The Co‐evolution of cooperation and complexity in a multi‐player,local‐interaction prisoners' dilemma

Agents located on a 20 × 20 toroidal lattice play a Prisoners' Dilemma game with their Moore neighbors, adopting policies of cooperation and defection that depend only on their own action and the number of cooperators in the neighborhood in the last round of the game. These policies (“characters”) are encoded in 19‐bit strings, which are subjected to evolution according to a genetic algorithm, with selection based on the cumulative scores of the agents in the neighborhood over 10 rounds of the basic game. Simulations examine the evolution of the population of characters over 1000 generations. Even with selection disabled, the genetic algorithm organizes the population into a small number of surviving characters clustered in spatially homogeneous regions. Selection for fitness rapidly achieves uniform cooperation. The characters evolved cooperate on the initial play, continue to cooperate when five or more of their neighbors cooperate, tend to defect defensively when they have cooperated and most of their neighbors have defected, and switch back to cooperation when five or more neighbors cooperate. When selection operates at the level of the whole society, however, the diversity of the population rapidly collapses, a single character predominates, and the cooperativeness of the dominating character is a matter of chance, so that there is no systematic tendency to evolve cooperation. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Research Note: Ultraviolet Irradiation (UVB) Interrupts Calcium Cell Signaling in Lens Epithelial Cells

A preliminary study was undertaken to establish whether low-dose UV irradiation (UVB) affects calcium cell signaling in rabbit lens epithelia. In a suspension of lens epithelial cells (line NN1003A), changes in intracellular Ca2+ were measured by Fura-2 fluorescence in response to exogenously added ATP. The cellular response to ATP, referred to as the calcium signal, is characterized by a brief increase and subsequent decrease in cytosolic Ca2+ levels. Ultraviolet B irradiation (1.8-9 mJ/cm2) was found to reduce the magnitude of the Ca2+ signal in a dose-dependent manner. A 5 min UVB exposure (9 mJ/cm2) completely altered the biphasic nature of the calcium signal, causing only an immediate and steady rise in cytosol Ca2+ levels. Lower fluences of UVB irradiation (2 min exposure times or 3.6 mJ/cm2) induced a 50% reduction in the calcium signal. When irradiated cells were returned to culture for 3 h after irradiation, calcium signals induced by ATP were normal. In view of the photooxidative nature of UVB irradiation, the oxidative state of cells was assessed by measuring glutathione (GSH) levels. Ultraviolet B irradiation caused a rapid 20% decline in GSH levels that returned to near-control values after a 3 h postirradiation incubation. The results of this study indicate that fluences lower than previously found to be cataractogenic can perturb calcium cell signaling in cultured lens epithelial cells.     

Ion conductive poly(ethylene oxide-dimethyl siloxane) copolymers

A series of poly(ethylene oxide-dimethyl siloxane) copolymers, — [SiMe₂O(CH₂CH₂O)_n]_m — (n = 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.4, 8.7, 13.3), were synthesised by the reaction of polyethylene glycol with dimethyl dimethoxy/diethoxysilane. Corresponding ion-conductive polymers were prepared by complexing these copolymers with salts (sodium tetrafluoroborate or ammonium adipate). The highest conductivity of these systems at room temperature was 3 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ and 6 × 10⁻⁵ S cm⁻¹, respectively. The glass transition temperature of these copolymers is reported and is seen to be dependent on the length of the ether units. The effects of siloxane content, salt concentration, and temperature on the conductivity are discussed. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The synthesis and first full structural elucidation of a benzotriazole azo dye

Although azo dyes containing benzotriazole are of interest as substrates for surface enhanced resonance Raman scattering, SERRS, little is known of their molecular structure due to their poor crystal growth properties. We recently synthesised a highly crystalline dihydroquinoline via an unusual condensation reaction and we report herein that the azo‐benzotriazole dye subsequently formed was sufficiently crystalline to allow structural elucidation using synchroton radiation. It was found that this benzotriazole dye exists as the unexpected 6‐isomer and the structure of the dihydroquinoline moiety changes markedly on coupling due to increased delocalisation.     

Collaborative Workshops and Student Academic Performance in Introductory College Mathematics Courses: A Study of a Treisman Model Math Excel Program

High failure rates in introductory college mathematics courses, particularly among underrepresented groups of students, have been of concern for many years. One approach to the problem experiencing some success has been Treisman's Emerging Scholars workshop model. The model involves supplemental workshops in which students solve problems in collaborative learning groups. This study reports on the effectiveness of Math Excel, an implementation of the Treisman model for introductory mathematics courses (college algebra, precalculus, differential calculus, and integral calculus) at Oregon State University over five academic terms. Regression analyses revealed a significant effect on achievement (.671 grade points on a 4‐point scale) favoring Math Excel students. Even after adjusting for prior mathematics achievement using linear regression with SAT‐M as predictor, Math Excel groups' grade averages were over half a grade point better than predicted (significant at the .001 level). This study provides supporting evidence that programs like Math Excel can help students in making a successful transition to college mathematics study.     

A Mechanistic Model of Gas-Condensate Flow in Pores

Recent experimental results reported in the literature indicate that the relative permeability of gas-condensate systems increases with rate (velocity) at some conditions. To gain a better understanding of the nature of the flow and the prevailing mechanisms resulting in such behaviour flow visualisation experiments have been performed, using high pressure micromodels. The observed flow behaviour at the pore level has been employed to develop a mechanistic model describing the coupled flow of gas and condensate phases. The results of the model simulating the observed simultaneous flow of gas and condensate phases have been compared with reported core experimental results. Most features of the reported rate effect are predictable by the developed single pore model, nevertheless, its extension to include multiple pore interaction is recommended.     

Gallium Zigzag Chains as an Ordering Principle in η5‐2,5‐di‐(t‐butyl) phospholylgallium(I)

The solid state structure of η⁵‐2,5‐di‐(t‐butyl)phospholylgallium(I) 1 was determined by X‐ray diffraction at 190 K. The molecules of 1 are partly organized in a for sandwich complexes new type of structure: a Ga zigzag chain in which the aromatic phospholyl rings alternate on both sides of the chain.     

Influence of Nanoscale Surface Topography and Chemistry on the Functional Behaviour of an Adsorbed Model Macromolecule

The functional behaviour of a model macromolecule (fibrinogen) adsorbed at the nanofabricated solid‐liquid interface was found to be strongly influenced by the local topographic structure of the interface. Protein molecules bound at topographically structured surfaces (either chemically homogeneous or heterogeneous 40‐nm diameter and 10‐nm deep pits) were found to bind platelets significantly faster than uncoated substrates whereas proteins bound to flat (R_a 1 nm) substrates were not. During the initial interaction, the chemistry of the underlying substrate apparently does not affect the macromolecules' functional behaviour.     

Antiferromagnetism in hydrated 123 compounds

Copper nuclear quadrupole resonance and zero-field nuclear magnetic resonance (ZFNMR) studies of YBa₂Cu₃O_6.5 show that a magnetic phase appears in underdoped 123 superconductors treated in ambient moist air. The studies give convincing evidence that the “empty” CuO chains play the role of easy water insertion channels. The reaction occurs first in ordered regions of the crystallites. The final product of the reaction is a nonsuperconducting antiferromagnetic compound characterized by at least two types of magnetically ordered copper ions, with ZFNMR spectra in the frequency ranges 46–96 and 96–135 MHz, respectively. Even for powder samples fixed in an epoxy resin, this reaction is found to have partially occurred after a few years. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 69, No. 10, 739–744 (25 May 1999) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.