Fast Consensus under Eventually Stabilizing Message Adversaries

This paper is devoted to deterministic consensus in synchronous dynamic networks with unidirectional links, which are under the control of an omniscient message adversary. Motivated by unpredictable node/system initialization times and long-lasting periods of massive transient faults, we consider message adversaries that guarantee periods of less erratic message loss only eventually: We present a tight bound of $2D+1$ for the termination time of consensus under a message adversary that eventually guarantees a single vertex-stable root component with dynamic network diameter $D$, as well as a simple algorithm that matches this bound. It effectively halves the termination time $4D+1$ achieved by an existing consensus algorithm, which also works under our message adversary. We also introduce a generalized, considerably stronger variant of our message adversary, and show that our new algorithm, unlike the existing one, still works correctly under it.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, updated reference

Some properties of Neg-raising in three sign languages

Neg-raising, the phenomenon whereby a negation in the main clause of a complex construction is interpreted as if belonging to the embedded clause, has been intensively studied in spoken languages. The same cannot be said for sign languages. In this paper, we investigate the properties of Neg-raising constructions in three sign languages: French Sign Language, Italian Sign Language, and Sign Language of the Netherlands.We report on two syntactic tests we applied to disambiguate Neg-raising and non-Negraising readings, showing that Neg-raising constructions have similar properties in the three sign languages that we studied, as well as in comparable constructions in spoken languages. We also discuss some intricate headshake spreading patterns we found in Neg-raising constructions in Sign Language of the Netherlands, a non-manual dominant sign language

Drug user dynamics: a compartmental model of drug users for scenario analyses

A six-typology compartment model of trends in the use of illicit drugs in Italy is developed to evaluate policies and interventions through scenario analyses. Inside the big compartments of just-cannabis users and multiple drug users, three subpopulations are taken into account: the occasional, regular and intensive user. Moreover, compartments for health care, assisted persons together with a constant source (susceptible) are added; removed people (i.e. those who leave drugs for any reason) are put in a compartment which does not participate in the dynamics. Flows from the susceptible reservoir among the drug-user compartments and to the removed or the health care compartments are studied in a deterministic linear ODE framework, where parameters are estimated using Italian data. This system shows an evolution towards a steady state, the speed of convergence being dependent on parameters in a fairly visible way. This model represents a theoretical development in drug policy analysis, as it shows the relevance of flux parameters, which are in principle subject to modifications due to institutional efforts, together with a quantitative evaluation of their role in the evolution of the whole system

Protein dossier and protein fingerprints produce surface signatures: a simple and powerful technique for coding and comparing compound and receptor shape information.

The objective of this work is to analyze the structural interaction between serine proteases and theirs inhibitors using amino acids residues present in the interface of this molecules to discovery complex patterns of recognition and specificity.X-meeting 2007

Pattern-recalling processes in quantum Hopfield networks far from saturation

As a mathematical model of associative memories, the Hopfield model was now well-established and a lot of studies to reveal the pattern-recalling process have been done from various different approaches. As well-known, a single neuron is itself an uncertain, noisy unit with a finite unnegligible error in the input-output relation. To model the situation artificially, a kind of 'heat bath' that surrounds neurons is introduced. The heat bath, which is a source of noise, is specified by the 'temperature'. Several studies concerning the pattern-recalling processes of the Hopfield model governed by the Glauber-dynamics at finite temperature were already reported. However, we might extend the 'thermal noise' to the quantum-mechanical variant. In this paper, in terms of the stochastic process of quantum-mechanical Markov chain Monte Carlo method (the quantum MCMC), we analytically derive macroscopically deterministic equations of order parameters such as 'overlap' in a quantum-mechanical variant of the Hopfield neural networks (let us call "quantum Hopfield model" or "quantum Hopfield networks"). For the case in which non-extensive number $p$ of patterns are embedded via asymmetric Hebbian connections, namely, $p/N \to 0$ for the number of neuron $N \to \infty$ ('far from saturation'), we evaluate the recalling processes for one of the built-in patterns under the influence of quantum-mechanical noise.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, using jpconf.cls, Proc. of Statphys-Kolkata VI

