A Modelling Study on Visitor Usage Intentions with AR-Based Content for Sports Venues / Un estudio de modelado sobre las intenciones de uso de los visitantes con contenido basado en AR para instalaciones deportivas

This study examined the development of users' behavioural intentions to visit sports venues when using AR-based content using the stimulus-organism-response model. The study centred on individuals who had experienced the AR-based content at Gocheuk Sky Dome. This study presents a structural model that illustrates the connections between three attributes of Augmented Reality (AR)—interactivity, vividness, and novelty (stimulus)—and their influence on the flow experience. This, in turn, affects the intention to depend on AR-based content for visiting a sports venue. A survey was conducted to evaluate the model, targeting young visitors in their 20s and 30s who are knowledgeable about AR technology. The study's findings indicate that novelty had the greatest influence on flow, followed by vividness, while interactivity did not show any significant impact. Flow had a significant impact on all four experiences: education, entertainment, aesthetics, and escapism. The positive impact on the intention to visit AR-based sports venues was observed only in relation to entertainment and education experiences. The role of consumer cultural innovativeness was examined as a moderator in the proposed structure model for visiting AR-based sports venues. These insights offer valuable information for the development of AR-based content in countries with culturally significant tourist destinations for sports enthusiasts. They also guide destination marketers in promoting AR in the tourism industry.(AU)

Emerging Trends in Artificial Intelligence-Based Urological Imaging Technologies and Practical Applications.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into medical imaging has notably expanded its significance within urology. AI applications offer a broad spectrum of utilities in this domain, ranging from precise diagnosis achieved through image segmentation and anomaly detection to improved procedural assistance in biopsies and surgical interventions. Although challenges persist concerning data security, transparency, and integration into existing clinical workflows, extensive research has been conducted on AI-assisted imaging technologies while recognizing their potential to reshape urological practices. This review paper outlines current AI techniques employed for image analysis to offer an overview of the latest technological trends and applications in the field of urology.

The Metaverse for Healthcare: Trends, Applications, and Future Directions of Digital Therapeutics for Urology.

In recent years, the emergence of digital therapeutics as a novel approach to managing conditions has garnered significant attention. This approach involves using evidence-based therapeutic interventions that are facilitated by high-quality software programs to treat, manage, or prevent medical conditions. The incorporation of digital therapeutics into the Metaverse has increased the feasibility of their implementation and application in all areas of medical services. In urology, substantial digital therapeutics are being produced and researched, including mobile apps, bladder devices, pelvic floor muscle trainers, smart toilet systems, mixed reality-guided training and surgery, and training and telemedicine for urological consultations. The purpose of this review article is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current impact of the Metaverse on the field of digital therapeutics and identify its current trends, applications, and future perspectives in the field of urology.

Big data analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on digital game industrial sustainability in South Korea.

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly influenced the lifestyle and entertainment activities of the society that has significantly increased the growth rate of the gaming industry. While the studies on the game industry, one of the leading content industries, related to the pandemic has been done from various perspectives, little attention has been taken in regards to how the pandemic have impacted on the national digital game production and its industrial sustainability as a whole. Thus, this study was conducted to analyze the changes in the domestic game industry before and after the COVID-19 outbreak using the big data analysis of semantic network. This study aims to understand the growing trend in the gaming industry that can be helpful for the marketing and production of future games, as well as to guide the establishment of the public game policies in the game industry. The results showed that the COVID-19 pandemic positively decreased the public's worries and the government's restrictions towards gaming due to game addiction as a mental disease. However, its sudden change in the gamer's attitudes and the current gaming policies implied that for the sustainable development of the domestic game production, laws and regulations related to the game industry need to be reliable and planned on a long term basis since the industry is immensely large and is also related to several industries such as computing, programming, arts, and story contents. Accordingly, it is necessary to build an industrial ecology through which cluster complexes specializing in developing startups and small and medium-sized business can grow along with political support.

Development and Evaluation of an Artificial Intelligence-Based Cognitive Exercise Game: A Pilot Study.

