229 research outputs found
ThickPad
No full textWe explored the use of a hover tracking touchpad in a laptop environment. In order to study the new experience, we implemented a prototype touchpad consisting of infrared LEDs and photo-transistors, which can track fingers as far as 10mm over the surface. We demonstrate here three major interaction techniques that would become possible when a hovertracking touchpad meets a laptop
Studies of Circadian Nuclear Receptor REV-ERBα in the Dorsal Raphe 5-HT Neurons on Social Interaction Behavior
No full textserotonin; social interaction; social preference; dorsal raphe; Tph2; REV-ERBα; circadian rhythm; fiber-photometry; optogeneticsSocial interaction among conspecifics is essential for maintaining adaptive, cooper-ative, and social behaviors, along with survival among mammals. The 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) neuronal system is an important neurotransmitter for regulat-ing social behaviors, however, the circadian role of 5-HT in social interaction behaviors is unclear. To investigate whether the circadian nuclear receptor, REV-ERBα, a transcrip-tional repressor of the rate-limiting enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (Tph2) gene in 5-HT biosynthesis, may affect social interaction behaviors, I generated a conditional knock-out (cKO) mouse by targeting Rev-Erbα in the dorsal raphe (DR) 5-HT neurons (5-HTDR-specific REV-ERBα cKO) using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system, and assayed social behaviors, including social preference and social recognition with a three-chamber social interaction test at two circadian time (CT) points, i.e., at dawn (CT00) and dusk (CT12). The genetic ablation of Rev-Erbα in DR 5-HTergic neurons caused impaired social inter-action behaviors, particularly social preference but not social recognition, regardless of two CT points. This deficit of social preference was induced by Rev-Erbα in 5-HTDR-specific mice is functionally associated with real-time elevated neuron activity and 5-HT levels at dusk as determined by fiber-photometry imaging sensors. Moreover, optogenetic inhibition of DR to nucleus accumbens (NAc) 5-HTergic circuit restored the impairment of social preference in 5-HTDR-specific REV-ERB α cKO mouse. These results suggest the significance of the circadian regulation of 5-HT levels by REV-ERBα in regulating social interaction behaviors.|포유류에서 동족 간의 사회적 상호작용은 적응, 협동 및 사회성 (sociability) 행동을 유지하고 종족의 생존에 필수적이다. 세로토닌 (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT)은 사회적 행동을 조절하는 중요한 신경전달물질로서 일주기성을 나타내지만, 사회성 행동에서 세로토닌 뉴런에서 일주기 생체시계 유전자와의 연관성에 대해서는 많은 연구가 이루어지지 않았다. 본 연구에서는 생체 시계 유전자 중 하나인 일주기 핵 수용체 REV-ERBα가 사회성 상호작용 행동에 어떤 영향을 미치는지 연구하고자 유전자 가위 (CRISPR/Cas9) 시스템을 사용하여 세로토닌 뉴런-특이적으로 세로토닌 합성효소 유전자인Tryptophan hydroxylase2 (Tph2)의 전사 억제 인자인 REV-ERBα가 결손된 생쥐 모델을 제작하였고, 낮 (CT00)과 밤 (CT12)의 두 시간대에서 3개의 구획으로 이루어진 사회적 상호작용 행동실험 기법 (three-chamber social interaction test)을 통해 social preference (새로운 생쥐로의 접근, 선호도)와 social recognition (사회성 인지, 기억 정도)를 분석하였다. Dorsal raphe nucleus (DR, 등쪽솔기핵)에 위치한 세로토닌 뉴런에서 Rev-Erbα 유전자 제거는 사회성 행동 중 social preference를 손상시켰지만, social recognition에는 별다른 영향을 주기 않았다. 이는 fiber-photometry (광섬유 광도측정) 기법으로 실시간 세로토닌 뉴런의 활성 및 등쪽솔기핵 세로토닌 양이 증가와 깊은 연관이 있었으며, 이를 등쪽솔기핵에서 nucleus accumbens, (NAc, 측좌핵)을 잇는 신경 회로에서 광유전학적 (optogenetic) 억제로 세로토닌 뉴런 특이적 Rev-Erbα결손 생쥐에서 유도되었던 사회성 손상을 회복시키는 것을 확인하였다. 이러한 결과들은 REV-ERBα에 의한 세로토닌의 정교한 일주기적 조절이 사회성 행동을 조절하는 데 중요하며, REV-ERBα의 조절이 세로토닌 관련 질환의 치료 타겟이 될 수 있음을 시사한다.Ⅰ. INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Circadian rhythm 1
1.1.1 Master and local or peripheral clock in mammals 5
1.1.2 Molecular clockwork in mammals 6
1.1.3 Circadian regulation of physiology and behaviors 10
1.2 Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) 11
1.2.1 Biosynthesis of serotonin 13
1.2.2 Serotonin transduction and serotonin receptors 17
1.2.3 Functions of central serotonin 18
1.3 Social behavior 19
1.3.1 Social preference and recognition in mammals 20
1.3.2 Serotonin system in social preference and recognition in mammals 21
1.4 Purpose 22
ⅠⅠ. MATERIALS AND METHODS 23
2.1 Animals 23
2.2 Molecular cloning adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors and virus production 23
2.2.1 Single-guide RNA (sgRNA) 23
2.2.2 AAV production 24
2.2.3 Surgical procedures 24
2.3 Drug preparation and application 25
2.3.1 Local microinjection of SR8278 or GSK4112 25
2.4 RNA isolation and real-time qPCR 25
2.5 High-performance liquid chromatography-coupled electrochemical detector (HPLC-ECD) 26
2.5.1 Sample preparation 26
2.5.2 Measurements of 5-HT and its metabolites 26
2.6 Three chamber social interaction test 27
2.7 Fiber-photometry 28
2.8 Optogenetic manipulation 29
2.9 Immunohistochemistry 29
2.10 Statistical analysis 30
ⅠⅠⅠ. Results 31
3.1 5-HTDR-specific REV-ERBα cKO mouse altered the circadian rhythm of Tph2 and 5-HT levels 31
