Gamified Digital Services: How Gameful Experiences Drive Continued Service Usage

Recently, many digital service providers started to gamify their services to promote continued service usage. Although gamification has drawn attention in both practice and research, it remains unclear how users experience gamified services and how these gameful experiences may increase service usage. This research adopts a user-centered perspective to reveal the underlying gameful experience dimensions during gamified service usage and how they drive continued service usage. Findings from Study 1 - a survey with 148 app-users - reveal four essential gameful experience dimensions (skill development, social comparison, social connectedness, and expressive freedom) and how they relate to game mechanics. Study 2, which is based on a survey among 821 app-users, shows that gameful experiences trigger continued service usage through two different types of motivation, namely autonomous and controlled motivation

Resolving the Chatbot Disclosure Dilemma: Leveraging Selective Self-Presentation to Mitigate the Negative Effect of Chatbot Disclosure

Chatbots are increasingly able to pose as humans. However, this does not hold true if their identity is explicitly disclosed to users—a practice that will become a legal obligation for many service providers in the imminent future. Previous studies hint at a chatbot disclosure dilemma in that disclosing the non-human identity of chatbots comes at the cost of negative user responses. As these responses are commonly attributed to reduced trust in algorithms, this research examines how the detrimental impact of chatbot disclosure on trust can be buffered. Based on computer-mediated communication theory, the authors demonstrate that the chatbot disclosure dilemma can be resolved if disclosure is paired with selective presentation of the chatbot’s capabilities. Study results show that while merely disclosing (vs. not disclosing) chatbot identity does reduce trust, pairing chatbot disclosure with selectively presented information on the chatbot’s expertise or weaknesses is able to mitigate this negative effect

Diluted and Undiluted Mercox Severely Destroy Unfixed Endothelial Cells. A Light and Electron Microscopic Study Using Cultured Endothelial Cells and Tadpole Tail Fin Vessels

Mercox is a methylmethacrylate-based resin which is widely used for vascular corrosion casting with subsequent scanning electron microscopic analysis. In the present study the effect of undiluted and diluted Mercox (4+1; volume + volume; Mercox: monomeric methylmethacrylate (MMA); 0.02 g catalyst MA/ml Mercox) and methylmethacrylate with and without catalyst MA (0.625 g/10 ml MMA) on fixed and unfixed endothelial cells was studied. Light microscopy (LM) of cultured capillary endothelial cells (ECs), which were replicated with diluted or undiluted Mercox shows degranulation and membrane perturbation of ECs, while no morphological changes occur in glutaraldehyde-prefixed ECs. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of replicas ( = resin blocks) polymerized on prefixed ECs reveals unchanged ECs and replicas show many details. Unfixed ECs are destroyed and replicas reveal aberrant features. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of prefixed and unfixed ECs (cultured endothelial cells, endothelial cells of perfusion prefixed and of unfixed tadpole tail fin vessels) substantiates LM and SEM findings. Prefixed ECs resist Mercox without fine structural changes, while unfixed cells undergo destruction. It is recommended to fix vessels prior to casting. Extravasations in microvessels are considered to be caused by focal chemical destruction of endothelial cells

Claim success, but blame the bot? User reactions to service failure and recovery in interactions with humanoid service robots

Service robots are changing the nature of service delivery in the digital economy. However, frequently occurring service failures represent a great challenge to achieve service robot acceptance. To understand how different service outcomes in interactions with service robots affect usage intentions, this research investigates (1) how users attribute failures committed by humanoid service robots and (2) whether responsibility attribution varies depending on service robot design. In a 3 (success vs. failure vs. failure with recovery) ✕ 2 (warm vs. competent service robot design) between-subject online experiment, this research finds evidence for the self-serving bias in a service robot context, that is, attributing successes to oneself, but blaming others for failures. This effect emerges independently from service robot design. Furthermore, recovery through human intervention can mitigate consequences of failure only for robots with warm design. The authors discuss consequences for applications of humanoid service robots and implications for further research

The Vascularization of the Skin of the Atlantic Hagfish, Myxine glutinosa L. as Revealed by Scanning Electron Microscopy of Vascular Corrosion Casts

The vascularization of three different (A, B, C) skin regions (from the level of the heart to the cloaca including dorsal, lateral and ventral skin areas) of the Atlantic hagfish, Myxine glutinosa L. was studied by scanning electron microscopy of vascular corrosion casts. Vessel variables were measured either from semithin sections (diameters) or from vascular corrosion casts (diameters, lengths) and total blood capacities as well as vessel surfaces per unit skin area (mm2) were calculated. There are no significant differences in the number of subepidermal capillary meshes (ranging from 164 to 185 meshes per micrograph) in areas A, B or C nor in vessel lengths. The average vessel length per mm2 is 32 mm. Assuming an average diameter of 22.3 μm these vessels have an average surface of 2.24 mm2 and a volume of 12.5 nanoliters (nl). In contrary weighing two pieces ( 5 mm times 5 mm in size) of the whole skin vascular bed - knowing the density of the casting medium -results in only one fifth of that volume. Overestimation of vessel lengths and diameters by measuring casted structures from micrographs on the one hand and inaccuracies in weighing or dissection of casted skin pieces on the other hand are discussed as sources of observed differences

