865 research outputs found

    Are there Hilbert-style Pure Type Systems?

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    For many a natural deduction style logic there is a Hilbert-style logic that is equivalent to it in that it has the same theorems (i.e. valid judgements with empty contexts). For intuitionistic logic, the axioms of the equivalent Hilbert-style logic can be propositions which are also known as the types of the combinators I, K and S. Hilbert-style versions of illative combinatory logic have formulations with axioms that are actual type statements for I, K and S. As pure type systems (PTSs)are, in a sense, equivalent to systems of illative combinatory logic, it might be thought that Hilbert-style PTSs (HPTSs) could be based in a similar way. This paper shows that some PTSs have very trivial equivalent HPTSs, with only the axioms as theorems and that for many PTSs no equivalent HPTS can exist. Most commonly used PTSs belong to these two classes. For some PTSs however, including lambda* and the PTS at the basis of the proof assistant Coq, there is a nontrivial equivalent HPTS, with axioms that are type statements for I, K and S.Comment: Accepted in Logical Methods in Computer Scienc

    'Unbearable suffering': a qualitative study on the perspectives of patients who request assistance in dying

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    BACKGROUND One of the objectives of medicine is to relieve patients' suffering. As a consequence, it is important to understand patients' perspectives of suffering and their ability to cope. However, there is poor insight into what determines their suffering and their ability to bear it. PURPOSE To explore the constituent elements of suffering of patients who explicitly request euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide (EAS) and to better understand unbearable suffering from the patients' perspective. PATIENTS AND METHODS A qualitative study using in-depth face-to-face interviews was conducted with 31 patients who had requested EAS. The grounded theory approach was used to analyse the data. RESULTS Medical, psycho-emotional, socio-environmental and existential themes contributed to suffering. Especially fatigue, pain, decline, negative feelings, loss of self, fear of future suffering, dependency, loss of autonomy, being worn out, being a burden, loneliness, loss of all that makes life worth living, hopelessness, pointlessness and being tired of living were constituent elements of unbearable suffering. Only patients with a psychiatric (co)diagnosis suffered unbearably all the time. CONCLUSIONS Unbearable suffering is the outcome of an intensive process that originates in the symptoms of illness and/or ageing. According to patients, hopelessness is an essential element of unbearable suffering. Medical and social elements may cause suffering, but especially when accompanied by psycho-emotional and existential problems suffering will become 'unbearable'. Personality characteristics and biographical aspects greatly influence the burden of suffering. Unbearable suffering can only be understood in the continuum of the patients' perspectives of the past, the present and expectations of the future.This study was supported by the Dutch Cancer Society (grant number KUN2007-03736)

    New alleles in calpastatin gene are associated with meat quality traits in pigs

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    Suggestive QTL affecting raw firmness scores and average Instron force, tenderness, juiciness, and chewiness on cooked meat were mapped to pig chromosome 2 using a three-generation intercross between Berkshire and Yorkshire pigs. Based on its function and location, the calpastatin (CAST) gene was considered to be a good candidate for the observed effects. Several missense and silent mutations were identified in CAST and haplotypes covering most of the coding region were constructed and used for association analyses with meat quality traits. Results demonstrated that one CAST haplotype was significantly associated with lower Instron force and cooking loss and higher juiciness and, therefore, this haplotype is associated with higher eating quality. Some of the sequence variation identified may be associated with differences in phosphorylation of CAST by adenosine cyclic 3′, 5′-monophosphate- dependent protein kinase and may in turn explain the meat quality phenotypic differences. The beneficial haplotype was present in all the commercial breeds tested and may provide significant improvements for the pig industry and consumers because it can be used in marker-assisted selection to produce naturally tender and juicy pork without additional processing steps

    Impact of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Lawsonia intracellularis on the performance of pigs divergently selected for feed efficiency

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    Feed efficiency (FE) is a valuable trait, yet how genetic selection for enhanced FE affects other processes such as response to disease is unknown. Disease from endemic respiratory and enteric pathogens such as Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mh) and Lawsonia intracellularis (LI) are common in swine production. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine if pigs selected for high versus low FE based on residual feed intake (RFI) respond differently to a dual respiratory and enteric challenge. Pigs selected for low RFI (LRFI, high feed efficiency) pigs are considered more FE compared to their high RFI (HRFI, low feed efficiency) selected counterparts. Using a 2 x 2 factorial design, 25 littermate pairs from the HRFI and 25 littermate pairs from the LRFI line (barrows, 50 ± 7 kg BW) were selected, with one pig from each pair assigned to individual pens in either the challenge or the non-challenge (control) rooms (n = 25 barrows per line/challenge). On days post inoculation (dpi) 0, the challenged pigs were inoculated with LI and Mh (MhLI). Feed intake, body weight, fecal swabs, and serum samples were collected and recorded weekly for 42 days. On dpi -2 and 47, 14 littermate pairs (n=7 barrows per line/challenge) were utilized for initial and final body composition scans using dual X-ray absorptiometry to calculate longitudinal whole body tissue accretion rates for lean, protein, fat, and bone mineral content. Serum antibody levels and fecal shedding of LI were used to confirm infection. Control pigs remained negative by all measures during the 6 week trial and MhLI inoculated pigs were confirmed positive via serological antibody responses by dpi 14 for LI and Mh. There were no interactions between RFI line and challenge status for any overall performance parameter (P \u3e 0.05). The six week MhLI challenge resulted in a 17% reduction in ADG, a 12% reduction in ADFI, and a 7% reduction in G:F versus controls (P \u3c 0.05). In addition, compared to the control pigs, MhLI challenge reduced lean, protein, and lipid accretion rates by 16% (P \u3c 0.05). Genetic selection for high FE resulted in decreased ADFI and increased G:F (P \u3c 0.01), but did not impact ADG or tissue accretion versus low FE pigs. Collectively, these results demonstrate that a dual enteric and respiratory pathogen challenge reduced ADG, ADFI, G:F and tissue accretion in growing pigs. Further, there was no evidence that selection for enhanced FE based on RFI index affects response to disease

    Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior From Discharge to 1 Year After Inpatient Rehabilitation in Ambulatory People With Spinal Cord Injury:A Longitudinal Cohort Study

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    Objective: To evaluate changes in duration of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) from discharge to 1 year after inpatient rehabilitation in ambulatory people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Design: Longitudinal cohort study with objective measurements of physical behavior at discharge and at 6 and 12 months post discharge. Setting: Three rehabilitation centers and the participant's home environment. Participants: Participants (N= 47) with ambulatory function were consecutively recruited from the self-management and self-efficacy in patients with SCI cohort (age 18 years or older, recent SCI, expected inpatient stay >4wk). Mean age was 54.5 +/- 12.9 years, all had incomplete lesions, 53% were men, 49% had tetraplegia, and 51% were community ambulators at discharge. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Duration (min) of PA (summed duration of walking, cycling, running, and wheeling) and SB (sitting/lying). Results: Mean duration of PA increased by 21 min/d (95% confidence interval, 7-35) and SB decreased by 64 min/d (95% confidence interval, -94 to -35) from discharge to 6 months after inpatient rehabilitation. No changes were found in the second half-year. One year after discharge mean PA was 116 +/- 59 min/d and mean SB was 665 +/- 121 min/d. The increase in PA was the result of an almost doubling of time spent walking. Variability in physical behavior and its change was large. Older age and lower ambulation level were associated with lower PA, lower ambulation level with higher SB, and tetraplegia was associated with a reduced increase in PA. Conclusions: At group level, duration of PA and SB improved following inpatient rehabilitation in ambulatory people with SCI. However, there were large differences between individuals. Levels 1 year after discharge were still unfavorable, particularly regarding SB. (C) 2020 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicin

    Effects of selection for decreased residual feed intake on composition and quality of fresh pork