3.2 Ablation of 5-HTDR-specific REV-ERBα induced impairment of so-cial behavior, especially in social preference, not social recognition 33
3.3 Pharmacological manipulation of REV-ERBα through agonist and/or antagonist affects social behaviors 34
3.4 Changes in the real-time circadian 5-HT neuron activity together with increased 5-HT levels by fiber photometry during the social preference test 36
3.5 DR-NAc circuit-specific ablation of REV-ERBα in 5-HT neurons ex-hibited a deficit in social preference 38
3.6 Optogenetic inhibition of DR 5-HTergic projection to NAc rescued impaired social preference in REV-ERBα cKO mouse 39
ⅠV. Discussion 79
4.1 Circadian regulation of DR 5-HT 79
4.2 DR-NAc 5-HTergic innervation in social interaction 82
4.3 Conclusion 85
V. References 86
VI. Abstract in Korean 96DoctordCollectio
Accident risk identification and its impact analyses for strategic construction safety management
No full textThe study presented in this paper reviewed 9,358 accidents which occurred in the U.S. construction industry between 2002 and 2011, in order to understand the relationships between the risk factors and injury severity (e.g. fatalities, hospitalized injuries, or non-hospitalized injuries) and to develop a strategic prevention plan to reduce the likelihood of fatalities where an accident is unavoidable.\ud
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The study specifically aims to:\ud
(1) verify the relationships among risk factors, accident types, and injury severity, \ud
(2) determine significant risk factors associated with each accident type that are highly correlated to injury severity, and \ud
(3) analyze the impact of the identified key factors on accident and fatality occurrence. \ud
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The analysis results explained that safety managers’ roles are critical to reducing human-related risks—particularly misjudgement of hazardous situations—through safety training and education, appropriate use of safety devices and proper safety inspection. However, for environment-related factors, the dominant risk factors were different depending on the different accident types. The outcomes of this study will assist safety managers to understand the nature of construction accidents and plan for strategic risk mitigation by prioritizing high frequency risk factors to effectively control accident occurrence and manage the likelihood of fatal injuries on construction sites
RemoteTouch: touch-screen-like interaction in the tv viewing environment
No full textWe explored the possibility of touch-screen-like interaction with a remote control in the TV-viewing environment. A shadow representing the user's thumb touches the screen, presses a button, flicks a cover-flow list, and draws a simple stroke, while the thumb stays and moves on and above the touchpad. In order to implement the concept we developed an optical touchpad for tracking the thumb hovering over its surface, and designed a TV application to demonstrate possible new interaction styles. Throughout two iterations of prototyping, we corrected some of our false expectations, and also verified its potential as a viable option for a TV remote control. This paper presents technical issues and requirements for the hover-tracking touchpad and a complete report of our user studies to explore touch-screen-like interaction for the TV
The identification of Malaysian contractor satisfaction dimensions : a strategy for continuous improvement
No full textThe unique characteristics of the construction industry - such as the fragmentation of its processes, varied scope of works and diversity of its participants - are contributory factors to poor project performance. Several issues are unresolved due to the lack of a comprehensive technique to measure project outcomes including: inefficient decision making, insufficient communication, uncertain site conditions, a continuously changing environment, inharmonious working relationships, mismatched objectives within the project team and a blame culture. One approach to overcoming these problems appears to be to measure performance by gauging contractor satisfaction (Co-S) levels, but this has not been widely investigated as yet. Additionally, the key Co-S dimensions at the project level are still not fully identified. ----- -----\ud
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This paper concerns a study of satisfaction dimensions, primarily by a postal questionnaire survey of construction contractors registered by the Malaysian Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). Eight satisfaction dimensions are identified that are significantly and substantially relate to these contractors - comprising: project cost performance, schedule performance, product performance, design satisfaction, site safety, project profitability, business performance and relationships between participants. -Each of these dimensions is accorded different priority levels of satisfaction by different contractors. ----- -----\ud
