“I want it now!” Intertemporal Choice Through the Lens of Valence Weighting Bias

The current research presents a novel perspective regarding individual differences in intertemporal choice preferences. We postulate that such differences are partly rooted in individuals’ valence weighting proclivities—their characteristic manner of weighting positive and negative valence when constructing an initial evaluation. Importantly, valence weighting bias should predict intertemporal choice most strongly (a) for those who are relatively low in trait self-control and (b) when the magnitude of the available rewards is relatively small, because these two factors are associated with lesser motivation/resources to deliberate extensively about one's decision. More specifically, we propose that those with a more positive weighting bias give greater weight to the clearly positive immediate reward that is under consideration, and under these conditions, the resulting appraisal shapes choice more strongly. Using a performance-based measure of valence weighting tendencies, a hypothetical intertemporal choice task, and a self-report measure of trait self-control, we provide evidence for our hypothesis.

Phage phiKZ—The First of Giants

The paper covers the history of the discovery and description of phiKZ, the first known giant bacteriophage active on Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It also describes its unique features, especially the characteristic manner of DNA packing in the head around a cylinder-shaped structure (“inner body”), which probably governs an ordered and tight packaging of the phage genome. Important properties of phiKZ-like phages include a wide range of lytic activity and the blue opalescence of their negative colonies, and provide a background for the search and discovery of new P. aeruginosa giant phages. The importance of the phiKZ species and of other giant phage species in practical phage therapy is noted given their broad use in commercial phage preparations.

Why Does Space Feel the Way it Does? Towards a Principled Account of Spatial Experience

There must be a reason why an experience feels the way it does. A good place to begin addressing this question is spatial experience, because it may be more penetrable by introspection than other qualities of consciousness such as color or pain. Moreover, much of experience is spatial, from that of our body to the visual world, which appears as if painted on an extended canvas in front of our eyes. Because it is ‘right there’, we usually take space for granted and overlook its qualitative properties. However, we should realize that a great number of phenomenal distinctions and relations are required for the canvas of space to feel ‘extended’. Here we argue that, to be experienced as extended, the canvas of space must be composed of countless spots, here and there, small and large, and these spots must be related to each other in a characteristic manner through connection, fusion, and inclusion. Other aspects of the structure of spatial experience follow from extendedness: every spot can be experienced as enclosing a particular region, with its particular location, size, boundary, and distance from other spots. We then propose an account of the phenomenal properties of spatial experiences based on integrated information theory (IIT). The theory provides a principled approach for characterizing both the quantity and quality of experience by unfolding the cause-effect structure of a physical substrate. Specifically, we show that a simple simulated substrate of units connected in a grid-like manner yields a cause-effect structure whose properties can account for the main properties of spatial experience. These results uphold the hypothesis that our experience of space is supported by brain areas whose units are linked by a grid-like connectivity. They also predict that changes in connectivity, even in the absence of changes in activity, should lead to a warping of experienced space. To the extent that this approach provides an initial account of phenomenal space, it may also serve as a starting point for investigating other aspects of the quality of experience and their physical correspondents.

Problemi kvantificirane epistemičke logike

Within the framework of quantified modal logic (QML) the author, in the first part of his paper, on the basis of the actualist approach to the problem of founding logical moalities, attempts to found a system of quantified epistemic logic (QEL) which presupposes a characteristic manner of problem-solving if compared to the rule of existential generalisation (EG). This is Hintikka's approach. The central issue of the second part of the paper tackles the rule of existential, as well as some other problems in connection with their applications in quantified epistemic logic. The conclusion gives counter arguments to two systems QEL (Hintikka' system K and B and Carlson's system C).

Neither Substance Nor Process II: Two Modes

Chapter V begins by rehearsing the distinction between substance and process philosophies and how Garcia attempts to avoid problems with both. Of particular relevance is Graham Harman’s claim that Garcia’s characterization of an object in terms of its difference from that which it comprehends and from what comprehends it ends up, actually in the characteristic manner of process philosophies, having the object depend on these very things. Changing any of the comprehended or comprehending things would change the precise difference in question, resulting in a different object. Worse, since the object is comprehended by all of the relations that it has to every other object, Garcia seems to be committed to the view that the object’s identity is a function of everything in the universe, a position which easily veers into the (British) Hegelian affirmation that there is only one thing. Discussing Garcia allows me to pose this problem in a novel way, via what I call the Putnam/Parmenides argument.

Aquila's Greek Targum: Reconsidering the Rabbinical Setting of an Ancient Translation

Aquila of Sinope, the legendary second-century translator and convert to Judaism, appears in both Jewish and Christian tradition. Recent literature on his famous Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures is surprisingly limited, however. Dominique Barthélemy's landmark monograph on the Minor Prophets’ scroll gives some significant introductory attention to Aquila and the influence of Rabbi Akiva upon him, but the study's influential (if traditional) conclusions cannot be considered final. Lester Grabbe, in particular, has critiqued Barthélemy's portrayal of Aquila as a zealous follower (“un chaud partisan”) of Akiva and of his characteristic manner of exegesis (especially the inclusive sense he gave the accusative particle’ēt). If there are real reasons informing this conventional depiction of Aquila, for Grabbe, “no isolated theory linking a particular translation with a particular figure of Jewish literature can truly claim serious attention,” without considerably more information about how the whole spectrum of Greek recensional activity interacted with all the diverse forms of ancient Jewish interpretation. Grabbe offers an important critique. At the same time, he requires a considerable advance in our knowledge. Indeed, given many irremediable uncertainties touching the precise information Grabbe would demand, it is not clear how far conclusions in this area can ever be entirely distanced from conjectures.

