Error Correction And Decodability

The classical theory of error correcting codes investigates methods for correcting substitution errors in information messages and uses mainly block codes, that is, codes all the words of which have the same length. This thesis introduces a general framework for studying the notions of error correction and decodability for arbitrary channels and for variable length codes.;First, a general definition of channel is given and a large class of channels, the SID channels, is defined for modeling substitutions, insertions, and deletions of symbols in information messages. The algebraic properties of SID channels are investigated which lead to the notion of normal form for SID channels. Next, for a general channel, the definition of (variable length) error correcting code is given. Several examples are provided and the decidability of error correction is shown for any given SID channel and finite code. Finally, the behaviour of a certain class of codes with the deletion channel is analysed which leads to the construction of deletion-correcting codes of variable length

An investigation into inter- and intragenomic variations of graphic genomic signatures

We provide, on an extensive dataset and using several different distances, confirmation of the hypothesis that CGR patterns are preserved along a genomic DNA sequence, and are different for DNA sequences originating from genomes of different species. This finding lends support to the theory that CGRs of genomic sequences can act as graphic genomic signatures. In particular, we compare the CGR patterns of over five hundred different 150,000 bp genomic sequences originating from the genomes of six organisms, each belonging to one of the kingdoms of life: H. sapiens, S. cerevisiae, A. thaliana, P. falciparum, E. coli, and P. furiosus. We also provide preliminary evidence of this method's applicability to closely related species by comparing H. sapiens (chromosome 21) sequences and over one hundred and fifty genomic sequences, also 150,000 bp long, from P. troglodytes (Animalia; chromosome Y), for a total length of more than 101 million basepairs analyzed. We compute pairwise distances between CGRs of these genomic sequences using six different distances, and construct Molecular Distance Maps that visualize all sequences as points in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional space, to simultaneously display their interrelationships. Our analysis confirms that CGR patterns of DNA sequences from the same genome are in general quantitatively similar, while being different for DNA sequences from genomes of different species. Our analysis of the performance of the assessed distances uses three different quality measures and suggests that several distances outperform the Euclidean distance, which has so far been almost exclusively used for such studies. In particular we show that, for this dataset, DSSIM (Structural Dissimilarity Index) and the descriptor distance (introduced here) are best able to classify genomic sequences.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, 5 table

Classical-theoretical foundations of computing : a concise textbook

168 p. : ill. ; 29 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 167-168)

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

Infected pancreatic necrosis: outcomes and clinical predictors of mortality. A post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study

: The identification of high-risk patients in the early stages of infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN) is critical, because it could help the clinicians to adopt more effective management strategies. We conducted a post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study to assess the association between clinical risk factors and mortality among adult patients with IPN. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify prognostic factors of mortality. We identified 247 consecutive patients with IPN hospitalised between January 2019 and December 2020. History of uncontrolled arterial hypertension (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.135-15.882; aOR 4.245), qSOFA (p = 0.005; 95% CI 1.359-5.879; aOR 2.828), renal failure (p = 0.022; 95% CI 1.138-5.442; aOR 2.489), and haemodynamic failure (p = 0.018; 95% CI 1.184-5.978; aOR 2.661), were identified as independent predictors of mortality in IPN patients. Cholangitis (p = 0.003; 95% CI 1.598-9.930; aOR 3.983), abdominal compartment syndrome (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.090-6.967; aOR 2.735), and gastrointestinal/intra-abdominal bleeding (p = 0.009; 95% CI 1.286-5.712; aOR 2.710) were independently associated with the risk of mortality. Upfront open surgical necrosectomy was strongly associated with the risk of mortality (p < 0.001; 95% CI 1.912-7.442; aOR 3.772), whereas endoscopic drainage of pancreatic necrosis (p = 0.018; 95% CI 0.138-0.834; aOR 0.339) and enteral nutrition (p = 0.003; 95% CI 0.143-0.716; aOR 0.320) were found as protective factors. Organ failure, acute cholangitis, and upfront open surgical necrosectomy were the most significant predictors of mortality. Our study confirmed that, even in a subgroup of particularly ill patients such as those with IPN, upfront open surgery should be avoided as much as possible. Study protocol registered in ClinicalTrials.Gov (I.D. Number NCT04747990)