Memory availability and referential access

Most theories of coreference specify linguistic factors that modulate antecedent accessibility in memory; however, whether non-linguistic factors also affect coreferential access is unknown. Here we examined the impact of a non-linguistic generation task (letter transposition) on the repeated-name penalty, a processing difficulty observed when coreferential repeated names refer to syntactically prominent (and thus more accessible) antecedents. In Experiment 1, generation improved online (event-related potentials) and offline (recognition memory) accessibility of names in word lists. In Experiment 2, we manipulated generation and syntactic prominence of antecedent names in sentences; both improved online and offline accessibility, but only syntactic prominence elicited a repeated-name penalty. Our results have three important implications: first, the form of a referential expression interacts with an antecedent’s status in the discourse model during coreference; second, availability in memory and referential accessibility are separable; and finally, theories of coreference must better integrate known properties of the human memory system

Europe-wide air pollution modeling from 2000 to 2019 using geographically weighted regression

Previous European land-use regression (LUR) models assumed fixed linear relationships between air pollution concentrations and predictors such as traffic and land use. We evaluated whether including spatially-varying relationships could improve European LUR models by using geographically weighted regression (GWR) and random forest (RF). We built separate LUR models for each year from 2000 to 2019 for NO2, O3, PM2.5 and PM10 using annual average monitoring observations across Europe. Potential predictors included satellite retrievals, chemical transport model estimates and land-use variables. Supervised linear regression (SLR) was used to select predictors, and then GWR estimated the potentially spatially-varying coefficients. We developed multi-year models using geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR). Five-fold cross-validation per year showed that GWR and GTWR explained similar spatial variations in annual average concentrations (average R(2) = NO2: 0.66; O3: 0.58; PM10: 0.62; PM2.5: 0.77), which are better than SLR (average R(2) = NO2: 0.61; O3: 0.46; PM10: 0.51; PM2.5: 0.75) and RF (average R(2) = NO2: 0.64; O3: 0.53; PM10: 0.56; PM2.5: 0.67). The GTWR predictions and a previously-used method of back-extrapolating 2010 model predictions using CTM were overall highly correlated (R(2) > 0.8) for all pollutants. Including spatially-varying relationships using GWR modestly improved European air pollution annual LUR models, allowing time-varying exposure-health risk models

LAVA: An Open-Source Approach To Designing LAMP (Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification) DNA Signatures

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We developed an extendable open-source Loop-mediated isothermal AMPlification (LAMP) signature design program called LAVA (LAMP Assay Versatile Analysis). LAVA was created in response to limitations of existing LAMP signature programs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>LAVA identifies combinations of six primer regions for basic LAMP signatures, or combinations of eight primer regions for LAMP signatures with loop primers, which can be used as LAMP signatures. The identified primers are conserved among target organism sequences. Primer combinations are optimized based on lengths, melting temperatures, and spacing among primer sites. We compare LAMP signature candidates for <it>Staphylococcus aureus </it>created both by LAVA and by PrimerExplorer. We also include signatures from a sample run targeting all strains of <it>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</it>.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We have designed and demonstrated new software for identifying signature candidates appropriate for LAMP assays. The software is available for download at <url>http://lava-dna.googlecode.com/</url>.</p

Hidden attractors in fundamental problems and engineering models

Recently a concept of self-excited and hidden attractors was suggested: an attractor is called a self-excited attractor if its basin of attraction overlaps with neighborhood of an equilibrium, otherwise it is called a hidden attractor. For example, hidden attractors are attractors in systems with no equilibria or with only one stable equilibrium (a special case of multistability and coexistence of attractors). While coexisting self-excited attractors can be found using the standard computational procedure, there is no standard way of predicting the existence or coexistence of hidden attractors in a system. In this plenary survey lecture the concept of self-excited and hidden attractors is discussed, and various corresponding examples of self-excited and hidden attractors are considered

Fine sediment reduces vertical migrations of Gammarus pulex (Crustacea: Amphipoda) in response to surface water loss