Recently, cognitive serious games have successfully been employed to train cognitive abilities in elderly people with mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and related disorders. However, despite the continuous rehabilitation game design and its applications, the existing cognitive exercise games fall short of user interaction and personalized elements with regard to difficult levels, which leads to users leaving early and losing interests during the gameplay. In this regard, the purpose of the study was to design and develop the serious game inclusive of playful elements for user motivation, the web-based mobile application system for easy accessibility, and Artificial Intelligence- (AI-) based difficulty level adjustment system for prevention from earlier leaving out in the middle of the play so that the elderly users can feel entertaining and immersed into the cognitive game voluntarily. This study was designed as an eight-week pilot experiment with thirty-seven participants in their 60s to 80s for the game's usability assessment purpose. Results of the study showed that the AI-based cognitive exercise game was acceptable, interesting, and motivating for the elderly people and the test results before and after the eight-week training suggest a relationship between longer the training on the game and lower cognitive assessment scores including geriatric quality of life scale, geriatric depression scale, and Korean version of mini-mental state examination (MMSE). These correlations demonstrate the potential value of serious games in clinical assessment of cognitive status for the elderly users with varying cognitive ability. Based on these results, the elderly-centered serious game with playful element can be potentially used in clinical settings, allowing the cognitive training to be more enjoyable and more medically effective. Given these promising results, a more focused study can extend to the game system or additional game tools or features to be explored that solely target the elderly by applying AI and advanced visualization devices.

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for infiltrative hepatocellular carcinoma: clinical safety and efficacy and factors influencing patient survival.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with infiltrative hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to identify the prognostic factors associated with patient survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty two patients who underwent TACE for infiltrative HCC were evaluated between 2007 and 2010. The maximum diameter of the tumors ranged from 7 cm to 22 cm (median 15 cm). Of 46 infiltrative HCC patients with portal vein tumor thrombosis, 32 patients received adjuvant radiation therapy for portal vein tumor thrombosis after TACE. RESULTS: The tumor response by European Association for the Study of the Liver criteria was partial in 18%, stable in 47%, and progressive in 35% of the patients. The median survival time was 5.7 months (Kaplan-Meier analysis). The survival rates were 48% at six months, 25% at one year, and 12% at two years. In the multivariable Cox regression analysis, Child-Pugh class (p = 0.02), adjuvant radiotherapy (p = 0.003) and tumor response after TACE (p = 0.004) were significant factors associated with patient survival. Major complications occurred in nine patients. The major complication rate was significantly higher in patients with Child-Pugh B than in patients with Child-Pugh A (p = 0.049, χ(2) test). CONCLUSION: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization can be a safe treatment option in infiltrative HCC patients with Child Pugh class A. Child Pugh class A, radiotherapy for portal vein tumor thrombosis after TACE and tumor response are good prognostic factors for an increased survival after TACE in patients with infiltrative HCCs.

