title: Differences in Clinical and Imaging Presentation of Pediatric Patients with COVID-19 in Comparison with Adults

text: BACKGROUND: Although Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects patients from all age groups, clinical and radiological features of COVID- 19 have been mainly described in adults. OBJECTIVE: To characterize and compare the initial clinical and imaging features of COVID-19 in pediatric and adult patients undergoing chest computed tomography (CT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 61 patients, consisting of 47 adults (18 years old or older) and 14 pediatric patients (younger than 18 years old) with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) between January 25, 2020 and February 15, 2020 were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent chest CT within 3 days after the initial RT-PCR. The clinical presentation, serum markers, and CT findings were assessed and compared between the adult and pediatric patients. RESULTS: Fever was less common in pediatric patients than in adults (6/14, 42.9% vs 39/47, 83%; p = 0.008). Leukopenia or normal, lymphopenia or normal, and increased or normal C-reactive protein were common in both groups with no difference (p > 0.05). Compared with the adults, pediatric patients had a lower rate of positive CT findings and a milder clinical grade (p = 0.004, p = 0.001 respectively). On chest CT, the number of pulmonary lobes involved was reduced in pediatric patients when compared to adults (p = 0.012). Subpleural distribution of lung opacities was a dominant feature in both groups, whereas bronchial distribution was more common in the pediatric group (p = 0.048). Among the CT features in adults, ground-glass opacities (GGO) were the most common finding (24/43, 53.5%), followed by GGO with consolidation (14/43, 27.9%). In pediatric patients, GGOs accounted for 42.9% (3/7), bronchial wall thickening occurred in 28.6% (2/7), and GGOs with consolidations and nodular opacities in 14.3% (1/7). However, these CT features did not differ in two groups, except for bronchial wall thickening, which was more commonly found in pediatric patients (p=0.048). Additionally, the semi-quantitative scores of lung involvement were higher in adults than in pediatric patients (8.89 ± 4.54 vs 1.86 ± 2.41, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to adults, pediatric patients with COVID-19 showed distinctive clinical and CT. Pediatric patients tend to have milder clinical symptoms, fewer positive CTs, and less extensive involvement on imaging. Bronchial wall thickening was relatively more frequent on CT images from pediatric patients with COVID-19 in comparison with adults.


The Many Faces of COVID-19: Spectrum of Imaging Manifestations


Severe Acute Respiratory Disease in a Huanan Seafood Market Worker: Images of an Early Casualty


Erratum: Chest CT Findings in Cases from the Cruise Ship “Diamond Princess” with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)


Findings of COVID-19 on Magnetic Resonance Imaging


title: Accuracy and reproducibility of low-dose submillisievert chest CT for the diagnosis of COVID-19

text: PURPOSE: To demonstrate the accuracy and reproducibility of low-dose submillisievert chest CT for the diagnosis of COVID-19 infection in emergency room (ER) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a HIPAA-compliant, institutional review board-approved retrospective study. From March 14(th) to March 24(th) 2020, 192 ER patients with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 infection were studied with low-dose chest CT and real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Image analysis included likelihood of COVID-19 infection and semi-quantitative extent of lung involvement. CT images were analyzed by 2 radiologists blinded to RT-PCR results. Reproducibility was assessed with McNemar test and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Time between CT acquisition and report was measured. RESULTS: When compared to RT-PCR, low-dose submillisievert chest CT demonstrated excellent sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy for diagnosis of COVID-19 (86.7%, 93.6%, 91.1%, 90.3%, and 90.2%, respectively), in particular in patients with clinical symptoms for >48h (95.6%, 93.2%, 91.5%, 96.5%, and 94.4%, respectively). In patients with a positive CT, likelihood of disease increased from 43.2% (pre-test probability) to 91.1% or 91.4% (post-test probability), while in patients with a negative CT, likelihood of disease decreased to 9.6% or 3.7% for all patients or those with clinical symptoms for >48h, respectively. The prevalence of alternative diagnoses based on chest CT in patients without COVID-19 infection was 17.6%. Mean effective radiation dose was 0.56±0.25 mSv (SD). Median time between CT acquisition and report was 25 minutes (IQR: 13-49 minutes). Intra- and interreader reproducibility of CT was excellent (all ICC□0.95) without significant bias in Bland-Altman analysis. CONCLUSION: Low-dose submillisievert chest CT allows for rapid, accurate and reproducible assessment of COVID-19 infection in ER patients, in particular in patients with symptoms lasting longer than 48 hours. Chest CT has the additional advantage of offering alternative diagnoses in a significant subset of patients.


Coronavirus-HKU1 Pneumonia and Differential Diagnosis with COVID 19


title: Radiology Preparedness in the Ongoing Battle against COVID-19: Experience from Large to Small Singapore Public Hospitals

text: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presents an unprecedented challenge to the healthcare systems of the world. In Singapore, the Radiology community’s early experience on managing this pandemic was shaped by lessons learnt from the earlier SARS outbreak in 2003. This article surveys the operational responses of radiology departments from 6 public hospitals in Singapore.


title: Serial Quantitative Chest CT Assessment of COVID-19: Deep-Learning Approach

text: PURPOSE: To quantitatively evaluate lung burden changes in patients with COVID-19 using serial CT scan by an automated deep learning method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with COVID-19 who underwent chest CT between 1(st) January 2020 and 3(rd) February 2020 were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were divided into mild, moderate, severe, and critical types, according to their baseline clinical, laboratory, and CT findings. CT lung opacification percentage of the whole lung and five lobes were automatically quantified by a commercial deep learning software, and compared over follow-ups CT scans. Longitudinal changes of the CT quantitative parameter were also compared among the four clinical types. RESULTS: A total of 126 patients with COVID-19 (age 52 years ± 15 years, 53.2% males) were evaluated, including 6 mild, 94 moderate, 20 severe and 6 critical cases. CT-derived opacification percentage was significantly different among clinical groups at baseline, gradually progressing from mild to critical type (all P < 0.01). Overall, the whole-lung opacification percentage significantly increased between baseline CT and 1(st) follow-up CT (median [interquartile range]; 3.6% [0.5%,12.1%] vs 8.7% [2.7%,21.2%], P < 0.01). No significant progression of the opacification percentages was noted between the 1(st) follow-up and 2(nd) follow-up CT (8.7% [2.7%,21.2%] vs 6.0% [1.9%,24.3%], P=0.655). CONCLUSION: The quantification of lung opacification in COVID-19 measured on chest CT by a commercially available deep-learning-based tool was significantly different among different clinical severity groups. This approach could potentially eliminate the subjectivity in the initial assessment and follow up of pulmonary findings in COVID-19.


title: Chest CT Severity Score: An Imaging Tool for Assessing Severe COVID-19

text: BACKGROUND: Quantitative and semi-quantitative indicators to evaluate the severity of lung inflammation in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) could provide an objective approach to rapidly identify patients in need of hospital admission. PURPOSE: To evaluate the value of chest computed tomography severity score (CT-SS) in differentiating clinical forms of COVID-19. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Inclusion of 102 patients with COVID-19 confirmed by positive real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction on throat swabs underwent chest CT (53 men and 49 women, 15-79 years old, 84 cases with mild and 18 cases with severe disease). The CT-SS was defined by summing up individual scores from 20 lung regions; scores of 0, 1, and 2 were respectively assigned for each region if parenchymal opacification involved 0%, less than 50%, or equal or more than 50% of each region (theoretical range of CT-SS from 0 to 40). The clinical and laboratory data were collected, and patients were clinically subdivided according to disease severity by the Chinese National Health Commission guidelines. RESULTS: The posterior segment of upper lobe (left, 68/102; right, 68/102), superior segment of lower lobe (left, 79/102; right, 79/102), lateral basal segment (left, 79/102; right, 70/102) and posterior basal segment of lower lobe (left, 81/102; right, 83/102) were the most frequently involved sites in COVID-19. Lung opacification mainly involved the lower lobes, in comparison with middle-upper lobes. No significant differences in distribution of the disease were seen between right and left lungs. The individual scores of in each lung, as well as the total CT-SS were higher in severe COVID-19 when compared with mild cases (P<0.05. The optimal CT-SS threshold for identifying severe COVID-19 was 19.5 (area under curve, 0.892), with 83.3% sensitivity and 94% specificity. CONCLUSION: CT-SS could be used to quickly and objectively evaluate the severity of pulmonary involvement in COVID-19 patients.


title: Thin-section Chest CT Imaging of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pneumonia: Comparison Between Patients with Mild and Severe Disease

text: PURPOSE: Although CT imaging features of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia have already been published in the literature, there was little attention to distinctive imaging features encountered between patients with mild and severe forms of the disease. The purpose was to compare radiological characteristics of COVID-19 pneumonia on thin-section CT upon admission between patients with mild and severe disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy COVID-19 pneumonia patients admitted to Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University between January 20 and January 27, 2020 were enrolled. Based on the World Health Organization guidelines, 50 patients were categorized with mild form and 20 with severe form based on clinical conditions. Imaging features, clinical, and laboratory data were reviewed and compared. RESULTS: Patients with severe form (median age, 65.00; IQR: 54.75-75.00) were older than those with mild form of disease (median age, 42.5; IQR: 32.75-58.50) (P<0.001). Patients with severe form of disease had more lung segments involved (median number of segments: 7.5 vs. 17.5, P=<0.001) and also larger opacities (median number of segments with opacities measuring 3 cm to less than 50% of the lung segment: 5.5 vs. 2.0, P=0.006; ≥ 50% of lung segment: 7.5 vs. 0.0, P<0.001). They also had more interlobular septal thickening (75% vs. 28%, P<0.001), higher prevalence of air bronchograms (70% vs. 32%, P=0.004), and pleural effusions (40% vs 14%, P=0.017). CONCLUSION: Ground-glass opacities with or without consolidation in a peripheral and basilar predominant distribution were the most common findings in COVID-19 pneumonia. Patients with severe form of the disease had more extensive opacification of the lung parenchyma than did patients with mild disease. Interlobular septal thickening, air bronchograms, and pleural effusions were also more prevalent in severe COVID-19.