Modeling the roles of protein kinase Cβ and η in single-cell wound repair

Wounded cells such as Xenopus oocytes respond to damage by assembly and closure of an array of actin filaments and myosin-2 controlled by Rho GTPases, including Rho and Cdc42. Rho and Cdc42 are patterned around wounds in a characteristic manner, with active Rho concentrating in a ring-like zone inside a larger, ring-like zone of active Cdc42. How this patterning is achieved is unknown, but Rho and Cdc42 at wounds are subject to regulation by other proteins, including the protein kinases C. Specifically, Cdc42 and Rho activity are enhanced by PKCβ and inhibited by PKCη. We adapt a mathematical model of Simon and coworkers to probe the possible roles of these kinases. We show that PKCβ likely affects the magnitude of positive Rho–Abr feedback, whereas PKCη acts on Cdc42 inactivation. The model explains both qualitative and some overall quantitative features of PKC–Rho GTPase regulation. It also accounts for the previous, peculiar observation that ∼20% of cells overexpressing PKCη display zone inversions—that is, displacement of active Rho to the outside of the active Cdc42.

The morphology of hairs in species of Plantago L. Sections: Bauphula Decne and Arnoglossum Decne

The hairs of one representative of the monotypic sectio <em>Bauphula </em>and of seven taxa of the section <em>Arnoglossum </em>were investigated. Unlike <em>P. </em><em>amplexicaulis </em>(sectio <em>Bauphula) </em>the representatives of sectio <em>Arnoglossum, </em>were found to have headless hairs on the scape with cells overlapping in a characteristic manner. They had no hairs with a unicellular stalk and head divided vertically into two cells, commonly occurring in the representatives of different sections of the genus <em>Plantago: Polyneuron, Lamprosantha, Coronopus, Oreades, </em><em>Leucopsyllium, Hymenopsyllium </em>and <em>Psyllium.</em> Rahn's decision (1978) to transfer the sections <em>Bauphula </em>and <em>Arnoglossum </em>to the subgenus <em>Psyllium </em>seems incorrect. The representatives of the investigated sections, unlike the taxa of the sectio <em>Psyllium, </em>have no hairs with multicellular stalks and unicellular heads, club-like hairs and iridoid-plantarenaloside, while they have morel-like hairs, hairs with overlapping cells and an iridoid-catalpol, lacking in the taxa of the subgenus <em>Psyllium</em>.

A Solvent-Exposed Patch in Chaperone-Bound YopE Is Required for Translocation by the Type III Secretion System

ABSTRACT Most effector proteins of bacterial type III secretion (T3S) systems require chaperone proteins for translocation into host cells. Such effectors are bound by chaperones in a conserved and characteristic manner, with the chaperone-binding (Cb) region of the effector wound around the chaperone in a highly extended conformation. This conformation has been suggested to serve as a translocation signal in promoting the association between the chaperone-effector complex and a bacterial component required for translocation. We sought to test a prediction of this model by identifying a potential association site for the Yersinia pseudotuberculosis chaperone-effector pair SycE-YopE. We identified a set of residues in the YopE Cb region that are required for translocation but are dispensable for expression, SycE binding, secretion into the extrabacterial milieu, and stability in mammalian cells. These residues form a solvent-exposed patch on the surface of the chaperone-bound Cb region, and thus their effect on translocation is consistent with the structure of the chaperone-bound Cb region serving as a signal for translocation.

PATTERN OF DYSLIPIDEMIA IN PATIENTS WITH CRF

Objectives: (1)To find the pattern of dyslipidemias in patients with CRF.(2.)To compare the results with international studies. Design: Prospective observational study. Setting: In Medical UnitI, II, III and Nephrology ward of Allied Hospital Faisalabad. Period: (06 Months) From: Nov 2004 to April 2005. . AlliedHospital is a teaching hospital attached with Punjab Medical College Faisalabad having 1100 beds. Chronic renalfailure, a very common disease, is accompanied by many complications. One of such complications is abnormality oflipids. The lipids are disturbed in a characteristic manner. This disturbed lipid pattern predisposes the patients toatherosclerotic complications and increased mortality due to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular accidents. Presentstudy was conducted to determine the pattern of dyslipidemias in patients of CRF.50 patients diagnosed to have CRFwere subjected to fasting lipid profile, irrespective of cause and sex. Maximum patients had elevated triglyceride levels(46%). A considerable percentage (16%) had decreased HDL levels and a small percentage had elevated LDL (4%).Total lipids were found to be elevated in 04 patients (8%). All the patients with elevated total lipid were suffering fromdiabetes mellitus. Total cholesterol was elevated in 08 patients (16%). This disturbed lipid pattern has role inatherosclerosis. The patients of CRF who are already having disturbed endothelial function are more prone to it.