The Optimal Time of Renovating a Mall

This paper presents a maximization model determining the optimal time at which a mall should be renovated. The analysis is constructed on the assumption of a decreasing rental income over time as a mall ages. It is then shown that the optimal renovation period achieves a balance between the marginal cost and benefits of delaying renovation. We show how this balance is affected by changes in the discount rate, net rental incomes, and renovation costs. Numerical simulations are used to demonstrate the method of estimating this optimal renovation time and to illustrate the sensitivity of the optimal renovation period to changes in economic factors such as the discount rate, the level and rates of change of renovation costs and rental incomes.

Impaired osteoblast differentiation in annexin A2- and -A5-deficient cells.

Annexins are a class of calcium-binding proteins with diverse functions in the regulation of lipid rafts, inflammation, fibrinolysis, transcriptional programming and ion transport. Within bone, they are well-characterized as components of mineralizing matrix vesicles, although little else is known as to their function during osteogenesis. We employed shRNA to generate annexin A2 (AnxA2)- or annexin A5 (AnxA5)-knockdown pre-osteoblasts, and determined whether proliferation or osteogenic differentiation was altered in knockdown cells, compared to pSiren (Si) controls. We report that DNA content, a marker of proliferation, was significantly reduced in both AnxA2 and AnxA5 knockdown cells. Alkaline phosphatase expression and activity were also suppressed in AnxA2- or AnxA5-knockdown after 14 days of culture. The pattern of osteogenic gene expression was altered in knockdown cells, with Col1a1 expressed more rapidly in knock-down cells, compared to pSiren. In contrast, Runx2, Ibsp, and Bglap all revealed decreased expression after 14 days of culture. In both AnxA2- and AnxA5-knockdown, interleukin-induced STAT6 signaling was markedly attenuated compared to pSiren controls. These data suggest that AnxA2 and AnxA5 can influence bone formation via regulation of osteoprogenitor proliferation, differentiation, and responsiveness to cytokines in addition to their well-studied function in matrix vesicles

Implicit Attitudes and Terror Management: Pilot of Implicit Association Test as a Means of Measuring Death-Thought Accessibility

Terror management theory (TMT; Greenberg, Pyszczynski, & Solomon, 1986) has been extensively tested and applied in a variety of contexts. One of the major criticisms of TMT is that there are methodological issues with assessing some of the proposed processes within the theory, such as activation of death thought accessibility. The present study provides an initial test of a proposed alternative for measuring death thought accessibility using an image-based implicit association test instead of the traditional word fragment completion task used in a majority of TMT research. An experiment was carried out with 200 undergraduate students using a 2 (mortality salience: Yes or no) x 2 (social/fiscal conservatism: Low or high) between-subjects design. Results provided partial empirical support for the use of an IAT-based measure for death thought accessibility relying on color images. The IAT-based measure outperformed the traditional word fragment completion task at discriminating between mortality and non-mortality salient participants in terms of death thought accessibility.Moreover, this study also tested the mortality salience hypothesis to determine whether mortality salience activates cultural worldview defenses following a brief delay. Specifically, participants with differing political ideologies were asked to evaluate an editorial in support of the Muslim ban. Results found that after being reminded of their death, participants with strong levels of conservatism reported more positive attitudes toward the Muslim ban, relative to those in the control condition (i.e., non-mortality salient). Implications of the findings for this study as well as directions for future research are discussed

Searching for a Silver Lining: Mediated Intergroup Contact and Mental Health Perceptions

This study investigated viewer responses to characters from Silver Linings Playbook, a movie about characters dealing with mental illness, from the perspective of mediated intergroup contact hypothesis. Researchers tested if identification with fictional characters with mental illness reduced viewers’ negative stereotypes about mental illness and increased their willingness to support people with the same illnesses as the characters. Additionally, empathy was tested as a mediator between identification and stereotype reduction. One hundred forty-five participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 character conditions. The hypotheses associated with identification and stereotypes and intentions were partially supported. For two characters, empathy mediated the relationship between identification and negative stereotypes. Implications for mediated portrayals of health issues and behaviors are discussed

Binge Drinking and TMT: Evaluating Responses to Anti-Binge Drinking PSAs from a Terror Management Theory Perspective