title: International Expert Consensus Statement on Chest Imaging in Pediatric COVID-19 Patient Management: Imaging Findings, Imaging Study Reporting and Imaging Study Recommendations

text: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has quickly spread since it was first detected in December of 2019 to a global pandemic with over 1.7 million confirmed cases in over 200 countries around the world at the time this document is being prepared. Due to the novel nature of the virus and the rapidly evolving understanding of the disease, there is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the diagnosis and management of COVID-19 pneumonia in pediatric patients. Chest imaging plays an important role in evaluation of pediatric patients with COVID-19, however there is currently little information available describing imaging manifestations of pediatric COVID-19 and even less discussing utilization of imaging studies in pediatric patients. To specifically address these concerns, a group of international experts in pediatric thoracic imaging from 5 continents convened to create a consensus statement describing the imaging manifestations of COVID-19 in the pediatric population, discussing the potential utility of structured reporting during the coronavirus 2019 pandemic, and generating consensus recommendations for utilization of chest radiographs (CXR) and computed tomography (CT) in the evaluation of pediatric patients with COVID-19. The results were compiled into 2 structured reporting algorithms (one for CXR and one for chest CT) and 8 consensus recommendations for utilization of chest imaging in pediatric COVID-19 infection.


title: Radiological Society of North America Expert Consensus Statement on Reporting Chest CT Findings Related to COVID-19. Endorsed by the Society of Thoracic Radiology, the American College of Radiology, and RSNA.

text: Routine screening CT for the identification of COVID-19 pneumonia is currently not recommended by most radiology societies. However, the number of CTs performed in persons under investigation (PUI) for COVID-19 has increased. We also anticipate that some patients will have incidentally detected findings that could be attributable to COVID-19 pneumonia, requiring radiologists to decide whether or not to mention COVID-19 specifically as a differential diagnostic possibility. We aim to provide guidance to radiologists in reporting CT findings potentially attributable to COVID-19 pneumonia, including standardized language to reduce reporting variability when addressing the possibility of COVID-19. When typical or indeterminate features of COVID-19 pneumonia are present in endemic areas as an incidental finding, we recommend contacting the referring providers to discuss the likelihood of viral infection. These incidental findings do not necessarily need to be reported as COVID-19 pneumonia. In this setting, using the term “viral pneumonia” can be a reasonable and inclusive alternative. However, if one opts to use the term "COVID-19" in the incidental setting, consider the provided standardized reporting language. In addition, practice patterns may vary, and this document is meant to serve as a guide. Consultation with clinical colleagues at each institution is suggested to establish a consensus reporting approach. The goal of this expert consensus is to help radiologists recognize findings of COVID-19 pneumonia and aid their communication with other healthcare providers, assisting management of patients during this pandemic. Published under a CC BY 4.0 license.


title: Computed Tomographic Features and Short-term Prognosis of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pneumonia: A Single-Center Study from Kashan, Iran

text: BACKGROUND: Radiologists play a pivotal role in the era of COVID-19 pneumonia although our knowledge of the imaging features is expeditiously evolving. PURPOSE: We assessed the CT chest features of confirmed cases from Iran, the first published report from the country. We hypothesized that certain CT features may have short-term prognostic value. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 120 consecutive symptomatic cases of COVID-19 infection who had undergone chest CT were enrolled in this retrospective study. Patients were categorized into three groups; routine inward hospitalization, ICU admission and expired based on a short-term follow-up. Detailed initial CT features and distributional evaluation were recorded. RESULTS: The mean age in the expired group was 70.7, significantly higher than the other two groups (p-value <0.05). Ninety-four percent (113/120) of the cases had ground-glass opacities (GGO). There was peripheral and lower zone predilection in majority of cases. Subpleural sparing and pleural effusion were seen in approximately twenty-three percent (28/120) and seventeen percent (20/120) of the cases respectively. The combined ICU group and expired cases had significantly more consolidation, air-bronchograms, crazy paving and central involvement of the lungs when compared to routinely hospitalized patients (all p-values < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study supports the previously described typical CT appearance of COVID-2019 pneumonia with bilateral GGO, in peripheral distribution and lower lung zone predilection. Subpleural sparing and pleural effusion were seen approximately in one-fifth and one-sixth of our COVID-19 cases respectively. Consolidation, air-bronchograms, central lung involvement, crazy paving and pleural effusion on initial CT chest have potential prognostic values, the features more commonly observed in critically ill patients.


title: Chest CT Findings in Cases from the Cruise Ship “Diamond Princess” with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

text: PURPOSE: To evaluate the chest CT findings in an environmentally homogeneous cohort from the cruise ship “Diamond Princess” with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study comprised 104 cases (mean age, 62 years ± 16, range 25-93) with COVID-19 confirmed with RT-PCR. CT images were reviewed and the CT severity score was calculated for each lobes and the entire lung. CT findings were compared between asymptomatic and symptomatic cases. RESULTS: Of 104 cases, 76 (73%) were asymptomatic, 41 (54%) of which had lung opacities on CT. Other 28 (27%) cases were symptomatic, 22 (79%) of which had abnormal CT findings. Symptomatic cases showed lung opacities and airway abnormalities on CT more frequently than asymptomatic cases [lung opacity; 22 (79%) vs 41 (54%), airway abnormalities; 14 (50%) vs 15 (20%)]. Asymptomatic cases showed more GGO over consolidation (83%), while symptomatic cases more frequently showed consolidation over GGO (41%). The CT severity score was higher in symptomatic cases than asymptomatic cases, particularly in the lower lobes [symptomatic vs asymptomatic cases; right lower lobe: 2 ± 1 (0-4) vs 1 ± 1 (0-4); left lower lobe: 2 ± 1 (0-4) vs 1 ± 1 (0-3); total score: 7 ± 5 (1-17) vs 4 ± 2 (1-11)]. CONCLUSION: This study documented a high incidence of subclinical CT changes in cases with COVID-19. Compared to symptomatic cases, asymptomatic cases showed more GGO over consolidation and milder extension of disease on CT. An earlier incorrect version appeared online. This article was corrected on April 8, 2020.


CT on the Diamond Princess: What Might This Tell Us About Sensitivity for COVID-19?


Erratum: Extension of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Chest CT and Implications for Chest Radiograph Interpretation


Vascular Abnormalities as Part of Chest CT Findings in COVID-19


title: Imaging Profile of the COVID-19 Infection: Radiologic Findings and Literature Review

text: BACKGROUND: COVID-19 (formerly known as the 2019 novel coronavirus [2019-nCoV]) has rapidly spread in mainland China and into multiple countries worldwide. The radiographic profile of this infection continues to evolve as more cases present beyond the epicenter of Wuhan, China. PURPOSE: We present 21 COVID-19 cases from two Chinese centers with CT and chest radiograph (CXR) findings, as well as follow-up imaging in 5 cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective study in Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Patients with COVID-19 infection were included. A systematic review of the published literature on COVID-19 infection’s radiological features. RESULTS: The predominant imaging pattern is of ground-glass opacification with occasional consolidation in the peripheries. Pleural effusions and lymphadenopathy were absent in all cases. Patients demonstrate evolution of the ground-glass opacities into consolidation, and subsequent resolution of the airspaces changes. Ground-glass and consolidative opacities visible on CT are sometimes undetectable on chest radiographs, suggesting that CT is a more sensitive imaging modality for investigation. The systematic review identified 4 other studies confirming the findings of bilateral and peripheral ground glass with or without consolidation as the predominant finding on CT chest examinations. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 infection pulmonary manifestation is predominantly characterized by ground-glass opacification with occasional consolidation on CT. Radiographic findings in patients presenting in Shenzhen and Hong Kong are in keeping with 4 previous publications from other sites. The 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), initially reported in Wuhan, China, has been declared a global health emergency. CT has been used on a massive scale to help identify and investigate suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19. We present the findings of 21 confirmed COVID-19 infection in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, China. We found that the most common findings on chest CT were bilateral ground-glass opacities with or without consolidation in the lung periphery. Pleural effusions and lymphadenopathy were absent in all patients. A systematic review was undertaken to summarize the 4 previous publications on the imaging findings of this emerging infection in a total of 233 patients. Ground glass with or without consolidation were the most common findings in all publications, in alignment with our own findings.


title: Micro-organisms and the Microbiome

text: The term ‘Micro-organism’ refers to any living thing that is too small to be seen with the naked eye. It covers an astonishing array of life forms that began with the earliest living occupants of our planet. Of the three recognized domains of life, two (Bacteria and Archaea) consist exclusively of micro-organisms. The third (Eukaryota) contains all of the macroscopic, multi-celled organisms that we recognize as plants and animals, but it also includes many micro-organisms. ‘Microbiome’ is a collective term for all of the micro-organisms belonging to these three domains, while the ‘Biome’ comprises all life on earth. For most of earth’s history until the evolution of multicellular Eukaryota around 600 million years ago, however, the earth’s Biome consisted only of micro-organisms (Fig. 1.1). Even now the Microbiome is estimated to represent more than half of the total living matter (biomass) on the planet [1]. Their invisibility makes it easy for us to overlook the vast impact that micro-organisms have on the sustainability of the planet and of life on earth. While this book will focus on the gut-associated Microbiome, it is important that we start with a look at the wider microbial world.


