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With the advancement of social media and information technology, the number of people using social commerce has highly increased in recent years. Through the AI models, sellers can promote personalized advertisements base on consumers’ browser history or behavior preferences. This study will investigate how advertising perceptions will influence advertisement effectiveness. We used online survey to collect 1215 participants from Facebook. The relationship between advertising perception, consumer engagement, and purchase intention will be verified through partial least square (PLS). The finding shows that when consumer perceive interactivity and intimacy, will increase consumer engagement. Furthermore, consumer engagement can influence purchase intention. The result is not only verified that perception of relevance, intimacy, and likeability can increase perceived personalization advertising, also verify that relevance and likeability can increase consumer engagement or purchase intention through increasing perceived personalization advertising. These results confirmed that personalized advertisement can enhance advertising effectiveness.

BACKGROUND Chondrosarcoma, a cartilage matrix producing tumor, is the second most commonly observed primary bone tumor after osteosarcoma, accounting for 15% of all chest wall malignancies. We herein report the case of a patient with chondrosarcoma of the sternum and our management of the chest wall defects that presented following radical tumor resection. CASE SUMMARY A 31-year-old patient presented to our hospital with dull pain and a protruding mass overlying the chest for 3 mo. The presence of nocturnal pain and mass size progression was reported, as were overhead arm elevation-related limitations. Computed tomography showed a focal osteoblastic mass in the sternum with bony exostosis and adjacent soft tissue calcification. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography revealed hypermetabolic activity with a mass located over the upper sternum. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a focal ill-defined bony mass of the sternum with cortical destruction and periosteal reaction. Preoperative biopsy showed a consistent result with chondrosarcoma with immunohistochemical positivity for S100 and focal positivity for IDH-1. The grade II chondrosarcoma diagnosis was confirmed by postoperative pathology. The patient underwent radical tumor resection and chest wall reconstruction with a locking plate and cement spacer. The patient was discharged 1 wk after surgery without any complications. At the 1-year follow-up, there was no local recurrence on imaging. The functional scores, including Constant Score, Nottingham Clavicle Score, and Oxford Shoulder Score, showed the absence of pain in the performance of daily activities or substantial functional disabilities. CONCLUSION The diagnosis of chondrosarcoma must be considered when chest wall tumors are encountered. The surgical reconstructive materials, with a locking plate and cement spacer, used in our study are cost-effective and readily-available for the sternum defect.

In recent years, people have begun to use sharing economy platforms such as Airbnb and Uber. The rapid development of such sharing economy platforms has thus become an important topic. Studies regarding the sharing economy have discussed resource providers but not users. Therefore, this study constructs a model to measure the components of sharing economy drivers and the correlation between those drivers and usage intention, in addition to exploring the differences in the composition of drivers and usage intention between Airbnb and Uber. The survey method was an online questionnaire. The sample analysis uses partial least squares regression to verify the hypothesis and analyze the components that form the sharing economy for drivers. According to the results, sharing economy drivers─Societal drivers, Economic drivers, Technological drivers, affect usage intention, and different combinations of sharing economy components, such as enjoyment, network externalities, perceived quality, cost saving, and efficiency, exist in Airbnb and Uber. For the reference of relevant academic research and practical operation in the future.

In recent years, social media becomes a new communication channel in marketing. Social media facilitate improved targeting and play a critical role in marketing operations. We collect empirical data that can be used to determine whether social media marketing actually creates brand benefits or increases product sales. We proposed a new model for measuring the effectiveness of social media marketing and explained the benefits created by different brand and user types on social media. By conducting the seemingly unrelated regression estimation (SURE) model, this research collected 1,956 valid samples from the consumers who use the social media marketing. The results show that search goods and experience goods in social media marketing create diverse effective directions in interaction effects. For mobile phone brands other than the iPhone, social benefits were nonsignificant; however, brand benefits for them were significant because of the interplay of benefits.Although scholars and marketers are aware already of the significance of social media marketing, there are no definitive empirical data that can be used to determine whether social media marketing actually creates brand benefits or increases product sales. Moreover, in the past, most scholars have focused on verifying causality among the joining motivation, participation, and benefits for a single social media channel (Algesheimer, Dholakia, and Hermann, 2005; Van Doorn et al., 2010). Discussions about brand and the relationship between user types and benefits in social media marketing research are rare. Therefore, in this study, the benefits of social media marketing were examined by considering seven types of social media users and two types of brands in an attempt to identify the main success factors affecting social media marketing. To cite this document: I-Ping Chiang, Ray Wong, and Chih-hui Huang, "Exploring the Benefits of Social Media Marketing for Brands and Communities", International Journal of Electronic Commerce Studies, Vol.10, No.2, pp.113-140, 2019. Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.7903/ijecs.1547

