Transformations of Logic Programs on Infinite Lists

We consider an extension of logic programs, called \omega-programs, that can be used to define predicates over infinite lists. \omega-programs allow us to specify properties of the infinite behavior of reactive systems and, in general, properties of infinite sequences of events. The semantics of \omega-programs is an extension of the perfect model semantics. We present variants of the familiar unfold/fold rules which can be used for transforming \omega-programs. We show that these new rules are correct, that is, their application preserves the perfect model semantics. Then we outline a general methodology based on program transformation for verifying properties of \omega-programs. We demonstrate the power of our transformation-based verification methodology by proving some properties of Buechi automata and \omega-regular languages.Comment: 37 pages, including the appendix with proofs. This is an extended version of a paper published in Theory and Practice of Logic Programming, see belo

Totally correct logic program transformations via well-founded annotations

We address the problem of proving the total correctness of transformations of definite logic programs. We consider a general transformation rule, called clause replacement, which consists in transforming a program P into a new program Q by replacing a set Γ1 of clauses occurring in P by a new set Γ2 of clauses, provided that Γ1 and Γ2 are equivalent in the least Herbrand model M(P) of the program P. We propose a general method for proving that transformations based on clause replacement are totally correct, that is, M(P) = M(Q). Our method consists in showing that the transformation of P into Q can be performed by: (i) adding extra arguments to predicates, thereby deriving from the given program P an annotated program P, (ii) applying a variant of the clause replacement rule and transforming the annotated program P into a terminating annotated program Q, and (iii) erasing the annotations from Q, thereby getting Q. Our method does not require that either P or Q are terminating and it is parametric with respect to the annotations. By providing different annotations we can easily prove the total correctness of program transformations based on various versions of the popular unfolding, folding, and goal replacement rules, which can all be viewed as particular cases of our clause replacement rule

Inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling hampers the vasopressin-dependent stimulation of myogenic differentiation

Arginine-vasopressin (AVP) promotes muscle differentiation, hypertrophy, and regeneration through the combined activation of the calcineurin and Calcium/Calmodulin-dependent Protein Kinase (CaMK) pathways. The AVP system is impaired in several neuromuscular diseases, suggesting that AVP may act as a physiological factor in skeletal muscle. Since the Phosphoinositide 3-kinases/Protein Kinase B/mammalian Target Of Rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) signaling plays a significant role in regulating muscle mass, we evaluated its role in the AVP myogenic effect. In L6 cells AKT1 expression was knocked down, and the AVP-dependent expression of mTOR and Forkhead box O3 (FoxO) was analyzed by Western blotting. The effect of the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 was evaluated by cellular and molecular techniques. Akt knockdown hampered the AVP-dependent mTOR expression while increased the levels of FoxO transcription factor. LY294002 treatment inhibited the AVP-dependent expression of Myocyte Enhancer Factor-2 (MEF2) and myogenin and prevented the nuclear translocation of MEF2. LY294002 also repressed the AVP-dependent nuclear export of histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) interfering with the formation of multifactorial complexes on the myogenin promoter. We demonstrate that the PI3K/Akt pathway is essential for the full myogenic effect of AVP and that, by targeting this pathway, one may highlight novel strategies to counteract muscle wasting in aging or neuromuscular disorders

Promoting Sustainable Food Consumption: An Agent-Based Model About Outcomes of Small Shop Openings

A useful way of promoting sustainable food consumption is to consider the spread of food retail operations focused on food diversification, food specialization, and fresh and local products. These food shops are generally small, which is a great problem for survival against ruthless competition from supermarkets. Our research objective was to construct a simulation with an agent-based model, reproducing the local food consumption market and to investigate how a new, small food retailing shop interacts with this market. As a case study, the model simulates the opening of a small farmers' market. The intent of the model is to reproduce the current status of consumption for food products within a certain territorial context and given time period, and to investigate how consumers' behaviour changes with the opening of the new shop. As a result, we could predict changes in consumers' habits, the economic positioning of new, small shops and its best location. This information is of considerable interest for farmers' markets and also for policymakers

Impact of structural defects on the performance of graphene plasmon-based molecular sensors

Graphene-based plasmonic devices are regarded to be suitable for a plethora of applications, ranging from mid-infrared to terahertz frequencies. In this regard, among the peculiarities associated with graphene, it is well known that plasmons are tunable and tend to show stronger confinement as well as a longer lifetime than in the noble-metal counterpart. However, due to the two-dimensional specificity of graphene, the presence of defects might induce stronger effects than in bulky noble metals. Here, we theoretically investigate the impact of structural defects hosted by graphene on selected figures of merit associated to localized plasmons, which are of key technological importance for plasmon-based molecular sensing. By considering an optimized graphene nanostructure, we provide a comparative analysis intended to shed light on the impact of the type of defect on graphene localized plasmons, that regards distinct types of defects commonly arising from fabrication procedures or exposure to radiation. This understanding will help industry and academia in better identifying the most suitable applications for graphene-based molecular sensing.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Stacked optical antennas for plasmon propagation in a 5 nm-confined cavity

The sub-wavelength concentration and propagation of electromagnetic energy are two complementary aspects of plasmonics that are not necessarily co-present in a single nanosystem. Here we exploit the strong nanofocusing properties of stacked optical antennas in order to highly concentrate the electromagnetic energy into a 5 nm metal-insulator-metal (MIM) cavity and convert free radiation into guided modes. The proposed nano-architecture combines the concentration properties of optical nanoantennas with the propagation capability of MIM systems, paving the way to highly miniaturized on-chip plasmonic waveguiding

Sex and Gender Differences in Ischemic Heart Disease: Endocrine Vascular Disease Approach (EVA) Study Design

Improvements in ischemic heart disease (IHD) management have been unbalanced between sexes, with coronary microvascular dysfunction considered the likely underlying reason. The Endocrine Vascular disease Approach (EVA) is an observational study ( Clinicaltrial.gov NCT02737982) aiming to assess sex and gender interactions between coronary circulation, sexual hormones, and platelet function. Consecutive patients with IHD undergoing coronary angiography will be recruited: (1) to assess sex and gender differences in angiographic reperfusion indexes; (2) to evaluate the effects of estrogen/androgen on sex-related differences in myocardial ischemia; (3) to investigate the platelet biology differences between men and women with IHD; (4) to verify sex- and gender-driven interplay between response to percutaneous coronary intervention, platelets, sex hormones, and myocardial damage at baseline and its impact on 12-month outcomes. The integration of sex and gender in this translational project on IHD will contribute to the identification of new targets for further innovative clinical interventions