Reinforcement learning accounts for moody conditional cooperation behavior:experimental results

In social dilemma games, human participants often show conditional cooperation (CC) behavior or its variant called moody conditional cooperation (MCC), with which they basically tend to cooperate when many other peers have previously cooperated. Recent computational studies showed that CC and MCC behavioral patterns could be explained by reinforcement learning. In the present study, we use a repeated multiplayer prisoner’s dilemma game and the repeated public goods game played by human participants to examine whether MCC is observed across different types of game and the possibility that reinforcement learning explains observed behavior. We observed MCC behavior in both games, but the MCC that we observed was different from that observed in the past experiments. In the present study, whether or not a focal participant cooperated previously affected the overall level of cooperation, instead of changing the tendency of cooperation in response to cooperation of other participants in the previous time step. We found that, across different conditions, reinforcement learning models were approximately as accurate as a MCC model in describing the experimental results. Consistent with the previous computational studies, the present results suggest that reinforcement learning may be a major proximate mechanism governing MCC behavior

Influence of matching field on critical current density and irreversibility temperature in YBa2Cu3O7 films with BaMO3(M=Zr, Sn, Hf) nanorods

The influence of the matching field (BΦ) on critical current density (Jc) and irreversibility temperature (Tirr) in YBa2 Cu3O7 films containing BaMO3 (M=Zr, Sn, Hf) nanorods was investigated. It was revealed that the irreversibility temperature normalized by the critical temperature (Tirr/Tc) was influenced by BΦ, for B>BΦ, but Tirr/Tc did not depend on which BaMO3 material was used for B<BΦ, i.e., there was no dependence on nanorod density, diameter, interface sharpness, or Tc in the case of ideal nanorods. However, Jc/Jc(0 T) was found to decrease with increasing BΦ at low magnetic field strengths and to improve at high magnetic field strengths. In addition to Jc being dependent on BΦ, the Tc term in Tirr and Jc(0 T) were also found to have an effect on Jc

Design of peptide-containing N5-unmodified neutral flavins that catalyze aerobic oxygenations

Simulation of the monooxygenation function of flavoenzyme (Fl-Enz) has been long-studied with N5-modified cationic flavins (FlEt+), but never with N5-unmodified neutral flavins (Fl) despite the fact that Fl is genuinely equal to the active center of Fl-Enz. This is because of the greater lability of 4a-hydroperoxy adduct of Fl, FlOOH, compared to those of FlEt+, FlEtOOH, and Fl-Enz, FlOOH-Enz. In this study, Fl incorporated into a short peptide, flavopeptide (Fl-Pep), was designed by a rational top-down approach using a computational method, which could stabilize the corresponding 4a-hydroperoxy adduct (FlOOH-Pep) through intramolecular hydrogen bonds. We report catalytic chemoselective sulfoxidation as well as Baeyer–Villiger oxidation by means of Fl-Pep under light-shielding and aerobic conditions, which are the first Fl-Enz-mimetic aerobic oxygenation reactions catalyzed by Fl under non-enzymatic conditions

Pin potential effect on vortex pinning in YBa2Cu3O7-δ films containing nanorods: Pin size effect and mixed pinning

The pin size effect and mixed pinning of nanorods and matrix defects are discussed for YBa2Cu3O7-δ films containing nanorods. BaSnO3 nanorods with a diameter of 11 nm and BaHfO3 nanorods with a diameter of 7 nm were prepared, and critical current density (Jc) and resistivity were measured in the films. When the coherence length was larger than the nanorod size at high temperatures near the critical temperature, the trapping angle and activation energy of the vortex flow depended on the nanorod diameter. At a moderate temperature of 65-77K, the pin size effect on Jc disappeared since the coherence length became smaller than the nanorod size. At a low temperature of 20K, the contribution from matrix pinning became comparable to that of nanorods in a high magnetic field due to the small coherence length. Thus, the temperature-dependent coherence length caused the pin potential situation to vary significantly, namely, the pin size effect and mixed pinning, which strongly affected vortex pinning in YBa2Cu3O7-d containing nanorods

Cutaneous T-cell-attracting chemokine as a novel biomarker for predicting prognosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a prospective observational study

[Background] Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive fibrotic lung disease that leads to respiratory failure and death. Although there is a greater understanding of the etiology of this disease, accurately predicting the disease course in individual patients is still not possible. This study aimed to evaluate serum cytokines/chemokines as potential biomarkers that can predict outcomes in IPF patients. [Methods] A multi-institutional prospective two-stage discovery and validation design using two independent cohorts was adopted. For the discovery analysis, serum samples from 100 IPF patients and 32 healthy controls were examined using an unbiased, multiplex immunoassay of 48 cytokines/chemokines. The serum cytokine/chemokine values were compared between IPF patients and controls; the association between multiplex measurements and survival time was evaluated in IPF patients. In the validation analysis, the cytokines/chemokines identified in the discovery analysis were examined in serum samples from another 81 IPF patients to verify the ability of these cytokines/chemokines to predict survival. Immunohistochemical assessment of IPF-derived lung samples was also performed to determine where this novel biomarker is expressed. [Results] In the discovery cohort, 18 cytokines/chemokines were significantly elevated in sera from IPF patients compared with those from controls. Interleukin-1 receptor alpha (IL-1Rα), interleukin-8 (IL-8), macrophage inflammatory protein 1 alpha (MIP-1α), and cutaneous T-cell-attracting chemokine (CTACK) were associated with survival: IL-1Rα, hazard ratio (HR) = 1.04 per 10 units, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.01–1.07; IL-8, HR = 1.04, 95% CI 1.01–1.08; MIP-1α, HR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.00–1.36; and CTACK, HR = 1.12 per 100 units, 95% CI 1.02–1.21. A replication analysis was performed only for CTACK because others were previously reported to be potential biomarkers of interstitial lung diseases. In the validation cohort, CTACK was associated with survival: HR = 1.14 per 100 units, 95% CI 1.01–1.28. Immunohistochemistry revealed the expression of CTACK and CC chemokine receptor 10 (a ligand of CTACK) in airway and type II alveolar epithelial cells of IPF patients but not in those of controls. [Conclusions] CTACK is a novel prognostic biomarker of IPF

Effect of additional magnesium on mechanical and high-cycle fatigue properties of 6061–T6 alloy

The effect of additional solute magnesium (Mg) on mechanical and high-cycle-fatigue properties of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy is investigated in detail. By adding 0.5% and 0.8% Mg to the 6061-T6 alloy with a normal stoichiometric Mg2Si composition (base alloy), the alloy exhibits eminent strain-aging characteristics demonstrated by the emergence of serrated flow, the negative strain-rate-sensitivity and relatively weakened temperature dependency of flow stress. The Mg-added new alloy also shows higher work-hardening rate than the base alloy particularly at initial flow regime and at lower strain rate. The S-N curve of the new alloy shows a clear fatigue limit which is absent in the base alloy. The fatigue limit of the new alloy is shown to be controlled by the threshold against small crack growth. Moreover, the new alloy clearly exhibits a coaxing phenomenon (time-dependent strengthening) which is absent in the base alloy. The coaxing effect is attributed to the existence of a small quasi-non-propagating crack whose growth resistance gradually increases during stress amplitude step-ups.This study was financially supported in part by the Kansai University Grant-in-Aid for progress ofresearch in graduate course (2012) and also by the Kansai University Expenditures for Support ofTraining Young Scholars (2013)

Population health and regional variations of disease burden in Japan, 1990–2015:a systematic subnational analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015

BackgroundJapan has entered the era of super-ageing and advanced health transition, which is increasingly putting pressure on the sustainability of its health system. The level and pace of this health transition might vary across regions within Japan and concern is growing about increasing regional variations in disease burden. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 (GBD 2015) provides a comprehensive, comparable framework. We used data from GBD 2015 with the aim to quantify the burden of disease and injuries, and to attribute risk factors in Japan at a subnational, prefecture-level.MethodsWe used data from GBD 2015 for 315 causes and 79 risk factors of death, disease, and injury incidence and prevalence to measure the burden of diseases and injuries in Japan and in the 47 Japanese prefectures from 1990 to 2015. We extracted data from GBD 2015 to assess mortality, causes of death, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), life expectancy, and healthy life expectancy (HALE) in Japan and its 47 prefectures. We split extracted data by prefecture and applied GBD methods to generate estimates of burden, and attributable burden due to known risk factors. We examined the prefecture-level relationships of common health system inputs (eg, health expenditure and workforces) to the GBD outputs in 2015 to address underlying determinants of regional health variations.FindingsLife expectancy at birth in Japan increased by 4·2 years from 79·0 years (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 79·0 to 79·0) to 83·2 years (83·1 to 83·2) between 1990 and 2015. However, the gaps between prefectures with the lowest and highest life expectancies and HALE have widened, from 2·5 to 3·1 years and from 2·3 to 2·7 years, respectively, from 1990 to 2015. Although overall age-standardised death rates decreased by 29·0% (28·7 to 29·3) from 1990 to 2015, the rates of mortality decline in this period substantially varied across the prefectures, ranging from -32·4% (-34·8 to -30·0) to -22·0% (-20·4 to -20·1). During the same time period, the rate of age-standardised DALYs was reduced overall by 19·8% (17·9 to 22·0). The reduction in rates of age-standardised YLDs was very small by 3·5% (2·6 to 4·3). The pace of reduction in mortality and DALYs in many leading causes has largely levelled off since 2005. Known risk factors accounted for 34·5% (32·4 to 36·9) of DALYs; the two leading behavioural risk factors were unhealthy diets and tobacco smoking in 2015. The common health system inputs were not associated with age-standardised death and DALY rates in 2015.InterpretationJapan has been successful overall in reducing mortality and disability from most major diseases. However, progress has slowed down and health variations between prefectures is growing. In view of the limited association between the prefecture-level health system inputs and health outcomes, the potential sources of regional variations, including subnational health system performance, urgently need assessment.FundingBill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, Japan Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, AXA CR Fixed Income Fund and AXA Research Fund