Surface and subsurface sediments in river ecosystems are recognized as refuges that may promote invertebrate survival during disturbances such as floods and streambed drying. Refuge use is spatiotemporally variable, with environmental factors including substrate composition, in particular the proportion of fine sediment (FS), affecting the ability of organisms to move through interstitial spaces. We conducted a laboratory experiment to examine the effects of FS on the movement of Gammarus pulex Linnaeus (Crustacea: Amphipoda) into subsurface sediments in response to surface water loss. We hypothesized that increasing volumes of FS would impede and ultimately prevent individuals from migrating into the sediments. To test this hypothesis, the proportion of FS (1–2 mm diameter) present within an open gravel matrix (4–16 mm diameter) was varied from 10 to 20% by volume in 2.5% increments. Under control conditions (0% FS), 93% of individuals moved into subsurface sediments as the water level was reduced. The proportion of individuals moving into the subsurface decreased to 74% at 10% FS, and at 20% FS no individuals entered the sediments, supporting our hypothesis. These results demonstrate the importance of reducing FS inputs into river ecosystems and restoring FS-clogged riverbeds, to promote refuge use during increasingly common instream disturbances

Free Energy of an Inhomogeneous Superconductor: a Wave Function Approach

A new method for calculating the free energy of an inhomogeneous superconductor is presented. This method is based on the quasiclassical limit (or Andreev approximation) of the Bogoliubov-de Gennes (or wave function) formulation of the theory of weakly coupled superconductors. The method is applicable to any pure bulk superconductor described by a pair potential with arbitrary spatial dependence, in the presence of supercurrents and external magnetic field. We find that both the local density of states and the free energy density of an inhomogeneous superconductor can be expressed in terms of the diagonal resolvent of the corresponding Andreev Hamiltonian, resolvent which obeys the so-called Gelfand-Dikii equation. Also, the connection between the well known Eilenberger equation for the quasiclassical Green's function and the less known Gelfand-Dikii equation for the diagonal resolvent of the Andreev Hamiltonian is established. These results are used to construct a general algorithm for calculating the (gauge invariant) gradient expansion of the free energy density of an inhomogeneous superconductor at arbitrary temperatures.Comment: REVTeX, 28 page

Infectious complications after deployment trauma: Following wounded US military personnel into Veterans Affairs care

BACKGROUND: Infectious complications related to deployment trauma significantly contribute to the morbidity and mortality of wounded service members. The Trauma Infectious Disease Outcomes Study (TIDOS) collects data on US military personnel injured in Iraq and Afghanistan in an observational cohort study of infectious complications. Patients enrolled in TIDOS may also consent to follow-up through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). We present data from the first 337 TIDOS enrollees to receive VA healthcare. METHODS: Data were collected from the Department of Defense (DoD) Trauma Registry, TIDOS infectious disease module, DoD and VA electronic medical records, and telephone interview. Cox proportional hazard analysis was performed to identify predictors of post-discharge infections related to deployment trauma. RESULTS: Among the first 337 TIDOS enrollees who entered VA healthcare, 111 (33%) had 244 trauma-related infections during their initial trauma hospitalization (2.1 infections per 100 person-days). Following initial discharge, 127 (38%) enrollees had 239 trauma-related infections (170 during DoD follow-up and 69 during VA time). Skin and soft-tissue infections and osteomyelitis were predominant during and after the initial trauma hospitalization. In a multivariate model, a shorter time to development of a new infection following discharge was independently associated with injury severity score ≥10 and occurrence of ≥1 inpatient infection during initial trauma hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: Incident infections related to deployment trauma continue well after initial hospital discharge and into VA healthcare. Overall, 38% of enrolled patients developed a new trauma-related infection after their initial hospital discharge, with 29% occurring after the patient left military service

Support needs of adolescents' post-cancer treatment: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: The study aimed to investigate the support needs for adolescents' post-cancer treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted, articles were obtained from the following databases, Science Direct, PubMed and SCOPUS. Additional studies were identified from the reference lists of articles included in the review. RESULTS: 119 articles were identified as potentially relevant, of these, a total of 16 articles were nominated to be included in the review for analysis. CONCLUSION: The role of relationships and key workers were important to enabling survivors to self-manage. Studies have commended the role of friendships during the cancer treatment process but also as a means to coping with issues relating to survivorship. Using a coping mechanism thought to be beneficial by the survivor often improves their overall wellbeing. The eagerness to continue a normal successful life post-cancer treatment seems to be over-shadowed by the fear of not being able to conceive offspring. This, in turn, can impact the psychological wellbeing of survivors, thus signifying the need to develop ways in supporting these individuals. With research into quality of life (QoL) and survivorship issues continuing to progress and reach new heights, there is still much to be done