On Using Blockchains for Safety-Critical Systems

Innovation in the world of today is mainly driven by software. Companies need to continuously rejuvenate their product portfolios with new features to stay ahead of their competitors. For example, recent trends explore the application of blockchains to domains other than finance. This paper analyzes the state-of-the-art for safety-critical systems as found in modern vehicles like self-driving cars, smart energy systems, and home automation focusing on specific challenges where key ideas behind blockchains might be applicable. Next, potential benefits unlocked by applying such ideas are presented and discussed for the respective usage scenario. Finally, a research agenda is outlined to summarize remaining challenges for successfully applying blockchains to safety-critical cyber-physical systems

Resolving the masers in M82

Despite first being detected in the 1970s, surprisingly little is known about the OH main line maser population in the nearby starburst galaxy M82. Sometimes referred to as 'kilomasers', they have isotropic luminosities intermediate between Galactic masers and those found in more distant megamasers. Several observations have been carried by this group over the last ten years in an attempt to get a better handle on their nature. High velocity resolution VLA observations in 2006 showed that almost all of the maser spots, distributed across the central arcminute of the galaxy, were apparently coincident with background continuum features, and a handful displayed multiple velocity components. The majority of those with velocity structure are located on a blue-shifted arc in the pv-plane, spatially located on an arc northward of the peculiar source known as B41.95+57.5. Now, new results from high spatial and spectral resolution observations with the EVN have resolved several of these masers into multiple spatial components for the first time. The maser emission is compared with known continuum sources in the galaxy, and we conclude that at least some of the maser emission is from high-gain maser action.Comment: Six pages, one table, one figure. To appear in proceedings of the 11th EVN Symposium (Bordeaux, 9-12 October 2012

Psychopathology in Williams syndrome: the effect of individual differences across the lifespan

The present research aimed to comprehensively explore psychopathology in Williams syndrome (WS) across the lifespan and evaluate the relationship between psychopathology and age category (child or adult), gender and cognitive ability. The parents of 50 participants with WS, aged 6-50 years, were interviewed using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children (K-SADS-PL). The prevalence of a wide range of Axis I DSM-IV disorders was assessed. In addition to high rates of anxiety and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (38% and 20% respectively), 14% of our sample met criteria for a depressive disorder and 42% of participants were not experiencing any significant psychopathological difficulties. There was some evidence for different patterns of psychopathology between children and adults with WS and between males and females. These relationships were largely in keeping with those found in the typically developing population, thus supporting the validity of applying theory and treatment approaches for psychopathology in the typically developing population to WS

Biodegradation of textile waste by marine bacterial communities enhanced by light

Knowledge of biofilm formation on pollutants in the marine realm is expanding, but how communities respond to substrates during colonization remains poorly understood. Here, we assess community assembly and respiration in response to two different micropollutants, virgin high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) microbeads and textile fibres under different light settings. Raman characterization, high‐throughput DNA sequencing data, quantitative PCR, and respiration measurements reveal how a stimulation of aerobic respiration by micropollutants is translated into selection for significantly different communities colonizing the substrates. Despite the lack of evidence for biodegradation of HDPE, an increased abundance and respiration of bacterial taxa closely related to hydrocarbonoclastic Kordiimonas spp. and Alteromonas spp. in the presence of textile waste highlights their biodegradation potential. Incubations with textile fibres exhibited significantly higher respiration rates in the presence of light, which could be partially explained by photochemical dissolution of the textile waste into smaller bioavailable compounds. Our results suggest that the development and increased respiration of these unique microbial communities may potentially play a role in the bioremediation of the relatively long‐lived textile pollutants in marine habitats, and that the respiration of heterotrophic hydrocarbon‐degrading bacteria colonizing marine pollutants can be stimulated by light

Timing recovery after the cretaceous/paleogene boundary: evidence from Brazos River, Texas

As part of an on-going re-assessment of the Cretaceous/ Paleogene boundary in the Brazos River area, Falls County, Texas, a number of new exposures have been described. One of these, at River Bank South, provides a near continuous record of the lowermost Paleocene. It is from this succession that stable isotope analysis of bulk organic matter (δ13C and C/N) and mono-specific samples of the benthic foraminifera Lenticulina rotulata Lamarck (δ18O and δ13C) yields an orbitally-tuned stable isotope record, which allows the timing of events adjacent to the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary to be determined. Using this cyclicity, it is suggested that the on-set of biotic recovery began ∼40,000 years after the impact (near the base of Zone Pα) and that more significant recovery of planktic foraminifera and calcareous nannofossils began close to the base of Zone P1a, some 85,000–100,000 years post-impact. The data also appear to record the presence of the earliest Paleocene DAN-C2 and Lower C29n hyperthermal events and that these events appear to be an accentuated segment of this orbital cyclicity