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    The objectives of this study were to determine the extent to which selection for decreased residual feed intake (RFI) affects pork composition and quality. Pigs from the fifth generation of selection for decreased RFI (select) and a randomly selected line (control) were utilized. Two experiments were conducted. In Exp. 1, barrows (22.6 ± 3.9 kg) from select and control lines were paired based on age and BW. The test was conducted in 8 replicates of pairs for the test period of 6 wk. Calpastatin activity and myosin isoforms profile were determined on samples from the LM. Control barrows were heavier (59.1 vs. 55.0 kg; P \u3c 0.01) at the end of the test period. Calpastatin activity was greater (P \u3c 0.01) in LM of select barrows than control barrows. In Exp. 2, composition and quality of gilts (114 kg) from control and select lines were determined. The model included fixed effects of line, slaughter date, melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) genotype, barn group, line × slaughter date, genotype × line interactions, a covariate of off-test BW, and sire, pen, and litter fitted as random effects. The select line (n = 80) had 0.043 kg less (P \u3c 0.05) RFI per day than the control line (n = 89). Loin quality and composition were determined at 2 d postmortem. Desmin degradation was measured at 2 and 7 d postmortem. Purge, cook loss, sensory traits, and star probe texture were measured at 7 to 10 d postmortem on cooked chops. Residual correlations between RFI and composition and quality traits were calculated. Compared with the control line, carcasses from the select line tended to have less (P = 0.09) backfat, greater (P \u3c 0.05) loin depth, and greater (P \u3c 0.05) fat free lean. Loin chops from the select line had less (P\u3c 0.01) intramuscular lipid content than loin chops from control line. Significant residual correlations between RFI and both tenderness (r = 0.24, P \u3c 0.01) and star probe (r = −0.26, P \u3c 0.01) were identified. Selection for decreased RFI has the potential to improve carcass composition with few effects on pH and water-holding capacity. However, decreased RFI could negatively affect tenderness and texture because of decreased lipid content and decreased postmortem protein degradation

    Dwelling, house and home: towards a home-led perspective on dementia care

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    “Home” is well known from everyday experience, plays a crucial role in all kinds of narratives about human life, but is hardly ever systematically dealt with in the philosophy of medicine and health care. The notion of home is ambiguous, is often used in a metaphorical way, and is closely related to concepts such as house and dwelling. In this paper the phenomenon of home is explored by means of some phenomenological writings of Heidegger, Bollnow, Bachelard and Levinas. Common in their views is that being at home and dwelling mean something more fundamental than an activity we do along with other activities, such as working and travelling. Dwelling, building a house and being at home are fundamental aspects of human existence. Being human is dwelling. While exploring the relevance of this phenomenological perspective for medical theory and practice, the focus is on the care of people suffering from dementia

    Microsatellite Markers Associated with Resistance to Marek’s Disease in Commercial Layer Chickens

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    The objective of the current study was to identify QTL conferring resistance to Marek\u27s disease (MD) in commercial layer chickens. To generate the resource population, 2 partially inbred lines that differed in MD-caused mortality were intermated to produce 5 backcross families. Vaccinated chicks were challenged with very virulent plus (vv+) MD virus strain 648A at 6 d and monitored for MD symptoms. A recent field isolate of the MD virus was used because the lines were resistant to commonly used older laboratory strains. Selective genotyping was employed using 81 microsatellites selected based on prior results with selective DNA pooling. Linear regression and Cox proportional hazard models were used to detect associations between marker genotypes and survival. Significance thresholds were validated by simulation. Seven and 6 markers were significant based on proportion of false positive and false discovery rate thresholds less than 0.2, respectively. Seventeen markers were associated with MD survival considering a comparison-wise error rate of 0.10, which is about twice the number expected by chance, indicating that at least some of the associations represent true effects. Thus, the present study shows that loci affecting MD resistance can be mapped in commercial layer lines. More comprehensive studies are under way to confirm and extend these results

    Post-contrast acute kidney injury \u2013 Part 1: Definition, clinical features, incidence, role of contrast medium and risk factors: Recommendations for updated ESUR Contrast Medium Safety Committee guidelines

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    Purpose: The Contrast Media Safety Committee (CMSC) of the European Society of Urogenital Radiology (ESUR) has updated its 2011 guidelines on the prevention of post-contrast acute kidney injury (PC-AKI). The results of the literature review and the recommendations based on it, which were used to prepare the new guidelines, are presented in two papers. Areas covered in part 1: Topics reviewed include the terminology used, the best way to measure eGFR, the definition of PC-AKI, and the risk factors for PC-AKI, including whether the risk with intravenous and intra-arterial contrast medium differs. Key Points: \u2022 PC-AKI is the preferred term for renal function deterioration after contrast medium. \u2022 PC-AKI has many possible causes. \u2022 The risk of AKI caused by intravascular contrast medium has been overstated. \u2022 Important patient risk factors for PC-AKI are CKD and dehydration
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