How Online Extended Reality (XR) Promotes Consumer Offline Engagement

Using extended-reality (XR) simulation to replicate physical surroundings has become increasingly prevalent in engaging online consumers with offline businesses. However, the efficacy of this XR technology remains ambiguous. To justify the huge investments in XR-related technologies, we investigate the impacts of extended surroundings on consumers’ offline engagement with associated businesses. Specifically, we utilize a natural experimental design on a leading housing platform that applies XR simulation to present the surrounding environment of housing estates. By combining propensity score matching and difference-in-differences, our findings indicate that extended surroundings increase consumer offline engagement outcomes, particularly word-of-mouth volume, and valence. Furthermore, we examine the heterogeneous effects moderated by three business characteristics. To our knowledge, this is the first to examine the impacts of XR simulation of extended surroundings. Therefore, this research offers significant implications for the literature and practice related to XR and omnichannel marketing

the upper bounds on differntial characteristics in block cipher SMS4

SMS4 is a 128-bit block cipher with a 128-bit user key and 32 rounds, which is used in the Chinese National Standard for Wireless LAN WAPI. In this paper, all possible differential patterns are divided into several sections by six designed rules. In order to evaluate the security against the differential cryptanalysis of SMS4, we calculate the lower bounds on the number of active S-Boxes for all kinds of sections, based on which the lower bounds on the number of active S-Boxes in all possible differential patterns can be derived. Finally, the upper bounds on differential characteristic probabilities of arbitrary round numbers are given, which can be used to estimate the strength of SMS4 against differential attack and linear attack

Primary biliary cirrhosis associated with rheumatoid arthritis

Primary biliary cirrhosis(PBC) is a slowly progressive autoimmune disease of the liver which mainly affects women aged between 35 and 45 years.Prolonged liver inflammation can cause scarring, leading to cirrhosis. Although 50 to 60 percent of patients are asymptomatic at diagnosis, they will develop symptoms later. PBC can be associated with arthralgia and other non-hepatic autoimmune diseases, such as Sjögren’s syndrome, sicca syndrome, thyroiditis and scleroderma. PBC and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been suggested to coexist in 1.8 to 5.6% of patients with PBC, but data supporting this association are scarce. We report two cases of such an association and discuss how to improve threapy

Recurrence and survival rates of inflammatory bowel disease-associated colorectal cancer following postoperative chemotherapy: a comparative study

Background and Aim: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). Studies have shown tumorigenetic and histomorphological differences between IBD-associated CRC and non-IBD CRC, suggesting differences in tumor behavior and response to treatment. We aimed to compare tumor recurrence and survival rates following postoperative chemotherapy in CRC patients with and without IBD. Methods: Search of the Cleveland Clinic’s CRC database revealed 65 patients who had IBD-associated CRC and received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy between 1994 and 2010. Twenty-one patients were excluded due to incomplete clinical data. Propensity score-matching based on age, surgery intent, CRC site, tumor grade, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage and T stage was used to match IBD and non-IBD patients (1:4). Competing risk and Cox regression models were used to analyze differences in disease-free survival and overall survival, respectively. Results: Forty-four patients with IBD-associated CRC were matched to 176 patients with non-IBD CRC. Among IBD patients, 29 (66%) had ulcerative colitis, 14 (32%) had Crohn’s disease, and one (2%) had indeterminate colitis. Mean IBD diagnosis age was 28.1 ± 14.5 years, and mean IBD duration at time of CRC treatment was 21.5 ± 12.6 years. Ten (23%) IBD patients had tumor recurrence compared with 34 (19%) non-IBD patients (P = .074). There was no significant difference in disease-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.60; 95% CI: 0.35–1.05; P = 0.074) or overall survival (HR = 0.87; 95% CI: 0.54–1.4; P = 0.58) between IBD and non-IBD patients. Conclusion: Patients with IBD-associated CRC have comparable rates of tumor recurrence and survival following postoperative chemotherapy as CRC patients without IBD. Prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings and guide therapeutic decisions

In a pilot study, reduced fatty acid desaturase 1 function was associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and response to treatment in children

BACKGROUND: FADS1 gene encodes delta 5 desaturase, a rate-limiting enzyme in the metabolism of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Minor alleles of FADS1 locus polymorphisms are associated with reduced FADS1 expression and intra-hepatic fat accumulation. However, the relationship between FADS1 expression and pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) risk remains to be explored. METHODS: We analyzed FADS1 transcription levels and their association with intra-hepatic fat and histology in children, and we performed pathway enrichment analysis on transcriptomic profiles associated with FADS1 polymorphisms. We also evaluated the weight of FADS1 alleles on the response to combined docosahexaenoic acid, choline, and vitamin E (DHA-CHO-VE) treatment. RESULTS: FADS1 mRNA level was significantly and inversely associated with intra-hepatic fat (p = 0.004), degree of steatosis (p = 0.03), fibrosis (p = 0.05), and NASH (p = 0.008) among pediatric livers. Transcriptomics demonstrated a significant enrichment of a number of pathways strongly related to NAFLD (e.g., liver damage, fibrosis, and hepatic stellate cell activation). Compared to children who are common allele homozygotes, children with FADS1 minor alleles had a greater reduction in steatosis, fibrosis, and NAFLD activity score after DHA-CHO-VE. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that decreased FADS1 expression may be associated with NAFLD in children but an increased response to DHA-CHO-VE

Hepatocytes: A key role in liver inflammation

Hepatocytes, the major parenchymal cells in the liver, are responsible for a variety of cellular functions including carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism, detoxification and immune cell activation to maintain liver homeotasis. Recent studies show hepatocytes play a pivotal role in liver inflammation. After receiving liver insults and inflammatory signals, hepatocytes may undergo organelle damage, and further respond by releasing mediators and expressing molecules that can act in the microenvironment as well as initiate a robust inflammatory response. In this review, we summarize how the hepatic organelle damage link to liver inflammation and introduce numerous hepatocyte-derived pro-inflammatory factors in response to chronic liver injury

One-pot synthesis of 2-alkyl cycloketones on bifunctional Pd/ZrO₂ catalyst

2-Alkyl cycloketones are essential chemicals and intermediates for synthetic perfumes and pesticides, which are conventionally produced by multistep process including aldol condensation, separation and hydrogenation. In present work, a batch one-pot cascade approach using aldehydes and cycloketones as the raw materials, and a bifunctional Pd/ZrO2 catalyst was developed for the synthesis of 2-alkyl cycloketones, e.g., cyclohexanone and cycloheptanone. Very high aldehydes (except for paraldehyde with large steric hindrance) conversion and high yields for 2-alkyl cycloketones (e.g., 99 % of conversion for n-butanal and 76 wt.% of yield for 2-butyl cyclohexanone) were obtained at mild temperature of 140 °C. After 10 cycles of reuse, Pd/ZrO2 catalyst showed slight deactivation (ca. 5 % conversion and 10 % yield losses), due to the coke on the catalyst. However, the performance of the catalyst was completely recovered after an oxidative regeneration

Therapeutic potential of peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in one cirrhotic patient caused by HBV combined with HCV

Stem cell based therapy was very attractive in decompensated liver cirrhosis currently. The possible mechanism might be due to its potential to help tissue regeneration with minimally invasive procedures. Here we report the case of a 44-year-old man, infected by hepatitis B virus (HBV) combined with hepatitis C virus (HCV) for longer than 10 years, who eventually developed decompensated liver cirrhosis. After being infused with mobilized peripheral blood stem cells, the patient showed significantly elevated serum albumin level, cholesterol (CHO), cholinesterase (CHE) and decreased PT (prothrombin time) during the 26 months of follow-up. To our knowledge, this is the first case of transplanting mobilized PBSCs to treat the HBV combined with HCV related decompensated liver cirrhosis