bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Upregulation of microRNA-876 Induces Endothelial Cell Apoptosis by Suppressing Bcl-Xl in Development of Atherosclerosis
Authors: Xu Kaicheng , Liu Peng , Zhao Yue
Published: July 2017

Background/Aims: The injury and apoptotic cell death of endothelial cells hallmark the development of atherosclerosis (AS), characterized by dysregulation of lipid homeostasis, immune responses, and formation of coronary plaques. However, the mechanisms underlying the initiation of endothelial cell apoptosis remain ill-defined. Recent evidence suggests a role of microRNAs in the processes of AS-associated endothelial cell apoptosis. Thus, we studied this question in the current study. Methods: AS was developed in ApoE (-/-) mice suppled with high-fat diet (HFD), compared to ApoE (-/-) mice suppled with normal diet (ND). Mouse endothelial cells were isolated from the aortic arch using flow cytometry based on their expression of Pecam-1. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) were used to treat human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) as an in vitro model for AS. Gene expression was quantified by RT-qPCR and protein levels were analyzed by Western blotting. Apoptosis was evaluated by FITC Annexin V Apoptosis essay and by TUNEL staining. Prediction of the binding between miRNAs and 3'-UTR of mRNA from the target gene was performed by bioinformatics analyses and confirmed by a dual luciferase reporter assay. Results: HFD mice, but not ND mice, developed AS in 12 weeks. Significantly reduced endothelial cell marks and significantly increased mesenchymal cell marks were detected in the aortic arch of the HFD mice, compared to the ND mice. The endothelial cell apoptosis was significantly higher in HFD mice, seemingly due to functional suppression of protein translation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-Xl protein through upregulation of miR-876. Similar results were obtained from in vitro study. Inhibition of miR-876 abolished the effects of ox-LDL-induced apoptotic cell death of HAECs. Conclusion: AS-associated endothelial cell apoptosis may partially result from downregulation of Bcl-Xl, through upregulation of miR-876 that binds and suppresses translation of Bcl-Xl mRNA.
Angiotensin II Regulates Dendritic Cells through Activation of NF-κB /p65, ERK1/2 and STAT1 Pathways
Authors: Meng Yan , Chen Chen , Liu Yang , Tian Cui , Li Hui-Hua
Published: July 2017

Background: Activation of dendritic cells (DCs) is necessary to initiate immune responses. Angiotensin II (Ang II) has been reported to have a proinflammatory and immunomodulatory function. However, the role of Ang II in regulation of DCs and the underlying mechanisms remain illdefined. Methods: The effects of Ang II on the proliferation, maturation, phagocytosis, migration, and communication with T cells of DCs were analysed utilizing MTT, flow cytometry, ELISA, transwell assay and mixed lymphocyte culture. Results: We found that Ang II treatment significantly inhibited proliferation and phagocytic activity of DCs, but promoted the DC maturation and migration well as the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines by DCs. In addition, Ang II also stimulated DC-mediated T cell proliferation. These effects were associated with activation of p65/NF-κB, ERK1/2 and STAT1 signaling pathways in DCs. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that Ang II activates DCs partially through p65/NF-κB, ERK1/2 and STAT1 pathways, and suggest a potential therapeutic target of DC-mediated inflammatory disorders.
Revisiting the Fosse Temple at Tel Lachish
Authors: Koch Ido
Published: July 2017

This paper reconsiders the Late Bronze Age history of the Fosse Temple at Lachish and reconstructs its context vis-à-vis the broader role of the local Canaanite cult. During the reign of Amenhotep iii the structure’s plan was modified to conform to Egyptian-style and there was a profusion of Egyptian imports to the site, primarily associated with the cult of Hathor. These facts reflect the cultic innovations that were taking place in Egypt itself—the self-deification of Amenhotep iii and his consort, Tiye, including her depiction and worship as Hathor. It is consequently argued that the translation of Hathor/Tiye into the local goddess, Elat, and its continuous practice until the late 13th century bc echo the integration of Egypt within the indigenous cultural world.
Taxonomic studies of two genera, Elongationa gen. nov. and Midoria Kato (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Ledrinae), with two new species from China
Authors: SUN JING , HUANG WEIJIAN , ZHANG YALIN
Published: July 2017

Elongationa gen. nov., a new leafhopper genus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Ledrinae) with one new species, E. hyalina sp. nov., is described and illustrated in detail. A checklist and key to species in the genus Midoria are provided including a new species, Midoria curvidentata sp. nov., described in this paper.
A new record and mitochondrial identification of Synidotea laticauda Benedict, 1897 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Valvifera: Idoteidae) from the Yangtze Estuary, China
Authors: LIU WENLIANG , LIANG XIAOLI , ZHU XIAOJING
Published: July 2017

