Gallbladder interstitial Cajal-like cells and gallbladder contractility in patients with cholelithiasis: a prospective study

Introduction. A reduced number of interstitial Cajal-like cells (ICLCs) in the gallbladder have been proposed to play a role in the pathogenesis of cholelithiasis. Therefore, this prospective study was conducted to investigate the relationship between gallbladder contractility and the number of gallbladder ICLCs in patients with cholelithiasis. Material and methods. Patients admitted to the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery for cholecystectomy were divided into the cholelithiasis (n = 18) and non-cholelithiasis (n = 8) groups based on their clinical data. Patients’ clinical data were collected on admission, and B-mode ultrasonography was performed to assess their gallbladder contractility. The resected gallbladder specimens were fixed, paraffin sections mounted on slides, and the immunofluorescence staining with the anti-human CD-117 and anti-human tryptase antibodies was performed to identify ICLSs and mast cells, respectively. The number of ICLCs was counted in 10 high-power fields (HPFs) randomly. Results. Independent sample t-tests revealed differences between the cholelithiasis and non-cholelithiasis groups in the number of ICLCs (mean ± standard deviation: 88.61 ± 28.22 vs. 115.89 ± 27.87 per HPFs, P = 0.032) and gallbladder contractility (43.94% ± 18.50% vs. 61.00% ± 20.50%, P = 0.046). Pearson and Spearman cor­relation analyses revealed no significant correlation between the number of ICLCs and gallbladder contractility. Conclusion. The results suggest that the number of gallbladder ICLCs in the wall of the gallbladder of patients with or without cholelithiasis is not a decisive factor affecting gallbladder contractility

Users’ Emotional Attachments to Internet Celebrities: Based on the Perspective of Extended-self

Although previous researcher has focused on the use of social media between celebrities and fans from the use and gratification perspective, knowledge on why users stick with live streaming is limited. Therefore, the authors propose that sticking with live streaming reflects a strong connection between celebrities and users. We define emotional attachment as the strength of the cognitive and emotional bond connecting the celebrities with the self. Consequently, in this study, we adopt attachment theory to investigate users’ tendency to stick with live streaming from the extended-self perspective. The findings of this study fully support the hypotheses specifying the relationships between constructs. Emotional attachment was influenced by gratifying the self, enriching the self and enabling the self, and which in turn are strong predictors of users’ stickiness intention. The current research contributes to the further expansion of social media research and applied attachment theory into the live streaming context