Fault Localization in Multi-Threaded C Programs using Bounded Model Checking (extended version)

Software debugging is a very time-consuming process, which is even worse for multi-threaded programs, due to the non-deterministic behavior of thread-scheduling algorithms. However, the debugging time may be greatly reduced, if automatic methods are used for localizing faults. In this study, a new method for fault localization, in multi-threaded C programs, is proposed. It transforms a multi-threaded program into a corresponding sequential one and then uses a fault-diagnosis method suitable for this type of program, in order to localize faults. The code transformation is implemented with rules and context switch information from counterexamples, which are typically generated by bounded model checkers. Experimental results show that the proposed method is effective, in such a way that sequential fault-localization methods can be extended to multi-threaded programs.Comment: extended version of paper published at SBESC'1

Exposure to the complement C5b-9 complex sensitizes 661W photoreceptor cells to both apoptosis and necroptosis.

The loss of photoreceptors is the defining characteristic of many retinal degenerative diseases, but the mechanisms that regulate photoreceptor cell death are not fully understood. Here we have used the 661W cone photoreceptor cell line to ask whether exposure to the terminal complement complex C5b-9 induces cell death and/or modulates the sensitivity of these cells to other cellular stressors. 661W cone photoreceptors were exposed to complete normal human serum following antibody blockade of CD59. Apoptosis induction was assessed morphologically, by flow cytometry, and on western blotting by probing for cleaved PARP and activated caspase-3. Necroptosis was assessed by flow cytometry and Sirtuin 2 inhibition using 2-cyano-3-[5-(2,5-dichlorophenyl)-2-furyl]-N-5-quinolinylacrylamide (AGK2). The sensitivity of 661W cells to ionomycin, staurosporine, peroxide and chelerythrine was also investigated, with or without prior formation of C5b-9. 661W cells underwent apoptotic cell death following exposure to C5b-9, as judged by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 cleavage and activation of caspase-3. We also observed apoptotic cell death in response to staurosporine, but 661W cells were resistant to both ionomycin and peroxide. Interestingly, C5b-9 significantly increased 661W sensitivity to staurosporine-induced apoptosis and necroptosis. These studies show that low levels of C5b-9 on 661W cells can induce apoptosis, and that C5b-9 specifically sensitizes 661W cells to certain apoptotic and necroptotic pathways. Our observations provide new insight into the potential role of the complement system in photoreceptor loss, with implications for the molecular aetiology of retinal disease

A New Weibull-G Family of Distributions

Statistical analysis of lifetime data is an important topic in reliability engineering, biomedical and social sciences and others. We introduce a new generator based on the Weibull random variable called the new Weibull-G family. We study some of its mathematical properties. Its density function can be symmetrical, left-skewed, right-skewed, bathtub and reversed-J shaped, and has increasing, decreasing, bathtub, upside-down bathtub, J, reversed-J and S shaped hazard rates. Some special models are presented. We obtain explicit expressions for the ordinary and incomplete moments, quantile and generating functions, Renyi entropy, order statistics and reliability. Three useful characterizations based on truncated moments are also proposed for the new family. The method of maximum likelihood is used to estimate the model parameters. We illustrate the importance of the family by means of two applications to real data sets

The Kumaraswamy Marshal-Olkin Family of Distributions

We introduce a new family of continuous distributions called the Kumaraswamy Marshal-Olkin generalized family of distributions. We study some mathematical properties of this family. Its density function is symmetrical, left-skewed, right-skewed and reversed-J shaped, and has constant, increasing, decreasing, upside-down bathtub, bathtub and S-shaped hazard rate. We present some special models and investigate the asymptotics and shapes of the family. We derive a power series for the quantile function and obtain explicit expressions for the moments, generating function, mean deviations, two types of entropies and order statistics. Some useful characterizations of the family are also proposed. The method of maximum likelihood is used to estimate the model parameters. We illustrate the importance of the family by means of two applications to real data sets

Análise da capacidade produtiva de própolis em diferentes espécies de abelhas sem ferrão.

A criação de abelhas sem ferrão, conhecida como Meliponicultura, visa principalmente a produção de mel, porém outros produtos também podem ser gerados pela atividade, como pólen, cera e própolis. Esta última ainda não é bem difundida por falta de estudos na área. A própolis é uma mistura de resinas vegetais coletadas pelas abelhas a partir de troncos e secreções de árvores. É utilizada para fazer a proteção da colônia contra inimigos naturais: formigas, forídeos, lagartixas e aranhas. O trabalho foi realizado no laboratório de Botânica da EMBRAPA Amazônia Oriental, no período de Setembro de 2013 à Janeiro de 2014. Utilizou-se 6 espécies de abelhas sem ferrão: Frieseomelita cf. longipes, Frieseomelitta flavicornis, Scaptotrigona postiça, Melipona melanoventer, Melipona fasciculata e Melipona flavolineata. A três primeiras espécies produzem própolis puro, enquanto as demais produzem uma mistura de própolis com barro, chamada de batume. Foram usadas 3 colônias de cada espécie e utilizou-se de coletores de própolis para a realização do trabalho. O própolis foi removido cada 15 dias. A espécie produtora de batume que mais se destacou foi a M. flavolineata com cerca de 215,56 g (±129,56), enquanto que relacionado a produção de própolis, a espécie F. cf. longipes produziu em média 39,95 g (±17,29), ambas a cada 15 dias. As amostras estão sendo guardadas para análises futuras de atividade biológica e farmacológica, a fim de descobrir benefícios que a própolis de abelhas sem ferrão podem trazer e consequentemente agregar valor econômico à mesma