Synidotea laticauda Benedict, 1897 is recorded for the first time from China. Previous records of Synidotea laevidorsalis (Miers, 1881) from the Yangtze Estuary are misidentifications of this species. Molecular comparison using the mitochondrial sequence COI shows that S. laticauda from the Yangtze Estuary is identical to a NCBI sequence of S. laevidorsalis from Korea, probably misidentified. The origin of this widespread introduced species is discussed.
Comparative Evaluation of the OTT PARSIVEL2 Using a Collocated Two-Dimensional Video Disdrometer
Authors: Park S.-G. , Kim Hae-Lim , Ham Young-Woong , Jung Sung-Hwa
Published: July 2017

The performance of the OTT second-generation Particle Size Velocity (PARSIVEL2) laser weather sensor is evaluated by comparing it with a collocated two-dimensional video disdrometer (2DVD) and rain gauges using data collected over a total of 36 rain events. A comparison of raindrop size distributions (DSDs) between the 2DVD and two PARSIVEL2 reveals good agreement for weak rainfall rates below approximately 10 mm h−1 and for midsize drops with diameters between 0.6 and 4.0 mm irrespective of rainfall rates, whereas the PARSIVEL2 produces overestimations of large drops with diameters above 4 mm during heavy rainfall above approximately 20 mm h−1. The resultant DSD parameters of the PARSIVEL2 present overestimations of the mean diameter Dm in the normalized gamma function and the maximum drop diameter Dmax, and underestimations of the intercept parameter Nw and total number of drops NT. Furthermore, how the characteristics of DSDs from the PARSIVEL2 affect the polarimetric radar variables, such as differential reflectivity ZDR and specific differential phase KDP, is examined, as well as how these characteristics affect empirical relations required in radar hydrometeorological applications such as quantitative rainfall estimations. Based on these examinations, it can be concluded that the OTT PARSIVEL2 still produces overestimations of large drops and underestimations of small drops during heavy rainfall, similar to older models of PARSIVEL, despite significant improvements to the PARSIVEL2 system, and furthermore that the uses of PARSIVEL2 measurements can act as a source of error in radar hydrometeorological applications such as radar rainfall estimations.
Genetic Screening for Susceptibility to Depression: Can We and Should We?
Authors: Morley Katherine I. , Hall Wayne D. , Carter Lucy
Published: July 2017

Objective:

To summarize current knowledge about genetic susceptibility to mood disorders and examine ethical and policy issues that will need to be addressed if robustly replicated susceptibility alleles lead to proposals to screen and intervene with persons at increased genetic risk of developing mood disorders.

Method:

Empirical studies and reviews of the genetics of unipolar and bipolar depression were collected via MEDLINE and psycINFO database searches.

Results:

A number of candidate genes for depression have been identified, each of which increases the risk of mood disorders two- or threefold. None of the associations between these alleles and mood disorders have been consistently reported to date.

Conclusions:

Screening the population for genetic susceptibility to mood disorders is unlikely to be a practically useful policy (given plausible assumptions). Until there are effective treatments for persons at increased risk, screening is arguably unethical. Screening within affected families to advise on risks of developing depression would entail screening children and adolescents, raising potentially serious ethical issues of consent and stigmatization. Genetic research on depression should continue under appropriate ethical guidelines that protect the interests of research participants.
The Clifton Tracts and the Clifton Tales
Authors: Russell Julian
Published: July 2017

The author wishes to thank Alan Whaits, of Clifton, who introduced him to the Tracts and subsequently clarified many obscure points; Canon Harding, who introduced him to some of the later printings and the American edition of the Tracts; Gillian Hogarth, who guided him through the procedures of publication; and the Society of St Vincent de Paul (England and Wales) for permission to consult and to quote from unpublished manuscripts in its archives.
No Easy Heritage: The Vicars Apostolic and the Welsh Missions, 1780-1850
Authors: Lee Nicholas
Published: July 2017

Much of the research for this article was originally undertaken by the late Pamela Gilbert, author of This Restless Prelate: Bishop Peter Baines 1786-1843 (Gracewing, 2006), who studied and worked in the Clifton Diocesan Archives for many years. She died in 2014 before being able to complete the book that she had hoped eventually to publish, and on which the present author has since been working. Part of the material presented here was given as a talk to members of the Wales and the Marches Catholic History Society in 2015. The letters quoted from or referred to are all housed at Clifton Diocesan Archives, except where otherwise indicated. The author wishes to thank Canon Harding for permission to consult and cite them, and for his unfailing and good-humoured support.
Grassroots Philanthropy of the Praire
Authors: Marshall Joanne M.
Published: July 2017

A group of teachers leads a community to band together to provide for the urgent needs of its least fortunate students.
Just the Facts: Personal Learning Networks
Authors: Nussbaum-Beach Sheryl
Published: July 2017

Find out what you need to know about personal learning networks and how to make them work for you.
On the Prowl: How to Hunt and Score Your First Job
Authors: Peterson Anna
Published: July 2017

This new teacher found her first job, and you can, too. Learn from her experience, and find out how to stand out.
Four Steps to Classroom Management after Spring Break
Authors: Clement Mary C.
Published: July 2017

