170 research outputs found
Structural Refinement for the Modal nu-Calculus
We introduce a new notion of structural refinement, a sound abstraction of
logical implication, for the modal nu-calculus. Using new translations between
the modal nu-calculus and disjunctive modal transition systems, we show that
these two specification formalisms are structurally equivalent.
Using our translations, we also transfer the structural operations of
composition and quotient from disjunctive modal transition systems to the modal
nu-calculus. This shows that the modal nu-calculus supports composition and
decomposition of specifications.Comment: Accepted at ICTAC 201
On Refinements of Boolean and Parametric Modal Transition Systems
We consider the extensions of modal transition systems (MTS), namely Boolean
MTS and parametric MTS and we investigate the refinement problems over both
classes. Firstly, we reduce the problem of modal refinement over both classes
to a problem solvable by a QBF solver and provide experimental results showing
our technique scales well. Secondly, we extend the algorithm for thorough
refinement of MTS providing better complexity then via reductions to previously
studied problems. Finally, we investigate the relationship between modal and
thorough refinement on the two classes and show how the thorough refinement can
be approximated by the modal refinement
Hennessy-Milner Logic with Greatest Fixed Points as a Complete Behavioural Specification Theory
There are two fundamentally different approaches to specifying and verifying
properties of systems. The logical approach makes use of specifications given
as formulae of temporal or modal logics and relies on efficient model checking
algorithms; the behavioural approach exploits various equivalence or refinement
checking methods, provided the specifications are given in the same formalism
as implementations.
In this paper we provide translations between the logical formalism of
Hennessy-Milner logic with greatest fixed points and the behavioural formalism
of disjunctive modal transition systems. We also introduce a new operation of
quotient for the above equivalent formalisms, which is adjoint to structural
composition and allows synthesis of missing specifications from partial
implementations. This is a substantial generalisation of the quotient for
deterministic modal transition systems defined in earlier papers
Dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking due to strong Yukawa interactions
We present a new mechanism for electroweak symmetry breaking (EWSB) based on
a strong Yukawa dynamics. We consider an SU(2)_L x U(1)_Y gauge invariant model
endowed with the usual Standard model fermion multiplets and with two massive
scalar doublets. We show that, unlike in the Standard model, EWSB is possible
even with vanishing vacuum expectation values of the scalars. Such EWSB is
achieved dynamically by means of the (presumably strong) Yukawa couplings and
manifests itself by the emergence of fermion and gauge boson masses and scalar
mass-splittings, which are expressed in a closed form in terms of the fermion
and scalar proper self-energies. The `would-be' Nambu--Goldstone bosons are
shown to be composites of both the fermions and the scalars. We demonstrate
that the simplest version of the model is compatible with basic experimental
constraints.Comment: 6 pages, REVTeX4, 3 eps figures; discussion of compatibility with EW
precision data added; version published in J. Phys.
Compositionality for Quantitative Specifications
We provide a framework for compositional and iterative design and
verification of systems with quantitative information, such as rewards, time or
energy. It is based on disjunctive modal transition systems where we allow
actions to bear various types of quantitative information. Throughout the
design process the actions can be further refined and the information made more
precise. We show how to compute the results of standard operations on the
systems, including the quotient (residual), which has not been previously
considered for quantitative non-deterministic systems. Our quantitative
framework has close connections to the modal nu-calculus and is compositional
with respect to general notions of distances between systems and the standard
operations
LTL Parameter Synthesis of Parametric Timed Automata
The parameter synthesis problem for parametric timed automata is undecidable
in general even for very simple reachability properties. In this paper we
introduce restrictions on parameter valuations under which the parameter
synthesis problem is decidable for LTL properties. The investigated bounded
integer parameter synthesis problem could be solved using an explicit
enumeration of all possible parameter valuations. We propose an alternative
symbolic zone-based method for this problem which results in a faster
computation. Our technique extends the ideas of the automata-based approach to
LTL model checking of timed automata. To justify the usefulness of our
approach, we provide experimental evaluation and compare our method with
explicit enumeration technique.Comment: 23 pages, extended versio
Quantitative Modal Transition Systems
International audienceThis extended abstract offers a brief survey presentation of the specification formalism of modal transition systems and its recent extensions to the quantitative setting of timed as well as stochastic systems. Some applications will also be briefly mentioned
Compositionality for Quantitative Specifications
We provide a framework for compositional and iterative design and verification of systems with quantitative information, such as rewards, time or energy. It is based on disjunctive modal transition systems where we allow actions to bear various types of quantitative information. Throughout the design process the actions can be further refined and the information made more precise. We show how to compute the results of standard operations on the systems, including the quotient (residual), which has not been previously considered for quantitative non-deterministic systems. Our quantitative framework has close connections to the modal nu-calculus and is compositional with respect to general notions of distances between systems and the standard operations
Constitutive Overexpression of the OsNAS Gene Family Reveals Single-Gene Strategies for Effective Iron- and Zinc-Biofortification of Rice Endosperm
BACKGROUND: Rice is the primary source of food for billions of people in developing countries, yet the commonly consumed polished grain contains insufficient levels of the key micronutrients iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and Vitamin A to meet daily dietary requirements. Experts estimate that a rice-based diet should contain 14.5 ”g gâ1 Fe in endosperm, the main constituent of polished grain, but breeding programs have failed to achieve even half of that value. Transgenic efforts to increase the Fe concentration of rice endosperm include expression of ferritin genes, nicotianamine synthase genes (NAS) or ferritin in conjunction with NAS genes, with results ranging from two-fold increases via single-gene approaches to six-fold increases via multi-gene approaches, yet no approach has reported 14.5 ”g gâ1 Fe in endosperm. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Three populations of rice were generated to constitutively overexpress OsNAS1, OsNAS2 or OsNAS3, respectively. Nicotianamine, Fe and Zn concentrations were significantly increased in unpolished grain of all three of the overexpression populations, relative to controls, with the highest concentrations in the OsNAS2 and OsNAS3 overexpression populations. Selected lines from each population had at least 10 ”g gâ1 Fe in polished grain and two OsNAS2 overexpression lines had 14 and 19 ”g gâ1 Fe in polished grain, representing up to four-fold increases in Fe concentration. Two-fold increases of Zn concentration were also observed in the OsNAS2 population. Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy demonstrated that OsNAS2 overexpression leads to significant enrichment of Fe and Zn in phosphorus-free regions of rice endosperm. CONCLUSIONS: The OsNAS genes, particularly OsNAS2, show enormous potential for Fe and Zn biofortification of rice endosperm. The results demonstrate that rice cultivars overexpressing single rice OsNAS genes could provide a sustainable and genetically simple solution to Fe and Zn deficiency disorders affecting billions of people throughout the world.Alexander A. T. Johnson, Bianca Kyriacou, Damien L. Callahan, Lorraine Carruthers, James Stangoulis, Enzo Lombi and Mark Teste
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