Comparing Online Consumers\u27 Brain Images In Different Purchasing-Decision Processes

Since 1991 researchers from different disciplines have begun using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore the brain which influences behavioral economics and controls positive and negative emotions that influence financial decisions. fMRI uses the blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) contrast to determine different levels of neural activities. Prior studies have used fMRI to investigate the brain’s neurons for predicting consumers’ behavior. The results consistently show that product preference correlates with activation of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), while the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) activates according to price differential. Reportedly, NAcc has involvement in producing an appropriate behavioral response in risky or disadvantageous situations. In addition, greater activity in the insula associates with non-purchases. The BOLD signal in NAcc, MPFC, and insula are, apparently, strongly predictive of the decision to purchase. In addition, prior studies of brain imaging related to brands have significant impact. Specifically, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), hippocampus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and midbrain can predict preferences for branded products. However, the location of activated neurons in different areas of the brain due to online consumers’ perspectives for different brands of used products (or second-hand products, SHPs) remains unknown. Thus, the purpose of this study is to verify the activated neurons when decision-making occurs during consumers’ participation in online auctions to determine perspective toward brands when purchasing second-hand products (SHPs) and new products. This study recruited 12 participants to enter the fMRI experiment which contains 80 images, including 40 SHPs and new products and 40 brand and non-branded products for making purchasing and/or non-purchasing decisions. Before the experiment, a short survey assists determining the participants’ brand perspectives. As result, this study finds activation of the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) is significantly different when online consumers purchase SHPs as compared to purchasing new products. Further, purchasing SHPs apparently correlate with activation of the insula. Also, the consumers’ dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activates significantly during online purchasing of branded products. However, ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) displayed insignificant activation due to consumers’ preferences for certain brands. This study has provided both theoretical and practical implications. This study’s results are also critically useful for brand management

All-trans retinoic acid ameliorates glycemic control in diabetic mice via modulating pancreatic islet production of vascular endothelial growth factor-A.

Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus are associated with impairment in vitamin A metabolism. This study evaluated whether treatment with retinoic acid, the biologically active metabolite of vitamin A, can ameliorate diabetes. All-trans retinoic acid (atRA) was used to treat streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice which revealed atRA administration ameliorated blood glucose levels of diabetic mice. This hyperglycemic amelioration was accompanied by an increase in the amount of β cells co-expressed Pdx1 and insulin and by restoration of the vascular laminin expression. The atRA-induced production of vascular endothelial growth factor-A from the pancreatic islets was possibly the key factor that mediated the restoration of islet vascularity and recovery of β-cell mass. Furthermore, the combination of islet transplantation and atRA administration significantly rescued hyperglycemia in diabetic mice. These findings suggest that vitamin A derivatives can potentially be used as a supplementary treatment to improve diabetes management and glycemic control

Effects of different warm-up methods on 50-meter breaststroke swimming performance

PurposeTo examine the effects of different warm-up methods on 50 m breaststroke performance in both breaststroke specialists and individual medley swimmers.Methods18 swimmers (breaststroke group: 9, individual medley group: 9) who met the qualification standards for the National Intercollegiate Athletic Games participated in this study. Each participant completed four different warm-up protocols (a conventional 1,400 m warm-up and a 700 m conventional warm-up that integrated tubing-assisted (TA), paddle (PD), or squat (SQ) warm-ups) over four separate days. Following each warm-up protocol, a 50 m breaststroke performance test was conducted with inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors attached to specific body segments to evaluate and compare stroke performance, stroke length, stroke frequency, and the acceleration of the hands, sacrum, and feet across different warm-up methods.ResultsThe breaststroke specialists who performed the TA warm-ups recorded significantly less time than those who performed the conventional 1,400 m warm-ups (35.31 ± 1.66 s vs. 35.67 ± 1.83 s, p = 0.006). There was a trend that individual medley specialists who performed the SQ warm-ups recorded less time than those who performed the PD warm-ups (34.52 ± 1.45 s vs. 34.92 ± 1.46 s, p = 0.043). The stroke length of breaststroke specialists following the TA warm-ups was shorter than that following the PD warm-ups, the SQ warm-ups, and the conventional 1,400 m warm-ups. Breaststroke specialists who engaged in the TA warm-ups had higher stroke frequency than those who engaged in the conventional 1,400 m warm-ups, the SQ warm-ups, and the PD warm-ups. During the TA warm-ups, breaststroke specialists exhibited a shorter stroke length and a higher stroke frequency than individual medley specialists. Acceleration data from the center of mass and limb segments, recorded by IMUs, were insufficient to fully explain the variations in stroke frequency, stroke length, and overall performance caused by the different warm-up protocols.ConclusionBreaststroke specialists exhibited significant improvement in their 50 m breaststroke performance after the TA warm-up. By contrast, individual medley specialists benefited more from the SQ warm-up

Label-free quantitative proteomics of CD133-positive liver cancer stem cells

Abstract Background CD133-positive liver cancer stem cells, which are characterized by their resistance to conventional chemotherapy and their tumor initiation ability at limited dilutions, have been recognized as a critical target in liver cancer therapeutics. In the current work, we developed a label-free quantitative method to investigate the proteome of CD133-positive liver cancer stem cells for the purpose of identifying unique biomarkers that can be utilized for targeting liver cancer stem cells. Label-free quantitation was performed in combination with ID-based Elution time Alignment by Linear regression Quantitation (IDEAL-Q) and MaxQuant. Results Initially, IDEAL-Q analysis revealed that 151 proteins were differentially expressed in the CD133-positive hepatoma cells when compared with CD133-negative cells. We then analyzed these 151 differentially expressed proteins by MaxQuant software and identified 10 significantly up-regulated proteins. The results were further validated by RT-PCR, western blot, flow cytometry or immunofluorescent staining which revealed that prominin-1, annexin A1, annexin A3, transgelin, creatine kinase B, vimentin, and EpCAM were indeed highly expressed in the CD133-positive hepatoma cells. Conclusions These findings confirmed that mass spectrometry-based label-free quantitative proteomics can be used to gain insights into liver cancer stem cells.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/113089/1/12953_2012_Article_407.pd

Kidney outcomes with SGLT2is for type 2 diabetes patients: does background treatment with metformin or RASis matter?

