Purity through factorisation

We give a construction that identifies the collection of pure processes (i.e. those which are deterministic, or without randomness) within a theory containing both pure and mixed processes. Working in the framework of symmetric monoidal categories, we define a pure subcategory. This definition arises elegantly from the categorical notion of a weak factorisation system. Our construction gives the expected result in several examples, both quantum and classical.Comment: In Proceedings QPL 2017, arXiv:1802.0973

Virtual Reality-Robotic Walking Training Device

The purpose of the VR-RWTD is to build and optimize a training device that accurately mimics walking gaits of the ankle and knee for patients who are recovering from spinal cord injuries (S.C.I) or stroke side effects. The motivation behind this project is to enhance the rehabilitation process for patients who have lost lower limb motor control by creating a faster and safer training device that boosts the overall morale of the patient. This being the 4th generation, design specifications yield implementing a Virtual Reality (VR) world and creating motor code that produces gaits within 90% accuracy of empirically captured motion data. By using the Unreal gaming engine, the VR world generated was a forest design that allows the patient to roam freely in a forest full of trees, tall grass and rocks. The motor code was developed in Arduino to control a single motor and was shown to prove an accuracy for both gaits within 90% using feedback data from the motor. To further progress this project, future work includes producing code to control five additional motors and incorporating a mechanism that produces an accurate hip gait

The Nebraska State Capitol

A High Peak of Architectural Progress Some little while ago there appeared on this page a saying to the effect that progress is a blind succession of events fully exposed only through the agency of a capable interpreter. This issue of American Architect is proof of that contention. The Nebraska State Capitol—to which the issue is entirely devoted—is much more than an excellent example of unusual monumental design or even a symbol of democratic government. It marks an important period in the history of building progress. In many ways the architectural genius of Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue dramatized in this design a peak in the history of building accomplishment. As a break from the precedent of tradition the Nebraska State Capitol did much to advance a new and more virile architectural philosophy. From the engineering standpoint the building embodies the cumulative results of American energy, inventive skill and organizing ability; and from all combined points of view it stands as a remarkable interpretation of innumerable events that have shaped the progress of American art. industry and democratic government. For any one of these reasons American Archltect might be proud to publish the Nebraska State Capitol. In combination they make an entire issue necessary to present exclusively a most outstanding example of architectural progress. The Nebraska State Capitol — By Charles Harris Whitaker Highlights of The Capitol\u27s History — By John Edwards A Record of Successful Experiments — By Harry F. Cunningham, A.I.A Symbolism and Inscriptions — By Hartley B. Alexander, Hon. A.I.A. Color in the N ehraska StateCapitol Not in the Specifications — By Oscar H. Murray, A.I.A. An Outline of Mechanical Service Equipment — Meyer, Strong & Jones, Engineers The Story of the Capitol\u27s Construction — By Emile H. Praeger Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue • Exterior Views and Details of North Facade • Exterior Views and Details of South Facade • Plans, Elevations and Details • The Foyer • The Rotunda • The Senate Chamber • The House Chamber • Supreme Court Rooms • Memorial Hall • Governor\u27s Reception Room • Senate Lounge Cover Design by Ernest Born Acknowledgements • As It Looks to the Editors • Trends and Topics of the Times • The Readers Have a Word to Say • New Materials • Book

Axiomatizing complete positivity

There are two ways to turn a categorical model for pure quantum theory into one for mixed quantum theory, both resulting in a category of completely positive maps. One has quantum systems as objects, whereas the other also allows classical systems on an equal footing. The former has been axiomatized using environment structures. We extend this axiomatization to the latter by introducing decoherence structures.Comment: In Proceedings QPL 2015, arXiv:1511.0118

Governmental Institutions as Agents of Change: Rethinking American Political Development in the Early Republic, 1787-1835

During the past few years, a new generation of historians have turned their attention to the influence of law, public policy, and public administration in American life in the period between 1787 and 1835. The purpose of this essay is to highlight the contributions of these scholars in the hope that such an inquiry can further the ongoing interdisciplinary dialogue on American political development between historians, political scientists, and historical sociologists

Time-related improvement of survival in resectable gastric cancer: the role of Japanese-style gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy

BACKGROUND: We investigated the change of prognosis in resected gastric cancer (RGC) patients and the role of radical surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: We retrospectively analyze the outcome of 426 consecutive patients from 1975 to 2002, divided into 2 time-periods (TP) cohort: Before 1990 (TP1, n = 207) and 1990 or after (TP2; n= 219). Partial gastrectomy and D1-lymphadenetomy was predominant in TP1 and total gastrectomy with D2-lymphadenectomy it was in TP2. Adjuvant chemotherapy consisted of mitomycin C (MMC), 10–20 mg/m2 iv 4 courses or MMC plus Tegafur 500 mg/m2 for 6 months. RESULTS: Positive nodes were similar in TP2/TP1 patients with 56%/59% respectively. Total gastrectomy was done in 56%/45% of TP2/TP1 respectively. Two-drug adjuvant chemotherapy was administered in 65%/18% of TP2/TP1 respectively. Survival at 5 years was 66% for TP2 versus 42% for TP1 patients (p < 0.0001). Survival by stages II, IIIA y IIIB for TP2 versus TP1 patients was 70 vs. 51% (p = 0.0132); 57 vs. 22% (p = 0.0008) y 30 vs. 15% (p = 0.2315) respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that age, stage of disease and period of treatment were independent variables. CONCLUSION: The global prognosis and that of some stages have improved in recent years with case RGC patients treated with surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy

