Why Do Players Stick to a Specific Online Game? The Users and Gratifications Perspective

Driven by the dominant Internet usage and the prospective profits from the game industry, especially from the thriving and robust free-to-play model of online games, there is a need to realize players’ behaviors. Playing online games is experienceoriented but rare studies further explore what reactions of initial (trial) experiences in game playing are and how they will further influence players’ behaviors. Uses and gratification theory can be seen in cases such as online games selection. Players select an online game not only to fit particular interests but also to attempt to show empowerment or other socially conscience motives. This study, therefore, seeks to explore the important antecedents (i.e. gratifications, presence, service mechanisms, and continuance motivation) of stickiness intention on the online game and examine the associated relationships among them. The implications of findings to both researchers and practitioners are also discussed

Optimisation- based time slot assignment and synchronisation for TDMA MAC in industrial wireless sensor network

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/166209/1/cmu2bf02232.pd

Optimal receiver antenna location in indoor environment using dynamic differential evolution and genetic algorithm

Using the impulse responses of these multipath channels, the bit error rate (BER) performance for binary pulse amplitude modulation impulse radio ultra-wideband communication system is calculated. The optimization location of receiving antenna is investigated by dynamic differential evolution (DDE) and genetic algorithm (GA) to minimize the outage probability. Numerical results show that the performance for reducing BER and outage probability by DDE algorithm is better than that by GA

A novel mutation in the WFS1 gene identified in a Taiwanese family with low-frequency hearing impairment

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Wolfram syndrome gene 1 (<it>WFS1</it>) accounts for most of the familial nonsyndromic low-frequency sensorineural hearing loss (LFSNHL) which is characterized by sensorineural hearing losses equal to and below 2000 Hz. The current study aimed to contribute to our understanding of the molecular basis of LFSNHL in an affected Taiwanese family.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The Taiwanese family with LFSNHL was phenotypically characterized using audiologic examination and pedigree analysis. Genetic characterization was performed by direct sequencing of <it>WFS1 </it>and mutation analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Pure tone audiometry confirmed that the family members affected with LFSNHL had a bilateral sensorineural hearing loss equal to or below 2000 Hz. The hearing loss threshold of the affected members showed no progression, a characteristic that was consistent with a mutation in the <it>WFS1 </it>gene located in the DFNA6/14/38 locus. Pedigree analysis showed a hereditarily autosomal dominant pattern characterized by a full penetrance. Among several polymorphisms, a missense mutation Y669H (2005T>C) in exon 8 of <it>WFS1 </it>was identified in members of a Taiwanese family diagnosed with LFSNHL but not in any of the control subjects.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We discovered a novel heterozygous missense mutation in exon 8 of <it>WFS1 </it>(i.e., Y669H) which is likely responsible for the LFSNHL phenotype in this particular Taiwanese family.</p

Functional phosphoproteomic profiling of phosphorylation sites in membrane fractions of salt-stressed Arabidopsis thaliana

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Under conditions of salt stress, plants respond by initiating phosphorylation cascades. Many key phosphorylation events occur at the membrane. However, to date only limited sites have been identified that are phosphorylated in response to salt stress in plants.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Membrane fractions from three-day and 200 mM salt-treated Arabidopsis suspension plants were isolated, followed by protease shaving and enrichment using Zirconium ion-charged magnetic beads, and tandem mass spectrometry analyses. From this isolation, 18 phosphorylation sites from 15 <it>Arabidopsis </it>proteins were identified. A unique phosphorylation site in 14-3-3-interacting protein AHA1 was predominately identified in 200 mM salt-treated plants. We also identified some phosphorylation sites in aquaporins. A doubly phosphorylated peptide of PIP2;1 as well as a phosphopeptide containing a single phosphorylation site (Ser-283) and a phosphopeptide containing another site (Ser-286) of aquaporin PIP2;4 were identified respectively. These two sites appeared to be novel of which were not reported before. In addition, quantitative analyses of protein phosphorylation with either label-free or stable-isotope labeling were also employed in this study. The results indicated that level of phosphopeptides on five membrane proteins such as AHA1, STP1, Patellin-2, probable inactive receptor kinase (At3g02880), and probable purine permease 18 showed at least two-fold increase in comparison to control in response to 200 mM salt-stress.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In this study, we successfully identified novel salt stress-responsive protein phosphorylation sites from membrane isolates of abiotic-stressed plants by membrane shaving followed by Zr⁴⁺-IMAC enrichment. The identified phosphorylation sites can be important in the salt stress response in plants.</p

Investigation of a Photoelectrochemical Passivated ZnO-Based Glucose Biosensor

A vapor cooling condensation system was used to deposit high quality intrinsic ZnO thin films and intrinsic ZnO nanorods as the sensing membrane of extended-gate field-effect-transistor (EGFET) glucose biosensors. The sensing sensitivity of the resulting glucose biosensors operated in the linear range was 13.4 μA mM−1 cm−2. To improve the sensing sensitivity of the ZnO-based glucose biosensors, the photoelectrochemical method was utilized to passivate the sidewall surfaces of the ZnO nanorods. The sensing sensitivity of the ZnO-based glucose biosensors with passivated ZnO nanorods was significantly improved to 20.33 μA mM−1 cm−2 under the same measurement conditions. The experimental results verified that the sensing sensitivity improvement was the result of the mitigation of the Fermi level pinning effect caused by the dangling bonds and the surface states induced on the sidewall surface of the ZnO nanorods

Exercise training with negative pressure ventilation improves exercise capacity in patients with severe restrictive lung disease: a prospective controlled study

BACKGROUND: Exercise training is of benefit for patients with restrictive lung disease. However, it tends to be intolerable for those with severe disease. We examined whether providing ventilatory assistance by using negative pressure ventilators (NPV) during exercise training is feasible for such patients and the effects of training. METHODS: 36 patients with restrictive lung disease were prospectively enrolled for a 12-week multidisciplinary rehabilitation program. During this program, half of them (n:18; 60.3 ± 11.6 years; 6 men; FVC: 32.5 ± 11.7% predicted ) received regular sessions of exercise training under NPV, whilst the 18 others (59.6 ± 12.3 years; 8 men; FVC: 37.7 ± 10.2% predicted) did not. Exercise capacity, pulmonary function, dyspnea and quality of life were measured. The primary endpoint was the between-group difference in change of 6 minute-walk distance (6MWD) after 12 weeks of rehabilitation. RESULTS: All patients in the NPV-exercise group were able to tolerate and completed the program. The between-group differences were significantly better in the NPV-exercise group in changes of 6MWD (34.1 ± 12.7 m vs. -32.5 ± 17.5 m; P = 0.011) and St George Score (−14.5 ± 3.6 vs. 11.8 ± 6.0; P < 0.01). There was an improvement in dyspnea sensation (Borg’s scale, from 1.4 ± 1.5 point to 0.8 ± 1.3 point, P = 0.049) and a small increase in FVC (from 0.85 ± 0.09 L to 0.91 ± 0.08 L, P = 0.029) in the NPV-exercise group compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Exercise training with NPV support is feasible for patients with severe restrictive lung diseases, and improves exercise capacity and health-related quality of life

Optimal Receiver Antenna Location in Indoor Environment Using Dynamic Differential Evolution and Genetic Algorithm

[[abstract]]Using the impulse responses of these multipath channels, the bit error rate (BER) performance for binary pulse amplitude modulation impulse radio ultra-wideband communication system is calculated. The optimization location of receiving antenna is investigated by dynamic differential evolution (DDE) and genetic algorithm (GA) to minimize the outage probability. Numerical results show that the performance for reducing BER and outage probability by DDE algorithm is better than that by GA.[[notice]]補正完畢[[incitationindex]]SCI[[booktype]]紙本[[booktype]]電子