbard margin

Methane hydrate is an ice-like substance that is stable at high-pressure and low temperature in continental margin sediments. Since the discovery of a large number of gas flares at the landward termination of the gas hydrate stability zone off Svalbard, there has been concern that warming bottom waters have started to dissociate large amounts of gas hydrate and that the resulting methane release may possibly accelerate global warming. Here, we can corroborate that hydrates play a role in the observed seepage of gas, but we present evidence that seepage off Svalbard has been ongoing for at least three thousand years and that seasonal fluctuations of 1-2°C in the bottom-water temperature cause periodic gas hydrate formation and dissociation, which focus seepage at the observed sites.

The Continuous Plankton Recorder survey: How can long-term phytoplankton datasets contribute to the assessment of Good Environmental Status?

Phytoplankton are crucial to marine ecosystem functioning and are important indicators of environmental change. Phytoplankton data are also essential for informing management and policy, particularly in supporting the new generation of marine legislative drivers, which take a holistic ecosystem approach to management. The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) seeks to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) of European seas through the implementation of such a management approach. This is a regional scale directive which recognises the importance of plankton communities in marine ecosystems; plankton data at the appropriate spatial, temporal and taxonomic scales are therefore required for implementation. The Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) survey is a multidecadal, North Atlantic basin scale programme which routinely records approximately 300 phytoplankton taxa. Because of these attributes, the survey plays a key role in the implementation of the MSFD and the assessment of GES in the Northeast Atlantic region. This paper addresses the role of the CPR's phytoplankton time-series in delivering GES through the development and informing of MSFD indicators, the setting of targets against a background of climate change and the provision of supporting information used to interpret change in non-plankton indicators. We also discuss CPR data in the context of other phytoplankton data types that may contribute to GES, as well as explore future possibilities for the use of new and innovative applications of CPR phytoplankton datasets in delivering GES. Efforts must be made to preserve long-term time series, such as the CPR, which supply vital ecological information used to informed evidence-based environmental policy.

The Continuous Plankton Recorder survey: How can long-term phytoplankton datasets contribute to the assessment of Good Environmental Status?

Phytoplankton are crucial to marine ecosystem functioning and are important indicators of environmental change. Phytoplankton data are also essential for informing management and policy, particularly in supporting the new generation of marine legislative drivers, which take a holistic ecosystem approach to management. The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) seeks to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) of European seas through the implementation of such a management approach. This is a regional scale directive which recognises the importance of plankton communities in marine ecosystems; plankton data at the appropriate spatial, temporal and taxonomic scales are therefore required for implementation. The Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) survey is a multidecadal, North Atlantic basin scale programme which routinely records approximately 300 phytoplankton taxa. Because of these attributes, the survey plays a key role in the implementation of the MSFD and the assessment of GES in the Northeast Atlantic region. This paper addresses the role of the CPR's phytoplankton time-series in delivering GES through the development and informing of MSFD indicators, the setting of targets against a background of climate change and the provision of supporting information used to interpret change in non-plankton indicators. We also discuss CPR data in the context of other phytoplankton data types that may contribute to GES, as well as explore future possibilities for the use of new and innovative applications of CPR phytoplankton datasets in delivering GES. Efforts must be made to preserve long-term time series, such as the CPR, which supply vital ecological information used to informed evidence-based environmental policy.

Semantic feature-based visual attention model for pedestrian detection

Objective
Pedestrian detection under video surveillance systems has always been a hot topic in computer vision research. These systems are widely used in train stations, airports, large commercial plazas, and other public places. However, pedestrian detection remains difficult because of complex backgrounds. Given its development in recent years, the visual attention mechanism has attracted increasing attention in object detection and tracking research, and previous studies have achieved substantial progress and breakthroughs. We propose a novel pedestrian detection method based on the semantic features under the visual attention mechanism.
Method
The proposed semantic feature-based visual attention model is a spatial-temporal model that consists of two parts: the static visual attention model and the motion visual attention model. The static visual attention model in the spatial domain is constructed by combining bottom-up with top-down attention guidance. Based on the characteristics of pedestrians, the bottom-up visual attention model of Itti is improved by intensifying the orientation vectors of elementary visual features to make the visual saliency map suitable for pedestrian detection. In terms of pedestrian attributes, skin color is selected as a semantic feature for pedestrian detection. The regional and Gaussian models are adopted to construct the skin color model. Skin feature-based visual attention guidance is then proposed to complete the top-down process. The bottom-up and top-down visual attentions are linearly combined using the proper weights obtained from experiments to construct the static visual attention model in the spatial domain. The spatial-temporal visual attention model is then constructed via the motion features in the temporal domain. Based on the static visual attention model in the spatial domain, the frame difference method is combined with optical flowing to detect motion vectors. Filtering is applied to process the field of motion vectors. The saliency of motion vectors can be evaluated via motion entropy to make the selected motion feature more suitable for the spatial-temporal visual attention model.
Result
Standard datasets and practical videos are selected for the experiments. The experiments are performed on a MATLAB R2012a platform. The experimental results show that our spatial-temporal visual attention model demonstrates favorable robustness under various scenes, including indoor train station surveillance videos and outdoor scenes with swaying leaves. Our proposed model outperforms the visual attention model of Itti, the graph-based visual saliency model, the phase spectrum of quaternion Fourier transform model, and the motion channel model of Liu in terms of pedestrian detection. The proposed model achieves a 93% accuracy rate on the test video.
Conclusion
This paper proposes a novel pedestrian method based on the visual attention mechanism. A spatial-temporal visual attention model that uses low-level and semantic features is proposed to calculate the saliency map. Based on this model, the pedestrian targets can be detected through focus of attention shifts. The experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed attention model for detecting pedestrians.

Demonstrador para rede tempo-real HaRTES

A utilização de sistemas embutidos distribuídos em diversas áreas como a robótica, automação industrial e aviónica tem vindo a generalizar-se no decorrer dos últimos anos. Este tipo de sistemas são compostos por vários nós, geralmente designados por sistemas embutidos. Estes nós encontram-se interligados através de uma infra-estrutura de comunicação de forma a possibilitar a troca de informação entre eles de maneira a concretizar um objetivo comum. Por norma os sistemas embutidos distribuídos apresentam requisitos temporais bastante exigentes. A tecnologia Ethernet e os protocolos de comunicação, com propriedades de tempo real, desenvolvidos para esta não conseguem associar de uma forma eficaz os requisitos temporais das aplicações de tempo real aos requisitos Quality of Service (QoS) dos diferentes tipos de tráfego. O switch Hard Real-Time Ethernet Switching (HaRTES) foi desenvolvido e implementado com o objetivo de solucionar estes problemas devido às suas capacidades como a sincronização de fluxos diferentes e gestão de diferentes tipos de tráfego. Esta dissertação apresenta a adaptação de um sistemas físico de modo a possibilitar a demonstração do correto funcionamento do sistema de comunicação, que será desenvolvido e implementado, utilizando um switch HaRTES como o elemento responsável pela troca de informação na rede entre os nós. O desempenho da arquitetura de rede desenvolvida será também testada e avaliada.