Reasoning about real-time systems with temporal interval logic constraints on multi-state automata

Models of real-time systems using a single paradigm often turn out to be inadequate, whether the paradigm is based on states, rules, event sequences, or logic. A model-based approach to reasoning about real-time systems is presented in which a temporal interval logic called TIL is employed to define constraints on a new type of high level automata. The combination, called hierarchical multi-state (HMS) machines, can be used to model formally a real-time system, a dynamic set of requirements, the environment, heuristic knowledge about planning-related problem solving, and the computational states of the reasoning mechanism. In this framework, mathematical techniques were developed for: (1) proving the correctness of a representation; (2) planning of concurrent tasks to achieve goals; and (3) scheduling of plans to satisfy complex temporal constraints. HMS machines allow reasoning about a real-time system from a model of how truth arises instead of merely depending of what is true in a system

Cognitive Information Processing

Contains reports on four research projects.Joint Services Electronics Programs (U. S. Army, U. S. Navy, and U. S. Air Force) under Contract DA 36-039-AMC-03200(E)National Science Foundation (Grant GK-835)National Institutes of Health (Grant 2 PO1 MH-04737-06)National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Grant NsG-496

The role of substance P in secondary pathophysiology after traumatic brain injury

It has recently been shown that substance P (SP) plays a major role in the secondary injury process following traumatic brain injury (TBI), particularly with respect to neuroinflammation, increased blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, and edema formation. Edema formation is associated with the development of increased intracranial pressure (ICP) that has been widely associated with increased mortality and morbidity after neurotrauma. However, a pharmacological intervention to specifically reduce ICP is yet to be developed, with current interventions limited to osmotic therapy rather than addressing the cause of increased ICP. Given that previous publications have shown that SP, NK1 receptor antagonists reduce edema after TBI, more recent studies have examined whether these compounds might also reduce ICP and improve brain oxygenation after TBI. We discuss the results of these studies, which demonstrate that NK1 antagonists reduce posttraumatic ICP to near normal levels within 4 h of drug administration, as well as restoring brain oxygenation to near normal levels in the same time frame. The improvements in these parameters occurred in association with an improvement in BBB integrity to serum proteins, suggesting that SP-mediated increases in vascular permeability significantly contribute to the development of increased ICP after acute brain injury. NK1 antagonists may therefore provide a novel, mechanistically targeted approach to the management of increased ICP.Robert Vink, Levon Gabrielian and Emma Thornto

Rachmaninoff and the Flexibility of the Score: Issues Regarding Performance Practice

Sergei Rachmaninoff’s piano music is a staple of piano literature, but academia has been slower to embrace his works. Because he continued to compose firmly in the Romantic tradition at a time when Debussy, Stravinsky, and Schoenberg variously represented the vanguard of composition, Rachmaninoff’s popularity has consequently not been as robust in the musicological community. He left a rich legacy of recorded material which provides a first-hand account of his approach to musical interpretation. Few have analyzed Rachmaninoff’s recordings in great detail, and there are even fewer studies addressing Rachmaninoff’s performances of works by other composers. The aim of this dissertation is to analyze the discrepancies between the printed score and Rachmaninoff’s recordings of his own works and works by other composers, and to explore the reasons for these differences. By charting these variations from the printed scores in his recordings of Schumann’s Carnaval, Op. 9 and Chopin’s Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Op. 35, two recordings that Rachmaninoff identified as some of his finest work, these differences can be shown to reflect his prioritization of the architectural vision over the smaller details written in the score. Rachmaninoff’s revisions to his own scores have direct connections to his interpretive choices and priorities, and his edits aimed to improve the structural projection of the piece as a whole. By examining these differences, the reader can also begin to anticipate what interpretive goals Rachmaninoff might generally have throughout his compositions, thereby deriving a deeper understanding of Rachmaninoff’s compositional and interpretive aesthetics, and, for pianists, better and more authentically informing their own interpretive choices