With the growing use of social media in the world, a wide variety of social media applications and services have been produced. Popular social media platforms leverage their unique functions to persuade their users to adopt such applications and services, and many enterprises have begun to consider social media operations as a crucial aspect. Thus, since the gradual influence of social media on consumer behavior, a new social commerce model has begun to develop. This research examined both business and social aspects of social commerce sites to establish an evaluation model for measuring their quality and effectiveness. We collected 468 valid samples of online users who had used social commerce site to browse or purchase products and were willing to use again. We used EFA and CFA to confirm the model we constructed, and Partial least squares regression was used to analyze the relationship among the antecedents and consequences of quality evaluation in social commerce sites. According to the result, the consumers’ behaviors were most likely affected by functionality, enjoyment, process, reliability, presence, and identity with a social commerce site. This study not only provided a credible social commerce quality measurement for other scholars to conduct relevant research but also provide conclusions for the marketing strategy of social commerce sites and products as a reference. keywords: Social commerce, Internet marketing, Online shopping, E-commerce To cite this document: Chiang, I.-P., Lin, K.-C., Huang, C.-H., Yang, W.-L. (2019). Influence factors of people purchasing on social commerce sites. Contemporary Management Research, 15(2), 69-87. https://doi.org/10.7903/cmr.18575

AAs the popularity of social network services (SNS) grows, users’ online behavior is increasingly being affected by SNS browsing. Now, mobile device serve as a tool for social connection, provides an increasingly important communication channel in facilitating social connections. SNSs that are adequate for mobile devices have been developed. To clarify web user social information behavior, this study used social network sites to analyze smartphone user online behavior by collecting user clickstream data over a period of 3 months. The influence of SNS browsing on types of external sites visited—namely news, shopping, searches, forums, videos, and blogs—is examined. This study used a site-centric approach, wherein user data was examined by using association rules and the Jaccard Index to explore the relationship between SNS and other online activities. We collaborates with InsightXplorer to recruit smart phone users, collected 580 samples from the consumers who use the smartphone. First, user-centric approach will be conducted for correlation analysis to quantify the association between SNSs and other categories, and then use the results as the standard to conduct fixed effect model by exploring the duration of gender, age and weekdays/weekend at 24hrs. Second, site-centric approach will conduct correspondence analysis and association rules by using users' session to gather all categories in the graph and explore the relationship between the SNSs and the other categories. The result shows that Taiwanese smartphone users use Facebook (both Web and App) as a news-seeking, topic-seeking, video-seeking and word-of-mouth–seeking platform. That means Facebook will become a portal. When people want to find something interesting, the first thing is to open Facebook and searching their timeline. Finally, based on the findings, this study to provide a stepping stone for marketers and researchers to understand web users’ social information behavior. Keywords: Smartphone, Social information behavior, Web usage mining, Clickstream data, Mobile commerce To cite this document: Chiang, I.-P., Lin, C.-Y., & Wu, Y.-J. (2019). Exploring smartphone users’ social information behavior. Contemporary Management Research, 15(1), 53-67. https://doi.org/10.7903/cmr.18461

Background Data on noninvasive liver fibrosis staging after viral eradication are unclear. This histology-based study validated the performance of liver stiffness (LS) measurements after viral eradication. Methods Consecutive participants with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) who received concomitant LS measurements through acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography and percutaneous liver biopsy were prospectively screened and analyzed. Results Of the 644 patients, 521 (80.9%) underwent a biopsy at treatment baseline, and the remaining 123 (19.1%) underwent a biopsy at 3 years (median; interquartile range, 0.1) after the sustained virological response (SVR) to pegylated interferon–based and direct-acting antiviral treatments. The proportions of histological fibrosis stages did not differ significantly between the pretreatment and post-SVR groups (P = .0615). However, the LS values differed significantly (P < .0001). The median LS values (presented as shear wave velocities in meters per second) were 1.51 (0.92) for the pretreatment group and 1.22 (0.77) for the post-SVR group. The cutoffs (areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve, obtained using the bootstrap method) to dichotomize between METAVIR fibrosis stage F1 versus stages F2–F4, F1–F2 versus F3–F4, and F1–F3 versus F4 were 1.47 (0.8333, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.7981–0.8663), 1.81 (0.8763, 95% CI 0.8376–0.9107), and 1.86 (0.8811, 95% CI 0.8378–0.9179) in the pretreatment group, respectively, and 1.22 (0.7872, 95% CI 0.7001–0.8624), 1.59 (0.8808, 95% CI 0.8034–0.9422), and 1.75 (0.9018, 95% CI 0.8201–0.9644) in the post-SVR group, respectively. Conclusions The performance of LS measurements through ARFI elastography is promising to determine the liver fibrosis stage on necroinflammation-resolved histology in CHC after viral eradication.

