Understanding User-Perceived Values of Mobile Streaming Service By Cognitive Mapping

So-called, cable ‘cord-cutting’ phenomenon (Tefertiller, 2018), or watching video/TV contents over streaming service is currently considered as an industry-wide trend. Deloitte reported 55 percent of household in the U.S. is subscribing to at least one video streaming service, which is worth $2.1 billion a month (Wang, 2018). On top of the web-based streaming service to watch video or TV content, mobile-based streaming services are not uncommon anyway for many content consumers. Although such streaming services are getting popular in the mobile industry, very few academic research efforts have made so far to understand the values of the mobile streaming services, perceived by contents consumers over other traditional media channels. Hence, the current study aims to investigate the user-perceived values of mobile-based streaming services through the lens of socio-cognitive method. By using the cognitive mapping as a socio-cognitive method rooted from the theory of social representations (Durkheim, 1898; Wagner el al., 1996; Jung et al, 2009; Jung, 2013), our study explores the values that are associated with the mobile streaming services. To achieve the goal, we have collected data using a web-based survey from 432 users of mobile streaming services. They were asked to provide three words or short phrases that best describe mobile streaming services they currently use. As a next step of the study, authors will code data to extract concepts and analyze them using the cognitive mapping method including similarities calculation and core/peripheral concepts identification process. Finally, the structure of the perceptual map will be interpreted by the social representation framework. We look forward to finding the structure of cognitive map based on the mobile streaming users’ perceptions, and it eventually reveals the relationships among the perceived values (e.g., core/peripheral, positive/negative elements, etc.) associated with the mobile streaming services. Potential findings of our study is expected to contribute to both practitioners and academic scholars who are involved in mobile streaming services through 1) better understanding of the values of the services appreciated by the users, and 2) thus being able to emphasize its importance in the future marketing / service development efforts

Factors Affecting Willingness to Undergo Carpal Tunnel Release

Background: Factors regarding patient willingness to undergo or avoid joint replacement have been studied; however, these factors have not been studied in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. To further understand the aspects that are important for a patient with carpal tunnel syndrome in deciding whether to have surgery, we identified factors that affect this decision in women and that are not related to Workers` Compensation status. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 282 female patients with electrophysiologically confirmed carpal tunnel syndrome without a known cause who were recommended for carpal tunnel release by a single hand surgeon in a tertiary medical setting. Of those, thirty-six female patients who were not entitled to Workers` Compensation canceled the operation during the waiting period, which averaged four weeks. Thirty-three of them were surveyed with a questionnaire sent by mail, and eighteen completed surveys were reviewed at a mean follow-up of thirty-two months. Furthermore, seventy female patients who underwent carpal tunnel release were randomly sampled, and thirty-eight patients completed the survey. The operation and cancellation groups were compared with regard to the reasons for choosing or canceling surgery. Results: The groups were similar with regard to age, sociodemographic variables, follow-up length, initial electro-physiological findings, and functional status. The highest-ranked reason for choosing surgery was symptom severity rather than fear of progression or a positive electrodiagnostic result. Those who canceled the operation rated symptom improvement during the waiting period as the leading reason for doing so, but they were also concerned about transient weakness, the financial burden, and a scar or pillar pain. Disease persistence or recurrence was the issue of most concern in both groups. At the time of the final review, the functional status was significantly improved in both groups and no significant difference between the groups was detected. Conclusions: Women with carpal tunnel syndrome report that subjective symptom severity is the most important reason for undergoing surgery. Understanding this and other patient concerns may help physicians during patient-oriented consultation and decision-making. In particular, recommendations for carpal tunnel release on the basis of symptoms are reasonable from the perspective of the patient who has carpal tunnel syndrome without a known cause.Lee JY, 2008, J SHOULDER ELB SURG, V17, P570, DOI 10.1016/j.jse.2007.12.005Hudak PL, 2008, J BONE JOINT SURG AM, V90A, P1427, DOI 10.2106/JBJS.G.01077Park KK, 2007, CLIN ORTHOP RELAT R, P143, DOI 10.1097/BLO.0b013e31804ea0bcTaylor-Gjevre RM, 2007, CAN FAM PHYSICIAN, V53, P1186Rigler I, 2007, EUR J NEUROL, V14, P783, DOI 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2007.01855.xBallantyne PJ, 2007, ARTHRIT RHEUM-ARTHR, V57, P27, DOI 10.1002/art.22472*AAOS CARP TUNN SY, 2007, AM AC ORTH SURG GUIDSCHOLTEN RJ, 2007, COCHRANE DB SYST REV, V17, P3905Hawker GA, 2006, CURR OPIN RHEUMATOL, V18, P526Mazur DJ, 2005, HEALTH EXPECT, V8, P97FIGARO MK, 2005, J AMBUL CARE MANAGE, V28, P41Hawker GA, 2004, ARTHRIT RHEUM-ARTHR, V51, P635, DOI 10.1002/art.20524Figaro MK, 2004, HEALTH PSYCHOL, V23, P324, DOI 10.1037/0278-6133.23.3.324Chang HJ, 2004, ARTHRIT RHEUM-ARTHR, V51, P117, DOI 10.1002/art.20073AKELMAN E, 2004, HAND SURG, P867Moran M, 2003, J ARTHROPLASTY, V18, P442, DOI 10.1016/S0883-5403(03)00061-5RESENDE LA, 2003, ELECTROMYOGR CLIN NE, V43, P301Ang DC, 2002, MED CARE, V40, P471Hawker GA, 2001, MED CARE, V39, P206Bland JDP, 2000, MUSCLE NERVE, V23, P1280Trousdale RT, 1999, MAYO CLIN PROC, V74, P978Atroshi I, 1999, JAMA-J AM MED ASSOC, V282, P153Homan MM, 1999, SCAND J WORK ENV HEA, V25, P115Padua L, 1998, ITAL J NEUROL SCI, V19, P357Aulisa L, 1998, J HAND SURG-AM, V23A, P687Nathan PA, 1998, MUSCLE NERVE, V21, P711Concannon MJ, 1997, PLAST RECONSTR SURG, V100, P1452Asch DA, 1997, J CLIN EPIDEMIOL, V50, P1129Hudak PL, 1996, AM J IND MED, V30, P372Deber RB, 1996, ARCH INTERN MED, V156, P1414Hudak PL, 1996, AM J IND MED, V29, P602WRIGHT JG, 1994, J BONE JOINT SURG BR, V76B, P229LEVINE DW, 1993, J BONE JOINT SURG AM, V75A, P1585SIMINOFF LA, 1991, SOC SCI MED, V32, P813GRUNDBERG AB, 1983, J HAND SURG-AM, V8, P348

Modified Bilhaut-Cloquet procedure for Wassel type-II and III polydactyly of the thumb. Surgical technique

BACKGROUND: The Bilhaut-Cloquet operation is a combined surgical procedure for the treatment of a symmetric bifid thumb. Although this procedure can obtain a normal-sized thumb with a stable interphalangeal joint, it has limitations, such as the technical difficulty of combining all segments of a duplicated thumb, possible later physeal growth arrest, joint stiffness, and nail plate deformity. We reviewed the results of our modification of this procedure for the treatment of Wassel type-II and III polydactyly of the thumb. METHODS: Seven patients, two with type-II and five with type-III polydactyly of the thumb, underwent this modified Bilhaut-Cloquet procedure and were followed for an average of fifty-two months. Cosmetic and functional assessments were made. RESULTS: All patients and parents were satisfied with the cosmetic and functional results. Compared with the preoperative motion, the postoperative range of motion of the interphalangeal joint was preserved in thumbs with type-III deformity and was increased in those with type-II deformity. No nail deformity or growth arrest occurred, and remodeling and hypertrophy of the distal phalanx occurred with time. CONCLUSIONS: Our modification of the Bilhaut-Cloquet procedure for the treatment of type-II and III thumb polydactyly is effective in preserving interphalangeal joint motion, minimizing nail deformity, and preventing growth arrest

Customized Energy Down-Shift using Iridium Complexes for Enhanced Performance of Polymer Solar Cells