Are your classroom management skills unraveling as the year goes along? Follow these four steps to make a new start after spring break that will take you to the end of the year.
Life 101: There’s an app for that
Authors: Skelley Patricia
Published: July 2017

Although learning to be independent in college can be overwhelming, technology offers solutions to save money, stay in touch with friends and family, and make life easier by using an online cloud drive and apps to organize life.
Relative Stresses of Wheelchair Activityl
Authors: Glaser Roger M. , Barr Stephen A. , Laubach Lloyd L. , Sawka Michael N. , Suryaprasad Agaramg G.
Published: July 2017

To study relative stresses of wheelchair activity, seven able-bodied subjects' metabolic (oxygen uptake) and cardiopulmonary (heart rate and pulmonary ventilation) responses were determined during wheelchair (arm stroking) and bicycle (leg pedaling) exercise at identical propulsion velocities and work rates. For this, subjects exercised on a combination wheelchair-bicycle ergometer at wheel velocities of 1.17, 2.34, and 3.51 km/hr. The six bouts of exercise were intennittent~5-min exercise periods interspersed by 10-min rest periods. At 1.17 km/hr, no significant differences were found between wheelchair and bicycle exercise for each of the monitored variables. At 2.34 and 3.51 km/hr, however, all responses were significantly higher for wheelchair exercise. At these higher velocities, calculated respiratory exchange ratio and ventilatory equivalent values were also significantly higher for wheelchair exercise. These results suggest that acute exposure to wheelchair activity could be relatively stressful and could limit rehabilitative efforts.
Ocular Dominance and Field of View in Monocular and Binocular Optical Systems
Authors: Swistak Joseph E. , Allen John A.
Published: July 2017

An experiment was conducted in which the effects of ocular dominance and field-or-view restrictions on judgments of centricity were examined. Thirty subjects (J 5 left-eye dominant and 15 right-eye dominant) were asked to make midpoint estimates in five experimental tasks under all possible combinations of the following conditions: (a) monocular vs. binocular viewing; (b) total covering of either the dominant or nondominant eye; and (c) field-or-view restrictions of either 20, 40, or 60 degrees. While no evidence was found to suggest that, by themselves, eye dominance or field-or-view restrictions seriously affect observers' midpoint judgments, under monocular viewing conditions the direction of errors by right- and left-eye dominant subjects was found to depend on which eye was the viewing eye (i.e., dominant or nondominant). The results are discussed in terms of previous research in the area, and implications for the design and use of optical systems are presented.
An Evaluation of Blink Inspection
Authors: Liuzzo J. G. , Druryl C. G.
Published: July 2017

It has been suggested that performance in an industrial inspection task can be improved by rapidly alternating images of the item to be inspected and a perfect item onto the visual field of the inspector. Such a blink inspection system was evaluated for a complex item (a printed circuit board which could contain three flaws) and a simple item (a blank field which could contain one flaw) using eight student subjects for each of five inspection conditions. Three groups, one using blink inspection and two control groups, inspected circuit boards; two groups (one blink and one control) inspected blank fields. Search time was improved by blink inspection for the circuit boards and with different defects showing different degrees of improvement. Only one type of defect showed both reduced search times and reduced errors. For blank fields, performance was worse under blink inspection. Subjects showed a consistent tendency to terminate their search for defects in a logical manner, with stopping time related to search difficulty. Measures of heart rate mean and variability were taken as a pilot study to measure task stress. There was little evidence from the heart rate measures that the task was stressful.
Children's Estimates of Vehicle Approach Times
Authors: Hoffmann Errol R. , Payne Anthony , Prescott Stephen
Published: July 2017

Eighty subjects in four age groups (5-6. 7-8, 9-10. adult) viewed a series of movie film clips of a vehicle approaching them along a roadway. Subjects estimated the time at which the vehicle would have passed them. With mean data. all age groups underestimated the time to arrival. with the underestimation decreasing with increasing age. The ability of subjects to scale time was strongly age dependent; the exponent in a Stevens power law relationship increased with age, as did the explained variance, Using r2= 0.5 as a criterion for the achievement of time scaling, the percentages in each age group reaching the criterion were 26, 48, 68. and 86 for the 5-6, 7-8, 9-10. and adult groups. respectively. The data suggest that children would reach adult performance at about 12 years of age.
A Job Severity Index for the Evaluation and Control of Lifting Injury
Authors: Liles D. H. , Deivanayagam S. , Ayoub M. M. , Mahajan P.
Published: July 2017

Two large field studies were conducted to test the validity of the Job Severity Index (JSI) as an engineering tool for the control of manual materials-handling injury. Comparisons were made between the calculated JSIs of 453 individuals working in 101 different jobs and the injuries sustained by the same individuals over a period of 1057881 exposure hours (529 exposure years). The results revealed the existence of a job severity threshold above which the incidence, severity, and cost of injury dramatically increased. It was concluded that the JSI method can effectively be used to control injuries caused by the manual lifting of loads.
Bigness Is in the Eye of the Beholder
Authors: Roscoe Stanley N.
Published: July 2017

