Realization of tree adjoining grammars with unification

The syntactic generator of the WIP system is based on the representation formalism "Tree Adjoining Grammars" (TAGs). We have extended the formalism by associating elementary rules of the grammar (trees) with feature structures, leading to "Tree Adjoining Grammars with Unification" (UTAGs). The extended formalism facilitates a compact and adequate representation of complex syntactic features. The contradiction between the monotonic operation of unification and the combination operation for trees - adjunction - that is nonmonotonic in a way can be solved by several approaches to realization. Two of them are presented in this work and compared with respect to the restrictions that are given by the system, i.e., the adequacy of the realization for incremental and parallel generation. It can be shown that UTAGs are subsumed by FTAGs (Feature Structure based TAGs) that have been defined by Vijay-Shanker and Joshi. That is why the results for realization can be applied to both UTAGs and a restricted version of FTAGs

No longer able to or no longer wanting to? Are intention violations failures to exert or decisions not to exert self-control?

Several theoretical models describe two pathways linking self-control demands with subsequent goal violations. The volitional pathway suggests that these goal violations should be interpreted as failures, while the motivational pathway suggests an interpretation as decisions. In this article, we examined (a) which psychological processes may explain the relationship between self-control demands and subsequent intention violations and (b) to what extent these violations refect self-control failures rather than deliberate decisions. Results of two experience sampling studies showed that facing demands can trigger two opposing processes: fatigue, which leads to more subsequent violations of intentions, and the feeling that one deserves a reward, which leads to fewer subsequent violations of intentions due to boosts in self-efcacy. The actor may attribute intention violations to either an inability to act otherwise (indicating an actual failure) or a deliberate decision (indicating no failure). The diferent attributions have marked implications for the cognitive and afective downstream consequences of violating one’s goals, pointing to the importance of distinguishing between actual and apparent failures in self-control

Die Vermutung von Chan-Chua und die Kombinatorik von Windungselementen

In dieser Arbeit bestimmen wir explizite Basen von Räumen Modularer Symbole für fast alle Stufen kleiner gleich Fünf. Im zweiten Teil dieser Arbeit verwenden wir diese Resultate, um explizite Basen für Räume von Spitzenformen elliptischer Modulformen in Termen von Produkten zweier Eisenstein-Reihen anzugeben. Wir geben Anwendungen auf die Theorie der quadratischen Formen, insbesondere auf Vermutungen von Chan, Chua und Cooper. Wir beweisen weiterhin die lineare Unabhängigkeit von Räumen sogenannter Perioden elliptischer Modulformen der Stufen größer als Drei unter einigen technischen Bedingungen. Auf dem Weg beweisen wir einige interessante kombinatorische Identitäten über Stirling- und Fibonacci-Zahlen

Glucocorticoid-endocannabinoid interaction in cardiac surgical patients: relationship to early cognitive dysfunction and late depression

Background: Endocannabinoids (ECs) are rapidly acting immune-modulatory lipid-signaling molecules that are important for adaptation to stressful and aversive situations. They are known to interact with glucocorticoids and other stress-responsive systems. Maladaptation to acute or chronic stress represents a major risk factor for the development of psychiatric disorders. In the present study, we administered stress doses of hydrocortisone in a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind study in patients undergoing cardiac surgery (CS) to examine the relationship between the use of glucocorticoids, plasma EC levels, and the occurrence of early postoperative cognitive dysfunction (delirium) and of later development of depression. Methods: We determined plasma levels of the ECs anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) in CS patients of the hydrocortisone (n=56) and the placebo group (n=55) preoperatively, at postoperative day (POD) 1, at intensive care unit discharge, and at 6 months after CS (n=68). Postoperative delirium was diagnosed according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association IVth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria, and depression was determined by validated questionnaires and a standardized psychological interview (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV). Results: Stress doses of hydrocortisone did not affect plasma EC levels and the occurrence of delirium or depression. However, patients who developed delirium on POD 1 had significantly lower preoperative 2-AG levels of the neuroprotective EC 2-AG (median values, 3.8 vs. 11.3 ng/ml; p=0.03). Preoperative 2-AG concentrations were predictive of postoperative delirium (sensitivity=0.70; specificity=0.69; cutoff value=4.9 ng/ml; receiver operating characteristic curve area=0.70; 95% confidence interval=0.54-0.85). Patients with depression at 6 months after CS (n=16) had significantly lower anandamide and 2-AG levels during the perioperative period. Conclusions: A low perioperative EC response may indicate an increased risk for early cognitive dysfunction and long-term depression in patients after CS. Glucocorticoids do not seem to influence this relationship

Incremental generation for real-time applications

The acceptance of natural language generation systems strongly depends on their capability to facilitate the exchange of information with human users. Current generation systems consider the influence of situational factors on the content and the form of the resulting utterances. However, the need to time their processing flexibly is usually neglected although temporal factors play a central part when directly addressing a human communication partner. A short response time of a system is crucial for its effective use. Furthermore, some applications - e.g., the simultaneous description of ongoing events - even necessitate the interleaving of input consumption and output production, i.e. the use of an incremental processing mode. We claim that incremental processing is a central design principle for developing flexible and efficient generators for speech output. We discuss the advantages of parallel processing for incremental generation and several aspects of control of the generator. An extension of Tree Adjoining Grammar is introduced as an adequate representation formalism for incremental syntactic generation. We present the system VM-GEN - an incremental and parallel syntactic generator based on Tree Adjoining Grammars. It offers flexible input and output interfaces that are adaptable to the requirements of the surrounding system by coping with varying sizes of input and output increments. The system's ability to produce fluent speech is a step towards approximating human language performance

EuroScore and IL-6 predict the course in ICU after cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND Despite modern advances in intensive care medicine and surgical techniques, mortality rates in cardiac surgical patients are still about 3%. Considerable efforts were made to predict morbidity and mortality after cardiac surgery. In this study, we analysed the predictive properties of EuroScore and IL-6 for mortality in ICU, prolonged postoperative mechanical ventilation, and prolonged stay in ICU. METHODS We enrolled 2972 patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The patients either underwent aortic valve surgery (AV), mitral valve surgery (MV), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and combined operations of aortic valve and coronary artery bypass grafting (AV + CABG) or of mitral and tricuspid valve (MV + TV). Different laboratory and clinical parameters were analysed. RESULTS EuroScore as well as IL-6 were associated with increased mortality after cardiac surgery. Furthermore, a higher EuroScore and elevated levels of IL-6 were predictors for prolonged mechanical ventilation and a longer stay in ICU. Especially, highly significant elevated IL-6 levels and an increased EuroScore showed a strong association. Statistics suggested superiority when both parameters were combined in a single model. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that EuroScore and IL-6 are helpful in predicting the course in ICU after cardiac surgery, and therefore, the use of intensive care resources. Especially, the combination of highly elevated levels of IL-6 and EuroScore may prove to be excellent predictors for an unfortunate postoperative course in ICU