The electrum analyzer: Model checking relational first-order temporal specifications

This paper presents the Electrum Analyzer, a free-software tool to validate and perform model checking of Electrum specifications. Electrum is an extension of Alloy that enriches its relational logic with LTL operators, thus simplifying the specification of dynamic systems. The Analyzer supports both automatic bounded model checking, with an encoding into SAT, and unbounded model checking, with an encoding into SMV. Instance, or counter-example, traces are presented back to the user in a unified visualizer. Features to speed up model checking are offered, including a decomposed parallel solving strategy and the extraction of symbolic bounds. Source code: https://github.com/haslab/ElectrumVideo: https://youtu.be/FbjlpvjgMDA.European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (COMPETE2020) and by National Funds through the Portuguese funding agency, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) within project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016826, and the French Research Agency project FORMEDICIS ANR-16-CE25-000

Validating the hybrid ERTMS/ETCS level 3 concept with electrum

This paper reports on the development of a formal model for the Hybrid ERTMS/ETCS Level 3 concept in Electrum, a lightweight formal specification language that extends Alloy with mutable relations and temporal logic operators. We show how Electrum and its Analyzer can be used to perform scenario exploration to validate this model, namely to check that all the example operational scenarios described in the reference document are admissible, and to reason about expected safety properties, which can be easily specified and model checked for arbitrary track configurations. The Analyzer depicts scenarios (and counter-examples) in a graphical notation that is logic-agnostic, making them understandable for stakeholders without expertise in formal specification.- Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia(POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016826); ERDF - European Regional Development Fund through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation - COMPETE 2020 and by National Funds through the Portuguese funding agenc

Fasciolose.

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Ageing and menopause considerations for women with HIV in the UK

OBJECTIVES: Treatment rollout has dramatically improved life expectancy for people with HIV and AIDS. Women represent a substantial proportion of patients in the UK (approximately one-third of patients in care are female according to the HIV Annual Report 2014). This study examines psychosocial and biomedical issues for women diagnosed with HIV in the UK, comparing those above and below 45 years of age to examine menopause and ageing issues. METHODS: Consecutive clinic attenders in a large outpatient London HIV clinic were invited to participate in the study. Data were available for 170 (68%) women. In 57 women above the age of 45 data were available regarding menopause detailed insights. RESULTS: Compared with women aged under 45, women >45 years old were significantly less likely to be in a relationship (P=0.01), had higher anxiety scores (P=0.002), more likely to be classified as moderate to severe (25.9% vs 9.1%; χ(2)=6.1, P=0.01). There were no differences in terms of suicidal ideation, which was high for both groups of women (56.6%). Older women had higher psychological symptoms on the MSAS scale form and significantly higher PHQ-9 depression levels. A higher proportion of older women scored above the cut-off point for moderate to severe depression (9.2% vs 21.8%; χ(2)=3.7, P=0.048). Fewer older women had no mental health challenges (26.1% vs 42.4%) and more had multiple comorbidities (P=0.07). CONCLUSIONS: The vast majority of women reported experiencing a variety of physical and psychological menopause-related symptoms and there was a high suicide ideation rate in both groups of women. Over half of the group of menopausal women recorded distressing symptoms such as hot flushes, sweating, decreased sexual desire, back pain, night sweats, avoiding intimacy, involuntary urination and skin changes, yet few sought help. Age-specific, psychosexual and menopause services should be routinely available for women with HIV

Evaluation of QuEChERS Method for Analysis of Cypermethrin Residue in Cow?s Milk.