This report reviews an investigation of judgments of size and distance as required of pilots in flight. The experiments covered a broad spectrum of basic psychophysiological issues involving the measurement of visual accommodation and its correlation with various other dependent variables. Psychophysiological issues investigated included the size-distance invariance hypothesis, the projection of afterimages, the moon illusion, night and empty-field myopia, the dark focus and its so-called Mandelbaum effect, the nature and locus of the accommodative stimulus, the relation between accommodation, retinal size, and perceived size, and possible relationships among accommodative responses, autonomic balance, and personality variables.
Contrast Sensitivity Predicts Age-Related Differences in Highway-Sign Discriminability
Authors: Evans David W. , Ginsburg Arthur P.
Published: July 2017

This study was conducted to detennine if contrast sensitivity could predict age-related differences in the ability to discriminate simple road signs, as these differences have not been predicted by Snellen visual acuity. Contrast sensitivity, Snellen visual acuity, and discrimination distances for projected images of highway signs were measured for 7 older observers, ages 55 to 79, and 13 younger observers, ages 19 to 30. All subjects had 20/20 visual acuity or better, but the older group had significantly lower contrast sensitivity than did the younger group at three spatial frequencies: 3, 6, and 12 cycles/deg of visual angle. The older group required a significantly larger sign symbol in order to determine if it denoted a + or T intersection. Correlations between measures showed that highway-sign discrimination distance was significantly related to contrast sensitivity at two spatial frequencies, 1.5 and 12 cycles/deg, but discrimination distance was not related to visual acuity. Implications for highway-sign design and driver vision standards are discussed.
Why Low-Flying Fighter Planes Crash: Perceptual and Attentional Factors in Collisions with the Ground
Authors: Haber Ralph Norman
Published: July 2017

A detailed analysis of a recent jet fighter mishap is made in terms of perceptual and attentional factors that may have contributed to or caused the mishap. The crash occurred in clear air while the fighter was maneuvering over rugged terrain of irregular and unpredictable features. There were no mechanical failures and no evidence of pilot error. The analysis concentrates on the effects of the underinformativeness of the terrain; the difficulties of perceiving distance, ground clearance, and position under these conditions; the consequences of the high gravitational forces generated by the jet just prior to impact; and the competition for the pilot's visual attention. The effects of the combinations of these various factors are then considered. Finally, specific suggestions are made for improvements in training for low-altitude flight.
Torque Required from Elderly Females to Operate Faucet Handles of Various Shapes
Authors: Bordett Harvey M. , Koppa Rodger J. , Congelton Jerome J.
Published: July 2017

Contemporary housing design for the elderly features faucet handles of various shapes in the kitchen and bath. Often the elderly users cannot properly grip the faucet handle, whose shape does not allow for sufficient torque to be developed to shut off the water flow. Twenty-three elderly females turned seven different faucet handles in the clockwise and counterclockwise direction, exerting comfortable levels of torque. The only handle that consistently allowed a torque force to be developed superior to that needed to operate working installed water faucets was a medical-type “paddle.” A comparison of the torque needed to terminate water flow in actual water faucets with the torque developed by the standing and seated subjects showed that the nonpaddle handles did not allow subjects to generate sufficient torque to terminate the water flow. The blunt edges of the nonpaddle handles caused substantial hand pain.
Motorcycle Conspicuity Revisited
Authors: Olson Paul L.
Published: July 2017

There is a widespread belief that motorcycles are more difficult to detect in traffic than are cars and trucks, which has led to much research designed to enhance motorcycle conspicuity. This paper examines the basic concept and finds that it lacks empirical support. Further, a number of other possible explanations could account for the differences one finds when comparing car-motorcycle and car-car collisions. Additional research is required to determine whether conspicuity is a special problem for motorcycles and the extent to which such a problem might contribute to crash involvement.
Pedal Error and Misperceived Centerline in Eight Different Automobiles
Authors: Vernoy Mark W. , Tomerlin John
Published: July 2017

The hypothesis that misperception of an automobile's centerline is related to pedal error was tested in eight late-model automobiles. Pedal error is described as hitting the accelerator pedal when instructed to depress the brake pedal. One hundred twenty-nine subjects participated in an experiment in which pedal errors and perceived centerline were measured in all eight automobiles. The results indicate that subjects misperceive the centerline of the automobile to be to the right of the actual centerline. Although 26 pedal errors were recorded, no relationship between pedal errors and misperceived centerline was found.
Effects of Handle Angle and Work Orientation on Hammering: I. Wrist Motion and Hammering Performance
Authors: Schoenmarklin Richard W. , Marras William S.
Published: July 2017

