Optimizing the computation of overriding

We introduce optimization techniques for reasoning in DLN---a recently introduced family of nonmonotonic description logics whose characterizing features appear well-suited to model the applicative examples naturally arising in biomedical domains and semantic web access control policies. Such optimizations are validated experimentally on large KBs with more than 30K axioms. Speedups exceed 1 order of magnitude. For the first time, response times compatible with real-time reasoning are obtained with nonmonotonic KBs of this size

On Finding Maximum Cardinality Subset of Vectors with a Constraint on Normalized Squared Length of Vectors Sum

In this paper, we consider the problem of finding a maximum cardinality subset of vectors, given a constraint on the normalized squared length of vectors sum. This problem is closely related to Problem 1 from (Eremeev, Kel'manov, Pyatkin, 2016). The main difference consists in swapping the constraint with the optimization criterion. We prove that the problem is NP-hard even in terms of finding a feasible solution. An exact algorithm for solving this problem is proposed. The algorithm has a pseudo-polynomial time complexity in the special case of the problem, where the dimension of the space is bounded from above by a constant and the input data are integer. A computational experiment is carried out, where the proposed algorithm is compared to COINBONMIN solver, applied to a mixed integer quadratic programming formulation of the problem. The results of the experiment indicate superiority of the proposed algorithm when the dimension of Euclidean space is low, while the COINBONMIN has an advantage for larger dimensions.Comment: To appear in Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Analysis of Images, Social Networks, and Texts (AIST'2017

Livestock-environment interactions: Methane emissions from ruminants

Livestock producers face a number of challenges including pressure from the public to be good environmental stewards and adopt welfare-friendly practices. However, environmental stewardship and animal welfare may have excitingly conflicting objectives. Examples include pasture-based dairy and beef cattle production where high-fiber diets increase methane emissions compared with grain feeding practices in confinement. Livestock account for 35-40% of global anthropogenic emissions of methane, via enteric fermentation and manure, which together account for about 80% of the agricultural emissions. Recent estimates indicate that the methane emissions from African cattle, goats, and sheep are likely to increase from their current level of about 7.8 million tons of methane per year in 2000 to 11.1 million tons per year by 2003, largely driven by increase in livestock numbers. This paper therefore reviews certain areas of CH4 emissions from ruminants, highlights on how some novel feed additives can decrease CH4 emissions from ruminants; and how some plants secondary metabolites might act as a selective inhibitor of methanogens. An enteric methane emission (which is one of the greenhouse gases) represents an economic loss to the farmer where feed is converted to CH4 rather than to product output. As developing countries are now responsible for almost three-quarters of such emissions, this has important implications in terms of mitigation strategies, because these countries are presently outside the remit of the Kyoto Protocol.Key words: Environment, CH4 emissions, feed additives, mitigation, ruminants

Erratum: A decadal decline in relative abundance and a shift in microphytoplankton composition at a long-term coastal station off southeast Australia

In this study, we examined 11 yr (1998-2009) of water samples collected from Port Hacking coastal monitoring station 8 km offshore from Sydney, Australia, to assess changes in the microphytoplankton in relation to climate-related trends in environmental variables. A total of 152 taxa (85 genera) were identified, with the small diatom Thalassiosira cf. partheneia and the tropical cyanobacterium Trichodesmium erythraeum being the dominant species over the past decade. Taxon richness showed a distinct seasonal pattern, peaking in the austral winter. Ordination analyses revealed significant seasonal and interannual trends in species composition, including a decadal decline in dinoflagellates relative to diatoms toward the present. This decadal shift in taxonomic composition was, in turn, significantly associated with declines in water temperatures over this time period. Total abundance varied by 12 orders of magnitude (8.5 X 10⁻⁸ to 7.4 X 10⁴ cells L⁻¹), with values separable into bloom and nonbloom regimes at an abundance threshold of 7.1 X 10⁻⁵ cells L⁻¹. Significant temporal declines in abundance were observed during both bloom and nonbloom regimes. Blooms occurred most consistently in March, September, and December.13 page(s

Molecular Identification of Gambierdiscus and Fukuyoa (Dinophyceae) from Environmental Samples.

Ciguatera Fish Poisoning (CFP) is increasing across the Pacific and the distribution of the causative dinoflagellates appears to be expanding. Subtle differences in thecal plate morphology are used to distinguish dinoflagellate species, which are difficult to determine using light microscopy. For these reasons we sought to develop a Quantitative PCR assay that would detect all species from both Gambierdiscus and Fukuyoa genera in order to rapidly screen environmental samples for potentially toxic species. Additionally, a specific assay for F. paulensis was developed as this species is of concern in New Zealand coastal waters. Using the assays we analyzed 31 samples from three locations around New Zealand and the Kingdom of Tonga. Fourteen samples in total were positive for Gambierdiscus/Fukuyoa and two samples were also positive using the F. paulensis assay. Samples from the Kermadec Islands were further characterized using high-throughput sequencing metabarcoding. The majority of reads corresponded to Gambierdiscus species with three species identified at all sites (G. australes, G. honu and G. polynesiensis). This is the first confirmed identification of G. polynesiensis, a known ciguatoxin producer, in New Zealand waters. Other known toxin-producing genera were also detected, included Alexandrium, Amphidinium, Azadinium, Dinophysis, Ostreopsis, and Prorocentrum

K-ATP channel gene expression is induced by urocortin and mediates its cardioprotective effect

Background-Urocortin is a novel cardioprotective agent that can protect cardiac myocytes from the damaging effects of ischemia/reperfusion both in culture and in the intact heart and is effective when given at reperfusion.Methods and Results-We have analyzed global changes in gone expression in cardiac myocytes after urocortin treatment using gene chip technology. We report that urocortin specifically induces enhanced expression of the Kir 6.1 cardiac potassium channel subunit. On the basis of this finding, we showed that the cardioprotective effect of urocortin both in isolated cardiac cells and in the intact heart is specifically blocked by both generalized and mitochondrial-specific K-ATP channel blockers, whereas the cardioprotective effect of cardiotrophin-1 is unaffected. Conversely, inhibiting the Kir 6.1 channel subunit greatly enhances cardiac cell death after ischemia.Conclusions-This is, to our knowledge, the first report of the altered expression of a K-ATP. channel subunit induced by a cardioprotective agent and demonstrates that K-ATP, channel opening is essential for the effect of this novel cardioprotective agent

Parameterized Model-Checking for Timed-Systems with Conjunctive Guards (Extended Version)

In this work we extend the Emerson and Kahlon's cutoff theorems for process skeletons with conjunctive guards to Parameterized Networks of Timed Automata, i.e. systems obtained by an \emph{apriori} unknown number of Timed Automata instantiated from a finite set $U_1, \dots, U_n$ of Timed Automata templates. In this way we aim at giving a tool to universally verify software systems where an unknown number of software components (i.e. processes) interact with continuous time temporal constraints. It is often the case, indeed, that distributed algorithms show an heterogeneous nature, combining dynamic aspects with real-time aspects. In the paper we will also show how to model check a protocol that uses special variables storing identifiers of the participating processes (i.e. PIDs) in Timed Automata with conjunctive guards. This is non-trivial, since solutions to the parameterized verification problem often relies on the processes to be symmetric, i.e. indistinguishable. On the other side, many popular distributed algorithms make use of PIDs and thus cannot directly apply those solutions