MicroRNA regulation of CD8+ T cell responses.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of short noncoding RNAs that play critical roles in the regulation of a broad range of biological processes. Like transcription factors, miRNAs exert their effects by modulating the expression of networks of genes that operate in common or convergent pathways. CD8+ T cells are critical agents of the adaptive immune system that provide protection from infection and cancer. Here, we review the important roles of miRNAs in the regulation of CD8+ T cell biology and provide perspectives on the broader emerging principles of miRNA function

Process performance measurement support : a critical analysis

Design development processes, within engineering disciplines, lack the necessary mechanisms in identifying the specific areas where improved design development performance may be obtained. In addition, they lack the means to consider and align the goals and respective performance levels of related development activities with an organisation's overall goals and performance levels. Current research in organisational performance behaviour, formalised through performance frameworks and methodologies, has attempted to identify and focus upon those critical factors which impinge upon a wealth creation system while attempting to, simultaneously, remain representative of organisational functions, processes, people, decisions and goals. Effective process improvements remain conditional upon: the ability to measure the potential performance gains which may result from an improvement initiative; the ability to understand existing process dynamics and in turn understand the subsequent impact of some change to a system/process; and, the ability to identify potential areas for improvement. The objective of this paper is to discuss some of the management techniques, which are purported to support various process performance concerns and perspectives, and present the major factors that remain unsupported in identifying, measuring and understanding design process performance

Contributors to Success on the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Student Certification Exam

This study sought to identify which elements contribute to success on the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Student Certification exam. Students at an eastern U.S. technical college who completed all of their automotive major courses and the ASE Student Certification exam during the spring 2017 semester were selected for the study. The results of this study revealed that there was a direct correlation between performance in Physics, Algebra, and Trigonometry 1 and performance on the ASE Student Certification exam. It was also revealed that students who were required to participate in remedial math and/or remedial reading courses were likely to perform at a lower level than their counterparts on the exam. Students who participated in a secondary automotive Career and Technical Education (CTE) program were also likely to perform at a lower level than their counterparts. The results of this study would be useful to administrators and faculty in postsecondary automotive preparation programs

Sale Price, Marketing Time, and Limited Service Listings: The Influence of Home Value and Market Conditions

Local markets for real estate brokerage services typically exhibit fairly strict pricing. Increased popularity of limited service brokerages provides an opportunity to study any loss in utility by sellers using these firms. Anecdotal evidence suggests that sellers experience a decreased selling price or an increased marketing time when utilizing limited service brokers, but there has been little prior empirical work. This study finds that limited service listings sell for significantly more and spend significantly less time on the market than traditional listings. The price and marketing time impacts vary by home value and local market conditions.

Analysis and design of planar and non-planar wings for induced drag minimization

The goal of the work was to develop and validate computational tools to be used for the design of planar and non-planar wing geometries for minimum induced drag. Because of the iterative nature of the design problem, it is important that, in addition to being sufficiently accurate for the problem at hand, they are reasonably fast and computationally efficient. Toward this end, a method of predicting induced drag in the presence of a non-rigid wake is coupled with a panel method. The induced drag prediction technique is based on the Kutta-Joukowski law applied at the trailing edge. Until recently, the use of this method has not been fully explored and pressure integration and Trefftz-plane calculations favored. As is shown in this report, however, the Kutta-Joukowski method is able to give better results for a given amount of effort than the more common techniques, particularly when relaxed wakes and non-planar wing geometries are considered. Using these tools, a workable design method is in place which takes into account relaxed wakes and non-planar wing geometries. It is recommended that this method be used to design a wind-tunnel experiment to verify the predicted aerodynamic benefits of non-planar wing geometries

Cultural Influnces on Risk Tolerance and Portfolio Creation

We extend existing research that examines the impact of culture on risk tolerance. Using surveys completed by Chinese and American students, we find, consistent with previous studies, that Chinese students perceive themselves as more risk tolerant. However, we find that Chinese students are less consistent in matching their perceived tolerance levels with actual scores from a standard risk tolerance assessment. Further, we also examine mock portfolios created by the respondents and find no evidence that Chinese students create portfolios that are riskier than their American counterparts. Our findings suggest that differences in risk tolerance are at least partially a product of culture, but such differences may not always translate into actual investment decisions

Serum phosphate and social deprivation independently predict all-cause mortality in chronic kidney disease

Background: Hyperphosphataemia is linked to cardiovascular disease and mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Outcome in CKD is also affected by socioeconomic status. The objective of this study was to assess the associations between serum phosphate, multiple deprivation and outcome in CKD patients. Methods: All adult patients currently not on renal replacement therapy (RRT), with first time attendance to the renal outpatient clinics in the Glasgow area between July 2010 and June 2014, were included in this prospective study. Area socioeconomic status was assessed as quintiles of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD). Outcomes were all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and commencement of RRT. Results: The cohort included 2950 patients with a median (interquartile range) age 67.6 (53.6–76.9) years. Median (interquartile range) eGFR was 38.1 (26.3–63.5) ml/min/1.73 m 2 , mean (±standard deviation) phosphate was 1.13 (±0.24) mmol/L and 31.6 % belonged to the most deprived quintile (SIMD quintile I). During follow-up 375 patients died and 98 commenced RRT. Phosphate ≥1.50 mmol/L was associated with all-cause (hazard ratio (HR) 2.51; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.63-3.89) and cardiovascular (HR 5.05; 95 % CI 1.90–13.46) mortality when compared to phosphate 0.90–1.09 mmol/L in multivariable analyses. SIMD quintile I was independently associated with all-cause mortality. Phosphate did not weaken the association between deprivation index and mortality, and there was no interaction between phosphate and SIMD quintiles. Neither phosphate nor SIMD predicted commencement of RRT. Conclusions Multiple deprivation and serum phosphate were strong, independent predictors of all-cause mortality in CKD and showed no interaction. Phosphate also predicted cardiovascular mortality. The results suggest that phosphate lowering should be pursued regardless of socioeconomic status

CONVENIENCE, ACCESSIBILITY, AND THE DEMAND FOR FAST FOOD

This study explores the growth in demand for fast food. A distinguishing characteristic of fast food is its convenience; in today's pervasive marketplace, consumers need not travel far to find a fast food outlet. This greater availability translates into a decrease in the full price of obtaining a meal, which contributes to greater consumption. Market-level data are used to estimate demand equations in two time periods, incorporating changes in availability as well as prices, income, and various demographic characteristics. Our findings show that greater availability has led to increased consumption. Failure to account for these types of marketplace changes could lead to incorrect inferences regarding the factors responsible for the industry growth.Demand and Price Analysis,

The design of a gamma‐ray burst polarimeter

The study of the polarization properties of the gamma‐ray bursts is the one remaining unexplored avenue of research which may help to answer some of the fundamental problems regarding the nature of these mysterious objects. We have designed an instrument to measure linear polarization in cosmic gamma‐ray bursts at energies ≳50 keV. Here we describe the design of this instrument, which we call the Gamma‐ray Burst Polarimeter Experiment (GRAPE)