docid: nalihnot

title: „Acute respiratory distress syndrome“: Diagnostik und Therapie – State of the Art

text: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is an intensive medical care syndrome, which has a persistently high prevalence as well as high mortality and morbidity. Since the initial description of the syndrome in 1968, the pathophysiology with inflammation after potential triggers, the diagnostics of underlying diseases and causes, the importance of differentiated invasive ventilation and intensive medical care procedures and prognosis are far better researched and understood. The 2012 Berlin ARDS definition takes these advances into account with the aim of bedside identification of patients with ARDS. Avoiding invasive mechanical ventilation when possible, lung protective invasive ventilation when it becomes necessary with adequate positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and reducing barotrauma and atelectatic trauma, managing patient fluid load and positioning treatment remain the most important mechanistic procedures. Causal treatment, apart from treatment of underlying infections, is still not available. Survivors of ARDS very often face relevant long-term sequelae.


title: Computational Thinking Is More about Thinking than Computing

text: Computational thinking is widely recognized as important, not only to those interested in computer science and mathematics but also to every student in the twenty-first century. However, the concept of computational thinking is arguably complex; the term itself can easily lead to direct connection with “computing” or “computer” in a restricted sense. In this editorial, we build on existing research about computational thinking to discuss it as a multi-faceted theoretical nature. We further present computational thinking, as a model of thinking, that is important not only in computer science and mathematics, but also in other disciplines of STEM and integrated STEM education broadly. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s41979-020-00030-2) contains supplementary material, which is available at the end of the article and also available as an electronic file.


call_for_papers_08_RC_Berlin-1


Anti-SARS-CoV-2 hyperimmune immunoglobulins, an urgent strategic choice


COVID-19 and child and youth psychiatry


INTERNATIONAL NEWS - JULY 2020


Séance du lundi 27 janvier 2020


docid: uhxyacxp

title: Confinement n’est pas sédentarité


docid: hqtopwyd

title: Special issue on “real-world optimization problems and meta-heuristics”


title: Higher Education’s Microcredentialing Craze: a Postdigital-Deweyan Critique

text: As the value of a university degree plummets, the popularity of the digital microcredential has soared. Similar to recent calls for the early adoption of Blockchain technology, the so-called ‘microcredentialing craze’ could be no more than a fad, marketing hype, or another case of ‘learning innovation theater.’ Alternatively, the introduction of these compact skills- and competency-based online certificate programs might augur the arrival of a legitimate successor to the four-year university diploma. The thesis of this article is that the craze for microcredentialing reflects (1) administrative urgency to unbundle higher education curricula and degree programs for greater efficiency and profitability and (2) a renascent movement among industry and higher education leaders to reorient the university curriculum towards vocational training.


Governing Globalisation through Law


title: Computing the Time-Varying Effects of Investor Attention in Islamic Stock Returns

text: This paper investigates the relationship between investor attention and the Islamic stock market. In particular, we investigate whether investor attention—measured by Google searches—could help to improve the forecasting of Islamic stock returns. To this end, we used quantile regressions to examine the relationship over the period 2004–2016 in order to capture its evolution during calm and turbulent times. We thus investigated the effect of investor attention not only on the mean, but also for the different quantiles. Our findings highlight two important points. First, the relationship between investor attention and Islamic stock returns exhibits time-variation and nonlinearity as investor attention significantly impacts the dynamics of Islamic returns, but its sign and effect vary per quantile. Second, the usefulness of information provided by investor attention improves the forecasting of future Islamic stock returns.


BES2019


title: Change from the Inside Out

text: This chapter illustrates a life story, intellectually and emotionally. Anecdotal evidence from my own experience shows the interconnected influence that the four dimensions of human experience (aspiration, emotion, thought, and sensation) have on each other, on our personal wellbeing, and on others. Following the storyline through the next pages you will be guided to gradually notice the connection between your own experiences and this framework; four interconnected principles operated in them: Connection—Everything is linked. Nothing exists in a vacuum. Change—Everything evolves, constantly. Continuum—Everything is connected in a seamless flow. Complementarity—Everything exists in relation to something else, that may be its opposite and the counterpart that makes it complete.


docid: yfuuirnw

title: Types of Disasters

text: Disasters are increasing around the world. Children are greatly impacted by both natural disasters (forces of nature) and man-made (intentional, accidental) disasters. Their unique anatomical, physiological, behavioral, developmental, and psychological vulnerabilities must be considered when planning and preparing for disasters. The nurse or health care provider (HCP) must be able to rapidly identify acutely ill children during a disaster. Whether it is during a natural or man-made event, the nurse or HCP must intervene effectively to improve survival and outcomes. It is extremely vital to understand the medical management of these children during disasters, especially the use of appropriate medical countermeasures such as medications, antidotes, supplies, and equipment.


title: Occupational health and safety hazards faced by healthcare professionals in Taiwan: A systematic review of risk factors and control strategies

text: BACKGROUND: Healthcare professionals in Taiwan are exposed to a myriad of occupational health and safety hazards, including physical, biological, chemical, ergonomic, and psychosocial hazards. Healthcare professionals working in hospitals and healthcare facilities are more likely to be subjected to these hazards than their counterparts working in other areas. OBJECTIVES: This review aims to assess current research literature regarding this situation with a view to informing policy makers and practitioners about the risks of exposure and offer evidence-based recommendations on how to eliminate or reduce such risks. METHODS: Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses review strategy, we conducted a systematic review of studies related to occupational health and safety conducted between January 2000 and January 2019 using MEDLINE (Ovid), PubMed, PMC, TOXLINE, CINAHL, PLOS One, and Access Pharmacy databases. RESULTS: The review detected 490 studies addressing the issue of occupational health and safety hazards; of these, 30 articles were included in this systematic review. These articles reported a variety of exposures faced by healthcare professionals. This review also revealed a number of strategies that can be adopted to control, eliminate, or reduce hazards to healthcare professionals in Taiwan. CONCLUSION: Hospitals and healthcare facilities have many unique occupational health and safety hazards that can potentially affect the health and performance of healthcare professionals. The impact of such hazards on healthcare professionals poses a serious public health issue in Taiwan; therefore, controlling, eliminating, or reducing exposure can contribute to a stronger healthcare workforce with great potential to improve patient care and the healthcare system in Taiwan. Eliminating or reducing hazards can best be achieved through engineering measures, administrative policy, and the use of personal protective equipment. IMPLICATIONS: This review has research, policy, and practice implications and provides future students and researchers with information on systematic review methodologies based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses strategy. It also identifies occupational health and safety risks and provides insights and strategies to address them.


Visualization of COVID-19 spread based on spread and extinction indexes


docid: bymhtiph

title: High-throughput determination of high-quality interdiffusion coefficients in metallic solids: a review

text: Accurate interdiffusion coefficients of composition and temperature dependence are significantly important for understanding different materials processes. However, the high-throughput determination of high-quality interdiffusion coefficients, especially in multicomponent systems, has been sustaining as a challenge in materials community. This review dealt with a comprehensive summarization of the recent progress in this field, aiming at advancing a scientific routine for realizing the high-throughput determination of high-quality interdiffusion coefficients in metallic solids. First, an introduction of traditional Matano-based approaches and their recent development was given. Second, the numerical inverse methods were described, with a focus on the recently developed pragmatic numerical inverse method and related public toolkits. Potential strategies for resolving the problems about accuracy and uniqueness of the solutions to the numerical inverse methods were highlighted. The combination of numerical inverse method and diffusion multiple technique was highly proposed for high-throughput determination of interdiffusion coefficients in metallic solids with any number of components. After that, the case studies on the high-throughput determination of interdiffusivity matrices in the real Ni-based, high-entropy/high-entropy superalloys were demonstrated. Discussion on the substitution of Re in Ni-based single-crystal superalloys and the sluggish diffusion in high-entropy/high-entropy superalloys was also carried out. Fourth, the general idea for the uncertainty quantification was proposed in order to obtain high-quality interdiffusion coefficients, followed by the introduction of recent progress on the uncertainty quantification in both Matano-based methods and numerical inverse methods. Finally, the conclusions were drawn, and the future trends in diffusion community were also pointed out.


title: A Brief History of Bioethics in Japan

text: In this chapter I look back at the history of bioethics in Japan, which can be divided into three phases: Phase I, Introduction (1980–1999); Phase II, Development (2000–2010); and Phase III, the Recent Past (2011–present). Phase I marks the period when the concept of bioethics that originated in the West came to Japan. It was also when Japanese society faced its first difficult bioethical issues: namely brain-death and organ transplantation. Other issues emerged during this period, particularly pertaining to death, such as end-of-life medical care and euthanasia. In Phase II, the problems shifted to those pertaining to the beginning of life, such as the moral status of the human embryo. As well, during this period the government implemented ethical guidelines for research ethics. During this period, social awareness of bioethics increased, and bioethics education began to appear not only medical education, but also within high school curricula. In Phase III, Japan began to tackle its own ethical issues, such as enhancement, regenerative medicine, neuroethics, public health ethics, and precision medicine. Some of my thoughts concerning projections for the future are discussed at the end of this chapter.


