Usability evaluation of a research repository and collaboration website

This article reports results from an empirical usability evaluation of Human-Animal Bond Research Initiative Central as part of the effort to develop an open access research repository and collaboration platform for human-animal bond researchers. By repurposing and altering key features of the original HUBzero system, Human-Animal Bond Research Initiative Central hosts previously published materials from related disciplines and an extensive bibliography, in addition to traditional hub materials such as tools and datasets. Seven graduate students in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue University participated in the usability evaluation. Tasks included exploring the system, finding an article in the repository, submitting an article to the repository, adding bibliographic information of an article to the repository, and using interaction features such as user groups. Participants also answered open questions regarding their overall experience and rated Human-Animal Bond Research Initiative Central\u27s usability using the System Usability Scale. Response measures included task successfulness, navigational steps, task time, participant comments, and behavior notes recorded by the researcher. Results of the evaluation showed that the overall user experience of Human-Animal Bond Research Initiative Central was satisfactory but also indicated a number of usability issues. Participants had difficulty inputting metadata such as resource type and author information when submitting an article to the repository. There were also interface design issues regarding layout and consistency. It is expected that findings from this study and the evaluation methodology can be extended to the development and evaluation of similar research repository systems

Hormonal control of spermatogenesis: expression of FSJH receptor and androgen receptor genes

FSH and testosterone are the main hormonal regulators of spermatogenesis. The actions of androgens and FSH are mediated by their respective receptors. Receptor gene expression (mRNA and protein). is an important determinant of hormone action. Biochemical aspects of the regulation of androgen and FSH receptor gene expression in the testis were chosen as the subject of the studies described in this thesis. Regulation of the expression of the receptor genes was studied at the level of gene transcription, and at the level of mRNA and protein expression. In Chapters 2-4, a detailed characterization is given of the effects of FSH on androgen and FSH receptor mRNA and protein expression in cultured immature Sertoli cells. For the androgen receptor, these findings were extended by measurements of androgen receptor gene transcription initiation rate in cultured immature Sertoli cells and LNCaP Oymph node carcinoma of the prostate) cells (Chapter 5). Preliminary results concerning a putative paracrine factor, produced by Sertoli cells and affecting androgen receptor mRNA expression in peritubular myoid cells, are presented in Chapter 6. The effects of testosterone deprivation iD. vivo on androgen receptor mRNA and protein expression in the adult rat testis were examined as described in Chapter 7.ffi vitro effects of testosterone on androgen receptor gene expression in cultured testicular cells and LNCaP cells are described in the Chapters 2, 3 and 5. In the General Discussion (Chapter 8) we have considered some aspects of regulation of spermatogenesis by FSH and testosterone and have discussed them in relation to our experimental data as well as in a broader perspective. This way, we hope that the results which we have presented, and discussions which we have tried to initiate, may contribute to research concerning hormonal control of spermatogenesis, now and in the futur

Membrane Protected Apoptotic Trophoblast Microparticles Contain Nucleic Acids: Relevance to Preeclampsia

Microparticles (MPs) that circulate in blood may be a source of DNA for molecular analyses, including prenatal genetic diagnoses. Because MPs are heterogeneous in nature, however, further characterization is important before use in clinical settings. One key question is whether DNA is either bound to aggregates of blood proteins and lipid micelles or intrinsically associated with MPs from dying cells. To test the latter hypothesis, we asked whether MPs derived in vitro from dying cells were similar to those in maternal plasma. JEG-3 cells model extravillous trophoblasts, which predominate during the first trimester of pregnancy when prenatal diagnosis is most relevant. MPs were derived from apoptosis and increased over 48 hours. Compared with necrotic MPs, DNA in apoptotic MPs was more fragmented and resistant to plasma DNases. Membrane-specific dyes indicated that apoptotic MPs had more membranous material, which protects nucleic acids, including RNA. Flow cytometry showed that MPs derived from dying cells displayed light scatter and DNA staining similar to MPs found in maternal plasma. Quantification of maternal MPs using characteristics defined by MPs generated in vitro revealed a significant increase of DNA+ MPs in the plasma of women with preeclampsia compared with plasma from women with normal pregnancies. Apoptotic MPs are therefore a likely source of stable DNA that could be enriched for both early genetic diagnosis and monitoring of pathological pregnancies