This research investigated the range of wrist motion characteristics associated with the ergonomic principle of “bending the tool and not the wrist” as applied to the hammer. It is thought that bending the tool reduces angular wrist motion, which has been shown in the literature to be a risk factor in hand/wrist disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tenosynovitis. Hammer handles angled at 0 (straight), 20, and 40 deg were investigated in this study. For novices, hammer handles bent at 20 and 40 deg resulted in less total ulnar deviation than straight hammers. However, there was a trade-off in beginning and ending positions of the wrist in that the angled hammers reduced ulnar deviation at the impact position but increased radial deviation at the starting position of a hammer stroke. Handle angle did not significantly affect hammering performance. Wrist motion was affected minimally by hammering orientation, but hammering performance was significantly worse in the wall orientation compared with the bench orientation. This research suggests that for novice users, hammers with handles bent in the range of 20 to 40 deg could possibly decrease the incidence of hand/wrist disorders caused by hammering.
Arm Posture and Human Movement Capability
Authors: Wiker Steven F. , Langolf Gary D. , Chaffin Don B.
Published: July 2017

Many workers perform manual assembly tasks or use hand tools while the hands are postured above the shoulders or to the side of the body. Experiments were conducted to study the sensitivity of speed-accuracy movement performance to a wide range of hand locations around the shoulder under various levels of hand loads, ratios of work to rest, and task durations. Subjects performed a spatially constrained stylus-to-hole Fitts reciprocal movement task designed to simulate high-incentive manual assembly operations while providing basic information regarding changes in human move and positioning capabilities. Significant decrements in movement performance occurred when hands were postured above shoulder level. Move and positioning times increased 15.3% and 26.5%, respectively, with elevation of the hand from −15 to 60 deg respective to shoulder level. Posturally based decrements in movement capability were unrelated to differences in subject strength capability found among test postures. The consequences of elevated arm postures on human move and positioning capability are presented along with workplace design and methods recommendations for job designers facing work-height decisions in manual assembly environments.
Training Effects on the Resolution of Moving Targets—Dynamic Visual Acuity
Authors: Long Gerald M. , Rourke David A.
Published: July 2017

In initial 60-min sessions, the dynamic visual acuity (DVA)of 54 male college observers was determined over a range of target velocities (60, 90, 120, and 150 deg/s) at each of three durations (200, 400, and 600 ms). Following four 30-min practice sessions with the task, a final test session identical to the first was then conducted. Highly significant training effects on DVA were obtained; contrary to previous work, these effects were most marked for observers with initially poorer performance.
Older Adults and Daily Living Task Profiles
Authors: Clark M. Cherie , Czaja Sara J. , Weber Ruth A.
Published: July 2017

This paper describes data generated from a comprehensive study in which human factors techniques were applied to the analysis of 25 personal and instrumental activities of daily living (ADLs) performed by 60 older adults (age 55 to 93 years) living in the community. Demand profiles generated from task analysis of videotaped ADLs identify the demands inherent in task activities and the objects and environments associated with them. Examples of four different approaches to examine ADL performance using demand profiles are presented: global descriptions of demands across all ADL tasks, task component profiles, task-specific profiles, and action profiles.
A Ten-Year Follow-Up of Driving Patterns among the Community-Dwelling Elderly
Authors: Jette Alan M. , Branch Laurence G.
Published: July 2017

Massachusetts Health Care Panel Study data were used to examine age-related changes in driving patterns over 10 years in a community-dwelling cohort of elders. In 1974, 86% of the men and 76% of the women reported that the automobile was their chief mode of transportation. At each follow-up, 87% or more of those who had relied on a car at the start of the study continued to rely on the automobile as their primary source of transportation. Approximately 75% or more of those who were self-reliant in driving a car at each assessment were still self-reliant at the subsequent follow-up. These prospective data clearly demonstrate that a substantial proportion of the older population in the United States continues to rely on the automobile and to drive in their eighth and ninth decades of life. Declining health status appears to be an important risk factor for losing self-reliance in driving a car in old age.
Apparent Size and Distance in an Imaging Display
Authors: Meehan James W. , Triggs Thomas J.
Published: July 2017

The size-distance invariance hypothesis suggests that the perceived size and the perceived distance of objects in a field viewed naturally are closely related. However, this relationship breaks down when scenes are viewed through high-power optical systems. When natural scenes are viewed through an imaging display of unity magnification, there is a reduction in their apparent size. This raises the question of whether the relationship breaks down when scenes are viewed through a low-power imaging display. A single-lens reflex camera was used as an imaging display that enabled subjects to vary the size of imaged real-world scenes. Judgments of size were found to vary with depth information in scenes and between monocular and binocular viewing, consistent with a previous finding, but judgments of distance did not vary significantly across either of these conditions. The results suggest that judgments of size and judgments of distance with imaging displays are not influenced uniformly by environmental and task variables.
Graphical Displays: Implications for Divided Attention, Focused Attention, and Problem Solving
Authors: Bennett Kevin B. , Flach John M.
Published: July 2017