Expanding the role of tachykinins in the neuroendocrine control of reproduction

Reproductive function is driven by the hormonal interplay between the gonads and brain–pituitary axis. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is released in a pulsatile manner, which is critical for the attainment and maintenance of fertility; however, GnRH neurons lack the ability to directly respond to most regulatory factors, and a hierarchical upstream neuronal network governs its secretion. We and others proposed a model in which Kiss1 neurons in the arcuate nucleus (ARC), called as KNDy neurons, release kisspeptin (a potent GnRH secretagogue) in a pulsatile manner to drive GnRH pulses under the coordinated autosynaptic action of its cotransmitters, the tachykinin neurokinin B (NKB, stimulatory) and dynorphin (inhibitory). Numerous genetic and pharmacological studies support this model; however, additional regulatory mechanisms (upstream of KNDy neurons) and alternative pathways of GnRH secretion (kisspeptin independent) exist, but remain ill defined. In this aspect, attention to other members of the tachykinin family, namely substance P (SP) and neurokinin A (NKA), has recently been rekindled. Even though there are still major gaps in our knowledge about the functional significance of these systems, substantial evidence, as discussed below, is placing tachykinin signaling as an important pathway for the awakening of the reproductive axis and the onset of puberty to physiological GnRH secretion and maintenance of fertility in adulthood

Promoter prediction using physico-chemical properties of DNA

The ability to locate promoters within a section of DNA is known to be a very difficult and very important task in DNA analysis. We document an approach that incorporates the concept of DNA as a complex molecule using several models of its physico-chemical properties. A support vector machine is trained to recognise promoters by their distinctive physical and chemical properties. We demonstrate that by combining models, we can improve upon the classification accuracy obtained with a single model. We also show that by examining how the predictive accuracy of these properties varies over the promoter, we can reduce the number of attributes needed. Finally, we apply this method to a real-world problem. The results demonstrate that such an approach has significant merit in its own right. Furthermore, they suggest better results from a planned combined approach to promoter prediction using both physicochemical and sequence based techniques

Increasing Primary Care Engagement Among Homeless-Experienced Veterans Following an Emergency Department Visit: Qualitative Insights From Los Angeles County.

BACKGROUND: Homeless-experienced persons that present in the Emergency Department (ED) often fail to receive follow-up primary care. To inform implementation of a post-ED patient navigation model, we engaged homeless-experienced Veterans to identify barriers to primary care and the acceptability of a peer-led intervention within the ED. METHODS: Between August and November 2023, 3 focus groups (n = 14) and 2 interviews were held (total n = 16) with homeless-experienced Veterans who sought care in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Greater Los Angeles (GLA) ED. We inquired about barriers to primary care post-ED visit, ways to improve connection, and the acceptability of a peer-led intervention. Fieldnotes were taken and coded using rapid qualitative methods. RESULTS: Participants noted challenges receiving adequate information about and support connecting with primary care; challenges included lengthy appointment wait times, lack of knowledge regarding clinic walk-ins, and challenges with social needs. Recommendations for facilitating connection comprised support with patient navigation, including obtaining timely appointments, addressing social needs, and identifying healthcare priorities. Participants noted numerous benefits to having peers in the ED to assist with healthcare and resource connection. CONCLUSIONS: Data will inform future work to adapt and pilot a peer-led patient navigation model for homeless-experienced Veterans in VA GLAs ED

The Impact of Student Pharmacists at Health Fair Events

Objectives. To evaluate student pharmacists’ impact on health fair participant knowledge of selected disease states and to evaluate the intent of health fair participants with abnormal screening results to seek follow-up care within 1 month of screening. Methods. Health fair participants were assessed for changes in their knowledge of specific diseases before and after screenings. Participants’ intent to seek health care was assessed through a survey instrument developed using Rosenstock’s Health Belief Model. Results. Increases in participant knowledge of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and body mass index were significant, and 78% of participants with abnormal results intended to contact a provider. Conclusions. Student pharmacists’ had a positive impact on health fair participants’ disease knowledge and intent to follow up with a provider