title: Beatmung bei neuromuskulären Erkrankungen

text: Neuromuskuläre Erkrankungen betreffen das erste und zweite Motoneuron, die peripheren Nerven, die neuromuskulären Übertragung und die Muskelzelle. Es handelt sich um eine heterogene Gruppe von erblichen, degenerativen und autoimmunen Erkrankungen. Eine korrekte diagnostische Einordnung ist erforderlich, da zentralnervöse, kardiale, endokrine und weitere Begleitsymptome vorliegen können und für einige Erkrankungen bereits medikamentöse Therapien zur Verfügung stehen. Neuromuskuläre Erkrankungen haben eine große Bedeutung in der neuromuskulären Beatmungsmedizin. Die respiratorische Symptomatik resultiert in der Regel aus Paresen der am Atmen, Schlucken oder Husten beteiligten Muskulatur mit konsekutiver ventilatorischer Insuffienz, Dysphagie bis hin zur Speichelaspiration und Sekretretention. Mittels eines strukturierte Sekretmanagements und einer effektive nichtinvasive oder invasive Beatmungstherapie können neuromuskuläre Patienten viele Jahre mit guter Lebensqualität überleben. Themen dieses Kapitels sind ein Überblick über die neuromuskulären Erkrankungen, die Indikationen und Strategien der nichtinvasiven und der invasiven Beatmung und eine ausführliche Darstellung beatmungsmedizinisch besonders relevanter neuromuskulärer Erkrankungen wie der amyotrophe Lateralsklerose, des Guillain-Barré-Syndroms, der Myasthenia gravis und der Critical-Illness-Polyneuropathie/-Myopathie.


title: Why Do Households Lack Emergency Savings? The Role of Financial Capability

text: Many U.S. households have insufficient savings to cope with income losses, expenditure shocks, and other financial emergencies, yet little research evidence explains why. Guided by Sherraden (2013) model of financial capability, we expand on prior research that examines the role of financial knowledge by incorporating additional factors and testing income interactions to explain a greater proportion of variance concerning whether or not households have money set aside for emergencies. We analyzed data from the 2009, 2012, 2015, and 2018 National Financial Capability Surveys and found that subjective financial knowledge, financial confidence, and savings account ownership, but not objective financial knowledge, were significant and consistent predictors of having an emergency fund. Savings account ownership was the strongest predictor, accounting for an increase in the probability of having an emergency fund of 25% to 29% across study years. Adding homeownership and ability to cover expenses to the models increased the proportion of variance explained by an average of 29%. Strategies to promote emergency savings should be multifaceted and include help from financial educators and counselors to create greater financial slack as well as programs and policies to increase access to short-term savings opportunities and incentives.


Actualización urgente: alternativa temporal para el diagnóstico de hiperglucemia gestacional y el seguimiento de estas mujeres y aquellas con diabetes pregestacional durante la pandemia COVID-19. Versión 1.1


The changes in the number of patients admissions due to burns in Paediatric Trauma Centre in Wroclaw (Poland) in March 2020


title: Prediction and analysis of key protein structures of 2019-nCoV

text: Aim: The purpose of this study was to predict and analyze the structure and function of 2019-novel Coronavirus (nCoV) key proteins. Materials & methods: We obtained the structure and sequence of proteins from related databases and studied them through multiple sequence alignment, homology modeling, sequence analysis, virtual screening, reverse mutation, protein structure overlap and surface property analysis. Results & conclusion: We found no significant changes in envelope protein, membrane protein, nucleocapsid protein and key proteases in open reading frame 1ab, and predicted results of proteins and performed molecular dynamics simulations. Based on the surface properties of spike protein and docking results with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, we believe that the binding ability of spike protein to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 may be similar to SARS. These studies will help us in fighting 2019-nCoV.


Influence of inhibitors of the renin–angiotensin system on risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome in Danish hospitalized COVID-19 patients


title: COVID-19: our last teachable moment

text: COVID-19 is bringing hardship and tragedy. Health workers are having to take appalling risks; loved ones are being lost; lockdown is causing great distress. And, as always in testing times, the disadvantaged are being hit worst. As we emerge from the shadows, the call from the vested interests, from the systems current winners, will be for a rapid return to business as usual. We must resist this; business as usual got us into this mess. COVID-19 is trying to tell us something; we health educators and social marketers must listen, think and, above all, take action.


docid: dgdvtqso

title: Contents in Brief


Su1189 SAFETY OF IMMUNE CHECKPOINT INHIBITORS IN PATIENTS WITH PREEXISTING INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE AND MICROSCOPIC COLITIS


Su1188 ABDOMINAL CT SHOULD NOT BE USED TO SCREEN FOR IMMUNE CHECKPOINT INHIBITOR COLITIS


Su1191 ADULT-ONSET AUTOIMMUNE ENTEROPATHY: A SCOPING REVIEW


Su1185 IMMUNE CHECKPOINT INHIBITOR-RELATED COLITIS ASSESSMENT AND PROGNOSIS: CAN UCEIS, MAYO AND NANCY INDEX SCORING POINT THE WAY?


Su1187 ALMOST EVERYTHING CAUSES DIARRHEA: GASTROINTESTINAL MANIFESTATIONS OF ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS AMONG 3,510 INDIVIDUALS IN A COMMUNITY-BASED STUDY


Su1186 DEOXYCHOLIC ACID ENHANCES INTESTINAL LYMPHOCYTE MIGRATION TO VASCULAR ENDOTHELIUM BY DIRECT INCREASE IN EXPRESSIONS OF ICAM-I AND VCAM-1 THROUGH SPHINGOSINE-1-PHOSPHATE RECEPTOR 2


Su1190 IS THERE AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SUBSTANCE DEPENDENCE AND MICROSCOPIC COLITIS OR EOSINOPHILIC COLITIS?


title: Takuo Aoyagi—a Tribute to the Brain Behind Pulse Oximetry

text: A tribute is being paid to the Dr. Takuo Aoyagi who invented pulse oximetry to measure the oxygen saturation in the blood in 1974. The importance of pulse oximetry is felt more in this coronavirus pandemic. Takuo Aoyagi expired at Tokyo on 18 April 2020.


title: Terminal and broadcast reliability analysis of direct 2-D symmetric torus network

text: Reliability analysis is one of the crucial issues for any scalable optical interconnection network. Torus is a highly scalable optical interconnect for data centre networks. The traditional torus network has XY routing algorithm. We have proposed a novel optimised routing algorithm. This paper focuses on the time-dependent and time-independent analysis for both terminal and broadcast reliabilities of the torus network using XY and optimised routing algorithm under various network sizes ([Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] ). The results are evaluated and compared considering nodes failures in MATLAB.


Dear Readers


Preeclampsia Treatment in SARS-CoV-2


Multilaterale Abkommen: Enthusiasmus und Enttäuschung


WTO-Reform: Formale Regelgleichheit reicht nicht aus, alle Mitgliedsländer brauchen gleiche wirtschaftliche Chancen


WTO — die Hüterin des Welthandels in der Krise


docid: usyfeosd

title: Welthandel post Coronam


Konjunkturschlaglicht: Weltweiter Corona-Schock am Arbeitsmarkt


docid: mgksxbsm

title: Towards sustainable community conservation in tropical savanna ecosystems: a management framework for ecotourism ventures in a changing environment

text: The sustainability of ecotourism ventures under the Community Based Natural Resources Management in Zimbabwe is under stress due to environmental changes emanating from effects associated with socioeconomic factors, climate change and epidemic diseases. Using an in-depth analysis of the Mahenye ecotourism venture from the year 1982 to 2020 as a case study, this study sought to propose a management framework for ecotourism ventures in a changing environment by examining the sustainability of community conservation initiatives in Zimbabwe. Research methods included expert opinion from two natural resources governance academics, desktop research and authors’ experiences about Mahenye ecotourism venture. Results indicated that the Mahenye ecotourism venture has faced significant challenges but has been resilient to withstand the shocks such as population increase, exclusion of youths and women, climate change, hyperinflation, donor fatigue, reduced international ecotourist visitation and international hunting bans emanating from socioeconomic and political environmental changes. These shocks have a negative effect on the main elements of an ecotourism venture such as the wildlife resources, amenities, attraction, accessibility, management system, marketing, beneficiaries and linkages. The management framework highlights the interventions that can be made to enable ecotourism ventures in changing environments to remain sustainable. The interventions are promoting strong community cohesion, developing sustainable self-funding mechanisms, promoting multiple sources of income, carrying targeted environmental education programs, capacity building in managing ecotourism in periods of hyperinflation, improved marketing and offering a unique experience, promoting climate smart ecotourism, promoting domestic ecotourism visits, implementing effective feedback systems among stakeholders to decrease uncertainties and lobbying to have hunting bans removed.


title: ESM-Kredite zur Bekämpfung der Corona-Krise greifen zu kurz

text: On 9 April 2020, the euro area finance ministers agreed on credit lines with the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) to counter the corona crisis. The ESM loans are estimated at 200 billion euros. However, this figure is misleading. Only a few states would benefit at all over a 10-year government bond in their own country. Moreover, the scope of ESM loans is limited.


title: Auswirkungen der Corona-Krise auf die europäische Klimaschutzpolitik

text: The actual Corona crisis has a negative impact on the economic situation of the affected economies. This has direct consequences for the EU-wide trading of greenhouse gas emission allowances, which is an important building block of European climate change policy. In contrast, although there is an expected short-term decrease in the volume of greenhouse gas emissions due to the emerging economic recession, we should also expect lower prices of emission allowances in the mid to long term, which will make current production technologies more attractive. One important goal of European climate change policy — changing existing manufacturing technologies to less greenhouse gas emitting alternatives — will become even more difficult.


Institutionelle Aspekte einer neuen Handelsordnung


Globale Handelsordnung — mit den oder ohne die USA?


Wissenschaft braucht Daten


title: Pedicures, wees alert op ‘coronatenen’

text: De strenge maatregelen rondom het coronavirus worden heel langzaam losgelaten en de (medisch) pedicures mogen inmiddels weer aan de slag. De coronacrisis heeft veel impact, ook op de vakinhoudelijke praktijkvoering van pedicures. Afgelopen weken is namelijk duidelijk geworden dat bepaalde huidafwijkingen aan de tenen het gevolg – of zelfs een voorbode – zouden kunnen zijn van een nog niet ontdekte coronainfectie. Let wel: veel is nog onduidelijk, maar alertheid van iedereen is geboden!


Reports


One World We Stand


To Embrace Open Science More Closely


Reply: In pursuit of the unfilled position


Journal of Vascular Surgery – June 2020 Audiovisual Summary


Umweltrecht kompakt


title: Effect of photoperiod and plant growth regulators on in vitro mass bulblet proliferation of Narcissus tazzeta L. (Amaryllidaceae), a potential source of galantamine

text: Narcissus tazetta L., a bulbous plant belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family, contains alkaloid galantamine (GAL) with acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity which has been recently considered to treat Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In the current work, the effect of photoperiod (16/8 h light/dark and 24 h dark) and various concentrations of NAA, BAP, and GA(3) (0, 0.5, 1 and 2 mg l(‒1)) on the in vitro mass bulblet regeneration of N. tazetta was studied. The GAL production ability of the regenerated bulblets was assessed by HPLC-UV-MS. Light treatments significantly affected the number of bulblet and leaf, the ratio of bulblet/leaf, and leaf length. The maximum number of bulblet (31.0 ± 1.58) and leaf (13.3 ± 1.33) was recorded from the cultures fortified with NAA and BAP (2 mg l(‒1)) kept in 16/8 h light/dark, while the maximum leaf length (2.1 ± 0.92 cm) was measured on the MS medium containing 0.5 mg l(‒1) NAA and 2 mg l(‒1) BAP incubated in the same photoperiod. The average ratio of bulblet proliferation per explant was significantly different between studied photoperiod (1.1 ± 0.86) and 24 h dark (0.62 ± 0.31). The regenerated bulblets contained 40 and 20 µg g(‒1) DW GAL underexposed photoperiod and 24 h dark, respectively. This information could be useful in the commercial production of GAL as a valuable anti-AD compound through in vitro mass bulblet proliferation of N. tazetta.


docid: qslpeuji

title: Exploring the contribution of social capital in building resilience for climate change effects in peri-urban areas, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

text: This article aims to contribute to the literature on the quest for resilient cities by focusing on the climate change resilience building discourse in peri-urban areas, and specifically by exploring the role of social capital-an under-researched topic. The article examines bonding social capital and bridging social capital, with a focus on how they can potentially contribute to, or inhibit, the socio-ecological system resilience building processes in the context of climate change reality in peri-urban areas. Theoretically, the author draws on the existing social capital and resilience related literatures; empirically, the article presents findings from a study conducted in the peri-urban areas of Pugu and Kazimzumbwi forest reserves on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam city in Tanzania. The study deployed a household survey and key informant interviews. It found that both bonding and bridging social capital were strong in the research area, suggesting the feasibility of building resilience to climate change effects. Examples are given of a number of resilience building interventions that were established through synergies between social capital actors and local communities, although some doubt is cast over the sustainability of these initiatives. Overall, both theoretical and empirical evidence suggests the importance of including a focus on social capital in exploring the building of climate change resilience pathways in peri-urban areas, and especially in the context of the global south.


title: Comparison of the COVID-2019 (SARS-CoV-2) pathogenesis with SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV infections

text: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was first identified in several patients who traveled to Wuhan or went to a seafood wholesale market in Wuhan. The phylogenetic tree showed that SARS-CoV-2 was 96.2% identical to bat β-coronaviruses from lineage B. Also, several studies reported that SARS-CoV-2 uses the SARS-CoV receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, for entry to target cells. Lung alveolar and small intestine are potential targets for SARS-CoV-2 due to the high expression of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor. In this review, we focused on the zoonotic β-coronaviruses and given there is no specific drug or vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019, we reviewed the literature on the therapy options for SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection, in order to discover their possible use in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infections.


title: Better preventing and mitigating the effects of Covid-19

text: Currently, there are no proven medical treatments against SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19. In addition to the all important public health measures needed to prevent the spread of this disease, a number of strategies related to our exposome are recommended herein, to better prevent and mitigate the effects of a SARS-CoV-2 infection through enhancement of our immune system and reduction of inflammation.


title: Roll Out the Red Carpet: The 3rd Annual Awards for the Most Valuable Contributions to Psychotherapy

text: Every spring, media coverage emphasizes the "award season", highlighting contributions made by musicians, actors, and professional athletes. Unfortunately, psychologists are not included in these gala celebrations. It seems appropriate to take time to praise the hard work and dedication that is required to publish in an academic journal. The present article summarizes the results from the 3rd annual psychotherapy award program designed to highlight the valuable contributions made in eleven different categories. A total of 81 academic journals were reviewed for their articles published during 2019, and 150 papers were found useful and relevant to the field of psychotherapy. The list was then shortened to 44 articles that were organized into eleven award categories, and the best paper in each category was selected by a panel from the journal's editorial board. The hope is that all psychotherapists will value the contributions being made in these articles.


Moving Forward with the New Normal


AkzoNobel Shareholders Approve All Resolutions at Annual General Meeting


PPG Posts 1Q 2020 Financial Results


PPG Holds Virtual Annual Shareholders Meeting


Axalta Schedules 1Q 2020 Results Conference Call


KECO Introduces KECO AM


docid: ywnmogiy

title: Key Ethical Concepts and Their Application to COVID-19 Research

text: During the WHO-GloPID COVID-19 Global Research and Innovation Forum meeting held in Geneva on the 11th and 12th of February 2020 a number of different ethical concepts were used. This paper briefly states what a number of these concepts mean and how they might be applied to discussions about research during the COVID-19 pandemic and related outbreaks. This paper does not seek to be exhaustive and other ethical concepts are, of course, relevant and important.


title: Will COVID-19 fiscal recovery packages accelerate or retard progress on climate change?

text: The COVID-19 crisis is likely to have dramatic consequences for progress on climate change. Imminent fiscal recovery packages could entrench or partly displace the current fossil-fuel-intensive economic system. Here, we survey 231 central bank officials, finance ministry officials, and other economic experts from G20 countries on the relative performance of 25 major fiscal recovery archetypes across four dimensions: speed of implementation, economic multiplier, climate impact potential, and overall desirability. We identify five policies with high potential on both economic multiplier and climate impact metrics: clean physical infrastructure, building efficiency retrofits, investment in education and training, natural capital investment, and clean R&D. In lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs) rural support spending is of particular value while clean R&D is less important. These recommendations are contextualised through analysis of the short-run impacts of COVID-19 on greenhouse gas curtailment and plausible medium-run shifts in the habits and behaviours of humans and institutions.


COVID-19, a far cry from the influenza


title: Modelling Consent in the Time of COVID-19

text: Effective responses to the COVID-19 pandemic require novel solutions for research and responsible data sharing. Biobanking presents itself as a key priority in furthering our understanding of COVID-19. In this article, we propose a tripartite approach to consent to create resources for research relating to COVID-19. The approach aims to link three levels of participation: COVID-19 patient, respiratory/infectious disease patients, and longitudinal study participants. We explore the potential approaches that can be taken to consent processes with these three participant groups. We furthermore describe an access model for both single-site and multi-site data and sample storage. Through dealing with these topics at a high level, the model may be adapted to local legal and ethical requirements while still pursuing its ultimate goal: the creation of a research infrastructure that supports transparent, strong, and open science.


COVID-19 pandemic and derogation to human rights


title: Potential role of oral rinses targeting the viral lipid envelope in SARS-CoV-2 infection

text: Emerging studies increasingly demonstrate the importance of the throat and salivary glands as sites of virus replication and transmission in early COVID-19 disease. SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped virus, characterised by an outer lipid membrane derived from the host cell from which it buds. While, it is highly sensitive to agents that disrupt lipid bio-membranes, there has been no discussion about the potential role of oral rinsing in preventing transmission. Here, we review known mechanisms of viral lipid membrane disruption by widely available dental mouthwash components that include ethanol, chlorhexidine, cetylpyridinium chloride, hydrogen peroxide and povidone-iodine. We also assess existing formulations for their potential ability to disrupt the SARS-CoV-2 lipid envelope, based on their concentrations of these agents, and conclude that several deserve clinical evaluation. We highlight that already published research on other enveloped viruses, including coronaviruses, directly support the idea that oral rinsing should be considered as a potential way to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Research to test this could include evaluating existing or specifically-tailored new formulations in well-designed viral inactivation assays, then in clinical trials. Population-based interventions could be undertaken with available mouthwashes, with active monitoring of outcome to determine efficacy. This is an under-researched area of major clinical need.


title: Evaluating the Control of Money Laundering and Its Underlying Offences: the Search for Meaningful Data

text: This article examines the political and criminological history of anti-money controls, including the involvement of Asian countries and the varied motivations and interests engaged. It goes on to review where empirical evidence has been used and can be used in fighting the financial components of underlying crimes, examining the denotation of the problem(s) we are supposed to be fighting—money laundering as an evil in itself and/or the underlying crimes which give rise to it; estimates of the size and harmfulness of the problems and identifies any improvements/emerging problems in the assessment of money laundering. It concludes with some reflections on assessing policy effectiveness and the need for greater engagement by criminologists and other social scientists in this process.


