Black Block Recorder: Immutable Black Box Logging for Robots via Blockchain

Event data recording is crucial in robotics research, providing prolonged insights into a robot's situational understanding, progression of behavioral state, and resulting outcomes. Such recordings are invaluable when debugging complex robotic applications or profiling experiments ex post facto. As robotic developments mature into production, both the roles and requirements of event logging will broaden, to include serving as evidence for auditors and regulators investigating accidents or fraud. Given the growing number of high profile public incidents involving self-driving automotives resulting in fatality and regulatory policy making, it is paramount that the integrity, authenticity and non-repudiation of such event logs are maintained to ensure accountability. Being mobile cyber-physical systems, robots present new threats, and vulnerabilities beyond traditional IT: unsupervised physical system access or postmortem collusion between robot and OEM could result in the truncation or alteration of prior records. In this letter, we address immutablization of log records via integrity proofs and distributed ledgers with special considerations for mobile and public service robot deployments

How antimalarial drug resistance affects post-treatment prophylaxis

Slowly eliminated antimalarial drugs suppress malaria reinfections for a period of time determined by the dose, the pharmacokinetic properties of the drug, and the susceptibility of the infecting parasites. This effect is called post-treatment prophylaxis (PTP). The clinical benefits of preventing recrudescence (reflecting treatment efficacy) compared with preventing reinfection (reflecting PTP) need further assessment. Antimalarial drug resistance shortens PTP. While blood concentrations are in the terminal elimination phase, the degree of shortening may be estimated from measurements of in-vitro susceptibility and the terminal elimination half-life. More information is needed on PTP following intermittent preventive treatments, and on the relationship between the duration of PTP and immunity, so that policy recommendations can have a firmer evidence base

The North Ecliptic Pole Wide survey of AKARI: a near- and mid-infrared source catalog

We present a photometric catalog of infrared (IR) sources based on the North Ecliptic PoleWide field (NEP-Wide) survey of AKARI, which is an infrared space telescope launched by Japan. The NEP-Wide survey covered 5.4 deg2 area, a nearly circular shape centered on the North Ecliptic Pole, using nine photometric filter-bands from 2 - 25 {\mu}m of the Infrared Camera (IRC). Extensive efforts were made to reduce possible false objects due to cosmic ray hits, multiplexer bleeding phenomena around bright sources, and other artifacts. The number of detected sources varied depending on the filter band: with about 109,000 sources being cataloged in the near-IR bands at 2 - 5 {\mu}m, about 20,000 sources in the shorter parts of the mid-IR bands between 7 - 11 {\mu}m, and about 16,000 sources in the longer parts of the mid-IR bands, with \sim 4,000 sources at 24 {\mu}m. The estimated 5? detection limits are approximately 21 magnitude (mag) in the 2 - 5 {\mu}m bands, 19.5 - 19 mag in the 7 - 11 {\mu}m, and 18.8 - 18.5 mag in the 15 - 24 {\mu}m bands in the AB magnitude scale. The completenesses for those bands were evaluated as a function of magnitude: the 50% completeness limits are about 19.8 mag at 3 {\mu}m, 18.6 mag at 9 {\mu}m, and 18 mag at 18 {\mu}m band, respectively. To construct a reliable source catalog, all of the detected sources were examined by matching them with those in other wavelength data, including optical and ground-based near-IR bands. The final band-merged catalog contains about 114,800 sources detected in the IRC filter bands. The properties of the sources are presented in terms of the distributions in various color-color diagrams.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, 23 pages, 27 figure

Single event upset studies for the ATLAS SCT and pixel optical links

Optical data transmission has been chosen for the ATLAS Pixel and SemiConductor Tracker to deliver both timing and control information to the detector modules and transmit tracking data to the remote computer room. Radiation hardness of individuals optical components and their ASICs drivers have been reported in previous papers. We will report here the Single Event Upset studies carried out on a customised optopackage using a high-energy pion beam. It will be shown that the system is sufficiently robust to SEU at the ATLAS SCT level

