The size of BDDs and other data structures in temporal logics model checking

Temporal Logic Model Checking is a verification method in which we describe a system, the model, and then we verify whether important properties, expressed in a temporal logic formula, hold in the system. Many Model Checking tools employ BDDs or some other data structure to represent sets of states. It has been empirically observed that the BDDs used in these algorithms may grow exponentially as the model and formula increase in size. We formally prove that no kind of data structure of polynomial size can represent the set of valid initial states for all models and all formulae. This result holds for all data structures where a state can be checked in polynomial time. Therefore, it holds not only for all types of BDDs regardless of variable ordering, but also for more powerful data structures, such as RBCs, MTBDDs, ADDs and SDDs. Thus, the size explosion of BDDs is not a limit of these specific data representation structures, but is unavoidable: every formalism used in the same way would lead to an exponential size blow up

Is the Leverage of European Commercial Banks Pro-Cyclical?

Detecting whether banks?leverage is indeed procyclical is relevant to support the view that booms and crises may be reinforced by some sort of supply side ?nancial accelerator, whilst ?nding a plausible ex- planation of banks?behaviour is crucial to trace the road for a sensible reform of ?nancial regulation and managers? incentives. The paper shows that procyclical leverage appears to be well entrenched in the behaviour of a sample of major European banks, which are commonly labelled as mainly "commercial banks".Banks, Pro-cyclicality, Financial Regulation.

Low-cost Discrete Off-the-shelf Components 1MHz Analogue Lock-in Amplifier for Fast Detection of Organic Compounds through Pulsed Lasers

Abstract We report on a low-cost analogue Lock-In Amplifier (LIA) designed to measure amplitude variations of 100 ns pulsed signals at operating frequencies f 0 up to 1MHz. The fabricated prototype PCB, implemented through discrete off-the-shelf components, allowed to validate the solution and to perform circuit testing and characterisations. The LIA architecture is simple and based on the classic phase-sensitive synchronous demodulation technique including two different amplification stages together with suitable filtering blocks that allow setting the instrument gain, sensitivity and resolution. With respect to conventional LIAs typically working at lower operating frequencies, the reported solution provides also high-speed DC output of about 1ms. By employing short voltage pulses, the LIA is capable to detect fast and small variations of the signal amplitude envisaging its use in sensor applications to measure reduced variations of chemical and physical phenomena through high-speed systems with very small time constants

In vitro leaf-derived organogenesis and somaclonal variant detection in Humulus lupulus L

The exploitation of somaclonal variation potentially could be a valid strategy to overcome the depletion of hop intraspecific agrobiodiversity. To increase somaclonal variation induction, it is possible to resort to several strategies including a differentiated starting explant material such as leaves, roots and stems, an extended time in which cultures are maintained in vitro, and a wellbalanced cytokinin/auxin ratio. In this research, firstly, the influence of growth regulator type and concentration and the effect of the period of in vitro hop leaf culture (6, 12, and 18 wk) were investigated. Secondly, cytofluorimetric and Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analyses were carried out to verify the occurrence of somaclonal variation. Adventitious shoots were obtained in all media containing 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) (except BAP at lowest concentration tested), with no influence detected by culture period. Mutants were detected among regenerants (16.8%) with more than half of the tetraploids obtained from medium containing the highest BAP concentration (35.55 mM). Mutants detected by RAPD analysis were independent of the medium composition and time in culture. A strong influence regarding explant was observed where nearly half of mutants obtained originated from cultured leaf tissues. Further studies are needed to characterize the field performance of mutants

Manual práctico: Optometría clínica

El Manual práctico: optometría clínica es un documento orientado a dar asistencia durante el aprendizaje de la práctica clínica optométrica, con el objeto de mejorar la experiencia de formación profesional de los alumnos. La obra toma como eje la historia clínica, para guiar al lector en el proceso de atención en salud visual, resaltando sus conceptos fundamentales.Facultad de Ciencias Exacta

A Forest in the City? Recommendations for Developing, Implementing, and Maintaining the "A Forest for Every Classroom" in Milwaukee and Chicago for the U.S. Forest Service

This study, conducted in three phases from February 2009 to April 2010, was guided by a single overarching goal: to provide the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Urban Connections program in Region 9 and the Conservation Education Office in Washington D.C. with recommendations to develop, implement, and maintain a conservation education program based on the A Forest For Every Classroom (FFEC) model, and tailored for use in Chicago, IL and Milwaukee, WI. Urban Connections is an outreach program which operates in nine cities in the Eastern Region and which aims to increase awareness of National Forests among urban populations. FFEC is a place‐based conservation education program offering professional development for both formal and non‐formal K‐12 teachers which was originally developed in Vermont through a partnership between the USFS Green Mountain National Forest and other public‐ and private‐sector partners. The program is currently active in Vermont, New Hampshire, Texas and Montana. Participating teachers develop individual curricula that utilize their local environment and resources as a context for teaching any subject matter, with a focus on creating a sense of place and developing stewardship behavior and civic responsibility. To meet the study’s overarching goal, interviews and focus groups were conducted with 85 USFS personnel, potential external partners, FFEC ‐program representatives, teachers who have participated in FFEC (“FFEC alumni”), and teachers from Milwaukee and Chicago. Interview data was analyzed using content analysis with categorization of responses. Results were used to create recommendations specific to FFEC implementation in Milwaukee and Chicago. These recommendations fall into six categories: Getting Started, Partnerships, Program Design, Urban Adaptations, School Support and Recruitment, and In the Classroom: Curriculum Implementation.Master of ScienceNatural Resources and EnvironmentUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69250/1/FinalDocument_SNRE.pd