When completing tasks in complex, dynamic domains observers must consider the relationships among many variables (e.g., integrated tasks) as well as the values of individual variables (e.g., focused tasks). A critical issue in display design is whether or not a single display format can achieve the dual design goals of supporting performance at both types of tasks. We consider this issue from a variety of perspectives. One relevant perspective is the basic research on attention and object perception, which concentrates on the interaction between visual features and processing capabilities. The principles of configurality are discussed, with the conclusion that they support the possibility of achieving the dual design goals. These considerations are necessary but not sufficient for effective display design. Graphic displays map information from a domain into visual features; the tasks to be completed are defined in terms of the domain, not in terms of the visual features alone. The implications of this subtle but extremely important difference are discussed. The laboratory research investigating alternative display formats is reviewed. Much like the attention literature, the results do not rule out the possibility that the dual design goals can be achieved.
Choosing Specifiers: An Evaluation of the Basic Tasks Model of Graphical Perception
Authors: Carswell C. Melody
Published: July 2017

Effect sizes obtained from 39 experiments were used to evaluate the predictions of the basic tasks model of graphical efficacy. This model predicts that performance will be attenuated with graphical displays as a function of the particular specifier, or visual dimension, used to code data values. In this review the basic tasks model predicted performance more accurately than did Tufte's data-ink principle. In addition, variability in effect sizes across studies revealed that the model was more successful at predicting performance in local (focusing) tasks than in global information synthesis tasks. Furthermore, the model was better at predicting performance in tasks requiring the use of physically present rather than remembered graphs. Further differences in effect sizes resulted from variability in the exact specifiers used in experimental graphs. Minimal differences were obtained among graphs that used position, length, or angle as specifiers. However, graphs that used area or volume to represent quantitative values were associated with consistently worse performance than found with other formats.
Distance and Organization in Multifunction Displays
Authors: Seidler Karen S. , Wickens Christopher D.
Published: July 2017

One approach to organizing information in a multifunction display (MFD) is to place related screens of information closer to each other. This study identified three metrics that could be used to operationalize the concept of distance in an MFD. The proposed distance metrics--navigational (the number of choice points lying between two screens), organizational (the hierarchical structure of the data base), and cognitive (the user's perception of relationships among screens)--were empirically examined by using a simulated, hierarchically arranged, menu-driven MFD in an aviation context. Subjects engaged in two tasks that required them to access different target screens from various starting screens in a 290-screen MFD. The tasks differed in the navigational mechanisms subjects were allowed to use to navigate around the MFD and the relationships between the starting and target screens. The results suggest that the three distance metrics are meaningful within the context of a multifunction display.
Visibility of Transmissive Liquid Crystal Displays under Dynamic Lighting Conditions
Authors: Krantz John H. , Silverstein Louis D. , Yeh Yei-Yu
Published: July 2017

Liquid crystal displays maintain superior contrast under bright sunlight conditions compared with cathode-ray tube displays. This attribute, along with reduced weight, volume, and power requirements, make liquid crystal displays especially desirable for use in vehicular applications. The present experiment was designed to determine the luminance requirements for transmissive liquid crystal displays viewed under a wide range of lighting conditions typical of many vehicular environments. Both the ambient illumination incident on the display surface and the forward-field-of-view adaptation luminance were parametrically manipulated. The visual task involved speeded spatial discrimination responses for detection of the gap in a modified Landolt-C acuity target. The results indicate that under theworst lighting conditions tested, a display luminance of approximately 180 cd/m2 yielded asymptotic spatial discrimination performance. The results have been incorporated into a predictive visual performance model for spatial discrimination tasks, which describes the present data well and represents a first step toward a device-independent model of display visibility.
Modeling Strategic Behavior in Human-Automation Interaction: Why an "Aid" Can (and Should) Go Unused
Authors: Kirlik Alex
Published: July 2017

Task-offload aids (e.g., an autopilot, an "intelligent" assistant) can be selectively engaged by the human operator to dynamically delegate tasks to automation. Introducing such aids eliminates some task demands but creates new ones associated with programming, engaging, and disengaging the aiding device via an interface. The burdens associated with managing automation can sometimes outweigh the potential benefits of automation to improved system performance. Aid design parameters and features of the overall multitask context combine to determine whether or not a task-offload aid will effectively support the operator. A modeling and sensitivity analysis approach is presented that identifies effective strategies for human-automation interaction as a function of three task-context parameters and three aid design parameters. The analysis and modeling approaches provide resources for predicting how a well-adapted operator will use a given task-offload aid, and for specifying aid design features that ensure that automation will provide effective operator support in a multitask environment.
Will and Circumstance and the Postwar Study of Canada's Foreign Policy
Authors: Stairs Denis
Published: July 2017

Modern political science rejects, correctly, the notion that one man can make his country's foreign policy just as he pleases. Modern political science asserts, correctly, that behind every ‘output,’ or policy decision, there lurk a dozen ‘inputs’ – the economy, opinion, military might and morale, political structure, political culture, competing elites, and all the others – that constrain the would-be foreign policymaker on horseback.
For Auld Lang Syne—Towards the Demise of the Jury?
Authors: Robertshaw Paul
Published: July 2017

