Language Emptiness of Continuous-Time Parametric Timed Automata

Parametric timed automata extend the standard timed automata with the possibility to use parameters in the clock guards. In general, if the parameters are real-valued, the problem of language emptiness of such automata is undecidable even for various restricted subclasses. We thus focus on the case where parameters are assumed to be integer-valued, while the time still remains continuous. On the one hand, we show that the problem remains undecidable for parametric timed automata with three clocks and one parameter. On the other hand, for the case with arbitrary many clocks where only one of these clocks is compared with (an arbitrary number of) parameters, we show that the parametric language emptiness is decidable. The undecidability result tightens the bounds of a previous result which assumed six parameters, while the decidability result extends the existing approaches that deal with discrete-time semantics only. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first positive result in the case of continuous-time and unbounded integer parameters, except for the rather simple case of single-clock automata

Assessment of the response profile to hyaluronic acid plus sorbitol injection in patients with knee osteoarthritis: post hoc analysis of a 6-month randomized controlled trial

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Is the rate of responders to hyaluronic acid injection for patients with knee osteoarthritis stable over time? Post hoc analyses of a 6-month follow-up study

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Commentary: osteoarthritis of the knee and glucosamine

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Enumeration and Decidable Properties of Automatic Sequences

We show that various aspects of k-automatic sequences -- such as having an unbordered factor of length n -- are both decidable and effectively enumerable. As a consequence it follows that many related sequences are either k-automatic or k-regular. These include many sequences previously studied in the literature, such as the recurrence function, the appearance function, and the repetitivity index. We also give some new characterizations of the class of k-regular sequences. Many results extend to other sequences defined in terms of Pisot numeration systems

Diagnosis of Methionine/Valine Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease by Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification

A patient with a heterozygous variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) with a methionine/valine genotype at codon 129 of the prion protein gene was recently reported. Using an ultrasensitive and specific protein misfolding cyclic amplification–based assay for detecting variant CJD prions in cerebrospinal fluid, we discriminated this heterozygous case of variant CJD from cases of sporadic CJD

Computer aided synthesis: a game theoretic approach

In this invited contribution, we propose a comprehensive introduction to game theory applied in computer aided synthesis. In this context, we give some classical results on two-player zero-sum games and then on multi-player non zero-sum games. The simple case of one-player games is strongly related to automata theory on infinite words. All along the article, we focus on general approaches to solve the studied problems, and we provide several illustrative examples as well as intuitions on the proofs.Comment: Invitation contribution for conference "Developments in Language Theory" (DLT 2017

Complementation of Rational Sets on Scattered Linear Orderings of Finite Rank

International audienceIn a preceding paper, automata have been introduced for words indexed by linear orderings. These automata are a generalization of automata for finite, infinite, bi-finite and even transfinite words studied by Buchi Kleene's theorem has been generalized to these words. We show that deterministic automata do not have the same expressive power. Despite this negative result, we prove that rational sets of words of finite ranks are closed under complementation

The Materials Engineering Applying Exam Course at the Instituto Sabato: advantages of the usage of various learning strategies

El ingreso a Ingeniería en Materiales en el Instituto Sabato de la Universidad Nacional de General San Martín (UNSAM) y de la Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (CNEA) se apoya desde 2007 en un aula virtual de acompañamiento a los y las aspirantes. Con el objetivo de brindar las condiciones necesarias para generar y mantener en la persona que aspira a ingresar un compromiso con el estudio, hemos analizado alternativas de modalidades para el curso de ingreso. Consideramos que las oportunidades de aproximación y adhesión a las propuestas didácticas son mucho mayores si se presenta una diversidad de enfoques, adaptables a un mayor número de personas atraídas por diferentes tipos de propuestas. Con esto en mente es que hemos ido ampliando y diversificando las propuestas didácticas. Éstas abarcan desde módulos interactivos, con diferentes tipos de interacciones, hasta encuentros presenciales, foros virtuales, visitas, etc. En el año 2017 sumamos un nuevo recurso, un curso semipresencial de una semana seguido de un curso virtual con duración desde marzo hasta el día del examen en la primera semana de junio, con su propia aula virtual. Las ventajas de este enfoque son múltiples. Se forma una comunidad virtual de intercambio en los foros del curso, se forma una comunidad física en el curso presencial realizado en el Centro Atómico Constituyentes (CAC) (que deriva en la formación espontánea de un grupo de mensajería instantánea entre estudiantes e independiente del Instituto), y se da lugar también a un número mucho mayor de participantes que pueden mantenerse en contacto, interactuar a distancia y descargar diversos contenidos (el material trabajado en forma presencial en formato interactivo, ejercitación propuesta de Matemática, Física y Química, discusiones de los foros, etc.). Tras dos años de experiencia de esta nueva modalidad, presentamos un análisis de la participación y sus correlaciones con los resultados del examen de admisión a la carrera.The Materials Engineering Applying Exam Course at Instituto Sabato (Universidad Nacional de General San Martín, UNSAM, and Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, CNEA) is supported since 2007 in a virtual classroom. We have analyzed different options for the admission course in the aim of providing the best conditions for generating and maintaining a commitment with study in the person about to undertake the exam. We consider that the opportunities of interaction and adhesion to the didactic proposals increase if a diversity of approaches is offered, since they can be adapted to a great number of persons with different characteristics and living conditions. Bearing this objective in mind we have increased the didactic offer, comprising now interactive modules with different modalities, meetings, virtual forums, visits, among others. In 2017 we added a new resource, a blended learning course with its own virtual classroom consisting in a one week classroom-based course and a virtual course that spans from March till the exam in the first week of June. The advantages are many: a virtual community is formed within the course forums, a physical community is formed at the real classroom during the first week course that takes place at the Constituyentes Atomic Center. This physical community immediately gives rise to a messaging group that keeps in contact independently from the teachers and the Instituto Sabato. The virtual community can be integrated by a greater number of participants that maintain contact, interact and access to the learning material offered as interactive modules studied simultaneously at the physical and virtual classrooms. Exercises covering the three areas mathematics, physics and chemistry are offered all along the course. After two years of experiencing this new modality, we present here the analysis of participation and its correlation with the results of the Applying Exam.Fil: Alonso, Paula Regina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Constituyentes; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto Sabato; ArgentinaFil: Bruyère, Vivianne I. E.. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Constituyentes; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto Sabato; ArgentinaFil: Kappes, Mariano Alberto. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Constituyentes; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto Sabato; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Roberti, Liliana. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Constituyentes; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto Sabato; ArgentinaFil: Monti, Ana Maria. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Constituyentes; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto Sabato; Argentin

European Association of Urology Position Paper on the Prevention of Infectious Complications Following Prostate Biopsy

Funding support: This work is supported by the European Association of Urology Guidelines Office.Peer reviewedPostprin