Fully Observable Non-deterministic Planning as Assumption-Based Reactive Synthesis

We contribute to recent efforts in relating two approaches to automatic synthesis, namely, automated planning and discrete reactive synthesis. First, we develop a declarative characterization of the standard “fairness” assumption on environments in non-deterministic planning, and show that strong-cyclic plans are correct solution concepts for fair environments. This complements, and arguably completes, the existing foundational work on non-deterministic planning, which focuses on characterizing (and computing) plans enjoying special “structural” properties, namely loopy but closed policy structures. Second, we provide an encoding suitable for reactive synthesis that avoids the naive exponential state space blowup. To do so, special care has to be taken to specify the fairness assumption on the environment in a succinct manner.Fil: D'ippolito, Nicolás Roque. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Computación. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Computación; ArgentinaFil: Rodriguez, Natalia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Computación; ArgentinaFil: Sardina, Sebastian. RMIT University; Australi

Particles adsorbed at various non-aqueous liquid-liquid interfaces

Particles adsorbed at liquid interfaces are commonly used to stabilise water-oil Pickering emulsions and water-air foams. The fundamental understanding of the physics of particles adsorbed at water-air and water-oil interfaces is improving significantly due to novel techniques that enable the measurement of the contact angle of individual particles at a given interface. The case of non-aqueous interfaces and emulsions is less studied in the literature. Non-aqueous liquid-liquid interfaces in which water is replaced by other polar solvents have properties similar to those of water-oil interfaces. Nanocomposites of non-aqueous immiscible polymer blends containing inorganic particles at the interface are of great interest industrially and consequently more work has been devoted to them. By contrast, the behaviour of particles adsorbed at oil-oil interfaces in which both oils are immiscible and of low dielectric constant (ε < 3) is scarcely studied. Hydrophobic particles are required to stabilise these oil-oil emulsions due to their irreversible adsorption, high interfacial activity and elastic shell behaviour

Inability of the brown citrus aphid (Toxoptera citricida) to transmit citrus psorosis virus under controlled conditions

Might Toxoptera citricida (BrCA) be a citrus psorosis virus (CPsV) vector? We examined CPsV transmission by the BrCA throughout two experiments. In experiment 1, 4 CPsV-infected plants bearing BrCA colonies were introduced in separated cages with 12 healthy 'Madame Vinous' sweet orange (MV) seedlings in each one (48 in total). In experiment 2, 5 BrCAs collected from each CPsV-infected plant were transferred into 3 MV seedlings for each one (12 in total) and left for a 72-h inoculation period. Both experiments were replicated once. No psorosis symptoms or CPsV detection evidences a BrCA inability for CPsV transmission under our controlled conditions.

Reinforced column shafts from the monumental architecture of Italica (prov. Baetica). Implementation of new technologies for the reconstruction of an exceptional practice

Esta investigación tiene por objeto presentar los trabajos en curso en torno a un conjunto de fustes procedente de los órdenes arquitectónicos del conocido como Traianeum de Itálica (provincia Baetica, actual Santiponce, Sevilla), complejo de templo central y pórtico perimetral levantado en la ciudad a comienzos del siglo II d. C. En ellos se observan las huellas dejadas por toda una serie de recursos técnicos tales como grapas, espigas metálicas y cavidades para parches marmóreos, asociada con medidas preventivas de refuerzo de piedra eventualmente quebradiza. Para ello, dado su estado fragmentado y fragmentario, se ha recurrido a la aplicación de técnicas fotogramétricas que permitan la obtención de modelos tridimensionales de las piezas, con el fin de reconstruir el funcionamiento y finalidad mecánica de los citados recursos. En último término, se trata de profundizar en aspectos relacionados con una singular capacidad tecnológica selectiva y con la economía y organización de las obras.The pieces under study presented in this paper come from the already well known “Traianeum” of Italica (prov. Baetica, present Santiponce, Seville), a huge complex area, formed by a wide open square with a main central temple, built according to the extension of the city with a new quarter in Hadrian times. Most of them, fragments of column shafts, offer very peculiar technical features: canals for metallic dowels, cavities for marble tasselli and holes for also metallic staples or cramps. All these systems had the aim of reinforce a valuable material with potential structure problems. The ensemble is unique because of the preservation of a sufficient amount of fragments that allows their complete restitution with the help of photogrammetric techniques in order to obtain three-dimensional models of the pieces and to understand the ancient technologic solutions. Even more, the practices make us reflect about technical skills and economy and organization of constructions

Stability of Atmospheric Flow and Low-Level Jets Influencing Forest Fire Behaviour - An EFFIS Report