School of Molecular Sciences(Chemistry)For the higher performance of polymer solar cells (PSCs), many researchers tried to develop new polymers that can absorb broader range of spectrum. However, there are some limits to absorb broader range with single donor. Therefore, multi donor systems and energy transfer systems have been researched. With two different donors it is easier to enhance absorption range. As a result, multi donor and energy transfer was successful to increase performance. However, the existing systems are applying polymer-polymer systems. When two different polymers are mixed, the compatibility between two polymers is critical to morphology of blend film. Also, in polymer-polymer energy transfer, the boundary between charge transfer and energy transfer is unclear. Therefore, for the first time, we developed customized iridium (Ir(III)) complexes, with Ir(III) complex incorporated into the active materials poly(thieno[3,4-b]-thiophene/benzodithiophene) (PTB7, amorphous) or poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT, high crystalline) as energy donor additives. The Ir(III) complex with the 2-phenyl quinolone ligand energy donor increased the power conversion efficiency of the corresponding devices by approximately 20%. The enhancements are attributed to the improved molecular compatibility and energy level between the Ir(III) complex and the active materials, long F??rster resonance energy transfer radius, and high energy down-shift efficiency. Overall, we reveal Ir(III) complex additives for amorphous and highly crystalline polymer active materialsthese additives would enable efficient energy transfer in polymer solar cells, while retaining the desirable active layer morphology, thereby resulting in improved light absorption and conversion.ope

Duodenal Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma: A Case Report

Primary duodenal mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is very rare, and little is known about its clinical course or effective treatment. We describe a case of primary duodenal MALT lymphoma that was resistant to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication and regressed after chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisolone (CVP). A 71-year-old woman was referred to our department because of epigastric pain and dyspepsia. Gastroduodenoscopy revealed an irregular mucosal nodular lesion with ulceration extending from the bulb to the second portion of the duodenum. Histopathological examination of a biopsy specimen disclosed low-grade MALT lymphoma composed of atypical lymphoid cells with lymphoepithelial lesion. Abdominal CT scans revealed 0.5 to 1.5 cm lymph nodes in the peritoneal cavity, suggestive of lymph node metastasis. We successfully eradicated H. pylori but did not see signs of remission. We administered systemic CVP chemotherapy every 3 weeks. After 6 courses of CVP, the patient achieved complete remission and was followed up without recurrence for about a year

Yoga Training Improves Metabolic Parameters in Obese Boys

Yoga has been known to have stimulatory or inhibitory effects on the metabolic parameters and to be uncomplicated therapy for obesity. The purpose of the present study was to test the effect of an 8-week of yoga-asana training on body composition, lipid profile, and insulin resistance (IR) in obese adolescent boys. Twenty volunteers with body mass index (BMI) greater than the 95th percentile were randomly assigned to yoga (age 14.7±0.5 years, n=10) and control groups (age 14.6±1.0 years, n=10). The yoga group performed exercises three times per week at 40~60% of heart-rate reserve (HRR) for 8 weeks. IR was determined with the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). After yoga training, body weight, BMI, fat mass (FM), and body fat % (BF %) were significantly decreased, and fat-free mass and basal metabolic rate were significantly increased than baseline values. FM and BF % were significantly improved in the yoga group compared with the control group (p\u3c0.05). Total cholesterol (TC) was significantly decreased in the yoga group (p\u3c0.01). HDL-cholesterol was decreased in both groups (p\u3c0.05). No significant changes were observed between or within groups for triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR. Our findings show that an 8-week of yoga training improves body composition and TC levels in obese adolescent boys, suggesting that yoga training may be effective in controlling some metabolic syndrome factors in obese adolescent boys

Clinical and Radiographic Features of Adult-onset Ankylosing Spondylitis in Korean Patients: Comparisons between Males and Females

The objective of this study was to investigate clinical and radiographic features and gender differences in Korean patients with adult-onset ankylosing spondylitis. Multicenter cross-sectional studies were conducted in the rheumatology clinics of 13 Korean tertiary referral hospitals. All patients had a confirmed diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis according to the modified New York criteria. Clinical, laboratory, and radiographic features were evaluated and disease activities were assessed using the Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index. Five hundred and five patients were recruited. The male to female ratio was 6.1:1. Average age at symptom onset was 25.4±8.9 yr and average disease duration was 9.6±6.8 yr. Males manifested symptoms at a significantly earlier age. HLA-B27 was more frequently positive in males. Hips were more commonly affected in males, and knees in females. When spinal mobility was measured using tragus-to-wall distance and the modified Schober's test, females had significantly better results. Radiographic spinal changes, including bamboo spine and syndesmophytes, were more common in males after adjustment of confounding factors. In conclusion, we observed significant gender differences in radiographic spinal involvement as well as other clinical manifestations among Korea patients with adult-onset ankylosing spondylitis. These findings may influence the timing of the diagnosis and the choice of treatment