OBJECTIVES The impact of viral eradication on hepatic angiogenesis is unknown. This study aimed to analyze the correlations of liver angiogenesis with liver fibrosis progression or regression in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) after viral eradication. METHODS From 2003 to 2020, a cohort of 130 eligible participants underwent paired percutaneous liver biopsies (median = 48 months apart; range = 46-62) at the treatment baseline and after sustained virological response to CHC treatment at the tertiary referral center. The collagen proportionate area (CPA) of liver tissue sections was determined using picrosirius red staining through digital image analysis. CD34 and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) phenotypically quantitated liver angiogenesis and myofibroblasts, respectively, through immunohistochemistry staining, to correlate the total, portal, and extraportal liver angiogenesis with fibrogenesis. RESULTS Paired histology manifested significant regressions in fibrosis stages, and necroinflammatory grades (both P

Due to the competitiveness of the e-commerce environment and the emerging usage of mobile devices, companies have found a new e-marketing strategy, that is, online-to-offline (O2O) marketing, to integrate both channels more efficiently. The rapid rise of the O2O market in recent years has changed the way people consume and become an important issue. However, there are still very few studies focusing on O2O marketing issues. Hence, the purpose of this study is to develop an analytic model to explore how consumers adopt O2O commerce models. In this study, we collect 1,267 samples of valid Taiwan-based internet users who intended to adopt multi-channel retailing, using a web survey of consumers through InsightXplorer’s CyberPanel. We use EFA and CFA to confirm search factors (information availability, search convenience, enjoyment, media richness and tangibility) and purchase factors (service quality, price and promotion, purchase convenience, risk perception, immediacy and product quantity) in keeping with past research. We also conduct a multinomial logit model to analyze the relationships among search factors, purchase factors, and adopting multi-channel purchasing behavior. The results indicate that the main reason consumers choose to purchase through physical channels is that they could provide better sales service quality and have a lower shopping risk, however, if consumers care about prices and promotions, they tend to lean towards the Mobile path. At the close of this paper, in-depth discussions and conclusions are provided to inform further research and future practices. To cite this document: I-Ping Chiang, Chia-Yi Lin, and Chih-Hui Huang, "Measuring the Effects of Online-to-Offline Marketing", Contemporary Management Research, Vol.14, No.3, pp. 167-190, 2018. Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.7903/cmr.18462

The number of people using online communities is rising. The study found that more consumers find and evaluate goods through social media networks. At the same time, marketers continue to promote brand recognition, but more importantly, to increase user engagement. However, the link between the brand community and social media has become the focus of the marketing staff and the public. But the academic research of the brand community and the social media in the past focused on brand loyalty. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore how virtual brand communities could create social impacts on their customers. This study will use a web survey from customers from Insightxplorer’s Cyber Panel who intend to adopt a social network service. Factor analysis will be conducted to confirm the induced factors from literature review. Furthermore, PLS will be used to determine the variation in social networking sites’ quality, brand communities’ engagement, virtual community and equity. Finally, in-depth discussions and conclusions will be provided to inform research and practice. Keywords: Social Media Marketing, Virtual Brand Community, Brand Community Engagement To cite this document: I Ping Chiang, Shou En Tu, and Ling Hui Wang, "Exploring The Social Marketing Impacts of Virtual Brand Community Engagement", Contemporary Management Research, Vol.14, No.2, pp. 143-164, 2018. Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.7903/cmr.18086

With the rapid growth and development of social network services, companies have largely increased their advertising budgets for social media advertising. Social media advertising has attracted a great deal of attention among marketers and re-searchers. However, very few works of research have focused on social media ad-vertising and have only concentrated on measuring clicking effects. This study es-tablished a model to analyze customers’ engagement in social media advertising, the relationship among the antecedents of social media advertising engagement, the en-gagement behaviours in social media advertising, and the consequences of social media advertising. This study conducted an online survey among 502 valid Internet users. Partial least squares regression was used to analyze the relationship among the antecedents and consequences of user engagement in social media advertising. Fi-nally, based on the findings, discussions and conclusions will be provided regarding further research and practices. Keywords: Social Media Marketing, Social Media Advertising, Customer Engage-ment Behaviour To cite this document: I Ping Chiang, Shih Hui Lo, and Ling-Hui Wang, "Customer Engagement Behaviour in Social Media Advertising: Antecedents and Consequences", Contemporary Management Research, Vol.13, No.3, pp. 193-216, 2017. Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.7903/cmr.17673

Cystic dystrophy in heterotopic pancreas (CDHP) is characterized by the presence of cystic dilatation of the ectopic pancreatic ducts in heterotopic pancreas, which mostly occurs in the second portion of the duodenum [1,2].

People increasingly depend on the consumer experiences of a virtual community when making purchasing decisions. Potential consumers search for different types of electronic word of mouth when choosing a product to purchase. Social shopping has numerous advantages including community-based interaction and the sharing of consumer experiences; however, few studies have focused on measuring the effects of social shopping. This study established a conceptual framework for measuring the effects of social shopping activities, comprising the key elements of (1) the perceptions of social shopping activities, (2) collective intelligence and dissonance, and (3) the consequences of social shopping. This study collected 836 valid Internet user responses to an online survey. Partial least squares regression was used to analyze the relationship between the elements and to measure the effects in different social shopping stimuli.

The growth of Facebook has accelerated with an increasing prevalence of social media. Facebook users have become more dependent on it by interacting with others. However, the precise means by which Facebook services deliver social support remains unclear. This study aims to investigate that Facebook exists as different types of social support within Facebook’s various functions and communicative contexts. We employed the method of investigation on the internet to delivery questionnaires. Data are collected from a total of 1019 internet users, and we used research methods Chi-square test and MANOVA to examine that the Facebook usage behaviors of distinct demographic groups are significantly diverse. In the context of manipulated scenarios, tie strength and status lead to significantly distinct Facebook usage behaviors and produced dissimilar types and forms of social supports. As the result, in terms of social, esteem, companionship and information, supports were conveyed through like and comment functions, while emotional support was only conveyed through comment function. To cite this document: I-Ping Chiang and Yaw-Der Huang, "How to create social support on Facebook", International Journal of Electronic Commerce Studies, Vol.7, No.1, pp.1-20, 2016. Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.7903/ijecs.1243

Osteosarcoma is the most frequent bone tumor, characterized by a high metastatic potential. However, the crosstalk between chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 3 (CCL3), which facilitates tumor progression and metastasis. Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), an angiogenesis inducer and a highly specific mitogen for endothelial cells, has not been well explored in human osteosarcoma. Here we demonstrate the correlation of CCL3 and VEGF-A expressions, quantified by immunohistochemistry, with the tumor stage of human osteosarcoma tissues. Furthermore, CCL3 promotes VEGF-A expression in human osteosarcoma cells that subsequently induces human endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) migration and tube formation. Phosphorylation of JNK, ERK, and p38 was found after CCL3 stimulation. In addition, JNK, ERK, and p38 inhibitors also abolished CCL3-induced VEGF-A expression and angiogenesis. We noted that CCL3 reduces the expression of miR-374b and miR-374b mimic by reversing CCL3-promoted VEGF-A expression and angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. This study shows that CCL3 promotes VEGF-A expression and angiogenesis in human osteosarcoma cells by down-regulating miR-374b expression via JNK, ERK, and p38 signaling pathways. Thus, CCL3 may be a new molecular therapeutic target in osteosarcoma angiogenesis and metastasis.

Cancer immunotherapy is attractive for antigen-specific T cell-mediated anti-tumor therapy, especially in induction of cytotoxic T lymphocytes. In this report, we evaluated human CTL epitope-induced anti-tumor effects in human lung cancer xenograft models. The tumor associated antigen L6 (TAL6) is highly expressed in human lung cancer cell lines and tumor specimens as compared to normal lung tissues. TAL6 derived peptides strongly inhibited tumor growth, cancer metastasis and prolonged survival time in HLA-A2 transgenic mice immunized with a formulation of T-helper (Th) peptide, synthetic CpG ODN, and adjuvant Montanide ISA-51 (ISA-51). Adoptive transfer of peptide-induced CTL cells from HLA-A2 transgenic mice into human tumor xenograft SCID mice significantly inhibited tumor growth. Furthermore, combination of CTL-peptide immunotherapy and gemcitabine additively improved the therapeutic effects. This pre-clinical evaluation model provides a useful platform to develop efficient immunotherapeutic drugs to treat lung cancer and demonstrates a promising strategy with benefit of antitumor immune responses worthy of further development in clinical trials.

As a forecasting tool, audience movie reviews provide a guide for film companies. This study uses a text mining technique to analyze the American film market. It explores movie reviews including word of mouth (WOM) factors (i.e., movie content, positive, negative, and promotion) and related factors (i.e., time, rating, and the number of ratings) for the box office. According to the relationship between the keyword clusters, the major factors that affect the box office are determined. The findings provide reference for movie producers to manipulate WOMs.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) typically migrates and metastasizes. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine associated with disease status and cancer outcomes. The effect of IL-6 on human OSCC cells, however, is unknown. Here, we showed that IL-6 increased cell migration and Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression in OSCC cells. Pretreatment of OSCC cells with IL-6R monoclonal antibody (mAb) significantly abolished IL-6-induced cell migration and ICAM-1 expression. By contrast, IL-6-mediated cell motility and ICAM-1 upregulation were attenuated by the Syk and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitors. Stimulation of OSCC cells with IL-6 promoted Syk and JNK phosphorylation. Furthermore, IL-6 enhanced AP-1 activity, and the IL-6R mAb, Syk inhibitor, or JNK inhibitor all reduced IL-6-mediated c-Jun phosphorylation, c-Jun binding to the ICAM-1 promoter, and c-Jun translocation into the nucleus. Our results indicate that IL-6 enhances the migration of OSCC cells by increasing ICAM-1 expression through the IL-6R receptor and the Syk, JNK, and AP-1 signal transduction pathways.

