Telomere Length and Male Fertility

Over the past decade, telomeres have attracted increasing attention due to the role they play in human fertility. However, conflicting results have been reported on the possible association between sperm telomere length (STL) and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and the quality of the sperm parameters. The aim of this study was to run a comprehensive study to investigate the role of STL and LTL in male spermatogenesis and infertility. Moreover, the association between the sperm parameters and 11 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), identified in the literature for their association with telomere length (TL), was investigated. We observed no associations between sperm parameters and STL nor LTL. For the individual SNPs, we observed five statistically significant associations with sperm parameters: considering a p < 0.05. Namely, ACYP2˗rs11125529 and decreased sperm motility (p = 0.03); PXK˗rs6772228 with a lower sperm count (p = 0.02); NAF1˗rs7675998 with increased probability of having abnormal acrosomes (p = 0.03) and abnormal flagellum (p = 0.04); ZNF208˗rs8105767 and reduction of sperms with normal heads (p = 0.009). This study suggests a moderate involvement of telomere length in male fertility; however, in our analyses four SNPs were weakly associated with sperm variables, suggesting the SNPs to be pleiotropic and involved in other regulatory mechanisms independent of telomere homeostasis, but involved in the spermatogenic process.     

基于线性时序逻辑的最优巡回路径规划

基于线性时序逻辑(Linear temporal logic, LTL)的路径规划方法中, 多点巡回路径规划问题尚无有效解决方案. 为了在道路网络中实现最优巡回监测, 提出了基于LTL的最优巡回路径规划方法. 首先, 将环境建模成一个切换系统, 用LTL语言描述包含多个巡回点和障碍物的任务需求; 接着, 利用循环移位法构建能够融合任务需求和环境模型的扩展乘机自动机, 以建立路径信息完整的网络拓扑; 最后, 采用基于迪科斯彻法的最优综合算法搜索扩展乘机自动机网络上的最优路径, 从而获得能够满足复杂任务需求的最优巡回路径. 仿真结果表明, 该方法能够有效实现最优巡回路径规划.     

Partial order reduction for state/event LTL with application to component-interaction automata

Software systems assembled from a large number of autonomous components become an interesting target for formal verification due to the issue of correct interplay in component interaction. State/event LTL (Chaki et al. (2004, 2005) [1] and [2]) incorporates both states and events to express important properties of component-based software systems.The main contribution of this paper is a partial order reduction technique for verification of state/event LTL properties. The core of the partial order reduction is a novel notion of stuttering equivalence which we call state/event stuttering equivalence. The positive attribute of the equivalence is that it can be resolved with existing methods for partial order reduction. State/event LTL properties are, in general, not preserved under state/event stuttering equivalence. To this end we define a new logic, called weak state/event LTL, which is invariant under the new equivalence.To bring some evidence of the method’s efficiency, we present some of the results obtained by employing the partial order reduction technique within our tool for verification of component-based systems modelled using the formalism of component-interaction automata (Brim et al. (2005) [3]).     

A linear translation from CTL* to the first-order modal μ -calculus

The modal μ-calculus is a very expressive temporal logic. In particular, logics such as LTL, CTL and CTL* can be translated into the modal μ-calculus, although existing translations of LTL and CTL* are at least exponential in size. We show that an existing simple first-order extension of the modal μ-calculus allows for a linear translation from LTL. Furthermore, we show that solving the translated formulae is as efficient as the best known methods to solve LTL formulae directly.     

基于ASP的CSP并发系统验证研究

传统并发通信顺序进程(CSP>性质的验证通常使用3个不同的模型层面,从而增加了系统的复杂性和验证 工具开发的难度;同时,主流的并发系统模型验证工具不支持在系统的一次运行中验证多个性质,这也降低了性质验 证的效率。首先将CSP程序转换为ASP程序,然后将CSP进程并发规则和以LTL/CTL公式表示的待验证性质转 换为ASP规则,从而建立了基于ASP验证CSP并发系统性质的统一框架。实验结果表明,基于ASP的CSP并发系 统验证技术易于实现,在保持较高验证效率的同时,能够支持在验证软件的一次执行中验证多条LTL/CTL公式。     

时间自动机的LTL性质模型检测研究

为了增强模型检测工具的检测能力,拓宽模型检测技术的应用范围,对基于时间自动机的LTL性质模型检测进行了研究,对自动机的状态空间的存储方式和状态空间的展开过程进行了分析,讨论了LTL性质模型检测工具的检测流程和检测算法的实现策略对工具检测性能的影响,针对制约模型工具的检测能力和检测效率的因素,采取了一些相应的优化改进策略.采用了BDD(二叉决策图)共享存储技术和位编码压缩存储,较有效地减小了空间消耗,缓解了模型检测中状态爆炸引起的内存空间不足问题.与DTSpin等著名的模型检测工具进行了实验比较,取得了较好的实验结果.     

LTL概率模型检验工具的实现与优化

概率模型检验建立在非概率模型检验技术的基础上,不仅能够对系统进行定性的验证,还能够定量判断系统满足相关性质的概率,具有广泛的适用性。LTL概率模型检验算法的复杂度较高,达到双重指数级别,现有的工具如PRISM与MRMC均不支持对LTL性质的验证。针对这个问题,通过对原有的LTL概率模型检验算法进行优化,实现了一个高效的LTL概率模型检验工具。通过对比实验验证了该工具的有效性。     

基于抽象和组合方法的网络协议验证

由于模型检测存在状态爆炸问题,多主体的网络协议组合模型检测往往难以进行。为了缓解该问题,分析了通信主体数量增加对状态数量的影响,提出了组合式的抽象验证方法。首先根据所需验证的LTL性质,建立各个通信主体的Kripke结构,再对该Kripke结构进行抽象;然后组合抽象模型;最后运用Spin对组合抽象模型进行检验。为验证该方法的有效性,对NSPK协议进行了检测,结果表明,该方法所需的状态空间向量长度、搜索深度、存贮和遍历的状态数都有明显减少,有利于缓解状态爆炸问题。     

Compositional encoding for bounded model checking

Verification techniques like SAT-based bounded model checking have been successfully applied to a variety of system models. Applying bounded model checking to compositional process algebras is, however, a highly non-trivial task. One challenge is that the number of system states for process algebra models is not statically known, whereas exploring the full state space is computationally expensive. This paper presents a compositional encoding of hierarchical processes as SAT problems and then applies state-of-the-art SAT solvers for bounded model checking. The encoding avoids exploring the full state space for complex systems so as to deal with state space explosion. We developed an automated analyzer which combines complementing model checking techniques (i.e., bounded model checking and explicit onthe-fly model checking) to validate system models against event-based temporal properties. The experiment results show the analyzer handles large systems.     

面向参数化LTL的预测监控器构造技术

介绍了一种基于自动机理论的参数化LTL(parameterized LTL(linear temporal logic),简称P_ALTL)公式运行时预测监控器构造方法.一方面研究P_ALTL公式的语法、预测语义、赋值提取以及赋值绑定等重要概念,从语法层面保证公式中参数化变量的正确绑定(binding)和使用(using);另一方面给出参数化预测监控器的概念.它由静态和动态两部分组成,静态部分由参数化Büchi自动机表示,动态部分为当前状态处的变量赋值.在系统运行过程中,预测监控器基于静态部分的参数化Büchi自动机,以on-the-fly的方式在当前状态处动态地提取和绑定变量赋值,递进地验证当前程序运行是否满足指定的参数化性质规约.在该过程中,参数化监控器能够精确地识别被验证性质的最小好/坏前缀.