Completeness of string analysis for dynamic languages

In Abstract Interpretation, completeness ensures that the analysis does not lose information with respect to the property of interest. In particular, for dynamic languages like JavaScript, completeness of string analysis is a key security issue, as poorly managed string manipulation code may easily lead to significant security flaws. In this paper, we provide a systematic and constructive approach for generating the completion of string domains for dynamic languages, and we apply it to the refinement of existing string abstractions. We also provide an effective procedure to measure the precision improvement obtained when lifting the analysis to complete domains

A Comparison between Non-Localized Post-Activation Performance Enhancements Following Resistance Exercise for the Upper and the Lower Body

The aim of the present investigation was to compare the acute non-localized post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) of an exercise protocol involving either the upper or the lower body muscles. Twenty-four resistance trained men participated in the present study and were randomly assigned to an upper body (UB) or to a lower body (LB) group. Both groups tested for upper and lower body power (bench press throw (BPT) and countermovement jump power (CMJP) tests). Participants in the UB group were tested pre and post a high-intensity (HI) and a high-power (POW) bench press protocol while participants in the LB group performed a HI squat and a jump session (POW). A significant group × time interaction was found for CMJP in HI (p = 0.012). Post hoc tests revealed that CMJP was elevated in UB group only (+1.6%; p = 0.025). No other significant interactions were detected. Results of this study indicate that a non-localized PAPE on the lower body may be induced by a HI bench press protocol while a HI squat protocol may not increase upper body power. In particular, the squat protocol performed in the present study (5 sets of 1 rep) may be too demanding to produce a non-localized PAPE

Black Block Recorder: Immutable Black Box Logging for Robots via Blockchain

Event data recording is crucial in robotics research, providing prolonged insights into a robot's situational understanding, progression of behavioral state, and resulting outcomes. Such recordings are invaluable when debugging complex robotic applications or profiling experiments ex post facto. As robotic developments mature into production, both the roles and requirements of event logging will broaden, to include serving as evidence for auditors and regulators investigating accidents or fraud. Given the growing number of high profile public incidents involving self-driving automotives resulting in fatality and regulatory policy making, it is paramount that the integrity, authenticity and non-repudiation of such event logs are maintained to ensure accountability. Being mobile cyber-physical systems, robots present new threats, and vulnerabilities beyond traditional IT: unsupervised physical system access or postmortem collusion between robot and OEM could result in the truncation or alteration of prior records. In this letter, we address immutablization of log records via integrity proofs and distributed ledgers with special considerations for mobile and public service robot deployments

Biovalorization of Brewery Waste by Applying Anaerobic Digestion

In the food industry, the brewing sector holds a strategic economic position: in the year 2013, the beer production of the EU-28 was equal to 383,553,000 hL. The brewing process includes chemical and biochemical reactions and solid-liquid separations, involving the generation of various residues and by-products, among which the major two fractions are brewer’s spent grain (BSG), and exhausted brewery yeast (BY). Although until today their main use has been for animal feed, in recent years, several studies have investigated the application of anaerobic digestion in order to revalue the brewery wastes. In this work, specific methane production (SMP) and first-order solubilisation (disintegration+ hydrolysis) rates (ksol) for BSG and BY were evaluated. Biomethanation tests were performed in 5-L fed-batch stirred reactors at several substrate/inoculum ratios. The obtained SMP ranged from 0.255 L CH4 g–1 COD for exhausted brewery yeast to 0.284 L CH4 g–1 COD for brewer’s spent grain. The estimated ksol values ranged from 0.224 d–1 for BSG to 0.659 d–1 for BY

Aquatic Therapy after Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury: Gait Initiation Analysis Using Inertial Sensors

: Populations with potential damage to somatosensory, vestibular, and visual systems or poor motor control are often studied during gait initiation. Aquatic activity has shown to benefit the functional capacity of incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI) patients. The present study aimed to evaluate gait initiation in iSCI patients using an easy-to-use protocol employing four wearable inertial sensors. Temporal and acceleration-based anticipatory postural adjustment measures were computed and compared between dry-land and water immersion conditions in 10 iSCI patients. In the aquatic condition, an increased first step duration (median value of 1.44 s vs. 0.70 s in dry-land conditions) and decreased root mean squared accelerations for the upper trunk (0.39 m/s2 vs. 0.72 m/s2 in dry-land conditions) and lower trunk (0.41 m/s2 vs. 0.85 m/s2 in dry-land conditions) were found in the medio-lateral and antero-posterior direction, respectively. The estimation of these parameters, routinely during a therapy session, can provide important information regarding different control strategies adopted in different environments

Supercritical Antisolvent Precipitation of Quercetin Systems: Preliminary Experiments

Flavonoids have attracted a lot of attention due to their antioxidant, antitumor and antibacterial activities. Quercetin (3,5,7,3,4-pentahydroxyflavone) is a polyphenolic flavonoid that shows several biological effects including a strong inhibitory effect on the growth of several human and animal cancer cell lines and enhances the antiproliferative effect of cisplatin both in-vitro and in-vivo. In spite of a variety of its biological effects. Quercetin is very poorly soluble in water, which has limited its absorption upon oral administration. As known, the solubility of drug is often due to the increase of the surface/volume ratio which implies the increase of the number of surface atoms (or molecules) with respect to the number of bulk atoms (or molecules). With this aim, we investigated the use of supercritical antisolvent (SAS) technique for Quercetin microparticles generation finding the best operative conditions through the Peng Robinson’s Equation of State. The obtained simulation behaviors were confirmed by experimental precipitation: the physicochemical characterizations of the samples were also performe