A Rewriting Approach to the Combination of Data Structures with Bridging Theories

International audienceWe introduce a combination method à la Nelson-Oppen to solve the satisfiability problem modulo a non-disjoint union of theories connected with bridging functions. The combination method is particularly useful to handle verification conditions involving functions defined over inductive data structures. We investigate the problem of determining the data structure theories for which this combination method is sound and complete. Our completeness proof is based on a rewriting approach where the bridging function is defined as a term rewrite system, and the data structure theory is given by a basic congruence relation. Our contribution is to introduce a class of data structure theories that are combinable with a disjoint target theory via an inductively defined bridging function. This class includes the theory of equality, the theory of absolutely free data structures, and all the theories in between. Hence, our non-disjoint combination method applies to many classical data structure theories admitting a rewrite-based satisfiability procedure

A Gentle Non-Disjoint Combination of Satisfiability Procedures (Extended Version)

A satisfiability problem is often expressed in a combination of theories, and a natural approach consists in solving the problem by combining the satisfiability procedures available for the component theories. This is the purpose of the combination method introduced by Nelson and Oppen. However, in its initial presentation, the Nelson-Oppen combination method requires the theories to be signature-disjoint and stably infinite (to guarantee the existence of an infinite model). The notion of gentle theory has been introduced in the last few years as one solution to go beyond the restriction of stable infiniteness, but in the case of disjoint theories. In this paper, we adapt the notion of gentle theory to the non-disjoint combination of theories sharing only unary predicates (plus constants and the equality). Like in the disjoint case, combining two theories, one of them being gentle, requires some minor assumptions on the other one. We show that major classes of theories, i.e.\ Löwenheim and Bernays-Schönfinkel-Ramsey, satisfy the appropriate notion of gentleness introduced for this particular non-disjoint combination framework

Blood pressure status, trajectories, and cardiovascular disease: the CoLaus|PsyCoLaus prospective study

Contexte : L'hypertension artérielle (HTA) est un facteur de risque majeur de maladies cardiovasculaires (MCV). Un traitement adéquat de l'HTA devrait réduire le risque de MCV, mais cette association a rarement été évaluée dans un cadre de population générale. Méthodes : Étude prospective populationnelle menée à Lausanne, en Suisse, avec un suivi entre 2003 et 2021. Les participants ont été catégorisés en tant que tension artérielle normale, HTA non traitée, HTA traitée non contrôlée et HTA traitée contrôlée. La mortalité totale et liée aux MCV ainsi que tout événement cardiovasculaire ont été évalués. Résultats : 5 341 participants (65 % avec une tension artérielle normale, 17,4 % non traités, 8,8 % traités et non contrôlés et 8,8 % traités et contrôlés) ont été inclus. Après un suivi médian de 14 ans [intervalle interquartile : 11-15], 575 événements cardiovasculaires se sont produits. Par rapport aux participants ayant une tension artérielle normale, les risques relatifs (RR) ajustés et leurs intervalles de confiance à 95 % pour les MCV étaient de 1,38 (1,11-1,72) pour les non traités, 1,35 (1,04-1,76) pour les traités et non contrôlés, et 1,50 (1,15-1,95) pour les traités et contrôlés. Les RR correspondants pour la mortalité due aux MCV (112 événements) étaient de 0,94 (0,52-1,70), 1,77 (1,00-3,12) et 2,52 (1,50-4,23), respectivement. Pour la mortalité totale (677 événements), les RR étaient de 1,24 (1,01-1,52), 1,26 (0,99-1,60) et 1,27 (0,99-1,62), respectivement. Une analyse de sensibilité utilisant le statut tensionnel pendant une période de 5 ans et classant les participants comme toujours normaux, toujours traités non contrôlés, toujours traités contrôlés et autres a conduit à des résultats similaires. Conclusion : Sur une période de suivi de 14 ans, le contrôle de la tension artérielle n'était pas associé à une réduction des événements cardiovasculaires, de la mortalité liée aux MCV ou de la mortalité totale. Cette constatation devrait aider à définir de nouvelles études sur les facteurs affectant les MCV et la mortalité chez les personnes traitées pour l'hypertension dans la population générale. -- Background High blood pressure (BP) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Adequate treatment of high BP should reduce the risk of CVD, but this association has seldom been assessed in a general population setting. Methods Population-based prospective study conducted in Lausanne, Switzerland, with a follow-up between 2003 and 2021. Participants were categorised as normal BP, untreated high BP, treated and uncontrolled BP and treated and controlled BP. Total and CVD mortality as well as any CVD event were assessed. Results 5341 participants (65% normal, 17.4% untreated, 8.8% treated and uncontrolled and 8.8% treated and controlled) were included. After a median follow-up of 14 years (IQR: 11–15), 575 CVD events occurred. Relative to participants with normal BP, multivariable-adjusted HRs (and 95% CI) for total CVD were 1.38 (1.11 to 1.72) for untreated, 1.35 (1.04 to 1.76) for treated and uncontrolled and 1.50 (1.15 to 1.95) for treated and controlled. The corresponding HRs for CVD mortality (112 events) were 0.94 (0.52 to 1.70), 1.77 (1.00 to 3.12) and 2.52 (1.50 to 4.23), respectively. For total mortality (677 events), the HRs were 1.24 (1.01 to 1.52), 1.26 (0.99 to 1.60) and 1.27 (0.99 to 1.62), respectively. Sensitivity analysis using BP status during a 5-year period and categorising participants as always normal, always treated and uncontrolled, always treated and controlled and other led to similar findings. Conclusion Over a long follow-up period of 14 years, BP control was not associated with reduction of CVD events, CVD-related or total mortality. This finding should help define further studies on factors affecting CVD and mortality in people treated for hypertension in the general population

Cellulose biofilms as a high-performance alternative in food packaging, from barrier properties to biodegradability

Treballs Finals de Grau d'Enginyeria Química, Facultat de Química, Universitat de Barcelona, Curs: 2024-2025, Tutores: Eliana Ramírez Rangel, Montserrat Iborra UriosNowadays, there is a growing awareness of the problem of pollution, especially with regard to the generation of plastics, a sector widely in demand due to its versatility in various applications. The polymers commonly used in the food packaging industry represent a significant problem, since they come from a non-renewable source such as petroleum and are not biodegradable. This Final Degree Project is a bibliographic study about the bioplastics derived from cellulose, highlighting two key advantages: their origin from biomass and their biodegradability, which makes them a highly relevant resource for the future. The study focuses mainly on cellulose bioplastics due to their availability, the low cost of the raw material and their wide range of applications, derived from their properties. In addition, they present compatibility with different compounds that allow modifying these properties. However, one of the main drawbacks of these materials is their production cost compared to non-biodegradable plastics. In the field of food packaging, the most commonly used cellulose biofilms that will be analyzed are cellulose acetate and cellulose propionate. The production methods, characterization and properties of these materials derived of cellulose acetate and cellulose acetate propionate will be studied. In addition, the comparison between different catalysts used in the production will be analyzed, observing the current trend to use heterogeneus catalysts, in concret acidic ion exchange resins due to their lower environmental impact. Finally, a comparison of the usual production of conventional plastics will be made, evaluating how the innovation and development sector is working in the search for competitive and sustainable solutions to this proble

Fonctionnements autistiques et dimension thérapeutique des médiations (Tome 1 et 2)

Care for subjects with autistic or related disorders in medical institutes is mainly based on activities using mediation. This research deals with the caring of youngsters with Pervasive Developmental Disorder in a medical institute. Using both autobiographical work from author with autism and case study of psychotherapeutic follow-up in a medical institute, the idea of autistic functioning will be exposed. This idea is a way to comprehend psychic process mostly seen in autistic persons. In addition to this theoretical point of view about autism, this work contains observation and theorisation of three apparatus usually used in medical institutes (a walking activity, a sexual education activity and a journal activity). The observations of educative, sportive and cultural apparatus are analysed using psychoanalytical group theory. This research outlines qualitative aspects of mechanisms seen in those apparatus that helps patients to find a therapeutic profit. Using group activity, diversity of the apparatus, and their integration inside a global caring project are ways to stimulate autistic subject to avoid set up or perseveration of sameness. Social integration is also addressed from an institutional level resorting on peer groups and using apparatus to encounter with society outside the institute.La prise en charge des personnes souffrant de troubles autistiques ou apparentés en institution repose majoritairement sur l’utilisation d’ateliers à médiation. Le présent travail de recherche porte sur l’accompagnement d’une population d’adolescents et de jeunes adultes répondant au diagnostic de Troubles envahissants du développement. En s’appuyant sur les travaux autobiographiques de personnes autistes et sur des cas cliniques issus d’une pratique psychothérapeutique institutionnelle, une réflexion est menée autour de la notion de fonctionnements autistiques. Celle-ci renvoie aux fonctionnements psychiques qui peuvent être observés de manière prépondérante chez les personnes autistes. À ces considérations théoriques autour de l’autisme s’adjoint un travail d’observation et de théorisation concernant trois ateliers fréquemment rencontrés dans le cadre de prises en charge institutionnelles de cette population (atelier balade, éducation sexuelle et atelier journal). Les observations menées sur ces dispositifs éducatifs, sportifs et culturels sont appréhendées grâce aux théories psychanalytiques des groupes.La présente recherche souligne les aspects qualitatifs des mécanismes se déployant dans ces dispositifs et qui permettent aux patients d’obtenir un gain thérapeutique. L’appui sur le groupe, la variété des dispositifs, l’intégration de ces dispositifs dans un tout institutionnel représentent autant de manière de stimuler les sujets autistes afin d’éviter l’installation ou le maintien de l’immutabilité. L’intégration sociale est également travaillée au niveau institutionnel par la constitution de groupes de pairs et l’aménagement de dispositifs permettant une rencontre avec le milieu social extérieur à l’institution

Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Neurological Complications of Infective Endocarditis: Impact on Surgical Management and Prognosis

International audienceObjectives:Symptomatic neurological complications (NC) are a major cause of mortality in infective endocarditis (IE) but the impact of asymptomatic complications is unknown. We aimed to assess the impact of asymptomatic NC (AsNC) on the management and prognosis of IE.Methods: From the database of cases collected for a population-based study on IE, we selected 283 patients with definite left-sided IE who had undergone at least one neuroimaging procedure (cerebral CT scan and/or MRI) performed as part of initial evaluation.Results Among those 283 patients, 100 had symptomatic neurological complications (SNC) prior to the investigation, 35 had an asymptomatic neurological complications (AsNC), and 148 had a normal cerebral imaging (NoNC). The rate of valve surgery was 43% in the 100 patients with SNC, 77% in the 35 with AsNC, and 54% in the 148 with NoNC (p<0.001). In-hospital mortality was 42% in patients with SNC, 8.6% in patients with AsNC, and 16.9% in patients with NoNC (p<0.001). Among the 135 patients with NC, 95 had an indication for valve surgery (71%), which was performed in 70 of them (mortality 20%) and not performed in 25 (mortality 68%). In a multivariate adjusted analysis of the 135 patients with NC, age, renal failure, septic shock, and IE caused by S. aureus were independently associated with in-hospital and 1-year mortality. In addition SNC was an independent predictor of 1-year mortality.Conclusions The presence of NC was associated with a poorer prognosis when symptomatic. Patients with AsNC had the highest rate of valve surgery and the lowest mortality rate, which suggests a protective role of surgery guided by systematic neuroimaging results

Interference Studies Using Multidimensional Mapping of Cross-Reactive Sensors: Applications in Blood Monitoring of Clozapine

Point-of-care sensors are used in clinical applications for diagnosing and monitoring health conditions. For example, a point-of-care sensor for therapeutic drug monitoring of the clozapine antipsychotic can reduce burdens from guidelines suggesting routine monitoring of this medication. However, when measuring chemical markers in complex fluids, there are challenges related to decreased sensor performance due to chemical interference. This work presents a methodology for identifying individual interfering species. A set of cross-reactive electrochemical sensors were developed, whose diversified responses provide a fingerprint-type pattern capable of differentiating various species. By mapping the multidimensional responses, patterns from complex solutions were discerned and matched to those of individual species. Applying this methodology to clozapine sensing in blood, a major source of chemical interference was identified. The understanding matrix components that cause interference can guide the design of reliable sensing systems and can be integrated with pattern recognition tools that can account for it

Phenotypic characterization of X-linked hypophosphatemia in pediatric Spanish population

This research has been partially funded by Kyowa Kirin Farmacéutica S.L.U., project PI17/01745 from Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Acción Estratégica en Salud 2017–2020 and FEDER funds, Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (FIS), Fundación Nutrición y Crecimiento (FUNDNYC), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA) and Fundación para la Investigación y la Innovación Biosanitaria del Principado de Asturias (FINBA).Rodríguez-Rubio, E., Gil-Peña, H., Chocron, S., Madariaga, L., de la Cerda-Ojeda, F., Fernández-Fernández, M., de Lucas-Collantes, C., Gil, M., Luis-Yanes, M.I., Vergara, I., González-Rodríguez, J.D., Ferrando, S., Antón-Gamero, M., Carrasco Hidalgo-Barquero, M., Fernández-Escribano, A., Fernández-Maseda, M.ºÁ., Espinosa, L., Oliet, A., Vicente, A., Ariceta, G., Santos, F., RenalTubeGrou