Calculating fault propagation in functional programs

Techn. Report TR-HASLab:01:2013The production of safety critical software is bound to a number of safety and certification standards in which estimating the risk of failure plays a central role. Yet risk estimation seems to live outside most programmers’ core practice, involving simulation techniques and worst case analysis performed a posteriori. In this paper we propose that risk be constructively handled in functional programming by writing programs which choose between expected and faulty be- haviour and by reasoning about them in a linear algebra extension to the standard algebra of programming. In particular, the paper calculates propagation of faults across standard program transformation techniques known as tupling and fusion, enabling the fault of the whole to be expressed in terms of the faults of its parts.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Dynamics of notch pathway expression during mouse testis post-natal development and along the spermatogenic cycle

Articles in International JournalsThe transcription and expression patterns of Notch pathway components (Notch 1–3, Delta1 and 4, Jagged1) and effectors (Hes1, Hes2, Hes5 and Nrarp) were evaluated (through RT-PCR and IHC) in the mouse testis at key moments of post-natal development, and along the adult spermatogenic cycle. Notch pathway components and effectors are transcribed in the testis and expressed in germ, Sertoli and Leydig cells, and each Notch component shows a specific cell-type and timewindow expression pattern. This expression at key testis developmental events prompt for a role of Notch signaling in prepubertal spermatogonia quiescence, onset of spermatogenesis, and regulation of the spermatogenic cycle

Differential pattern and prognostic significance of CD4+, FOXP3+ and IL-17+ tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in ductal and lobular breast cancers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Clinical relevance of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in breast cancer is controversial. Here, we used a tumor microarray including a large series of ductal and lobular breast cancers with long term follow up data, to analyze clinical impact of TIL expressing specific phenotypes and distribution of TILs within different tumor compartments and in different histological subtypes.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A tissue microarray (TMA) including 894 ductal and 164 lobular breast cancers was stained with antibodies recognizing CD4, FOXP3, and IL-17 by standard immunohistochemical techniques. Lymphocyte counts were correlated with clinico-pathological parameters and survival.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>CD4⁺lymphocytes were more prevalent than FOXP3⁺TILs whereas IL-17⁺TILs were rare. Increased numbers of total CD4⁺and FOXP3⁺TIL were observed in ductal, as compared with lobular carcinomas. High grade (G3) and estrogen receptor (ER) negative ductal carcinomas displayed significantly (<it>p </it> < 0.001) higher CD4⁺and FOXP3⁺lymphocyte infiltration while her2/neu over-expression in ductal carcinomas was significantly (<it>p </it> < 0.001) associated with higher FOXP3⁺TIL counts. In contrast, lymphocyte infiltration was not linked to any clinico-pathological parameters in lobular cancers. In univariate but not in multivariate analysis CD4⁺infiltration was associated with significantly shorter survival in patients bearing ductal, but not lobular cancers. However, a FOXP3⁺/CD4⁺ratio > 1 was associated with improved overall survival even in multivariate analysis (<it>p </it>= 0.033).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Ductal and lobular breast cancers appear to be infiltrated by different lymphocyte subpopulations. In ductal cancers increased CD4⁺and FOXP3⁺TIL numbers are associated with more aggressive tumor features. In survival analysis, absolute numbers of TILs do not represent major prognostic indicators in ductal and lobular breast cancer. Remarkably however, a ratio > 1 of total FOXP3⁺/CD4⁺TILs in ductal carcinoma appears to represent an independent favorable prognostic factor.</p

A study of CP violation in the decays B±→[K+K-π+π-]Dh± (h= K, π) and B±→[π+π-π+π-]Dh±

The first study of CP violation in the decay mode B±→[K+K-π+π-]Dh± , with h= K, π , is presented, exploiting a data sample of proton–proton collisions collected by the LHCb experiment that corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 9 \,fb - 1 . The analysis is performed in bins of phase space, which are optimised for sensitivity to local CP asymmetries. CP -violating observables that are sensitive to the angle γ of the Unitarity Triangle are determined. The analysis requires external information on charm-decay parameters, which are currently taken from an amplitude analysis of LHCb data, but can be updated in the future when direct measurements become available. Measurements are also performed of phase-space integrated observables for B±→[K+K-π+π-]Dh± and B±→[π+π-π+π-]Dh± decays

Studies of η\eta and η′\eta' production in pppp and ppPb collisions

The production of $\eta$ and $\eta'$ mesons is studied in proton-proton and proton-lead collisions collected with the LHCb detector. Proton-proton collisions are studied at center-of-mass energies of $5.02$ and $13~{\rm TeV}$, and proton-lead collisions are studied at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon of $8.16~{\rm TeV}$. The studies are performed in center-of-mass rapidity regions $2.5<y_{\rm c.m.}<3.5$ (forward rapidity) and $-4.0<y_{\rm c.m.}<-3.0$ (backward rapidity) defined relative to the proton beam direction. The $\eta$ and $\eta'$ production cross sections are measured differentially as a function of transverse momentum for $1.5<p_{\rm T}<10~{\rm GeV}$ and $3<p_{\rm T}<10~{\rm GeV}$, respectively. The differential cross sections are used to calculate nuclear modification factors. The nuclear modification factors for $\eta$ and $\eta'$ mesons agree at both forward and backward rapidity, showing no significant evidence of mass dependence. The differential cross sections of $\eta$ mesons are also used to calculate $\eta/\pi^0$ cross section ratios, which show evidence of a deviation from the world average. These studies offer new constraints on mass-dependent nuclear effects in heavy-ion collisions, as well as $\eta$ and $\eta'$ meson fragmentation.Comment: All figures and tables, along with machine-readable versions and any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2023-030.html (LHCb public pages