Summary Objectives Perineural invasion is a prominent clinical feature of various cancers, which causes difficulty in curative resection. Glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), a potent neurotrophic factor, plays an important role in the invasive and metastatic behavior of various cancers. The aim of this study was to examine the role of GDNF on oral squamous cell carcinoma. Materials and Methods GDNF expression in tissue samples was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Transwell assay, zymography, Western blot, reverse transcription-PCR, and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) were carried out to assess the effects of GDNF on oral cancer cells. Results Human oral cancer tissues showed higher GDNF expression than that in normal tissues. We also found that application of human GDNF enhanced the cell migration ability of human oral cancers. Moreover, treatment with GDNF increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and MMP-13 expression in oral cancer. Inhibition of MMP-9 and MMP-13 in oral cancer cells by pharmacological inhibitors or neutralizing antibodies reduced GDNF-enhanced cell migration. Moreover, transfection with siRNA against MMP-13 inhibited GDNF-enhanced cell migration. Treatment with GDNF also increased ERK, p38 and JNK phosphorylation, and AP-1 DNA binding activity in human oral cancer cells. Inhibition of MAP kinase or AP-1 also reduced GDNF-induced oral cancer cell migration. In migration-prone sublines, oral cancer cells showed a higher migration ability than that of the original oral cancer cells. Surprisingly, the enhancement of cell migratory activity in migration-prone sublines was reduced by a GDNF-neutralizing antibody. Importantly, migration-prone sublines of oral cancer revealed higher GDNF expression. Conclusion These results indicate a regulatory effect on cell migration by GDNF in oral squamous cancer.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most aggressive brain tumors, with dismal prognosis. More than 70% of GBM patients die within 2 years after diagnosis, even under intensive multimodality chemoradiation with an oral alkylating agent, temozolomide (TMZ).1 Identifying and understanding the biology behind novel chemo- and radioresistant markers in GBM would shed light on improving the current therapeutic approaches. Clinically, the methylation status of the methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) gene promoter is a strong indicator of survival benefits of radiotherapy and TMZ.2 Besides, mutation at codon 132 of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1, which was strongly associated with codeletion of 1p or 19q, was prognostic as well for secondary GBM.3,4 However, the incidence of isolated 1p or 19q deletions among primary GBM has been low, at 6.2% and 5.3%, respectively.5 Ataxia telangiectasia mutated kinase (ATM) responds to DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs) immediately following radiation exposure. In gliomas, ATM plays a critical role in radiation resistance,6 and the expression level of ATM dramatically alters radiosensitivity in GBM.7,8 Since ATM became an attractive target for tumor radiosensitization, several inhibitors of ATM activity have been developed, aimed to improve radiotherapy. However, ATM inhibitors were reported to be effective in eliminating only cancer cells that express functional ATM protein with already compromised DNA repairs.9 Recently, ATM was found to be tightly associated with mitochondrial homeostasis, and it has been suggested that ataxia-telangiectasia could be considered as a part of mitochondrial disease.10 Mitochondria play essential roles in cancer progression, in particular in metabolically remodeled phenotypes, which predominantly use aerobic glycolysis as an energy source (Warburg effect).11 Accumulated evidence indicates that some nucleus-encoded mitochondrial proteins are involved in tumorigenesis.12 An altered mitochondrial genome has been frequently found in GBM and shown to adapt to bioenergetic stress.13,14 Furthermore, mitochondrial dysfunction was reported to be associated with increasing damage to reactive oxygen species and the onset of several neurodegenerative diseases and neoplasms.15 Therefore, mitochondrial proteins indeed might be novel therapeutic targets to implement the existing treatments of GBM.16 The ATPase family, AAA domain containing 3A (ATAD3A; 66 kDa) is an essential mitochondrial enzyme involved in maintaining mitochondrial functions and communication between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria.17–19 ATAD3A was first identified as a tumor-specific antigen20,21 and was later shown to have roles in lung adenocarcinoma,19 uterine cervical cancer,22 and prostate cancer.23 Its clinical significance was further supported by in vitro data, in which cancer cells with ATAD3A overexpression were more resistant to anticancer drugs.21 Interestingly, the ATAD3A gene is located on human chromosome 1p36.33 and has been shown in human glioma cell lines to be correlated with cell growth and resistance to genotoxic drugs.24 Although deletion/alteration in the distal short arm of chromosome 1 (1p) has been associated with chemo- and radiosensitivity in oligodendrogliomas and other brain tumors, no specific tumor-related gene to date has been identified as conferring this to a treatment-resistant phenotype.25,26 In this report, we demonstrate that ATAD3A expression correlates with treatment response in a primary GBM chemoradiation cohort, implicating ATAD3A as a possible prognostic marker and therapeutic target in GBM. We also investigated the ATAD3A-associated chemo- and radioresistant mechanisms in GBM.

The rapid growth of weblog (blog) services has induced Internet users to share their feelings and information via blogs. Few researchers are currently investigating why people blog. In this study, we explored the antecedents and consequences of blogging behaviors. We collected 613 valid responses to an online survey from blog users. Factor analysis was conducted to confirm 3 antecedents of using blogs as social motivations, goal orientation, and entertainment orientation. We identified 3 key blogging behaviors of basic journaling, more advanced publishing, and interactive feedback. Social and information return were identified as the 2 major effects of blogging behaviors. The results of structural equation modeling showed that social motivations and entertainment orientation had significant impacts on all 3 blogging behaviors and goal orientation positively influenced advanced publishing and interactive feedback. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Although the second peak of the age distribution of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is at adolescence, renal RMS is extremely rare at this age group. This tumor is indistinguishable from other renal tumors based on clinical and imaging findings, and the diagnosis relies on histology and immunohistochemical staining. We report a unique case of adolescent renal RMS associated with tumor thrombus extending into the inferior vena cava (IVC) and right atrium. An 18-year-old female adolescent presented with shortness of breath and palpitations, associated with right flank discomfort, and hematuria. A pleomorphic-type renal RMS with Budd–Chiari syndrome and arrhythmia induced by IVC and RA thrombosis was diagnosed. Despite complete tumor resection, the patient developed multiple lung metastases a month after surgery. Chemotherapy was recommended, but the patient declined. She died within a year of the initial operation. Adolescent renal RMS is rare and associated with poor outcome. Early aggressive multimodal therapy seems to be appropriate, in particular, in the presence of tumor thrombosis.

Primary angiosarcoma of lung is a rare condition. Only about 20 cases have appeared in English published reports so far. Its rarity and consequent low index of suspicion makes clinical diagnosis difficult. Pathological diagnosis of the epithelioid variant of pulmonary angiosarcoma is particularly challenging. We report a case of primary pulmonary epithelioid angiosarcoma as a solitary pulmonary nodule in image study in a 41-year-old man with a brief review, to contribute it to the sparse literature on this disease.

Portal hypertension and splenomegaly are common in patients with cirrhosis. However, there is limited previous in vivo research on the correlation between spleen stiffness and stages of liver fibrosis. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of spleen stiffness measurement (SSM), using acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) technology, for liver fibrosis assessment. Eligible patients with chronic hepatitis B or C (n = 163) underwent concurrent liver stiffness measurement (LSM), SSM and percutaneous liver biopsy. Receiver operating characteristic curves estimated the diagnostic performance of SSM, with multiple linear regression models for LSM and SSM determining the significance of explanatory factors. Results indicated significant correlation between LSM and SSM (R(2) = 0.574, P < 0.0001). Using SSM to classify METAVIR fibrosis (METAVIR F) scores, the areas under curves were 0.839 (95% CI: 0.780-0.898) for METAVIR F1 vs F2-4, 0.936 (95% CI: 0.898-0.975) for F1-2 vs F3-4 and 0.932 (95% CI: 0.893-0.971) for F1-3 vs F4, all P < 0.001. Multiple linear regression models identified BMI, spleen stiffness, METAVIR F3 and F4, serum alanine aminotransferase, international normalized ratio of prothrombin time, sodium and platelet count as significant independent explanatory factors for liver stiffness (adjusted R(2) = 0.724, P < 0.001). Male gender, liver stiffness, METAVIR F2, F3 and F4 also significantly and independently explained spleen stiffness (adjusted R(2) = 0.647, P < 0.001). ARFI SSM is potentially useful as a single or adjunct predictor of stages of liver fibrosis.

A 55-year-old man was incidentally diagnosed with a superficial squamous cell carcinoma of esophagus. However, the systemic survey with FDG PET/CT revealed a picture of more advanced disease because of the regional lymph node metastases and a suspected distal metastasis in the left renal pelvis, which was somewhat strange for a small superficial esophageal cancer. Subsequently, the renal pelvic lesion was confirmed as squamous cell carcinoma. However, a primary tumor rather than metastasis in the renal pelvis was considered according to the histologic characteristics and radiologic findings.

In this study we investigated the preferences of blog readers for the purpose of designing effective blog marketing campaigns. We surveyed 965 customers who have searched for product information via blogs before consuming, and used structural equation modeling to analyze the data. The results showed that the convenience provided by blogs is an important reason for consumers to use the medium for product research. Blog marketing elements were also analyzed in terms of interactional sharing, novelty, and professional characteristics. It was found that interactional sharing most affects consumers' intention to purchase. Additionally, for those who use blogs as a way to search for different types of products, degree of expertise is also an important factor.

