Separate Versions Research Articles

Impact of interference on vocal and instrument recognition.

Voices arguably occupy a superior role in auditory processing. Specifically, studies have reported that singing voices are processed faster and more accurately and possess greater salience in musical scenes compared to instrumental sounds. However, the underlying acoustic features of this superiority and the generality of these effects remain unclear. This study investigates the impact of frequency micro-modulations (FMM) and the influence of interfering sounds on sound recognition. Thirty young participants, half with musical training, engage in three sound recognition experiments featuring short vocal and instrumental sounds in a go/no-go task. Accuracy and reaction times are measured for sounds from recorded samples and excerpts of popular music. Each sound is presented in separate versions with and without FMM, in isolation or accompanied by a piano. Recognition varies across sound categories, but no general vocal superiority emerges and no effects of FMM. When presented together with interfering sounds, all sounds exhibit degradation in recognition. However, whereas /a/ sounds stand out by showing a distinct robustness to interference (i.e., less degradation of recognition), /u/ sounds lack this robustness. Acoustical analysis implies that recognition differences can be explained by spectral similarities. Together, these results challenge the notion of general vocal superiority in auditory perception.

Extremality of families of sets

The paper proposes another extension of the extremal principle. A new extremality model involving collections of arbitrary families of sets is studied. It generalizes the conventional model based on linear translations of given sets as well as its set-valued extensions. This approach leads to a more general and simpler version of fuzzy separation. The new model is capable of treating a wider range of optimization and variational problems.

Software is Policy: Electronic Health Record Governance and the Implications of Clinical Standardization

BackgroundElectronic health record (EHR) implementations, whether replacing paper or electronic systems, are major social and organizational transformations. Yet studies of EHR-to-EHR transitions have largely neglected to elucidate accompanying social and organizational changes. One such underexplored change is the standardization of clinical practice in the context of EHR transitions.The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has begun a decade-long process of replacing the approximately 130 separate versions of its homegrown EHR with a single commercial EHR system. This provides an opportunity to explore the standardization of clinical practice amidst an EHR transition.ObjectiveTo identify, in the context of a large-scale EHR transition, (1) the scope and content of clinical standardization and (2) the anticipated implications of such standardization.DesignQualitative study.ParticipantsTwenty-nine members of VA councils established for the EHR transition.ApproachWe conducted semi-structured interviews, which were professionally transcribed, and analyzed first using rapid analysis methods, followed by coding and content analysis.Key ResultsClinical standardization across facilities was a central goal of the EHR transition, encompassing computerized recommendations, order sets, professional roles/permissions, and clinical documentation. The anticipated implications of this standardization include (i) potential efficiency gains, with less duplicated effort across facilities; (ii) expanded bureaucracy; and (iii) increased uniformity, reducing both wanted and unwanted variation in care.ConclusionsEHR systems shape a wide range of clinical processes, particularly in a large organization like VA with a long history of EHR use. This makes standardization of EHR content a powerful mechanism for standardizing clinical practice itself, which can bring dramatic collateral consequences. Organizations undergoing EHR transitions need to recognize the important role that clinical standardization plays by treating EHR transitions as major organizational transformations in the governance of clinical practice.

Energy and information flows in autonomous systems

Multi-component molecular machines are ubiquitous in biology. We review recent progress on describing their thermodynamic properties using autonomous bipartite Markovian dynamics. The first and second laws can be split into separate versions applicable to each subsystem of a two-component system, illustrating that one can not only resolve energy flows between the subsystems but also information flows quantifying how each subsystem’s dynamics influence the joint system’s entropy balance. Applying the framework to molecular-scale sensors allows one to derive tighter bounds on their energy requirement. Two-component strongly coupled machines can be studied from a unifying perspective quantifying to what extent they operate conventionally by transducing power or like an information engine by generating information flow to rectify thermal fluctuations into output power.

