Predicting global usages of resources endowed with local policies

The effective usages of computational resources are a primary concern of up-to-date distributed applications. In this paper, we present a methodology to reason about resource usages (acquisition, release, revision, ...), and therefore the proposed approach enables to predict bad usages of resources. Keeping in mind the interplay between local and global information occurring in the application-resource interactions, we model resources as entities with local policies and global properties governing the overall interactions. Formally, our model takes the shape of an extension of pi-calculus with primitives to manage resources. We develop a Control Flow Analysis computing a static approximation of process behaviour and therefore of the resource usages.Comment: In Proceedings FOCLASA 2011, arXiv:1107.584

Revealing the trajectories of KLAIM tuples, statically

Klaim (Kernel Language for Agents Interaction and Mobility) has been devised to design distributed applications composed by many components deployed over the nodes of a distributed infrastructure and to offer programmers primitive constructs for communicating, distributing and retrieving data. Data could be sensitive and some nodes could not be secure. As a consequence it is important to track data in their traversal of the network. To this aim, we propose a Control Flow Analysis that over-approximates the behaviour of Klaim processes and tracks how tuple data can move in the network

Safer in the Clouds (Extended Abstract)

We outline the design of a framework for modelling cloud computing systems.The approach is based on a declarative programming model which takes the form of a lambda-calculus enriched with suitable mechanisms to express and enforce application-level security policies governing usages of resources available in the clouds. We will focus on the server side of cloud systems, by adopting a pro-active approach, where explicit security policies regulate server's behaviour.Comment: In Proceedings ICE 2010, arXiv:1010.530

A Taxonomy of Causality-Based Biological Properties

We formally characterize a set of causality-based properties of metabolic networks. This set of properties aims at making precise several notions on the production of metabolites, which are familiar in the biologists' terminology. From a theoretical point of view, biochemical reactions are abstractly represented as causal implications and the produced metabolites as causal consequences of the implication representing the corresponding reaction. The fact that a reactant is produced is represented by means of the chain of reactions that have made it exist. Such representation abstracts away from quantities, stoichiometric and thermodynamic parameters and constitutes the basis for the characterization of our properties. Moreover, we propose an effective method for verifying our properties based on an abstract model of system dynamics. This consists of a new abstract semantics for the system seen as a concurrent network and expressed using the Chemical Ground Form calculus. We illustrate an application of this framework to a portion of a real metabolic pathway

A Flat Process Calculus for Nested Membrane Interactions

The link-calculus has been recently proposed as a process calculus for representing interactions that are open (i.e., that the number of processes may vary), and multiparty (i.e., that may involve more than two processes). Here, we apply the link-calculus for expressing, possibly hierarchical and non dyadic, biological interactions. In particular, we provide a natural encoding of Cardelli's Brane calculus, a compartment-based calculus, introduced to model the behaviour of nested membranes. Notably, the link-calculus is flat, but we can model membranes just as special processes taking part in the biological reaction. Moreover, we give evidence that the link-calculus allows one to directly model biological phenomena at the more appropriate level of abstraction

Targeted therapy in nuclear medicine—current status and future prospects

In recent years, a number of new developments in targeted therapies using radiolabeled compounds have emerged. New developments and insights in radioiodine treatment of thyroid cancer, treatment of lymphoma and solid tumors with radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), the developments in the application of radiolabeled small receptor-specific molecules such as meta-iodobenzylguanidine and peptides and the position of locoregional treatment in malignant involvement of the liver are reviewed. The introduction of recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone and the possibility to enhance iodine uptake with retinoids has changed the radioiodine treatment protocol of patients with thyroid cancer. Introduction of radiolabeled mAbs has provided additional treatment options in patients with malignant lymphoma, while a similar approach proves to be cumbersome in patients with solid tumors. With radiolabeled small molecules that target specific receptors on tumor cells, high radiation doses can be directed to tumors in patients with disseminated disease. Radiolabeled somatostatin derivatives for the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors are the role model for this approach. Locoregional treatment with radiopharmaceuticals of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma or metastases to the liver may be used in inoperable cases, but may also be of benefit in a neo-adjuvant or adjuvant setting. Significant developments in the application of targeted radionuclide therapy have taken place. New treatment modalities have been introduced in the clinic. The concept of combining therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals with other treatment modalities is more extensively explore

Pregnant with metastatic neuroendocrine tumour of the ovary: what now?

Neuroendocrine tumours (NET) are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms commonly occurring in the gastrointestinal tract or lungs but can occur in other regions. Primary ovarian NET account for 5% of all NET and 0.1% of all ovarian malignancies. In metastatic disease, the therapeutic goal is to extend survival and to improve quality of life. As these tumours express somatostatin receptors, somatostatin analogues are frequently used to control symptoms. Here we present a case of a pregnant woman with an ovarian NET with liver metastases and carcinoid syndrome who was treated with the somatostatin analogue, Octreotide LAR. We also summarize reported data of the use of somatostatin analogues during pregnancy