Endodontic management of traumatized permanent teeth : a comprehensive review

The pulp plays a key role in the treatment of traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) and is strongly associated with the outcome, particularly in severe cases. A correct pulp diagnosis is essential as it forms the basis for developing the appropriate management strategy. However, many TDIs are complex, and their treatment requires a profound knowledge of the physiological and pathological responses of the affected tissues. This comprehensive review will look at the dentine-pulp complex and its interaction with the surrounding tissues following TDIs. The literature up to 2020 was reviewed based on several searches on PubMed and the Cochrane Library using relevant terms. In addition to the recently revised guidelines of the International Association of Dental Traumatology, this article aims to provide background information with a focus on endodontic aspects and to gather evidence on which a clinician can make decisions on the choice of the appropriate endodontic approach for traumatized permanent teeth.Peer reviewe

European Society of Endodontology position statement : endodontic management of traumatized permanent teeth

This position statement represents a consensus of an expert committee convened by the European Society of Endodontology (ESE) on the endodontic management of traumatized permanent teeth. A recent comprehensive review with detailed background information provides the basis for this position statement (Krastl et al. 2021, International Endodontic Journal, ). The statement is based on current scienti?c evidence as well as the expertise of the committee. Complementing the recently revised guidelines of the International Association of Dental Traumatology, this position statement aims to provide clinical guidance for the choice of the appropriate endodontic approach for traumatized permanent teeth. Given the dynamic nature of research in this area, this position statement will be updated at appropriate intervals.Peer reviewe

European Society of Endodontology position statement : endodontic management of traumatized permanent teeth

This position statement represents a consensus of an expert committee convened by the European Society of Endodontology (ESE) on the endodontic management of traumatized permanent teeth. A recent comprehensive review with detailed background information provides the basis for this position statement (Krastl et al. 2021, International Endodontic Journal, ). The statement is based on current scienti?c evidence as well as the expertise of the committee. Complementing the recently revised guidelines of the International Association of Dental Traumatology, this position statement aims to provide clinical guidance for the choice of the appropriate endodontic approach for traumatized permanent teeth. Given the dynamic nature of research in this area, this position statement will be updated at appropriate intervals.Peer reviewe

Trends in complementary/alternative medicine use by breast cancer survivors: Comparing survey data from 1998 and 2005

BACKGROUND: Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by women with breast cancer is often said to be increasing, yet few data exist to confirm this commonly held belief. The purpose of this paper is to compare overall patterns of CAM use, as well as use of specific products and therapies at two different points in time (1998 vs 2005) by women diagnosed with breast cancer. METHODS: Surveys were mailed to women randomly selected from the Ontario Cancer Registry (Canada) in the spring of 1998 (n = 557) and again in the spring of 2005(n = 877). RESULTS: The response rates were 76.3% in 1998 and 63% in 2005. In 1998, 66.7% of women reported using either a CAM product/therapy or seeing a CAM therapist at some time in their lives as compared with 81.9% in 2005 (p = 0.0002). Increases were seen in both use of CAM products/therapies (62% in 1998 vs. 70.6% in 2005) and visits to CAM practitioners (39.4% of respondents in 1998 vs 57.4% of respondents in 2005). Women in 2005 reported that 41% used CAM for treating their breast cancer. The most commonly used products and practitioners for treating breast cancer as reported in 2005 were green tea, vitamin E, flaxseed, vitamin C, massage therapists and dietitians/nutritionists. CONCLUSION: CAM use (both self-medication with products and visits to CAM practitioners) increased significantly from 1998 to 2005. Now that more than 80% of all women with breast cancer report using CAM (41% in a specific attempt to management their breast cancer), CAM use can no longer be regarded as an "alternative" or unusual approach to managing breast cancer

Computational Analysis of the Spatiotemporal Coordination of Polarized PI3K and Rac1 Activities in Micro-Patterned Live Cells

Polarized molecular activities play important roles in guiding the cell toward persistent and directional migration. In this study, the polarized distributions of the activities of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and the Rac1 small GTPase were monitored using chimeric fluorescent proteins (FPs) in cells constrained on micro-patterned strips, with one end connecting to a neighboring cell (junction end) and the other end free of cell-cell contact (free end). The recorded spatiotemporal dynamics of the fluorescent intensity from different cells was scaled into a uniform coordinate system and applied to compute the molecular activity landscapes in space and time. The results revealed different polarization patterns of PI3K and Rac1 activity induced by the growth factor stimulation. The maximal intensity of different FPs, and the edge position and velocity at the free end were further quantified to analyze their correlation and decipher the underlying signaling sequence. The results suggest that the initiation of the edge extension occurred before the activation of PI3K, which led to a stable extension of the free end followed by the Rac1 activation. Therefore, the results support a concerted coordination of sequential signaling events and edge dynamics, underscoring the important roles played by PI3K activity at the free end in regulating the stable lamellipodia extension and cell migration. Meanwhile, the quantification methods and accompanying software developed can provide a convenient and powerful computational analysis platform for the study of spatiotemporal molecular distribution and hierarchy in live cells based on fluorescence images