A Proof Strategy Language and Proof Script Generation for Isabelle/HOL

We introduce a language, PSL, designed to capture high level proof strategies in Isabelle/HOL. Given a strategy and a proof obligation, PSL's runtime system generates and combines various tactics to explore a large search space with low memory usage. Upon success, PSL generates an efficient proof script, which bypasses a large part of the proof search. We also present PSL's monadic interpreter to show that the underlying idea of PSL is transferable to other ITPs.Comment: This paper has been submitted to CADE2

An improved Plasmodium cynomolgi genome assembly reveals an unexpected methyltransferase gene expansion.

Background: Plasmodium cynomolgi, a non-human primate malaria parasite species, has been an important model parasite since its discovery in 1907. Similarities in the biology of P. cynomolgi to the closely related, but less tractable, human malaria parasite P. vivax make it the model parasite of choice for liver biology and vaccine studies pertinent to P. vivax malaria. Molecular and genome-scale studies of P. cynomolgi have relied on the current reference genome sequence, which remains highly fragmented with 1,649 unassigned scaffolds and little representation of the subtelomeres. Methods: Using long-read sequence data (Pacific Biosciences SMRT technology), we assembled and annotated a new reference genome sequence, PcyM, sourced from an Indian rhesus monkey. We compare the newly assembled genome sequence with those of several other Plasmodium species, including a re-annotated P. coatneyi assembly. Results: The new PcyM genome assembly is of significantly higher quality than the existing reference, comprising only 56 pieces, no gaps and an improved average gene length. Detailed manual curation has ensured a comprehensive annotation of the genome with 6,632 genes, nearly 1,000 more than previously attributed to P. cynomolgi. The new assembly also has an improved representation of the subtelomeric regions, which account for nearly 40% of the sequence. Within the subtelomeres, we identified more than 1300 Plasmodium interspersed repeat (pir) genes, as well as a striking expansion of 36 methyltransferase pseudogenes that originated from a single copy on chromosome 9. Conclusions: The manually curated PcyM reference genome sequence is an important new resource for the malaria research community. The high quality and contiguity of the data have enabled the discovery of a novel expansion of methyltransferase in the subtelomeres, and illustrates the new comparative genomics capabilities that are being unlocked by complete reference genomes

Mindfulness Training at School: A Way to Engage Adolescents with Sustainable Consumption?

A central challenge in research on education for sustainable consumption (ESC) is to develop new approaches to engage adolescents with sustainable consumption (SC) in a way that addresses not only the cognitive but also the socio-emotional and behavioral levels. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) that foster awareness, (self-)reflection, and ethical values could potentially leverage learning processes in ESC. The present study was the first one to investigate the potential effects of a consumption-specific MBI on sustainable consumption behavior (SCB) in the areas of nutrition and clothing. The eight-week long intervention was carried out with 15-year old adolescents (N = 85) directly at school. A randomized pre-post waitlist control group design with mixed methods was applied. The study revealed the strong effects of the adapted MBI on precursors of SCB and further effects not directly related to but potentially conducive for SCB. Actual behavioral effects were minor. Substantial inter-individual differences and inconsistencies between qualitative and quantitative results imply case-related effects that do not allow generalizable conclusions to be drawn. Nevertheless, the results of this pilot study indicate that combining mindfulness training with ESC formats appears to be a feasible and fruitful approach to engage adolescents with SC. Future practice and research should consider more diverse target groups, other consumption areas, and longer periods for interventions and their evaluation.BMBF, 01UT1416A, Bildung für Nachhaltigen Konsum durch Achtsamkeitstraining - Teilprojekt 1 der TU Berlin: Achtsamkeitsforschung und Nachhaltiger KonsumBMBF, 01UT1416B, Bildung für Nachhaltigen Konsum durch Achtsamkeitstraining - Teilprojekt 2 der Leuphana Universität Lüneburg: Bildung für Nachhaltigen Konsu

The exceptionally high diversity of small carnivorans from the Late Miocene hominid locality of Hammerschmiede (Bavaria, Germany)

