Damage potential of an introduced biological control agent Agonosoma trilineatum (F.) on bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia L.)

The seed-feeding jewel bug, Agonosoma trilineatum (F.), is an introduced biological control agent for bellyache bush, Jatropha gossypiifolia L. To quantify the damage potential of this agent, shadehouse experiments were conducted with individual bellyache bush plants exposed to a range of jewel bug densities (0, 6 or 24 jewel bugs/plant). The level of abortion of both immature and mature seed capsules and impacts on seed weight and seed viability were recorded in an initial short-term study. The ability of the jewel bug to survive and cause sustained damage was then investigated by measuring seed production, the survival of adults and nymph density across three 6-month cycles. The level of seed capsule abortion caused by the jewel bug was significantly affected by the maturity status of capsules and the density of insects present. Immature capsules were most susceptible and capsule abortion increased with jewel bug density. Similarly, on average, the insects reduced the viability of bellyache bush seeds by 79% and 89% at low and high densities, respectively. However, sustaining jewel bug populations for prolonged periods proved difficult. Adult survival at the end of three 6-month cycles averaged 11% and associated reductions in viable seed production ranged between 55% and 77%. These results suggest that the jewel bug has the potential to reduce the number of viable seeds entering the soil seed bank provided populations can be established and maintained at sufficiently high densities.

Forest health surveillance methodology in hardwood plantations in Queensland, Australia

Forest health surveillance (FHS) of hardwood plantations commenced in Queensland in 1997 as plantations expanded following a state government planting initiative arising from the national 2020 forest policy vision. The estate was initially characterised by a large number of small plantations (10-50 ha), although this has changed more recently with the concentration of larger plantations in the central coast and South Burnett regions. Due to the disparate nature of the resource, drive- and walkthrough surveys of subsets of plantations have been undertaken in preference to aerial surveys. FHS has been effective in detecting a number of new hardwood pests in Queensland including erinose mites (Rhombacus and Acalox spp.), western white gum plate galler (Ophelimus sp.), Creiis psyllid and bronzing bug (Thaumastocoris sp.), in evaluating their potential impact and assisting in focussing future research efforts. Since 2003 there has been an increased emphasis on training operational staff to take a greater role in identifying and reporting on forest health issues. This has increased their awareness of forest health issues, but their limited time to specifically survey and report on pests and diseases, and high rates of staff turnover, necessitate frequent ongoing training. Consequently, common and widespread problems such as quambalaria shoot blight (Quambalaria pitereka), chrysomelid leaf beetles (mainly Paropsis atomaria) and erinose mites may be under-reported or not reported, and absence data may often not be recorded at all. Comment is made on the future directions that FHS may take in hardwood plantations in Queensland.

Specificity of Carvalhotingis visenda (Hemiptera: Tingidae) as a biological control agent for cat's claw creeper Macfadyena unguis-cati (Bignoniaceae) in Australia

Biological control is considered the most suitable management option for cat's claw creeper, Macfadyena unguis-cati, a major environmental weed in coastal and sub-coastal areas of Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. The potential host range of the leaf-sucking bug, Carvalhotingis visenda (Hemiptera: Tingidae) was evaluated on the basis of nymphal survival and development, adult feeding and survival, and oviposition preference using choice and no-choice tests involving 38 plant species in 10 families. In no-choice tests, although adults survived on a few of the non-target plants, no eggs were laid on any of the non-target plants. In no-choice condition, the tingid oviposits and completes nymphal development only on M. unguis-cati. There was also no visible feeding damage on any of the non-target plants. In choice tests, adults showed distinct preference for M. unguis-cati, and the preference level increased over time as the tingids moved away from the non-target plants. At the end of the trial no adults were evident on any of the non-target plants. Host specificity tests confirm that the tingid is a highly host specific biocontrol agent, and does not pose risk to any non-target plants in Australia. This agent has been approved for field release by the relevant regulatory authorities in Australia.