This article considers one chapter, on the jury, of the 12-chapter Criminal Courts Review Report, published following Auld LJ's review of the English criminal courts. Coverage of each of the topics in the article includes research proposals. First the appropriate size of the jury is addressed. Under the rubric of jury composition, reservations concerning disabilities are noted. The article then considers ethnic minority representation in detail. In the context of jury composition in serious fraud/complex trials a managerial experiment is proposed, together with four variants in the make-up of the jury. In the discussion on reasoned and perverse verdicts the approach of the Review is countered and two constructive alternatives are suggested. Similarly, the article puts forward a development in research method on jury deliberation, which was never within that considered by the Review. Finally, the jury trial is relocated in a constitutional framework and the article provides two perspectives on jury trial as a right, which under current circumstances should be settled by referendum.
Towards a Normative Defence of Provocation in England and Ireland
Authors: Stannard John E.
Published: July 2017

This article compares, in the light of the House of Lords' decision in R v Smith (Morgan James), the English and Irish approaches to the objective test in provocation. Though the law on this point has developed in radically different directions as between England and Ireland, both jurisdictions demonstrate a profound dissatisfaction with the objective test in its traditional formulation combined with a reluctance to dispense with it altogether. It is suggested that Lord Hoffmann's approach in Morgan Smith, by drawing out the essentially normative function of the objective test, provides a useful way forward for the law on both sides of the Irish Sea.
Ion Transport and Water Movement
Authors: Martinez J. R.
Published: July 2017

Secretion of water and electrolytes in salivary glands occurs by a dual process involving the formation of a plasma-like, isotonic primary-secretion in salivary acini and its subsequent modification in salivary-ducts by the removal and addition of specific ions. The mechanisms underlying the formation of primary acinar secretion have been investigated with a number of experimental approaches such as electrophysiology, the measurement of ion transport in gland fragments and dispersed acinar cells, and the evaluation of the ionic requirements for secretion in isolated, perfused gland preparations. The accumulated evidence suggests that salivary secretion is formed by a complex interaction between passive and active ion movements across acinar cell membranes, resulting in the trans-acinar movement of CI and Na+ and, by the osmotic gradient which develops, of water. A major consequence of stimulation is the release of K + through Ca++ -and voltage-sensitive channels and its subsequent recycling back into the cells by ouabain- and furosemide-sensitive transport systems. This results in NaCl uptake across the basolateral cell membrane and the subsequent efflux of CI through luminal membrane channels, which also appear to be sensitive to cellular Ca + +. The rates of these various ion movements appear to be, therefore, closely linked and interdependent. Ductal modification of the primary secretion has been studied in microperfused duct preparations. The evidence likewise indicates that it involves interactions between complex conductance pathways in the luminal cell membrane and a Na, K pump present in the basolateral cell membrane and that it is under autonomic and hormonal control. Activation of ductal transport mechanisms results in NaCl reabsorption and KHCO3 secretion. Final saliva thus differs from primary secretion in electrolyte composition and, because water permeability is low in the duct epithelium, becomes hypotonic. Alterations in fluid and electrolyte secretion such as those observed in disease can result, therefore, from disturbances in one or more of these complex transport processes in acinar or duct cells.
Pathophysiology of Cystic Fibrosis with Emphasis on Salivary Gland Involvement
Authors: Davis P. B.
Published: July 2017

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a fatal autosomal recessive disorder which affects all exocrine glands, or perhaps all epithelial surfaces. The three organs most consistently affected are the eccrine sweat gland, which produces excessively salty sweat; the lung, in which chronic obstructive pulmonary disease invariably develops and is usually the cause of mortality; and the pancreas, which fails to produce adequate bicarbonate ion and water in nearly all patients, and produces inadequate digestive enzymes in most, giving rise to pancreatic insufficiency. However, the liver, reproductive tracts, intestine, sinuses, and salivary glands are also regularly affected. In the sweat gland and in the airways, passive chloride permeability is reduced, accounting for the salty sweat and probably contributing to the dehydrated mucus in the airways. In organs apart from the sweat gland, a common feature of the disease is the plugging of glandular acini and ductules by precipitated secretions. Salivary glands have been extensively studied in CF because of both the accessibility of the glands and their products, and the mix of mucous and serous components in the salivary glands. However, there is no unanimity in the results from parotid and submandibular glands. In the labial (mucous) glands, the sodium content of secreted product and in the secretory granules is markedly elevated, and histologically the acini are plugged with eosinophilic material. Functional studies of CF salivary glands have also yielded inconsistent data. Cultured cell systems combined with molecular biologic approaches offer promise in tracing the fundamental CF defect in salivary and other epithelial systems.
Difference in Capacity between Macrophages and Dendritic Cells from Rat Incisor Pulp to Provide Accessory Signals to Concanavalin-A-stimulated T-lymphocytes
Authors: Jontell M. , Eklöf C. , Dahlgren V.I. , Bergenholtz G.
Published: July 2017