Modified cisplatin-based transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for large hepatocellular carcinoma: multivariate analysis of predictive factors for tumor response and survival in a 163-patient cohort.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of modified cisplatin-based transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for inoperable hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) larger than 5 cm in diameter, and the factors associated with tumor response and survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2007 to November 2009, 163 patients who underwent modified cisplatin-based chemoembolization for inoperable large HCCs were evaluated. Predominant tumors were as large as 25 cm (median, 8.6 cm). Seventy-nine patients had a solitary tumor, and 84 had two or more tumors. Tumor response was evaluated per modified Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors. RESULTS: After chemoembolization, 65% of patients showed a tumor response. On multivariate analysis, tumor size (P < .001) and portal vein (PV) invasion (P = .017) were significant factors for tumor response. After chemoembolization, 97% of patients (56 of 58) with PV invasion received additional radiation therapy for PV tumor thrombosis. Median survival time was 15.8 months. On multivariate analysis, Child-Pugh class (P = .001), surgical resection (P = .003) or radiofrequency (RF) ablation (P = .018) after chemoembolization, and tumor response (P = .002) were significant factors for patient survival after chemoembolization. Major complications (N = 5) included acute renal failure (n = 3), cholecystitis with hepatic abscess (n = 1), and intractable pleural effusion (n = 1). CONCLUSIONS: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization is safe and effective for large HCCs. Tumor size and PV invasion are significant predictors of tumor response and, Child-Pugh class A disease, surgical resection after chemoembolization, RF ablation after chemoembolization, and tumor response are good prognostic factors for survival.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma activator 15-deoxy-Delta12,14-prostaglandin J2 inhibits neuroblastoma cell growth through induction of apoptosis: association with extracellular signal-regulated kinase signal pathway.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) ligands have been demonstrated to inhibit growth of several cancer cells. Here, we investigated whether one of the PPAR-gamma ligands, 15-deoxy-Delta12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15-deoxy-PGJ2) inhibits cell growth of two human neuroblastoma cells (SK-N-SH and SK-N-MC) in a PPAR-gamma-dependent manner. PPAR-gamma was expressed in these cells, and 15-deoxy-PGJ2 increased expression, DNA binding activity, and transcriptional activity of PPAR-gamma. 15-Deoxy-PGJ2 also inhibited cell growth in time- and dose-dependent manners in both cells. Cells were arrested in G2/M phase after 15-deoxy-PGJ2 treatment with concomitant increase in the expression of G2/M phase regulatory protein cyclin B1 but decrease in the expression of cdk2, cdk4, cyclin A, cyclin D1, cyclin E, and cdc25C. Conversely, related to the growth inhibitory effect, 15-deoxy-PGJ2 increased the induction of apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Consistent with the induction of apoptosis, 15-deoxy-PGJ2 increased the expression of proapoptotic proteins caspase 3, caspase 9, and Bax but down-regulated antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2. 15-Deoxy-PGJ2 also activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 2. In addition, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) 1/2 inhibitor PD98059 (2'-amino-3'-methoxyflavone) decreased 15-deoxy-PGJ2-induced ERK2 activation, and expression of PPAR-gamma, capase-3, and cyclin B1. Moreover, MEK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 significantly prevented against the 15-deoxy-PGJ2-induced cell growth inhibition. We also found that PPAR-gamma antagonist GW9662 (2-chloro-5-nitro-N-phenylbenzamide) reversed the 15-deoxy-PGJ2-induced cell growth inhibition, PPAR-gamma expression, and activation of ERK2. These results demonstrate that 15-deoxy-PGJ2 inhibits growth of human neuroblastoma cells via the induction of apoptosis in a PPAR-gamma-dependent manner through activation of ERK pathway and suggest that 15-deoxy-PGJ2 may have promising application as a therapeutic agent for neuroblastoma.

Genetic Polymorphism of Epoxide Hydrolase and GSTM1 in Lung Cancer Susceptibility of Korean Population.

PURPOSE: Although 80~90% of patients with lung cancer are smokers, only 11% of smokers develop lung cancer. Genetic susceptibility according to the polymorphism of the epoxide hydrolase (mEPHX) gene and homozygous deletion of GSTM1 (M1 subunit of Glutathione S transferase) was studied in this case control study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Genomic DNA from 76 subjects with lung cancer (40 squamous cell carcinoma, 13 adenocarcinoma, 10 subtype undetermined non-small cell lung cancer, and 13 small cell lung carcinoma) and 62 age- matched controls were extracted from peripheral white blood cells. PCR and RFLP (restriction fragments length polymorphism) with restriction enzyme (RsaI) and automatic sequencing were used for mEPHX genotyping (T-->C, Tyr113His) in exon 3 and (A-->G, His139Arg) in exon 4. Looking for homozygous deletions of GSTM1, multiplex PCR with primers for the GSTM1 gene and coagulation factor V gene (as positive control) were performed. RESULTS: The age distribution between the cancer and control groups were similar (63.6 7.2 vs. 61.1 7.9 years). The lung cancer group, however, had more smokers (73.3%, 44/60) than the control group (21/54, 38.9%, p<0.001). The rate of homozygous deletion of the GSTM1 gene was significantly higher in the lung cancer group (65.8%, 50/76) than in the control group (46.8%, 29/62, p<0.05), causing the relative risk of GSTM1 deletion for lung cancer as 2.19 (95% CI: 1.10~4.35, p=0.02). Among 118 subjects whose mEPHX gene polymorphisms were studied, 62 (52.5%) subjects showed genotypes with slow enzyme activity while 45 (38.1%) showed normal enzyme activity and 11 (9.3%) showed fast enzyme activity. There was no significant difference in the distribution of mEPHX gene polymorphisms between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The homozygous deletion of the GSTM1 gene was associated with high lung cancer susceptibility, whereas the mEPHX genotype showed no significant connection with risk of lung cancer in a sample Korean population.