Background In previous study, n-butylidenephthalide (BP), a natural compound from Angelica sinensis, has anti-glioblastoma multiform (GBM) cell effects. In this study, we modified BP structure to increase anti-GBM cell effects. The anti-GBM cell effects of one derivative of BP, (Z)-N-(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl)-2-(3-((3-oxoisobenzofuran-1(3H)-ylidene)methyl)phenoxy)acetamide (PCH4) were tested in vitro and in vivo. Methods MTT assay and PI/Annexin V assay were performed to evaluate the anti-GBM effects of PCH4. The Nur77 expression and translocation were assayed by RT-PCR and Western blot. The Nur77 siRNA was used to downregulate the Nur77 expression. The JNK inhibitor (SP600125) was used to block the JNK pathway. Results The anti-GBM effect of PCH4 is four times more than BP. The IC50 of PCH4 on DBTRG-05MG cells was 50 µg/ml. Nur77 expression and translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm were important in PCH4-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, the downregulation of PCH4-induced Nur77 expression by Nur77 siRNA reduced PCH4-induced apoptosis. In addition, PCH4-induced apoptosis was associated with the JNK pathway. The JNK inhibitor, SP600125, inhibited Nur77 mRNA expression and reduced PCH4-induced apoptosis. Conclusions In conclusion, PCH4, a derivative of BP, induced Nur77-mediated apoptosis via the JNK pathway and this mechanism, which is different from that of BP, may explain the increase in the anti-tumor effects on GBM. J. Surg. Oncol. 2011; 103:442–450. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Extranodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma is very rarely encountered in clinical practice. It has a high mortality rate and very short median survival. Early diagnosis of these rare tumors, especially those originating from the small intestine, is usually difficult because of its nonspecific symptoms. Herein, we describe a case of a primary small intestinal natural killer/T cell lymphoma in a 52-year-old man who presented with abdominal fullness and weight loss. The clinical symptoms, elevation of serum levels of cancer antigen-125, and presence of ascites initially led to the suspicion of tuberculous peritonitis. Abdominal computed tomography scan demonstrated a hypodense tumor in the jejunum. Finally, the tumor was surgically confirmed to be a natural killer/T-cell lymphoma. Although aggressive chemotherapy was prescribed, the patient subsequently died of disease progression. In addition, we also review the English literature on this rare disease.

β-titanium (β-Ti) alloys are known for their excellent physical properties and biocompatibility, and are therefore considered as next-generation metals for orthopedics and dental implants. To improve the osseous integration between β-Ti alloys and bone, this study develops a titanium dioxide (TiO2) coating on the surface of β-Ti alloys by using micro-arc oxidation (MAO) technique. The anatase (A) rich and rutile (R) rich TiO2 layer, were formed on β-Ti, respectively. In vitro tests were carried out using pre-osteoblast cell (MC3T3-E1) to determine biocompatibility and bone formation performance. Biocompatibility includes cell adhesion, cell proliferation, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, while the bone formation performance contains osteopontin (OPN), osteocalcin (OCN) and calcium content. Cell morphology was also observed. In addition, raw β-Ti, A rich TiO2 and R rich TiO2 were implanted into the distal femora of Japanese white rabbits for 4, 8, and 12 weeks to evaluate its in vivo performance. Experimental results show that TiO2 coating can be grown on and well-adhered to β-Ti. The anatase phase formed under a low applied voltage (350 V), while the rutile phase formed under a high applied voltage (450 V), indicating that crystal structure is strongly influenced by applied voltage. A porous morphology was obtained in the TiO2 coating regardless of the crystal structure and exhibited superior bone formation performance than β-Ti. In vivo analysis and in vitro test show similar trends. It is also noticeable that the R rich TiO2 coating achieved better biocompatibility, osteogenesis performance. Therefore, a MAO-treated R rich TiO2 coating can serve as a novel surface modification technique for β-Ti alloy implants.

Aims: Prostatic cancer is resistant to chemotherapy.Expression of aldo-keto reductase 1C (AKR1C) has beenassociated with drug resistance and disease progressionin several cancers. The aim was to investigate therelationship between AKR1C expression and diseaseprogression in prostatic cancer.Methods and results: From January 1996 to December2005, 86 pathological samples were collected frompatients with prostatic cancer. A tissue microarraycontaining 31 prostatic cancers from American patientswas used for comparison between Chinese and Amer-ican patients. Using immunohistochemistry, aldo-ketoreductase family 1, member C2 (AKR1C2) expressionwas assessed in tissue sections. The AKR1C2 wasdetermined by two-dimensional immunoblotting andDNA sequencing of reverse transcriptase-polymerasechain reaction products. The relationship betweenAKR1C2 expression and clinicopathological variableswas statistically analysed. In vitro, the associationbetween AKR1C2 expression and drug resistance wasinvestigated in androgen-sensitive and androgen-insen-sitive prostatic cancer cells. DNA sequencing and two-dimensional immunoblotting showed that prostaticcancer expressed AKR1C2. It was overexpressed in 77of 86 (89.5%) Chinese and in 28 of 31 (90.3%)American samples. No difference was found in AKR1C2expression between Chinese and American prostaticcancer patients. In vitro, increased expression ofAKR1C2 and prostaglandin F2a correlated with cyto-protection against anticancer drugs and lycopene.Conclusion: Overexpression of AKR1C2 is associatedwith disease progression in prostatic cancer.Keywords: aldo-keto reductase family 1 – member C2, disease progression, drug resistance, prostatic cancerAbbreviations: 2-OHBT, 2-hydroxybutyrate; 5-FU, 5-fluorouracil; ADR, adriamycin; AIF, apoptosis-inducing factor;AKR, aldo-keto reductase; AR, androgen receptor; COX-2, cyclooxygenase-2; DDH, dihydrodiol dehydrogenase;EDTA, ethylenediamine tetraaceticacid; EIA, enzyme immunoassay; ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay;HGF, hepatocyte growth factor; IEF, isoelectric focusing; IL, interleukin; IPG, immobilized pH gradient; MALDI-TOF,matrix-assisted laser desorption ⁄ ionization-time of flight; MTX, methotrexate; n-BT, n-sodium butyrate; NTPE, non-tumour prostatic epithelium; PAH, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; PBS, phosphate-buffered saline; PG,prostaglandin; PMSF, phenylmethylsulphonylfluoride; RT-PCR, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction;siRNA, small inhibitory RNA