Improved understanding of the damage, ecology, and management of mirids and stinkbugs in Bollgard II

In recent years mirids and stinkbugs have emerged as important sucking pests in cotton. While stinkbugs are causing damage to bolls, mirids are causing damage to seedlings, squares and bolls. With the increasing adoption of Bollgard II and IPM approaches the use of broad-spectrum chemicals to kill Helicoverpa has been reduced and as a result mirids and stinkbugs are building to levels causing damage to bolls later in crop growth stages. Studies on stinkbugs by Dr Moazzem Khan revealed that green vegetable bug (GVB) caused significant boll damage and yield loss. A preliminary study by Dr Khan on mirids revealed that high mirid numbers at later growth stages also caused significant boll damage and that damage caused by mirids and GVB were similar. Mirids and stinkbugs therefore demand greater attention in order to minimise losses caused by these pests and to develop IPM strategies against these pests to enhance gains in IPM that have been made with Bt-transgenic cotton. Progress in this area of research will maintain sustainability and profitability of the Australian cotton industry. Mirid damage at early growth stages of cotton (up to squaring stage) has been studied in detail by Dr Khan. He found that all ages of mirids cause damage to young plants and damage by mirid nymphs is cumulative. Maximum damage occurs when the insect reaches the 4th and 5th nymphal stages. He also found that mirid feeding causes shedding of small and medium squares, and damaged large squares develop as ‘parrot beak’ bolls. Detailed studies at the boll stage, such as which stage of mirids is most damaging or which age boll is most vulnerable to feeding, is lacking. This information is a prerequisite to developing an IPM strategy for the pest in later crop growth stages. Understanding population change of the pest over time in relation to crop development is an important aspect for developing management strategies for the pest which is lacking for mirids in BollgardII. Predators and parasitoids are integral components of any IPM system and play an important part in regulating pest populations. Some generalist predators such as ants, spiders, damsel bugs and assassin bugs are known to predate on mirids. Nothing is known about parasitoids of mirids. Since green mirid (GM), Creontiades dilutus, is indigenous to Australia it is likely that we have one or more parasitoids of this mirid in Australia, but that possibility has not been investigated yet. The impact of the GVB adult parasitoid, Trichopoda giacomelli, has been studied by Dr Khan who found that the fly is established in the released areas and continues to spread. However, to get wider and greater impact, the fly should be released in new locations across the valleys. The insecticides registered for mirids and stinkbugs are mostly non-selective and are extremely disruptive to a wide range of beneficial insects. Use of these insecticides at stage I and II will minimise the impact of existing IPM programs. Therefore less disruptive control tactics including soft chemicals for mirids and stinkbugs are necessary. As with soft chemicals, salt mixtures, biopesticides based on fungal pathogens and attractants based on plant volatiles may be useful tools in managing mirids and stinkbugs with less or no disruption. Dr Khan has investigated salt mixture against mirids and GVB. While salt mixtures are quite effective and less disruptive, they are quite chemical specific. Not all chemicals mixed with salt will give the desired benefit. Therefore further investigation is needed to identify those chemicals that are effective with salt mixture against mirids and 3 of 37 GVB. Dr Caroline Hauxwell of DPI&F is working on fungal pathogen-based biopesticides against mirids and GVB and Drs Peter Gregg and Alice Del Socorro of Australian Cotton CRC are working on plant volatile-based attractants against mirids. Depending on their findings, inclusion of fungal-based biopestcides and plant volatile-based attractants in developing a management system against mirids and stinkbugs in cotton could be an important component of an IPM approach.

Biological control of bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia) in Australia: South America as a possible source of natural enemies

Bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia, Euphorbiaceae), a deciduous shrub introduced as an ornamental from tropical America, is a major and expanding weed of rangelands and riparian zones in northern Australia. Biological control is the most economically viable and long-term management solution for this weed. Surveys for potential biological control agents for J gossypiifolia in Mexico,Central America and the Caribbean resulted in release of the seed-feeding jewel bug Agonosoma trilineatum (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae), which failed to establish, and prioritisation of a leaf-rust Phakopsora arthuriana (Puccineales: Phakopsoraceae) for host-specificity testing, which is ongoing. With poor prospects for new agents from Mexico and Central America and the Caribbean, the search for candidate agents on J gossypiifolia shifted to localities south of the equator. Surveys were conducted on the purple-leaf form of J gossypiifolia, Jatropha excisa, Jatropha clavuligera and Jatropha curcas in Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay in 2012 and 2013. A total of 11 insect species, one mite species and the leaf-rust (P. arthuriana) were observed. These include a yet to be described leafmining moth (Stomphastis sp.) (Lepidoptera: Gracillaridae), a shoot and leaf-galling midge Prodiplosis longifila, and leaf-feeding midge Prodiplosis sp. near longifila (both Diptera:Cecidomyiidae) and an unidentified leaf-feeding moth larva (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae). The leafminer is widespread and damaging and has a field host range restricted to the genus Jatropha in Peru and Bolivia, holds the greatest promise as a biological control agent in Australia. Phakopsora arthuriana was recorded for the first time ever from Bolivia and Peru. Further exploration will be conducted in Peru and Bolivia during the wet season to confirm the field host range of collected agents,and to look for more new agents. Promising agents with field host-range restricted to Jatropha spp. will be imported into a quarantine facility in Australia for host-specificity testing.