The presence of veterinary drug residues in food, especially of pesticides used for cattle disease control, can affect public health and international trading of food products if maximum residue levels are above those stipulated by FAO and WHO. Milk is one of the most complete food for humans, because it contains nutrients required for growth and development of newborns. However, milk quality can be endangered due to the presence of contaminants, especially of cypermethrin pesticide, which is widely used in Brazil to treat lactating dairy cows, mainly against ticks, flies, lice and dermatobia. Methods for monitoring veterinary drugs, for example pesticide residues, should be rapid, have small number of analytical steps, use few reagents in small amounts, be specific, and be sensitive enough to enable detection at very low levels. Anastassiades et al. [1] developed an approach which they dubbed quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS). The method involves extraction of the analyte with MeCN partitioned from an aqueous matrix using anhydrous MgSO4 and NaCl, followed by a dispersive-SPE cleanup with MgSO4 and primary secondary amine (PSA). The aim of this study was to evaluate QuEChERS method in combination with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for the determination of cypermethrin residue in bovine milk. The following steps were undertaken: (1) weigh a 10 g milk sample into a centrifuge tube; (2) add cypermethrin; (3) add 10 mL of MeCN, 4 g of MgSO4 and 1 g of NaCl in each tube, and centrifuge at 3000 rpm for 1 min; (4) transfer 1 mL of MeCN extract to a 1.5 mL minicentrifuge tube for dispersive SPE using 50 mg of PSA + 50 mg of C18 + 150 mg of MgSO4; (5) mix the extract, and centrifuge at 6000 rpm for 1 min; (6) transfer 0.5 mL of the supernatant to an autosampler vial for analysis by GC?MS. The volume analyzed was 1 ?L and the oven temperature program was set at 150°C - 15°C min-1 - 270°C (7 min). The mass spectrometry was operated in the SIM mode. The method resulted in extracts that contained the target analyte, with recovery values within the ANVISA [2] requeriments, from 70% to 120%, with relative standard deviations below 20%. Detection and quantification limits were 0.025 and 0.075 mg kg-1, respectively. It is possible to analyze cypermethrin in milk below the maximum residue limit of 0.10 mg kg-1. The proposed method is rapid and inexpensive, and reduces consumption of organic solvents, which are toxic to health and to the environment. The method may be used as a screening procedure for analysis of cypermethrin residue in milk

Mercapturate Pathway in the Tubulocentric Perspective of Diabetic Kidney Disease

BACKGROUND: The recent growing evidence that the proximal tubule underlies the early pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is unveiling novel and promising perspectives. This pathophysiological concept links tubulointerstitial oxidative stress, inflammation, hypoxia, and fibrosis with the progression of DKD. In this new angle for DKD, the prevailing molecular mechanisms on proximal tubular cells emerge as an innovative opportunity for prevention and management of DKD as well as to improve diabetic dysmetabolism. SUMMARY: The mercapturate pathway (MAP) is a classical metabolic detoxification route for xenobiotics that is emerging as an integrative circuitry detrimental to resolve tubular inflammation caused by endogenous electrophilic species. Herein we review why and how it might underlie DKD. Key Messages: MAP is a hallmark of proximal tubular cell function, and cysteine-S-conjugates might represent targets for early intervention in DKD. Moreover, the biomonitoring of urinary mercapturates from metabolic inflammation products might be relevant for the implementation of preventive/management strategies in DKD.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Desenvolvimento da metodologia QuEChERS-GC/MS para análise de resíduos do acaricida cipermetrina em leite bovino.

O Brasil é o sexto maior produtor mundial de leite, sendo esse considerado um dos alimentos mais ricos em termos nutricionais, contendo carboidratos, vitaminas, gorduras, sais minerais e proteínas essenciais aos seres humanos. Durante o processo de produção do leite bovino, na glândula mamária, o leite pode ser contaminado por medicamentos veterinários que foram administrados à vaca. Entre esses medicamentos, destacam-se os acaricidas, que combatem o carrapato-do-boi, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, parasita que pode causar grandes prejuízos à saúde e à produtividade bovina. Um acaricida amplamente utilizado no rebanho bovino leiteiro é a cipermetrina, que pertence à classe dos piretroides e pode provocar a ocorrência de resíduos no leite, comprometendo a qualidade do produto e a segurança alimentar humana. Assim, o presente estudo teve o objetivo de desenvolver uma metodologia para a análise de resíduos de cipermetrina em leite bovino, aplicando o método de extração QuEChERS e a cromatografia gasosa acoplada à espectrometria de massas (GC/MS). No desenvolvimento do método QuEChERS, em 10 mL de amostra de leite fortificada com o acaricida cipermetrina, adicionaram-se 10 mL de acetonitrila (MeCN), 4 g MgSO4 e 1 g NaCl, agitou-se manualmente e centrifugou-se a 3000 rpm por 1 minuto