Optimal discrimination between transient and permanent faults

An important practical problem in fault diagnosis is discriminating between permanent faults and transient faults. In many computer systems, the majority of errors are due to transient faults. Many heuristic methods have been used for discriminating between transient and permanent faults; however, we have found no previous work stating this decision problem in clear probabilistic terms. We present an optimal procedure for discriminating between transient and permanent faults, based on applying Bayesian inference to the observed events (correct and erroneous results). We describe how the assessed probability that a module is permanently faulty must vary with observed symptoms. We describe and demonstrate our proposed method on a simple application problem, building the appropriate equations and showing numerical examples. The method can be implemented as a run-time diagnosis algorithm at little computational cost; it can also be used to evaluate any heuristic diagnostic procedure by compariso

Differences between experimental and placebo arms in manual therapy trials: a methodological review

Background: To measure the specific effectiveness of a given treatment in a randomised controlled trial, the intervention and control groups have to be similar in all factors not distinctive to the experimental treatment. The similarity of these non-specific factors can be defined as an equality assumption. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the equality assumptions in manual therapy trials. Methods: Relevant studies were identified through the following databases: EMBASE, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, WEB OF SCIENCE, Scholar Google, clinicaltrial.gov, the Cochrane Library, chiloras/MANTIS, PubMed Europe, Allied and Complementary Medicine (AMED), Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) and Sciencedirect. Studies investigating the effect of any manual intervention compared to at least one type of manual control were included. Data extraction and qualitative assessment were carried out independently by four reviewers, and the summary of results was reported following the PRISMA statement. Result: Out of 108,903 retrieved studies, 311, enrolling a total of 17,308 patients, were included and divided into eight manual therapy trials categories. Equality assumption elements were grouped in three macro areas: patient-related, context-related and practitioner-related items. Results showed good quality in the reporting of context-related equality assumption items, potentially because largely included in pre-existent guidelines. There was a general lack of attention to the patient- and practitioner-related equality assumption items. Conclusion: Our results showed that the similarity between experimental and sham interventions is limited, affecting, therefore, the strength of the evidence. Based on the results, methodological aspects for planning future trials were discussed and recommendations to control for equality assumption were provided

Post Quantum Cryptography from Mutant Prime Knots

By resorting to basic features of topological knot theory we propose a (classical) cryptographic protocol based on the `difficulty' of decomposing complex knots generated as connected sums of prime knots and their mutants. The scheme combines an asymmetric public key protocol with symmetric private ones and is intrinsecally secure against quantum eavesdropper attacks.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure

La Rete Sismica Mobile del Centro Nazionale Terremoti

Il monitoraggio sismico e vulcanico del territorio nazionale rappresenta uno dei principali compiti istituzionali dell’Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV). L’INGV svolge tale importante funzione attraverso la gestione e la manutenzione di reti sismiche di diversa tipologia e a differente scala che consentono di monitorare il territorio nazionale in tempo reale. Tre sale di sorveglianza, una sismica presso la sede centrale di Roma e due vulcaniche presso la Sezione di Catania e l’Osservatorio Vesuviano di Napoli, con personale qualificato in turno H24, consentono di elaborare e comunicare tempestivamente al Dipartimento della Protezione Civile Nazionale (DPC) e alle sue strutture regionali eventuali stati di allarme e il livello dell’emergenza. Il Centro Nazionale Terremoti (CNT) è la sezione dell’INGV preposta al monitoraggio sismico del territorio italiano ed interviene in questo importante servizio attraverso la gestione e la manutenzione della Rete Sismica Nazionale (RSN) in collaborazione con le altre sedi dell’INGV dislocate sul territorio e con gli uffici tecnici locali. Competenza del CNT è anche la rete sismica euro-mediterranea (MedNet): una rete di stazioni sismiche a larga banda dislocate nei Paesi che circondano il Mediterraneo in condivisione con molti istituti geofisici. Negli ultimi anni tali reti sono cresciute sia come numero di stazioni che come tecnologia, consentendo di controllare in maniera estesa lo spettro di frequenze emesse dalla sorgente sismica e la ciclicità delle strutture sismogenetiche. In alcune aree del territorio nazionale l’alta densità di tali reti sismiche rende possibile una soglia di detezione degli eventi molto bassa e localizzazioni di elevata precisione che permettono di associare la micro-sismicità alle strutture sismo-genetiche. Tuttavia questo non è tecnicamente ed economicamente possibile in maniera omogenea su tutto il territorio nazionale. Per tale motivo si fa spesso ricorso all’uso di reti temporanee in esperimenti mirati allo studio di aree a peculiare rischio sismico e vulcanico o, in caso di forti terremoti, per aumentare la densità della rete già presente e migliorare il monitoraggio in real-time in modo tale da analizzare con maggior dettaglio l’evoluzione della sequenza. Unità specializzate nella gestione di reti sismologiche temporanee sono presenti in diverse sedi dell’INGV. Esse lavorano in completa autonomia sul territorio di competenza ma sono in grado di realizzare un buon livello di sinergia là dove esperimenti ed emergenze sismiche richiedano una stretta collaborazione. La struttura più grande, sia come numero di strumenti a disposizione (più di 200 tra digitalizzatori e sensori) che come personale impegnato, è la Rete Sismica Mobile (RSM) del CNT che è organizzata in modo da rendere possibile l’impiego della strumentazione in più esperimenti mantenendo una quota di strumenti riservata per gli interventi di emergenza. In questo rapporto tecnico presentiamo la struttura organizzativa ed operativa della RSM del CNT, la strumentazione in uso presso di essa e le diverse configurazioni possibili per le stazioni sismometriche temporanee con l’obiettivo di fornire un manuale d’uso ai ricercatori, tecnologi e tecnici che si interfacciano con la RSM, sia durante l’attività scientifica ordinaria (esperimenti di sismica passiva e attiva) che straordinaria (emergenze sismiche)