Static analysis for checking data format compatibility of programs

Large software systems are developed by composing multiple programs. If the programs manip-ulate and exchange complex data, such as network packets or files, it is essential to establish that they follow compatible data formats. Most of the complexity of data formats is associated with the headers. In this paper, we address compatibility of programs operating over headers of network packets, files, images, etc. As format specifications are rarely available, we infer the format associated with headers by a program as a set of guarded layouts. In terms of these formats, we define and check compatibility of (a) producer-consumer programs and (b) different versions of producer (or consumer) programs. A compatible producer-consumer pair is free of type mismatches and logical incompatibilities such as the consumer rejecting valid outputs gen-erated by the producer. A backward compatible producer (resp. consumer) is guaranteed to be compatible with consumers (resp. producers) that were compatible with its older version. With our prototype tool, we identified 5 known bugs and 1 potential bug in (a) sender-receiver modules of Linux network drivers of 3 vendors and (b) different versions of a TIFF image library.

C程序的静态分析

近年来，随着软件在社会生活中的作用越来越重要，软件的正确性也越来越受到人们的重 视。然而如何保证软件的正确性却是一个一直都没有得到很好解决的问题。在上世纪六七 十年代人们就提出了程序验证的概念，但是程序验证一直不能很好的处理用实用的程序设 计语言编写的程序，并且自动化程度也不高，现代软件的规模往往有数百万行代码，导致 程序验证无法得以应用。另一方面，面向大规模实际程序的传统数据流分析主要的应用是 编译优化，它们的目标是获取保守的、粗略的程序信息，从而也不适合于程序正确性的检 测。 随着计算性能的提高以及自动定理证明技术的成熟，另一大类基于符号执行的精确的程序 分析技术逐渐被人们所重视。符号执行是一种假设输入变量为符号值，精确的模拟程序执 行的路径敏感的静态分析方法。符号执行在上世纪七十年代被提出，但是由于无法处理程 序中的指针、数组等语言成分，一直无法得以广泛应用。本文针对使用极为广泛的C语言， 设计了一套完整精确模拟C 语言语义的算法和技术，包括内存建模，对各种表达式语义的 模拟，函数调用的处理等。 作为符号执行技术的两种应用，本文对自动测试数据生成和内存泄漏检测分别进行了研究， 提出了完整的算法，并实现了相应的工具。本文描述的符号执行算法目前已经在开源编译 器Clang中得以实现，并还在不断改进之中。

一种基于SAT的运算电路查错方法

基于SAT的运算电路查错方法将被验证系统中系统规范成立与否的问题转换为布尔公式和数学公式的混合形式E-CNF，通过采用了标志子句技术的E-SAT求解器进行求解．实验表明该方法自动化程度高，能处理大规模的运算电路，有较强的查找错误能力．

