Refinement of Kripke Models for Dynamics

We propose a property-preserving refinement/abstraction theory for Kripke Modal Labelled Transition Systems incorporating not only state mapping but also label and proposition lumping, in order to have a compact but informative abstraction. We develop a 3-valued version of Public Announcement Logic (PAL) which has a dynamic operator that changes the model in the spirit of public broadcasting. We prove that the refinement relation on static models assures us to safely reason about any dynamic properties in terms of PAL-formulas on the abstraction of a model. The theory is in particular interesting and applicable for an epistemic setting as the example of the Muddy Children puzzle shows, especially in the view of the growing interest for epistemic modelling and (automatic) verification of communication protocols

Distributed Branching Bisimulation Minimization by Inductive Signatures

We present a new distributed algorithm for state space minimization modulo branching bisimulation. Like its predecessor it uses signatures for refinement, but the refinement process and the signatures have been optimized to exploit the fact that the input graph contains no tau-loops. The optimization in the refinement process is meant to reduce both the number of iterations needed and the memory requirements. In the former case we cannot prove that there is an improvement, but our experiments show that in many cases the number of iterations is smaller. In the latter case, we can prove that the worst case memory use of the new algorithm is linear in the size of the state space, whereas the old algorithm has a quadratic upper bound. The paper includes a proof of correctness of the new algorithm and the results of a number of experiments that compare the performance of the old and the new algorithms

Expression study of receptor tyrosine kinase targets of Imatinib mesylate in skull base chordomas

Chordomas are rare neoplasms arising along the axial skeleton. Up to now, the most suitable therapeutic approach is based on a combination of surgical excision and radiotherapy. Chemotherapy in not applied due to its reported low efficacy. Recently, evidence on the efficacy of Imatinib mesylate in two patients has been reported. We analyzed 14 chordoma samples for the expression of the Imatinib mesylate targets by means of RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry and found that PDGFR\u3b1 and PDGFR\u3b2 are in some cases expressed in neoplastic cells, while the stromal counterpart of the same tumor shows the above receptors. Findings on the PDGFA/PDGFB expression suggest a receptor-activated status. Our study provides new insights into the specific localization of Imatinib mesylate targets in skull base chordomas that could be taken into account for the setting up of a pharmacological treatment for this tumor

L’attività di sorveglianza audiologica pediatrica in Italia: raccomandazioni preliminari

Sulla base dei risultati dei programmi di screening uditivo neonatale attivi in diverse regioni italiane, si è resa necessaria una riflessione riguardo all’identificazione delle ipoacusie sfuggite al programma di screening neonatale, delle ipoacusie progressive o insorte dopo la nascita. Nell’ambito del progetto del Ministero della Salute CCM 2013 “Programma regionale di identificazione, intervento e presa in carico precoci per la prevenzione dei disturbi comunicativi nei bambini con deficit uditivo” un gruppo di esperti ha identificato tre principali raccomandazioni utili per ottimizzare l’attività di sorveglianza audiologica pediatrica nell’ambito del Servizio Sanitari Nazionale. Il pediatra di famiglia è riconosciuto come la figura chiave per il monitoraggio delle capacità uditive e dello sviluppo del bambino

CaloCube: a novel calorimeter for high-energy cosmic rays in space

In order to extend the direct observation of high-energy cosmic rays up to the PeV region, highly performing calorimeters with large geometrical acceptance and high energy resolution are required. Within the constraint of the total mass of the apparatus, crucial for a space mission, the calorimeters must be optimized with respect to their geometrical acceptance, granularity and absorption depth. CaloCube is a homogeneous calorimeter with cubic geometry, to maximise the acceptance being sensitive to particles from every direction in space; granularity is obtained by relying on small cubic scintillating crystals as active elements. Different scintillating materials have been studied. The crystal sizes and spacing among them have been optimized with respect to the energy resolution. A prototype, based on CsI(Tl) cubic crystals, has been constructed and tested with particle beams. Some results of tests with different beams at CERN are presented.Comment: Seven pages, seven pictures. Proceedings of INSTR17 Novosibirs