Has VZV epidemiology changed in Italy? Results of a seroprevalence study

The aim of the study was to evaluate if and how varicella prevalence has changed in Italy. In particular a seroprevalence study was performed, comparing it to similar surveys conducted in pre-immunization era. During 2013–2014, sera obtained from blood samples taken for diagnostic purposes or routine investigations were collected in collaboration with at least one laboratory/center for each region, following the approval of the Ethics Committee. Data were stratified by sex and age. All samples were processed in a national reference laboratory by an immunoassay with high sensitivity and specificity. Statutory notifications, national hospital discharge database and mortality data related to VZV infection were analyzed as well. A total of 3707 sera were collected and tested. In the studied period both incidence and hospitalization rates decreased and about 5 deaths per year have been registered. The seroprevalence decreased in the first year of life in subjects passively protected by their mother, followed by an increase in the following age classes. The overall antibody prevalence was 84%. The comparison with surveys conducted with the same methodology in 1996–1997 and 2003–2004 showed significant differences in age groups 1–19 y. The study confirms that in Italy VZV infection typically occurs in children. The impact of varicella on Italian population is changing. The comparison between studies performed in different periods shows a significant increase of seropositivity in age class 1–4 years, expression of vaccine interventions already adopted in some regions

Characterization of a new trabectedin-resistant myxoid liposarcoma cell line that shows collateral sensitivity to methylating agents

Myxoid Liposarcomas (MLS), characterized by the expression of FUS-CHOP fusion gene are clinically very sensitive to the DNA binding antitumor agent, trabectedin. However, resistance eventually occurs, preventing disease eradication. To investigate the mechanisms of resistance, a trabectedin resistant cell line, 402-91/ET, was developed. The resistance to trabectedin was not related to the expression of MDR related proteins, uptake/efflux of trabectedin or GSH levels that were similar in parental and resistant cells. The 402-91/ET cells were hypersensitive to UV light because of a nucleotide excision repair defect: XPG complementation decreased sensitivity to UV rays, but only partially to trabectedin. 402-91/ET cells showed collateral sensitivity to temozolomide due to the lack of O(6) -methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) activity, related to the hypermethylation of MGMT promoter. In 402-91 cells chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays showed that FUS-CHOP was bound to the PTX3 and FN1 gene promoters, as previously described, and trabectedin caused FUS-CHOP detachment from DNA. Here we report that, in contrast, in 402-91/ET cells, FUS-CHOP was not bound to these promoters. Differences in the modulation of transcription of genes involved in different pathways including signal transduction, apoptosis and stress response between the two cell lines were found. Trabectedin activates the transcription of genes involved in the adipogenic-program such as c/EBPα and β, in 402-91 but not in 402-91/ET cell lines. The collateral sensitivity of 402-91/ET to temozolomide provides the rationale to investigate the potential use of methylating agents in MLS patients resistant to trabectedin

Extended formulations from communication protocols in output-efficient time

Deterministic protocols are well-known tools to obtain extended formulations, with many applications to polytopes arising in combinatorial optimization. Although constructive, those tools are not output-efficient, since the time needed to produce the extended formulation also depends on the number of rows of the slack matrix (hence, on the exact description in the original space). We give general sufficient conditions under which those tools can be implemented as to be output-efficient, showing applications to e.g.~Yannakakis' extended formulation for the stable set polytope of perfect graphs, for which, to the best of our knowledge, an efficient construction was previously not known. For specific classes of polytopes, we give also a direct, efficient construction of extended formulations arising from protocols. Finally, we deal with extended formulations coming from unambiguous non-deterministic protocols

Methodologies synthesis

This deliverable deals with the modelling and analysis of interdependencies between critical infrastructures, focussing attention on two interdependent infrastructures studied in the context of CRUTIAL: the electric power infrastructure and the information infrastructures supporting management, control and maintenance functionality. The main objectives are: 1) investigate the main challenges to be addressed for the analysis and modelling of interdependencies, 2) review the modelling methodologies and tools that can be used to address these challenges and support the evaluation of the impact of interdependencies on the dependability and resilience of the service delivered to the users, and 3) present the preliminary directions investigated so far by the CRUTIAL consortium for describing and modelling interdependencies