Adherence to Interferon β-1b Treatment in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis in Spain

Adherence to interferon β-1b (INFβ-1b) therapy is essential to maximize the beneficial effects of treatment in multiple sclerosis (MS). For that reason, the main objectives of this study are to assess adherence to INFβ-1b in patients suffering from MS in Spain, and to identify the factors responsible for adherence in routine clinical practice.This was an observational, retrospective, cross-sectional study including 120 Spanish patients with MS under INFβ-1b treatment. Therapeutic adherence was assessed with Morisky-Green test and with the percentage of doses received. The proportion of adherent patients assessed by Morisky-Green test was 68.3%, being indicative of poor adherence. Nevertheless, the percentage of doses received, which was based on the number of injected medication, was 94.3%. The main reason for missing INFβ-1b injections was forgetting some of the administrations (64%). Therefore, interventions that diminish forgetfulness might have a positive effect in the proportion of adherent patients and in the percentage of doses received. In addition, age and comorbidities had a significant effect in the number of doses injected per month, and should be considered in the management of adherence in MS patients.Among all the available methods for assessing adherence, the overall consumption of the intended dose has to be considered when addressing adherence

Attending to warning signs of primary immunodeficiencies disease across the range of clinical practices

Purpose: Patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDD) may present with recurrent infections affecting different organs, organ-specific inflammation/autoimmunity, and also increased cancer risk, particularly hematopoietic malignancies. The diversity of PIDD and the wide age range over which these clinical occurrences become apparent often make the identification of patients difficult for physicians other than immunologists. The aim of this report is to develop a tool for educative programs targeted to specialists and applied by clinical immunologists. Methods: Considering the data from national surveys and clinical reports of experiences with specific PIDD patients, an evidence-based list of symptoms, signs, and corresponding laboratory tests were elaborated to help physicians other than immunologists look for PIDD. Results: Tables including main clinical manifestations, restricted immunological evaluation, and possible related diagnosis were organized for general practitioners and 5 specialties. Tables include information on specific warning signs of PIDD for pulmonologists, gastroenterologists, dermatologists, hematologists, and infectious disease specialists. Conclusions: This report provides clinical immunologists with an instrument they can use to introduce specialists in other areas of medicine to the warning signs of PIDD and increase early diagnosis. Educational programs should be developed attending the needs of each specialty.Fil: Costa Carvalho, Beatriz Tavares. Universidade Federal de São Paulo; BrasilFil: Sevciovic Grumach, Anete. Fundação ABC. Faculdade de Medicina; BrasilFil: Franco, José Luis. Universidad de Antioquia; ColombiaFil: Espinosa Rosales, Francisco Javier. Instituto Nacional de Pediatría. Unidad de Investigación en Inmunodeficiencias; MéxicoFil: Leiva, Lily E.. State University of Louisiana; Estados UnidosFil: King, Alejandra. Hospital de Niños Doctor Luis Calvo Mackenna. Unidad de Inmunología; ChileFil: Porras, Oscar. Hospital Nacional de Niños “Dr. Carlos Sáenz Herrera”; Costa RicaFil: Bezrodnik, Liliana. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Oleastro, Mathias. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital de Pediatría "Juan P. Garrahan"; ArgentinaFil: Sorensen, Ricardo U.. State University of Louisiana; Estados Unidos. Universidad de La Frontera. Facultad de Medicina; MéxicoFil: Condino Neto, Antonio. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasi

National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic

Changing collective behaviour and supporting non-pharmaceutical interventions is an important component in mitigating virus transmission during a pandemic. In a large international collaboration (Study 1, N = 49,968 across 67 countries), we investigated self-reported factors associated with public health behaviours (e.g., spatial distancing and stricter hygiene) and endorsed public policy interventions (e.g., closing bars and restaurants) during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic (April-May 2020). Respondents who reported identifying more strongly with their nation consistently reported greater engagement in public health behaviours and support for public health policies. Results were similar for representative and non-representative national samples. Study 2 (N = 42 countries) conceptually replicated the central finding using aggregate indices of national identity (obtained using the World Values Survey) and a measure of actual behaviour change during the pandemic (obtained from Google mobility reports). Higher levels of national identification prior to the pandemic predicted lower mobility during the early stage of the pandemic (r = −0.40). We discuss the potential implications of links between national identity, leadership, and public health for managing COVID-19 and future pandemics.publishedVersio

Predicting attitudinal and behavioral responses to COVID-19 pandemic using machine learning

At the beginning of 2020, COVID-19 became a global problem. Despite all the efforts to emphasize the relevance of preventive measures, not everyone adhered to them. Thus, learning more about the characteristics determining attitudinal and behavioral responses to the pandemic is crucial to improving future interventions. In this study, we applied machine learning on the multinational data collected by the International Collaboration on the Social and Moral Psychology of COVID-19 (N = 51,404) to test the predictive efficacy of constructs from social, moral, cognitive, and personality psychology, as well as socio-demographic factors, in the attitudinal and behavioral responses to the pandemic. The results point to several valuable insights. Internalized moral identity provided the most consistent predictive contribution—individuals perceiving moral traits as central to their self-concept reported higher adherence to preventive measures. Similar results were found for morality as cooperation, symbolized moral identity, self-control, open-mindedness, and collective narcissism, while the inverse relationship was evident for the endorsement of conspiracy theories. However, we also found a non-neglible variability in the explained variance and predictive contributions with respect to macro-level factors such as the pandemic stage or cultural region. Overall, the results underscore the importance of morality-related and contextual factors in understanding adherence to public health recommendations during the pandemic.Peer reviewe