Iris-Wasm: robust and modular verification of WebAssembly programs

WebAssembly makes it possible to run C/C++ applications on the web with near-native performance. A WebAssembly program is expressed as a collection of higher-order ML-like modules, which are composed together through a system of explicit imports and exports using a host language, enabling a form of higher- order modular programming. We present Iris-Wasm, a mechanized higher-order separation logic building on a specification of Wasm 1.0 mechanized in Coq and the Iris framework. Using Iris-Wasm, we are able to specify and verify individual modules separately, and then compose them modularly in a simple host language featuring the core operations of the WebAssembly JavaScript Interface. Building on Iris-Wasm, we develop a logical relation that enforces robust safety: unknown, adversarial code can only affect other modules through the functions that they explicitly export. Together, the program logic and the logical relation allow us to formally verify functional correctness of WebAssembly programs, even when they invoke and are invoked by unknown code, thereby demonstrating that WebAssembly enforces strong isolation between modules

Regio- and stereoselective microwave-assisted synthesis of 5-alkyl-4-alkenyl-4-phenyl-1,3-oxazolidin-2-ones

Chiral symmetrical alk-2-yne-1,4-diols have been stereoselectively transformed into 5-alkyl-4-alkenyl-4-phenyl-1,3-oxazolidin- 2-ones, which are precursors of quaternary α-amino β-hydroxy acids. The key step was the cyclization of the bis(tosylcarbamates) of 2- phenylalk-2-yne-1,4-diols, easily obtained from the starting chiral diols. These cyclizations were accomplished with complete regioselectivity and up to 92:8 dr in the presence of catalytic amounts of Ni(0) or Pd (II) derivatives under microwave heating

Interrupting Malaria Transmission: Quantifying the Impact of Interventions in Regions of Low to Moderate Transmission

Malaria has been eliminated from over 40 countries with an additional 39 currently planning for, or committed to, elimination. Information on the likely impact of available interventions, and the required time, is urgently needed to help plan resource allocation. Mathematical modelling has been used to investigate the impact of various interventions; the strength of the conclusions is boosted when several models with differing formulation produce similar data. Here we predict by using an individual-based stochastic simulation model of seasonal Plasmodium falciparum transmission that transmission can be interrupted and parasite reintroductions controlled in villages of 1,000 individuals where the entomological inoculation rate is <7 infectious bites per person per year using chemotherapy and bed net strategies. Above this transmission intensity bed nets and symptomatic treatment alone were not sufficient to interrupt transmission and control the importation of malaria for at least 150 days. Our model results suggest that 1) stochastic events impact the likelihood of successfully interrupting transmission with large variability in the times required, 2) the relative reduction in morbidity caused by the interventions were age-group specific, changing over time, and 3) the post-intervention changes in morbidity were larger than the corresponding impact on transmission. These results generally agree with the conclusions from previously published models. However the model also predicted changes in parasite population structure as a result of improved treatment of symptomatic individuals; the survival probability of introduced parasites reduced leading to an increase in the prevalence of sub-patent infections in semi-immune individuals. This novel finding requires further investigation in the field because, if confirmed, such a change would have a negative impact on attempts to eliminate the disease from areas of moderate transmission

Plant-mediated effects on mosquito capacity to transmit human malaria

The ecological context in which mosquitoes and malaria parasites interact has received little attention, compared to the genetic and molecular aspects of malaria transmission. Plant nectar and fruits are important for the nutritional ecology of malaria vectors, but how the natural diversity of plant-derived sugar sources affects mosquito competence for malaria parasites is unclear. To test this, we infected Anopheles coluzzi, an important African malaria vector, with sympatric field isolates of Plasmodium falciparum, using direct membrane feeding assays. Through a series of experiments, we then examined the effects of sugar meals from Thevetia neriifolia and Barleria lupilina cuttings that included flowers, and fruit from Lannea microcarpa and Mangifera indica on parasite and mosquito traits that are key for determining the intensity of malaria transmission. We found that the source of plant sugar meal differentially affected infection prevalence and intensity, the development duration of the parasites, as well as the survival and fecundity of the vector. These effects are likely the result of complex interactions between toxic secondary metabolites and the nutritional quality of the plant sugar source, as well as of host resource availability and parasite growth. Using an epidemiological model, we show that plant sugar source can be a significant driver of malaria transmission dynamics, with some plant species exhibiting either transmission-reducing or -enhancing activities

