Dimensions of Interactive Pervasive Game Design: Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

As the gaming industry grows around the world, playing pervasive games is becoming an important mode of entertainment. A pervasive game is one in which the game experience extends into the actual world or where the fictive world of the game merges with the physical world. How pervasive games can adapt to the ever-changing nature of technology and design in current society requires a comprehensive review.

OBJECTIVE

In this systematic review, we aimed to measure and analyze 4 dimensions of pervasive games through development, technology, experience, and evaluation. Moreover, we also aimed to discover and interpret their relationship with game, interaction, experience, and service design.

METHODS

We first chose 3 well-known databases, Web of Science, Scopus, and EBSCO, and searched from 2013 to April 2022. A strictly thorough Boolean search for research keywords such as "pervasive game," "design," and "interactive" resulted in 394 relevant articles. These articles were identified, screened, and checked for eligibility to find valid and useful articles, which were then categorized and analyzed using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) method.

RESULTS

The systematic selection was finally left with 40 valid and valuable articles. After categorization and analysis, all articles were classified according to 4 main themes, which were design and development (11/40, 28%), interaction and technology (15/40, 38%), users and experience (9/40, 23%), and evaluation and service (5/40, 13%). These 4 main areas can be subdivided into several smaller areas.

CONCLUSIONS

In the 4 areas of game design, interaction design, experience design, and service design, many scholars have studied pervasive games and made contributions. Although the development and technology of pervasive games have evolved with the times, there is still a need to strengthen emerging design concepts within pervasive games.

Treatment efficacy of Lianhua Qingwen capsules for eraly-stage COVID-19

OBJECTIVE

To systematically determine the effect of Lianhua Qingwen Capsules on the early antiviral and anti-inflammatory action against COVID-19 (Coronavirus 2019) and its applicational value in the treatment of COVID-19.

METHODS

The clinical data of 66 early-mid-stage COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals in Guangzhou between January 2020 and April 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients receiving Lianhua Qingwen Capsule treatment were assigned to the observation group (n=33) and those given conventional therapy were included in the control group (n=33). The two groups were compared in terms of clinical effects and main symptom (fever, cough and fatigue) disappearance rate.

RESULTS

In comparison with the control group, 1) the total effective rate was significantly higher in the observation group (P<0.05); 2) the disappearance rates of fever, cough and fatigue were statistically higher in the observation group; 3) the treatment time was significantly shorter and patient recovery was significantly better in the observation group; 4) the laboratory index levels [white blood cell (WBC), interleukin-6 (IL-6), serum amyloid A (SAA)] were better in the observation group.

CONCLUSION

Lianhua Qingwen Capsules can significantly improve the total effective rate for COVID-19 patients, as well as shorten the hospital stay and treatment time, which is worth of promotion in the clinic.

High-speed and large-responsivity synchronous-traveling carrier photodetector

A synchronous-traveling carrier photodetector (STC-PD) with a thick absorption region and large diameter is presented and investigated for 100 Gbps PAM4 applications. In the STC structure, a suitable electric field is introduced to synchronize the traveling of electrons and holes, which achieves high bandwidth while maintaining large responsivity. The characteristics of STC-PD, including electric field distribution, energy band diagram, responsivity, junction capacitance, and frequency response, have been studied carefully.

Influence of the incident optical field distribution on a high-speed PIN photodetector and horizontal optimization

We demonstrate a new, to the best of our knowledge, dimensional "horizontal optimization" scheme, which can improve the high-speed characteristics of a PIN photodetector by designing the incident optical field distribution. First, coaxially incident faculae with the same peak and same power are studied and simulated, revealing that the bandwidth of the photodetector illuminated by uniform light is higher than that of the device illuminated by nonuniform light. Next, an annular optical field is designed incident to the photodetector, and the bandwidth is further improved. For a PIN photodetector, by carefully optimizing the incident optical field distribution, the photodetector bandwidth under an annular optical field can be increased significantly compared with that under conventional coaxial illumination.

The lymph node ratio predicts cancer-specific survival of node-positive non-small cell lung cancer patients: a population-based SEER analysis

Background

Lymph node ratio (LNR) has been suggested to be an effective prognostic tool for stratifying non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases. In this study, we sought to determine cancer-specific survival (CCS) of NSCLC cases from the SEER registry and used the X-tile method to optimize CCS-based LNR cut-off points for prognostic stratification of node-positive NSCLC.

Methods

CSS and other clinicopathologic variables were retrieved from the SEER registry. Kaplan-Meier methods were used to calculate CSS. The optimal cut-off points for LNR classification were determined by the X-tile approach. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to identify independent risks of CSS.