Fraction of χc\chi_c decays in prompt J/ψJ/\psi production measured in pPb collisions at sNN=8.16\sqrt{s_{NN}}=8.16 TeV

The fraction of $\chi_{c1}$ and $\chi_{c2}$ decays in the prompt $J/\psi$ yield, $F_{\chi c}=\sigma_{\chi_c \to J/\psi}/\sigma_{J/\psi}$, is measured by the LHCb detector in pPb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=8.16$ TeV. The study covers the forward ($1.5<y^*<4.0$) and backward ($-5.0<y^*<-2.5$) rapidity regions, where $y^*$ is the $J/\psi$ rapidity in the nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass system. Forward and backward rapidity samples correspond to integrated luminosities of 13.6 $\pm$ 0.3 nb$^{-1}$ and 20.8 $\pm$ 0.5 nb$^{-1}$, respectively. The result is presented as a function of the $J/\psi$ transverse momentum $p_{T,J/\psi}$ in the range 1$<p_{T, J/\psi}<20$ GeV/$c$. The $F_{\chi c}$ fraction at forward rapidity is compatible with the LHCb measurement performed in $pp$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV, whereas the result at backward rapidity is 2.4 $\sigma$ larger than in the forward region for $1<p_{T, J/\psi}<3$ GeV/$c$. The increase of $F_{\chi c}$ at low $p_{T, J/\psi}$ at backward rapidity is compatible with the suppression of the $\psi$(2S) contribution to the prompt $J/\psi$ yield. The lack of in-medium dissociation of $\chi_c$ states observed in this study sets an upper limit of 180 MeV on the free energy available in these pPb collisions to dissociate or inhibit charmonium state formation.Comment: All figures and tables, along with machine-readable versions and any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2023-028.html (LHCb public pages

Enhanced production of Λb0\Lambda_{b}^{0} baryons in high-multiplicity pppp collisions at s=13\sqrt{s} = 13 TeV

The production rate of $\Lambda_{b}^{0}$ baryons relative to $B^{0}$ mesons in $pp$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV is measured by the LHCb experiment. The ratio of $\Lambda_{b}^{0}$ to $B^{0}$ production cross-sections shows a significant dependence on both the transverse momentum and the measured charged-particle multiplicity. At low multiplicity, the ratio measured at LHCb is consistent with the value measured in $e^{+}e^{-}$ collisions, and increases by a factor of $\sim2$ with increasing multiplicity. At relatively low transverse momentum, the ratio of $\Lambda_{b}^{0}$ to $B^{0}$ cross-sections is higher than what is measured in $e^{+}e^{-}$ collisions, but converges with the $e^{+}e^{-}$ ratio as the momentum increases. These results imply that the evolution of heavy $b$ quarks into final-state hadrons is influenced by the density of the hadronic environment produced in the collision. Comparisons with a statistical hadronization model and implications for the mechanisms enforcing quark confinement are discussed.Comment: All figures and tables, along with machine-readable versions and any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2023-027.html (LHCb public pages

First observation of a doubly charged tetraquark and its neutral partner

A combined amplitude analysis is performed for the decays $B^0 \rightarrow \overline{D}^0 D^+_s\pi^-$ and $B^+\rightarrow D^- D^+_s\pi^+$, which are related by isospin symmetry. The analysis is based on data collected by the LHCb detector in proton-proton collisions at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13$\,\rm{TeV}$. The full data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 9$\,\rm{fb^{-1}}$. Two new resonant states with masses of $2.908\pm0.011\pm0.020\,\rm{GeV}$ and widths of $0.136\pm0.023\pm0.011\,\rm{GeV}$ are observed, which decay to $D^+_s\pi^+$ and $D^+_s\pi^-$ respectively. The former state indicates the first observation of a doubly charged open-charm tetraquark state with minimal quark content $[c\bar{s}u\bar{d}]$, and the latter state is a neutral tetraquark composed of $[c\bar{s}\bar{u}d]$ quarks. Both states are found to have spin-parity $0^+$, and their resonant parameters are consistent with each other, which suggests that they belong to an isospin triplet.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-026.html (LHCb public pages

Helium identification with LHCb

The identification of helium nuclei at LHCb is achieved using a method based on measurements of ionisation losses in the silicon sensors and timing measurements in the Outer Tracker drift tubes. The background from photon conversions is reduced using the RICH detectors and an isolation requirement. The method is developed using $pp$ collision data at $\sqrt{s}=13\,{\rm TeV}$ recorded by the LHCb experiment in the years 2016 to 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5.5\,{\rm fb}^{-1}$. A total of around $10^5$ helium and antihelium candidates are identified with negligible background contamination. The helium identification efficiency is estimated to be approximately $50\%$ with a corresponding background rejection rate of up to $\mathcal O(10^{12})$. These results demonstrate the feasibility of a rich programme of measurements of QCD and astrophysics interest involving light nuclei.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-DP-2023-002.html (LHCb public pages