Surveillance of low pathogenic novel H7N9 avian influenza in commercial poultry barns: detection of outbreaks and estimation of virus introduction time

Background Both high and low pathogenic subtype A avian influenza remain ongoing threats to the commercial poultry industry globally. The emergence of a novel low pathogenic H7N9 lineage in China presents itself as a new concern to both human and animal health and may necessitate additional surveillance in commercial poultry operations in affected regions. Methods Sampling data was simulated using a mechanistic model of H7N9 influenza transmission within commercial poultry barns together with a stochastic observation process. Parameters were estimated using maximum likelihood. We assessed the probability of detecting an outbreak at time of slaughter using both real-time polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR) and a hemagglutinin inhibition assay (HI assay) before considering more intense sampling prior to slaughter. The day of virus introduction and R 0 were estimated jointly from weekly flock sampling data. For scenarios where R 0 was known, we estimated the day of virus introduction into a barn under different sampling frequencies. Results If birds were tested at time of slaughter, there was a higher probability of detecting evidence of an outbreak using an HI assay compared to rt-PCR, except when the virus was introduced <2 weeks before time of slaughter. Prior to the initial detection of infection N s a m p l e = 50 (1%) of birds were sampled on a weekly basis once, but after infection was detected, N s a m p l e = 2000 birds (40%) were sampled to estimate both parameters. We accurately estimated the day of virus introduction in isolation with weekly and 2-weekly sampling. Conclusions A strong sampling effort would be required to infer both the day of virus introduction and R 0. Such a sampling effort would not be required to estimate the day of virus introduction alone once R 0 was known, and sampling N s a m p l e = 50 of birds in the flock on a weekly or 2 weekly basis would be sufficient

Star Formation and AGN activity in Galaxies classified using the 1.6 {\mu}m Bump and PAH features at z=0.4−2z = 0.4-2

We have studied the star-formation and AGN activity of massive galaxies in the redshift range $z=0.4-2$, which are detected in a deep survey field using the AKARI InfraRed (IR) astronomical satellite and {\em Subaru} telescope toward the North Ecliptic Pole (NEP). The AKARI/IRC Mid-InfraRed (MIR) multiband photometry is used to trace their star-forming activities with the Polycyclic-Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) emissions, which is also used to distinguish star-forming populations from AGN dominated ones and to estimate the Star Formation Rate (SFR) derived from their total emitting IR (TIR) luminosities. In combination with analyses of their stellar components, we have studied the MIR SED features of star-forming and AGN-harboring galaxies.Comment: 45 pages and 63 figures, will be published in PASJ Vol.64 No.

Mapping the Spread of Malaria Drug Resistance

Tim Anderson discusses a new study of molecular variation in alleles at the dihydropteroate synthase locus, which underlies resistance to sulfadoxine, in over 5,000 parasites from 50 locations

The Cosmic Lens All-Sky Survey: statistical strong lensing, cosmological parameters, and global properties of galaxy populations

Extensive analyses of statistical strong gravitational lensing are performed based on the final Cosmic Lens All Sky Survey (CLASS) well-defined statistical sample of flat spectrum radio sources and current estimates of galaxy luminosity functions per morphological type. The analyses are done under the assumption that galactic lenses are well-approximated by singular isothermal ellipsoids and early-type galaxies evolved passively since redshift $z \sim 1$. Depending on how the late-type galaxy population is treated (i.e., whether its characteristic velocity dispersion is constrained or not), we find for a flat universe with a cosmological constant that the present matter fraction of the present critical density $\Omega_{\rm m} = 0.31^{+0.27}_{-0.14}$ (68%) for the unconstrained case or $0.40^{+0.28}_{-0.16}$ (68%) for the constrained case, with an additional systematic uncertainty of $\approx 0.11$ arising from the present uncertainty in the distribution of CLASS sources in redshift and flux density. For a flat universe with a constant equation of state for dark energy w = $p_x$(pressure)/$\rho_x$(energy density), we find that $w < -0.55^{+0.18}_{-0.11}$ (68%) for the unconstrained case or $w < -0.41^{+0.28}_{-0.16}$ (68%) for the constrained case. For the equal frequencies of oblates and prolates, we find that $\sigma_{*}^{(e)} = 198^{+22}_{-18}$ km s$^{-1}$ (68%) for a `steep' $\alpha^{(e)}=-1$ or $\sigma_{*}^{(e)} = 181^{+18}_{-15}$ km s$^{-1}$ (68%) for a `shallow' $\alpha^{(e)}=-0.54$. Finally, from the relative frequencies of doubly-imaged sources and quadruply-imaged sources, we find that a mean projected mass ellipticity of early-type galaxies $\bar{\epsilon}_{\rm mass} = 0.42$ with a 68% lower limit of 0.28. (Abridged)Comment: 31 pages, 12figures, 6 tables, to appear in MNRAS (referee comments incorporated, a section on future prospects added