Boundary Terms, Spinors and Kerr/CFT

Similarly as in AdS/CFT, the requirement that the action for spinors be stationary for solutions to the Dirac equation with fixed boundary conditions determines the form of the boundary term that needs to be added to the standard Dirac action in Kerr/CFT. We determine this boundary term and make use of it to calculate the two-point function for spinor fields in Kerr/CFT. This two-point function agrees with the correlator of a two dimensional relativistic conformal field theory.Comment: 15 page

Cellular Uptake and Internalization of Hyaluronan-based Doxorubicin and Cisplatin Conjugates

Background Hyaluronan (HA) is a ligand for the CD44 receptor which is crucial to cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. High levels of CD44 expression in many cancers have encouraged the development of HA-based carriers for anti-cancer therapeutics. Purpose The objective of this study was to determine whether HA conjugation of anticancer drugs impacts CD44-specific HA-drug uptake and disposition by human head and neck cancer cells. Methods The internalization and cellular disposition of hyaluronan-doxorubicin (HA-DOX), hyaluronan-cisplatin (HA-Pt), and hyaluronan-cyanine7 (HA-Cy7) conjugates were investigated by inhibiting endocytosis pathways, and by inhibiting the CD44–mediated internalization pathways that are known to mediate hyaluronan uptake in vitro. Results Cellular internalization of HA was regulated by CD44 receptors. In mouse xenografts, HA conjugation significantly enhanced tumor cell uptake compared to unconjugated drug. Discussion The results suggested that the main mechanism of HA-based conjugate uptake may be active transport via CD44 in conjunction with a clathrin–dependent endocytic pathway. Other HA receptors, hyaluronan–mediated motility receptor (RHAMM) and lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor (LYVE-1), did not play a significant role in conjugate uptake. Conclusions HA conjugation significantly increased CD44 mediated drug uptake and extended the residence time of drugs in tumor cells

Quantum Gravity Corrections for Schwarzschild Black Holes

We consider the Matrix theory proposal describing eleven-dimensional Schwarzschild black holes. We argue that the Newtonian potential between two black holes receives a genuine long range quantum gravity correction, which is finite and can be computed from the supergravity point of view. The result agrees with Matrix theory up to a numerical factor which we have not computed.Comment: 14 pages, Tex, no figure

Late Pleistocene pteropods, heteropods and planktonic foraminifera from the Caribbean Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean

Pteropods and heteropods (holoplanktonic gastropods) are an important component of the modern oceans; however, detailed information on their distribution in the fossil record is often based on poorly preserved specimens. This study presents the micropaleontological analysis of three exceptionally well-preserved Late Pleistocenemarine sediment cores from the eastern Caribbean Sea, westernMediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. This study presents the first stratigraphical record of heteropods in the Caribbean Sea and extends the known zonation of pteropods in the Mediterranean Sea. Distributions of pteropods, heteropods and planktonic foraminifera are presented with abundance and species richness data, as well as stratigraphical dates inferred from the oxygen isotope stratigraphy, argon-argon dating and biostratigraphy. The findings of this study greatly improve our understanding of holoplanktonic gastropod stratigraphy and ecology. Results reveal that the geographical range of heteropods, thought to be restricted to sub-tropical warm waters,may be much greater, including waters of sub-polar temperature. Heteropods were also found to be surprisingly abundant, potentially representing a more important part of the ocean food web than previously thought. Analysis revealed two species of holoplanktonic gastropod that are previously undescribed and indicate that the pteropod Heliconoides mermuysi (Cahuzac and Janssen 2010), known exclusively from the Moulin de Cabanes (Miocene),may have lived in theCaribbean Sea and Indian Ocean as recently as 4 kyr ago. These findings highlight the urgent need for increased research on holoplanktonic gastropods. The threat that current climate change and ocean acidification poses, particularly to the delicately shelled forms, means that some species may become extinct before they have even been fully ‘discovered’