Results

Totally 11,341 lung cancer patients were included. Their median CSS was 22 months (range 0,143). The median LNR was 0.22 (Q1,Q3: 0.11, 0.50). X-tile analysis showed that the optimal LNR cut-off points were 0.28 and 0.81, dividing the cohort into low (LNR1 ≤ 0.28; n = 6580, 58%), middle (0.28 < LNR2 < 0.81; n = 3025, 26.7%), and high (LNR3 > 0.81; n = 1736, 15.3%) subsets. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with a low LNR had a significantly higher CCS versus patients with middle or high LNR (P < 0.001). Multivariate competing risks regression analysis revealed that LNR was an independent and significant adverse predictor of CSS (LNR2 vs. LNR1: SHR: 1.56, 95%CI: 1.47,1.67, P < 0.001; LNR3 vs. LNR1: SHR: 2.54, 95%CI: 2.30,2.80, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

LNR is an independent prognostic factor of node-positive NSCLC and its optimal cut-off values established using the robust x-tile method effectively define subpopulations of node-positive NSCLC cases, which is important in guiding selection of treatment strategies clinically.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13019-020-01390-x.

Synthesis and Characterization of High-Efficiency Red Phosphorescent Iridium(III) Complexes with 1-(4-(Trifluoromethyl)phenyl)isoquinoline Ligand

Two new tfmpiq-based bis-cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes, [(tfmpiq)2Ir(imdzppo)] (2a) and [(tfmpiq)2Ir(idzpo)] (2b) (where tfmpiq = 1-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)isoquinoline, imdzppo = 2-(imidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-2-yl)phenol, idzpo = 2-(2H-indazol-2-yl)phenol), have been synthesized and fully characterized. The single crystal structure of 2b has been determined. The relationship between the structures and photophysical properties of both complexes are considered, and the DFT calculations have been used to further support the deduction. These Ir(III) complexes emit red light with quantum yields of 39.9-51.9% in degassed CH2Cl2 solution at room temperature. Also, their emission originates from a hybrid 3MLCT/3LLCT/3LC excited state. All these results show that iridium(III) complexes 2a-2b are suitable for red-phosphorescent materials in OLEDs.

MiR-199a-3p affects the multi-chemoresistance of osteosarcoma through targeting AK4

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play vital roles in regulating various biological processes. The dysregulations of miRNAs may result in severe human diseases, including cancer.

Methods

We performed the qRT-PCR, western blot and the luciferase reporter assays to test whether Adenylate Kinase 4 (AK4) is the target of miR-199a-3p. Up- or down-regulation of miR-199a-3p and/or the AK4 gene was done to detect their roles in OS multi-drug resistance using drug resistance profiling assays. We further predicted the putative signal pathway involved in the miR-199a-3p-mediated OS drug-resistance.

Results

The AK4 gene is one of the targets of miR-199a-3p and negatively correlates with the effect of miR-199a-3p on OS drug-resistance. In addition, the activity of the NF-кB signaling pathway was drastically altered by the forced changes of the miR-199a-3p level in OS cells.

Conclusions

Our data revealed that both miR-199a-3p and its target gene AK4 are reversely correlated with the OS drug resistance.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-4460-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Ultrasonic guided percutaneous ethanol injection with or without combined radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinomas

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate whether radiofrequency ablation (RFA) combined percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) improves treatment outcomes.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively included 66 HCC patients who received RFA or RFA plus PEI from February 2011 to January 2014 in Jingmen No. 1 People's Hospital. Moreover, 31 cases received RFA plus PEI as the experiment group and 35 subjects treated with RFA aloe as the control group. The overall survival and treatment related complications were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

For RFA group, the 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survival rate were 82.0%, 69.3%, and 30.7%, respectively, with the median survival time of 27.1 months. For RFA plus PEI group, the 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survival rate were 97.1%, 73.9%, and 37.5%, respectively, with the median survival time of 33.6 months. The overall survival of the two groups was not statistical different with the hazard ratio of 1.48 (P > 0.05); three cases of treatment associated complications were found in RFA group with 1 abscess, 1 pleural effusion, and 1 portal vein thrombosis. Moreover, 2 cases of complication were recorded in RFA plus PEI group with 1 pleural effusion and 1 portal vein thrombosis. The complicated incidence rate was not statistical different between the two groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The combination treatment of HCC was safe and had a slightly higher primary effectiveness rate than RFA alone.

Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of primary hypertension: a methodology overview of systematic reviews

BACKGROUND

Chinese herbal medicine has been used to treat hypertension in China and East Asia since centuries. In this study, we conduct an overview of systematic reviews of Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of primary hypertension to 1) summarize the conclusions of these reviews, 2) evaluate the methodological quality of these reviews, and 3) rate the confidence in the effect on each outcome.

