University of North Carolina at Greensboro

About: University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a education organization based out in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 5481 authors who have published 13715 publications receiving 456239 citations. The organization is also known as: UNCG & UNC Greensboro.

Support Vector Machine

Abstract: Support Vector Machine is one of the classical machine learning techniques that can still help solve big data classification problems. Especially, it can help the multidomain applications in a big data environment. However, the support vector machine is mathematically complex and computationally expensive. The main objective of this chapter is to simplify this approach using process diagrams and data flow diagrams to help readers understand theory and implement it successfully. To achieve this objective, the chapter is divided into three parts: (1) modeling of a linear support vector machine; (2) modeling of a nonlinear support vector machine; and (3) Lagrangian support vector machine algorithm and its implementations. The Lagrangian support vector machine with simple examples is also implemented using the R programming platform on Hadoop and non-Hadoop systems.

Distrust, Race, and Research

Abstract: Background: Investigators have voiced concerns that distrust of research and the medical community inpedes successful recruitment of African Americans into clinical research. Objective: To examine possible differences in distrust by race and to determine to what extent other sociodemographic factors explain any racial differences in distrust. Methods: We analyzed data from 527 African American and 382 white respondents of a national telephone survey on participation in clinical research. Our main outcome was a 7-item index of distrust. Results: African American respondents were more likely that white respondents not to trust that their physicians would fully explain research participation (41.7% vs 23.4%,P<.01)and to state that they believed their physicians exposed them to unnecessary risks (45.5% vs 34.8%,P<.01). African American respondents had a significantly higher mean distrust index score than white respondents(3.1 vs 1.8,P<.01). After controlling for other sociodemographic variables in a logistic regression model, race remained strongly associated with a highter distrust score (prevalence odds ratio, 4.7;95% confidence interval,2.9-7.7). Conclusions: Even after controlling for markers of social class, African Americans were less trusting than white Americans. Racial differences in disturst have important implications for investigation as they engage African Americans in research.

Sequence- and target-independent angiogenesis suppression by siRNA via TLR3

Abstract: Clinical trials of small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGFA) or its receptor VEGFR1 (also called FLT1), in patients with blinding choroidal neovascularization (CNV) from age-related macular degeneration, are premised on gene silencing by means of intracellular RNA interference (RNAi). We show instead that CNV inhibition is a siRNA-class effect: 21-nucleotide or longer siRNAs targeting non-mammalian genes, non-expressed genes, non-genomic sequences, pro- and anti-angiogenic genes, and RNAi-incompetent siRNAs all suppressed CNV in mice comparably to siRNAs targeting Vegfa or Vegfr1 without off-target RNAi or interferon-α/β activation. Non-targeted (against non-mammalian genes) and targeted (against Vegfa or Vegfr1) siRNA suppressed CNV via cell-surface toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3), its adaptor TRIF, and induction of interferon-γ and interleukin-12. Non-targeted siRNA suppressed dermal neovascularization in mice as effectively as Vegfa siRNA. siRNA-induced inhibition of neovascularization required a minimum length of 21 nucleotides, a bridging necessity in a modelled 2:1 TLR3–RNA complex. Choroidal endothelial cells from people expressing the TLR3 coding variant 412FF were refractory to extracellular siRNA-induced cytotoxicity, facilitating individualized pharmacogenetic therapy. Multiple human endothelial cell types expressed surface TLR3, indicating that generic siRNAs might treat angiogenic disorders that affect 8% of the world’s population, and that siRNAs might induce unanticipated vascular or immune effects.

Examining the impact of Culture's consequences: a three-decade, multilevel, meta-analytic review of Hofstede's cultural value dimensions.

Abstract: Using data from 598 studies representing over 200,000 individuals, we meta-analyzed the relationship between G. Hofstede's (1980a) original 4 cultural value dimensions and a variety of organizationally relevant outcomes. First, values predict outcomes with similar strength (with an overall absolute weighted effect size of rho = 0.18) at the individual level of analysis. Second, the predictive power of the cultural values was significantly lower than that of personality traits and demographics for certain outcomes (e.g., job performance, absenteeism, turnover) but was significantly higher for others (e.g., organizational commitment, identification, citizenship behavior, team-related attitudes, feedback seeking). Third, cultural values were most strongly related to emotions, followed by attitudes, then behaviors, and finally job performance. Fourth, cultural values were more strongly related to outcomes for managers (rather than students) and for older, male, and more educated respondents. Fifth, findings were stronger for primary, rather than secondary, data. Finally, we provide support for M. Gelfand, L. H. Nishii, and J. L. Raver's (2006) conceptualization of societal tightness-looseness, finding significantly stronger effects in culturally tighter, rather than looser, countries.