Computer Aided Verification

This open access two-volume set LNCS 10980 and 10981 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 30th International Conference on Computer Aided Verification, CAV 2018, held in Oxford, UK, in July 2018. The 52 full and 13 tool papers presented together with 3 invited papers and 2 tutorials were carefully reviewed and selected from 215 submissions. The papers cover a wide range of topics and techniques, from algorithmic and logical foundations of verification to practical applications in distributed, networked, cyber-physical, and autonomous systems. They are organized in topical sections on model checking, program analysis using polyhedra, synthesis, learning, runtime verification, hybrid and timed systems, tools, probabilistic systems, static analysis, theory and security, SAT, SMT and decisions procedures, concurrency, and CPS, hardware, industrial applications

The Signal Synchronous Multiclock Approach to the Design of Distributed Embedded System

International audienceThis paper presents the design of distributed embedded systems using the synchronous multiclock model of the Signal language. It proposes a methodology that ensures a correct-by-construction functional implementation of these systems from high-level models. It shows the capability of the synchronous approach to apply formal techniques and tools that guarantee the reliability of the designed systems. Such a capability is necessary and highly worthy when dealing with safety-critical systems. The proposed methodology is demonstrated through a case study consisting of a simple avionic application, which aims to pragmatically help the reader to understand the manipulated formal concepts, and to apply them easily in order to solve system correctness issues encountered in practice. The application functionality is first modeled as well as its distribution on a generic hardware architecture. This relies on the endochrony and endo-isochrony properties of Signal specifications, defined previously. The considered architectures include asynchronous communication mechanisms, which are also modeled in Signal and proved to achieve message exchanges correctly. Furthermore, the synchronizability of the different parts in the resulting system is addressed after its deployment on a specific execution platform with multirate clocks. After all these steps, a distributed code can be automatically generated

Role of sedlin, a TRAPP complex subunit, in membrane trafficking and in the pathogenesis of Spondyleopyphiseal Dysplasia Tarda

Genetic defects occurring in the sedlin gene, a conserved component of TRAPP complex, cause Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia Tarda (SEDT), a rare progressive condition characterised by impaired chondrogenesis resulting in short stature, flattening of the vertebrae, and premature osteoarthritis. The role of sedlin in the pathogenesis of SEDT disease so far is still unknown. Prompted by the consideration that sedlin is ubiquitously expressed but that sedlin mutations cause cartilaginous-restricted dysfunctions, I hypothesized that sedlin might exert a role in membrane trafficking generally but in particular in the transport of chondrocyte- specific cargoes, such as type II procollagen (PCII). This hypothesis was reinforced by the fact that mutations in PCII give rise to autosomal dominant forms of spondyloepiphiseal dysplasia. I tested this hypothesis by analyzing the involvement of sedlin in the transport of different classes of secretory cargoes and found that sedlin is selectively required for PCII to exit the ER, while it is not essential for ER exit of small soluble and membrane-associated cargoes. I have also identified the molecular mechanism underlying this role of sedlin in its ability to bind the GTPase Sarl and to control the membrane-cytosol cycle of Sarl itself and of the COPIl coat complex at the level of the ER exit sites. Sedlin depletion and/or mutation in SEDT patients slows down the Sar1 cycle and prolongs the membrane association of Sar1-GTP at the ER exit sites, thus inducing constriction and premature fission of nascent carriers which fail to incorporate the large PC protofibrils but are still competent for smaller secretory cargoes. All together these findings provide new insights not only into understanding the role of sedlin but also shed new light on the molecular mechanisms underlying the onset of the SEDT disease

Trypanosoma brucei: Protein Expression Microarrays and Circulating miRNA during Infection

The last decades have been galvanized by efforts to reduce the ever widening gap that exist between functional genomics and proteomics. Assigning molecular functions to, and breaking through the complex networks in which each and every individual protein of the cellular proteome is involved is the breathtaking task that needs to be overcome in order to understand the molecular and physiological basis underlying health and disease. System-wide analysis is an approach that can permit a better understanding of the proteome, and there is need for robust and reliable platforms for such analysis to be developed. To contribute to current efforts, I have developed and optimized methods for the production of functional protein microarrays in a miniaturized form from cDNA products and genomic DNA as template source. I have further shown that such arrays are very useful and reliable in various applications such as protein-protein interactions, protein-RNA interactions, Kinase substrate identification and antibody selection. I have validated some data obtained from these arrays in vivo in a model organism, Trypanosoma brucei. This confirms that the platform can well contribute to the already existing proteomic tools in generating reliable biological data. Moreover, using cDNA products allow for the analysis of disease-related and rare transcripts as well as other spliced variants. Current diagnostic tools for human African trypanosomiases are very invasive and in some cases are not sensitive enough, and this is compounded by a highly heterogeneous seropositive patient population that is difficult to classify. To address this, I have equally analyzed the miRNA and mRNA expression pattern in the peripheral blood of patients in search for new markers. Thirteen differentially expressed miRNAs were identified, three of which (miRNA-199a-3p, miRNA-27b and miRNA-126*) were highly selective (>95%). These miRNAs have also been reported to be differentially regulated in other diseases and miRNA-199a-3p for example is used as a diagnostic biomarker. They are therefore not suitable as specific biomarkers in sleeping sickness. I have however shown that there is deregulation of miRNA expression following T. brucei infection, and most of the differentially regulated miRNAs are related to immune responses to infectious agents and other inflammatory responses influencing disease outcome

Aspects of Pacemakers

Outstanding steps forward were made in the last decades in terms of identification of endogenous pacemakers and the exploration of their controllability. New "artifical" devices were developed and are now able to do much more than solely pacemaking of the heart. In this book different aspects of pacemaker - functions and interactions, in various organ systems were examined. In addition, various areas of application and the potential side effects and complications of the devices were discussed

Resilience-Building Technologies: State of Knowledge -- ReSIST NoE Deliverable D12

This document is the first product of work package WP2, "Resilience-building and -scaling technologies", in the programme of jointly executed research (JER) of the ReSIST Network of Excellenc

1995 BRAC Commission

Naval Research Lab: Special Facilities and Equipment Capability Data Call. Tabular data, memos, documents. Box 178, L-110

NASA patent abstracts bibliography: A continuing bibliography. Section 2: Indexes (supplement 42)

A subject index is provided for over 4900 patents and patent applications for the period May 1969 through December 1992. Additional indexes list personal authors, corporate authors, contract numbers, NASA case numbers, U.S. patent class numbers, U.S. patent numbers, and NASA accession numbers

NASA patent abstracts bibliography: A continuing bibliography. Section 2: Indexes (supplement 44)

A subject index is provided for over 5500 patents and patent applications for the period May 1969 through December 1993. Additional indexes list personal authors, corporate authors, contract numbers, NASA case numbers, U.S. patent class numbers, U.S. patent numbers, and NASA accession numbers

NASA patent abstracts bibliography: A continuing bibliography. Section 2: Indexes (supplement 41)

A subject index is provided for over 5200 patents and patent applications for the period May 1969 through June 1992. Additional indexes list personal authors, corporate authors, contract numbers, NASA case numbers, U.S. patent class numbers, U.S. patent numbers, and NASA accession numbers