An Optical Source Catalog of the North Ecliptic Pole Region

We present a five (u*,g',r',i',z') band optical photometry catalog of the sources in the North Ecliptic Pole (NEP) region based on deep observations made with MegaCam at CFHT. The source catalog covers about 2 square degree area centered at the NEP and reaches depths of about 26 mag for u*, g', r' bands, about 25 mag for i' band, and about 24 mag for z' band (4 sigma detection over an 1 arcsec aperture). The total number of cataloged sources brighter than r'= 23 mag is about 56,000 including both point sources and extended sources. From the investigation of photometric properties using the color-magnitude diagrams and color-color diagrams, we have found that the colors of extended sources are mostly (u*-r') 0.5. This can be used to separate the extended sources from the point sources reliably, even for the faint source domain where typical morphological classification schemes hardly work efficiently. We have derived an empirical color-redshift relation of the red sequence galaxies using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey data. By applying this relation to our photometry catalog and searching for any spatial overdensities, we have found two galaxy clusters and one nearby galaxy group.Comment: 34 pages, 15 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJS. The pdf file with high resolution figures can be downloaded from http://astro.snu.ac.kr/~nhwang/index.files/nep.htm

Hyperparasitaemia and low dosing are an important source of anti-malarial drug resistance

BACKGROUND: Preventing the emergence of anti-malarial drug resistance is critical for the success of current malaria elimination efforts. Prevention strategies have focused predominantly on qualitative factors, such as choice of drugs, use of combinations and deployment of multiple first-line treatments. The importance of anti-malarial treatment dosing has been underappreciated. Treatment recommendations are often for the lowest doses that produce "satisfactory" results. METHODS: The probability of de-novo resistant malaria parasites surviving and transmitting depends on the relationship between their degree of resistance and the blood concentration profiles of the anti-malarial drug to which they are exposed. The conditions required for the in-vivo selection of de-novo emergent resistant malaria parasites were examined and relative probabilities assessed. RESULTS: Recrudescence is essential for the transmission of de-novo resistance. For rapidly eliminated anti-malarials high-grade resistance can arise from a single drug exposure, but low-grade resistance can arise only from repeated inadequate treatments. Resistance to artemisinins is, therefore, unlikely to emerge with single drug exposures. Hyperparasitaemic patients are an important source of de-novo anti-malarial drug resistance. Their parasite populations are larger, their control of the infection insufficient, and their rates of recrudescence following anti-malarial treatment are high. As use of substandard drugs, poor adherence, unusual pharmacokinetics, and inadequate immune responses are host characteristics, likely to pertain to each recurrence of infection, a small subgroup of patients provides the particular circumstances conducive to de-novo resistance selection and transmission. CONCLUSION: Current dosing recommendations provide a resistance selection opportunity in those patients with low drug levels and high parasite burdens (often children or pregnant women). Patients with hyperparasitaemia who receive outpatient treatments provide the greatest risk of selecting de-novo resistant parasites. This emphasizes the importance of ensuring that only quality-assured anti-malarial combinations are used, that treatment doses are optimized on the basis of pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic assessments in the target populations, and that patients with heavy parasite burdens are identified and receive sufficient treatment to prevent recrudescence