Personality Facets and Customer Loyalty in Online Games

Online games have attracted numerous customers and brought stable revenues to game providers. However, some customers frequently switch to other games, and thus, it is important to identify which customers are likely loyal customers. The literature has identified openness, conscientiousness, and extraversion as predictors for loyalty in online games (Teng, Huang, Jeng, Chou, & Hu, 2008). However, the three broad traits contain multiple facets. Thus research addressing the three broad traits may mix the influences of multiple facets. Thus this study investigates the influences of personality facets on online game customer skill, challenge, flow experience, and loyalty. The sample comprised 994 online gamers. This study employed structural equation modeling for analysis, and found that (1) ideas and achievement striving are positively related to skill, (2) achievement striving, competence, and excitement-seeking are positively related to challenge, (3) gregariousness is positively related to interdependence, (4) fantasy, skill, challenge, and interdependence are positively related to customer likelihood of experiencing flow, and (5) experienced flow is positively related to customer loyalty. The study findings suggest managers improve gamer skill and challenge when gamers are in their early stages in online games, boosting their likelihood of experiencing flow and thus building their loyalty. Managers are also suggested to target individuals who are high in personality facets such as ideas, achievement striving, competence, excitement- seeking, to effectively build a loyal customer base. Educators are also suggested to notice students who are high in those personality facets, because these students may continuously play online games when they begin to play

Effect of Auricular Acupressure on Peri- and Early Postmenopausal Women with Anxiety: A Double-Blinded, Randomized, and Controlled Pilot Study

We tested effects of auricular acupressure on peri- and early postmenopausal women with anxiety (PPWA). Fifty PPWA were randomly assigned to the auricular acupressure group (AG) or the sham group (SG). After 3 meals and before sleep every day for 4 weeks, the AG received auricular acupressure on the bilateral ear shenmen and subcortex points for 3 min per point on alternating ears. The SG received sham auricular acupressure. The Alprazolam was reduced from 0.5 mg/day at baseline to 0.3 mg/day 4 weeks after auricular acupressure (4 W) in the AG (P < .05) whereas maintained at 0.5 mg/day in the SG (P > .05). The Zolpidem was reduced from 3.0 mg/day at baseline to 1.5 mg/day at 4 W (P < .05) whereas was reduced from 2.4 mg/day to 1.9 mg/day at 4 W in the SG (P > .05), thus, significant tapering medication, suggesting auricular acupressure is helpful to PPWA

Methods for genome interpretation: causal gene discovery and personal phenotype prediction

Genome interpretation – illustrating how genomic variation affects phenotypic variation – is one of the central questions of the early 21st century. Deciphering the mapping between genotypes and phenotypes requires the collection of a large amount of data, both genetic and phenotypic. Phenotypic profiles, for example, have been systematically recorded and archived in hospitals and national health-related organizations for years. Human genome sequences, however, had not been sequenced in a high throughput manner until next-generation sequencing technologies became available in 2005. Since then, vast amounts of genotype-phenotype data have been collected, allowing for the unprecedented opportunity for genome interpretation. Genome interpretation is an ambitious, poorly understood goal that may require collaboration between many disciplines. In this dissertation, I focus on the development of computational methods for genome interpretation. Based on recent interest in relating genotypes and phenotypes, the task is divided into two stages: discovery (Chapters 2-6) and prediction (Chapters 7-10). In the discovery stage, the location of genomic loci associated with a phenotype of interest is identified based on sequence-based case-control studies. In the prediction stage, I propose a probabilistic model to predict personal phenotypes given an individual’s genome by integrating many sources of information, including the phenotype-associated loci found in the discovery stage

Biomechanical Characteristics and EMG Activities of Weighted Countermovement Jump

The purpose of this study was to investigate the biomechanical characteristics and EMG activities during a weighted countermovement jump (WCMJ) with 0%, 25% and 50% of body weight. Eight male college students participated this study. An AMTI force platform, Penny&Giles goniometer and Biovision EMG system were used synchronously to record the related parameters while subjects performed WCMJs. The results indicate that by increasing load, the eccentric mean force, the maximum force and concentric impulse increases significantly. With the load increase, the EMG activities of soleus and gastrocnemius did not changed significantly, while the eccentric mean EMG amplitude of rectus femoris got greater. This reveals that WCMJ has a marked influence on the lower extremity, especially on the rectus femoris

A neuronal death model: overexpression of neuronal intermediate filament protein peripherin in PC12 cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Abnormal accumulation of neuronal intermediate filament (IF) is a pathological indicator of some neurodegenerative disorders. However, the underlying neuropathological mechanisms of neuronal IF accumulation remain unclear. A stable clone established from PC12 cells overexpressing a GFP-Peripherin fusion protein (pEGFP-Peripherin) was constructed for determining the pathway involved in neurodegeneration by biochemical, cell biology, and electronic microscopy approaches. In addition, pharmacological approaches to preventing neuronal death were also examined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Results of this study showed that TUNEL positive reaction could be detected in pEGFP-Peripherin cells. Swollen mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) were seen by electron microscopy in pEGFP-Peripherin cells on day 8 of nerve growth factor (NGF) treatment. Peripherin overexpression not only led to the formation of neuronal IF aggregate but also causes aberrant neuronal IF phosphorylation and mislocation. Western blots showed that calpain, caspase-12, caspase-9, and caspase-3 activity was upregulated. Furthermore, treatment with calpain inhibitor significantly inhibited cell death.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results suggested that the cytoplasmic neuronal IF aggregate caused by peripherin overexpression may induce aberrant neuronal IF phosphorylation and mislocation subsequently trapped and indirectly damaged mitochondria and ER. We suggested that the activation of calpain, caspase-12, caspase-9, and caspase-3 were correlated to the dysfunction of the ER and mitochondria in our pEGFP-Peripherin cell model. The present study suggested that pEGFP-Peripherin cell clones could be a neuronal death model for future studies in neuronal IFs aggregate associated neurodegeneration.</p