1,721,030 research outputs found
Local structure in dilute nitrides probed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy
No full textWe describe the use of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) with synchrotron radiation to study the local structure in dilute nitrides. After a brief description of the advantages of XAS to probe local atomic arrangements in semiconductor alloys and nanostructures we focus our attention on (InGa)(AsN). We discuss data which demonstrate that atomic ordering (in the form of an excess of In-N over Ga-N bonds) is present, but is significantly weaker than predicted; also we show that the experimental values for the bond lengths are in agreement with recent models which take into account strain due to pseudomorphic growth
Comments on treatment of EXAFS data taken in the fluorescence mode in non-linear conditions by G. Ciatto et al. (2004). J. Synchrotron Rad. 11, 278-283
No full textThe author of the comment rightly suggests the improvement of
our data-correction method II by taking into account the dead time of
the fast channel of the digital electronics. In our paper, we preferred
to neglect the dead time of the fast channel since we did not have a
reliable measurement of it, but could only estimate it from the
trapezoidal filter length. If we compare the nominal value of the slow
channel dead time reported in the XIA manual (about 8.2 ms) and the
one we have measured from the data (9.1 ms) we find an evident
disagreement; thus, we were not completely confident in using the
estimated value of 0.8 ms for the fast channel dead time...
Logic Programming library for Machine Learning: API design and prototype
No full textIn this paper we address the problem of hybridising symbolic and sub-symbolic approaches in artificial intelligence, following the purpose of creating flexible and data-driven systems, which are simultaneously comprehensible and capable of automated learning. In particular, we propose a logic API for supervised machine learning, enabling logic programmers to exploit neural networks - among the others - in their programs. Accordingly, we discuss the design and architecture of a library reifying APIs for the Prolog language in the 2P-Kt logic ecosystem. Finally, we discuss a number of snippets aimed at exemplifying the major benefits of our approach when designing hybrid systems
ReSpecTX: Programming interaction made easy
Full text linkIn this paper we present the ReSpecTX language, toolchain, and standard library as a first step of a path aimed at closing the gap between coordination languages – mostly a prerogative of the academic realm until now – and their industrial counterparts. Since the limited adoption of coordination languages within the industrial realm is also due to the lack of suitable toolchains and libraries of reusable mechanisms, ReSpecTX equips a core coordination language (ReSpecT) with tools and features commonly found in mainstream programming languages. In particular, ReSpecTX makes it possible to provide a reference library of reusable and composable interaction patterns
Blending BDI Agents with Object-Oriented and Functional Programming with JaKtA
Full text linkThe popularity of multi-paradigm languages is on the rise, enabling developers to select the most appropriate paradigm for each task. While object-oriented and functional programming are commonly combined, other paradigms can also be hybridized. This paper introduces JaKtA, an internal Domain-Specific Language designed to support the definition of Belief-Desire-Intention agents in Kotlin. Our work represents an initial exploration into blending Agent-Oriented Programming with other prevalent paradigms, emphasizing the potential benefits of using internal Domain-Specific Languages. We demonstrate, through JaKtA, how this approach facilitates the creation of compact and expressive Belief-Desire-Intention agents that seamlessly integrate with the host language, its libraries, and tooling
Blockchain-based coordination: Assessing the expressive power of smart contracts
Full text linkA common use case for blockchain smart contracts (SC) is that of governing interaction amongst mutually untrusted parties, by automatically enforcing rules for interaction. However, while many contributions in the literature assess SC computational expressiveness, an evaluation of their power in terms of coordination (i.e., governing interaction) is still missing. This is why in this paper we test mainstream SC implementations by evaluating their expressive power in coordinating both inter-users and inter-SC activities. To do so, we exploit the archetypal LINDA coordination model as a benchmark-a common practice in the field of coordination models and languages-by discussing to what extent mainstream blockchain technologies support its implementation. As they reveal some notable limitations (affecting, in particular, coordination between SC) we then show how Tenderfone, a custom blockchain implementation providing for a more expressive notion of SC, addresses the aforementioned limitations
Multi-Paradigm Integration for the BDI Resurgence
No full textAt the beginning of the millennium, scenarios typical of autonomic and self-organizing systems seemed to be better tackled with techniques designed for multi-agent systems, among them, Belief-Desire-Intention cognitive model was considered particularly promising. As the years went by, however, interest decreased in the community of self-* systems for the Belief-Desire-Intention (BDI) approach despite new proposals still sharing a strong resemblance with the defining features of BDI agents. In this position paper, we investigate the reasons behind this trend, suggesting that, rather than being a sign of the inadequacy of Belief-Desire-Intention, it might be a sign of the inadequacy of tools and frameworks available to support them
Probabilistic logic programming in 2P-KT
Full text linkThe work introduces an elastic and platform-agnostic approach to probabilistic logic programming aimed at linking this paradigm with modern mainstream programming platforms, thus widening its usability and portability (e.g. towards the JVM, Android, Python, and JavaScript platforms). We design our solution as an extension of the 2P-Kt symbolic AI ecosystem to inherit its multi-platform and multi-paradigm nature
An Aggregate Vascular Morphogenesis Controller for Engineered Self-Organising Spatial Structures
No full textIn this work, we propose FieldVMC: a generalisation of Vascular Morphogenesis Controller (VMC) built on the field-based paradigm of aggregate computing, supporting arbitrary network topologies and dynamics and streamlining principled engineering of self-organising structures. At the core, we redesign the VMC model as a field-based computation, enabling the emergence of organisational hierarchies in a decentralised and asynchronous way. By inheriting key properties of aggregate computing, like scalability, asynchronicity, modularity, and reusability, FieldVMC extends the potential domains of application of the original VMC approach. We show by simulation that FieldVMC enables new novel sorts of phenomena to be captured, studied, and engineered, including: self-construction of tree structures from a single node (germination), self-healing of damaged structures (cutting), self-integration of disjoint structures (grafting), self-segmentation in autonomous sub-structures (budding), and self-optimisation of existing structures (abscission and regrowth)
Logic-based technologies for multi-agent systems: a systematic literature review
No full textPrecisely when the success of artificial intelligence (AI) sub-symbolic techniques makes them be identified with the whole AI by many non-computer-scientists and non-technical media, symbolic approaches are getting more and more attention as those that could make AI amenable to human understanding. Given the recurring cycles in the AI history, we expect that a revamp of technologies often tagged as “classical AI”—in particular, logic-based ones—will take place in the next few years. On the other hand, agents and multi-agent systems (MAS) have been at the core of the design of intelligent systems since their very beginning, and their long-term connection with logic-based technologies, which characterised their early days, might open new ways to engineer explainable intelligent systems. This is why understanding the current status of logic-based technologies for MAS is nowadays of paramount importance. Accordingly, this paper aims at providing a comprehensive view of those technologies by making them the subject of a systematic literature review (SLR). The resulting technologies are discussed and evaluated from two different perspectives: the MAS and the logic-based ones
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