Building an Argument for the Use of Science Fiction in HCI Education

Science fiction literature, comics, cartoons and, in particular, audio-visual materials, such as science fiction movies and shows, can be a valuable addition in Human-computer interaction (HCI) Education. In this paper, we present an overview of research relative to future directions in HCI Education, distinct crossings of science fiction in HCI and Computer Science teaching and the Framework for 21st Century Learning. Next, we provide examples where science fiction can add to the future of HCI Education. In particular, we argue herein first that science fiction, as tangible and intangible cultural artifact, can serve as a trigger for creativity and innovation and thus, support us in exploring the design space. Second, science fiction, as a means to analyze yet-to-come HCI technologies, can assist us in developing an open-minded and reflective dialogue about technological futures, thus creating a singular base for critical thinking and problem solving. Provided that one is cognizant of its potential and limitations, we reason that science fiction can be a meaningful extension of selected aspects of HCI curricula and research.Comment: 6 pages, 1 table, IHSI 2019 accepted submissio

Integrated mRNA and microRNA transcriptome sequencing characterizes sequence variants and mRNA – microRNA regulatory network in nasopharyngeal carcinoma model systems

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a prevalent malignancy in Southeast Asia among the Chinese population. Aberrant regulation of transcripts has been implicated in many types of cancers including NPC. Herein, we characterized mRNA and miRNA transcriptomes by RNA sequencing (RNASeq) of NPC model systems. Matched total mRNA and small RNA of undifferentiated Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive NPC xenograft X666 and its derived cell line C666, well-differentiated NPC cell line HK1, and the immortalized nasopharyngeal epithelial cell line NP460 were sequenced by Solexa technology. We found 2812 genes and 149 miRNAs (human and EBV) to be differentially expressed in NP460, HK1, C666 and X666 with RNASeq; 533 miRNA-mRNA target pairs were inversely regulated in the three NPC cell lines compared to NP460. Integrated mRNA/miRNA expression profiling and pathway analysis show extracellular matrix organization, Beta-1 integrin cell surface interactions, and the PI3K/AKT, EGFR, ErbB, and Wnt pathways were potentially deregulated in NPC. Real-time quantitative PCR was performed on selected mRNA/miRNAs in order to validate their expression. Transcript sequence variants such as short insertions and deletions (INDEL), single nucleotide variant (SNV), and isomiRs were characterized in the NPC model systems. A novel TP53 transcript variant was identified in NP460, HK1, and C666. Detection of three previously reported novel EBV-encoded BART miRNAs and their isomiRs were also observed. Meta-analysis of a model system to a clinical system aids the choice of different cell lines in NPC studies. This comprehensive characterization of mRNA and miRNA transcriptomes in NPC cell lines and the xenograft provides insights on miRNA regulation of mRNA and valuable resources on transcript variation and regulation in NPC, which are potentially useful for mechanistic and preclinical studies. © 2014 The Authors.published_or_final_versio

Near-Infrared Super Resolution Imaging with Metallic Nanoshell Particle Chain Array

We propose a near-infrared super resolution imaging system without a lens or a mirror but with an array of metallic nanoshell particle chain. The imaging array can plasmonically transfer the near-field components of dipole sources in the incoherent and coherent manners and the super resolution images can be reconstructed in the output plane. By tunning the parameters of the metallic nanoshell particle, the plasmon resonance band of the isolate nanoshell particle red-shifts to the near-infrared region. The near-infrared super resolution images are obtained subsequently. We calculate the field intensity distribution at the different planes of imaging process using the finite element method and find that the array has super resolution imaging capability at near-infrared wavelengths. We also show that the image formation highly depends on the coherence of the dipole sources and the image-array distance.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figure

The iron-chelating drug M30 down-regulates carbon tetrachloride (CCI4)-induced hepatic oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis in vitro

Topic: 2 Acute Liver FailureThis journal suppl. entitled: APASL Liver Week 2013BACKGROUND/AIMS: The novel multifunctional brain permeable ironchelator M30 possesses neuroprotective activities against several insults applicable to various neurodegenerative diseases. However, the effect of M30 on CCl4 induced acute liver damage is still unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the multifunctional drug M30 could ameliorate CCl4 induced hepatic injury in human HepG2 cell line. METHODS: HepG2 cells were grown in DMEM supplemented with ...postprin

Development of interfering RNA agents to inhibit SARS-associated coronavirus infection and replication.