Component-resolved diagnosis of hazelnut allergy in children

Hazelnuts commonly elicit allergic reactions starting from childhood and adolescence, with a rare resolution over time. The definite diagnosis of a hazelnut allergy relies on an oral food challenge. The role of component resolved diagnostics in reducing the need for oral food challenges in the diagnosis of hazelnut allergies is still debated. Therefore, three electronic databases were systematically searched for studies on the diagnostic accuracy of specific-IgE (sIgE) on hazelnut proteins for identifying children with a hazelnut allergy. Studies regarding IgE testing on at least one hazelnut allergen component in children whose final diagnosis was determined by oral food challenges or a suggestive history of serious symptoms due to a hazelnut allergy were included. Study quality was assessed by the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool. Eight studies enrolling 757 children, were identified. Overall, sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve and diagnostic odd ratio of Cor a 1 sIgE were lower than those of Cor a 9 and Cor a 14 sIge. When the test results were positive, the post-test probability of a hazelnut allergy was 34% for Cor a 1 sIgE, 60% for Cor a9 sIgE and 73% for Cor a 14 sIgE. When the test results were negative, the post-test probability of a hazelnut allergy was 55% for Cor a 1 sIgE, 16% for Cor a9 sIgE and 14% for Cor a 14 sIgE. Measurement of IgE levels to Cor a 9 and Cor a 14 might have the potential to improve specificity in detecting clinically tolerant children among hazelnut-sensitized ones, reducing the need to perform oral food challenges

Report on advances for pediatricians in 2018: allergy, cardiology, critical care, endocrinology, hereditary metabolic diseases, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, neonatology, nutrition, respiratory tract disorders and surgery.

This review reported notable advances in pediatrics that have been published in 2018. We have highlighted progresses in allergy, cardiology, critical care, endocrinology, hereditary metabolic diseases, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, neonatology, nutrition, respiratory tract disorders and surgery. Many studies have informed on epidemiologic observations. Promising outcomes in prevention, diagnosis and treatment have been reported. We think that advances realized in 2018 can now be utilized to ameliorate patient car

Strong Correlations in Electron Doped Phthalocyanine Conductors Near Half Filling

We propose that electron doped nontransition metal-phthalocyanines (MPc) like ZnPc and MgPc, similar to those very recently reported, should constitute novel strongly correlated metals. Due to orbital degeneracy, Jahn-Teller coupling and Hund's rule exchange, and with a large on-site Coulomb repulsion, these molecular conductors should display, particularly near half filling at two electrons/molecule, very unconventional properties, including Mott insulators, strongly correlated superconductivity, and other intriguing phases.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, submited to PR

Immersion anaesthesia with ethanol in African giant land snails (Acathina fulica)

Giant African land snails (Achatina fulica) are becoming increasingly popular pets and may be anaesthetised to allow diagnostics and surgical procedures. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the anaesthetic effects and anaesthetic-related complications of immersion in 5% ethanol in client-owned African pet land snails, anaesthetised to allow biopsies of the foot for screening of parasites. Variables such as minutes elapsing from immersion to anaesthetic induction and from removal from the bath to return of tentacle withdrawal reflex and recovery from anaesthesia were recorded, as well as the occurrence of adverse effects. Of the 30 snails enrolled, one (3.3%) had a fatal outcome whereas the remaining 29 (96.7%) snails completed the study and recovered from anaesthesia. Time to anaesthetic induction was 25 [25–29] minutes. Recovery was prolonged in one snail, which required 210 minutes to regain normal muscular strength. Time from removal from the ethanol solution to return of tentacle withdrawal reflex was 20 [14–42] minutes. Beside death, other observed adverse effects were production of bubbles (n = 4; 13.3%), and mucus secretion (n = 4; 13.3%). Immersion in 5% ethanol may be regarded as suitable anaesthetic technique for African giant snails for brief and moderately invasive surgical procedures. Nevertheless, recovery from anaesthesia may be prolonged and unpredictable