An experiment was conducted with 264 college students whose self-esteem were highly linked or not to their binge drinking behaviors (i.e., high binge drinking-based self esteem or low binge drinking-based self-esteem). Participants were exposed to a mortality-salient/non-mortality-salient anti-binge drinking public service announcement (PSA), or a control ad.  Cognitive and emotional responses to the ads were assessed. Results found an interaction between binge drinking-based self-esteem and mortality-saliency of the ad. Those with high binge drinking-based self-esteem reported significantly lower intentions to not binge drink, more negative evaluation of the ads, greater message avoidance, and more positive binge drinking attitudes in response to the mortality-salient PSAs compared to those exposed to non-mortality-salient PSAs, and those with low binge drinking-based self-esteem. Additionally, response costs associated with not binge drinking was tested within the EPPM framework and found to have an impact. Implications of the results for anti-binge drinking campaigns are discussed along with future research directions

Well That Was Unexpected: Effect of Intimacy and Commitment on Responses to an Interpersonal Expectancy Violation

This investigation explored the effect an individual’s level of relational commitment and intimacy has on his or her perceptions of and responses to a positive or negative expectancy violation performed by their dating partner. One hundred-ninety undergraduates were randomly assigned to read 1 of 4 scenarios depicting a situation involving their dating partner committing either a positive/negative expectancy violation. Participants were asked to assess the situation in terms of the nature of the expectancy violation (positive/negative), violation severity, and level of unexpectedness. Moreover, they were asked the extent to which they were willing to talk about the situation with the other person. Results found that perceived intensity of violations varied depending on both the nature of the expectancy violation and commitment/intimacy level. Highly committed/intimate respondents reported greater willingness to discuss negative expectancy violations with the other person than less committed/intimate respondents, but reported lower likelihood in using negativity as their strategy. Less committed/intimate respondents reported greater willingness to discuss positive expectancy violations compared to their highly committed/intimate counterparts

Double side interior permanent magnet linear synchronous motor and drive system

Linear motor has been applied in various fields such as factory and office automation. A linear motor differs from a rotational motor, in which it has a simpler structure. Linear Synchronous Motor is one of the types of linear motor and its application is very wide which is from the small application (i.e. industrials automation) to large application (i.e. maglev transportation) [1]. The thrust which is generated by linear motor is high, even with the size of the motor is small [2]. This is the feature of the linear motor compared to rotational motor where a gear is needed to change the rotational movement to the linear movement. Therefore the linear motor can reduce the mechanical losses. This paper discuss on the proposal of Double Side Interior Permanent Magnet of Linear Synchronous Motor (DIPM-LSM). The structure and three dimensions of magnetic circuit of DIPM-LSM are discussed. This type of DIPM-LSM can be driven by sinusoidal and pulse voltage input. The three phase two coils excitation-driving mode of open loop drive systems are also been discussed

A clinical evaluation of the performance of the GP-II contact lens

A clinical evaluation of the GP-II Contact Lens was made. Subjects were fitted with standard availability lenses and were subsequently monitored for a two month period. Of the twenty who started, twelve completed the study, thus 60% were successful. This study showed that corneal physiology was basically uncompromised within this experimental period. Variables considered were subjective symptoms, corneal health, lens centration and movement pachometry, keratometry, and distance refraction

Towards understanding the clinical significance of QT peak prolongation: a novel marker of myocardial ischemia independently demonstrated in two prospective studies

Background: QT peak prolongation identified patients at risk of death or non-fatal MI. We tested the hypothesis that QT peak prolongation might be associated with significant myocardial ischaemia in two separate cohorts to see how widely applicable the concept was. Methods and Results: In the first study, 134 stroke survivors were prospectively recruited and had 12-lead ECGs and Nuclear myocardial perfusion scanning. QT peak was measured in lead I of a 12-lead ECG and heart rate corrected by Bazett’s formula (QTpc). QTpc prolongation to 360ms or more was 92% specific at diagnosing severe myocardial ischaemia. This hypothesis-generating study led us to perform a second prospective study in a different cohort of patients who were referred for dobutamine stress echocardiography. 13 of 102 patients had significant myocardial ischaemia. Significant myocardial ischaemia was associated with QT peak prolongation at rest (mean 354ms, 95% CI 341-367ms, compared with mean 332ms, 95% CI 327-337ms in those without significant ischaemia; p=0.002). QT peak prolongation to 360ms or more was 88% specific at diagnosing significant myocardial ischaemia in the stress echocardiography study. QT peak prolongation to 360ms or more was associated with over 4-fold increase odds ratio of significant myocardial ischaemia. The Mantel- Haenszel Common Odds Ratio Estimate=4.4, 95% CI=1.2-16.0, p=0.023. Conclusion: QT peak (QTpc) prolongation to 360ms or more should make us suspect the presence of significant myocardial ischaemia. Such patients merit further investigations for potentially treatable ischaemic heart disease to reduce their risk of subsequent death or non-fatal MI