Rapid Identification of Bio-Molecules Applied for Detection of Biosecurity Agents Using Rolling Circle Amplification

Detection and identification of pathogens in environmental samples for biosecurity applications are challenging due to the strict requirements on specificity, sensitivity and time. We have developed a concept for quick, specific and sensitive pathogen identification in environmental samples. Target identification is realized by padlock- and proximity probing, and reacted probes are amplified by RCA (rolling-circle amplification). The individual RCA products are labeled by fluorescence and enumerated by an instrument, developed for sensitive and rapid digital analysis. The concept is demonstrated by identification of simili biowarfare agents for bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pantoea agglomerans) and spores (Bacillus atrophaeus) released in field

Main Issues in Belief Revision, Belief Merging and Information Fusion

International audienceThis chapter focuses on the dynamics of information represented in logical or numerical formats, from pioneering works to recent developments. The logical approach to belief change is a topic that has been extensively studied in Artificial Intelligence, starting in the mid-seventies. In this problem, logical formulas represent beliefs held by an intelligent agent that must be revised upon receiving new information that conflicts with prior beliefs and usually has priority over them. In contrast, in the merging problem, the logical theories that must be combined have equal priority. Such logical approaches recalled here make sense for merging beliefs as well as goals, even if each of these problems cannot be reduced to the other. In the last part, we discuss a number of issues pertaining to the fusion and the revision of uncertainty functions representing epistemic states, such as probability measures, possibility measures and belief functions. The need to cope with logical inconsistency plays a major role in these problems. The ambition of this chapter is not to provide an exhaustive bibliography, but rather to propose an overview of basic notions, main results and new research issues in this area