The present study deals with new material of carnivorans (Mustelidae, Mephitidae, Ailuridae, Potamotheriinae and Viverridae) from the basal Tortonian (Late Miocene, late Astaracian) hominid-bearing locality of Hammerschmiede (Bavaria, Germany). The small carnivoran fauna includes 20 species belonging to nine different subfamilies (Guloninae, Lutrinae, Mellivorinae, Potamotheriinae, Leptarctinae, Mephitinae, Simocyoninae, Genettinae and Viverrinae). The identified forms include: “Martes” sansaniensis, “Martes” cf. munki, “Martes” sp., Circamustela hartmanni n. sp., Laphyctis mustelinus, Guloninae indet., Eomellivora moralesi, Vishnuonyx neptuni, Paralutra jaegeri, Lartetictis cf. dubia, Trocharion albanense, Palaeomeles pachecoi, Proputorius sansaniensis, Proputorius pusillus, Alopecocyon goeriachensis, Simocyoninae indet., Potamotherium sp., Semigenetta sansaniensis, Semigenetta grandis and Viverrictis modica. The new species Circamustela hartmanni n. sp. is differentiated from the other members of the genus by its small size and the morphology of its dental cusps in the upper and lower carnassials. This is one of the highest reported taxonomic diversities for fossil small carnivorans in the Miocene of Europe, including also first and last occurrences for several genera and species. Additionally, the assemblage comprises some rare taxa such as Palaeomeles pachecoi and Eomellivora moralesi. An ecomorphological comparison of the discovered taxa reveals possible cases of competition and niche partitioning. © 2022 Kargopoulos et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

The economic benefit of timely, adequate, and adherence to Parkinson's disease treatment: the Value of Treatment Project 2

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic progressive neurological disorder with a high psychosocial and economic burden. As part of the European Brain Council (EBC)-led Value of Treatment project, this study aimed to capture the economic benefit of timely, adequate, and adherence to PD treatment. Methods: The EBC Value of Treatment Initiative combined different stakeholders to identify unmet needs in the patients’ journey according to Rotterdam methodology. The economic evaluation focused on three major topics identified as major gaps: start of treatment; best treatment for advanced disease; and adherence to treatment. Two separate healthcare systems (Germany and the UK) were chosen. Cost-effectiveness was determined by using decision-analytical modelling approaches. Effectiveness was expressed as quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Results: Treatment intervention in PD was found to be cost-effective regardless of the initial health state of the patient receiving the treatment. Cost savings were between -€1000 and −€5400 with 0.10 QALY gain and -€1800 and -€7600 with 0.10 QALY gain for Germany and the UK, respectively. Treatment remains cost-effective within the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence thresholds. Availability of adequate treatment to more patients was also found to be cost-effective, with an ICER of €15,000–€32,600 across country settings. Achieving the target adherence to treatment would generate cost-savings of €239,000–€576,000 (Germany) and €917,000–€2,980.000 (UK) for every 1,000 patients treated adequately. Conclusions: The analyses confirmed that timely, adequate, and adherence to PD treatment will not only improve care of the patients but is also cost-effective across healthcare systems. Further studies with a distinct identification of gaps in care are necessary to develop better and affordable care

Fragmentation transitions in multi-state voter models

Adaptive models of opinion formation among humans can display a fragmentation transition, where a social network breaks into disconnected components. Here, we investigate this transition in a class of models with arbitrary number of opinions. In contrast to previous work we do not assume that opinions are equidistant or arranged on a one-dimensional conceptual axis. Our investigation reveals detailed analytical results on fragmentations in a three-opinion model, which are confirmed by agent-based simulations. Furthermore, we show that in certain models the number of opinions can be reduced without affecting the fragmentation points.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figure

Tragulidae and pecoran ruminants from the latest Middle Miocene (Sarmatian, late Astaracian) of Austria.

