SVtL: System Verification through Logic: tool support for verifying sliced hierarchical statecharts

SVtL is the core of a slicing-based verification environment for UML statechart models. We present an overview of the SVtL software architecture. Special attention is paid to the slicing approach. Slicing reduces the complexity of the verification approach, based on removing pieces of the model that are not of interest during verification. In [18] a slicing algorithm has been proposed for statecharts, but it was not able to handle orthogonal regions efficiently. We optimize this algorithm by removing false dependencies, relying on the broadcasting mechanism between different parts of the statechart model

Effect of Distributed Particle Magnetic Moments on the Magnetization of NiO Nanoparticles

Magnetization of nanoparticles of NiO are measured and analyzed taking into account a distribution in particle magnetic moment. We find that disregarding this distribution in the analysis is the reason for the many anomalous observations reported on this system in the literature.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

A Short Review on Jet Identification

Jets can be used to probe the physical properties of the high energy density matter created in collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). Measurements of strong suppression of inclusive hadron distributions and di-hadron correlations at high $p_{T}$ have already provided evidence for partonic energy loss. However, these measurements suffer from well-known geometric biases due to the competition of energy loss and fragmentation. These biases can be avoided if the jets are reconstructed independently of their fragmentation details - quenched or unquenched. In this paper, we discuss modern jet reconstruction algorithms (cone and sequential recombination) and their corresponding background subtraction techniques required by the high multiplicities of heavy ion collisions. We review recent results from the STAR experiment at RHIC on direct jet reconstruction in central Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt {s_{NN}}= 200$ GeV.Comment: Proceedings for the invited talk of Hot Quarks 2008, Estes Park, CO 18-23 August 200

4pi Models of CMEs and ICMEs

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which dynamically connect the solar surface to the far reaches of interplanetary space, represent a major anifestation of solar activity. They are not only of principal interest but also play a pivotal role in the context of space weather predictions. The steady improvement of both numerical methods and computational resources during recent years has allowed for the creation of increasingly realistic models of interplanetary CMEs (ICMEs), which can now be compared to high-quality observational data from various space-bound missions. This review discusses existing models of CMEs, characterizing them by scientific aim and scope, CME initiation method, and physical effects included, thereby stressing the importance of fully 3-D ('4pi') spatial coverage.Comment: 14 pages plus references. Comments welcome. Accepted for publication in Solar Physics (SUN-360 topical issue

Zika virus infection and Guillain-Barré syndrome in three patients from Suriname

We present three patients from Suriname who were diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) during the Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in this country. One patient had a positive ZIKV urine real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) result. The other two patients had a negative ZIKV urine qRT-PCR but a positive virus neutralization test and presence of IgG antibodies against ZIKV in the serum. Considering the evidence of a past ZIKV infection and absence of evidence for recent infections with the most common preceding infections of GBS, it is very likely that these GBS cases were triggered by ZIKV

ARGONAUT-I: Activity of cefiderocol (s-649266), a siderophore cephalosporin, against gram-negative bacteria, including carbapenem-resistant nonfermenters and enterobacteriaceae with defined extended-spectrum β-lactamases and carbapenemases

The activity of the siderophore cephalosporin cefiderocol is targeted against carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. In this study, the activity of cefiderocol against characterized carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii complex, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacteriaceae strains was determined by microdilution in iron-depleted Mueller-Hinton broth. The MIC90s against A. baumannii, S. maltophilia, and P. aeruginosa were 1, 0.25, and 0.5 mg/ liter, respectively. Against Enterobacteriaceae, the MIC90 was 1 mg/liter for the group harboring OXA-48-like, 2 mg/liter for the group harboring KPC-3, and 8 mg/liter for the group harboring TEM/SHV ESBL, NDM, and KPC-2

The common ABCA4 variant p.Asn1868ile shows nonpenetrance and variable expression of stargardt disease when present in trans with severe variants

PURPOSE. To assess the occurrence and the disease expression of the common p.Asn1868Ile variant in patients with Stargardt disease (STGD1) harboring known, monoallelic causal ABCA4 variants. METHODS. The coding and noncoding regions of ABCA4 were sequenced in 67 and 63 STGD1 probands respectively, harboring monoallelic ABCA4 variants. In case p.Asn1868Ile was detected, segregation analysis was performed whenever possible. Probands and affected siblings harboring p.Asn1868Ile without additional variants in cis were clinically evaluated retrospe

Emergence of resistance to colistin during the treatment of bloodstream infection caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae

We report the emergence of colistin resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae after 8 days of colistin-based therapy, resulting in relapse of bloodstream infection and death. Disruption of the mgrB gene by insertion of a mobile genetic element was found to be the mechanism, which was replicated in vitro after exposure to subinhibitory concentrations of colistin and meropenem

Completion Dissection or Observation for Sentinel-Node Metastasis in Melanoma.

Sentinel-lymph-node biopsy is associated with increased melanoma-specific survival (i.e., survival until death from melanoma) among patients with node-positive intermediate-thickness melanomas (1.2 to 3.5 mm). The value of completion lymph-node dissection for patients with sentinel-node metastases is not clear. In an international trial, we randomly assigned patients with sentinel-node metastases detected by means of standard pathological assessment or a multimarker molecular assay to immediate completion lymph-node dissection (dissection group) or nodal observation with ultrasonography (observation group). The primary end point was melanoma-specific survival. Secondary end points included disease-free survival and the cumulative rate of nonsentinel-node metastasis. Immediate completion lymph-node dissection was not associated with increased melanoma-specific survival among 1934 patients with data that could be evaluated in an intention-to-treat analysis or among 1755 patients in the per-protocol analysis. In the per-protocol analysis, the mean (±SE) 3-year rate of melanoma-specific survival was similar in the dissection group and the observation group (86±1.3% and 86±1.2%, respectively; P=0.42 by the log-rank test) at a median follow-up of 43 months. The rate of disease-free survival was slightly higher in the dissection group than in the observation group (68±1.7% and 63±1.7%, respectively; P=0.05 by the log-rank test) at 3 years, based on an increased rate of disease control in the regional nodes at 3 years (92±1.0% vs. 77±1.5%; P<0.001 by the log-rank test); these results must be interpreted with caution. Nonsentinel-node metastases, identified in 11.5% of the patients in the dissection group, were a strong, independent prognostic factor for recurrence (hazard ratio, 1.78; P=0.005). Lymphedema was observed in 24.1% of the patients in the dissection group and in 6.3% of those in the observation group. Immediate completion lymph-node dissection increased the rate of regional disease control and provided prognostic information but did not increase melanoma-specific survival among patients with melanoma and sentinel-node metastases. (Funded by the National Cancer Institute and others; MSLT-II ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00297895 .)