The Search for the Laws of Automatic Random Testing

Can one estimate the number of remaining faults in a software system? A credible estimation technique would be immensely useful to project managers as well as customers. It would also be of theoretical interest, as a general law of software engineering. We investigate possible answers in the context of automated random testing, a method that is increasingly accepted as an effective way to discover faults. Our experimental results, derived from best-fit analysis of a variety of mathematical functions, based on a large number of automated tests of library code equipped with automated oracles in the form of contracts, suggest a poly-logarithmic law. Although further confirmation remains necessary on different code bases and testing techniques, we argue that understanding the laws of testing may bring significant benefits for estimating the number of detectable faults and comparing different projects and practices.Comment: 20 page

Belt and Road Transport Corridors: Barriers and Investments

The report presents an analysis of the impact that international freight traffic barriers have on logistics, transit potential, and development of transport corridors traversing EAEU member states. Restrictions discussed in this report include infrastructural (transport and logistical infrastructure), border/customs-related, and administrative/legal barriers. The authors also provide the recommendations regarding removal of barriers that hamper international freight traffic along the China-EAEU-EU axis

Silk Road Transport Corridors: Assessment of Trans-EAEU Freight Traffic Growth Potential

This report, prepared with the participation of experts from the Institute of the Economy and Transport Development, presents the results of quantitative assessment of freight traffic growth prospects along the China–EAEU–EU axis. The report provides a description of general trends affecting development of freight transport subject to commodity structure and mode of transport. Special attention is paid to factors driving changes in freight traffic. The authors present their view of the impact that freight rates have on the metrics of freight traffic being rechannelled to EAEU transport infrastructure and the operation of certain factors, such as regularity (rhythmicity) and timeframes of cargo deliveries. The final part of the report offers an assessment of additional freight traffic which may be attracted to transport routes along the China–EAEU–EU axis, in the short and long term

Belt and Road Transport Corridors: Barriers and Investments

The report presents an analysis of the impact that international freight traffic barriers have on logistics, transit potential, and development of transport corridors traversing EAEU member states. Restrictions discussed in this report include infrastructural (transport and logistical infrastructure), border/customs-related, and administrative/legal barriers. The authors also provide the recommendations regarding removal of barriers that hamper international freight traffic along the China-EAEU-EU axis

Autonomous and Environmentally Comfortable Type of Housing for the Development of the Arctic

Factors that impede the development of the Arctic are: 1) long frosts; 2) low quality of indoor air; 3) an unsanitary surroundings due to low activity of biota; 4) deficiency of fresh vitamin-containing food; 5) high dependency of settlements on external supply. The concept of the Arctic Ecological- Energy Autonomous Dwelling (AEEAD) designed to solve the problems is grounded on: 1) the optimal configuration of housing and heat savings; 2) closure of the flows of substances; 3) the use of autonomous energy sources. To ensure energy savings and maintain a high quality of life air revitalization is required. Air revitalization is provided by household greenhouses, which perform additional functions – heating the living quarters, lighting it, moistening the winter overdried air, growing food, decorating house interior, providing psychological support. New technologies for growing a variety of plants and organic wastes decomposition are discussed. Energetic autonomy is provided by means coupling wind generator with high-heat accumulators based on cheap solid heat-storage materials coupled, in its turn, with Stirling engine/electrical generator unit. Due to “macro-composite” structure of heat exchanger it can be achieved: almost zero heat loss in the absence of thermal insulation; a significant stabilization of the temperature at the output of the thermal battery, over the whole period of the discharg

Photosensitization of pancreatic cancer cells by cationic alkyl-porphyrins in free form or engrafted into POPC liposomes: The relationship between delivery mode and mechanism of cell death

Cationic porphyrins bearing an alkyl side chain of 14 (2b) or 18 (2d) carbons dramatically inhibit proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells following treatment with light. We have compared two different ways of delivering porphyrin 2d: either in free form or engrafted into palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine liposomes (L-2d). Cell cytometry shows that while free 2d is taken up by pancreatic cancer cells by active (endocytosis) and passive (membrane fusion) transports, L-2d is internalized solely by endocytosis. Confocal microscopy showed that free 2d co-localizes with the cell membrane and lysosomes, whereas L-2d partly co-localizes with lysosomes and ER. It is found that free 2d inhibits the KRAS-Nrf2-GPX4 axis and strongly triggers lipid peroxidation, resulting in cell death by ferroptosis. By contrast, L-2d does not affect the KRAS-Nrf2-GPX4 axis and activates cell death mainly through apoptosis. Overall, our study demonstrates for the first time that cationic alkyl porphyrins, which have a IC50 ~ 23 nM, activate a dual mechanism of cell death, ferroptosis and apoptosis, where the predominant form depends on the delivery mode

Network Platform for Tourism Sector: Transformation and Interpretation of Multifaceted Data

Modern network science has become a prominent concept, attracting diverse scientific societies to solve a wide spectrum of theoretical and practical problems. Tourism is a sphere wherein the outlines of the network’s scope are distinct. In the study, the network approach was applied in its dual form for both network-like regional tourism data (NLRTD) and network-unlike regional tourism data (NURTD), to explore the tourism destination of Baikal natural territory, Russia, in regard to the challenges of the general sustainability of regional socio-ecological systems. The aim of the study is to elaborate a comprehensive network platform to harmonize such complex and fragile systems as Baikal natural territory. Saturated with networking ideology, the approach spans a huge set of interacting social, technological and ecological elements of the comprehensive system in order to support its functionality and sustainability in general. Particularly, the paper utilizes data from interviews done in Olkhon island (2017–2018), and publicly available textual, spatial and temporal data. NLRTD with pertinent networkization procedures was utilized in transportation schemes, while the NURTD concept implies the networkalization of landscape and land use maps. The platform provides researchers and stakeholders with concentrated information which might be not only effectively processed, but also intelligible, and correctly compared and implemented in contiguous spheres

Network Platform for Tourism Sector: Transformation and Interpretation of Multifaceted Data

Modern network science has become a prominent concept, attracting diverse scientific societies to solve a wide spectrum of theoretical and practical problems. Tourism is a sphere wherein the outlines of the network’s scope are distinct. In the study, the network approach was applied in its dual form for both network-like regional tourism data (NLRTD) and network-unlike regional tourism data (NURTD), to explore the tourism destination of Baikal natural territory, Russia, in regard to the challenges of the general sustainability of regional socio-ecological systems. The aim of the study is to elaborate a comprehensive network platform to harmonize such complex and fragile systems as Baikal natural territory. Saturated with networking ideology, the approach spans a huge set of interacting social, technological and ecological elements of the comprehensive system in order to support its functionality and sustainability in general. Particularly, the paper utilizes data from interviews done in Olkhon island (2017–2018), and publicly available textual, spatial and temporal data. NLRTD with pertinent networkization procedures was utilized in transportation schemes, while the NURTD concept implies the networkalization of landscape and land use maps. The platform provides researchers and stakeholders with concentrated information which might be not only effectively processed, but also intelligible, and correctly compared and implemented in contiguous spheres

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements