547 research outputs found

    THE EFFECTS OF WEBPAGE COLOR ON LENDERS’ DECISIONS IN ONLINE P2P LENDING: A CONSTRUAL LEVEL THEORY PERSPECTIV

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    In recent years, P2P (peer-to-peer) lending as the most popular innovative business model of Internet finance, has received wide attentions from government, industry, and researchers. Prior academic attention has been devoted to the investigation of factors that may affect lenders’ bidding strategies. In this study, based on the construal level theory, we examine the effect of webpage color (warm vs. cool) on lenders’ preference between acceptable benefit and risk when they decide to make a bid. A series of laboratory experiments are designed to test our proposed hypotheses

    Artemesia annua extract prevents glyoxal-induced cell injury in retinal microvascular endothelial cells during glaucoma

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    Purpose: To investigate the effect of Artemesia annua extract on glyoxal-induced injury in retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRECs).Methods: HRECs were cultured in a medium containing 500 ÎĽM glyoxal or glyoxal plus 50ÎĽM Artemesia annua extract, or in the medium alone for 24 h. Apoptosis was analysed by flow cytometry using annexin V and propidium iodide staining. Changes in mitochondrial membrane potential were determined by JC-1 staining.Results: When HRECs were cultured in a medium of 500 ÎĽM glyoxal, a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in caspase-3 expression was observed. However, treatment of HRECs with Artemesia annua extract (50 ÎĽM) inhibited the glyoxal-mediated decrease in caspase-3 expression. The extract also inhibited caspase-3 proteolysis, as was evident from the reduction in the level of cleaved caspase-3. Upregulation of ROS production by glyoxal in HRECs was inhibited by treatment with the extract. The viability of HRECs was significantly decreased by glyoxal (p < 0.05), but the decrease in viability was significantly reversed by Artemesia annua extract (p < 0.05). The extract also reduced gyloxal-induced apoptosis in HRECs from 17.3 to 2.6 % (p < 0.001). Results from JC-1 staining showed significantly (p < 0.001) higher level of green fluorescence in HRECs cultured with glyoxal. However, the glyoxal-induced increase in green fluorescence level was significantly (p < 0.01) reduced on exposure to Artemesia annua extract.Conclusion: Artemesia annua extract prevents oxidative damage to HRECs via inhibition of ROS production, up-regulation of caspase-3 expression and suppression of caspase-3 proteolysis. Therefore, Artemesia annua can potentially be used for the development of a new drug for the prevention of retinal injury in glaucoma.Keywords: Artemesia annua, Retinal injury, Glaucoma, Green fluorescence, cleaved caspase-3, ROS productio

    A Novel FEM-Based Numerical Solver for Interactive Catheter Simulation in Virtual Catheterization

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    Virtual reality-based simulators are very helpful for trainees to acquire the skills of manipulating catheters and guidewires during the vascular interventional surgeries. In the development of such a simulator, however, it is a great challenge to realistically model and simulate deformable catheters and guidewires in an interactive manner. We propose a novel method to simulate the motion of catheters or guidewires and their interactions with patients' vascular system. Our method is based on the principle of minimal total potential energy. We formulate the total potential energy in the vascular interventional circumstance by summing up the elastic energy deriving from the bending of the catheters or guidewires, the potential energy due to the deformation of vessel walls, and the work by the external forces. We propose a novel FEM-based approach to simulate the deformation of catheters and guidewires. The motion of catheters or the guidewires and their responses to every input from the interventionalist can be calculated globally. Experiments have been conducted to validate the feasibility of the proposed method, and the results demonstrate that our method can realistically simulate the complex behaviors of catheters and guidewires in an interactive manner

    Hybrid intelligent deep kernel incremental extreme learning machine based on differential evolution and multiple population grey wolf optimization methods

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    Focussing on the problem that redundant nodes in the kernel incremental extreme learning machine (KI-ELM) which leads to ineffective iteration increase and reduce the learning efficiency, a novel improved hybrid intelligent deep kernel incremental extreme learning machine (HI-DKIELM) based on a hybrid intelligent algorithms and kernel incremental extreme learning machine is proposed. At first, hybrid intelligent algorithms are proposed based on differential evolution (DE) and multiple population grey wolf optimization (MPGWO) methods which used to optimize the hidden layer neuron parameters and then to determine the effective hidden layer neurons number. The learning efficiency of the algorithm is improved by reducing the network complexity. Then, we bring in the deep network structure to the kernel incremental extreme learning machine to extract the original input data layer by layer gradually. The experiment results show that the HI-DKIELM methods proposed in this paper with more compact network structure have higher prediction accuracy and better ability of generation compared with other ELM methods

    The pathophysiology of degenerative cervical myelopathy and the physiology of recovery following decompression

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    Background: Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM), also known as cervical spondylotic myelopathy is the leading cause of spinal cord compression in adults. The mainstay of treatment is surgical decompression, which leads to partial recovery of symptoms, however, long term prognosis of the condition remains poor. Despite advances in treatment methods, the underlying pathobiology is not well-known. A better understanding of the disease is therefore required for the development of treatments to improve outcomes following surgery. Objective: To systematically evaluate the pathophysiology of DCM and the mechanism underlying recovery following decompression. Methods: A total of 13,808 published articles were identified in our systematic search of electronic databases (PUBMED, WEB OF SCIENCE). A total of 51 studies investigating the secondary injury mechanisms of DCM or physiology of recovery in animal models of disease underwent comprehensive review. Results: Forty-seven studies addressed the pathophysiology of DCM. Majority of the studies demonstrated evidence of neuronal loss following spinal cord compression. A number of studies provided further details of structural changes in neurons such as myelin damage and axon degeneration. The mechanisms of injury to cells included direct apoptosis and increased inflammation. Only four papers investigated the pathobiological changes that occur in spinal cords following decompression. One study demonstrated evidence of axonal plasticity following decompressive surgery. Another study demonstrated ischaemic-reperfusion injury following decompression, however this phenomenon was worse when decompression was delayed. Conclusions: In preclinical studies, the pathophysiology of DCM has been poorly studied and a number of questions remain unanswered. The physiological changes seen in the decompressed spinal cord has not been widely investigated and it is paramount that researchers investigate the decompressed spinal cord further to enable the development of therapeutic tools, to enhance recovery following surgery
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