Model-Based Security Testing

Security testing aims at validating software system requirements related to security properties like confidentiality, integrity, authentication, authorization, availability, and non-repudiation. Although security testing techniques are available for many years, there has been little approaches that allow for specification of test cases at a higher level of abstraction, for enabling guidance on test identification and specification as well as for automated test generation. Model-based security testing (MBST) is a relatively new field and especially dedicated to the systematic and efficient specification and documentation of security test objectives, security test cases and test suites, as well as to their automated or semi-automated generation. In particular, the combination of security modelling and test generation approaches is still a challenge in research and of high interest for industrial applications. MBST includes e.g. security functional testing, model-based fuzzing, risk- and threat-oriented testing, and the usage of security test patterns. This paper provides a survey on MBST techniques and the related models as well as samples of new methods and tools that are under development in the European ITEA2-project DIAMONDS.Comment: In Proceedings MBT 2012, arXiv:1202.582

Observation of the Cabibbo-suppressed decay Xi_c+ -> p K- pi+

We report the first observation of the Cabibbo-suppressed charm baryon decay Xi_c+ -> p K- pi+. We observe 150 +- 22 events for the signal. The data were accumulated using the SELEX spectrometer during the 1996-1997 fixed target run at Fermilab, chiefly from a 600 GeV/c Sigma- beam. The branching fractions of the decay relative to the Cabibbo-favored Xi_c+ -> Sigma+ K- pi+ and Xi_c+ -> X- pi+ pi+ are measured to be B(Xi_c+ -> p K- pi+)/B(Xi_c+ -> Sigma+ K- pi+) = 0.22 +- 0.06 +- 0.03 and B(Xi_c+ -> p K- pi+)/B(Xi_c+ -> X- pi+ pi+) = 0.20 +- 0.04 +- 0.02, respectively.Comment: 5 pages, RevTeX, 3 figures (postscript), Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Methane Clumped Isotopes: Progress and Potential for a New Isotopic Tracer

The isotopic composition of methane is of longstanding geochemical interest, with important implications for understanding petroleum systems, atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, the global carbon cycle, and life in extreme environments. Recent analytical developments focusing on multiply substituted isotopologues (‘clumped isotopes’) are opening a valuable new window into methane geochemistry. When methane forms in internal isotopic equilibrium, clumped isotopes can provide a direct record of formation temperature, making this property particularly valuable for identifying different methane origins. However, it has also become clear that in certain settings methane clumped isotope measurements record kinetic rather than equilibrium isotope effects. Here we present a substantially expanded dataset of methane clumped isotope analyses, and provide a synthesis of the current interpretive framework for this parameter. In general, clumped isotope measurements indicate plausible formation temperatures for abiotic, thermogenic, and microbial methane in many geological environments, which is encouraging for the further development of this measurement as a geothermometer, and as a tracer for the source of natural gas reservoirs and emissions. We also highlight, however, instances where clumped isotope derived temperatures are higher than expected, and discuss possible factors that could distort equilibrium formation temperature signals. In microbial methane from freshwater ecosystems, in particular, clumped isotope values appear to be controlled by kinetic effects, and may ultimately be useful to study methanogen metabolism

Observation of excited Omega(0)(c) baryons in Omega(-)(b) -> Xi(+)(c) K-pi(-) decays

The first observation of the $\Omega_b^- \to \Xi_c^+ K^- \pi^-$ decay is reported using $pp$ collision data at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13\,$\mathrm{TeV}$ collected by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9\,$\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$. Four excited $\Omega_c^0$ baryons are observed in the $\Xi_c^+ K^-$ mass projection of the $\Omega_b^- \to \Xi_c^+ K^- \pi^-$ decays with the significance of each exceeding five standard deviations. They coincide with the states previously observed in prompt \proton\proton and $e^+e^-$ production. Relative production rates, masses and natural widths of the states are measured, and a test of spin hypotheses is performed. Moreover, the branching ratio of $\Omega_b^- \to \Xi_c^+ K^- \pi^-$ is measured relative to the $\Omega_b^- \to \Omega_c^0 \pi^-$ decay mode and a precise measurement of the $\Omega_b^-$ mass of \mbox{$6044.3 \pm 1.2 \pm 1.1^{\,+0.19}_{\,-0.22}\,\mathrm{MeV}$} is obtained.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2021-012.html (LHCb public pages

