From the clinic to the lab (and back) : a call for laboratory research to optimize cognitive-behaviour treatment of pain

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is the dominant psychological treatment for chronic pain. CBT covers a mixture of aims and a broad range of techniques, including attentional control, modification of maladaptive beliefs and coping strategies and flexible goal setting and acceptance. Patients are exposed to varying selections of these strategies, and a major challenge for clinical practice is to determine what works for whom in which context. We propose that incorporating laboratory research into translational behaviour medicine is a critical developmental step that will help optimizing CBT and provide examples of representative experimental research programs

Fixed point iteration on pointsymmetric interference graphs

Interference graphs are used for performance analysis of multiprocessor interconnection networks. In order to model blocked transmissions, nodes can have three states: idle, active or blocked. The resulting steady state probability distribution has a non-product form. Macro states are introduced to calculate performance measures, and the corresponding macro state probability distribution is approximated by a special type of fixed point iteration: the macro approximation, which is very efficient for pointsymmetric interference graphs

Evolution of plant ribosome-inactivating proteins

This contribution presents an updated analysis of the evolution of ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) in plants. All evidence suggests that an ancestor of modern seed plants developed the RIP domain at least 300 million years ago. This ancestral RIP domain gave rise to a direct lineage of type 1 RIPs (i.e. primary type 1 RIPs) still present today in many monocots and at least one dicot. In a later stage a plant succeeded in fusing the RIP domain to a duplicated ricin-B domain acquired from a bacterium. The resulting ancestral type 2 RIP gave rise to all modern type 2 RIPs and by domain deletion to different lines of ‘secondary’ type 1 RIPs and ricin-B type lectins. In a more recent past at least three other domain fusions took place in the family Poaceae whereby type AC1 (type 3), type AC2 and type AD chimeric forms were generated

Complexes of block copolymers in solution: tree approximation

We determine the statistical properties of block copolymer complexes in solution. These complexes are assumed to have the topological structure of (i) a tree or of (ii) a line-dressed tree. In case the structure is that of a tree, the system is shown to undergo a gelation transition at sufficiently high polymer concentration. However, if the structure is that of a line-dressed tree, this transition is absent. Hence, we show the assumption about the topological structure to be relevant for the statistical properties of the system. We determine the average size of the complexes and calculate the viscosity of the system under the assumption that the complexes geometrically can be treated as porous spheres

Evolution with Mutations Driven by Control Costs

Bergin and Lipman (1996) show that the refinement effect from the random mutations in the adaptive dynamics in Kandori, Mailath and Rob (1993) and Young (1993) is due to restrictions on how these mutation rates vary across population states. We here model these mutation rates as endogenously determined mistake probabilities, by assuming that players at some cost or disutility can control their mistake probability, i.e., the probability of implementing another pure strategy than intended. This is shown to corroborate the result in Kandori-Mailath-Rob and Young that the risk-dominant equilibrium is selected in 2£ 2-coordination games.games;probability

Evolution and Refinement with Endogenous Mistake Probabilities

Bergin and Lipman (1996) show that the refinement effect from the random mutations in the adaptive population dynamics in Kandori, Mailath and Rob (1993) and Young (1993) is due to restrictions on how these mutation rates vary across population states. We here model mutation rates as endogenously determined mistake probabilities, by assuming that players with some effort can control the probability of implementing the intended strategy. This is shown to corroborate the results in Kandori-Mailath-Rob (1993) and, under certain regularity conditions, those in Young (1993). The approach also yields a new refinement of the Nash equilibrium concept that is logically independent of Selten's (1975) perfection concept and Myerson's (1978) properness concept.game theory;probability

Surface mobility and structural transitions of poly(n-alkyl methacrylates) probed by dynamic contact angle measurements

Dynamic contact angles and contact-angle hysteresis of a series of poly(n-alkyl methacrylates) (PAMA) were investigated using the Wilhelmy plate technique. The mobility of polymer surface chains, segments, and side groups affected the measured contact angles and their hysteresis. A model is presented in which contact-angle hysteresis of PAMA's is explained in terms of the reorientation of polymer chains and segments at the interface of the polymers with water and air. The contact angles observed also indicated structural transitions in the polymer surfaces of PAMA's that were dependent on alkyl side chain length and temperature

LYING ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW OR ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?

We compare communication about private information to communication about actions in a one-shot 2-person public good game with private information. The informed player, who knows the exact return from contributing and whose contribution is unobserved, can send a message about the return or her contribution. Theoretically, messages can elicit the uninformed player's contribution, and allow the informed player to free-ride. The exact language used is not expected to matter. Experimentally, however, we find that free-ride depends on the language: the informed player free-rides less-and thereby lies less frequently-when she talks about her contribution than when she talks about the return. Further experimental evidence indicates that it is the promise component in messages about the contribution that leads to less free-ride and less lying. © 2013 by the European Economic Association