A Multicenter Clinical Evaluation of Data Logging in Cochlear Implant Recipients Using Automated Scene Classification Technologies

Currently, there are no studies assessing everyday use of cochlear implant (CI) processors by recipients by means of objective tools. The Nucleus 6 sound processor features a data logging system capable of real-time recording of CI use in different acoustic environments and under various categories of loudness levels. In this study, we report data logged for the different scenes and different loudness levels of 1,366 CI patients, as recorded by SCAN. Monitoring device use in cochlear implant recipients of all ages provides important information about the listening conditions encountered in recipients' daily lives that may support counseling and assist in the further management of their device settings. The findings for this large cohort of active CI users confirm differences between age groups concerning device use and exposure to various noise environments, especially between the youngest and oldest age groups, while similar levels of loudness were observed

EZH2 is a sensitive marker of malignancy in salivary gland tumors

BACKGROUND: The immunohistochemical detection of Enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2) proved to be a useful tool to recognize the malignant nature of tumors in a wide variety of neoplasms. The histological diagnostics of salivary gland tumors is a challenging task, and a reliable marker of malignancy would be extremely helpful. METHODS: EZH2 expression was investigated in 54 malignant and 40 benign salivary gland tumors of various histological types by standard immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The majority (n = 52) of the malignant tumors stained positively, while all the investigated benign tumors were negative for EZH2. CONCLUSIONS: EZH2 expression in salivary gland tumors, similarly to the tumors of other organs is not characteristic for any tumor type, but is a solid marker of the malignant nature of the tumors

CaloCube: an innovative homogeneous calorimeter for the next-generation space experiments

The direct measurement of the cosmic-ray spectrum, up to the knee region, is one of the instrumental challenges for next generation space experiments. The main issue for these measurements is a steeply falling spectrum with increasing energy, so the physics performance of the space calorimeters are primarily determined by their geometrical acceptance and energy resolution. CaloCube is a three-year R&D project, approved and financed by INFN in 2014, aiming to optimize the design of a space-born calorimeter. The peculiarity of the design of CaloCube is its capability of detecting particles coming from any direction, and not only those on its upper surface. To ensure that the quality of the measurement does not depend on the arrival direction of the particles, the calorimeter will be designed as homogeneous and isotropic as possible. In addition, to achieve a high discrimination power for hadrons and nuclei with respect to electrons, the sensitive elements of the calorimeter need to have a fine 3-D sampling capability. In order to optimize the detector performances with respect to the total mass of the apparatus, which is the most important constraint for a space launch, a comparative study of different scintillating materials has been performed using detailed Monte Carlo simulation based on the FLUKA package. In parallel to simulation studies, a prototype consisting in 14 layers of 3 x 3 CsI(Tl) crystals per layer has been assembled and tested with particle beams. An overview of the obtained results during the first two years of the project will be presented and the future of the detector will be discussed too

Cell-derived extracellular vesicles can be used as a biomarker reservoir for glioblastoma tumor subtyping

Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most aggressive solid tumors for which treatment options and biomarkers are limited. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) produced by both GBM and stromal cells are central in the inter-cellular communication that is taking place in the tumor bulk. As tumor sEVs are accessible in biofluids, recent reports have suggested that sEVs contain valuable biomarkers for GBM patient diagnosis and follow-up. The aim of the current study was to describe the protein content of sEVs produced by different GBM cell lines and patient-derived stem cells. Our results reveal that the content of the sEVs mirrors the phenotypic signature of the respective GBM cells, leading to the description of potential informative sEV-associated biomarkers for GBM subtyping, such as CD44. Overall, these data could assist future GBM in vitro studies and provide insights for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic methods as well as personalized treatment strategies