During the past years, there have been a considerable number of occasions that a forest fire burns with such strong intensity that seems far out of proportion to apparent burning conditions. This proved to be the case for the Sweden fire “blow-up” that took place during 4 August 2014 between Sala and Surahammar municipalities. The fire broke out after an unusual spell of hot, dry summer weather in northern Europe and proved to be the Sweden's largest wildfire in 40 years encompassing an area of ~15,000 hectares. The fire was declared a national emergency. Close investigation of fire weather parameters revealed the existence of an upper-air trough linked to a dissolving warm front on the previous day (3 August) providing low stability values over the fire centroid and the approach of a cold front from southwest further lowering the stability of the atmosphere. But above all, the air dryness and the prevailing of strong surface wind gusts due to a Secondary Low-Level Jet (SLLJ) at 950 hPa accompanied by a short-wave trough most pronounced at 700 hPa (the level of the main LLJ’s kernel of max winds) made ideal conditions for such an extreme event. In such a case, the left entrance area of SLLJ would have allowed an ageostrophic circulation to feed dry air the fire by a direct downward current during the critical hours of 4 August. The time that the SLLJ was crossing and intensifying over and to the east of fire centroid found to be in agreement with the position and movement of the area of maximum instability as defined by the very high (and at times “saturated”) values of Haines Index (HI) being combined with almost “saturated” Fire Weather Index (FWI) values. The HI gives an indication about the potential for a fire "blow­-up” due to low stability values of the atmosphere whereas FWI provides a description of the fire suppression difficulty. It should be noted that a fire blow-­up would lead to erratic/extreme fire behavior. Most of the initial simulations utilising ECMWF instantaneous wind speed values, as driving terms for EFFIS (European Forest Fires Information System) fire evolution models, namely FireSim and FARSITE, were inaccurate due to errors in the intensity and gustiness of true prevailing winds. By introducing model gust factor values (GFs) instead of instantaneous wind speeds (WSs) significant improvement in accuracy was accomplished in all fire evolution simulations. In such distinct unstable environment and under the presence and influence of both LLJ and SLLJ the utilization of model gust factors instead of instantaneous winds found to be more appropriate for simulating fire evolution behavior. Overall, it seems quite important to consider the concept of atmospheric stability, dryness and the presence of LLJs/SLLJs as key elements in the forest fire management system particularly in circumstances conducive to interactions within the PBL (Planetary Boundary Layer).JRC.H.3-Forest Resources and Climat

Forest Fires in Europe, Middle East and North Africa 2014

This is the 15th issue of the EFFIS annual report on forest fires for the year 2014. This report is consolidated as highly appreciated documentation of the previous year's forest fires in Europe, Middle East and North Africa. In its different sections, the report includes information on the evolution of fire danger in the European and Mediterranean regions, the damage caused by fires and detailed description of the fire conditions during the 2014 fire campaign in the majority of countries in the EFFIS network The chapter on national reporting gives an overview of the efforts undertaken at national and regional levels, and provides inspiration for countries exposed to forest fire risk. The preparation and publication of the report aims also at improving cooperation with the members of the EGFF especially with regard to fire prevention actions. Our common aim is to maintain and protect our landscapes and natural heritage, to avoid loss of human lives and to minimise the damage caused to property by uncontrolled forest fires.JRC.H.3 - Forest Resources and Climat

Forest Fires in Europe Middle East and North Africa 2013

This is the 14th “Forest Fires in Europe” report published by the European Commission. The report contains a summary of the 2013 fire season in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa with official statistics on the number of fires and burnt areas compiled by the contributing countries. In addition to country reports with a summary of the past fire season provided by the countries, the report Forest Fires in Europe, Middle East and North Africa informs about the latest developments in terms of forest fire prevention and initiatives of the European Commission to support forest fires fire protection activities in the European Union. Furthermore it provides the results of the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) operating during the fire season, with special emphasis on the EFFIS Danger Forecast, providing daily maps of meteorological fire danger forecast of EU, and the EFFIS Rapid Damage Assessment, performing the daily mapping and assessment of main land cover and Natura2000 areas affected by fires of at least 40 ha during the fire season.JRC.H.3-Forest Resources and Climat

Towards a Map of the European Tree Cover based on Sentinel-2

Many areas of science and policy depend on knowledge of the tree cover in Europe. Sentinel-2 is a new (launched in 2015) satellite with a higher spatial resolution compared to previous satellites. In the present study a new algorithm for mapping tree cover from Sentinel-2 is developed, an analysis of which bands should be used for tree cover mapping is made, the accuracy of the mapping is assessed, and the tree cover from the present approach is compared with previous estimates. Firstly, the feasibility of the present algorithm is demonstrated. Secondly, it is shown that only ten band combinations have good performance in four selected Sentinel-2 tiles and that the bands 3, 5, 6, 12 appear in most combinations. Thirdly, the accuracy is assessed to be high, and lastly it is shown that the relative difference between the tree cover of the present study and the tree cover of previous studies is between -14% and 68

Programación Didáctica Anual de Química para 2º de bachillerato y desarrollo de la situación de aprendizaje ¿La química es vida¿

Máster Univ. en Formación del Profes. en E.S.O., Bachillerato, F.P. y E.Ii.In the present master’s degree Final Thesis, a study of an educational center, the IES Granadilla de Abona, has been carried out based on curricular practices made there. Its physical and internal structure, its plans and its projects have been analyzed. An annual programming has been proposed for the second year of Bachillerato for the subject “chemistry”, in-depth designing a learning situation with the title "Chemistry is life", in which the laboratory and 3D models are presented as a fundamental part of its structure.En este Trabajo de Fin de Máster se ha realizado el estudio de un centro educativo, el IES Granadilla de Abona, basado en las prácticas curriculares realizadas en el mismo. Se ha analizado su estructura física e interna, sus planes y sus proyectos. Se propone una programación didáctica para el segundo curso de bachillerato de Química desarrollando en profundidad una situación de aprendizaje a la que se ha titulado “La química es vida”, en la cual se introducen el laboratorio y los modelos 3D como parte fundamental de su planteamiento