METHODS

We comprehensively searched six databases to retrieve systematic reviews of Chinese herbal medicine for primary hypertension from inception to December 31, 2015. We used AMSTAR to evaluate the methodological quality of included reviews, and we classified the quality of evidence for each outcome in included reviews using the GRADE approach.

RESULTS

A total of 12 systematic reviews with 31 outcomes were included, among which 11 systematic reviews focus on the therapeutic effect of Chinese herbal medicine combined with conventional medicine or simple Chinese herbal medicine versus simple conventional medicine. Among the 11 items of AMSTAR, the lowest quality was "providing a priori design" item, none review conformed to this item, the next was "stating the conflict of interest" item, only three reviews conformed to this item. Five reviews scored less than seven in AMSTAR, which means that the overall methodological quality was fairly poor. For GRADE, of the 31 outcomes, the quality of evidence was high in none (0 %), moderate in three (10 %), low in 19 (61 %), and very low in nine (29 %). Of the five downgrading factors, risk of bias (100 %) was the most common downgrading factor in the included reviews, followed by imprecision (42 %), inconsistency (39 %), publication bias (39 %), and indirectness (0 %).

CONCLUSIONS

The methodological quality of systematic reviews about Chinese herbal medicine for primary hypertension is fairly poor, and the quality of evidence level is low. Physicians should be cautious when applying the interventions in these reviews for primary hypertension patients in clinical practice.

Affectivity during social behaviour in a schizophrenic-like rat

Introduction

Rats are social animals that produce high-frequency whistles said to reflect their underlying affective state. Injecting rats with a glutamate agonist (domoic acid) at a sensitive period of brain development, models aspects of schizophrenia. This is known as the neonatal DOM model.

Aims

We investigated whether DOM rats display altered social behaviour – as seen in patients with schizophrenia – using their high-frequency whistles as a proxy for the emotional valence of social situations.

Methods

We used 19 male Sprague Dawley rats, injected with either a low-dose of domoic acid or saline at postnatal days 8 to 14. The social behaviour of the rats was investigated at four levels:

– anticipation of social interaction;

– dyadic encounter;

– three-chamber test;

– tickling.

Tests were carried out at postnatal days 34 to 40 and 50 to 56. Rat whistles were recorded on all days of testing.

Results

In progress.

Conclusions

The interest in rat whistles as a supplement to traditional behavioural tests has increased. New software allows for detailed qualitative analysis of the whistle subtypes and thus new complexity to their interpretation. This study can help unravel information encoded in the whistles and shed light on the social behaviour of the DOM rat thus investigating it is applicability as a model of schizophrenia.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

A feasibility study for determining ablative margin with 3D-CEUS-CT/MR image fusion after radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma

PURPOSE

To explore the feasibility and value of 3D-CEUS-CT/MR image fusion in evaluating ablative margin (AM) after radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

There were 49 HCC in 41 patients enrolled in our prospective study. The AM were evaluated with 3D-CEUS-CT/MR image fusion, the results were divided into two groups: in group A, the tumor was completely ablated with a 5 mm AM; in group B, the tumor was completely ablated, but a 5 mm AM was not obtained. The time used in US-CT/MR image fusion and 3 D image post-processing, the technical success rate of 3D-CEUS-CT/MR image fusion and the relation between LTP and AM were observed.

RESULTS

The time taken for US-CT/MR image fusion and 3 D image post-processing was 9.2 ± 2.1 min (6 - 12 min), 14.6 ± 2.6 min (9 - 20 min), respectively. The technical success rate of 3D-CEUS-CT/MR image fusion was 81.6 % (40/49). 27 HCC had sufficient AM (group A) and 13 HCC had insufficient AM (group B). The LTP rates in groups A and B were 0/27 and 4/13, respectively. There was a significant difference between groups A and B (P = 0.002). There was a significant negative correlation between LTP and AM (r = -1.000, P< 0.001), and the locations of LTP and insufficient AM were concordant.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that 3D-CEUS-CT/MR image fusion is feasible and useful in evaluating the AM after HCC ablation.

[Hemorrhagic shock induces changes in large-conductance Ca(2+) dependent K+ channel activity in mesenteric arterial smooth muscle cells of rats]

The purpose of the present study was to detect changes in the activity of large-conductance Ca(2+)activated K(+) channel (BK(Ca)) during hemorrhagic shock (HS) in mesenteric arterial vascular smooth muscle cells using inside-out patches. The HS rat model was produced with withdrawing blood from the femoral artery. The results showed that the BK(Ca) activity was inhibited with decreased open probability (P(o)) and single-channel conductance. The decrease of P(o) resulted from an increase of the close time constant (tau(cs)) in the compensatory stage of HS, i.e.the term of hyperresponse of the muscle to norepinephrine (NE) (HS lasted for about 40 min). During the decompensation stage of HS, i.e. the period of hyporesponse to NE (HS developed for 3 h), the BK(Ca) activity was enhanced with the increase in single-channel conductance and P(o) which was a result of a decrease in tau(cs).