Characteristics of Previous Tuberculosis Treatment History in Patients with Treatment Failure and the Impact on Acquired Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) treatment failure is a health burden, as the patient remains a source of infection and may lead to the development of multi-drug resistance (MDR). Information from cases of treatment failure that develop into MDR, which is related to a history of previous TB treatment, in accordance with the pharmacokinetic aspect, is one important thing to prevent TB treatment failure and to prevent drug resistance. This was an observational descriptive study in an acquired MDR-TB patient who had a prior history of treatment failure. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information. The questionnaire consisted of a focus on the use of TB drug formulas during the treatment period, as well as when and how to take them. This study included 171 acquired MDR-TB patients from treatment failure cases. An amount of 64 patients received the separated TB drug, and 107 patients received the fixed dose combination (FDC) TB drug. An amount of 21 (32.8%) patients receiving separated TB drug and six (5.6%) patients receiving FDC TB drug took their drug in divided doses. In addition, three (4.7%) patients receiving separated TB drug and eight (7.5%) patients receiving FDC TB drug took their drug with food. An amount of 132 out of 171 (77.2%) patients had a history of incorrect treatment that developed into MDR-TB. Education on how to take the correct medication, both the separate version and the FDC TB drug, according to the pharmacokinetic aspect, is important before starting TB treatment.

Simultaneous extraction of chlorophylls, proteins, and carbohydrates from isolated Chlorella thermophila using a triphasic separation technique: A biorefinery approach

AbstractThe separation of multiple products from microalgae using a biorefinery approach is essential for the economic sustainability of microalgae‐based products. In the current study, a technique for the simultaneous extraction of such products was investigated for the complete valorization of microalgae biomass. Three principal metabolites – chlorophylls, carbohydrates and proteins – were simultaneously fractionated from the biomass of isolated Chlorella thermophila using a modified version of the triphasic separation (TPS) process. Optimized process parameters were determined as: (i) ammonium sulfate as the salt; (ii) 40% (w/v) as the salt concentration; (iii) 1:1 as the salt/alcohol ratio; (iv) 0.25% (w/w) as biomass loading; (v) 6 min of homogenization time, and (vi) 10 000 rpm as homogenization speed. These optimized process parameters resulted in the simultaneous recovery of 71%, 40%, and 22% yields for proteins, carbohydrates, and chlorophylls, respectively. Ultrastructure analysis revealed that intracellular metabolites could be extracted without complete cell disruption. Finally, a comparative analysis between triphasic separation with and without homogenization demonstrated the economic feasibility of the optimized extraction process.

Оцінка якості життя в дітей із поєднанням функціональної диспепсії та синдрому подразненого кишечника

The prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) in children ranges from 19% to 40%, depending on age. The combination of functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is detected in 15-44.6% of patients with FGID. Their course is characterized by more pronounced clinical symptoms: abdominal pain, which is combined with flatulence, nausea, difficulty in defecation or diarrhea, impaired stool consistency, feeling of incomplete bowel movement and deterioration in quality of life. Purpose - to assess the quality of life in children with a combination of FD and IBS to optimize therapy. Materials and methods. The study included 44 children with a combination FD and IBS aged 6 to 18 years (the main group). The control group consisted of 30 practically healthy children of the same age. Diagnoses of FD and IBS were made on the basis of clinical symptoms according to the Rome criteria IV (2016). A survey of children and their parents was conducted using the international questionnaire PedsQL™ 4.0 (Pediatrics Quality of Life Inventory), which is one of the most popular questionnaires in the world, has proven to be a simple, reliable, sensitive method for studying the quality of life of healthy and sick children of different ages (2-17 years). The questionnaire has general scales, but there is a separate version of the PedsQL™4.0 Generic Core Scales, which describes physical, emotional, social, and role functioning. Results. It was established that indicators of physical, emotional, social and school functioning and, as a result, indicators of psychosocial functioning and the overall quality of life assessment are significantly reduced in children with combined FD and IBS compared to the control group. Conclusions. Quality of life studies are an important component of a comprehensive assessment of the overall condition of a child with comorbid FD and IBS to prevent the development of these disorders, to improve quality of life, to reduce the time and cost of assessment, and to optimize therapy. The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The Local Ethic Committee of the institution specified in the work adopted the study protocol. Informed consent of the children’s parents was obtained for the research. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.

The Old Norse–Icelandic Hagiography of St Ambrose of Milan: Manuscript Tradition, Sources, and Composition

The Old Norse–Icelandic Hagiography of St Ambrose of Milan: Manuscript Tradition, Sources, and Composition

Socio-Economic Policy of Latvia: Assessment of Efficiency and Effectiveness

The article presents a scientific and analytical review and defines the essence of the concept of social policy taking into consideration the authors’ version of separation of approaches to the definition of social policy at macro and micro levels, as well as in the context of its connection with economics. A system of indicators for evaluating performance of social policy was developed, and a methodology for evaluating its effectiveness based on a comparative analysis of the dynamics of changes in the main indicators of socio-economic development of Latvia was proposed. The research methodology is based on determining an integral indicator that aggregates eight main areas of socio- -economic policy measured using 32 indicators identified based on expert assessments. The study presents two different approaches to assessing the dynamics of changes in the main indicators of socio-economic development of Latvia for the period from 2010 to 2020. Analysis of the surveyed data showed extremely slow changes in the social well-being of Latvia’s residents, which, however, show positive dynamics, indicating an improvement in Latvia’s overall social policy. The results obtained can be used to monitor the effectiveness of the socio-economic policy (SEP) of Latvia and develop programmes to improve the welfare of the country’s residents.

The Mantis network

The atmospheres of ultra-hot Jupiters are highly interesting and unique chemical laboratories. Due to the very high atmospheric temperatures, their chemical composition is dominated by atoms and ions instead of molecules, and the formation of aerosols on their day-sides is unlikely. Thus, for these planets detailed chemical characterisations via the direct detection of elements through high-resolution day-side and transit spectroscopy are possible. This in principle allows the element abundances of these objects to be directly inferred, which may provide crucial constraints on their formation process and evolution history. In the recent past, several chemical species, mostly in the form of atoms and ions, have already been detected using high-resolution spectroscopy in combination with the cross-correlation technique. As part of the Mantis network, we provide a grid of standard templates in this study, designed to be used together with the cross-correlation method. This allows for the straightforward detection of chemical species in the atmospheres of hot extrasolar planets. In total, we calculate high-resolution templates for more than 140 different species across several atmospheric temperatures. In addition to the high-resolution templates, we also provide line masks that just include the position of line peaks and their absorption depths relative to the spectral continuum. A separate version of these line masks also takes potential blending effects with lines of other species into account.

Multidimensional Scale of Attitudes Towards People with Disabilities - testing the psychometric properties of the Polish version

Attitudes toward people with disabilities are a dynamic phenomenon, dependent on a number of legal, social and individual factors. In recent years, they have been shaped in Poland mainly by legislative changes related to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the resulting national legislation, the introduction of the model of inclusive education, and social transformations through which diversity in terms of health and the (dis)abilities) one possesses is understood as a common experience, rather than a reason for isolation and rejection. The new paradigm of perceiving disability requires the use of new methods of studying contemporary phenomena, including attitudes toward people with disabilities. The purpose of this text is to present the process of adaptation to Polish conditions and proven psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Scale of Attitudes Toward People with Disabilities by L. Findler, N. Vilchinsky and S. Werner (2007). MAS-POL has satisfactory reliability ratings, both for the version targeting people with disabilities in general and those with motor, intellectual and sensory disabilities. The data obtained with this tool can expand existing analyses of attitudes toward people with disabilities, based on the more elaborate and complex structure of the phenomenon. It includes separate versions for measuring attitudes toward people experiencing different but most representative types of disabilities. Analysis of the tool's properties indicates that it can be a useful tool in contemporary research in the field of disability.

Validating a Self-Reported Medication Nonadherence Measure in the Context of Multiple Chronic Diseases and Routes of Medication Administration Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Patients with diabetes may take oral and injectable medications and often have comorbid chronic diseases. It is unclear whether to assess nonadherence for oral and injectable medications separately or combined and for comorbid conditions separately or combined. We conducted two cognitive interview studies among patients with type 2 diabetes who were prescribed medications for oral or injectable diabetes medications (Study 1) or at least one diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol medication (Study 2). Participants completed the two-domain DOSE-Nonadherence measure, which assesses extent of nonadherence and reasons for nonadherence. We asked about interpretation of instructions and items, recall period, ability to respond accurately with separate versus combined versions, and comprehensiveness of reasons for nonadherence to injectable medications. Based on Study 1 (n=14), nonadherence to injectable and oral medications should be assessed separately. Participants believe they can respond accurately to 7-day recall period for daily medications and a one-month recall period for weekly injectable medications. New reasons for nonadherence to injectable medications were perceived as relevant. Based on Study 2 (n-12), nonadherence to medications for diabetes, blood pressure, and cholesterol should be assessed separately. Although separate versions increase response time, it may improve accuracy. Responses to the measure can facilitate conversations about nonadherence between providers and patients to inform clinical decision-making.

