Automaticity and cognitive control: Effects of cognitive load on cue-controlled reward choice

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from SAGE Publications via the DOI in this recordThe extent to which human outcome-response (O-R) priming effects are automatic or under cognitive control is currently unclear. Two experiments tested the effect of cognitive load on O-R priming to shed further light on the debate. In Experiment 1, two instrumental responses earned beer and chocolate points in an instrumental training phase. Instrumental response choice was then tested in the presence of beer, chocolate, and neutral stimuli. On test, a Reversal instruction group was told that the stimuli signalled which response would not be rewarded. The transfer test was also conducted under either minimal (No Load) or considerable (Load) cognitive load. The Non-Reversal groups showed O-R priming effects, where the reward cues increased the instrumental responses that had previously produced those outcomes, relative to the neutral stimulus. This effect was observed even under cognitive load. The Reversal No Load group demonstrated a reversed effect, where response choice was biased towards the response that was most likely to be rewarded according to the instruction. Most importantly, response choice was at chance in the Reversal Load condition. In Experiment 2, cognitive load abolished the sensitivity to outcome devaluation that was otherwise seen when multiple outcomes and responses were cued on test. Collectively, the results demonstrate that complex O-R priming effects are sensitive to cognitive load, whereas the very simple, standard O-R priming effect is more robust

Langmuir-Blodgett films of polyethylene

The possibility to obtain surface layers on water and prepare solid multilayer Langmuir–Blodgett films of medium-density polyethylene is shown. The polymer film on water is stable, demonstrates a reversible surface pressure-area isotherm up to 15 mN/m, and can be deposited onto a substrate using the Langmuir–Blodgett technique in a wide range of surface pressures. The thickness of a single deposited layer is 5.1 nm on average. The dielectric and optical constants of multilayer films are near their bulk values. The films exhibit high dielectric strength of at least 200 MV/m

Reflections on the Cost of Low-Cost Whole Genome Sequencing: Framing the Health Policy Debate

The cost of whole genome sequencing is dropping rapidly. There has been a great deal of enthusiasm about the potential for this technological advance to transform clinical care. Given the interest and significant investment in genomics, this seems an ideal time to consider what the evidence tells us about potential benefits and harms, particularly in the context of health care policy. The scale and pace of adoption of this powerful new technology should be driven by clinical need, clinical evidence, and a commitment to put patients at the centre of health care policy

A Survey on Continuous Time Computations

We provide an overview of theories of continuous time computation. These theories allow us to understand both the hardness of questions related to continuous time dynamical systems and the computational power of continuous time analog models. We survey the existing models, summarizing results, and point to relevant references in the literature

Limitation of the transport capacity approach in sediment transport modeling

In a recent paper by Polyakov and Nearing (2003) it was shown experimentally that the sediment transport capacity in a rill is not unique for a given soil type, slope, and flow rate. Indeed, they found that the transport capacity was dependent on whether sediment transport in the rill was occurring under net erosion or net deposition conditions. They concluded that this nonuniqueness in transport capacity is a discrepancy that needs addressing in soil erosion models. Here we postulate that this behavior occurs as a result of defining transport capacity as an model input to distinguish between net erosion and net deposition regimes, instead of determining it as an outcome between the separate but continuous rate processes of deposition and entrainment such as is the case for the multisize class erosion model of Hairsine and Rose (1992a, 1992b). This model is used to reinterpret and reproduce the results of Polyakov and Nearing (2003). The analysis shows that the transport capacity cannot be unique for a soil composed of a range of size classes and that uniqueness only occurs for the exceptional case of single size class soil. Consequently, when used as a model input, the transport capacity concept is deficient in modeling sediment transport of real soils across different flow conditions

Airway delivery of both a BCG prime and adenoviral boost drives CD4 and CD8 T cells into the lung tissue parenchyma

Abstract: Heterologous BCG prime-boost regimens represent a promising strategy for an urgently required improved tuberculosis vaccine. Identifying the mechanisms which underpin the enhanced protection induced by such strategies is one key aim which would significantly accelerate rational vaccine development. Experimentally, airway vaccination induces greater efficacy than parenteral delivery; in both conventional vaccination and heterologous boosting of parenteral BCG immunisation. However, the effect of delivering both the component prime and boost immunisations via the airway is not well known. Here we investigate delivery of both the BCG prime and adenovirus boost vaccination via the airway in a murine model, and demonstrate this approach may be able to improve the protective outcome over parenteral prime/airway boost. Intravascular staining of T cells in the lung revealed that the airway prime regimen induced more antigen-specific multifunctional CD4 and CD8 T cells to the lung parenchyma prior to challenge and indicated the route of both prime and boost to be critical to the location of induced resident T cells in the lung. Further, in the absence of a defined phenotype of vaccine-induced protection to tuberculosis; the magnitude and phenotype of vaccine-specific T cells in the parenchyma of the lung may provide insights into potential correlates of immunity