Minimalist Approach for the Design of Microstructured Optical Fiber Sensors

We report on recent investigations regarding ultra-simplified designs for microstructured optical fiber sensors. This minimalist approach relies on the utilization of capillary-like fibers—namely embedded-core fibers, surface-core fibers, and capillary fibers—as platforms for the realization of sensing measurements. In these fibers, guidance of light is accomplished in an embedded or surface germanium-doped core or in the hollow part of capillaries. External stimuli can alter fiber wall thickness and/or induce birefringence variations, allowing, for the embedded-core and capillary fibers, to operate as pressure or temperature sensors. For the surface-core fiber design, the interaction between the guided mode and external medium allows the realization of refractive index sensing either by using fiber Bragg gratings or surface plasmon resonance phenomenon. Also, we report the realization of directional curvature sensing with surface-core fibers making use of the off-center core position. The attained sensitivities are comparable to the ones obtained with much more sophisticated structures. The results demonstrate that these novel geometries enable a new route toward the simplification of optical fiber sensors

From the web of bibliographic data to the web of bibliographic meaning: structuring, interlinking and validating ontologies on the semantic web

Bibliographic data sets have revealed good levels of technical interoperability observing the principles and good practices of linked data. However, they have a low level of quality from the semantic point of view, due to many factors: lack of a common conceptual framework for a diversity of standards often used together, reduced number of links between the ontologies underlying data sets, proliferation of heterogeneous vocabularies, underuse of semantic mechanisms in data structures, "ontology hijacking" (Feeney et al., 2018), point-to-point mappings, as well as limitations of semantic web languages for the requirements of bibliographic data interoperability. After reviewing such issues, a research direction is proposed to overcome the misalignments found by means of a reference model and a superontology, using Shapes Constraint Language (SHACL) to solve current limitations of RDF languages.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Serotyping of Toxoplasma gondii Infection Using Peptide Membrane Arrays.

The intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii can cause chronic infections in most warm-blooded animals, including humans. In the USA, strains belonging to four different Toxoplasma clonal lineages (types 1, 2, 3, and 12) are commonly isolated, whereas strains not belonging to these lineages are predominant in other continents such as South America. Strain type plays a pivotal role in determining the severity of Toxoplasma infection. Therefore, it is epidemiologically relevant to develop a non-invasive and inexpensive method for determining the strain type in Toxoplasma infections and to correlate the genotype with disease outcome. Serological typing is based on the fact that many host antibodies are raised against immunodominant parasite proteins that are highly polymorphic between strains. However, current serological assays can only reliably distinguish type 2 from non-type 2 infections. To improve these assays, mouse, rabbit, and human infection serum were reacted against 950 peptides from 62 different polymorphic Toxoplasma proteins by using cellulose membrane peptide arrays. This allowed us to identify the most antigenic peptides and to pinpoint the most relevant polymorphisms that determine strain specificity. Our results confirm the utility of previously described peptides and identify novel peptides that improve and increase the specificity of the assay. In addition, a large number of novel proteins showed potential to be used for Toxoplasma diagnosis. Among these, peptides derived from several rhoptry, dense granule, and surface proteins represented promising candidates that may be used in future experiments to improve Toxoplasma serotyping. Moreover, a redesigned version of the published GRA7 typing peptide performed better and specifically distinguished type 3 from non-type 3 infections in sera from mice, rabbits, and humans

Gasoline quality sensor based on tilted fiber Bragg gratings

FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOWe report on the study of an intensity-based optical fiber sensor for gasoline quality monitoring. The sensor setup employs two Bragg gratings with different spectral responses to interrogate the optical response of a tilted Bragg grating. The sensor operation is based on the tilted Bragg grating sensitivity to external refractive index changes, which are translated as power variations by the interrogation scheme. Gasoline-ethanol solutions with concentrations ranging from 0% to 60% ethanol were used to demonstrate the sensor performance. The results allowed to estimate that the sensor is able, within its resolution limit, to detect ethanol concentration variations of 1.5% in gasoline-ethanol solutions and discriminate temperature variations of 0.5 degrees C. The all-optical sensor setup is compact and robust, making it a competitive alternative for the realization of fuel quality analyses in practical applications.6218FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO2014/50632-6Sem informaçã