AAA domain-containing 3A (ATAD3A) is a member of the AAA-ATPase family. Three forms of ATAD3 have been identified: ATAD3A, ATAD3B and ATAD3C. In this study, we examined the type and expression of ATAD3 in lung adenocarcinoma (LADC). Expression of ATAD3A was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry and confocal immunofluorescent microscopy. Our results show that ATAD3A is the major form expressed in LADC. Silencing of ATAD3A expression increased mitochondrial fragmentation and cisplatin sensitivity. Serum deprivation increased ATAD3A expression and drug resistance. These results suggest that ATAD3A could be an anti-apoptotic marker in LADC.

PurposeThere has been considerable discussion of various aspects of the “Web 2.0” concept in the past several years. However, the Web 2.0 concept as a whole has not been analysed through the lens of the Web 1.0 metrics on which managers rely heavily for planning and evaluation. This paper aims to analyse the relationships among a site's audience metrics and its degree of Web 2.0‐ness.Design/methodology/approachData collected from an online panel's clickstreams were aggregated to derive the web audience metrics. A web site's degree of Web 2.0‐ness was evaluated through a three‐step procedure by a series of binary criteria as to whether the site accommodates popular Web 2.0 applications. Pearson and Spearman correlations were conducted for the empirical analysis of data consisting of clickstreams gathered from an online panel coupled with expert scoring of web sites.FindingsIt was found that the size of a web site's visitor base is positively associated with the average number of page views per visitor. The average number of page views per visitor is in turn positively associated with the speed at which the visitors consume the site's content. Furthermore, a site's degree of Web 2.0‐ness is positively associated with the average number of page views per visitor and the speed of content consumption on the site.Practical implicationsFirst, the “double jeopardy” phenomenon of small brands found in the consumer package goods market is also observed for small sites in cyberspace in terms of audience metrics. Second, the accommodation of more Web 2.0 applications in a web site enhances the site's attractiveness so that its visitor base grows and its visitors will have a deeper relationship with the site.Originality/valueThis paper examines the Web 2.0 phenomenon through the Web 1.0 lens by exploring the relationships among web audience metrics and the degree of Web 2.0‐ness across web sites. It characterises the relationships among a web site's audience metrics and those between such metrics and the site's degree of Web 2.0‐ness. In addition this study fills an important gap in the literature and could serve as a stepping‐stone for further exploration of Web 2.0 issues from the market perspective.

Objective: To describe a case of fosinopril-induced severe cholestatic jaundice successfully treated with plasma exchange. Case Summary: A 78-year-old Taiwanese male presented with yellowish skin and generalized itching one month after starting fosinopril 10 mg once a day. Other drugs taken by the patient were excluded as the probable cause of jaundice. Diagnostic modalities, including abdominal ultrasound, computed tomography, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, revealed no evidence of biliary tract obstruction or intraabdominal tumor. According to the Council for International Organizations of Medical Science (CIOMS) scale, fosinopril was a highly probable cause of the patient's jaundice. Liver biopsy showed cholestasis without bile duct damage. Based on results of the CIOMS scale assessment and pathological characteristics of the liver, the diagnosis was highly probable that fosinopril had induced cholestatic jaundice in our patient. During hospitalization, the patient developed severe jaundice and liver failure, despite conservative treatment and withdrawal of fosinopril. He underwent a 5-day course of plasma exchange therapy, and the serum bilirubin level declined rapidly after treatment. His liver function returned to normal 2 months after treatment. Discussion: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor–induced hepatotoxicity is rare and only a few cases, with most involving captopril, have been reported in the English-language literature. Hepatotoxicity caused by fosinopril is extremely rare. Most ACE inhibitor–induced hepatotoxicity is mild and transient, but it can be fatal. Although orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is the standard method for treating drug-induced liver failure, plasma exchange therapy is an alternative therapeutic method or a bridge to OLT for treating liver failure. Conclusions: Plasma exchange therapy may play a valuable role in the treatment of fosinopril-induced cholestatic jaundice and liver failure. This intervention can be considered for temporary liver support until recovery or OLT.