觀察、分析、批評–論九十年代香港電視綜合性節目的素質

「批評大眾媒介就是人類的探索，這在孕育人類命運的用意上，比登陸月球還重要。」― Robert L. Shayon : Open to Criticism1 傳統的電視批評理論，多只簡化為「傳輸者」對「接收者」的行為及態度影響的單向測量。這不但忽略了電視這個大眾傳播媒介與整體政治、經濟及社會的複雜牽引關係，而節目文本的特質亦未被關注。現代的電視評論，如中國的電視批評理論，其所主張的是「入乎其內，山乎其外」，2 即將感性主觀的層次昇華到理性認知的研究。而西方的電視評論，乃在於研究節目製作的製碼人 (producer)、節目正文 (text)、社會媒介 (mass media)及觀眾(audience)之間的緊密互動關係。3 這種研究可分為三個層次，分別是媒介的評論、製作人的回應及觀眾以各自不同的詮釋意義，來建構自身的文化。這正是本論文研究的主旨，即暸解並體驗這種互動民主式的電視文化評論。本文雖不可能完全復製出一般大眾的觀視經驗，但盼望能為大眾提供一副可供「閱讀」文化本身的眼鏡，使有助於暸解電視的研究取向，以待我們日後再作進一步的探索及驗證

Introducing a Female-Focused Design Strategy (FDS) for Future Healthcare Design

This paper introduces a Female-focused Design Strategy (FDS) for the design of female- focused healthcare devices targeted at women within the self-care context. Literature review and a mixed methodology of quantitative and qualitative survey studies were conducted and analysed to gather primary information about women’s needs, perception and acceptance level towards the design, use, and interaction of such products. The FDS comprises of attributes to convey a personal and special meaning over and above the product’s utilitarian meaning with the aim of stimulating prolong product attachment. It should create different unique product characters which may encourage medical adherence of users and can be applied in any phase of a new product development (NPD) process. It is hypothesized that a designer who can define such areas for future healthcare interfaces can use them to ‘get a grip’ on the commercial success and viability of his or her healthcare product design

Factors associated with mobile health information seeking among Singaporean women

This study examined effects of age and social psychological factors on women’s willingness to be mobile health information seekers. A national survey of 1,878 Singaporean women was conducted to obtain information on women’s mobile phone usage, experiences of health information seeking, and appraisals of using mobile phones to seek health information. Results showed that young, middle-aged, and older women exhibited distinct mobile phone usage behaviors, health information-seeking patterns, and assessments of mobile health information seeking. Factors that accounted for their mobile information-seeking intention also varied. Data reported in this study provide insights into mobile health interventions in the future

Hypoglycemic and Antioxidant Effects of Camellia nitidissima Flower on Type 2 Diabetic Mice

Objective: To comprehensively evaluate the hypoglycemic and antioxidant effects of Camellia nitidissima flower. Methods: The chemical constituents in the aqueous extract of C. nitidissima flower (CFA) were identified by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Next, a mouse model of type 2 diabetes was established, and the diabetic mice were randomly divided into five groups: model, positive control (acarbose at 20 mg/kg mb), low-, medium- and high-dose CFA (200, 400 and 800 mg/kg mb, respectively). After five weeks of intragastric intervention, general growth characteristics, serum glucose, fasting insulin (FINS) and lipid levels, oxidative stress in pancreas and liver tissues, tissue morphological changes and cell apoptosis were analyzed. Results: CFA had a high content of polyphenols and polysaccharides. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for scavenging of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and α-glucosidase inhibition were (24.14 ± 0.64) and (69.99 ± 1.97) μg/mL, respectively. Seven compounds were identified from CFA. In addition, CFA could effectively improve the ‘three more and one less’ symptoms of diabetic mice, significantly reduce the levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), postprandial blood glucose (PBG), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and malondialdehyde (MDA), increase the levels of insulin and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), improve the activities of total superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and alleviate pathological damage in pancreas and liver tissues. Conclusion: CFA has significant hypoglycemic and antioxidant effects on type 2 diabetic mice

IgG Fc-binding motif-conjugated HIV-1 fusion inhibitor exhibits improved potency and in vivo half-life: Potential application in combination with broad neutralizing antibodies

The clinical application of conventional peptide drugs, such as the HIV-1 fusion inhibitor enfuvirtide, is limited by their short half-life in vivo. To overcome this limitation, we developed a new strategy to extend the in vivo half-life of a short HIV-1 fusion inhibitory peptide, CP24, by fusing it with the human IgG Fc-binding peptide (IBP). The newly engineered peptide IBPCP24 exhibited potent and broad anti-HIV-1 activity with IC50 values ranging from 0.2 to 173.7 nM for inhibiting a broad spectrum of HIV-1 strains with different subtypes and tropisms, including those resistant to enfuvirtide. Most importantly, its half-life in the plasma of rhesus monkeys was 46.1 h, about 26- and 14-fold longer than that of CP24 (t1/2 = 1.7 h) and enfuvirtide (t1/2 = 3 h), respectively. IBP-CP24 intravenously administered in rhesus monkeys could not induce significant IBP-CP24-specific antibody response and it showed no obvious in vitro or in vivo toxicity. In the prophylactic study, humanized mice pretreated with IBPCP24 were protected from HIV-1 infection. As a therapeutic treatment, coadministration of IBP-CP24 and normal human IgG to humanized mice with chronic HIV-1 infection resulted in a significant decrease of plasma viremia. Combining IBP-CP24 with a broad neutralizing antibody (bNAb) targeting CD4-binding site (CD4bs) in gp120 or a membrane proximal external region (MPER) in gp41 exhibited synergistic effect, resulting in significant dose-reduction of the bNAb and IBP-CP24. These results suggest that IBP-CP24 has the potential to be further developed as a new HIV-1 fusion inhibitor-based, long-acting anti-HIV drug that can be used alone or in combination with a bNAb for treatment and prevention of HIV-1 infection

Regulation of IL-2 gene expression by Siva and FOXP3 in human T cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Severe autoinflammatory diseases are associated with mutations in the <it>Foxp3 </it>locus in both mice and humans. <it>Foxp3 </it>is required for the development, function, and maintenance of regulatory T cells (T_regs), a subset of CD4 cells that suppress T cell activation and inflammatory processes. <it>Siva </it>is a pro-apoptotic gene that is expressed across a range of tissues, including CD4 T cells. Siva interacts with three tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) family members that are constitutively expressed on T_regcells: CD27, GITR, and OX40.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here we report a biophysical interaction between FOXP3 and Siva. We mapped the interaction domains to Siva's C-terminus and to a central region of FOXP3. We showed that <it>Siva </it>repressed IL-2 induction by suppressing <it>IL-2 </it>promoter activity during T cell activation. Siva-1's repressive effect on <it>IL-2 </it>gene expression appears to be mediated by inhibition of NFkappaB, whereas FOXP3 repressed both NFkappaB and NFAT activity.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In summary, our data suggest that both <it>FOXP3 </it>and <it>Siva </it>function as negative regulators of IL-2 gene expression in T_regcells, via suppression of NFAT by <it>FOXP3 </it>and of NFkappaB by both <it>FOXP3 </it>and <it>Siva</it>. Our work contributes evidence for <it>Siva's </it>role as a T cell signalling mediator in addition to its known pro-apoptotic function. Though further investigations are needed, evidence for the biophysical interaction between FOXP3 and Siva invites the possibility that Siva may be important for proper T_regcell function.</p

Affinities and innovations in selected piano music of Béla Bartók and György Ligeti

This dissertation studies the similarities and differences between selected piano works of Béla Bartók and György Ligeti. Brief biographies of the two composers and their compositional styles are presented to provide background context and framework. The examples studied in this dissertation are selected movements from Bartók’s Bagatelles, Out of Doors, and Mikrokosmos as well as Ligeti’s Invention, Musica Ricercata, and Fanfares. Through comparative analysis, this dissertation seeks to answer the following questions: How much did Bartók influence Ligeti, not only in his early period, but also in the later part of his career? How did this influence evolve as Ligeti continued to develop his own style? Which of Bartók’s compositional traits influenced Ligeti the most, and how did they serve Ligeti in advancing his own innovation as a composer? Ultimately, my analysis demonstrates that Ligeti metamorphosed not only through the “mother tongue” of Bartók, but through the land of folk music, other composers whose work he valued, other cultures that fascinated him (Indonesian, African, Cuban, and Brazilian), and other nutrients from all disciplines (philosophy, literature, the sciences) to become a hugely influential composer at the end of the twentieth century.U of I OnlyAuthor requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD syste