Kids' Emotion Recognition Using Various Deep-Learning Models with Explainable AI.

Human ideas and sentiments are mirrored in facial expressions. They give the spectator a plethora of social cues, such as the viewer’s focus of attention, intention, motivation, and mood, which can help develop better interactive solutions in online platforms. This could be helpful for children while teaching them, which could help in cultivating a better interactive connect between teachers and students, since there is an increasing trend toward the online education platform due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To solve this, the authors proposed kids’ emotion recognition based on visual cues in this research with a justified reasoning model of explainable AI. The authors used two datasets to work on this problem; the first is the LIRIS Children Spontaneous Facial Expression Video Database, and the second is an author-created novel dataset of emotions displayed by children aged 7 to 10. The authors identified that the LIRIS dataset has achieved only 75% accuracy, and no study has worked further on this dataset in which the authors have achieved the highest accuracy of 89.31% and, in the authors’ dataset, an accuracy of 90.98%. The authors also realized that the face construction of children and adults is different, and the way children show emotions is very different and does not always follow the same way of facial expression for a specific emotion as compared with adults. Hence, the authors used 3D 468 landmark points and created two separate versions of the dataset from the original selected datasets, which are LIRIS-Mesh and Authors-Mesh. In total, all four types of datasets were used, namely LIRIS, the authors’ dataset, LIRIS-Mesh, and Authors-Mesh, and a comparative analysis was performed by using seven different CNN models. The authors not only compared all dataset types used on different CNN models but also explained for every type of CNN used on every specific dataset type how test images are perceived by the deep-learning models by using explainable artificial intelligence (XAI), which helps in localizing features contributing to particular emotions. The authors used three methods of XAI, namely Grad-CAM, Grad-CAM++, and SoftGrad, which help users further establish the appropriate reason for emotion detection by knowing the contribution of its features in it.

Effect of a mobile app on breastfeeding among cesarean deliveries: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract Aim Cesarean section has negative impacts on breastfeeding rates. This study is to evaluate the effect of a mobile application on breastfeeding outcomes among mothers who had cesarean section using a randomized control trial in Vietnam in 2020 - 2022. Methods A triple-blinded randomized trial of a mobile application was conducted. The mobile application was tailored to Vietnamese culture with two separate versions for the intervention and the control group. The intervention version auto-generated three messages per week and linked the information in the library content to improve breastfeeding while the control version sent messages on maternal and child health care. Pregnant mothers were recruited during their antenatal visits and randomly assigned to two groups. Outcomes of interest included early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding rates. Results A total of 275 mothers in the control and 293 in the intervention group who had undergone a cesarean section were included in the analyses. Significant increases were observed for early initiated breastfeeding within two hours (aOR= 1.51, 95%CI: 1.01 to 2.27) and exclusive breastfeeding during hospital stay (aOR=1.59, 95%CI: 1.02 to 2.49). Conclusions Our results support the use of a theory-based design mobile phone application as a part of a promising intervention to improve breastfeeding outcomes. Key messages • A mobile phone application could be a widely accessible, acceptable, and effective intervention to improve breastfeeding outcomes. • To improve exclusive breastfeeding rates, comprehensive interventions at different levels of sociocultural and market contexts, settings, and individuals are needed.

A Practical Analysis Report of Rip, EIGRP, And an OSPF Dynamic Routing Protocol using the Network Simulator Tool GNS-3

Routing is crucial in internet “communication” and is based on routing protocols. The routing protocol outlines the rules that routers use to share information between a source and a destination. In contrast, they do not move data from a source to the destination, but instead update the routing table containing data or, as we say, messages or information. Many routing protocols are available today, but they all serve the same goal-static and dynamic routing protocols. Dynamic routing is carried out automatically. Topology-based updates are made to routers, and routing tables are updated when topology changes. As a part of this research study, we will look at and analyze the protocols along with other associated research of RIP, EIGRP, and OSPF. In this study, we provide a practical analysis report by designing and implementing numerous LAN topology scenarios using the emulator (Graphical Network Simulator-3). Because of the proliferation of enormous commercial networks; their design uses a variety of routing protocols. so that a large network can remain connected; Network routers are required to implement route redistribution. This research develops the three phases on the same designed network topology and assesses the presentation of route redistribution across three routing technologies. RIP, EIGRP is the first phase, EIGRP, OSPF is the second, and RIP, OSPF is the third. This research also analyses the compatibility of the two separate versions of routing information protocol on the designed network topology in order to assess how two versions may interact with one other. This offers us the notion that there is a way out of it when the same problem emerges associated to EIGRP, OSPF, or BGP if protocols, as we know, Version-1 and Version-2 do not interact to one other. In this research, we also design the network lAN architecture and setup by utilising GNS-3 in order to evaluate how rip supports merely subnetted networks and eigrp supports major networks.