Methods and approaches for blind test predictions of out-of-plane behavior of masonry walls: a numerical comparative study

Earthquakes cause severe damage to masonry structures due to inertial forces acting in the normal direction to the plane of the walls. The out-of-plane behavior of masonry walls is complex and depends on several parameters, such as material and geometric properties of walls, connections between structural elements, the characteristics of the input motions, among others. Different analytical methods and advanced numerical modeling are usually used for evaluating the out-of-plane behavior of masonry structures. Furthermore, different types of structural analysis can be adopted for this complex behavior, such as limit analysis, pushover, or nonlinear dynamic analysis.Aiming to evaluate the capabilities of different approaches to similar problems, blind predictions were made using different approaches. For this purpose, two idealized structures were tested on a shaking table and several experts on masonry structures were invited to present blind predictions on the response of the structures, aiming at evaluating the available tools for the out-of-plane assessment of masonry structures. This article presents the results of the blind test predictions and the comparison with the experimental results, namely in terms of formed collapsed mechanisms and control outputs (PGA or maximum displacements), taking into account the selected tools to perform the analysis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Clinical and Laboratory Features in Anti-NF155 Autoimmune Nodopathy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical and laboratory features of antineurofascin-155 (NF155)-positive autoimmune nodopathy (AN). METHODS: Patients with anti-NF155 antibodies detected on routine immunologic testing were included. Clinical characteristics, treatment response, and functional scales (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] and Inflammatory Rasch-built Overall Disability Scale [I-RODS]) were retrospectively collected at baseline and at the follow-up. Autoantibody and neurofilament light (NfL) chain levels were analyzed at baseline and at the follow-up. RESULTS: Forty NF155+ patients with AN were included. Mean age at onset was 42.4 years. Patients presented with a progressive (75%), sensory motor (87.5%), and symmetric distal-predominant weakness in upper (97.2%) and lower extremities (94.5%), with tremor and ataxia (75%). Patients received a median of 3 (2-4) different treatments in 46 months of median follow-up. Response to IV immunoglobulin (86.8%) or steroids (72.2%) was poor in most patients, whereas 77.3% responded to rituximab. HLA-DRB1*15 was detected in 91.3% of patients. IgG4 anti-NF155 antibodies were predominant in all patients; anti-NF155 titers correlated with mRS within the same patient (r = 0.41, p = 0.004). Serum NfL (sNfL) levels were higher in anti-NF155+ AN than in healthy controls (36.47 vs 7.56 pg/mL, p < 0.001) and correlated with anti-NF155 titers (r = 0.43, p = 0.001), with I-RODS at baseline (r = -0.88, p < 0.001) and with maximum I-RODS achieved (r = -0.58, p = 0.01). Anti-NF155 titers and sNfL levels decreased in all rituximab-treated patients. DISCUSSION: Anti-NF155 AN presents a distinct clinical profile and good response to rituximab. Autoantibody titers and sNfL are useful to monitor disease status in these patients. The use of untagged-NF155 plasmids minimizes the detection of false anti-NF155+ cases. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class IV evidence that anti-NF155 antibodies associate with a specific phenotype and response to rituximab

SWELTO - Space WEather Laboratory in Turin Observatory

SWELTO - Space WEather Laboratory in Turin Observatory is a conceptual framework where new ideas for the analysis of space-based and ground-based data are developed and tested. The input data are (but not limited to) remote sensing observations (EUV images of the solar disk, Visible Light coronagraphic images, radio dynamic spectra, etc...), in situ plasma measurements (interplanetary plasma density, velocity, magnetic field, etc...), as well as measurements acquired by local sensors and detectors (radio antenna, fluxgate magnetometer, full-sky cameras, located in OATo). The output products are automatic identification, tracking, and monitoring of solar stationary and dynamic features near the Sun (coronal holes, active regions, coronal mass ejections, etc...), and in the interplanetary medium (shocks, plasmoids, corotating interaction regions, etc...), as well as reconstructions of the interplanetary medium where solar disturbances may propagate from the Sun to the Earth and beyond. These are based both on empirical models and numerical MHD simulations. The aim of SWELTO is not only to test new data analysis methods for future application for Space Weather monitoring and prediction purposes, but also to procure, test and deploy new ground-based instrumentation to monitor the ionospheric and geomagnetic responses to solar activity. Moreover, people involved in SWELTO are active in outreach to disseminate the topics related with Space Weather to students and the general public