Neuronal diversity of the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis

The amygdala complex is a diverse group of more than 13 nuclei, segregated in five major groups: the basolateral (BLA), central (CeA), medial (MeA), cortical (CoA), and basomedial (BMA) amygdala nuclei. These nuclei can be distinguished depending on their cytoarchitectonic properties, connectivity, genetic, and molecular identity, and most importantly, on their functional role in animal behavior. The extended amygdala includes the CeA and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Both CeA and the BNST share similar cellular organization, including common neuron types, reciprocal connectivity, and many overlapping downstream targets. In this section, we describe the advances of our knowledge on neuronal diversity in the amygdala complex and the BNST, based on recent functional studies, performed at genetic, molecular, physiological, and anatomical levels in rodent models, especially rats and mice. Molecular and connection property can be used separately, or in combinations, to define neuronal populations, leading to a multiplexed neuronal diversity-supporting different functional roles. © 2020 Elsevier B.V

Le monde romain de 70 av. J.-C. à 73 apr. J.-C.

International audienceCet ouvrage traite d’un siècle et demi de l’histoire de Rome que l’historiographie traditionnelle sépare généralement en deux périodes distinctes : la fin de la République, jusqu’en 30 ou 27 av. J.-C., et le début de l’Empire. Cette périodisation tranchée repose sur l’idée, aujourd’hui discutée, qu’Auguste aurait mis en place un type de régime fondamentalement nouveau.Les bornes chronologiques correspondent à deux recensements. En 70 av. J.-C., le dernier census républicain entérine l’accès de tous les Italiens à la citoyenneté romaine ; en 73 apr. J.-C., la censure de Vespasien et Titus légitime l’emprise de la dynastie flavienne sur l’Empire.Cinq grandes problématiques, en lien avec la recherche récente, sont mises en évidence : la construction d’un pouvoir personnel, de type monarchique, par les imperatores, notamment Jules César, puis par Auguste ; les transformations politiques conduisant de la République au principat ; l’intégration dans le monde romain, espace de paix et de prospérité ; la place de Rome et plus largement de l’Italie dans ce monde romain ; la définition de la romanité et le phénomène de la romanisation

Le monde romain de 70 av. J.-C. à 73 apr. J.-C.

International audienceCet ouvrage traite d’un siècle et demi de l’histoire de Rome que l’historiographie traditionnelle sépare généralement en deux périodes distinctes : la fin de la République, jusqu’en 30 ou 27 av. J.-C., et le début de l’Empire. Cette périodisation tranchée repose sur l’idée, aujourd’hui discutée, qu’Auguste aurait mis en place un type de régime fondamentalement nouveau.Les bornes chronologiques correspondent à deux recensements. En 70 av. J.-C., le dernier census républicain entérine l’accès de tous les Italiens à la citoyenneté romaine ; en 73 apr. J.-C., la censure de Vespasien et Titus légitime l’emprise de la dynastie flavienne sur l’Empire.Cinq grandes problématiques, en lien avec la recherche récente, sont mises en évidence : la construction d’un pouvoir personnel, de type monarchique, par les imperatores, notamment Jules César, puis par Auguste ; les transformations politiques conduisant de la République au principat ; l’intégration dans le monde romain, espace de paix et de prospérité ; la place de Rome et plus largement de l’Italie dans ce monde romain ; la définition de la romanité et le phénomène de la romanisation

New LED-based high-brightness incoherent light source in the SWIR

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