Are Rich People Perceived as More Trustworthy? Perceived Socioeconomic Status Modulates Judgments of Trustworthiness and Trust Behavior Based on Facial Appearance

In the era of globalization, people meet strangers from different countries more often than ever. Previous research indicates that impressions of trustworthiness based on facial appearance play an important role in interpersonal cooperation behaviors. The current study examined whether additional information about socioeconomic status (SES), including national prosperity and individual monthly income, affects facial judgments and appearance-based trust decisions. Besides reproducing previous conclusions that trustworthy faces receive more money than untrustworthy faces, the present study showed that high-income individuals were judged as more trustworthy than low-income individuals, and also were given more money in a trust game. However, trust behaviors were not modulated by the nationality of the faces. The present research suggests that people are more likely to trust strangers with a high income, compared with individuals with a low income.</p

Gamification for Behavior Change of Occupants in Campus Buildings to Affect Improved Energy Efficiency

In 2012, 40% of total U.S. energy consumption was attributed to residential and commercial buildings. However, in order to improve building energy efficiency, most conservation measures adopted today are based on technologies or maintenance. In this project, we worked with Smart Green Institute to develop behavior-based energy saving measures, which are more cost effective and have fewer installation constraints. After selecting two campus buildings-Old Chemistry and Rubenstein Hall- for our case study, we analyzed the building utility and expense data from 2005 to 2013 to explore the consumption and expenditure trends, and figured out the relatively elastic and changeable energy sources to focus on. Then we conducted survey to occupants of the two buildings to study their consciousness of building energy conservation and awareness of gamification. Based on the study of building data and occupants’ behavior, we proposed a tailored gamified energy conservation plan using the Behavioral Change Gamification Model

Impact analysis of individual and network factors to household energy savings

Reducing energy consumption in residential use sector can largely improve energy savings especially in this post pandemic era when working from home becomes a favoured option for many people. Each home's energy consumption pattern depends on individual user factors and is also influenced by the networks. In this work, four factors that may affect user's adoption decision of energy Efficient products are investigated including the personal acceptance level, the influence from the connected neighbours, the overall network adoption rate, and the advertisement influence. The personal acceptance level is further modelled taking account of individual factors on household income, family status, age group and employment status. To enable quantitative analysis, a dynamic network model is established in which each household is taken as a node, and a utility measure is defined for decision making that integrates multiple impact factors described by subsystem models. The relative contribution of each factor towards user's decision making is evaluated by its associated weighting. Two population networks are studied, starting from a small network with 40 homes, followed by a large one with one million nodes. Simulation results from both population networks reveal that, among the four factors considered, the overall network adoption rate is most influential to user's decision on adopting energy Efficient products

Y-function and L'Hospital-type Monotonicity Rules with Nabla and Diamond-Alpha Derivatives on Time Scales

The main objective of this paper is to establish the $Y$-function and L'Hospital-type monotonicity rules with nabla and diamond-alpha derivatives on time scales

Multi-target siRNA based on DNMT3A/B homologous conserved region influences cell cycle and apoptosis of human prostate cancer cell line TSU-PR1

Abnormal genome hypermethylation participates in the tumorigenesis and development of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer cells highly express DNA methyltransferase 3 (DMNT3) family genes, essential for maintaining genome methylation. In the present study, multi-target siRNA, based on the homologous region of the DNMT3 family, was designed for the in vitro investigation of its effects on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of TSU-PR1 prostate cancer cells. The consequential cell-cycle derangement, through DNMT3A/B or only DNMT3B silencing, was partially efficient, without affecting apoptosis. DNMT3A silencing had absolutely no effect on changing TSU-PR1 cell biological behavior. Hence, DNMT3B alone apparently plays a key role in maintaining the unfavorable behavior of prostate-cancer cells, thereby implying its potential significance as a promising therapeutic target, with DNMT3A simply in the role of helper

Overwintering physiology of the rice stem borer larvae, Chilo suppressalis Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae): Roles of glycerol, amino acids, low-molecular weight carbohydrates and antioxidant enzymes

The rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis (Walker), is a major rice pest around the world. A strong ability of the rice stem borer to adapt/resist cold temperature (cold hardiness) contributes to its survival through winter. However, the physiological mechanism of its cold hardiness is poorly understood. In this study, we determined the supercooling points (SCPs), the contents of amino acids and low-molecular weight carbohydrates of overwintering rice stem borer larvae. We also assessed the levels of their superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) antioxidative enzymes in the overwintering larvae. Our results revealed an intimate relationship of larval SCP with environmental temperature; SCP change reflected proportionally to change of environmental temperature. Analysis of low molecular weight carbohydrates established that the concentrations of glycerol and trehalose change in a manner that is inversely proportional to that of the environmental temperatures. Changes or significant changes of some amino acids and antioxidative enzymes were also observed in overwintering larvae. Our data suggest that decrease of the SCP in overwintering larvae is due primarily to the increase of cryoprotective glycerol and trehalose and also to the increase of several amino acids to an extent. The decreased SCP in-turn enabled rice stem borer larvae to withstand low temperature. Our study therefore provides an overall picture regarding seasonal changes of the cryoprotective substances in relation to the ability of the rice stem borer to survive cold environmental conditions.Keywords: Chilo suppressalis (Walker), cold hardiness, supercooling points (SCPs), amino acids, low-molecular weight carbohydrates, antioxidant enzyme

Genetic Evolution during the development of an attenuated EIAV vaccine

Additional file 1: Table S1. Protective efficacy of EIAVDLV121 and EIAVFDDV13

Proto-oncogene c-erbB2 initiates rat primordial follicle growth via PKC and MAPK pathways

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>c-erbB2, a proto-oncogene coding epidermal growth factor receptor-like receptor, also as a chemosensitivity/prognosis marker for gynecologic cancer, may be involved in initiation of growth of rat primordial follicles. The aim of the present study is to investigate the role and signal pathway of c-erbB2 in onset of rat primordial follicle development.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The expression of c-erbB2 mRNA and protein in neonatal ovaries cultured 4 and 8 days with/without epidermal growth factor (EGF) were examined by in situ hybridization, RT-PCR and western blot. The function of c-erbB2 in the primordial folliculogenesis was abolished by small interfering RNA transfection. Furthermore, MAPK inhibitor PD98059 and PKC inhibitor calphostin were used to explore the possible signaling pathway of c-erbB2 in primordial folliculogenesis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results showed that c-erbB2 mRNA was expressed in ooplasm and the expression of c-erbB2 decreased after transfection with c-erbB2 siRNA. Treatment with EGF at 50 ng/ml significantly increased c-erbB2 expression and primary and secondary follicle formation in ovaries. However, this augmenting effect was remarkably inhibited by c-erbB2 siRNA transfection. Furthermore, folliculogenesis offset was blocked by calphostin (5 × 10(-4) mmol/L) and PD98059 (5 × 10(-2) mmol/L), but both did not down-regulate c-erbB2 expression. In contrast, the expressions of p-ERK and p-PKC were decreased obviously by c-erbB2 siRNA transfection.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>c-erbB2 initiates rat primordial follicle growth via PKC and MAPK pathways, suggesting an important role of c-erbB2 in rat primordial follicle initiation and development.</p