Correction to Lancet Microbe 2020; published online May 8. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/S2666-5247(20)30027-6


Information for Readers


COVID-19 pandemic prompts the development of a Web-OSCE using Zoom teleconferencing to resume medical students’ clinical skills training at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar


docid: trrikscc

title: Triple trouble


Un point aveugle de l’épidémie COVID-19 : la transmission nosocomiale au personnel soignant


Chilblain and Acral Purpuric Lesions in Spain during Covid Confinement: Retrospective Analysis of 12 Cases()


Sortie de l’épidémie de COVID-19 : pour une méthodologie de déconfinement respectueuse de l’humain


title: Oil price shocks and renewable energy transition: Empirical evidence from net oil-importing South Asian economies

text: This paper makes a novel attempt to model the nonlinear association between renewable energy consumption and crude oil prices concerning four net oil-importing South Asian economies: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Using annual data from 1990 to 2018, the long-run elasticity estimates confirm the nonlinear nexus and suggest that although rising crude oil prices do not facilitate renewable energy consumption initially, upon reaching a threshold level of crude oil price, further hikes in the oil prices are likely to elevate the renewable energy consumption figures. The estimated real oil price threshold, in this regard, is predicted to be around 135 US dollars per barrel, which is way above the prevailing oil price level. Identical nonlinearity is also confirmed in the context of the oil prices and renewable energy share in total final energy consumption volumes. Moreover, the nexus between renewable electricity share in aggregate electricity outputs and crude oil prices is also seen to exhibit nonlinearity. However, rising crude oil prices were not found to enhance the renewable electricity shares. Besides, the causality results implicated that movements in crude oil prices influenced the renewable energy transition process across the concerned South Asian economies. Thus, these results, in a nutshell, impose critically important policy implications for attainment of energy security and environmental sustainability in South Asia, particularly via curbing the traditional imported crude oil-dependencies of these nations.


Isolation und Ängsten professionell begegnen


Familienersatz Pflegepersonal


Orthopaedic Readiness for Future Pandemics: Time to revive Socrates?


Strategies to Flatten the Curve during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Radiation Oncology: Experience from a Large Tertiary Cancer Center


title: Ausblick

text: Obwohl das relativ junge Konstrukt des Corporate Purpose noch am Anfang seiner Entwicklung steht, zeigen die ersten Beispiele deutlich, welch großes Potential für Unternehmen und Gemeinwohl in dem Ansatz steckt.


title: Bacterial Infections and the Respiratory Microbiome

text: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic, multisystem disease due to defects in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein, an anion channel responsible for chloride and bicarbonate trafficking. Although this channel is expressed in many tissues, its impaired function in airway epithelial cells leads to hyperviscous mucous secretions impeding effective mucociliary clearance. Impaired clearance of inhaled microorganisms results in the establishment of chronic infection, triggering an overexaggerated inflammatory response. The resulting release of inflammatory cytokines and enzymes causes pulmonary damage in the form of bronchiectasis, further impairing mucociliary action, forming a vicious cycle. Subsequent respiratory failure remains the leading cause of death in individuals with CF.


title: Nrf2 and the Nrf2-Interacting Network in Respiratory Inflammation and Diseases

text: Atmospheric pollutants and cigarette smoke influence the human respiratory system and induce airway inflammation, injury, and pathogenesis. Activation of the NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) transcription factor and downstream antioxidant response element (ARE)-mediated transcriptions play a central role in protecting respiratory cells against reactive oxidative species (ROS) that are induced by airway toxins and inflammation. Recent studies have revealed that Nrf2 can also target and activate many genes involved in developmental programs such as cell proliferation, cell differentiation, cell death, and metabolism. Nrf2 is closely regulated by the interaction with kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), while also directly interacts with a number of other proteins, including inflammatory factors, transcription factors, autophagy mediators, kinases, epigenetic modifiers, etc. It is believed that the multiple target genes and the complicated interacting network of Nrf2 account for the roles of Nrf2 in physiologies and pathogeneses. This chapter summarizes the molecular functions and protein interactions of Nrf2, as well as the roles of Nrf2 and the Nrf2-interacting network in respiratory inflammation and diseases, including acute lung injury (ALI), asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis (PF), cystic fibrosis (CF), viral/bacterial infections, and lung cancers. Therapeutic applications that target Nrf2 and its interacting proteins in respiratory diseases are also reviewed.


title: Microglia and Wnt Pathways: Prospects for Inflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease

text: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been a major health issue for more than one century since it was first reported in 1906. As one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, AD is characterized by the presence of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in the affected brain area. Microglia are the major regulators of neuroinflammation in the brain, and neuroinflammation has become recognized as the core pathophysiological process of various neurodegenerative diseases. In the central nervous system (CNS), microglia play a dual role in AD development. For one thing, they degrade amyloid β (Aβ) to resist its deposition; for another, microglia release pro-inflammatory and inflammatory factors, contributing to neuroinflammation as well as the spreading of Aβ and tau pathology. Wnt pathways are important regulators of cell fate and cell activities. The dysregulation of Wnt pathways is responsible for both abnormal tau phosphorylation and synaptic loss in AD. Recent studies have also confirmed the regulatory effect of Wnt signaling on microglial inflammation. Thus, the study of microglia, Wnt pathways, and their possible interactions may open up a new direction for understanding the mechanisms of neuroinflammation in AD. In this review, we summarize the functions of microglia and Wnt pathways and their roles in AD in order to provide new ideas for understanding the pathogenesis of AD.


Neurological infections during the COVID-19 epidemic()


Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 and the Resolution of Inflammation: In Support of Continuation of Prescribed Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors and Angiotensin-Receptor Blockers


Retour au travail dans le cadre de l’épidémie Covid-19


Public Health Implications of the Dose–Response Association Between Physical Activity and Cardiometabolic Health in Young Adults


Mise en situation historique d'un dialogue entre deux pionniers de la réflexion éthique en période COVID-19


COVID 19 and Resilience: Neurosurgical perspectives


A patient with neurological manifestations as unique presentation of SARS-CoV-2 infection()


Barrier enclosure using a Mayo stand and plastic sheet during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in patients and its effect on reducing visible aerosol dispersion on healthcare workers


docid: geboovve

title: Mental health services in Shanghai during the COVID-19 outbreak


Editorial for Utilities Policy – Special issue “the new economics and governance of transport networks and services”


Prévention des troubles mentaux : diagnostic et intervention au travail après confinement COVID-19


Covid19 et quelques problématiques éthiques en France


In Reply - Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 and the Resolution of Inflammation: In Support of Continuation of Prescribed Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors and Angiotensin-Receptor Blockers


Electrochemistry of proton-conducting ceramic materials and cells


Helena Legido-Quigley: proponent of health systems strengthening


Reprise du sport de loisir en sortie de confinement


Mexican President López Obrador draws doctors' ire


COVID-19, epidemiological tracing and medical ethics


Robert McCredie May


Covid-19 tests: Collective and individual applications


COVID-19: For national and European research coordination


COVID-19 and psychiatry


For the opening of COVID-19 hotels


Against the COVID-19, use digital tools on a large scale


title: Event-B: From Systems to Sub-systems Modeling

text: Event-B [3] is a formal method that allows the verification of critical systems properties.


title: Towards a Shared Specification Repository

text: Many formal methods research communities lack a shared set of benchmarks. As a result, many research articles in the past have evaluated new techniques on specifications that are specifically tailored to the problem or not publicly available. While this is great for proving the concept in question, it does not offer any insights on how it performs on real-world examples. Additionally, with machine learning techniques gaining more popularity, a larger set of public specifications is required. In this paper, we present our public set of B machines and urge contribution. As we think this to be an issue in other communities in scope of the ABZ as well, we are also interested in specifications expressed in other formalisms, for example Alloy, TLA[Formula: see text] or Z.


title: Formal Distributed Protocol Development for Reservation of Railway Sections

text: The decentralisation of railway signalling systems has the potential to increase railway network capacity, availability and reduce maintenance costs. Given the safety-critical nature of railway signalling and the complexity of novel distributed signalling solutions, their safety should be guaranteed by using thorough system validation methods. In this paper, we present a rigorous formal development and verification of a distributed protocol for reservation of railway sections, which we believe could deliver benefits of a decentralised signalling while ensuring safety and liveness properties. For the formal distributed protocol development and verification, we devised a multifaceted framework, which aims to reduce modelling and verification effort, while still providing complementary techniques to study protocol from all relevant perspectives.


title: Modelling an Automotive Software-Intensive System with Adaptive Features Using ASMETA

text: In the context of automotive domain, modern control systems are software-intensive and have adaptive features to provide safety and comfort. These software-based features demand software engineering approaches and formal methods that are able to guarantee correct operation, since malfunctions may cause harm/damage. Adaptive Exterior Light and the Speed Control Systems are examples of software-intensive systems that equip modern cars. We have used the Abstract State Machines to model the behaviour of both control systems. Each model has been developed through model refinement, following the incremental way in which functional requirements are given. We used the ASMETA tool-set to support the simulation of the abstract models, their validation against the informal requirements, and the verification of behavioural properties. In this paper, we discuss our modelling, validation and verification strategies, and the results (in terms of features addressed and not) of our activities. In particular, we provide insights on how we addressed the adaptive features (the adaptive high beam headlights and the adaptive cruise control) by explicitly modelling their software control loops according to the MAPE-K (Monitor-Analyse-Plan-Execute over a shared Knowledge) reference control model for self-adaptive systems.


title: Verifying SGAC Access Control Policies: A Comparison of ProB, Alloy and Z3

text: This paper describes the formalisation of SGAC access control policies using Z3 and then we compare the performance with ProB and Alloy. SGAC is an attribute-based, fine-grain access control model that uses acyclic subject and resource graphs to provide rule inheritance and streamline policy specification. To ensure patient privacy and safety, four types of properties are checked: accessibility, availability, contextuality and rule effectiveness. Automatic translation of SGAC policies into each specification language has been defined. ProB offers the best verification performances, by two orders of magnitude. The performances of Alloy and Z3 are similar.


title: Event-B-Supported Choreography-Defined Communicating Systems: Correctness and Completeness

text: Choreographies prescribe the rendez-vous synchronisation of messages in a communicating system. Such a system is called realisable, if the traces of the prescribed communication coincide with those of the asynchronous system of peers, where the communication channels either use FIFO queues or multiset mailboxes. It has recently been shown that realisability can be characterised by two necessary conditions that together are also sufficient, whereas in general the synchronisability of communicating peers is undecidable. The sufficiency of the conditions permits the construction of correct communicating systems; their necessity shows that all choreography-defined communicating system can be obtained in this way. This article provides an integrated framework based on Event-B for such a construction with a major emphasis on Rodin-based proofs of correctness and completeness.