Characterizing User Engagement With a Digital Intervention for Pain Self-management Among Youth With Sickle Cell Disease and Their Caregivers: Subanalysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BackgroundSickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by severe acute pain episodes as well as risk for chronic pain. Digital delivery of SCD pain self-management support may enhance pain self-management skills and accessibility for youth. However, little is known about how youth with SCD and their caregivers engage with digital health programs. iCanCope with pain is a digital pain self-management platform adapted for youth with SCD and caregivers through a user-centered design approach. The program was delivered via a website (separate versions for youth and caregiver) and mobile app (youth only).ObjectiveWe aimed to characterize patterns of user engagement with the iCanCope with SCD program among youth with SCD and their caregivers.MethodsA randomized controlled trial was completed across multiple North American SCD clinics. Eligible youth were aged 12-18 years, diagnosed with SCD, English-speaking, and experiencing moderate-to-severe pain interference. Eligible caregivers were English-speaking with a child enrolled in the study. Dyads were randomized to receive the iCanCope intervention or attention-control education for 8-12 weeks. This report focused on engagement among dyads who received the intervention. User-level analytics were captured. Individual interviews were conducted with 20% of dyads. Descriptive statistics characterized quantitative engagement. Content analysis summarized qualitative interview data. Exploratory analysis tested the hypothesis that caregiver engagement would be positively associated with child engagement.ResultsThe cohort included primarily female (60% [34/57] of youth; 91% [49/56] of caregivers) and Black (>90% of youth [53/57] and caregivers [50/56]) participants. Among 56 dyads given program access, differential usage patterns were observed: both the youth and caregiver engaged (16/56, 29%), only the youth engaged (24/56, 43%), only the caregiver engaged (1/56, 2%), and neither individual engaged (16/56, 29%). While most youth engaged with the program (40/57, 70%), most caregivers did not (39/56, 70%). Youth were more likely to engage with the app than the website (85% [34/57] versus 68% [23/57]), and the most popular content categories were goal setting, program introduction, and symptom history. Among caregivers, program introduction, behavioral plans, and goal setting were the most popular content areas. As hypothesized, there was a moderate positive association between caregiver and child engagement (χ21=6.6; P=.01; ϕ=0.34). Interviews revealed that most dyads would continue to use the program (11/12, 92%) and recommend it to others (10/12, 83%). The reasons for app versus website preference among youth were ease of use, acceptable time commitment, and interactivity. Barriers to caregiver engagement included high time burden and limited perceived relevance of content.ConclusionsThis is one of the first studies to apply digital health analytics to characterize patterns of engagement with SCD self-management among youth and caregivers. The findings will be used to optimize the iCanCope with SCD program prior to release.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03201874; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03201874

Impact of PETase’s Active Site Disulfide Bond on PET Biodegradation

Plastic pollution is one of the largest problems globally, with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic as one of the main sources. Effective depolymerization of PET to its monomers for upcycling is a challenge. PETase is reported to be an effective enzyme for biodegradation of PET via C-O bond cleavage of ester linkage. The role of the disulfide bond, present in PETase’s active site sequence, is unknown in the cleavage of PET’s ester linkage. To understand the role of this bond, two separate versions of PETase – one containing the disulfide bond, and the other without the disulfide bond - were modeled using PyMol™, synthesized, and tested for degradation of PET surrogate compound, bis (2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET). Several experiments were performed in the presence and absence of phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), a serine protease. The results reveal that the role of the disulfide bond in the degradation of BHET’s ester linkage is insignificant and the variation in the results (ethylene glycol yields, BHET degradation per microgram of enzyme) are within the experimental uncertainty. This finding is a stepping-stone to further modifying PETase and improving its activity towards commercial adaption of this technology for PET upcycling and creating a circular carbon economy, improving the world’s carbon footprint, and mitigating ocean and environmental plastic pollution.