软件属性保障中的源代码静态分析技术研究

随着硬件性能的不断提升，计算机正在被赋予越来越艰巨的任务，运行其上的软件作为沟通人类思维和底层硬件的桥梁，其重要性日益增加。与此同时，软件系统的规模也在不断变大，所涉及的逻辑也更为复杂，这导致开发人员难免会由于疏漏在软件设计实现的过程中引入缺陷、埋下隐患。所以,如何检验、确保软件的属性就成为时下一个亟待解决的热点问题。而在此背景下，源代码静态分析技术由于恰好可以弥补现有测试方法的不足，已经开始在这一研究领域崭露头角。有鉴于此，本文为了推进安全信息系统的研发，分别围绕源代码静态分析技术在软件属性保障中两个最主要的应用场景展开研究，涉及高等级安全操作系统开发过程中的源代码自动化审计，以及分布式信息系统中平台间互信建立时针对软件属性所进行的远程验证，其中，前者是为从深度上将现有安全操作系统向更高等级推进提供助力，而后者是为了从广度上将信息安全领域现有的围绕单机平台的研究成果向分布式架构推广建立基础。具体来说，本文选择针对编程接口规范的一致性检验和应用静态分析的软件属性远程验证作为研究的切入点，探讨了应用源代码静态分析技术检验、确保软件属性的方法和用途，主要取得以下几个方面的成果： 第一，本文给出了一个基于值等价类的别名分析方法。该方法依据相关的传值操作维护一个值等价类空间，可以在编程接口规范一致性检验的过程中按需推导变量符号间的等值关系，不仅有能力支持上下文相关、路径相关的全局分析，还可以有效应对C代码中因结构、指针等构件所衍生出来的大量变量符号。 第二，针对大部分现有代码静态分析工具分析规模受限的问题，本文围绕编程接口规范的一致性检验给出了可以与别名分析有效结合的性能优化方案。该方案不仅能通过剔除与分析无关的执行分支和引入缓存机制提高分析效率，还可以尽量确保分析的准确性少受影响。 第三，我们设计、实现了一个C代码静态分析工具ABAZER（A Bug AnalyZER）。该工具可以依据用户使用有限自动机模型描述的编程接口规范，对操作系统内核级别的软件进行全局分析，指出代码中可能有悖于规范的部分。我们使用ABAZER实际考查了FreeBSD内核中锁机制以及GCC 4.x中库GNU Libiberty的使用情况，从中发现了若干真实的缺陷。 第四，本文针对现有应用可信计算技术、基于完整性信息进行远程验证的方案在灵活性和实用性上所存在的不足，给出一个扩展方案。该方案通过引入虚拟机技术，在软件构建过程中收集举证信息，应用静态分析方法分析软件功能模块间的相关性，划分出与验证相关的模块，有效控制用户定制软件验证时所要依赖的可信列表的规模，使其有能力适应当今网络环境中的大量异质平台和各种安全需求。此外，它还可以为自身所依赖的可信计算基的替换和更新提供支持。 第五，本文针对Flask架构的特点，给出了一个既能检验强制访问控制实现正确性，又能最大限度保留软件灵活性、使得用户可以在一定程度上对软件进行定制的远程验证方案。该方案依赖源代码静态分析技术界定软件中无需基于完整性进行验证的模块，在进一步缩减可信列表规模的同时，使用代码改写技术在这些模块中自动化地插入监控代码约束软件的动态行为，以达到确保强制访问控制实现正确性的目的。该方案初步展现了源代码静态分析技术在远程验证中广阔的应用前景。

基于形式描述的编译优化自动测试方法与技术研究

编译优化是现代编译器不可缺少的重要功能。编译优化技术在过去几十年里取得了显著进展，对提升程序运行速度、节省存储空间、节省能耗等起到了不可替代的作用。然而，编译优化的可靠性却不尽人意。编译优化技术种类多、处理复杂而且可复用性弱，容易出错，即便是成熟的编译器，也不断有与编译优化相关的bug被发现出来。编译器的可靠性对软件产品的可靠性和安全性有直接影响，随着编译优化在现代编译器中的比重不断增加，编译优化的可靠性也日益受到人们的关注。 软件测试是保障编译优化可靠性的基本技术手段之一，然而，编译优化测试涉及测试程序编写、测试执行等过程，人工完成相当费时费力，因此有必要研究编译优化自动测试方法，以提高编译优化测试的效率。基于这一实际需求，Intel、MEI (Matsushita Electric Industrial)、DaimlerChrysler AG等业界产商近年来也相继与有关研究机构开展合作，研究编译优化自动测试方法。 目前已有的编译器自动测试方法中大多数都是以程序设计语言的语法和语义为主要依据，适用于测试语法检查、语义检查、代码生成等基本编译功能，对于编译优化的测试则缺乏针对性，测试效率较低，而已有的若干种面向编译优化的自动测试方法也存在着对编译优化刻画不够准确、自动化程度不高等缺陷。 本文提出一种基于形式描述的编译优化自动测试方法(TEMCOFS)，其实现过程分为四个阶段，即：(1) 建立编译优化形式描述；(2) 分析编译优化描述的正确性；(3) 基于编译优化形式描述自动生成测试程序；(4) 自动执行测试。在TEMCOFS方法框架下，本文分别研究了编译优化形式化描述方法、编译优化描述正确性分析方法和基于形式描述的两种自动测试方法，实现了三类典型优化—表达式优化、数据流优化、循环优化的自动测试，主要工作包括： (1) 在编译优化形式描述方面，除了应用前人研究成果—TRANS语言描述了表达式优化和数据流优化之外，还对TRANS语言进行了扩展，建立了循环优化的形式描述机制； (2) 在编译优化正确性分析方面，首先证明了揭示程序数据依赖关系对程序变换正确性影响的依赖基础定理，为循环优化正确性分析提供了基础，然后探讨了编译优化正确性分析的一般方法； (3) 在测试自动执行方面，提出了编译优化自动变形测试执行方法，该方法将变形测试思想引入编译优化测试中，利用测试程序等价性质实现测试结果的自动判定，能够避免传统方法中测试结果判定所存在的问题； (4) 在测试程序自动生成方面，分别对应两种测试自动执行方法—比照法和变形法提出了基于编译优化形式描述的测试程序自动生成方法，能够根据表达式优化、数据流优化、循环优化的形式描述自动生成测试程序集。 在GCC编译器上的实验表明，基于本文方法自动生成的测试程序集可使GCC的编译优化模块较快达到较高的测试覆盖率。与其他编译器自动测试方法相比，本文方法对编译优化测试的针对性较好，自动化程度也较高。总而言之，本文方法对于提高编译优化测试效率、保障优化编译器的质量具有较好的实用和参考价值。

用面向对象方法分析、设计、实现工业远程监控系统

较早时期的实时监控应用软件，从分析设计到代码实现，采用的都是结构化方法，有的甚至没有经过分析设计阶段，直接进行编程。也曾有过分析和设计阶段采用结构化方法，编程实现采用面向对象语言的尝试。但由于分析设计的缺陷导致在软件生命周期的维护阶段出现许多问题，如存在较多的缺陷(bug）、结构性错误、修改困难、功能扩展工作量太大等等。统一建模语言(UML)的出现是面向对象建模领域的一个里程碑，它将面向对象方法和以往的面向过程的结构化方法做了较为完善的结合，使在分析、设计、实现阶段都采用面向对象方法完成实时系统成为可能。这次在开发新系统的过程中首次尝试了采用面向对象分析设计语言（UML)和面向对象语言（MS VC++）相结合，在整个软件生命周期均采用面向对象方法和工具实现工业远程实时监控系统，在解决以上问题及优化系统性能、结构方面皆取得了很好的效果。得到了结构良好、高内聚、低藕合、容易理解、易于扩展、维护的系统。这个系统主要实现工业现场仪表的调控，数据的采集、直观图实时监控生产状况，利用电话网及计算机技术自动实现输油管线远程实时监控、统计与处理等功能。

FlexRay通信控制器IP的测试与验证

FlexRay是一种用于汽车的高速可确定性的，具备故障容错的总线系统，作下一代汽车网络协议，提供了充足的带宽、可靠性和实时响应能力，以实现线控应用，如节流阀、制动、转向和动态稳定性控制。该标准已经被越来越多的汽车制造商采用。目前国内尚未成功开发出相关产品，因此研究开发具有自主知识产权的IP具有十分重要的意义。 随着芯片复杂度的快速增长，验证成为SoC开发过程中面临的最有挑战性的一个环节。验证要占整个设计开发60%-80%的工作量。对于千万门级的SoC，充分、全面的验证尤为复杂，需要耗费大量的人力以及时间。为了缩短项目开发时间，加快产品面市步伐，要采用先进高效的验证方法，提高验证效率，同时保障验证的覆盖率。 本文所用到的FlexRay通信控制器IP核是由中科院沈阳自动化所SOC项目组自主设计的，本文对其进行了详细的功能验证。首先介绍了集成电路设计中的验证方法学，接着介绍了验证语言SystemVerilog，以及基于SystemVerilog语言的一种新的高效验证方法学VMM。在对FlexRay通信控制器IP核的结构及功能进行分析后采用VMM建立一个基于事务的、带约束的随机化验证平台对IP核进行了全面的功能验证。通过设计足够的case来保证模块的功能覆盖率。通过引用这种高效的验证方法学，发现了设计中存在的一些bug，对后续的改进与完善具有一定的指导意义。

卷烟条盒包装质量检测机器视觉系统设计

为了避免人眼对产品外观质量检测时,人眼视觉疲劳所产生的产品错检、漏检,提出了基于机器视觉的烟支条盒包装质量检测系统的设计。该系统由光源、相机、图像采集卡和工业控制计算机组成视觉系统处理单元,应用定位配准、边缘检测和斑点分析等图像处理算法完成对产品缺陷的检测。该视觉检测系统已经在烟厂得到了实际应用,对今后开发类似的基于机器视觉的产品外观质量检测系统具有一定的参考价值和指导意义。

Dependency-Directed Localization of Software Bugs

Software bugs are violated specifications. Debugging is the process that culminates in repairing a program so that it satisfies its specification. An important part of debugging is localization, whereby the smallest region of the program that manifests the bug is found. The Debugging Assistant (DEBUSSI) localizes bugs by reasoning about logical dependencies. DEBUSSI manipulates the assumptions that underlie a bug manifestation, eventually localizing the bug to one particular assumption. At the same time, DEBUSSI acquires specification information, thereby extending its understanding of the buggy program. The techniques used for debugging fully implemented code are also appropriate for validating partial designs.