title: Modeling of a Speed Control System Using Event-B

text: The present paper presents our proposal of an Event-B model of a speed control system, a part of the case study provided in the ABZ2020 conference. The case study describes how the system regulates the current speed of a car according to a set criteria like the speed desired by the driver, the position of a possible preceding vehicle but also a given speed limit that the driver must not exceed. For that purpose, this controller reads different information form the available sensors (key state, desired speed, etc.) and takes the adequate actions by acting on the actuators of the car’s speed according to the read information. To formally model this system, we adopt a stepwise refinement approach with the Event-B method. We consider most features of the case study, all proof obligations have been discharged using the Rodin provers. Our model has been validated using ProB by applying the different provided scenarios. This validation has permitted us to point out and correct some mistakes, ambiguities and oversights contained in the first versions of the case study.


title: Formally Verified Architecture Patterns of Hybrid Systems Using Proof and Refinement with Event-B

text: Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) play a central role in modern days technology. From simple thermostat controllers to more advanced autonomous cars, their versatility makes them perfect candidates for many applications, in particular for safety critical ones. Thus, their certification is a key issue and formal methods are good candidates to assess safety and produce associated certificates. Hybrid systems show continuous-time dynamics depending on mode that is required in several stages of the architecture of Cyber-Physical Systems. Our work addresses the problem of formally verifying hybrid systems using refinement and proof with Event-B. Our previous work [14] presented formally verified generic architecture patterns for designing centralised hybrid systems, based on our generic approach [15]. We extend this work and give a formally verified architecture pattern aimed at modelling distributed hybrid systems, featuring multiple plants and multiple controllers. We validate the approach and illustrate the use of the defined pattern on an extension of a very common case study, borrowed from literature.


title: A Correct by Construction Approach for the Modeling and the Verification of Cyber-Physical Systems in Event-B

text: Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) connect the real world to software systems through a network of sensors and actuators: physical and discrete components interact in complex ways by involving different spatial and temporal scales. One of the most common architectures for CPSs is a discrete software controller which interacts with its physical environment in a closed-loop schema where input from sensors is processed and output is generated and communicated to actuators. We are concerned with the construction and verification of the correctness of such discrete controller using a correct by construction approach, which requires correct integration of discrete and continuous models.


title: An Event-B Model of an Automotive Adaptive Exterior Light System

text: This paper introduces an Event-B formal model of the adaptive exterior light system for cars, a case study proposed in the context of the ABZ2020 conference. The system describes the different provided lights and the conditions under which they are switched on/off in order to improve the visibility of the driver without dazzling the oncoming ones. The system can be viewed as a lights controller that reads different information form the available sensors (key state, exterior luminosity, etc.) and takes the adequate actions by acting on the actuators of the lights in order to ensure a good visibility for the driver according to the information read. Our model is built using stepwise refinement with the Event-B method. We consider all the features of the case study, all proof obligations have been discharged using the Rodin provers. Our model has been validated using ProB by applying the different provided scenarios. This validation has permitted us to point out and correct some mistakes, ambiguities and oversights in the first versions of the case study.


title: Existence Proof Obligations for Constraints, Properties and Invariants in Atelier B

text: Proof obligations of the B method and of Event B use predicates in the Constraints, Sets, Properties and Invariant clauses as hypotheses in proof obligations. A contradiction in these predicates results in trivially valid proof obligations and essentially voids the development. A textbook on the B method [3] presents three “existence proof obligations” to show the satisfiability of the Constraints, Properties and Invariant clauses as soon as they are stated in a component. Together with new existence proof obligations for refinement, this prevents the introduction of such contradictions in the refinement chain. This paper presents a detailed formalization of these existence proof obligations, specifying their implementation in Atelier B.


title: Diverse Scenario Exploration in Model Finders Using Graph Kernels and Clustering

text: Complex software systems can be described using modeling notations such as UML/OCL or Alloy. Then, some correctness properties of these systems can be checked using model finders, which compute sample scenarios either fulfilling the desired properties or illustrating potential faults. Such scenarios allow designers to validate, verify and test the system under development. Nevertheless, when asked to produce several scenarios, model finders tend to produce similar solutions. This lack of diversity impairs their effectiveness as testing or validation assets. To solve this problem, we propose the use of graph kernels, a family of methods for computing the (dis)similarity among pairs of graphs. With this metric, it is possible to cluster scenarios effectively, improving the usability of model finders and making testing and validation more efficient.


title: Exploring the Concept of Abstract State Machines for System Runtime Enforcement

text: Modern intelligent software systems are rapidly growing in complexity and scale, and many real usage scenarios might be impossible to reproduce and validate at design-time. As envisioned by the Models@run.time research community, the use of formal models at runtime are fundamental to address this challenge. In this paper, we explore the concept of ASM@run.time and put this definition into the context of the runtime enforcement technique to address the runtime assurance of software systems. This is a work-in-progress research line.


title: Formal Verification of Interoperability Between Future Network Architectures Using Alloy

text: The Internet is composed of many interconnected, interoperating networks. With the recent advances in Future Internet design, multiple new network architectures, especially Information-Centric Networks (ICN) have emerged. Given the ubiquity of networks based on the Internet Protocol (IP), it is likely that we will have a number of different interconnecting network domains with different architectures, including ICNs. Their interoperability is important, but at the same time difficult to prove. A formal tool can be helpful for such analysis. ICNs have a number of unique characteristics, warranting formal analysis, establishing properties that go beyond, and are different from, what have been used in the state-of-the-art because ICN operates at the level of content names rather than node addresses. We need to focus on node-to-content reachability, rather than node-to-node reachability. In this paper, we present a formal approach to model and analyze information-centric interoperability (ICI). We use Alloy Analyzer’s model finding approach to verify properties expressed as invariants for information-centric services (both pull and push-based models) including content reachability and returnability. We extend our use of Alloy to model counting, to quantitatively analyze failure and mobility properties. We present a formally-verified ICI framework that allows for seamless interoperation among a multitude of network architectures. We also report on the impact of domain types, routing policies, and binding techniques on the probability of content reachability and returnability, under failures and mobility.


title: Automatic Generation of DistAlgo Programs from Event-B Models

text: The development of distributed algorithms offers challenges in verifying that they meet their specifications. The correct-by-construction approach consists in developing a model of the algorithm before transforming this model into a program.


title: A Formal Approach for the Modeling of High-Level Architectures Aligned with System Requirements

text: IRT Railenium (http://railenium.eu/fr/) is a test and applied research center for the rail industry in France. One of its three R&D and innovation programs aims in particular to provide the technological tools and bricks necessary for the development of the Autonomous Train.


title: A Framework for Critical Interactive System Formal Modelling and Analysis

text: Interactive system development does not follow the same life cycle as other system developments. The essential differences lie in the iterative nature of such system development. Throughout iterations, the requirements undergo many changes due to the evolution of customer’s needs and user feedback after experiencing prototypes. The challenge is tougher in the case of critical HCI (aircraft cockpits, medical systems, nuclear power plant etc.). Indeed, critical HCI requires to be designed and built such that safety and security requirements are thoroughly fulfilled. This paper presents a novel development framework featuring formal verification and validation of critical interactive systems at modelling level. It identifies the several challenges of the interactive system development and settles down the main objectives. Furthermore, it sketches the most important traits of the proposed approach to circumvent the enumerated challenges. Hence, we discuss the importance of the pivot language Fluid, the domain theory specific to interactive systems and their modelling using Event-B.


title: Analysing ProB’s Constraint Solving Backends: What Do They Know? Do They Know Things? Let’s Find Out!

text: We evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different backends of the ProB constraint solver. For this, we train a random forest over a database of constraints to classify whether a backend is able to find a solution within a given amount of time or answers unknown. The forest is then analysed in regards of feature importances to determine subsets of the B language in which the respective backends excel or lack for performance. The results are compared to our initial assumptions over each backend’s performance in these subsets based on personal experiences. While we do employ classifiers, we do not aim for a good predictor, but are rather interested in analysis of the classifier’s learned knowledge over the utilised B constraints. The aim is to strengthen our knowledge of the different tools at hand by finding subsets of the B language in which a backend performs better than others.


docid: zmfzkrdp

title: A Logic for Reflective ASMs

text: Reflective algorithms are algorithms that can modify their own behaviour. Recently a behavioural theory of reflective algorithms has been developed, which shows that they are captured by reflective abstract state machines (rASMs). Reflective ASMs exploit extended states that include an updatable representation of the ASM signature and rules to be executed by the machine in that state. Updates to the representation of ASM signatures and rules are realised by means of a sophisticated tree algebra defined in the background of the rASM. In this paper the theory is taken further by an extension of the logic of ASMs to capture inferences on rASMs. The key is the introduction of terms that are interpreted by ASM rules stored in some location. We show that fragments of the logic with a fixed bound on the number of steps preserve completeness, whereas the full run-logic for rASMs becomes incomplete.


title: Improving Trustworthiness of Self-driving Systems

text: Self-Driving Vehicles (SDVs) are considered to be safety-critical system. They may jeopardize the lives of passengers in the vehicle and people in the street, or damaging public property such as the transportation infrastructure. According to the National Transportation Safety Board report [1] of an Uber self-driving crash, the accident was caused by the internal components of SDVs when the AI module failed to detect a victim. The autonomous system was implemented to give a human driver control of a vehicle on the unmanaged areas; however, the driver was distracted and did not react within the appropriate time.


docid: rbuojotp

title: Structuring the State and Behavior of ASMs: Introducing a Trait-Based Construct for Abstract State Machine Languages

text: Abstract State Machine (ASM) theory is a well-known state-based formal method to analyze, verify, and specify software and hardware systems. Nowadays, as in other state-based formal methods, the proposed specification languages for ASMs still lack easy-to-comprehend language constructs for type abstractions to describe reusable and maintainable specifications. Almost all built-in behaviors are implicitly defined inside a concrete ASM language implementation and thus, the behavior is hidden from the language user. In this paper, we present a new ASM syntax extension based on traits, which allows the specifier (language user) to define new type abstractions in the form of structure and behavior definitions to reuse, maintain, structure, and extend the functionality in ASM specifications. We describe the proposed language construct by defining its syntax and semantics. The decision to use a trait-based syntax extension over other object-oriented language constructs like interfaces or mixins was motivated and driven by the results of previously conducted empirical studies. Moreover, we outline details about the implementation of the trait-based syntax extension in our Corinthian Abstract State Machine (CASM) language implementation.


title: ProB and Jupyter for Logic, Set Theory, Theoretical Computer Science and Formal Methods

text: We present a tool for using the B language in computational notebooks, based on the Jupyter Notebook interface and the ProB tool. Applications of B notebooks include executable documentation of formal models, interactive manuals, validation reports but also teaching of formal methods, logic, set theory and theoretical computer science. In addition to B and Event-B, the tool supports Z, [Formula: see text] and Alloy.


title: Programming the CLEARSY Safety Platform with B

text: The CLEARSY Safety Platform (CSSP) is aimed at easing the development and the deployment of safety critical applications, up to the safety integrity level 4 (SIL4). It relies on the smart integration of the B formal method, redundant code generation and compilation, and a hardware platform that ensures a safe execution of the software. This paper exposes the programming model of the CSSP used to develop control & command applications based on digital I/Os.


title: Modelling and Verification of Robotic Platforms for Simulation Using RoboStar Technology

text: The RoboStar framework supports model-based engineering of robotic applications.


title: Account and Transaction Protocol of the Open Banking Standard

text: To counteract the lack of competition and innovation in the financial services industry, the EU has issued the Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2) encouraging account servicing payment service providers to share data. The UK, similarly to other European countries, has promoted a standard API for data sharing: the Open Banking Standard. We present an overview of the results of a formal security analysis of the Account and Transaction API protocol.


title: Integration of iUML-B and UPPAAL Timed Automata for Development of Real-Time Systems with Concurrent Processes

text: Developing safety-critical systems requires to consider safety and real-time requirements in addition to functional requirements. Event-B is a formalism that is visualised by iUML-B and supports the development of functional aspects having rich verification and validation tools. However, it lacks well-established support for timing analysis. UPPAAL Timed Automata (UTA), on the other hand, address timing aspects of systems, and enable model checking reachability and timing properties. By integrating iUML-B and UTA, we combine the best verifying and validating practices from the two methods achieving a formal development of systems. We present the mapping for translating iUML-B constructs to UTA. The novel aspect is the use of a multi-process trigger-response pattern to address the modelling and verification of reachability properties of complex systems with concurrent processes. The approach is demonstrated on an airport control system, where timing, fairness, as well as liveness properties play a vital role in proving safety requirements.


title: A Characterization of Distributed ASMs with Partial-Order Runs

text: To overcome the practical limitations of partial-order runs of ‘distributed ASMs’ (Abstract State Machines) proposed by Gurevich, we have defined a concept of concurrent runs of multi-agent ASMs and could show that concurrent ASMs capture a natural language-independent axiomatic definition of concurrent algorithms, thus generalising Gurevich’s seminal ‘Sequential ASM Thesis’ from sequential to concurrent algorithms. However, we remained intrigued by the fact that Blass and Gurevich used partial-order runs of distributed ASMs to explain runs of sequential recursive algorithms. We discovered that also the inverse simulation holds: for every distributed ASM with partial order runs, these runs can be described by runs of a sequential recursive algorithm. This surprising result clarifies the difference in expressivity between partial-order and concurrent runs.


title: A Verified Low-Level Implementation of the Adaptive Exterior Light and Speed Control System

text: In this article, we present an approach to the ABZ 2020 case study, that differs from the ones usually presented at ABZ: Rather than using a (correct-by-construction) approach following a formal method, we use MISRA C for a low-level implementation instead. We strictly adhere to test-driven development for validation, and only afterwards apply model checking using CBMC for verification. In consequence, our realization of the ABZ case study can serve as a baseline reference for comparison, allowing to assess the benefit provided by the various formal modeling languages, methods and tools.


title: VisB: A Lightweight Tool to Visualize Formal Models with SVG Graphics

text: Visualization is important to present formal models to domain experts and to spot issues which are hard to formalise or have not been formalised yet. VisB is a visualization plugin for the ProB animator and model checker. VisB enables the user to create simple visualizations for formal models. An important design criterion was to re-use scalable vector graphics (SVG) generated by off-the-shelf graphic editors using a lightweight and easy-to-use annotation mechanism. The visualizations can be used to formal models in B, Event-B, Z, TLA+ and Alloy.


title: Modelling and Validating an Automotive System in Classical B and Event-B

text: We have modelled parts of the ABZ automotive case study using the B-method. For the early phases of modelling we have used the classical B for software, while for proof we have used Event-B and Rodin. It is maybe surprising that classical B’s machine inclusion mechanism along with operation calls can be used for modular system modelling. Moreover, for one particular style of modelling, the result can then be translated to superposition refinement with event extension in Event-B. Before conducting the proof, we have validated our models using model checking and animation with visualizations. The graphical visualizations were constructed using a new plugin (VisB) which helped uncover errors and transforms our model into an executable, interactive reference specification which can be examined by users without formal background.


title: Modelling Hybrid Programs with Event-B

text: Hybrid systems are one of the most common mathematical models for Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs). They combine discrete dynamics represented by state machines or finite automata with continuous behaviors represented by differential equations. The measurement of continuous behaviors is performed by sensors. When these sensors have a continuous access to these measurements, we call such model an Event-Triggered model. The properties of this model are easier to prove, while its implementation is difficult in practice. Therefore, it is preferable to introduce a more realistic model, called Time-Triggered model, where the sensors take periodic measurements. Contrary to Event-Triggered models, Time-Triggered models are much easier to implement, but much more difficult to verify. Based on the differential refinement logic (dR[Formula: see text]), a dynamic logic for refinement relations on hybrid systems, it is possible to prove that a Time-Triggered model refines an Event-Triggered model. The major limitation of such logic is that it is not supported by any prover. In this paper, we propose a correct-by-construction approach that implements the reasoning on hybrid programs particularly the reasoning of dR[Formula: see text] in Event-B to take advantage of its associated tools.


title: Refinement and Verification of Responsive Control Systems

text: Statechart notations with ‘run to completion’ semantics, are popular with engineers for designing controllers that respond to events in the environment with a sequence of state transitions. However, they lack formal refinement and rigorous verification methods. [Image: see text] , on the other hand, is based on refinement from an initial abstraction and is designed to make formal verification by automatic theorem provers feasible. We introduce a notion of refinement into a ‘run to completion’ statechart modelling notation, and leverage [Image: see text] tool support for theorem proving. We describe the difficulties in translating ‘run to completion’ semantics into [Image: see text] refinements and suggest a solution. We outline how safety and liveness properties could be verified.


title: Adaptive Exterior Light and Speed Control System

text: This case study continues the successful series of case studies for formal specification and verification of the ABZ conference series, which started with the landing gear system [1] and expanded with the hemodialysis medical device [4] and the European Train Control System (ETCS) [2] in the following years.


title: Experiences on Teaching Alloy with an Automated Assessment Platform

text: This paper presents Alloy4Fun, a web application that enables online editing and sharing of Alloy models and instances (including dynamic ones developed with the Electrum extension), to be used mainly in an educational context. By introducing secret paragraphs and commands in the models, Alloy4Fun allows the distribution and automated assessment of simple specification challenges, a mechanism that enables students to learn the language at their own pace. Alloy4Fun stores all versions of shared and analyzed models, as well as derivation trees that depict how they evolved over time: this wealth of information can be mined by researchers or tutors to identify, for example, learning breakdowns in the class or typical mistakes made by Alloy users. Alloy4Fun has been used in formal methods graduate courses for two years and for the latest edition we present results regarding its adoption by the students, as well as preliminary insights regarding the most common bottlenecks when learning Alloy (and Electrum).


title: Validating Multiple Variants of an Automotive Light System with Electrum

text: This paper reports on the development and validation of a formal model for an automotive adaptive exterior lights system (ELS) with multiple variants in Electrum, a lightweight formal specification language that extends Alloy with mutable relations and temporal logic. We explore different strategies to address variability, one in pure Electrum and another through an annotative language extension. We then show how Electrum and its Analyzer can be used to validate systems of this nature, namely by checking that the reference scenarios are admissible, and to automatically verify whether the established requirements hold. A prototype was developed to translate the provided validation sequences into Electrum and back to further automate the validation process. The resulting ELS model was validated against the provided validation sequences and verified for most of requirements for all variants.


title: Adding Concurrency to a Sequential Refinement Tower

text: This paper defines a concept and a verification methodology for adding concurrency to a sequential refinement tower of abstract state machines, that is based on data refinement and a component structure. We have developed such a refinement tower for the Flashix file system earlier, from which we generate executable (C and Scala) Code. The question we answer in this paper, is how to add concurrency based on locks to such a refinement tower, without breaking the initial modular structure. We achieve this by just enhancing the relevant components, and adding intermediate atomicity refinements that complement the data refinements that are already there. We also give a verification methodology for such atomicity refinements.