Observation of the Mass Difference Between Neutral Charm-Meson Eigenstates

A measurement of mixing and C P violation in neutral charm mesons is performed using data reconstructed in proton-proton collisions collected by the LHCb experiment from 2016 to 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4     fb − 1 . A total of 30.6 million D 0 → K 0 S π + π − decays are analyzed using a method optimized for the measurement of the mass difference between neutral charm-meson eigenstates. Allowing for C P violation in mixing and in the interference between mixing and decay, the mass and decay-width differences are measured to be x C P = [ 3.97 ± 0.46 ( stat ) ± 0.29 ( syst ) ] × 1 0 − 3 and y C P = [ 4.59 ± 1.20 ( stat ) ± 0.85 ( syst ) ] × 1 0 − 3 , respectively. The C P -violating parameters are measured as Δ x = [ − 0.27 ± 0.18 ( stat ) ± 0.01 ( syst ) ] × 1 0 − 3 and Δ y = [ 0.20 ± 0.36 ( stat ) ± 0.13 ( syst ) ] × 1 0 − 3 . This is the first observation of a nonzero mass difference in the D 0 meson system, with a significance exceeding seven standard deviations. The data are consistent with C P symmetry and improve existing constraints on the associated parameters

Control of the induction soldering on the basis of process temperature indirect measurements

The article suggests the use of indirect measurements to control the process of induction soldering. Based on the equations of thermodynamics, it is proposed a scheme for approximating the temperature values in the solder zone on the basis of information from pyrometric sensors aimed at an area remote from the soldered joint site. A model-algorithmic instrument for indirect temperature measurements in the soldering technological process is developed, the scheme of which is presented in the article. The software of waveguide paths induction soldering control in the form of an already existing system module has been developed, which allows not only to carry out experimental studies on control algorithms, but also to implement a full-scale experiment, the results of which confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach

Control of the induction soldering on the basis of process temperature indirect measurements

The article suggests the use of indirect measurements to control the process of induction soldering. Based on the equations of thermodynamics, it is proposed a scheme for approximating the temperature values in the solder zone on the basis of information from pyrometric sensors aimed at an area remote from the soldered joint site. A model-algorithmic instrument for indirect temperature measurements in the soldering technological process is developed, the scheme of which is presented in the article. The software of waveguide paths induction soldering control in the form of an already existing system module has been developed, which allows not only to carry out experimental studies on control algorithms, but also to implement a full-scale experiment, the results of which confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach

Site-Directed Mutagenesis of the Fibronectin Domains in Insulin Receptor-Related Receptor

The orphan insulin receptor-related receptor (IRR), in contrast to its close homologs, the insulin receptor (IR) and insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-IR) can be activated by mildly alkaline extracellular medium. We have previously demonstrated that IRR activation is defined by its extracellular region, involves multiple domains, and shows positive cooperativity with two synergistic sites. By the analyses of point mutants and chimeras of IRR with IR in, we now address the role of the fibronectin type III (FnIII) repeats in the IRR pH-sensing. The first activation site includes the intrinsically disordered subdomain ID (646–716) within the FnIII-2 domain at the C-terminus of IRR alpha subunit together with closely located residues L135, G188, R244, H318, and K319 of L1 and C domains of the second subunit. The second site involves residue T582 of FnIII-1 domain at the top of IRR lambda-shape pyramid together with M406, V407, and D408 from L2 domain within the second subunit. A possible importance of the IRR carbohydrate moiety for its activation was also assessed. IRR is normally less glycosylated than IR and IGF-IR. Swapping both FnIII-2 and FnIII-3 IRR domains with those of IR shifted beta-subunit mass from 68 kDa for IRR to about 100 kDa due to increased glycosylation and abolished the IRR pH response. However, mutations of four asparagine residues, potential glycosylation sites in chimera IRR with swapped FnIII-2/3 domains of IR, decreased the chimera glycosylation and resulted in a partial restoration of IRR pH-sensing activity, suggesting that the extensive glycosylation of FnIII-2/3 provides steric hindrance for the alkali-induced rearrangement of the IRR ectodomain