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Energy loss in perturbative QCD

We review the properties of energetic parton propagation in hot or cold QCD matter, as obtained in recent works. Advances in understanding the energy loss - collisional and radiative - are summarized, with emphasis on the latter: it features very interesting properties which may help to detect the quark-gluon plasma produced in heavy ion collisions. We describe two different theoretical approaches, which lead to the same radiated gluon energy spectrum. The case of a longitudinally expanding QCD plasma is investigated. The energy lost by a jet with given opening angle is calculated in view of making predictions for the suppression (quenching) of hard jet production. Phenomenological implications for the difference between hot and cold matter are discussed. Numerical estimates of the loss suggest that it may be significantly enhanced in hot compared to cold matter.Comment: 49 pages latex file with 11 embedded PS figures. Uses ar.sty (included), one equation revised. submitted to Annual Review of Nuclear and Particle Scienc

Evidence for Anthropogenic Surface Loading as Trigger Mechanism of the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake

Two and a half years prior to China's M7.9 Wenchuan earthquake of May 2008, at least 300 million metric tons of water accumulated with additional seasonal water level changes in the Minjiang River Valley at the eastern margin of the Longmen Shan. This article shows that static surface loading in the Zipingpu water reservoir induced Coulomb failure stresses on the nearby Beichuan thrust fault system at <17km depth. Triggering stresses exceeded levels of daily lunar and solar tides and perturbed a fault area measuring 416+/-96km^2. These stress perturbations, in turn, likely advanced the clock of the mainshock and directed the initial rupture propagation upward towards the reservoir on the "Coulomb-like" Beichuan fault with rate-and-state dependent frictional behavior. Static triggering perturbations produced up to 60 years (0.6%) of equivalent tectonic loading, and show strong correlations to the coseismic slip. Moreover, correlations between clock advancement and coseismic slip, observed during the mainshock beneath the reservoir, are strongest for a longer seismic cycle (10kyr) of M>7 earthquakes. Finally, the daily event rate of the micro-seismicity (M>0.5) correlates well with the static stress perturbations, indicating destabilization.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figures, 3 table

Potent inhibition of SARS-associated coronavirus (SCoV) infection and replication by type I interferons (IFN-α/β) but not by type II interferon (IFN-γ)

We sought to investigate the anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-associated coronavirus (SCoV) activities of type I (α and β) and type II (γ) interferons (IFN) in vitro. Type I IFNs protected cells from cytopathic effects (CPE) induced by SCoV, and inhibited viral genomic RNA replication in FRhk-4 cells (measured by quantitative RT-PCR) in a dose-dependent manner. Intracellular viral RNA copies were reduced 50% by IFN-α at a concentration of 25 U/ml and by IFN-β at a concentration of 14 U/ml. IFN-γ had fewer effects on inhibition of viral infection and replication. The type I IFN receptor signaling pathway in host cells is mainly involved in the inhibition of SCoV infection and replication. Type I IFNs could be used as potential agents for anti-SARS treatment.published_or_final_versio

Effective computational methods for hybrid stochastic gene networks

At the scale of the individual cell, protein production is a stochastic process with multiple time scales, combining quick and slow random steps with discontinuous and smooth variation. Hybrid stochastic processes, in particular piecewise-deterministic Markov processes (PDMP), are well adapted for describing such situations. PDMPs approximate the jump Markov processes traditionally used as models for stochastic chemical reaction networks. Although hybrid modelling is now well established in biology, these models remain computationally challenging. We propose several improved methods for computing time dependent multivariate probability distributions (MPD) of PDMP models of gene networks. In these models, the promoter dynamics is described by a finite state, continuous time Markov process, whereas the mRNA and protein levels follow ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The Monte-Carlo method combines direct simulation of the PDMP with analytic solutions of the ODEs. The push-forward method numerically computes the probability measure advected by the deterministic ODE flow, through the use of analytic expressions of the corresponding semigroup. Compared to earlier versions of this method, the probability of the promoter states sequence is computed beyond the naive mean field theory and adapted for non-linear regulation functions

On the stability of high-speed milling with spindle speed variation

Spindle speed variation is a well-known technique to suppress regenerative machine tool vibrations, but it is usually considered to be effective only for low spindle speeds. In this paper, the effect of spindle speed variation is analyzed in the high-speed domain for spindle speeds corresponding to the first flip (period doubling) and to the first Hopf lobes. The optimal amplitudes and frequencies of the speed modulations are computed using the semidiscre- tization method. It is shown that period doubling chatter can effectively be suppressed by spindle speed variation, although, the technique is not effective for the quasiperiodic chatter above the Hopf lobe. The results are verified by cutting tests. Some special cases are also discussed where the practical behavior of the system differs from the predicted one in some ways. For these cases, it is pointed out that the concept of stability is understood on the scale of the principal period of the system—that is, the speed modulation period for variable spindle speed machining and the tooth passing period for constant spindle speed machining