One of the richest and most complete European terrestrial vertebrate faunas of late Middle Miocene age (12.2¿12.0 Ma; Gross et al., in press) was found near Gratkorn, at the northeastern realm of the Styrian Basin (Austria). It is one of the rare localities from the Sarmatian sensu stricto (late Serravallian) in the Central Paratethys area with a vertebrate fauna, both high in quality as well as rich in quantity. So far, 62 taxa are recorded, including Euprox furcatus, Micromeryx flourensianus and Dorcatherium naui. This is one of the rare records of Dorcatherium naui older than Vallesian and the oldest finding of the species from the Paratethys realm so far. Up to now, Dorcatherium naui of pre-Vallesian ages have only been described from Przeworno (Poland; Glazek et al., 1971), and Abocador de Can Mata (Spain; Alba et al., 2011), which are of latest Middle Miocene age like Gratkorn. Therefore the latter does not only represent one of the oldest records of Dorcatherium naui but also supports the wide distribution of the taxon already at the latest Middle Miocene. In contrast to the site of Abocador de Can Mata, where Dorcatherium naui is an infrequent element (Alba et al., 2011), the species is abundant at the locality of Gratkorn. Apart from this the larger mammal fauna of Abocadar de Can Mata and Gratkorn is quite similar, except of proboscidean and bovid taxa. While in Abocador de Can Mata Gomphotherium, Deinotherium and bovids are present (Alba et al., 2009), in Gratkorn only Deinotherium giganteum was found until now. Bovids were found in contemporaneous sediments in the eastern Styrian Basin (Gross et al., in press), though. With the material of Gratkorn previous ideas on ecological adaptations in Dorcatherium (Rössner, 2004) are supported and the understanding of the ecological niche of the ¿forest-dweller¿ Dorcatherium is specified. Besides new ideas on dispersal, evolution and ecology of Dorcatherium the locality of Gratkorn also enables an in-depth evaluation of its species separation. The specimens from Gratkorn demonstrate, in comparison with other Material from the Paratethys area, a clear distinction between Dorcatherium crassum and Dorcatherium naui and underline the taxonomic separation of both species as accepted by several authors (e.g. Alba et al., 2011). REFERENCES Alba, D.M. et al. (2009). Middle Miocene vertebrate localities from Abocador de Can Mata (els Hostalets de Pierola, Vallès Penedès Basin, Catalonia, Spain): An update after the 2006-2008 field campaigns. Paleolusitana, 1, 59¿73. Alba, D.M. et al. (2011). Middle Miocene tragulid remains from Abocador de Can Mata: the earliest record of Dorcatherium naui from Western Europe. Geobios, 44, 135-150. Glazek, J. et al. (1971). Miocene vertebrate faunas from Przeworno (Lower Silesia) and their geological setting. Acta Geologica Polonica, 21(3), 473-516. Gross, M. et al. (in press). Gratkorn ¿ A benchmark locality for the continental Sarmatian s. str. of the Central Paratethys. International Journal of Earth Sciences, doi: 10.1007/s00531-010-0615-1. Rössner, G.E. (2004). Community structure and regional patterns in late Early to Middle Miocene Ruminantia of Central Europe. Courier Forschungs-Institut Senckenberg, 249: 91-100.Peer Reviewe

Exhaustive generation of kk-critical H\mathcal H-free graphs

We describe an algorithm for generating all $k$-critical $\mathcal H$-free graphs, based on a method of Ho\`{a}ng et al. Using this algorithm, we prove that there are only finitely many $4$-critical $(P_7,C_k)$-free graphs, for both $k=4$ and $k=5$. We also show that there are only finitely many $4$-critical graphs $(P_8,C_4)$-free graphs. For each case of these cases we also give the complete lists of critical graphs and vertex-critical graphs. These results generalize previous work by Hell and Huang, and yield certifying algorithms for the $3$-colorability problem in the respective classes. Moreover, we prove that for every $t$, the class of 4-critical planar $P_t$-free graphs is finite. We also determine all 27 4-critical planar $(P_7,C_6)$-free graphs. We also prove that every $P_{10}$-free graph of girth at least five is 3-colorable, and determine the smallest 4-chromatic $P_{12}$-free graph of girth five. Moreover, we show that every $P_{13}$-free graph of girth at least six and every $P_{16}$-free graph of girth at least seven is 3-colorable. This strengthens results of Golovach et al.Comment: 17 pages, improved girth results. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1504.0697

Mining State-Based Models from Proof Corpora

Interactive theorem provers have been used extensively to reason about various software/hardware systems and mathematical theorems. The key challenge when using an interactive prover is finding a suitable sequence of proof steps that will lead to a successful proof requires a significant amount of human intervention. This paper presents an automated technique that takes as input examples of successful proofs and infers an Extended Finite State Machine as output. This can in turn be used to generate proofs of new conjectures. Our preliminary experiments show that the inferred models are generally accurate (contain few false-positive sequences) and that representing existing proofs in such a way can be very useful when guiding new ones.Comment: To Appear at Conferences on Intelligent Computer Mathematics 201