IntroductionThere is a lack of real-world evidence regarding the impact of concomitant metformin and renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASis) on sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2i)-associated kidney outcomes. This study was aimed to investigate whether SGLT2i-associated kidney outcomes were modified by the concomitant use of metformin or RASis in patients with type 2 diabetes.MethodsSGLT2i users were identified from three electronic health record databases during May 2016 and December 2017 and categorized into those with and without concomitant use of metformin or RASis. Propensity score matching was performed to minimize baseline differences between groups. Study outcomes were mean estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) change and time to 30%, 40%, and 50% eGFR reductions. A meta-analysis was performed to combine the estimates across databases.ResultsAfter matching, there were 6,625 and 3,260 SGLT2i users with and without metformin, and 6,654 and 2,746 SGLT2i users with and without RASis, respectively. The eGFR dip was similar in SGLT2i users with and without metformin therapy, but was greater in SGLT2i users with RASis compared to those without RASis. Neither metformin nor RASi use had a significant effect on SGLT2i-associated eGFR reductions, as evidenced by the hazard ratios (95% CIs) of 30% eGFR reductions for SGLT2is with versus without metformin/RASis, namely 1.02 (0.87–1.20)/1.09 (0.92–1.31). Such findings were also observed in the outcomes of 40% and 50% eGFR reductions.ConclusionUsing metformin or RASis did not modify SGLT2i-associated kidney outcomes in type 2 diabetes

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Satellite Imagery Geo-Positioning Aided by Aerial Imagery

衛照影像可提供大範圍的圖資資訊，當利用衛照影像進行三維物點定位，其品質主要受到物像對應參數、像點量測及交會幾何影響，其中，物像對應參數攸關物像對應射線(從像到物空間)在空間的正確性，考量衛照影像成像時的長物距，物像對應參數誤差所導致的射線偏轉(尤其是與姿態有關之參數)對物點定位影響不容忽視。在一般作業考量下，高品質的物像對應參數可由大量高精度及分佈良好的地面控制點來解算，或者在已具相對精度良好的物像對應參數條件下，利用少數控制點進行參數精化。本研究目的在探討如何將衛照影像結合物空間較穩固的約制，來解算衛照影像物像對應參數。 研究內容在物空間的約制上包含以下幾種形態：控制點、來自已具方位參數的航照影像共軛光線(控制射線)及前述兩種混合下的約制方式探討及效能分析；在物像對應解算模式上涵蓋動態共線式模式及有理函數模式。本研究的具體工作成果並非意欲取代常態作業模式，而是提供整合衛照及航照影像圖資的作業可能性及其增益。The 3-D geo-positioning errors of satellite imagery are mainly affected by the quality of exterior orientation parameters, image point measurements and intersection geometry. Among them, pose-related parameters are vital to the geo-positioning accuracy considering the long distance from a satellite to the ground while taking imagery. In general, high quality exterior orientation parameters can be calculated by utilizing a great amount of as well as well distributed control points, or refined by only a few control points if relatively precise exterior orientation parameters are provided. The goal of this research is to investigate how to acquire or to promote high quality exterior orientation parameters of satellite imagery by employing strongly constrained rays coming from aerial imagery. The author consider three forms of constraints, control points, control rays and a hybrid constraint supported by aerial imagery and use rigorous sensor model and rational function model for analyzing object to image correspondence of the satellite imagery. The proposed working scheme is found to be effective and can be only regarded as an alternative when fusing aerial and satellite imagery is applicable

Online Consumers’ Brain Activities When Purchasing Second-Hand versus New Products That Are Brand-Name or Brand-Less

It is now common to apply functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore which areas of the human brain are activated during the decision-making process. In the study of consumer behaviors, product brand has been identified as a major factor affecting consumer purchase decisions. Prior studies indicate that the brand had a significant impact on brain activation. However, it is unsure if consumers’ brain activation is also significant when purchasing brand-name second-hand products (SHPs). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to verify the areas of brain neuron activation in the context of online auctions among consumers whose purchasing decisions are affected by an SHP’s brand. The results show that a brain region (i.e., the medial prefrontal cortex) activates significantly when comparing the purchasing decision-making process between new items and SHPs. The activation of the insula is also found when an SHP purchasing decision is made. In addition, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is activated significantly when purchasing brand-name SHPs. However, due to consumers’ preferences for different brands, there is no significant activation in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex.</jats:p

Online Consumers’ Brain Activities When Purchasing Second-Hand versus New Products That Are Brand-Name or Brand-Less

It is now common to apply functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore which areas of the human brain are activated during the decision-making process. In the study of consumer behaviors, product brand has been identified as a major factor affecting consumer purchase decisions. Prior studies indicate that the brand had a significant impact on brain activation. However, it is unsure if consumers’ brain activation is also significant when purchasing brand-name second-hand products (SHPs). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to verify the areas of brain neuron activation in the context of online auctions among consumers whose purchasing decisions are affected by an SHP’s brand. The results show that a brain region (i.e., the medial prefrontal cortex) activates significantly when comparing the purchasing decision-making process between new items and SHPs. The activation of the insula is also found when an SHP purchasing decision is made. In addition, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is activated significantly when purchasing brand-name SHPs. However, due to consumers’ preferences for different brands, there is no significant activation in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex