Approximate Reachability for Dead Code Elimination in Esterel*

Esterel is an imperative synchronous programming language for the design of reactive systems. Esterel* extends Esterel with a non-instantaneous jump instruction (compatible with concurrency, preemption, etc.) so as to enable powerful source-to-source program transformations, amenable to formal verification. In this work, we propose an approximate reachability algorithm for Esterel* and use its output to remove dead code. We prove the correctness of our techniques

Seismic Analysis as a Tool in the Design of Two Earth Dams

Two dynamic analysis studies of embankment dams are described. One dam is 43m high on alluvium, the other is 140m high on a rock foundation in a highly seismic area. The main emphasis is on the practical nature of the analytical methods and their value as design tools. The earthquake design features of both projects are described and the closing paragraphs attempt to draw attention to the main points to be considered when running an earthquake analysis of earth dams

A previously undescribed variant of the confluence of sinuses

An 8-year-old female with a history of chronic headaches and uncertain papilloedema was found to have a variant of the posterior intracranial dural venous sinuses on magnetic resonance imaging assessment of the brain. Magnetic resonance venography included in the imaging revealed a circular formation of the confluence of sinuses and absent right-sided transverse sinus. The confluence of sinuses is a highly variable structure; however, to the authors’ knowledge, a circular confluence of sinuses variant has not been reported in the literature

Rewriting Logic Semantics of a Plan Execution Language

The Plan Execution Interchange Language (PLEXIL) is a synchronous language developed by NASA to support autonomous spacecraft operations. In this paper, we propose a rewriting logic semantics of PLEXIL in Maude, a high-performance logical engine. The rewriting logic semantics is by itself a formal interpreter of the language and can be used as a semantic benchmark for the implementation of PLEXIL executives. The implementation in Maude has the additional benefit of making available to PLEXIL designers and developers all the formal analysis and verification tools provided by Maude. The formalization of the PLEXIL semantics in rewriting logic poses an interesting challenge due to the synchronous nature of the language and the prioritized rules defining its semantics. To overcome this difficulty, we propose a general procedure for simulating synchronous set relations in rewriting logic that is sound and, for deterministic relations, complete. We also report on two issues at the design level of the original PLEXIL semantics that were identified with the help of the executable specification in Maude

Update on the Notochord Including its Embryology, Molecular Development, and Pathology: A Primer for the Clinician.

The notochord is a rod-like embryological structure, which plays a vital role in the development of the vertebrate. Though embryological, remnants of this structure have been observed in the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral discs of normal adults. Pathologically, these remnants can give rise to slow-growing and recurrent notochord-derived tumors called chordomas. Using standard search engines, the literature was reviewed regarding the anatomy, embryology, molecular development, and pathology of the human notochord. Clinicians who interpret imaging or treat patients with pathologies linked to the notochord should have a good working knowledge of its development and pathology

Vegetative growth and water use characterization of a maize introgression library

Previous work showed that a maize introgression library (IL) derived from the cross between Gasp\ue9 Flint (an early flowering Canadian landrace) and B73 (the reference maize line) segregated for phenology as well for seminal root architecture (SRA) traits. In this experiment, the IL was evaluated in the high-throughput phenotyping platform PhenoArch (INRA, Montpellier

Theory of Cylindrical Tubules and Helical Ribbons of Chiral Lipid Membranes

We present a general theory for the equilibrium structure of cylindrical tubules and helical ribbons of chiral lipid membranes. This theory is based on a continuum elastic free energy that permits variations in the direction of molecular tilt and in the curvature of the membrane. The theory shows that the formation of tubules and helical ribbons is driven by the chirality of the membrane. Tubules have a first-order transition from a uniform state to a helically modulated state, with periodic stripes in the tilt direction and ripples in the curvature. Helical ribbons can be stable structures, or they can be unstable intermediate states in the formation of tubules.Comment: 43 pages, including 12 postscript figures, uses REVTeX 3.0 and epsf.st

Compiling SHIM

Embedded systems demand concurrency for supporting simultaneous actions in their environment and parallel hardware. Although most concurrent programming formalisms are prone to races and non-determinism, some, such as our SHIM (software/hardware integration medium) language, avoid them by design. In particular, the behavior of SHIM programs is scheduling-independent, meaning the I/O behavior of a program is independent of scheduling policies, including the relative execution rates of concurrent processes. The SHIM project demonstrates how a scheduling-independent language simplifies the design, optimization, and verification of concurrent systems. Through examples and discussion, we describe the SHIM language and code generation techniques for both shared-memory and message-passing architectures, along with some verification algorithms

Equation of state and phonon frequency calculations of diamond at high pressures

The pressure-volume relationship and the zone-center optical phonon frequency of cubic diamond at pressures up to 600 GPa have been calculated based on Density Functional Theory within the Local Density Approximation and the Generalized Gradient Approximation. Three different approaches, viz. a pseudopotential method applied in the basis of plane waves, an all-electron method relying on Augmented Plane Waves plus Local Orbitals, and an intermediate approach implemented in the basis of Projector Augmented Waves have been used. All these methods and approximations yield consistent results for the pressure derivative of the bulk modulus and the volume dependence of the mode Grueneisen parameter of diamond. The results are at variance with recent precise measurements up to 140 GPa. Possible implications for the experimental pressure determination based on the ruby luminescence method are discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure