Artificial intelligence in safety-critical systems: a systematic review

PurposeThis study is a systematic literature review of the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in safety-critical systems. The authors aim to present the current application status according to different AI techniques and propose some research directions and insights to promote its wider application.Design/methodology/approachA total of 92 articles were selected for this review through a systematic literature review along with a thematic analysis.FindingsThe literature is divided into three themes: interpretable method, explain model behavior and reinforcement of safe learning. Among AI techniques, the most widely used are Bayesian networks (BNs) and deep neural networks. In addition, given the huge potential in this field, four future research directions were also proposed.Practical implicationsThis study is of vital interest to industry practitioners and regulators in safety-critical domain, as it provided a clear picture of the current status and pointed out that some AI techniques have great application potential. For those that are inherently appropriate for use in safety-critical systems, regulators can conduct in-depth studies to validate and encourage their use in the industry.Originality/valueThis is the first review of the application of AI in safety-critical systems in the literature. It marks the first step toward advancing AI in safety-critical domain. The paper has potential values to promote the use of the term “safety-critical” and to improve the phenomenon of literature fragmentation.

Classification of the canonical splice alteration MUTYH c.934-2A>G is likely benign based on RNA and clinical data

MUTYH-associated polyposis (MAP) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the development of multiple adenomatous colonic polyps and an increased lifetime risk of colorectal cancer. Germline biallelic pathogenic variants in MUTYH are responsible for MAP. The MUTYH c.934-2A>G (NM_001128425.1) variant, which is also known as c.850-2A>G for NM_001048174.2, has been identified in our laboratory in more than 800 patients, including homozygous and compound heterozygote carriers. The variant was initially classified as a variant of uncertain significance (VUS) due to lack of a MAP phenotype in biallelic carriers. In two unrelated female patients who were heterozygous carriers of this variant, further testing by RNA sequencing identified an aberrant transcript with a deletion of 9 nucleotides at the start of exon 11 (MUTYH r.934_942del9). This event is predicted to lead to an in-frame loss of 3 amino acids in a non-critical domain of the protein. This was the only splice defect identified in these patients which was not present in the controls and the aberrant transcript is derived exclusively from the variant allele, strongly supporting the cause of this splice defect as being the intronic variant, MUTYH c.934-2A>G. The splicing analysis demonstrating a small in-frame skipping of 3 amino acids in a non-critical domain along with the absence of a MAP phenotype in our internal cohort of biallelic carriers provides evidence that the variant is likely benign and not of clinical significance.

Impact of Selected Geriatric Syndromes on the Quality of Life in the Population Aged 60 and Older

Background: Geriatric syndromes represent a critical domain in the population more than 60 years old. Basic syndromes include frailty, sarcopenia, loss of body mass, and a mild cognitive disorder. These are significant problems which can affect the quality of life. In our study, the Rapid Geriatric Assessment (RGA) tool was used to assess the geriatric syndromes, and the WHOQOL-BREF was used to assess the quality of life to survey 498 respondents from a population aged 60 and older. In all the assessments, the distribution of variables was tested, a nonnormal distribution of variables was identified, and subsequently, nonparametric tests were performed to identify the differences between groups. The study showed that the domain of physical health and the psychological domain were most affected. The results have shown that individual geriatric syndromes affect certain domains of the quality of life of the population above 60 with various intensity.

Critical dynamics and renormalization group (RG)

Time evolution, near a phase transition in the critical domain of critical systems not far from equilibrium, using a Langevin-type evolution is studied. Typical quantities of interest are relaxation rates towards equilibrium, time-dependent correlation functions and transport coefficients. The main motivation for such a study is that, in systems in which the dynamics is local (on short time-scales, a modification of a dynamic variable has an influence only locally in space) when the correlation length becomes large, a large time-scale emerges, which characterizes the rate of time evolution. This phenomenon called critical slowing down leads to universal behaviour and scaling laws for time-dependent quantities. In contrast with the situation in static critical phenomena, there is no clean and systematic derivation of the dynamical equations governing the time evolution in the critical domain, because often the time evolution is influenced by conservation laws involving the order parameter, or other variables like energy, momentum, angular momentum, currents and so on. Indeed, the equilibrium distribution does not determine the driving force in the Langevin equation, but only the dissipative couplings are generated by the derivative of the equilibrium Hamiltonian, and directly related to the static properties. The purely dissipative Langevin equation specifically discussed, corresponding to static models like the f4 field theory and two-dimensional models. Renormalization group (RG) equations are derived, and dynamical scaling relations established.

Critical domain: Universality, ε-expansion

In Chapter 15, the scaling behaviour of correlation functions at criticality, T = Tc, has been derived. This chapter is devoted to the critical domain, where the correlation length is large with respect to the microscopic scale, but finite. In dimensions d < 4, above Tc, the property of strong scaling is derived: in the critical domain above Tc, all correlation functions, after rescaling, can be expressed in terms of universal correlation functions, in which the scale of distance is provided by the correlation length. However, because the correlation length is singular at Tc, in this formalism, the critical temperature cannot be crossed. Alternatively, one can expand correlation functions in formal power series of the deviation (T −Tc) from the critical temperature, in presence of a magnetic field. The sum of the expansion satisfies renormalization group (RG) equations also valid for T < Tc and in a magnetic field, from which follow scaling properties in the whole critical domain. The universal two-point function can be expanded when T approaches Tc, using the short-distance expansion (SDE). A few terms of the ϵ expansion (ϵ is the deviation from dimension 4) of a few universal quantities are reported. Calculations at fixed dimension and summation of perturbative expansions are described. The conformal bootstrap based on the SDE and conformal invariance at the infrared (IR) fixed point provides an alternative method to determine critical exponents.

Domain F: Discourse

In this chapter, we examine how discourse—or the ways in which language is used to frame debates, policy and action—is a critical domain for agroecology transformations. A range of different types of actors (e.g. politicians, private companies, activists) use a process called ‘framing’ to convey their interpretation of agroecology where they ‘simplify and condense’ its complexity to align with their own views and ideologies. We present seven main frames across a spectrum from those that tend to disable a transformative agroecology (e.g. ‘feed the world’) to those that are most likely to enable political agroecology (e.g. ‘food sovereignty’). Notably all of these frames are at times being deployed in both productivist and depoliticized (regime-reinforcing) ways and also as a part of a transformative politics of political agroecology at different times by different actors.

TOWARDS RESILIENCE. EUROPEAN CYBERSECURITY STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK

Cyberspace has become critical domain of contemporary societies and states. Growing presence and dense network of various activities have resulted in transformation of strictly technical dimension into nervous system of the world. Naturally, with humans’ immersion in cyberspace, the catalogue of threats is growing exponentially - from risks to individuals’ security through hazards to corporate, government entities to threats to complex social systems. Resilience of the latter depends on cyberspace. The aim of the paper is to analyse EU’s approach to growing dangers, with European Cybersecurity Strategy as main research field. Document will be employed to conduct the study.