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The output of this study will be useful in raising the awareness and understanding of project teams regarding contractors’ needs, mutual objectives and open communication to help to deliver a successful project.\u
Towards a relational contracting framework in the Australian construction industry : an initial framework
No full textThe Australian construction industry is characterized as being a competitive and risky business environment due to lack of cooperation, insufficient trust, ineffective communication and adversarial relationships which are likely lead to poor project performance. Relational contracting (RC) is advocated by literature as an innovative approach to improve the procurement process in the construction industry. Various studies have collectively added to the current knowledge of known RC norms, but there seem to be little effort on investigating the determinants of RC and its impact on project outcomes. In such circumstances, there is lack of evidence and explanation on the manner on how these issues lead to different performance. Simultaneously, the New Engineering Contract (NEC) that embraced the concept of RC is seen as a modern way of contracting and also considered as one of the best approaches to the perennial problem of improving adversarial relationships within the industry. The reality of practice of RC in Australia is investigated through the lens of the NEC. A synthesis of literature views on the concept, processes and tools of RC is first conducted to develop the framework of RC. A case study approach is proposed for an in-depth analysis to explore the critical issues addressed by RC in relation to project performance. Understanding the realities of RC will assist stakeholders in the construction industry with their investment in RC
Implications of Circadian Rhythm in Dopamine and Mood Regulation
No full textMammalian physiology and behavior are regulated by an internal time-keeping system, referred to as circadian rhythm. The circadian timing system has a hierarchical organization composed of the master clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and local clocks in extra-SCN brain regions and peripheral organs. The circadian clock molecular mechanism involves a network of transcription-translation feedback loops. In addition to the clinical association between circadian rhythm disruption and mood disorders, recent studies have suggested a molecular link between mood regulation and circadian rhythm. Specifically, genetic deletion of the circadian nuclear receptor Rev-erbα induces mania-like behavior caused by increased midbrain dopaminergic (DAergic) tone at dusk. The association between circadian rhythm and emotion- related behaviors can be applied to pathological conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases. In Parkinson’s disease (PD), DAergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta progressively degenerate leading to motor dysfunction. Patients with PD also exhibit non-motor symptoms, including sleep disorder and neuropsychiatric disorders. Thus, it is important to understand the mechanisms that link the molecular circadian clock and brain machinery in the regulation of emotional behaviors and related midbrain DAergic neuronal circuits in healthy and pathological states. This review summarizes the current literature regarding the association between circadian rhythm and mood regulation from a chronobiological perspective, and may provide insight into therapeutic approaches to target psychiatric symptoms in neurodegenerative diseases involving circadian rhythm dysfunction. © The Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology. All rights reserved.1
Threshold password-based authentication using bilinear pairings
No full textWe present a new threshold password-based authentication protocol that allows a roaming user(a user who accesses a network from different client terminals) to download a private key from remote servers with knowledge of only his identity and password. He does not need to carry the smart card storing his private information. We aim that a protocol has to allow a user to get his private key from the servers, even if some of the servers are compromised under the multi-server roaming system. In this paper, we firstly suggest a threshold password-only roaming protocol using (k,n)-threshold scheme which only k honest servers or more axe engaged to reconstruct a secret key. Our scheme is based on bilinear pairings which could be built from Weil pairing or Tate pairing
A negatividade construtiva
No full textHAN, Sangwon. Konstitutive Negativität. Zur Rekonstruktion des Politischen in der Negativen Dialektik Adornos. Bielefeld: Transcript, 2016. 271 p
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