Validation of Memory Accesses Through Symbolic Analyses

International audienceThe C programming language does not prevent out-of- bounds memory accesses. There exist several techniques to secure C programs; however, these methods tend to slow down these programs substantially, because they populate the binary code with runtime checks. To deal with this prob- lem, we have designed and tested two static analyses - sym- bolic region and range analysis - which we combine to re- move the majority of these guards. In addition to the analy- ses themselves, we bring two other contributions. First, we describe live range splitting strategies that improve the effi- ciency and the precision of our analyses. Secondly, we show how to deal with integer overflows, a phenomenon that can compromise the correctness of static algorithms that validate memory accesses. We validate our claims by incorporating our findings into AddressSanitizer. We generate SPEC CINT 2006 code that is 17% faster and 9% more energy efficient than the code produced originally by this tool. Furthermore, our approach is 50% more effective than Pentagons, a state- of-the-art analysis to sanitize memory accesses

A study on the employment and wage outcomes of persons living with a same-sex partner

This study examines the labour market disparities faced by same-sex couples across nine countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, France, Mexico, Thailand, the United States of Americaand the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela), extending the focus of previous studies by lookingbeyond developed countries. Consistent with the existing literature, the findings presented hereshow that, in many countries, men in same-sex couples participate in the labour market to alesser extent, experience higher unemployment rates and receive lower wages than comparablemen in opposite-sex couples. Conversely, women in same-sex couples are more likely to be employed than comparable heterosexual women and to enjoy a wage premium in some countries. Finally, it makes the case for further research, especially in developing countries

Do breast implants after a mastectomy affect subsequent prognosis and survival?

In a large study, published in this issue of Breast Cancer Research, Le and colleagues report that women receiving implants after mastectomies for early-stage breast cancer experience lower breast cancer mortality than women not receiving implants. Assessment of survival patterns among women receiving reconstructive implants is complex given unique patient characteristics, disease attributes, and treatment patterns. The interpretation of reduced mortality from breast cancer must be assessed in light of significantly reduced risks of death from most other causes. In contrast, patients receiving post-mastectomy implants had elevated rates of suicide, consistent with findings among women with cosmetic implants. Additional well-designed investigations are needed to clarify survival patterns among women receiving reconstructive implants

¡Ojo! What to expect in recruiting and retaining older Latinos in physical activity programs

Abstract Older Latinos are the fastest growing cohort among older adults in the USA, and their lives are often fraught with comorbidities, such as diabetes and obesity. Strong evidence has demonstrated health benefits of regular physical activity for older adults. In spite of this, older Latinos participate in low levels of physical activity. Interventions designed to increase the physical activity of older Latinos are lacking, yet more are emerging as the number of older Latinos grows. Unfortunately, older Latinos face many impediments to participating in physical activity interventions that researchers are unaware of. The purpose of the current article was to identify barriers that researchers are likely to face in conducting physical activity interventions for older Latinos, highlighting recently identified barriers, and providing barriers we encountered specifically with older Latino adults; and strategies to overcome these barriers to implementation.</jats:p