Kriesel and Wittgenstein

Georg Kreisel (15 September 1923 - 1 March 2015) was a formidable mathematical logician during a formative period when the subject was becoming a sophisticated field at the crossing of mathematics and logic. Both with his technical sophistication for his time and his dialectical engagement with mandates, aspirations and goals, he inspired wide-ranging investigation in the metamathematics of constructivity, proof theory and generalized recursion theory. Kreisel's mathematics and interactions with colleagues and students have been memorably described in Kreiseliana ([Odifreddi, 1996]). At a different level of interpersonal conceptual interaction, Kreisel during his life time had extended engagement with two celebrated logicians, the mathematical Kurt Gödel and the philosophical Ludwig Wittgenstein. About Gödel, with modern mathematical logic palpably emanating from his work, Kreisel has reflected and written over a wide mathematical landscape. About Wittgenstein on the other hand, with an early personal connection established Kreisel would return as if with an anxiety of influence to their ways of thinking about logic and mathematics, ever in a sort of dialectic interplay. In what follows we draw this out through his published essays—and one letter—both to elicit aspects of influence in his own terms and to set out a picture of Kreisel's evolving thinking about logic and mathematics in comparative relief.Accepted manuscrip

Laver and set theory

In this commemorative article, the work of Richard Laver is surveyed in its full range and extent.Accepted manuscrip

The Infinite as Method in Set Theory and Mathematics

Este artículo da cuenta de la aparición histórica de lo infinito en la teoría de conjuntos, y de cómo lo tratamos dentro y fuera de las matemáticas. La primera sección analiza el surgimiento de lo infinito como una cuestión de método en la teoría de conjuntos. La segunda sección analiza el infinito dentro y fuera de las matemáticas, y cómo deben adoptarse.This article address the historical emergence of the infinite in set theory, and how we are to take the infinite in and out of mathematics.The first section discusses the emergence of the infinite as a matter of method in set theory. The second section discusses the infinite in and out of mathematics, and how it is to be taken

Laparoscopic Findings of Rare Pediatric Inguinal Hernias

Pediatric inguinal hernias are caused to the patency of the processus vaginalis (PPV). The principle for the repair of indirect inguinal hernias in children consists of complete ligation of the PPV. Laparoscopic percutaneous extraperitoneal closure (LPEC) has spread rapidly since it was reported by some groups from around 1998, and the number of institutions adopting this method as a standard procedure for pediatric inguinal hernia is increasing in Japan. Since the closure of PPV by laparoscopic surgery is popular, rare hernias in children can be observed from the abdominal cavity. We present the laparoscopic findings of rare pediatric inguinal hernias and report their experience

Evaluation of maslinic acid with whole-body vibration training in elderly women with knee osteoarthritis

PurposeMaslinic acid (MA) is a component derived from a natural olive-based extract known to have pharmacological functions that include suppressing inflammation. This study examined how MA, in conjunction with whole-body vibration training (WBVT), can improve knee and muscle function in elderly women with knee osteoarthritis (OA).MethodsThe study was a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized intervention study that enrolled individuals with knee pain. Participants were 26 females aged 65–85 years with knee OA. They performed WBVT and ingested either 16.7 mg of MA or a placebo daily for 20 weeks. We compared the effect of WBVT with placebo (WBVT/P) and WBVT with MA (WBVT/MA) in participants with various degrees of knee OA (Kellgren and Lawrence (K-L) grade) using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score and isokinetic dynamometer measurements to evaluate knee and muscle function with two-way ANOVA.ResultsBased on the results of two-way ANOVA analysis of muscle function measurements, there was significant interaction (time × group) (P = 0.03) in the “isokinetic extension peak torque” domain for severe OA (K-L grade ≥ 3). The simple main effect of time in the WBVT/MA group (P = 0.04) contributed to this interaction. The JOA score for WBVT/MA supported the main effect of group as having a significant correlation in the “pain on walking” (P = 0.04) and “range of motion” (P < 0.01) domains. Participants with severe knee OA in the WBVT/MA group improved in these domains, whereas the WBVT/P group had few positive results.ConclusionsParticipants with severe OA who ingested MA in conjunction with WBVT improved their knee and muscle function. This study suggests that ingesting the anti-inflammatory supplement MA while participating in WBVT, elderly women can reduce knee OA and improve their knee muscle strength

Case Report Fabella Syndrome as an Uncommon Cause of Posterolateral Knee Pain after Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

The fabella is a sesamoid bone that is located in the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle and has been identified on magnetic resonance imaging in 31% of Japanese people. In the present case, a 65-year-old woman experienced posterolateral knee pain, accompanied by a clicking &quot;sound&quot; during active knee flexion, after undergoing total knee arthroplasty for knee osteoarthritis. Eight months of conservative therapy failed to produce an improvement, with progressive osteoarthritic change of the fabella identified on plain radiography. Based on this evidence, a diagnosis of fabella syndrome was made and the patient underwent a fabellectomy. Fabellectomy provided immediate resolution of posterolateral knee pain and the clicking sound with knee flexion, with the patient remaining symptom-free 18 months after fabellectomy and with no limitations in knee function. Fabellectomy eliminated symptoms in all of five case reports that have been previously published and is regarded as an effective first choice for treating fabella syndrome after total knee arthroplasty

Bostonia: 1993-1994, no. 2-3

Founded in 1900, Bostonia magazine is Boston University's main alumni publication, which covers alumni and student life, as well as university activities, events, and programs

Decline in Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction during Follow-up in Patients with Severe Aortic Stenosis

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic impact of the decline in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at 1-year follow-up in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) managed conservatively. Background: No previous study has explored the association between LVEF decline during follow-up and clinical outcomes in patients with severe AS. Methods: Among 3, 815 patients with severe AS enrolled in the multicenter CURRENT AS (Contemporary Outcomes After Surgery and Medical Treatment in Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis) registry in Japan, 839 conservatively managed patients who underwent echocardiography at 1-year follow-up were analyzed. The primary outcome measure was a composite of AS-related deaths and hospitalization for heart failure. Results: There were 91 patients (10.8%) with >10% declines in LVEF and 748 patients (89.2%) without declines. Left ventricular dimensions and the prevalence of valve regurgitation and atrial fibrillation or flutter significantly increased in the group with declines in LVEF. The cumulative 3-year incidence of the primary outcome measure was significantly higher in the group with declines in LVEF than in the group with no decline (39.5% vs. 26.5%; p 10% declines in LVEF at 1 year after diagnosis had worse AS-related clinical outcomes than those without declines in LVEF under conservative management. (Contemporary Outcomes After Surgery and Medical Treatment in Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis Registry; UMIN000012140

Initial Surgical Versus Conservative Strategies in Patients With Asymptomatic Severe Aortic Stenosis

AbstractBackgroundCurrent guidelines generally recommend watchful waiting until symptoms emerge for aortic valve replacement (AVR) in asymptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS).ObjectivesThe study sought to compare the long-term outcomes of initial AVR versus conservative strategies following the diagnosis of asymptomatic severe AS.MethodsWe used data from a large multicenter registry enrolling 3,815 consecutive patients with severe AS (peak aortic jet velocity >4.0 m/s, or mean aortic pressure gradient >40 mm Hg, or aortic valve area <1.0 cm2) between January 2003 and December 2011. Among 1,808 asymptomatic patients, the initial AVR and conservative strategies were chosen in 291 patients, and 1,517 patients, respectively. Median follow-up was 1,361 days with 90% follow-up rate at 2 years. The propensity score–matched cohort of 582 patients (n = 291 in each group) was developed as the main analysis set for the current report.ResultsBaseline characteristics of the propensity score–matched cohort were largely comparable, except for the slightly younger age and the greater AS severity in the initial AVR group. In the conservative group, AVR was performed in 41% of patients during follow-up. The cumulative 5-year incidences of all-cause death and heart failure hospitalization were significantly lower in the initial AVR group than in the conservative group (15.4% vs. 26.4%, p = 0.009; 3.8% vs. 19.9%, p < 0.001, respectively).ConclusionsThe long-term outcome of asymptomatic patients with severe AS was dismal when managed conservatively in this real-world analysis and might be substantially improved by an initial AVR strategy. (Contemporary Outcomes After Surgery and Medical Treatment in Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis Registry; UMIN000012140