Is schizoaffective disorder a distinct categorical diagnosis? A critical review of the literature

Considerable debate surrounds the inclusion of schizoaffective disorder in psychiatric nosology. Schizoaffective disorder may be a variant of schizophrenia in which mood symptoms are unusually prominent but not unusual in type. This condition may instead reflect a severe form of either major depressive or bipolar disorder in which episode-related psychotic symptoms fail to remit completely between mood episodes. Alternatively, schizoaffective disorder may reflect the co-occurrence of two relatively common psychiatric illnesses, schizophrenia and a mood disorder (major depressive or bipolar disorder). Each of these formulations of schizoaffective disorder presents nosological challenges because the signs and symptoms of this condition cross conventional categorical diagnostic boundaries between psychotic disorders and mood disorders. The study, evaluation, and treatment of persons presently diagnosed with schizoaffective may be more usefully informed by a dimensional approach. It is in this context that this article reviews and contrasts the categorical and dimensional approaches to its description, neurobiology, and treatment. Based on this review, an argument for the study and treatment of this condition using a dimensional approach is offered

A quantum algorithm providing exponential speed increase for finding eigenvalues and eigenvectors

We describe a new polynomial time quantum algorithm that uses the quantum fast fourier transform to find eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a Hamiltonian operator, and that can be applied in cases (commonly found in ab initio physics and chemistry problems) for which all known classical algorithms require exponential time. Applications of the algorithm to specific problems are considered, and we find that classically intractable and interesting problems from atomic physics may be solved with between 50 and 100 quantum bits.Comment: 10 page

Out-of-Plane Seismic Response of Unreinforced Masonry Walls: Conceptual Discussion, Research Needs, and Modeling Issues

Modeling unreinforced masonry walls, subjected to seismic loads applied normal to their plane, has received much attention in the past. Yet, there is a general lack of conformance with regard to what aspects of seismic response a computational model should reflect. Boundary conditions are certainly an important aspect, as the response can involve two-way bending or just one-way bending and, in the second case, along vertical or horizontal directions. In this respect, flexural restraint of wall intersections can be significant in addition to size and placement of openings. Moreover, in-plane damage can modify the boundary conditions and the overall out-of-plane performance. Proper modeling of actions is also relevant, as they can be a result of distortions imposed upon wall elements and/or inertial forces along the span of a wall. Axial forces can markedly affect the out-of-plane response of the wall, particularly vertical compressive forces, which can enhance out-of-plane strength. The outcome of static verifications can be more conservative than that of dynamic analyses, but the latter are much more complex to carry out. These topics are discussed with reference to previous research, observations in the field and in the laboratory, as well as numerical analyses on three-dimensional models.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Chimera States for Coupled Oscillators

Arrays of identical oscillators can display a remarkable spatiotemporal pattern in which phase-locked oscillators coexist with drifting ones. Discovered two years ago, such "chimera states" are believed to be impossible for locally or globally coupled systems; they are peculiar to the intermediate case of nonlocal coupling. Here we present an exact solution for this state, for a ring of phase oscillators coupled by a cosine kernel. We show that the stable chimera state bifurcates from a spatially modulated drift state, and dies in a saddle-node bifurcation with an unstable chimera.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Sources of Water for Communities in Northeastern Illinois

published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewedOpe

Changing Groundwater Levels in the Sandstone Aquifers of Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin: Impacts on Available Water Supply

In 2014-15, the Illinois State Water Survey conducted their largest synoptic measurement of water levels (i.e., heads) in Cambrian-Ordovician sandstone wells since 1980. The study covered 33 counties in the northern half of Illinois where demands for water are satisfied, in part, by sandstone aquifers. The Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey also measured sandstone wells in 10 counties in southern Wisconsin. These observations were used to generate head contours of the sandstone aquifers. These contours provide insight into the direction and magnitude of groundwater flow. They also can be compared with historic measurements, providing insight into the impact of changing groundwater withdrawals through time. In predevelopment conditions, heads in the Cambrian-Ordovician sandstone aquifers were near or above land surface. Due to pumping from the sandstone aquifers, heads have decreased over time; this decrease is referred to as drawdown. In 2014, drawdown in northeastern Illinois was typically over 300 ft and exceeded 800 ft in the Joliet region. Three factors drove this large drawdown. First, demands for water from sandstone aquifers are much greater in northeastern Illinois than in the rest of the study region. Second, the sandstone aquifers are overlain by aquitards, which are low permeable materials that limit vertical infiltration of water. Third, the Sandwich Fault Zone limits water flowing into the sandstone aquifers of northeastern Illinois from the south. Heads near the center of the cone of depression continue to have a decreasing trend. The more severe drawdown in northeastern Illinois has resulted in local areas where heads have fallen below the top of the sandstone, known as desaturation. Desaturation of a sandstone aquifer can create a number of water quality and quantity concerns. The uppermost sandstone, the St. Peter, was observed to be partially desaturated in portions of Will, Kane, and Kendall Counties under non-pumping conditions. Other areas in these counties are at risk of desaturation under pumping conditions or with the installation of additional wells connecting the St. Peter to deeper, more heavily stressed sandstones. Simulations from a groundwater flow model indicate that the risk of desaturation will increase with increased future withdrawals. Despite the relatively small demand for water throughout much of central Illinois, heads have been declining since predevelopment, likely due to the shale overlying the sandstone. This shale serves as an aquitard, minimizing vertical infiltration of groundwater to the sandstone. Sustained drawdown in this region could potentially induce flow from the southern half of the state, where water in the sandstone is highly saline and not suitable as a drinking water supply. Drawdown in northwestern Illinois was also typically small (<100 ft), primarily due to two factors: 1) low demands from the sandstone aquifers and 2) the absence of shale aquitards. The notable exception is in Winnebago County, near Rockford, where demands are historically high and drawdown was on the order of 100-200 ft. While the quantity of water in the aquifer is not a concern in this region, large withdrawals could result in reductions of natural groundwater discharge to surface waters, impacting stream ecosystems under low flow conditions. Drawdown since predevelopment was over 300 ft in southeastern Wisconsin, with the greatest drawdown in Waukesha County of over 400 ft. Recent trends indicate heads in the Waukesha area are recovering, although they are still well below predevelopment levels. [This report is also associated with the fact sheets: Changing Groundwater Levels in the Cambrian-Ordovician Sandstone Aquifers of Northern Illinois, 1980-2014, Groundwater Availability in Northeastern Illinois from Deep Sandstone Aquifers, and Sources of Water for Communities in Northeastern Illinois.published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewedOpe

Groundwater Flow Models of Illinois: Data, Processes, Model Performance, and Key Results

The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) has a long history of developing groundwater flow models to simulate water supply and groundwater contamination issues in the state of Illinois. However, past local- and regional-scale models developed by the ISWS have traditionally been project based; thus models are archived when the project is completed and may not be updated for many years. This report presents the first version of the Evolving Network of Illinois Groundwater Monitoring and Modeling Analyses (ENIGMMA), which is the framework of data, procedures, protocols, and scripts that facilitate the development of a single, continuously updated groundwater flow model and other outputs (hydrographs, maps, animations of groundwater potentiometric surfaces). This report focuses on five aspects of ENIGMMA: 1. The archived models and high-resolution datasets that serve as inputs to ENIGMMA 2. The procedures for developing model-ready datasets from these inputs 3. The Illinois Groundwater Flow Model (IGWFM), which serves as the single model that will be continuously updated by ENIGMMA 4. The ISWS Calibration Toolbox, used to facilitate a transient calibration of the IGWFM 5. Animations of groundwater potentiometric surfaces using head-specified models This report is a living document that will be updated periodically. Future updates to this report will focus on additional aspects of ENIGMMA, including the automated development of model-ready inputs and display of model outputs. Updates to this report will also chronicle any additional geologic data added to ENIGMMA, and subsequently, to the Illinois Groundwater Flow Model. Updates will also highlight both local- and regional-scale advancements made with the model, including any key results from these models. The current version of the IGWFM combines and expands on two existing groundwater flow models: 1) the Northeastern Illinois Cambrian-Ordovician Sandstone Aquifer model and 2) the East-Central Illinois Mahomet Aquifer model. In addition, the model incorporates new geologic information developed by the Illinois State Geological Survey in the Middle Illinois Water Supply Planning region. The current model domain covers large portions of Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan. This large spatial extent is necessary to capture the far-reaching regional head declines in the deep Cambrian-Ordovician sandstone aquifer system, which can extend beyond state boundaries. Depicting some shallow, unconsolidated aquifers also requires a simultaneous simulation of the deep sandstone to account for flow exchange between units. This is because the low-permeable stratigraphic units (aquitards) overlying the sandstone aquifers are absent over large areas of northern Illinois or are locally punctured by wells with long, open intervals. To capture these complex flow pathways, the three-dimensional IGWFM explicitly simulates all geologic materials from the land surface to the impermeable Pre-Cambrian crystalline bedrock. The IGWFM does not currently include a groundwater flow simulation of the southern portion of the state where the deep basin sandstones are highly saline and not used for water supply. Incorporating the shallow aquifers in the southern portion of the state into the IGWFM is a long-term goal. The primary datasets currently incorporated into IGWFM include surface water elevations, annual groundwater withdrawals, well information such as open intervals, geologic 2 surfaces, measured water levels, and aquifer properties inferred from previous modeling studies. These datasets are input at their best available spatial and temporal resolutions, allowing for the development of refined local-scale models. Such local-scale models are essential for simulating groundwater-surface water interactions, well interference, and contaminant transport. Major local-scale models already exist for the Mahomet Aquifer, Kane County, and McHenry County. The IGWFM can address a number of water supply planning questions, particularly the impacts of historic, modern, and future high-capacity groundwater withdrawals on heads and groundwater discharging to surface waters. In addition, where detailed geologic information of the shallow aquifers is available, the IGWFM can also simulate the subsurface migration of point (e.g., volatile organic compounds) and nonpoint (e.g., chloride and nitrate) contaminants.published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewedOpe

Nonlinear quantum mechanics implies polynomial-time solution for NP-complete and #P problems

If quantum states exhibit small nonlinearities during time evolution, then quantum computers can be used to solve NP-complete problems in polynomial time. We provide algorithms that solve NP-complete and #P oracle problems by exploiting nonlinear quantum logic gates. It is argued that virtually any deterministic nonlinear quantum theory will include such gates, and the method is explicitly demonstrated using the Weinberg model of nonlinear quantum mechanics.Comment: 10 pages, no figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Groundwater Availability in Northeastern Illinois from Deep Sandstone Aquifers

published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewedOpe