Gamification of Digital Platform: A Meta-analysis

Gamification has become a popular tool for promoting user engagement on digital platforms. While previous studies have explored gamification affordances and desired behavioral outcomes across various contexts and perspectives, a comprehensive study that consolidates these findings has yet to be proposed. This research employs a meta-analysis research method to examine the relationship between gamification affordances, perceived value, and behavior through a review of 20 papers (N= 7733) using the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework. The results show that achievement-related, social-related, and immersion-related affordances influence behavior through individuals\u27 perceived functional, social, and emotional values. Significantly, achievement-related affordance and functional value have the strongest effect on user behavior. Interestingly, achievement-related affordances have the most effective influence on social value. Consequently, this study contributes to both the theoretical and practical implications of gamification literature and industry

Exploring Metaverse: Affordances and Risks for Potential Users

Metaverse is a post-reality universe, a permanent and persistent multi-user environment that combines physical reality and digital virtuality. These technologies realize seamless embodied user communication in real-time and dynamic interactions with digital objects, shape users’ perceptions of reality and can be widely utilized for various applications. However, it is still in an infant stage, and a minimal amount is known about why and whether users will adopt such fully immersive technology. The purpose of this article is to develop a theoretical model and validate it by a survey to examine what affordances and challenges affect metaverse adoption. Our study potentially contributes to the literature on IS adoption research, and to practitioners on what needs to pay special attention to when designing metaverse

Examining the generalizability of research findings from archival data

This initiative examined systematically the extent to which a large set of archival research findings generalizes across contexts. We repeated the key analyses for 29 original strategic management effects in the same context (direct reproduction) as well as in 52 novel time periods and geographies; 45% of the reproductions returned results matching the original reports together with 55% of tests in different spans of years and 40% of tests in novel geographies. Some original findings were associated with multiple new tests. Reproducibility was the best predictor of generalizability—for the findings that proved directly reproducible, 84% emerged in other available time periods and 57% emerged in other geographies. Overall, only limited empirical evidence emerged for context sensitivity. In a forecasting survey, independent scientists were able to anticipate which effects would find support in tests in new samples

The Analysis of Intercity Migration Behavior of IT Professionals in China

IT professionals are considered as high-skilled and high-income groups, with a higher turnover rate and greater flexibility in terms of inter-city migration than others. With the widely adoption of IT innovations in organizations as well as the fast growth of IT industry in China, the demand for IT professionals increases exponentially which results in a fierce competition among cities in China. Yet the migration behavior of IT professionals has been overlooked. Based on the human-capital migration theory, this research examines the roles of external characteristics, personal characteristics and IT characteristics on IT professional’s migration behavior. Based on 8012 samples from the database of a hunting company in China, the results of our empirical analysis supported that both external characteristics and IT characteristics play important roles in IT professional’s migration behavior. Interestingly, our results show that male IT professionals in China are more likely to migrate. This study extends the human capital theory by introducing IT characteristics of IT professionals and provides insights for HR practitioners of IT industry as well as policy makers for attracting IT professionals

Impact of the Match-up between Live Streaming Styles and Product Types on Consumers’ Purchase Intention

Based on the match-up hypothesis, the present study examines how customers’ live streaming purchase intention varies across match-up between live streaming styles and product types. We conduct a 3*2 factorial experiment to investigate conditions of 3 live streaming styles (information-based, experience-based, and knowledge-based) vs. product types (search and experience) and assess their effects on purchase intention. The findings show that consumers prefer the experience-based style when purchasing search products and the knowledge-based and experience-based styles when purchasing experience products, which can provide some practical insights for practitioners. The study contributes by providing evidence on how different live streaming styles can be applied to different products to trigger consumer purchase intention and examining a new application of the match-up hypothesis

Terahertz Dual-Band Dual-Polarization 3-Bit Coding Metasurface for Multiple Vortex Beams Generation

Terahertz technology and vortex beams have demonstrated powerful capabilities in enhancing the channel capacity of communication systems. This work proposes a design strategy of dual-band and dual-function 3-bit coding metasurface based on beam polarization characteristics. The unit cell of the metasurface is composed of two pattern structures, which has the ability to flexibly and independently control the reflection phases of incident plane wave at two frequency bands. The metasurface designed in this work is a combination of two patterns according to the addition operation and the convolution operation. The 3-bit coding metasurface generates two orbital angular momentum (OAM) beams with a deflection of 12.1° with modes l1=+1 and l2=−1 under the y-polarized incidence at 0.6 THz. Similarly, the designed metasurface produces two OAM beams with a deflection of 16.5° under the incidence of x-polarized wave at 0.9 THz, and the modes are l3=+1 and l4=−2. The full-wave simulation results agree well with the theoretical predictions, which could prove the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed method. The metasurface designed according to this method has potential applications in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication systems

Generative Design of Outdoor Green Spaces Based on Generative Adversarial Networks

Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) possess a significant ability to generate novel images that adhere to specific guidelines across multiple domains. GAN-assisted generative design is a design method that can automatically generate design schemes without the constraints of human conditions. However, more research on complex objects with weak regularity, such as parks, is required. In this study, parks were selected as the research object, and we conducted our experiment as follows: (1) data preparation and collection; (2) pre-train the two neural network, then create the design layout generation system and the design plan generation system; (3) realize the data augmentation and enhanced hundred level dataset to thousand level dataset; (4) optimized training; (5) test the optimized training model. Experimental results show that (1) the machine learning model can acquire specific park layout patterns, quickly generate well-laid-out plan layout plans, and create innovative designs that differ from the human designer’s style within reasonable limits; (2) GAN-driven data augmentation methods can significantly improve the generative ability of algorithms, reduce generative pressure, and achieve better generative results; (3) pix2pix is prone to mode collapse, and CycleGAN has fixed rule errors in expressing certain design elements; and (4) GAN has the ability to mine design rules in the same way as humans

A Real-World Multicentre Retrospective Study of Low-Dose Apatinib for Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer

Treatment options for human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2)-negative breast cancer patients are limited in comparison to the HER2-positive patients, particularly for metastatic breast cancer patients. Apatinib is a small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2). Here, we reported the apatinib-based therapy data in HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer. Apatinib was taken at a dose of 250 mg orally once per day and combined with standard chemotherapy regimens. The PFS and OS of 128 patients were 4.7 months and 15.3 months, respectively. The objective response rate (ORR) and the disease control rate (DCR) were 22.7% and 80.5%, respectively. Patients with breast cancer susceptibility gene (BRCA) mutations were found to have a longer PFS and OS. Moreover, combination immunotherapy or paclitaxel-platinum regimens shared an improved response to other regimens. Most of the adverse effects (hypertension, anaemia, and hand-foot syndrome) were grade 1 to 2. Metastatic breast cancer patients could benefit from apatinib therapy at a low dosage, and the adverse effects are mild in real-world clinical practice. Furthermore, BRCA may be a putative biomarker for apatinib in HER2-negative breast cancer. Immunotherapy or paclitaxel-platinum regimens may be recommended to combine with apatinib therapy

High Chromosomal Stability and Immortalized Totipotency Characterize Long-Term Tissue Cultures of Chinese Ginseng (Panax ginseng)

Chinese ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) is a highly cherished traditional Chinese medicine, with several confirmed medical effects and many more asserted health-boosting functions. Somatic chromosomal instability (CIN) is a hallmark of many types of human cancers and also related to other pathogenic conditions such as miscarriages and intellectual disabilities, hence, the study of this phenomenon is of wide scientific and translational medical significance. CIN also ubiquitously occurs in cultured plant cells, and is implicated as a major cause of the rapid decline/loss of totipotency with culture duration, which represents a major hindrance to the application of transgenic technologies in crop improvement. Here, we report two salient features of long-term cultured callus cells of ginseng, i.e., high chromosomal stability and virtually immortalized totipotency. Specifically, we document that our callus of ginseng, which has been subcultured for 12 consecutive years, remained highly stable at the chromosomal level and showed little decline in totipotency. We show that these remarkable features of cultured ginseng cells are likely relevant to the robust homeostasis of the transcriptional expression of specific genes (i.e., genes related to tissue totipotency and chromosomal stability) implicated in the manifestation of these two complex phenotypes. To our knowledge, these two properties of ginseng have not been observed in any animals (with respect to somatic chromosomal stability) and other plants. We posit that further exploration of the molecular mechanisms underlying these unique properties of ginseng, especially somatic chromosomal stability in protracted culture duration, may provide novel clues to the mechanistic understanding of the occurrence of CIN in human disease