Autistic Adult Services Availability, Preferences, and User Experiences: Results From the Autism Spectrum Disorder in the European Union Survey.

There is very little knowledge regarding autistic adult services, practices, and delivery. The study objective was to improve understanding of current services and practices for autistic adults and opportunities for improvement as part of the Autism Spectrum Disorder in the European Union (ASDEU) project. Separate survey versions were created for autistic adults, carers of autistic adults, and professionals in adult services. 2,009 persons responded to the survey and 1,085 (54%) of them completed at least one of the services sections: 469 autistic adults (65% female; 55% <35 years old), 441 carers of autistic adults (27% female; 6% <35 years old), 175 professionals in adult services (76% female; 67% in non-medical services). Top choices by autistic adults, carers or professionals for services best suiting their current needs were: residential services: “help in own home” (adults, carers of high independent adults, professionals), “fulltime residential facility” (carers of low independent adults); employment services: “job mentors” (adults, carers of high independent adults, professionals), “Sheltered employment” (carers of low independent adults); education services: “support in regular education setting” (all groups); financial services: financial support in lieu of employment (“Supplementary income for persons unable to have full employment” for adults, “full pension” for carers of low independent adults) or to supplement employment earnings for carers of high independent adults and professionals; social services: “behavior training” (adults) and “life skills training” (carers and professionals). Waiting times for specific services were generally < 1 month or 1–3 months, except for residential services which could be up to 6 months; most professionals were uninformed of waiting times (>50% responded “don’t know”). Five of seven residential services features recommended for autistic adults were experienced by <50% of adults. The knowledge of good local services models that work well for autistic adults was generally low across all services areas. The variation in services experiences and perceptions reported by autistic adults, carers, or professionals underscore the need to query all groups for a complete picture of community services availability and needs. The results showed areas for potential improvement in autistic adult services delivery in the EU to achieve recommended standards.

The Practice of the Ancient Hossō Sect: Focusing on Dōshō, Gyōki and Tokuitsu

It is said that Dōshō 道昭, who introduced the Hossō idea to Japan, only stood up once every three or seven days when he entered meditation. This suggests that he may have practiced nirodha-samāpatti. His disciple, Gyōki 行基, is said to have had many spiritual experiences and mysterious intimations, which may have been related to the practice of śamatha. Tokuitsu 徳一 wrote the Shikan-ron 止観論 （“Treatise on Cessation and Observation”）, and critical comments on it by Saichō mention several texts that the Hossō sect may have used for meditation. In addition to the Chinese translations of the Yogācārabhūmi 瑜伽師地論, the Sandhinirmocana-sūtra 解深密経, and the Abhidharmasamuccaya 雑集論, these texts include the translations by Yijing of the Zhiguanmen lunsong 止観門論頌, and Liumen jiaoshou lun 六門教授論. There is also a reference to the “18 Methods of Cessation and Observation” 十八門止観, which may have been a separate version of the one chapter of the Sandhinirmocana. Hossō’s view of cessation （śamatha） is that it is concentration on a single object, and his view of observation （vipaśyanā） is that it is detailed observation of the mind-action occurring in the same mind at that time. This is different from the Tendai understanding for cessation and observation. I posit that Tokuitsu’s treatise was written with this distinction in mind, in order to show the basic understanding of cessation and observation in the Hossō sect.

Certifying DFA Bounds for Recognition and Separation

The automation of decision procedures makes certification essential. We suggest to use determinacy of turn-based two-player games with regular winning conditions in order to generate certificates for the number of states that a deterministic finite automaton (DFA) needs in order to recognize a given language. Given a language L and a bound k, recognizability of L by a DFA with k states is reduced to a game between Prover and Refuter. The interaction along the game then serves as a certificate. A certificate generated by Prover consists of a DFA with at most k states. A certificate generated by Refuter consists of a faulty attempt to define the required DFA. We compare the length of offline certificates, which are generated with no interaction between Prover and Refuter, and online certificates, which are based on such an interaction, and are thus shorter. We show that our approach is useful also for certification of separability of regular languages by a DFA of a given size. Unlike DFA minimization, which can be solved in polynomial time, separation is NP-complete, and thus the certification approach is essential. In addition, we prove NP-completeness of a strict version of separation.