The present study compared the ability of dendritic cells and macrophages derived from the dental pulp to provide accessory signals to Concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated T-lymphocytes. Pulpal cells from maxillary and mandibular rat incisors were enzymatically released with collagenase. T-lymphocytes were isolated from rat cervical lymph nodes. In initial experiments, suspensions of unseparated pulpal cells were found to provide co-stimulatory help to Con-A-treated T-lymphocytes. The proliferation rate correlated well with the number of cells in the pulp suspension and followed a time course characteristic of a Con-A-driven proliferation of T-lymphocytes. Depletion of class II molecule-expressing cells from the unpurified suspension of pulpal cells resulted in lost ability to provide accessory signals to Con-A-stimulated T-lymphocytes. In contrast, removal of ED2-positive cells, i.e., macrophages, did not affect the ability of the suspension to give this assistance. Partially purified class II molecule-expressing cells enhanced the proliferative response, while addition of enriched macrophages did not. It was concluded that cells in the normal dental pulp with the characteristics of dendritic cells have the capacity to provide help to Con-A-stimulated T-lymphocytes, while cells with the macrophage phenotype lack this ability.
Bone Cell Expression on Titanium Surfaces is Altered by Sterilization Treatments
Authors: Stanford C.M. , Keller J.C. , Solursh M.
Published: July 2017

Phenotypic responses of rat calvarial osteoblast-like cells (RCOB) were evaluated on commercially pure titanium (cpTi) surfaces when cultured at high density (5100 cells/mm2). These surfaces were prepared to three different clinically relevant surface preparations (1-μm, 600-grit, and 50-μm-grit sand-blast), followed by sterilization with either ultraviolet light, ethylene oxide, argon plasma-cleaning, or routine clinical autoclaving. Osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase, but not collagen expression, were significantly affected by surface roughness when these surfaces were altered by argon plasma-cleaning. In general, plasma-cleaned cpTi surfaces demonstrated an inverse relationship between surface roughness and phenotypic markers for a bone-like response. On a per-cell basis, levels of the bone-specific protein, osteocalcin, and the enzymatic activity of alkaline phosphatase were highest on the smooth 1-μm polished surface and lowest on the roughest surfaces for the plasma-cleaned cpTi. Detectable bone cell expression can be altered by clinically relevant surfaces prepared by standard dental implant preparation techniques.
Structure-Property Relations and Crack Resistance at the Bovine Dentin-Enamel Junction
Authors: Lin C.P. , Douglas W.H.
Published: July 2017

The present report is a study of the fracture behavior of the dentin-enamel complex, involving enamel, dentin, and the dentin-enamel junction (DEJ), that combines experimental design, computational finite element analysis, and fractography. Seven chevron-notched short-bar bovine DEJ specimens were utilized in this study. The general plane of the DEJ was approximately perpendicular to the fracture plane. All specimens were stored at 37°C and 100% relative humidity for 24 h prior to being tested. A fracture test set-up was designed for application of tensile load on the DEJ specimens to initiate a crack at the vertex of the chevron in the enamel, across the DEJ zone and into the bulk dentin. During fracture testing, a water chamber was used to avoid dehydration of the specimen. The results showed that the lower boundary value of the fracture toughness of the DEJ perpendicular to its own plane was 3.38 ± 0.40 MN/m1.5 and 988.42 ± 231.39 J/m2, in terms of KIC and GIC, respectively. In addition, there was an extensive plastic deformation (83 ± 12%) collateral to the fracture process at the DEJ zone. The fractography revealed that the deviation of the crack path involved an area which was approximately 50-100 μm deep. The parallel-oriented coarse collagen bundles with diameters of 1-5 μm at the DEJ zone may play a significant role in resisting the enamel crack. This reflects the fact, that in the intact tooth, the multiple full thickness cracks commonly found in enamel do not typically cause total failure of the tooth by crack extension into the dentin.
Effect of Mechanical Forces on Chondrocyte Maturation and Differentiation in the Mandibular Condyle of the Rat
Authors: Kantomaa T. , Tuominen M. , Pirttiniemi P.
Published: July 2017

The effects of mechanical factors on the growth of the mandibular condyle were studied by monitoring the maturation of the mesenchymal cells in 55 rats. Thirty-five animals were fed normal pellet food, and 20 were fed a soft diet and their incisors were cut regularly. 3H-thymidine was injected intraperitoneally three days before death at 18, 23, or 33 days. Histologic sections showed the most advanced 3H-thymidine-labeled cells to occur deep in the cartilage, in the lower hypertrophic cell layer in anterior and posterior regions of the condyle, and in the upper hypertrophic cell layer in the superior region at the age of 18 days. A distinct difference in the maturation state of the labeled cells could also be observed between these regions. In animals fed a soft diet, maturation was slower in the superior region of the condyle and faster in the posterior region than in the normal rats. The rate at which cells stepped out of the proliferating cell pool was measured by use of monoclonal antibodies against proliferating cell nuclear antigen. The ratio between labeled cells in the proliferating cell layer and the number of labeled cells beneath it was greater in control animals than in the soft-diet animals. The rate of differentiation and maturation of mesenchymal cells into chondrocytes seems to be controlled by mechanical factors.