From Primed Concepts to Action: A Meta-Analysis of the Behavioral Effects of Incidentally Presented Words

A meta-analysis assessed the behavioral impact of and psychological processes associated with presenting words connected to an action or a goal representation. The average and distribution of 352 effect sizes (analyzed using fixed-effects and random-effects models) was obtained from 133 studies (84 reports) in which word primes were incidentally presented to participants, with a nonopposite control group, before measuring a behavioral dependent variable. Findings revealed a small behavioral priming effect (dFE = 0.332, dRE = 0.352), which was robust across methodological procedures and only minimally biased by the publication of positive (vs. negative) results. Theory testing analyses indicated that more valued behavior or goal concepts (e.g., associated with important outcomes or values) were associated with stronger priming effects than were less valued behaviors. Furthermore, there was some evidence of persistence of goal effects over time. These results support the notion that goal activation contributes over and above perception-behavior in explaining priming effects. In summary, theorizing about the role of value and satisfaction in goal activation pointed to stronger effects of a behavior or goal concept on overt action. There was no evidence that expectancy (ease of achieving the goal) moderated priming effects

Direct Conversion of Fibroblasts to Neurons by Reprogramming PTB-Regulated MicroRNA Circuits

SummaryThe induction of pluripotency or trans-differentiation of one cell type to another can be accomplished with cell-lineage-specific transcription factors. Here, we report that repression of a single RNA binding polypyrimidine-tract-binding (PTB) protein, which occurs during normal brain development via the action of miR-124, is sufficient to induce trans-differentiation of fibroblasts into functional neurons. Besides its traditional role in regulated splicing, we show that PTB has a previously undocumented function in the regulation of microRNA functions, suppressing or enhancing microRNA targeting by competitive binding on target mRNA or altering local RNA secondary structure. A key event during neuronal induction is the relief of PTB-mediated blockage of microRNA action on multiple components of the REST complex, thereby derepressing a large array of neuronal genes, including miR-124 and multiple neuronal-specific transcription factors, in nonneuronal cells. This converts a negative feedback loop to a positive one to elicit cellular reprogramming to the neuronal lineage

To Feel, or Not to Feel, is it a Question of Time? The Influence of Feedback Availability on the Magnitude of Anticipated Regret

Anticipated regret refers to the main psychological effects of the various worries that beset a decision maker before any losses actually materialize (Janis &Mann, 1977). There has been ample research on how anticipated regret might influence people’s subsequent behaviors (e.g., Zeelenberg, 1999), but little work has examined what might affect the magnitude of anticipated regret. The present study aims to investigate the role of availability of outcome. Specifically, the authors are interested in whether the outcome is immediately available or not, we suspected, might influence how much anticipated regret decision makers experience. The result reveals that people indeed experience greater anticipated regret when the outcome is immediately available. The finding contributes to our understanding of anticipated regret by illustrating possible influences posed by temporal distance of feedback. Furthermore, the finding offers implications for decision-making process.

Absorption studies of methylene blue on inverse opal titania

Titanium dioxide, TiO2, is a widely used material used in photocatalytic applications. Due to its importance in relation to environmental uses, studies have been carried out with regards to synthesis and methods for wastewater treatment. This project investigates the adsorption characteristics and mechanisms of different forms of TiO2, namely, commercially available Degussa P25, Powder and 3DOM (Inverse Opal Macroporous). Precipitation method and sol-gel methods were adopted to synthesize TiO2 Powder and 3DOM respectively. Variables investigated include time, temperature and concentration of methylene blue (MB). It was observed that adsorbents undergo physical adsorption with MB (adsorbate) and among all adsorbents investigated; 3DOM has the most efficient adsorption capacity to be utilized in photocatalytic applications, as a monolayer of adsorbent is desired to activate the active sites of TiO2 upon exposure to UV light. In addition, the interconnected network pore structure of 3DOM observed in SEI suggested that a larger surface area implies a higher efficiency, as saturation of MB (constant line of relative absorbance) was observed with a shorter time period. Powder and P25, on the other, being bulk in nature suggests adsorption mechanism followed by absorption of MB. Adsorption is an exothermic process and the kinetics reaction was suggested to be dependent on the initial concentration of MB, fitting 2nd order kinetics model for both P25 and powder. It was observed that different adsorption mechanisms; 2nd order and intra-particle diffusion, exist for 3DOM. Degradation of MB was observed at 40°C, and the effect of adsorption is inconclusive when investigated with a concentration below 6ppm. Further investigation can be performed with characterization tools such as XRD and BET to observe the effect and the number of active sites that influences the adsorption capacity of the adsorbents. Different sizes of 3DOM structures may be investigated to compare the viability and adsorption capability of various sized structures.Bachelor of Engineering (Materials Engineering

Extraction of the remnant coal pillar in regular and irregular shapes : a case study

With the increasing coal mining rate, many coal mines in China are facing the coal resource exhaustion problem. This paper presents a case study on extracting a coal pillar which was left in a longwall retreat mine, Wangzhuang mine, in China. The left coal pillars usually have boundaries of regular and irregular shapes, which result in complex stress distributions within the coal pillar. It is of great importance to study the stress distributions and to determine the roadway layout prior to extracting the left coal pillar. This study numerically analyzes the stress distributions in the left coal pillar, based on which the roadway layout and support techniques are proposed. The roadway stability were well maintained throughout the mining process and the mining safety and productivity were ensured. The left coal pillar in Wangzhuang mine was successfully extracted. This case study would be helpful for extracting the left coal pillar in the longwall retreat mines

Application of olfactory ensheathing cells in clinical treatment of spinal cord injury : meta-analysis and prospect

Background: A number of clinical trials of olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) for the treatment of chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) have been carried out all over the world. However, their safety and efficacy have not been basically evaluated. Moreover, there are no uniform standards laid out for the use of optimal source, transplantation method and the dosage of OECs. Objective: This study evaluated the source, dose, and route of transplantation of OECs for the treatment of chronic SCI. Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CNKI, and Wanfang Data were searched for the clinical studies of OECs in the treatment of chronic SCI on July 2018. Results: A total of 30 articles on OECs transplantation for chronic SCI were selected for comprehensive evaluation of OECs sources, doses, and transplantation methods. The efficacy of OECs in the treatment of chronic SCI was evaluated using Review Manager 5.3. Conclusion: Fetal OECs are the primary source of cells for the treatment of chronic SCI in OECs, with standardized cell-culture and quality-control processes. Fetal OECs can significantly improve the neurological function of patients with chronic SCI. It is an ideal cell therapy for neurorestoration. However to explore more precise and minimally invasive treatment options are required in the future