Dual effects of tetrandrine on calcium-activated potassium channels in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells

AIM

To study the effects of tetrandrine (Tet) on calcium-activated potassium channels.

METHODS

Inside-out configuration of patch-clamp single channel recording techniques.

RESULTS

Tet 7.5 and 15 mumol.L-1 increased the open probability from control value 0.251 +/- 0.012 to 0.340 +/- 0.013 and 0.415 +/- 0.011, respectively (P < 0.01), decreased the close time from (61 +/- 15) ms to (33 +/- 10) and (28 +/- 11) ms, respectively (P < 0.01). But Tet 30 mumol.L-1 decreased the open probability and open time to (0.114 +/- 0.008) and (1.47 +/- 0.09) ms, respectively [P < 0.01 vs control (0.251 +/- 0.012) and (20 +/- 8) ms].

CONCLUSION

Tet has concentration-dependent dual effects on KCa channels in isolated rat pulmonary smooth muscle cells.

L-type calcium channel blockade mechanisms of panaxadiol saponins against anoxic damage of cerebral cortical neurons isolated from rats

AIM

To identify the changes of L-type Ca2+ channel on cerebral cortical neurons of rats during anoxia and the protective mechanisms of panaxadiol saponins (PDS) against anoxic injury.

METHODS

Patch-clamp technique of cell-attached configuration and in vitro cerebral anoxic modle built with actuely isolated cortical cells of Wistar rats.

RESULTS

The open time of L-type Ca2+ channel of cortical neurons increased significantly from (2.85 +/- 0.21) ms to (9.1 +/- 1.0) ms (P < 0.01) under anoxia. The particular change was a long-lasting open, which was more than 20 ms in some cases. At the same time, the close time decreased from (38 +/- 8) ms to (10 +/- 3) ms (P < 0.01) and the open-state probability raised from (0.047 +/- 0.008) to (0.165 +/- 0.025) (P < 0.01). PDS (1.5 g.L-1) inhibited the activity of L-type Ca2+ channel both in normal and anoxic condition [open time from (2.23 +/- 0.47) ms and (9.1 +/- 1.0) ms to (1.03 +/- 0.25) ms and (2.1 +/- 0.4) ms; close time from (38 +/- 10) ms and (10 +/- 3) ms to (74 +/- 16) ms and (46 +/- 10 ms); open-state probability from (0.043 +/- 0.006) and (0.165 +/- 0.025) to (0.012 +/- 0.004) and (0.021 +/- 0.009), respectively, P all < 0.01]. The results of PDS were similar to those of verapamil, but were weaker compared with verapamil.

CONCLUSION

The L-type Ca2+ channels of rat cerebral cortical neurons were obviously opened during anoxia. The channels in normal and anoxic condition were effectively blocked by PDS. It was one of the important mechanisms by which PDS protected brain from the anoxic injury.

Finely stratified cylinder model for radially inhomogeneous cylinders normally irradiated by electromagnetic plane waves

A finely stratified cylinder model (FSCM) for calculation of the scattered fields of infinitely long, radially inhomogeneous, circular cylinders normally illuminated by electromagnetic plane waves is introduced for the first time, to our knowledge. Because of its capability of using a very large number of layers (more than 80,000), the model is useful for both continuous and discontinuous refractive-index profiles. Numerical results agree well with published solutions for radially inhomogeneous cylinders; for cylinders with a dimensionless size parameter larger than 60, results obtained with the FSCM agree with the geometric optics for both continuous and discontinuous refractive-index profiles.

Scattering of electromagnetic-plane waves by radially inhomogeneous spheres: a finely stratified sphere model

A new recursive algorithm to calculate the internal and scattered fields of finely stratified inhomogeneous spheres has been developed. No restriction on the number of layers-the thicknesses of which can be arbitrarily small-is imposed by this method. The number of layers is restricted only by the computer's capability: calculations with spheres with more than 10,000 layers were successfully performed with a HP work station. The new algorithm circumvents the limitations introduced by the numerical round-off errors encountered when using the previously developed recursive relations to calculate the ratios of Riccati-Bessel functions. Tests and calculations show that the method is stable and accurate for a large range of size parameters and optical properties. By employing the proposed algorithm, the problems encountered in analyzing the scattering by spheres with continuous-profile refractive indices can be solved with good accuracy.